The World's Richest Man: Start with the Daily Intelligence System

94: Chapter 94 Formal Arrest”Mr. Mitsui, we meet again.” A woman’s voice came from behind Mitsui Masao.

He turned around to see none other than Zuo Hemei, the Deputy Captain of the Criminal Police Brigade. Behind her stood two criminal police officers armed with live ammunition.

Alarm bells rang in Mitsui Masao’s mind. If the other party intercepted the exchange delegation for a search now, the matter of the buddha head would be completely exposed.

Mitsui Masao could only force himself to remain calm on the surface. ”Isn’t this Officer Zuo? What a coincidence to run into you two days in a row. Does this mean we’re fated?”

A meaningful smile appeared on Zuo Hemei’s face. ”It’s not fate; I came here specifically for you, Mr. Mitsui. Is there some urgent matter at the airport that requires Minister Mitsui to make a personal trip?”

”It just so happens that a few compatriots are returning home, and I’m here to see them off. Is that enough for Officer Zuo to mobilize so many people to follow me?” Mitsui Masao’s expression was stiff; he could only stall for time now. He hoped that the ABA airline flight the delegation was on would take off early.

Zuo Hemei sneered inwardly. This old fellow probably didn’t know that the delegation was only taking away a plaster replica, right? She suddenly had the illusion of watching a monkey show. The monkey thought it was very clever and could perform many acrobatic moves, but in reality, it was just being toyed with by the acrobat.

”Enough. Save your words for the police station. Mitsui Masao, the Shenghai City Criminal Police Brigade is officially summoning you for investigation. Come with us.”

After she spoke, the police officers behind her grabbed Mitsui Masao from both sides. The secretary, Oda, who was standing nearby, wanted to come over and argue, but Mitsui roared, ”Baka! Isn’t this enough of a mess? Go back quickly and find the legal department to handle this!” Being on Chinese territory, he knew clearly that resisting law enforcement would do him no good. Only through legal channels could he be saved.

The group escorted Mitsui Masao back to the Criminal Police Brigade. Mitsui Masao didn’t say a word the whole way. Once they arrived at the brigade, he closed his eyes, adopting a posture of absolute non-cooperation.

Zuo Hemei decided to interrogate him personally. ”Mr. Mitsui, do you have any recollection of that Western Jin Dynasty buddha head from X City Name?”

Still trying to bait me? Mitsui Masao sneered. ”I won’t answer any of your questions until my lawyer arrives.”

Right now, his biggest worry was the delegation being intercepted, so he could use the time before the lawyer arrived to stall. As long as the buddha head successfully left Shenghai, there would be no evidence, and he could get away scot-free.

But to his surprise, Zuo Hemei merely raised an eyebrow, closed her notebook, and walked straight out of the interrogation room. It was as if she was the one who wasn’t in a hurry and wanted to stall for time instead.

This abnormal behavior made Mitsui Masao restless.

”She must be bluffing. Yes! That must be it,” Mitsui Masao repeatedly reassured himself in his heart.

An hour later, the door was pushed open again. A lawyer from the Sanlin Group walked in behind Zuo Hemei.

Mitsui Masao cast an inquiring look at the lawyer.

”Minister Mitsui, the flight your friends were on has just taken off. It’s estimated to have landed at Haneda Airport by now.”

Hearing this, Mitsui Masao relaxed completely. The sword hanging over his head vanished. As long as the buddha head left Shenghai, they couldn’t do anything to him.

Zuo Hemei didn’t care about any of that. She sat down, reopened her notebook, and said, ”Now that the lawyer is present, let’s begin the questioning.”

She took out a photo of the buddha head and asked, ”Mr. Mitsui, we found that the person in charge of the Sanlin Group in X City Name sent a buddha head to your Shenghai branch five days ago. Is that true?”

Mitsui Masao leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and said, ”That is true. But may I ask, is that also against the law?”

”If this buddha head is an important cultural relic of our country, do you think it’s against the law?”

”Officer Zuo, you shouldn’t speak recklessly. That was just a handicraft a colleague gave me. As for antiques or cultural relics, I’m just a small head of a company; I don’t understand any of that.” Mitsui Masao made an exaggerated expression.

These Shina police are truly stupid. The buddha head is already ten thousand meters in the air, yet they haven’t discovered it. They were completely toyed with in the palm of his hand. Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but feel smug.

Zuo Hemei appeared very calm. ”I didn’t say it wasn’t a handicraft, did I?” Under Mitsui Masao’s strange gaze, she continued, ”Perhaps you should watch this video.”

Zuo Hemei turned the laptop around. A video was playing on the screen. The footage switched between several camera angles, showing Mitsui Masao step-by-step directing several Japanese men to hide the buddha head on top of the elevator car, and then how they moved it back into the safe after Zuo Hemei and the others had left.

”You didn’t expect this, did you? That your own company’s surveillance footage could be leaked. This is ironclad evidence of you concealing the buddha head.”

Mitsui Masao sat up straight now, staring fixedly at the screen. Someone had provided video evidence to the Shenghai police. He secretly vowed to find this traitor and punish them without mercy.

”I... Is it also against the law for me to like hiding things in the elevator? This doesn’t prove that the buddha head isn’t a handicraft, does it?” Mitsui Masao maintained his calm expression as he spoke.

Zuo Hemei nodded. ”True, this is only witness evidence of you hiding the buddha head, but it doesn’t prove whether the buddha head is real or fake.”

Just as Mitsui Masao breathed a sigh of relief, Zuo Hemei smiled playfully. ”Then how do you explain this video?”

The video still switched between several internal surveillance cameras of Sanlin. It showed a group of people walking into their company openly and carrying the safe away. The video continued all the way until the safe was moved into an apartment, where it was opened under the witness of police officers and Museum staff.

”After expert appraisal, this buddha head found from your company is actually an authentic piece from the Western Jin Dynasty. How do you explain this, Mr. Mitsui?”

”Impossible! How is that possible?” Beads of sweat began to break out on Mitsui Masao’s forehead.

At this moment, the lawyer beside him stood up and said loudly, ”This is illegal evidence collection! How can your country’s police officers sneak into our leased office area without permission? This is illegal entry. I hope the Criminal Police Brigade will give us an explanation.”

Mitsui Masao also reacted and shouted, ”Yes, this is entrapment! This is a violation of regulations and cannot be used as evidence!”

Zuo Hemei said nonchalantly, ”Regarding this matter, we have already investigated. It was a few unemployed vagrants from Shenghai, not our police force. They probably drank a bit too much and broke into your company on their own. After they sobered up, they reported it to the police immediately. The company didn’t lose any property. After our brigade arrived on the scene, we confirmed that their description was basically true. I’ll have them apologize to you in person later.”

Mitsui Masao could no longer maintain his calm expression. He roared, ”Baka! How is an apology enough? They must be sent to prison!”

Zuo Hemei smoothed her bangs and said, ”That won’t do. They only moved your safe and reported it to the police immediately. At most, it’s considered picking quarrels and provoking trouble. Don’t worry, I’ll give them a good scolding.”

Mitsui Masao was dumbfounded. A good scolding? You have no intention of doing even that, do you?

Zuo Hemei continued, ”The focus now isn’t there. The key is why there was an authentic buddha head hidden in the safe in Minister Mitsui’s office? Is it convenient for you to explain?”

Mitsui Masao’s eyes widened. In the face of ironclad evidence, he could no longer argue.