I Thought I Was Investigating a Case, but I Was Actually My Brother’s Pawn - Chapter 1

As I picked up the scorching brass watch cover from the cold concrete floor, rows of never-before-seen blood-red characters exploded before my eyes like ghosts: “‘Heroic Male Lead Gu Yu’ is about to embark on his legendary path, using the ‘Warring States Dragon-Patterned Golden Casket’ as his initiation, ascending to the peak of power in this chaotic world, becoming the sole king of Shanghai.”

“‘Confidante Linglong’, the sole descendant of a former imperial locksmith family, will engage in a love-hate relationship with the male lead Gu Yu, ultimately solving the mystery of the Golden Casket for him and helping him achieve his grand ambition.”

“‘Hypocritical Cannon Fodder Gu Zhao’, protagonist Gu Yu’s biological younger brother. A self-righteous idealist, his so-called investigation into his father’s death is merely a tool to provide the male lead with crucial clues. He will ultimately be eliminated by his own brother for standing in the male lead’s way, his death serving as the final step for the male lead to completely sever his humanity and transform into a true overlord.”

“The foolish cannon fodder, he never knew until his death that his most trusted associate, Ah Si, had long been the male lead’s most loyal dog, planted by his side.”

…

I slammed my eyes shut, then opened them again, those blood-red characters stubbornly still hovering in the air, mocking me, each word like a death sentence.

Ah Si, my associate beside me, saw my pale face and anxiously supported me: “Brother Zhao, what’s wrong? Did you find something?”

I slowly turned my head, looking at this face that had followed me for years, a face that had always been full of loyalty and admiration.

It was at this moment that I clearly saw the usual reverence and dependence in the depths of his eyes recede as quickly as an ebbing tide.

In its place was a venomous, greedy gaze, mixed with pity, disdain, and… an infinite longing for a future new master.

He thought I hadn’t seen it.

I clutched the brass watch cover, the “plot device,” in my hand, its cold edges digging deep into my palm.

Turns out, my obsession with finding the killer was a joke. My adherence to law and justice was a joke. My pathetic and ridiculous life, from beginning to end, was nothing more than a stepping stone, destined to be stained with blood, on my dear brother’s path to kingship.

Good. This is very good.

I want to see whether my stubborn stone, destined to be a stepping stone, is harder, or his so-called protagonist’s halo is brighter.

Want to use my life to pave your way?

Gu Yu, just you wait and see how I personally break your “protagonist’s” banner and turn this muddy water upside down!

The smell of blood, mixed with the damp humidity of the Huangpu River and the burnt smell of cheap tobacco, slithered into Gu Zhao’s nostrils like a greasy snake.

He didn’t pay attention.

All his focus was on the hands of the corpse before him.

They were the hands of an appraiser, with long, slender fingers and meticulously trimmed nails. Even though he was dead, they still maintained a professional cleanliness. But these hands were twisted in an extremely strange posture, as if, in his last moments, he had tried to wind some invisible clockwork.

“Mr. Gu, the police are rushing us. This is, after all, a French Concession dock.” A young man in a grey shirt, Ah Si, Gu Zhao’s only associate at his “Gewu Detective Agency” in Shanghai, spoke in a low, anxious voice.

The police in the French Concession, especially those Gauls, always looked down on Chinese detectives. If it weren’t for the fact that the deceased was Chinese and of a somewhat special status, they wouldn’t have even let Gu Zhao in the door.

Gu Zhao seemed not to hear. He squatted down, took out a pair of white gloves from his portable leather investigation kit, and put them on. Then, he carefully used tweezers to pry open the deceased’s stiff hand.

There was nothing.

His palm was empty.

But Gu Zhao’s gaze did not move. He stared at the deceased’s palm. The skin there, due to being tightly clenched, showed a bloodless white, and in the very center of the white palm, there was an extremely tiny, crescent-shaped red indentation.

It looked like a fingernail mark, but it was deeper and sharper than a usual fingernail mark.

“Did you find it?” Ah Si couldn’t help but ask again.

Gu Zhao slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping across the damp warehouse. This was the most secluded cargo hold at Wharf 16, surrounded by pungent tung oil wooden crates ready for shipment to Nanyang. The body had been discovered by a porter this morning, lying face up in the shadows of the crates, a slender dagger plunged into his chest, a single blow proving fatal.

The deceased was called Old Master Huang, a well-known “one-eye” in the Shanghai antique trade, meaning he had a unique eye, specializing in obscure miscellaneous items. Three days ago, it was Old Master Huang who had entrusted someone to find Gu Zhao, saying he had an “old object” related to the death of Gu Zhao’s father, Gu Xuewen, which he wanted to hand over in person.

Gu Zhao’s father, once a leading archaeologist in the country, had “accidentally” fallen off a cliff five years ago during a field exploration. This was the official conclusion, the death certificate Gu Zhao had personally seen. But Gu Zhao didn’t believe it. His father was strong, experienced, and would never make such a simple mistake.

For the past five years, he had traveled to England to study modern forensic science and archaeological appraisal, returning to Shanghai to open this detective agency specifically to uncover the truth. Old Master Huang was the first clue to emerge on his own.

But now, the clue was broken.

“Mr. Gu, the Frenchman is getting impatient.” A Chinese translator in a police uniform walked over, a fawning and troubled smile on his face. “Chief Inspector Samuel said this is an ordinary robbery and murder, and we shouldn’t waste time.”

“Robbery and murder?” Gu Zhao sneered, pointing to the deceased’s shirt collar. “I just checked his innermost shirt pocket; he still had two ‘big yellow fish’ (gold bars), enough to buy a small mansion on Huaihai Road at least. What kind of blind robber kills someone and doesn’t even search their body?”

The Chinese translator was speechless for a moment.

Gu Zhao ignored him, squatting down again, his gaze like a searchlight, scanning the ground around the body inch by inch. On the damp concrete floor, apart from the chaotic footprints of porters and police, there was nothing.

No, there was.

His gaze stopped.

About a meter behind the deceased’s head, in the crevice of a tung oil wooden crate, something in the dim light reflected a faint, almost invisible metallic sheen.

Gu Zhao’s heart skipped a beat. He calmly stood up, blocking that angle, and said to Ah Si:

“Go outside and tell the Chief Inspector that I need another five minutes. Just say that I discovered the deceased might be a ‘Red Party’ member; this might be a reward they’d like.”

Ah Si was stunned but immediately understood Gu Zhao’s meaning and quickly walked out. He would say whatever the French Concession most feared.

While the Chinese translator followed Ah Si out to communicate, Gu Zhao quickly returned to the spot and used tweezers to extract something from the wooden crate’s crevice.

It was the back cover of a pocket watch. Made of brass, about the size of a one-yuan silver coin, its edges were already thoroughly smooth from wear. The inner side of the cover had no photo, no engraving, only a circle of extremely complex patterns, almost carved with a needlepoint.

These were not decorative patterns.

Gu Zhao had seen similar micro-engraved codes during his internship at Scotland Yard. But this one was older, more complex. Those seemingly chaotic lines, in the eyes of someone from an archaeological family like Gu Zhao, instantly presented a familiar, fierce appearance.

It was… the coiled dragon pattern from Warring States period bronzes.

But something was wrong; the direction and coiled posture of these dragon patterns seemed to correspond to some kind of map or celestial phenomenon. His father had once described a similar pattern in a notebook, calling it a “lock.”

Lock? Lock what?

Just then, the iron door of the warehouse was roughly pulled open from outside, and blinding sunlight poured in. A tall, corpulent Frenchman, smoking a cigar, entered, surrounded by a group of police officers. It was Samuel, the Chief Inspector of the French Concession police station.

“My Chinese detective friend,” Samuel exhaled a puff of thick smoke, speaking in stiff Chinese, “Where is this ‘Red Party’ you speak of? My patience is limited.”

Gu Zhao had already tightly clutched the pocket watch cover in his hand. The cold metallic touch instantly calmed his jumbled thoughts. He stood straight, meeting Samuel’s gaze, and calmly replied:

“Chief Inspector, you’re mistaken. I said the blood on the deceased’s chest was red.”

Samuel’s face instantly turned a livid shade of red.

“Four Seas Unification Society.”

When Gu Zhao walked out of Wharf 16, this name surfaced in his mind.

Old Master Huang had vaguely mentioned this organization when he contacted him. He said that Professor Gu Xuewen’s death back then was not an isolated incident but had touched upon the interests of this behemoth.

In Shanghai, when people mentioned business associations, they would think of shipping, textile, or banking industries, which were all organizations with clear trades. But the “Four Seas Unification Society” was like a ghost. Everyone had heard its name, but no one could say exactly what business it was in. They only knew that its power permeated every corner of Shanghai, from dock work to opium trade, from land deals to arms smuggling. Wherever there was huge profit, there was its shadow.

Its code of conduct was also different from all other business associations, bearing the bloodiness of a Jianghu gang and the strangeness of a mysterious organization.

And its current “Young Master” was the person Gu Zhao least wanted to see.

Gu Yu.

His own brother.

A black Steamer sedan silently stopped in front of Gu Zhao. The car window slowly rolled down, revealing a face seven parts similar to Gu Zhao’s, but sharper and deeper.

“Get in,” Gu Yu’s voice, like the man himself, had no superfluous warmth.

Gu Zhao didn’t move. He looked at his brother in the car, dressed in a well-tailored black suit, his hair meticulously combed, a jade ring symbolizing the power of the “Four Seas Unification Society” on his finger. Years and experiences had carved the two brothers into completely different molds.

“I thought the rule of the ‘Four Seas Unification Society’ was never to interfere in Concession affairs,” Gu Zhao’s tone held a hint of mockery.

“Old Huang was one of ours,” Gu Yu’s reply was direct. He pushed open the car door, “He died, so of course I came. Besides, I know he looked for you. Get in, Ah Zhao, don’t make me ‘invite’ you in front of a large crowd.”

The word “invite,” spoken by Gu Yu, was no different from “kidnap.”

Gu Zhao was silent for a moment, then finally pulled open the car door.

The car’s interior was spacious, filled with a faint scent of cologne mixed with leather. The driver drove quietly, a thick glass partition separating the front and back seats.

“What did he tell you?” Gu Yu went straight to the point.

“He said he had clues about father’s death,” Gu Zhao looked at the rapidly retreating streetscape outside the window, not looking at Gu Yu.

“And then?”

“Then he died.”

Gu Yu’s lips curved into an ambiguous arc. “So, you know nothing.”

“No,” Gu Zhao turned his head, meeting Gu Yu’s scrutinizing gaze. He spread his hand, and on his palm lay the brass watch cover. “I also know this.”

Gu Yu’s pupils constricted sharply the moment he saw the watch cover. This subtle change did not escape Gu Zhao’s eyes.

“The ‘key’ to the Warring States Dragon-Patterned Golden Casket,” Gu Yu’s voice was lowered, carrying a hint of imperceptible excitement, even… greed.

“Warring States Dragon-Patterned Golden Casket?” Gu Zhao frowned. He had only seen this name once in his father’s manuscript. His father had called it a “lost national treasure,” something that could overturn historical understanding.

“Looks like father didn’t tell you anything,” Gu Yu leaned back into the soft seat, resuming his inscrutable demeanor. “A legendary item. Legend has it that it contains wealth that could buy all of Shanghai, and it also holds… secrets that could cost countless lives.”

He paused, then changed the subject: “Did Old Huang leave this to you before he died?”

“Perhaps,” Gu Zhao put the watch cover back in his pocket. “But now, it’s mine. Old Huang was your subordinate; he died on your territory for the ‘secret’ you spoke of. Gu Yu, shouldn’t you give me an explanation?”

“Explanation?” Gu Yu laughed as if he had heard a huge joke. “Ah Zhao, did you ruin your brain by studying abroad for five years? In Shanghai, fists and rules are the explanations. Old Huang broke the rules. He wanted to bypass the society and contact you privately to sell the ‘key’ for a good price, so he died. Are you satisfied with this explanation?”

“He wanted to sell it to me? He didn’t take a single cent, and he didn’t even say what the item was.”

“That only means he’s stupid,” Gu Yu’s tone was dismissive, as if discussing the life or death of an ant. “Now, give me the ‘key.’ Don’t interfere with this matter anymore. I’ll investigate father’s death, and once I find out, I’ll naturally give you an account.”

“You investigate?” Gu Zhao’s voice suddenly rose. “You’ll investigate using the rules of the ‘Four Seas Unification Society’? Father was most opposed to you joining them! He called them ‘nation-stealing thieves,’ maggots clinging to the body of this country! Now you want me to hand over the only clue that might uncover the truth to you, the… leader of these thieves?”

The air in the car instantly solidified.

The driver’s back stiffened.

The last trace of a smile disappeared from Gu Yu’s face. He stared at Gu Zhao, saying each word distinctly: “Ah Zhao, remember this. If it weren’t for the ‘Four Seas Unification Society’ back then, our Gu family would have been utterly devoured by those bloodthirsty warlords and foreigners. It was I who preserved the Gu family’s roots in Shanghai. Every penny you spent studying comfortably in England was stained with the blood and sweat of those ‘maggots’ you speak of.”

He leaned forward, the jade ring on his hand like a cold eye in the dim light.

“I’ll say it again: give me the item. This is not a discussion; it’s an order.”

Gu Zhao’s heart sank. He knew this wasn’t a threat. He could even feel the silent driver in the front seat, whose waist had already bulked up.

His opposition to his brother, at this moment, became clearer than ever before. One pursued law and truth in the light, the other believed in violence and rules in the darkness. Between them, there was not just a Huangpu River, but an entire world of black and white.

Silence spread in the car.

Finally, Gu Zhao slowly pulled the pocket watch cover from his pocket and placed it on the leather armrest between them.

A flicker of satisfaction crossed Gu Yu’s eyes. He reached out to take it.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the watch cover, Gu Zhao’s hand shot back like lightning. At the same time, his other hand violently pulled open the car door lock!

“Screech—”

The Steamer sedan let out a piercing tire screech, and the driver slammed on the brakes.

And Gu Zhao, taking advantage of the momentum, tumbled out of the car.

He ignored his painfully bruised shoulder, rolled on the ground, scrambled to his feet, and rushed into a narrow alley by the roadside. Behind him, Gu Yu’s furious roar and the sound of a car door being forcefully slammed shut echoed.

Gu Zhao ran without looking back.

He knew that from this moment on, he would face not only the murderer of Old Master Huang but also his own brother, and the vast, unfathomable dark kingdom behind him.

And his only weapon was the scorching brass watch cover, hiding unknown secrets.

Under the night sky, the Paramount Ballroom was like a grand, glittering jewel embedded in the magnificent robe of nightlife in Shanghai. Jazz music, perfume, women’s flirtatious laughter, and men’s boasts intertwined into a grand web of decadence.

Gu Zhao adjusted his somewhat cheap suit and tie and walked into this world that was completely at odds with him.

He was here to find someone. Someone who could help him unlock the secret of that “key.”

Linglong.

The most popular dancer at the Paramount, and also Shanghai’s top “locksmith.” Of course, she didn’t open ordinary door locks, but various intricate safes, strongboxes, and even… people’s hearts.

Rumor had it that as long as you could afford the price, there was nothing Linglong couldn’t open.

Gu Zhao couldn’t afford her price. But he had other leverage.

Passing through the bustling dance floor, he found Linglong in a semi-open booth on the second floor. She was wearing a silver-white sequined qipao that accentuated her graceful figure, lazily leaning back on the sofa, smoking through a long, slender silver cigarette holder. Her beauty was aggressive, like a blooming poppy.

“Sir, do we know each other?” Linglong didn’t even raise her eyes to look at him, simply exhaling a pale blue smoke ring into the air in front of her.

“We don’t,” Gu Zhao sat down across from her, “But I know you knew Old Master Huang.”

Linglong’s hand, holding the cigarette holder, paused almost imperceptibly.

“Old Master Huang?” She finally raised her captivating peach blossom eyes, examining Gu Zhao. “Is that old man who dealt in antiques? I think I have some impression. What, does he owe you money?”

“He died. This morning, at Wharf 16.” Gu Zhao met her gaze directly.

The flirtatious smile on Linglong’s face slowly faded. She extinguished her cigarette in a crystal ashtray, straightened up, and said, “The police didn’t come looking for me, but you, a… private detective, came first. What makes you think his death has anything to do with me?”

“I didn’t say it has anything to do with you. I came to ask for your help,” Gu Zhao said.

“Help?” Linglong seemed to have heard the funniest joke. “Do you know how much it costs to ask for ‘help’ from me, Linglong, in Shanghai?”

“I know,” Gu Zhao calmly replied. “I also know that three years ago, Old Master Huang helped you redeem your gambling-addicted brother from the ‘Four Seas Unification Society.’ He didn’t take a single cent from you, only asked you for a favor.”

Linglong’s face finally changed. Fewer than five people knew about this matter.

“Now, I want you to repay that favor.” Gu Zhao placed the brass watch cover on the table and pushed it towards her.

Linglong picked up the watch cover, and under the dim light, carefully examined the micro-engraved dragon patterns on the inside. Her fingers, like the most precise instruments, gently traced the intricate lines.

After a long while, she finally looked up, her expression grave, and said, “This isn’t a lock; this is… part of a map. And it’s an encrypted live map.”

“Live map?”

“Hmm. Look,” Linglong pointed to a few seemingly casual scratches. “These marks are very new; they must have been carved recently. And the direction of these dragon patterns, seemingly chaotic, is actually an ancient astrological code. I once saw it in a rare book; it’s called ‘Twenty-Eight Mansions Geomancy.’ It means that the coordinates on this map will change with the positions of the stars in the sky.”

Gu Zhao’s heart sank sharply. No wonder his father called it a “lock”; this was simply an unbreakable code.

“So, even if we have this map, we don’t know where it points?”

“Not entirely,” a professional gleam flashed in Linglong’s eyes. “This kind of cryptographic lock usually has a ‘base point,’ or a ‘calibrator.’ As long as you find that base point, you can read the exact coordinates at a specific time. And this base point is usually another related artifact. This watch cover is only half of the ‘key.'”

“What’s the other half?”

Linglong shook her head: “I don’t know. But since Old Master Huang left it to you, he must have also left clues about the other half.”

Clues…

In Gu Zhao’s mind, Old Master Huang’s stiff hand and the crescent-shaped red indentation on his palm instantly flashed.

That wasn’t a fingernail mark!

It was a seal, or rather, an extremely tiny ring with a special marking, an imprint left when force was applied!

Old Master Huang must have been clutching that ring in his hand before he died, but the murderer took it! And his last action of winding the clockwork perhaps was a hint to Gu Zhao that this pocket watch cover was related to time and celestial phenomena!

Having figured this out, Gu Zhao suddenly saw the light.

“Thank you,” he stood up, ready to take back the watch cover.

“Wait,” Linglong, however, held his hand. “I helped you with this. But you also have to promise me one thing.”

“What thing?”

“The people from the ‘Four Seas Unification Society’ must also be looking for this item.” Linglong’s eyes sharpened. “If they come to me, I won’t admit to having seen you. And, anything you find out, you can’t involve me. I’m just a weak woman trying to make a living in the world of entertainment; I can’t afford to provoke them.”

Gu Zhao looked at her, this seemingly fragile woman, whose eyes sparkled with the shrewdness and determination of a survivor. In the great meat grinder that was Shanghai, everyone had their own rules for survival.

“Okay,” Gu Zhao nodded, taking back the watch cover. “I promise you.”

Stepping out of the Paramount Ballroom, the cold wind outside cleared Gu Zhao’s head even further.

Now, he needed to find that ring.

The ring that was on the murderer’s hand.

And anyone who could silently kill Old Master Huang on the “Four Seas Unification Society’s” territory and calmly take away the crucial token was certainly no ordinary person. This person must have a deep understanding of the “Warring States Dragon-Patterned Golden Casket” secret.

He might even be… the true murderer of his father five years ago.

Gu Zhao unconsciously touched the watch cover in his pocket. The cold touch seemed to remind him that the road ahead was long and full of danger. He looked up at the night sky, stained purplish-red by neon lights, with only a few stars visible.

He knew that a deadly game had begun. And he was already standing in the center of the chessboard, unable to retreat.

Gu Zhao’s detective agency was located on a side lane off Fuxing Road, a two-story building with a reception area downstairs and his living quarters and laboratory upstairs.

As soon as he returned downstairs, he smelled a familiar, faint scent of sandalwood.

Someone was sitting on the living room sofa.

Gu Yu.

He seemed to have been waiting for a long time; the tea in front of him had already grown cold. He wasn’t wearing the black suit that symbolized power but had changed into a dark grey casual gown, which made him seem less intimidating and a bit more like a gentle elder brother.

But Gu Zhao knew this was just an appearance.

“You’re back?” Gu Yu spoke, his tone as calm as if he were making small talk with family.

“What are you doing here?” Gu Zhao didn’t let down his guard; his hand remained in his trench coat pocket, clutching the watch cover.

“The French Concession sent me a copy of Old Huang’s autopsy report,” Gu Yu pushed a document onto the table. “The fatal injury was a knife wound to the heart, but the real cause of death was poisoning.”

Gu Zhao’s pupils contracted.

“The dagger was laced with strychnine, a neurotoxin from South America that acts extremely fast, instantly paralyzing the heart,” Gu Yu said slowly. “This poison is difficult to trace in small quantities and is usually only used by professional assassins. Moreover, it’s expensive, more expensive than gold.”

Gu Zhao picked up the report and quickly scanned it. It was indeed as Gu Yu said. He had only focused on physical traces at the time, neglecting the toxicology report. This was his oversight.

“What do you mean by telling me this?” Gu Zhao asked.

“It means that the person who killed Old Huang wasn’t one of those reckless brutes in the society who only understand axes and guns. This is a setup, Ah Zhao.” Gu Yu looked up, his gaze burning as he stared at him. “A setup aimed at the ‘Golden Casket.’ Old Huang’s death is just the beginning. The next one might be you, or me.”

Gu Zhao fell silent. He had to admit, Gu Yu had a point. The killer’s professionalism and ruthlessness exceeded his expectations.

“So what?”

“So, we have to work together.” Gu Yu’s tone was unexpectedly sincere. “You are father’s only direct disciple, and only you can understand the strange symbols he left behind related to archaeology and celestial phenomena. And I have the intelligence network and manpower of the ‘Four Seas Unification Society.’ Only by combining our strengths do we have a chance to find the killer and obtain the ‘Golden Casket.'”

“Why should I trust you?” Gu Zhao sneered. “You want the ‘Golden Casket’ for the wealth inside it, to expand your gang. Whereas I just want to find out the cause of father’s death and return the national treasure to its rightful place.”

“Our paths are different, but at least before we find it, our goal is the same—to find the enemy hidden in the shadows.” Gu Yu stood up and walked to Gu Zhao. “I also want to find out about father’s death. Whether you believe it or not, he is still my father.”

This sentence made Gu Zhao’s heart tremble slightly.

Indeed, no matter how opposed their stances were, they were still blood-related brothers.

“What do you need me to do?” Gu Zhao’s tone finally softened slightly.

A hint of joy flashed in Gu Yu’s eyes.

“I need you to draw the map from that ‘key.’ No matter how much you can decipher now, draw it. I will mobilize all my connections to investigate who in Shanghai, or even all of China, possesses or has recently traded a ring with that specific crescent-shaped mark.”

This was a fair trade.

Gu Zhao hesitated for a long time. Collaborating with Gu Yu was like making a deal with a tiger. But he also knew very well that relying solely on his own strength to find a ring of unknown appearance in vast Shanghai was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

“Okay,” he finally made up his mind. “I’ll draw it for you. But all the information you find must be shared with me.”

“It’s a deal.”

That night, in his second-floor laboratory, Gu Zhao, relying on his memory and solid professional foundation, meticulously replicated the coiled dragon astrological map from the brass watch cover onto drawing paper.

He drew slowly, very carefully. Because he knew that this was not just a map, but the only path to the truth of a century-old wrongful case.

Downstairs, Gu Yu sat on the sofa, quietly drinking the freshly brewed tea Ah Si had made, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. His deep gaze occasionally looked towards the second floor; no one knew what he was thinking.

The brothers’ first collaboration began on this night filled with suspicion and mistrust.

Three days later.

Gu Yu’s intelligence network demonstrated its astonishing efficiency.

An invitation was placed on Gu Zhao’s table.

“The ‘Hengya Hall’ Spring Auction. The invitation is for you,” Gu Yu’s voice came from the other end of the phone, tinged with a hint of fatigue. “What we’re looking for should appear there.”

“The ring?”

“No, something more direct than the ring,” Gu Yu said. “My people found out that the grand finale item at this Hengya Hall auction is a ‘Han Dynasty Gilt Bronze Box.’ According to the informant’s description, the bottom of the bronze box has a crescent-shaped cinnabar mark.”

Gu Zhao’s heart rate accelerated.

“Is it the second clue Old Huang left?”

“Most likely. Old Huang had close ties with Boss Zhao of Hengya Hall before he died. Perhaps he had a premonition of danger, so he entrusted the item there in advance. The indentation on his palm was to remind you to pay attention to that mark,” Gu Yu analyzed. “But now, this item has become a public auction item. The news has probably already reached the killer’s ears.”

“He wants to buy it back at the auction?”

“No, he won’t buy it,” Gu Yu’s tone grew cold. “He’ll just ‘take’ it. The auction is crowded and chaotic, the best time to act. Our chance is there, to catch him.”

“What’s your plan?”

“Very simple,” Gu Yu said. “You attend the auction as the visible buyer, attracting everyone’s attention to yourself. I will send people to lurk in every corner of the venue, monitoring all suspicious individuals. As long as he dares to make a move, he won’t come back alive.”

This was a simple, brutal, yet effective plan. Using Gu Zhao as bait to lure the snake out of its hole.

“How do I know your target is the snake, and not me, the bait?” Gu Zhao asked the most crucial question.

Silence fell on the other end of the phone for a moment.

“Ah Zhao,” Gu Yu’s voice deepened, “This time, trust me.”

The auction was held at a private club on Canglan Road, with extremely tight security. Everyone who received an invitation was a prominent figure in Shanghai.

Gu Zhao, dressed in the expensive tuxedo Gu Yu had prepared for him, holding an ordinary bidding paddle, sat in a relatively back position in the hall. He could feel countless gazes, overt and covert, on him from the moment he entered.

He knew that among these gazes were Gu Yu’s men, the club’s security, and perhaps, the killer hidden in the shadows.

The auction proceeded in an orderly manner, with paintings, porcelain, jade… valuable items were presented one by one and sold for high prices. Gu Zhao remained silent, like a true observer.

Finally, the auctioneer announced with an excited tone: “Next, our grand finale item for this spring auction—the Han Dynasty Gilt Bronze Box!”

A tray covered with a red cloth was brought up.

The auctioneer lifted the red cloth, and a small, antique-looking gilt bronze box, palm-sized, appeared before everyone. The surface of the bronze box was covered with green patina, but its exquisite craftsmanship was still evident.

“This bronze box has a mysterious origin, but according to expert appraisal, it is indeed from the Western Han Dynasty, and its gilt craftsmanship was considered top-notch at the time…”

Gu Zhao didn’t listen to the auctioneer’s boasts; his gaze was fixed on the bronze box. He needed an opportunity, an opportunity to confirm the mark on the bottom.

“Starting bid, ten large yellow fish!”

As soon as the auctioneer’s words fell, a small stir immediately arose in the hall. This price, for a small bronze box of unknown origin, was already ridiculously high.

But immediately, someone raised their paddle.

“Six fish!”

“Seven fish!”

The price steadily climbed, and those raising their paddles were mostly unfamiliar faces. Gu Zhao knew that these people were probably “shills” arranged by Gu Yu, to make the act convincing.

He tightened his grip on the bidding paddle, waiting for the right moment.

When the price soared to “ten fish,” there was a moment of silence in the hall.

Just then, an old man sitting in the front row, wearing a Tang suit and looking like a wealthy merchant, raised his paddle.

“Thirteen fish,” his attendant called out.

Gu Zhao’s gaze instantly locked onto the old man. He looked unremarkable, but Gu Zhao detected a hint of incongruity about him. It was the feeling of seeing a brand new fake among a pile of antiques.

“Twenty fish!” Gu Zhao finally raised his paddle.

All eyes in the room instantly focused on this unknown young man.

The old man in the Tang suit turned and glanced at Gu Zhao. It was a pair of cloudy eyes, but Gu Zhao saw a fleeting, venomous chill in them, like that of a poisonous snake.

It was him!

A voice screamed in Gu Zhao’s heart.

“Twenty-one fish,” the old man’s attendant continued to bid.

“Thirty fish!” Gu Zhao directly raised the price to a staggering level.

He wanted to provoke the other party, make him lose control.

Indeed, a flicker of imperceptible annoyance crossed the old man’s face. He seemed not to have expected such an unconventional competitor to suddenly appear.

He didn’t raise the price again.

“Thirty fish once! Thirty fish twice…” The auctioneer shouted excitedly.

Just as he was about to bring down the gavel, something unexpected happened!

All the lights in the hall went out with a snap.

The scene plunged into pitch-black darkness and panicked screams.

Gu Zhao’s heart was in his throat. He didn’t panic; instead, he immediately pounced towards the auction platform. He knew that the other party’s only target was that bronze box!

In the darkness, he heard the sound of wind, someone moving at high speed.

He heard the clear sound of metal colliding, the display case’s glass cover being shattered.

Then, he heard a heavy groan and the sound of a body hitting the ground.

The lights came on.

Under the dazzling lights, everyone was still in a state of shock.

On the auction platform, the auctioneer lay on the ground, his fate unknown. The gilt bronze box was gone without a trace.

The grand doors of the hall were locked from the outside.

Gu Zhao’s heart sank to rock bottom.

He looked at where the old man in the Tang suit had been sitting; it was now empty.

“Catch him!” Gu Zhao shouted at the nearest man in black, whom he recognized as one of Gu Yu’s subordinates.

But just then, a cold, metallic object pressed against Gu Zhao’s lower back.

A voice, suppressing anger, sounded in his ear.

“Mr. Gu, are you having fun?”

Gu Zhao’s body froze.

This voice was all too familiar to him.

It was Linglong.

He slowly turned around and saw Linglong dressed in a waiter’s uniform, holding a small lady’s pistol, its muzzle pointed directly at him. Her peach blossom eyes were now filled with cold anger and disappointment.

“Why?” Gu Zhao asked, puzzled.

“Why?” Linglong sneered. “Because I trusted the wrong person! You promised me you wouldn’t involve me. But the people from the ‘Four Seas Unification Society’ still found me! They threatened my brother’s life and made me help you put on this act!”

Gu Zhao was stunned.

“An act? The power outage, was it your doing?”

“That’s right!” A hint of pain flashed in Linglong’s eyes. “Gu Yu promised me that as long as I ‘got’ the bronze box for you, he would let my brother and me go. But I didn’t expect that while the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole is behind! The person who snatched the bronze box was not your target at all!”

Just then, a side door in the hall was kicked open.

Gu Yu rushed in with a large group of men, his face ashen.

He instantly saw Linglong pointing a gun at Gu Zhao, and the empty auction platform.

“Useless!” he roared, his eyes full of murderous intent.

He clearly realized that he had been played. The old man in the Tang suit and the person who snatched the bronze box were two completely different groups of people! The old man was a smoke screen released by the killer, and the one who actually grabbed the item was someone else! They had all been deceived!

“Gu Yu!” Linglong’s emotions became agitated. “My mission is complete! Release my brother!”

Gu Yu ignored her, his gaze fixed on Gu Zhao, like a provoked lion.

“Ah Zhao, tell me, what else are you hiding from me? Why is there an extra group of people? Is it you…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear. He was suspecting Gu Zhao.

“I didn’t!” Gu Zhao was speechless.

The situation in the hall instantly became tense.

Gu Yu’s men, Linglong’s gun, the missing bronze box, the escaping true killer… all the clues, all the trust, completely collapsed at this moment.

Gu Zhao looked at his brother, at the gun pointed at him, at the chaos and suspicion in the room, and for the first time, a bone-chilling coldness welled up in his heart.

He realized that he had perhaps never understood this game.

He hadn’t even understood his own brother.

Three days later, in an abandoned textile factory.

Gu Zhao was awakened by a bucket of cold water.

He was tied to a chair, his mouth gagged with cloth. Across from him sat Gu Yu.

The anger was gone from his face, replaced only by a profound weariness.

“Linglong ran away, taking her brother, and disappeared from Shanghai,” Gu Yu spoke, his voice hoarse. “The bronze box is also completely gone. I lost, Ah Zhao.”

He waved his hand, and his men removed the cloth from Gu Zhao’s mouth.

“You brought me here just to say this?” Gu Zhao moved his numb jaw, asking coldly.

“I brought you here because I want you to see something.”

Gu Yu had his men bring in a tray. On it was precisely the coiled dragon astrological map that Gu Zhao had replicated.

Only, there were some additional markings on the map.

Some dense annotations newly drawn in cinnabar.

“This is…” Gu Zhao’s pupils widened.

“This is the ‘Golden Casket Map’ annotation that the ‘Four Seas Unification Society’ spent thirty years and the blood of three generations to piece together from various ancient books and secret records,” Gu Yu pointed to the drawing. “Your ‘key’ is the lock. And this annotation is the instruction manual for opening the lock. Now, only one last item is missing.”

“That bronze box.”

“Exactly,” Gu Yu looked at him. “The bronze box isn’t a token; it’s the real ‘calibrator.’ The inside of the bronze box lid is engraved with the positions of the Big Dipper. Only by placing it together with your ‘key’ and my ‘annotation’ on a specific day—midnight on the winter solstice today—can we finally determine the exact location of the ‘Golden Casket.'”

Gu Zhao’s heart felt as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer.

He finally understood.

Everything was a setup.

A setup revolving around these three items: the “key,” the “annotation,” and the “calibrator.”

“So, father’s death…”

“Yes. That day, he had almost gathered these three items,” a hint of pain finally appeared in Gu Yu’s eyes. “But he was unwilling to use the wealth from the ‘Golden Casket’ to do what the society wanted to do. He wanted to hand everything over to the then-government.”

“So, the people from the society killed him?”

Gu Yu was silent. He neither admitted nor denied it.

“Talking about this now is meaningless,” he stood up. “The bronze box is lost, all clues are broken. That third-party force that took the bronze box is too deeply hidden; I’ve mobilized all my strength, but I can’t find a single trace. They’re like ghosts.”

He walked to Gu Zhao and personally untied him.

“You should go, Ah Zhao. Leave Shanghai, go back to England. This game is no longer something we can play. If you keep investigating, you’ll die.”

Gu Zhao slowly stood up, flexing his stiff wrists. He looked at his brother before him, this complex man who was a visionary, a schemer, and a victim all at once.

“One last question,” Gu Zhao said. “Did you kill Old Master Huang?”

Gu Yu’s body stiffened.

He turned away, not looking into Gu Zhao’s eyes.

“I told you, he broke the rules.”

This answer was tantamount to an admission. To prevent Old Huang from revealing too much information to Gu Zhao, and to firmly keep the “key” in his own hands, he had cleaned house.

Gu Zhao’s heart was completely cold.

He said nothing more, turned around, and walked step by step towards the large door of the textile factory.

Just as his hand was about to touch the rusted iron door, Gu Yu’s voice came from behind him.

“Ah Zhao, do you know? In father’s study, there’s a piece of calligraphy he liked most, written by Mr. Yu Youren.”

“‘When considering profit, consider the profit of the world; when seeking fame, seek fame for all generations.'”

“But he didn’t know that in this chaotic world, if you want to consider the profit of the world, you must first have a sharp weapon in your hand. Otherwise, you can’t even protect your own desk.”

Gu Zhao’s footsteps paused.

He didn’t look back, pulled open the large door, and walked into the gray world outside.

A month later.

London, the British Museum.

An oriental man in a trench coat and top hat stood quietly in front of a display case. Inside the case were various antiques from China.

The man’s gaze fell on an inconspicuous exhibit—a small Han Dynasty bronze box. Its label read:

“Donated by Sir Henry Kidd in 1925.”

A cold, imperceptible curve formed on the man’s lips.

He reached out, and through the glass, his fingers gently traced the outline of the bronze box. On his pinky finger, a ring glowed faintly in the dim museum light.

On the ring’s surface, there was an extremely tiny, crescent-shaped pattern.

At the same time, thousands of kilometers away in Shanghai.

In Gu Zhao’s detective agency, he was lost in thought, staring at a huge map of Shanghai. On the map, he had connected dozens of points with red lines. These were the death location of Old Master Huang, the Hengya Hall auction house, and his father’s last few activity locations in Shanghai back then…

All the red lines, in the end, converged at one place.

A place he had never thought of, yet seemed perfectly logical—

The French Concession Police Headquarters.

He remembered Chief Inspector Samuel, who was eager to close the case, and the chaotic situation at the auction and the “incompetence” of the Concession police.

Suddenly, the phone on the desk rang.

He picked up the phone, and a muffled, husky voice, distorted, came from within.

“Mr. Gu, want to know where the ‘Golden Casket’ is?”

“Who are you?”

“Who I am isn’t important. What’s important is that your brother, Gu Yu, is about to find it. And the moment he finds it, will be his death. Just like… your father.”

The call was hung up.

Gu Zhao held the receiver, his hand cold.

He looked up, gazing out the window. His own face was reflected in the window glass. Behind him, the replicated “key” drawing lay silently on the table, like a giant, dangerous keyhole filled with unknowns.

And he felt as if, on the other end of the keyhole, an eye was coldly, and with interest, watching him, watching every player on the chessboard.

This game is far from over.

The real player, perhaps, has just lifted a corner of the curtain.