The conversation with Wenjie gave Luo Jian food for thought. Was he taking the case too lightly? 

There was no sign so far, that Xu Zhengqing was after Wenjie. They didn't have any clear evidence of the man's survival either. The man, who had delivered the package was a person, whose physique was more like that of the swindler Li Anfu. The evidence indicated, that the delivery man had stolen a motorcycle and a telephone in order to conceal his identity. He had returned the motorcycle. The cell phone was still in his possession, but had been switched off. This was because it was impossible to locate it at the time.

The watch, the second item next to the Weiqi board, that the stranger had given them, was an ordinary one. It did not necessarily belong to Xu Zhengqing. Forensics had discovered fingerprints, that were still being matched. Luo Jian assumed that he would soon find out the results of the investigation. But even if the watchmaker's fingerprints were found on it, that was no proof that he was alive and in Quingcheng.

Luo Jian worried about the latter the most, after the phone call with Wenjie. Was there a possibility, that the case before their eyes was a red herring? He remembered the theft of that author's manuscript. The investigators had initially focused on that. Until they realized, that the thieves were after something else. Something that had also been in the safe. 

Back then, Wenjie had put him on the right track. That was, why he was thinking more deeply about his phone call with the young man, now. Could Ding Wei have seen, heard or experienced something that could help them? He hoped that Wenjie would get him to talk. 

That gave Luo Jian the idea to call the prison. "Has Ding Shenghuo received any visits recently?" he asked the prison warden. 

He didn't have to wait long for an answer. "Yes, Zhuang Yaobai visited him last week."

Luo Jian knew about these visits, because he was in contact with Yaobai himself. Wenjie's father would have told him if he had noticed anything during his visits to the prison. That was his assumption. Nevertheless, he wanted to take a look at the records.

"Can you provide us with the surveillance footage?"

"Of course. You can come by at any time. We'll prepare everything for you to take with you. Do you need anything else? Ding Shenghuo hasn't behaved conspicuously since his imprisonment."

Luo Jian was not surprised. Ding Shenghuo would hardly show his cards if he was planning something. "Can you look up the files of all the inmates with whom Ding Shenghuo is in close contact?"

"Of course. Do you need anything else?"

"No. That's enough." Nevertheless, he had a sinking feeling, that he had overlooked something. But that faded into the background when the news reached him that the results of the forensics had arrived. 

"Three different fingerprints were found on the watch. Two of them cannot be assigned to any person from the criminal record. One print is from Xu Zhengqing," reported Jiang Hao. "It is also the most recent fingerprint, which confirms our suspicion that he must still be alive."

"But couldn't the watch be one of the watches from his store?" Pang Dazhi interjected. 

"The fingerprints are still relatively fresh," Jiang Hao replied. "We also examined the motorcycle. There are fingerprints there, that match one of the prints on the watch. Since there are no prints on the Weiqi board, we can assume that the prints on the motorcycle and watch were left deliberately."

"He's playing with us," Luo Jian said. "And he's trying to tell us that he's planning a theft at some point. That, or a kidnapping. Probably both. With the former, he wants to stop us from preventing the latter." 

Liao Shuang exchanged an alarmed glance with him. "He's after Wenjie again?" 

"I spoke to Wenjie on the phone this morning. He was worried and mentioned, that Ding Wei was nervous before leaving. That doesn't necessarily mean anything, but we'll look into anything that could potentially help us and extend the search for Xu Zhengqing." He didn't have to say that it remained an internal matter. He didn't want the press to know about it. For the public, the criminal was still presumed dead.

"Do you think Xu Zhengqing has gotten in touch with Ding Wei, or will Ding Shenghuo get involved in his plans again?" asked Liao Shuang. 

"It can't be ruled out. Wenjie will inform me immediately, if he finds out anything." He hoped that Ding Wei would not relapse and return to his criminal past. That was precisely why he wanted to find out what Ding Shenghuo was up to. The thief had already shown with regard to Wenjie how little he thought the child of a criminal could lead an honest life. What was true for the offspring of his allies and competitors was even more true for his own son. 

"I will also inform our colleagues in Taizhou in case Xu Zhengqing is there." Wenjie would then receive the contact details. Just in case. 

"Hao, go to Ma and check the clock and the board for further clues. We need to find out what date the time refers to. I'm sure Xu Zhengqing has left us a message. Shuang, Dazhi, meet me outside in 10 minutes and head to the prison."

With new tasks in their luggage, they set to work again. 

On the way to the prison, Luo Jian had another idea. Li Anfu and Madame Hong had both communicated with Xu Zhengqing via an internet connection. Questioning them could provide them with clues, that might help them find his new network. He had certainly built up a new one in the past few months. In this respect, he also thought it likely that the parcel deliverer did not know his client personally. 

They would have to throw a bait online to lure Xu Zhengqing out. And he would like to be able to keep Wenjie out of the investigation altogether. The young man deserved some time off. He would get to deal with criminal investigations soon enough. For now, he should enjoy his life.

To be continued ...