Beneath the Dome, Sin within Sins - Chapter 73 - Zhao Dekai

Tang Xin leaned back in her seat and, after pondering for a moment, spoke slowly, “So, what’s your plan now? Su Mo kicked you out, and from here on out, we’ll not only have to dodge the police but also the bandaged man. Looks like it’s going to be troublesome.”

Hearing her words, I couldn’t help but furrow my brows slightly. How intriguing-it’s rare for Tang Xin not to demand compensation for her help. Truly out of the ordinary.

Noticing my silence, Tang Xin gave me a puzzled look and asked, “What’s wrong?”

I smiled and voiced the question weighing on my mind. After hearing my words, Tang Xin chuckled and explained her reasoning.

Tang Xin said that as long as it’s related to Chengyuan Pharmaceutical Factory, she wouldn’t ask for any payment. In this matter, we’re united against a common enemy.

After explaining, Tang Xin leaned forward and said, “Alright, let’s hear it-what’s your plan?”

“I’m planning to investigate Zhao Dekai first.”

Earlier, I had detailed the connection between Zhao Dekai and this case to Tang Xin.

So, as soon as I mentioned the name, Tang Xin nearly exploded. “You dragged me out here in such a rush just to get me to investigate someone who’s already dead?!”

“How can you call him dead? Have you ever heard of a dead man committing murder?” I said, a bit exasperated.

“But didn’t you and the others conclude that Zhao Dekai is dead? And now you’re saying a dead man committed murder-don’t you think you’re contradicting yourself?”

“Contradictions or not, it’s a complicated matter to explain. Just start the search already.”

As I spoke, I handed my laptop to Tang Xin, urging her to get started.

Tang Xin is quite skilled with computers, and this time, her task was to bypass Lu Xun’s firewall to directly retrieve internal records from the police station.

After hearing my request, Tang Xin frowned and protested, “Are you serious? You’re asking me to break the law! I’m a law-abiding citizen now.”

“Save the talk. Just get to it. If Su Mo finds out, that lunatic will definitely lock me up.”

“Oh? It seems he cares deeply for you!” Tang Xin teased with a smirk.

Her words made me frown slightly. “What are you talking about?”

“Director Su is obviously concerned about your safety! Haven’t you noticed?”

Of course I had noticed, but it wasn’t as extreme as Tang Xin was making it sound. Just as I was about to counter her point, Tang Xin suddenly clapped her hands and exclaimed with excitement, “Got it! Come take a look!”

When I saw what was on the screen, my scalp tingled. Previously, I had suspected that the deceased person might not actually be Zhao Dekai, and that the real Zhao Dekai was still out there. However, upon reviewing the information retrieved by Tang Xin, that possibility was completely ruled out.

The Zhao Dekai I had been so fixated on had committed a crime and was sentenced to the death penalty. If there’s any room for mistakes in other areas, this particular detail could not possibly be wrong.

Zhao Dekai was truly dead!

“Can you find out where Zhao Dekai’s grave is?”

Tang Xin was stunned by my question. “Wait… Lu Ying, you’re not planning to dig up a grave, are you?”

“Not to that extent-I just want to go take a look. Can you find it?”

Tang Xin nodded hesitantly. “I can, technically, but it’s going to be a bit tricky. My skills might not be good enough for this.”

Just as she finished speaking, my phone buzzed. I glanced down-it was a message from Lu Xun.

When I saw the email subject, I froze. It read: “Stop hacking.”

At the bottom, there was an attachment. I opened it, and the gloom I’d been feeling instantly lifted.

As it turned out, Lu Xun had already sent me everything about Zhao Dekai.

Tang Xin noticed how intently I was staring at my phone and asked with a puzzled expression, “What’s with you? Why are you suddenly zoning out while looking at your phone?”

I looked up at Tang Xin, unable to hide the joy on my face. “I have all the information on Zhao Dekai. This time, not only do I know everything about him, but even his grave’s exact location is by the book.”

When it comes to getting things done, Lu Xun is incredibly reliable. Ask him to investigate someone, and he’ll dig up everything about them, including their ancestors and even where their family graves are located. I had thought that after joining Su Mo, Lu Xun would stop helping me. But now, it seems I was overthinking things.

After reviewing the information Lu Xun provided, Tang Xin couldn’t help but marvel. “Mr. Detective, you’re surrounded by such talented people! Compared to them, I have to say, your own skills seem a bit underwhelming.”

Though it was nice to hear Tang Xin praise my associates, the way she complimented them while belittling me left me feeling a little annoyed.

“Hey, hey, hey, maybe refrain from saying things like that to my face in the future.”

“Alright, Mr. Detective, don’t act like I don’t know how thick-skinned you are. So, are we heading to the burial site tonight?”

I nodded. While I knew this plan was a bit unethical, it felt like something I had to do. I needed to confirm whether this Zhao Dekai was actually in his grave or not.

Since this kind of act leans on the morally questionable side, and given that Zhao Dekai’s grave was up in the mountains, going during the day would attract too much attention. So, I arranged with Tang Xin to meet at 9 PM.

Even though it was summer, by 9 p.m. the skies were already completely dark.

When I arrived, Tang Xin still hadn’t shown up, so I sat at the foot of the mountain, waiting. About fifteen minutes later, I heard the sound of heavy breathing as Tang Xin appeared, lugging her bag as she jogged over.

I glanced at her backpack, slightly taken aback. “Wait… are you planning to camp up there?”

“Camp? No way! I brought all kinds of useful stuff. You’ll see once we get up there.”

I had no idea what “useful things” she was referring to. But when I grabbed the bag from her to take a closer look, I nearly toppled over under its weight.

“What the heck do you have in here? Why is it so ridiculously heavy?”

“I told you, you’ll find out soon enough!”

Using the map Lu Xun provided, Tang Xin and I made our way to Zhao Dekai’s grave. We approached carefully, navigating the overgrown path until we finally arrived at the burial site.

Once there, I took a moment to confirm the photo of the gravestone against the location. Satisfied that it matched, I reached into my bag, took out a flashlight, and began inspecting the surrounding grave soil.

Before I could even get a good look, Tang Xin’s voice rang out, filled with disdain. “Mr. Detective, how about you put away that pitiful excuse for a flashlight?”

She then pulled out a sleek flashlight from her bag. The instant she turned it on, the beam illuminated the area with unparalleled brightness. I froze, dumbfounded. “Wait, Tang Xin… is that a Wolf Eye flashlight?!”

The Wolf Eye flashlight is a tactical-grade tool. Its beam is so powerful that shining it directly into a person’s eyes could cause temporary blindness. But we were just checking out someone’s grave-wasn’t this level of preparation a little overboard?

“Of course! When you’re out on a mission, it’s only proper to come prepared.” As she spoke, Tang Xin began unpacking her bag.

When I got a look at what was inside, I was absolutely speechless.

“Tang Xin, we’re just here to take a look, not to rob the tomb!”

Her bag was filled with professional-grade digging tools and items I couldn’t even put a name to. It was as if we were gearing up for an archaeological expedition.

“I know that! But digging up a grave is more or less the same as grave robbing, isn’t it? Don’t worry, I bought all this stuff based on reference materials.”

“Reference materials? You actually have books on this sort of thing?”

“Of course! The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles¹ covered it all in great detail.”

“…”

Tang Xin, in my mind, had always been the epitome of elegance and sophistication. Now, it seemed my impressions-and particularly my instincts about women-were way off the mark.

Footnote:

1. The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles(盗墓笔记):The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles is the English title for “盗墓笔记” (Dao Mu Bi Ji), a popular Chinese adventure novel series written by Xu Lei (also known as Nan Pai San Shu). The series follows the thrilling exploits of treasure hunters and tomb raiders in China.