Chapter 142: Suspicion Arises on All Sides

Shi Jidong was a highly prestigious professor in the Northwest, having published numerous papers, mastered history, and made tremendous contributions to archaeology. If he had truly committed such an act, the cultural circles of the Northwest would suffer an unimaginable loss of face.

Just at that moment, Lu Ming spoke up, "It is absolutely impossible that this was done by Curator Shi."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately turned their gaze toward Lu Ming.

Zhang Shaofeng wore a look of utter disdain and asked, "Mr. Lu, pray tell, what reason do you have to say it could not have been done by Curator Shi?"

"I cannot conceive of any motive Curator Shi might have to do such a thing," Lu Ming said indifferently.

Shi Jidong was the director of the provincial museum and a guest professor at the Jiaotong University. In Lu Ming's view, his income should be quite stable. Furthermore, given his profound cultural accomplishments and historical foundation, he must be exceptionally skilled in archaeology. There were undoubtedly countless people seeking his appraisal for various items on any given day. If he wanted to make money, it would be exceptionally easy for him. Why would he take the risk of stealing this bronze dragon head? There was simply no reason at all.

At this, Zhang Shaofeng smiled faintly.

"Mr. Lu, there are far too many unexpected things in this world. Perhaps Curator Shi encountered trouble at home and urgently needed a large sum of money, or perhaps he harbored an excessive fondness for it and wished to keep it for himself. These are all factors that cannot be ruled out. Isn't it rather arbitrary of you to speak thus?"

"What you say is possible, but I dare assert that this matter definitely has nothing to do with Curator Shi," Lu Ming said, his expression unchanged.

Zhang Shaofeng's expression darkened as he said, "Mr. Lu, when we handle cases, we rely on reasoning, elimination, and evidence. Speaking empty words like you do is thoroughly irresponsible."

At that moment, Yun Shengguo said with displeasure, "Captain Zhang, Mr. Lu is a person of extraordinary background, do not speak recklessly. Besides, no matter what, the dragon head must be found tonight. The celebration begins tomorrow morning at ten o'clock, and dignitaries from all over the country will gather. With the dragon head stolen, how can this celebration proceed? Won't our Northwest become the laughingstock of the entire nation?"

Yun Shengguo was filled with deep anxiety. The sudden theft of the dragon head had left him utterly distressed.

What should have been a wonderful opportunity had now turned into a colossal crisis. If the dragon head could not be found, it would inevitably cause a sensation tomorrow, and the news would rapidly spread across the country and even overseas. When that time came, where would he, the organizer and the top official of the Northwest Province, save face?

Loss of face was secondary; the crucial point would be how people evaluated him, where his competence was demonstrated, and how those figures in the Cabinet would view him?

If this matter was not handled properly, let alone future promotions, within a year he would likely be gradually shelved, left to rust in some quiet department to spend his twilight years, becoming the most wretched provincial governor since the founding of New China.

Hearing Yun Shengguo's words, Zhang Shaofeng realized the gravity of the situation and could no longer afford to bicker with an outsider like Lu Ming. He immediately stated, "Secretary Yun, rest assured, I will find the dragon head tonight."

Yun Shengguo nodded absentmindedly. Given how mysteriously the dragon head had vanished, he had not an ounce of confidence in Zhang Shaofeng's guarantee.

Lu Ming, upon hearing this, merely shook his head and smiled.

This entire affair reeked of bizarreness and was by no means an ordinary case. Zhang Shaofeng's bold declaration would undoubtedly come back to slap him in the face.

At that moment, the four of them arrived outside Shi Jidong's office, where two special security officers stood guard at the door.

Yun Shengguo waved a hand, and the two officers stepped aside, unlocking the door.

The group filed in to find an elderly man approaching seventy, with white hair and beard, sitting in an office chair in a blue robe, staring blankly at the ceiling with a lost expression.

"Curator Shi, are you alright?" Yun Shengguo asked with concern.

In his heart, he refused to believe that Shi Jidong would commit such an act. Curator Shi held immense prestige in the Northwest's cultural circles; he had already retired, and it was only because Yun Shengguo personally intervened that he was rehired.

Because the Northwest Province was a major province for cultural relics, the director of the provincial museum had to possess exceptionally solid professional qualifications. Otherwise, if the provincial museum exhibited a fake, it would become the laughingstock of everyone. In Yun Shengguo's view, only Shi Jidong was suited for this position.

Yun Shengguo looked at Shi Jidong with concern, but Shi Jidong continued to stare at the ceiling without any intention of getting up, merely muttering, "I am a sinner, I am a sinner..."

As Shi Jidong spoke, tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.

A national treasure as important as the dragon head had been lost right under his watch, something this old man, who had spent his entire life dealing with cultural relics, simply could not accept.

It was akin to a father whose child had been abducted, enduring untold hardships to finally find them back, only for the child to suddenly perish before he could even enjoy the warmth of reunion—a tragedy no one could ever accept.

"Elder Shi, you must take care of your health. This matter cannot be blamed on you," Yun Shengguo comforted him once more.

By this time, Zhang Shaofeng was growing somewhat impatient and directly interjected, "Curator Shi, I am Zhang Shaofeng from the provincial criminal investigation team, and I would like to understand some details from you."

A flash of helplessness crossed Yun Shengguo's face, but he quietly stepped aside without a word.

Shi Jidong maintained his previous expression and slowly said, "If there is anything you wish to ask, go ahead."

"May I ask, Curator Shi, what were you doing at the time of the incident—specifically, during the period when Exhibition Hall Number One lost power?" Zhang Shaofeng asked.

Behind him, the female police officer had already readied a notebook and pen to record the statement.

Shi Jidong shook his head and said, "Tonight, I never went to Exhibition Hall Number One at all."

As soon as Shi Jidong said this, everyone except Lu Ming was startled. Zhang Shaofeng slowly stated, "Curator Shi, we have just reviewed the surveillance footage, and you went to Exhibition Hall Number One in person."

Shi Jidong shook his head.

"Originally, tonight I was scheduled to inspect Exhibition Hall Number One as usual. But halfway there, my assistant called and said there was an emergency phone call at the office that required my immediate attention, so I turned back. When I returned, there was no one on the line. Just as I hung up and was about to leave, two special security officers arrived, informed me that the dragon head had been stolen, and restricted my freedom. That is the entire course of events."

As Shi Jidong spoke, tears continually dripped from the corners of his eyes. He had been unable to contact his assistant since the incident occurred, and he had long since figured it out: that phone call was nothing more than a deception—a meticulously planned conspiracy.

At that moment, Zhang Shaofeng said with a darkened face, "Curator Shi, we have all seen the surveillance footage with our own eyes. Such a rudimentary lie cannot deceive anyone."

A look of heartbreak also appeared on Yun Shengguo's face.

Shi Jidong was clearly lying, because the surveillance footage showed everything with absolute clarity. Thus, the reason for his lying was glaringly obvious: this matter was undoubtedly connected to him.

"I am not lying. Everything I have said is the truth. Investigate however you wish," Shi Jidong said lifelessly.

For a moment, the office fell into a dead silence.

Such an obvious lie was sufficient to prove that Shi Jidong was involved in the matter, but given his special status, Zhang Shaofeng did not dare to act rashly. He could only secretly glance at Yun Shengguo's expression. Seeing that Yun Shengguo had already turned his face away, Zhang Shaofeng instantly understood.

Meanwhile, Lu Ming had already released his spiritual awareness, blanketing the entire museum.

After viewing the video, he had immediately grown suspicious.

He fundamentally disagreed with Zhang Shaofeng's reasoning; such a scenario was possible, but too extreme and of far too low a probability.

Lu Ming believed that there must be someone possessing abilities similar to his own who had meddled here. Only someone with extraordinary powers could come and go freely in this heavily guarded place.

One must remember that Yun Shengguo had deployed a squadron of armed personnel to protect the dragon head, with over a dozen squads patrolling continuously throughout the museum. Exhibition Hall Number One even had dedicated guards stationed there. An ordinary person could not even approach Exhibition Hall Number One, let alone steal it away.

At this moment, within Lu Ming's spiritual awareness, every blade of grass, every tree, and every speck of dust in the museum was reflected in his mind. Before long, a smile appeared on Lu Ming's face, and he withdrew his spiritual awareness.

At that instant, Zhang Shaofeng shouted in a stern voice, "Shi Jidong, you'd better confess honestly and not ruin your lifelong clean reputation at the very end!"

Upon hearing this, Yun Shengguo's face showed a flicker of reluctance, but he suppressed it and remained silent; after all, the stakes of this matter were far too high.

Shi Jidong, upon hearing these words, suddenly stood up and slowly asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"What do I mean? You meticulously plotted to steal the dragon head, need I say more?" Zhang Shaofeng said coldly.