Chapter 143: Flustered and Exasperated

Hearing Zhang Shaofeng's words, Shi Jidong's face turned crimson with rage. He pointed a finger at Zhang, but was so furious that he couldn't utter a single word.

He simply could not believe that this person would suspect him; it was something he found utterly unacceptable.

Zhang Shaofeng, meanwhile, stared coldly at Shi Jidong, as though he had already concluded that Shi was undoubtedly the culprit.

At that moment, Lu Ming spoke up, "Enough. I said before, this matter has nothing to do with Curator Shi."

Zhang Shaofeng abruptly turned his head, fixing a sharp, piercing gaze on Lu Ming as he demanded, "The surveillance footage is crystal clear. Shi Jidong is clearly lying, and yet you keep defending him. What is your game?"

Lu Ming let out a cold laugh and said, "There are far too many things in this world that you know nothing about. You are utterly self-righteous."

"What did you say?"

Lu Ming's dismissive attitude instantly infuriated Zhang Shaofeng.

As a top-tier criminal investigator in Northwest Province, he had never been talked down to. For an unidentified young man to call him self-righteous was more than he could bear. Had it not been for Yun Shengguo's presence, he would have flown into a rage right then and there.

Lu Ming let out another cold snort, ignoring him entirely as he turned to address Yun Shengguo.

"Secretary Yun, the dragon head has already been found. It is right here in this museum, and I can guarantee you that Curator Shi has absolutely nothing to do with this. You can rest easy."

Lu Ming knew that Yun Shengguo equally hoped this incident had nothing to do with Shi Jidong. For one, Shi Jidong was a scholar Yun had personally invited out of retirement; if Shi were truly involved, it would reflect very poorly on Yun Shengguo. Secondly, Shi Jidong was a renowned historian and professor in Xijing, highly prestigious within the cultural sphere. If he fell from grace, it would undoubtedly become a massive scandal, bringing shame upon the government.

"Really?"

As soon as Lu Ming said this, Yun Shengguo's face lit up with joy. He was well aware that Lu Ming possessed extraordinary and formidable abilities, and he placed immense trust in his words.

Lu Ming nodded.

Yun Shengguo immediately said, "Where is the dragon head? Let's go retrieve it right now."

This matter was of paramount importance to him; naturally, Yun Shengguo was anxious.

However, at that very moment, Zhang Shaofeng interjected, "Secretary Yun, how is that possible? There isn't even a single lead yet, and he dares to assert that the dragon head has been found? Is he a fortune-teller or something?"

Frowning, Yun Shengguo said, "Mr. Lu possesses boundless mystical abilities beyond your imagination. His words are never wrong."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shaofeng froze momentarily before sneering, "Secretary Yun, I simply don't believe he can find the dragon head. If he really can find it, I'll hand over this position of criminal investigation captain to him right now."

With that, Zhang Shaofeng glared coldly at Lu Ming, showing complete disbelief.

In his eyes, Lu Ming was nine parts swindler and one part charlatan, and Secretary Yun was merely clutching at straws in his desperation. Based on his years of criminal investigation experience, this case was undoubtedly an inside job, meticulously planned and far from simple.

The dragon head would have long since been smuggled away to God knows where; how could it possibly still be inside the museum? It was an absolute joke.

The only viable method now was to break through Shi Jidong's defenses, extract the names of his accomplices and relevant clues, and then launch a citywide manhunt. Only then would there be any possibility of recovering the dragon head, rather than treating it as a trivial stroll in the park as Lu Ming claimed.

"Alright, that's enough. Whether we can find it or not, we'll know once we go and take a look," Yun Shengguo said. "Mr. Lu, where is the dragon head? Let's hurry over. If we delay and complications arise, it won't be good."

Lu Ming smiled and turned to walk away. He had grown thoroughly disgusted with this Zhang Shaofeng, who would resort to any desperate means to solve a case and claim credit, even driving a respected veteran scholar to the brink of ruin. His temperament was far too vicious.

Yun Shengguo and the others closely followed behind, and even Shi Jidong tagged along. Since the dragon head had been located, he wanted to see for himself what was truly going on.

The group walked out of the administrative area in the back courtyard. Led by Lu Ming, they wound their way through various paths until they arrived beside a small pool on the east side.

This was the museum's recreational area, a place designated for visitors to rest. Chairs were arranged around the pool, and in the very center stood a medium-sized artificial fountain that continually sprayed water.

Lu Ming pointed at the pool and said, "The dragon head is inside."

Everyone hurried to the edge of the pool and peered in.

It was already nearly ten o'clock, and the lighting here was dim. For a moment, nobody could make out anything clearly, and anxiety washed over Yun Shengguo's face.

Lu Ming shook his head, walked right to the edge of the pool, reached down, and fished out an object wrapped in layers of plastic.

Placing the object on the ground, Lu Ming said slowly, "Inside here is the dragon head."

Zhang Shaofeng wore a look of utter disbelief mixed with a sneer.

Yun Shengguo looked hopeful, rubbing his hands together as he stared at the package.

At that moment, Shi Jidong stepped forward and began trembling as he unraveled the layers of plastic wrapped around it.

Aside from Lu Ming, everyone stared intently at Shi Jidong's hands. The female police officer even cast curious, sideways glances at Lu Ming from time to time.

Before long, the plastic was fully unwrapped, revealing a deep bronze dragon head. Shi Jidong examined it carefully before exclaiming with great agitation, "This is indeed the genuine dragon head!"

Shi Jidong's words instantly set Yun Shengguo's mind at ease, a smile blossoming on his face. He held immense trust in the veteran's discerning eye.

Meanwhile, Zhang Shaofeng stared in disbelief at the dragon head in Shi Jidong's hands, his mouth gaping wide enough to fit an entire duck egg.

Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that Lu Ming could actually find the dragon head.

After a brief moment of shock, Zhang Shaofeng's expression darkened as he said, "Secretary Yun, I suspect that this Mr. Lu is heavily implicated in this theft case."

"Heh, what's the matter? Are you afraid I'm going to steal your position as criminal investigation captain?" Lu Ming chuckled.

"Hmph, don't try to change the subject! If you had nothing to do with this case, how on earth did you know the dragon head was right here?" Zhang Shaofeng demanded harshly.

In truth, a trace of panic was already beginning to stir within his heart.

Just moments ago, he had boasted grandly, only for Lu Ming to produce the dragon head seconds later, leaving him in an extremely awkward predicament.

Furthermore, his deduction was entirely logical—if Lu Ming had no connection to the case, how could he possibly have known the dragon head's location?

Unfortunately for him, he failed to realize that Lu Ming's capabilities were entirely beyond his comprehension.

At that moment, Yun Shengguo spoke up.

"Enough of that. Mr. Lu's abilities are something you cannot possibly fathom, and he has absolutely nothing to do with this case. Now that the dragon head has been recovered, focus on solving the case and stop wasting time here."

Yun Shengguo knew very well that Lu Ming was the one who had produced the dragon head; how could he possibly have stolen it in the first place? Zhang Shaofeng's words were sheer nonsense, and inwardly, Yun Shengguo had already mentally crossed him off his list of capable officers.

Hearing this, Zhang Shaofeng's face turned livid as he gritted out, "Understood, Secretary Yun. I'll get right to it."

With that, he spun around and walked off. He had lost all his prestige here tonight and had no face left to linger any longer.

The young female police officer followed closely behind him, occasionally casting awestruck, furtive glances at Lu Ming as she left.

After Zhang Shaofeng departed, Yun Shengguo said, "Thank you so much, Mr. Lu. If not for you, I truly wouldn't have known what to do."

"Don't mention it. It was just a minor matter," Lu Ming replied indifferently.

Yun Shengguo frowned slightly and asked, "Mr. Lu, I'd like to impose upon you once more. Would you be willing to stay here tonight and help guard the dragon head?"

Lu Ming smiled and said, "No problem."

Yun Shengguo was instantly overjoyed. The theft of the dragon head had been far too mysterious, and he had zero confidence in the current security detail. With Lu Ming around, however, he could finally rest easy.

At that moment, Shi Jidong offered, "In that case, shall I show Mr. Lu to his guest room?"

Lu Ming nodded. Yun Shengguo and Shi Jidong personally escorted Lu Ming toward the guest quarters.

After reaching the room, Yun Shengguo chatted with Lu Ming for a short while longer before departing alongside Shi Jidong, as he still had a multitude of matters to attend to the next day and needed to rest early.

Lu Ming tossed the dragon head casually onto the bed and immediately hit the pillow, falling fast asleep.

Yet deep down, he knew clearly that whoever had stolen the dragon head would undoubtedly make another appearance—perhaps even as soon as tomorrow.

Early the next morning, before Lu Ming had even fully woken up, his door was knocked upon.

Getting up to open the door, he saw Yun Shengguo and Shi Jidong accompanied by a squad of security personnel and two museum staff members.

"Mr. Lu, it's time to return the dragon head to the exhibition hall. The guests will be arriving for the tour shortly," Yun Shengguo said.

Lu Ming nodded and replied, "Alright, you all go ahead. I'll wash up and join you shortly. Don't worry, proceed as usual. I will be keeping watch from the shadows, and whatever happens, I will handle it."