Yanfu: Starting with the Six-Eared Macaque

"Yes, it's kerosene." Seeing him suddenly stop, looking somewhat puzzled, Lin Ce quickly asked, "Boss, what's wrong?"

"The female corpse reported today was also burned to death with kerosene," Chen Xing said solemnly.

"Boss, do you mean these two cases might be related?" Lin Ce's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked.

"It might not be unrelated." Chen Xing lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then turned to look at Zhou An, his tone resolute.

"Zhou An, go to all the oil shops in the city immediately and inquire whether any suspicious persons have recently purchased large quantities of kerosene, especially those who act strangely, act alone, or whose purpose is unclear. Report back immediately if you have any information."

"Yes!" Zhou An clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, immediately turned around, and hurried towards the oil shop in the city.

On the way, Lin Ce continued to give Chen Xing a detailed report on the pawnshop fire. As the conversation deepened, Chen Xing gained a more comprehensive understanding of the case.

The night before last, Jubaoge, the largest pawnshop in Linjiang City, was broken into and robbed. When the guards responsible for watching the warehouse noticed something amiss, the thieves set the pawnshop on fire and fled the scene in the chaos.

Old Wu, the accountant, was on his way to the warehouse to check the items when he was unfortunately knocked unconscious by the thieves and has only just woken up today.

This Jubao Pavilion not only engaged in pawnbroking but also provided storage services for valuables, involving huge interests of several aristocratic families.

Now that the account books have been destroyed in the fire, it's impossible to accurately verify the stolen items. The local gentry are pressuring the magistrate to conduct an immediate investigation. Overwhelmed with problems, the magistrate has passed this hot potato to Chen Xing, the original owner of this body.

The two chatted as they walked, and soon arrived at the entrance of Jubaoge.

"Manager Wang." As soon as Chen Xing entered the shop, he bowed to a middle-aged man with a plump figure, wearing a brocade robe. This was Wang Fu'an, the manager of Jubao Pavilion. His face always had a shrewd look on it, but at this moment it was full of worries.

"Oh, Officer Chen, you've finally arrived!" Wang Fu'an hurried over, his tone carrying a hint of barely concealed resentment. "If I don't get to the bottom of this case soon, I really won't be able to face my boss."

"Don't worry, Manager Wang, I'm here today to investigate the case." Chen Xing didn't waste any time on pleasantries and went straight to the point: "Where is Accountant Wu now? I have a few questions for him."

"He's resting in the backyard, he just took his medicine. Sigh, that old Wu, he's really suffered an undeserved misfortune." Wang Fu'an sighed, leading Chen Xing and Lin Ce towards the backyard while grumbling.

"Manager Wang, before and after the fire, did you notice anything suspicious?" Chen Xing asked as they walked.

"Don't even mention it. Ever since the fire the day before yesterday, local gentry and customers have been coming non-stop to inspect the stored items and inquire about the losses. I've been so busy and overwhelmed that I haven't had a moment to spare. I don't have the energy to pay attention to anything else." Wang Fu'an waved his hand, looking helpless.

"Oh? So what exactly has been discovered that's missing?"

"I found out some of them, and I wrote them all down on the list," Wang Fu'an said, his face even more distressed. "Sigh, the pawnshop has to pay out all these losses one by one. How am I going to explain this to my boss?"

"I'll take a look at the list later," Chen Xing said.

As they spoke, the three had already reached the door of the guest room in the backyard. Wang Fu'an raised his hand and knocked on the door. Without waiting for a response from inside, he pushed the door open and went in, calling out as he went, "Old Wu! Old Wu! Officer Chen is here to see you!"

Inside the room, Old Wu was resting against the headboard. He looked to be about fifty years old, with gray hair, wrinkles around his eyes, and a somewhat pale face.

On the bedside table sat a rough porcelain bowl, with some dark brown dregs of medicine remaining at the bottom, and a faint smell of medicine permeated the air.

"Mr. Wu." Chen Xing bowed to Old Wu as he entered the room.

Seeing this, Old Wu struggled to get up and return the greeting, but Chen Xing quickly stepped forward and pressed down on his shoulder: "Mr. Wu, there's no need for such formalities."

"Mr. Wu, are you feeling better now? Is your head still dizzy? Do you have any other discomfort?" Chen Xing asked with concern.

"It's alright, it's nothing serious, just a bit weak." Old Wu sighed, his face full of guilt. "I just feel really bad for letting down the boss. I heard that the pawnshop lost quite a few things this time."

"Old Wu, don't overthink it. The boss has already given instructions. It's better that you're alright than anything else. The government will naturally help investigate the lost items," Wang Fu'an added from the side.

Old Wu has worked at Jubao Pavilion for over thirty years, even earlier than Wang Fu'an. He is a hard-working and conscientious worker, deeply trusted by his employer, and even Wang Fu'an respects him.

"Mr. Wu, do you remember the details of what happened the night before last?" After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Xing changed the subject and got to the point.

Old Wu closed his eyes and recalled for a moment before slowly saying, "We usually do an inventory check at the end of the month. That night, I figured I couldn't sleep anyway, and since a few of my stored items were nearing their redemption deadline, I decided to go to the warehouse to check them in advance."

"As soon as I pushed open the warehouse door, I saw a man dressed in black rummaging through things inside. I was startled and instinctively shouted. The man rushed over and hit me in the back. After that, I don't know anything."

"Do you remember what the thief looked like?" Chen Xing pressed, adding, worried that he might not remember the details, "like height, build, or any other distinctive features?"

"I do remember his height," Old Wu said, trying to recall. "The warehouse shelves were two feet high each, and the thief was much taller than the second shelf, so I'd guess he was about five feet tall. He wasn't particularly strong, and I can't remember the rest because his face was covered."

Chen Xing nodded and said, "Mr. Wu, may I take a look at your wound?"

Upon hearing this, Old Wu struggled to turn to the side, slowly lifting the back of his shirt to reveal a bluish-purple bruise with blackened edges, which looked quite frightening.

Chen Xing leaned closer to examine the location and shape of the wound, and pondered, "Judging from the force and location of this wound, the thief seemed to have intended to kill directly, but his technique was not skilled, and his strike was slightly off, which is why Mr. Wu was able to escape with his life."

"Alright, Mr. Wu, please focus on recovering and don't worry about it." Chen Xing exchanged a few more pleasantries, then stood up and said, "We won't disturb your rest for now. If you remember any details later, just have someone go to the government office to inform me."

"Officer Chen, you absolutely must find the murderer, otherwise this old man will never have the face to face his employer again," Old Wu earnestly urged, grabbing Chen Xing's sleeve.

"Don't worry, Mr. Wu, I will definitely investigate to the end and give you and the pawnshop justice." Chen Xing solemnly agreed, bowed deeply to Old Wu, and then turned to Wang Fu'an beside him, saying, "Manager Wang, please take me to see the list of the stolen items."

"Alright, Officer Chen, this way please!" Wang Fu'an quickly responded, leading Chen Xing and Lin Ce back to the front hall. He took out a yellowed booklet from the counter drawer, which was the list of stolen items that he had personally recorded.

Chen Xing took the order and carefully examined it line by line.

The items listed above are mostly small and valuable, such as high-quality pearls, small jade pendants, and exquisite silver ornaments. However, none of the larger, priceless treasures are missing.