When Li Ya returned, it was already getting dark.
She didn’t change clothes or go to the dining hall.
She went straight upstairs and knocked on Rex’s door.
The door was unlocked, so when she pushed it open, Rex was sitting by the window, flipping through a book he had borrowed from Victor titled Orentia Federation Commercial Law.
“You don’t knock before entering?”
“I knocked.”
Li Ya sat down in the chair and draped her coat over the back.
“You didn’t hear me. So? Tell me, what did you see at the warehouse today?”
Rex closed the book.
“This Hermann guy is very good at pretending. Enthusiastic, considerate, and knows the business like the back of his hand. He took me around the warehouse and clearly explained each section.”
“Then what?”
“Then came the problem. His reaction was too fast.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I flashed my ID badge, his expression changed. Very quickly, so fast I almost didn’t notice. Then he immediately switched to a warm smile and welcomed me. An old employee who’s worked in the warehouse for twenty years shouldn’t be so sensitive to the title of Special Advisor.”
Li Ya frowned.
“Maybe he’s just wary of unfamiliar faces?”
“Being wary is normal. But he wasn’t wary… he was nervous. And he was already nervous before he saw the ID.” Rex paused. “Also, Sector D has a problem.”
“Sector D?”
“He said Sector D stores fabric and daily necessities, nothing valuable. But when I saw the loaders moving those so-called worthless boxes, they were more careful than when moving gems. And those boxes had no labels. Is that normal in your guild’s procedures?”
Li Ya didn’t answer immediately.
Her expression grew more serious.
“No, it’s not normal.”
She said.
“The guild requires all incoming goods to have clear labels and registration. Goods without labels… either haven’t been registered yet, or they’re important items that don’t want to be registered.”
“Silverfrost ore?”
Li Ya glanced at him.
“You guessed it?”
“It’s hard not to guess.”
Li Ya was about to say something when two light knocks came from the door.
Victor pushed the door open, holding a thin notebook.
“Miss, Mr. Rex.”
He gave a slight bow.
“The people outside have news.”
“Have a seat, Uncle Victor.”
Li Ya pointed to the seat beside her.
Victor sat down and opened the notebook.
His expression was still restrained, but his tone carried a bit more certainty than usual.
“I’ve placed three people near Hermann’s house.”
“What did you find?”
“Two things. First, last month, a piece of porcelain from the East appeared in Hermann’s home. A very exquisite celadon vase.”
He gestured.
“The neighbors said they had never seen such a fine item. Hermann told people it was a gift from a distant relative.”
“A distant relative?”
Li Ya sneered.
“Where would he have a distant relative?”
“Second thing relates to his eldest son, Marcus.”
Victor flipped through the notebook.
“That kid has changed a lot in the last six months. He used to work honestly at the blacksmith’s, but now he goes out in new clothes every few days. The neighbors say he’s brought back several different women recently, all the type from the tavern…”
He didn’t spell it out completely, but the implication was clear.
“What about the second son, Philip?”
Rex asked.
“Philip is honestly behaved. He’s learning carpentry with his uncle, leaves early and returns late. Nothing unusual.”
Rex finished listening and curled the corner of his mouth slightly.
“That matches up. When Hermann chatted with me, he said his eldest son Marcus was recently looking at a girl for marriage, and the bride price her family demanded was high. He said it in a very worried tone, as if he was troubled about money.”
“In reality, Marcus isn’t looking at any girl at all. He’s been living it up with wine and women, and spending no small amount. An East-origin celadon vase, new clothes every few days, women from the tavern. All that together costs at least several dozen gold coins a month.”
Li Ya’s fingers tightened on the armrest.
“So his ‘worry’ was an act.”
“No, he really is worried. Just about different things. He’s not worried about not having money for his son’s wedding. He’s worried that his son is spending too conspicuously and that someone will notice something’s wrong.”
“One brother splurges, the other works.”
Li Ya’s voice turned cold.
“One spends the family’s money, the other earns the family’s reputation. That way, even if someone asks, the neighbors will say, ‘Hermann’s eldest son isn’t very responsible, but the younger son is still honest.'”
“The perfect alibi.”
Li Ya took a deep breath.
“Is this evidence enough to convict?”
Rex shook his head.
“Buying antiques isn’t a crime. A son not working and seeing women isn’t a crime either. This only shows that Hermann has been well-off recently. But there are many reasons for being well-off. For example, inheriting a fortune, winning big at gambling, or even that those things were borrowed to save face. If you take this to a judge, he won’t listen.”
Li Ya frowned deeper.
“Then what do we do?”
“Keep watching. A fox’s tail doesn’t show in a day. Right now, he’s just nervous that a newcomer suddenly appeared at the guild. But as long as he’s still doing those things, he’ll slip up eventually.”
“How long do we wait?”
“Depends on how much of a rush he’s in. If he’s smart, he’ll lay low for a while. But if the people above him are pressing, he’ll have no choice but to continue. And then…”
“And then what?”
“Then we’ll find out who his handler is.”
Li Ya nodded. She stood up and walked to the window, standing next to Rex.
“One more thing.”
Rex suddenly spoke.
“What?”
“How long does the Silverfrost ore usually stay in Sector D?”
“No more than five days.”
Li Ya said.
“All Silverfrost ore, after being transported here and processed, is temporarily stored in Sector D, then shipped out in batches to various places. The route map, schedule, and guard arrangements are only known to me, Uncle Victor, and Hermann.”
“So if someone hijacks the shipment on the road, someone must have passed the information in advance.”
“Yes.”
“Five days.”
Rex repeated the number.
“Within five days, the information has to pass from Hermann to the hijackers. The window is very short, which means his method of passing information must be very fixed. Maybe a certain time, a certain place, a certain person.”
“You mean?”
“Find that connection, and you can follow the vine to the melon.”
“Where do you think the breakthrough is?”
Rex curled the corner of his mouth.
“What do you think of his two sons?”
Li Ya froze for a moment, then slowly revealed a knowing smile.
“One spends money, one plays the honest role.”
She said.
“Then we’ll start with the one who spends.”
“No rush.”
Rex walked back to the table and sat down.
“Let him think the storm has passed first. Once people let their guard down, they make mistakes.”
Victor stood up, closed the notebook, and put it in his pocket.
“I understand. I’ll keep them watching and report any developments.”
“Thank you, Uncle Victor.”
Victor gave a slight bow and left the room.
After the door closed, the room fell quiet again.
But Li Ya didn’t leave.
She leaned against the window, watching as Rex reopened the book.
“What are you reading that for?”
“To understand the rules around here.”
Rex flipped a page.
“When working on someone else’s turf, you need to know what you can and can’t do.”