Since the dust had settled on the Shen family inheritance case, the night sky of the city seemed to become quieter. However, this calm was quickly shattered by a series of ongoing thefts. The initial cases appeared ordinary—small-scale thefts in a few antique shops and private collectors' homes in the city. The stolen items were mostly precious antiques, porcelain, ancient paintings, and jewelry, many of which held special historical significance. Yet, as the investigation deepened, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou began to realize that these crimes concealed a massive and hidden conspiracy.
The first case occurred at an antique shop in the city center. The shop's owner, an elderly collector named Wang Guohua, had a reputable store that attracted many art enthusiasts and historians. However, several days ago, one of the shop's prized collections—a Ming dynasty landscape painting—was stolen. The method of the theft was exceptionally clean; there was no abnormality in the store's surveillance footage, and no signs of forced entry. The only clue left behind was a small fluorescent mark on the frame of the painting, resembling a specific symbol, faintly glowing with green light.
"This... this isn't a simple theft," Su Wanqing said, her brow furrowed as she stared at the fluorescent mark. She knew that every detail could be the key to solving the case, and this mark was clearly out of the ordinary.
Su Wanqing conducted a thorough analysis at the scene. She discovered that the fluorescent mark wasn't naturally formed but was a chemical substance that could be tracked using specific devices. From her initial analysis, it was clear that this mark didn't appear at the crime scene itself but was placed on the surface of the stolen item. Evidently, the thief had used this mark to designate their target, suggesting the involvement of an organized criminal group.
Lu Chenzhou soon arrived at the scene, and after a preliminary inspection, he confirmed Su Wanqing's theory—this wasn't just a random theft, but rather a meticulously planned crime. In the following thefts, similar fluorescent marks appeared, and the stolen items were all historically valuable, with the thefts executed in an intricate manner, leaving almost no trace behind.
Through further analysis of the cases, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou came to a startling conclusion—these thefts were likely linked to an international theft ring. This group was highly secretive and used advanced technology to avoid detection by the police. Their objective seemed not just to acquire wealth, but to steal items of significant historical importance for some unknown purpose.
"These antiques... it's not just about money," Lu Chenzhou said, standing beside a stolen Ming dynasty jade piece. After a moment of reflection, he added, "The group's target seems to be connected to something deeper, perhaps related to secrets in history."
To uncover more clues, Su Wanqing decided to further investigate the fluorescent marks. Using high-tech equipment in the forensic lab, she extracted the chemical components of the marks and compared them with global crime data. After several days of intense work, she discovered a shocking fact—these fluorescent marks were strikingly similar to the markings used by a top-tier international theft ring, known as the "Shadow Fox" gang. This gang specialized in transnational antique theft, with members from all over the world, employing sophisticated methods that left almost no direct evidence behind.
"The Shadow Fox gang..." Lu Chenzhou's eyes sharpened. "No wonder these cases are so large-scale, involving multiple countries."
Upon further tracking and analysis, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou discovered that the Shadow Fox gang operated worldwide, particularly active in antique markets in Asia and Europe. Their method involved multiple layers of cover, disguises, and advanced technology to silently steal valuable historical artifacts, which were then sold through underground channels.
"These thefts aren't for personal gain; they're tied to a larger plan," Su Wanqing's intuition told her that behind this gang was a deeper purpose.
As the investigation progressed, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou obtained a critical lead—these stolen antiques weren't merely valuables but were part of a hidden historical artifact. These antiques were somehow connected, forming part of an ancient puzzle, and behind this puzzle lay a forgotten history.
Just as they were starting to track the movements of this gang, they received new intelligence—the Shadow Fox gang planned to sell a batch of rare antiques at an international auction in the city in a week. Among these were some of the stolen items from the recent cases. This time, Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing decided to take matters into their own hands and infiltrate the auction, planning to destroy the criminal network.
On the eve of the auction, Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing, in close coordination with the police's elite team, set up a meticulous plan. Their goal was not just to stop the Shadow Fox gang's transaction, but to use this operation to expose the masterminds behind the international theft ring.
As night fell, the auction venue was brightly lit, and guests filled the room. Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing mingled with the crowd, posing as high-end collectors, quietly observing everything. As the auction began, the atmosphere became tense. More and more precious antiques were displayed, many of which had been recently stolen, and almost every piece had special historical value.
Just as the auction was nearing its climax, Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing received an important signal—the members of the Shadow Fox gang were quietly completing the final transactions. Lu Chenzhou knew that once this deal went through, the thieves would escape, and the police would have difficulty tracking them down.
At that critical moment, Lu Chenzhou activated the police's encirclement. With a single command, the special forces quickly moved in, capturing all the criminals at the auction site. In the intense operation, Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing followed closely behind and finally found the leader of the gang, a mysterious figure known as "Gray Fox," in a hidden VIP room.
"Gray Fox" was the core figure of the Shadow Fox gang, who had masterminded the entire theft network with a series of meticulous setups. This auction was the final stage of his carefully planned operation. When confronted by the police, Gray Fox didn't show any signs of panic. Instead, he flashed a cold smile.
"You're too late," Gray Fox said coldly, his tone dripping with disdain. "This is just the beginning. The real transaction has only just started."
With that, Gray Fox triggered a self-destruct mechanism, destroying the antiques at the scene and erasing almost all the evidence. Despite this, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou still managed to seize a critical clue and successfully captured Gray Fox. However, they realized that the true mastermind behind it all still lurked in the shadows.
The mystery behind this case was far from solved, and the Shadow Fox gang's shadow continued to loom over every step they took.