Chapter 492

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Chapter 566 Using a Borrowed Knife to Kill (4K)

Shi Lei sized up Heinz and suddenly realized a serious problem. He felt that Heinz had been putting on an act ever since he learned that Maena was going to the Count Saxson's Mansion.

That coy, hesitant demeanor seemed to deliberately pique curiosity. Through questions from outsiders, she naturally revealed her tragic family history.

Judging from the expressions of Exusiai and Lappland, they seemed completely unaware of the problem. If Shi Lei hadn't been on guard, he might have fallen into their trap without even realizing it.

Heinz glanced around and, seeing that only he was staring at him without saying a word, awkwardly forced a smile and asked:

"Sir, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Shi Lei held up the packaging box and deliberately changed the subject:

How much is this?

Maena paid the appraisal fee in advance, but the box containing the Blood Gem cost extra.

Heinz pursed his lips, as if considering how much to quote, and after a couple of seconds he cautiously said:

"Sir, the total is fifty thousand yuan. If I may ask, I would like to use that obsidian to settle the debt. Although it's not a particularly valuable gemstone, I really like it. If you feel it's worth more than that, we can discuss it further."

Shi Lei didn't care about the small amount of money; since the other party wanted to use obsidian as payment, he would accept it.

"Okay, then this one is yours."

However, he made a slight tampering during delivery. To verify a certain hypothesis, Shi Lei created many tiny Rock Constructs particles in the other party's blind spot.

He manipulated these things attached to Heinz's hair, clothes, and shoe soles to act as a positioning tool.

"Maena, the jewelry appraisal is complete. It's time for us to head to the Count's Mansion."

The two robbers who blocked their way have been handed over to law enforcement officers in Cinderelme. Nothing else can delay their journey.

"Yes, please follow me."

The three followed Maena to the Count Sachsen's mansion. There were still two hours until the Phantom Thief Refraction's announcement of 10:00, giving them plenty of time to prepare.

Although Maena was a guest of the Twin Empresses, she was not treated differently here. The Count Sachsen felt it was beneath him to come out to greet her, so he had his Butler lead them to the place where the jewels were stored.

This is a converted warehouse, with many armored private guards carrying halberds inside. In the very center is a display stand for jewelry, covered by a transparent glass enclosure.

Strangely, the jewelry was encased in a pure black box. No light reflected off it, making it impossible to determine what was inside.

The Count Sachsen, with his large head and ears, stood beside the jewelry counter, dressed in somewhat restrictive clothing.

He held a bottle of wine, presumably from Gaul, in his right hand, but without the cap. It was as if the wine wasn't meant to be drunk, but rather displayed for show.

Upon seeing the jewels covered by a black box, Maena approached and politely spoke with the Count Sachsen:

"Earl, we need to confirm the safety of the 'Twin Towers Dream.' Could you please open the box so we can take a look? In case it's been switched."

Upon hearing this, the Count Sachsen shook his large finger, politely declining the suggestion.

"That won't do. In two hours, it will be the time for the Phantom Thief Refraction to announce his crime. Opening it now would just be giving him an opportunity. Besides, you brought several strangers with you without even informing me beforehand."

"Don't stay inside tonight. Go outside with your men. I have my personal guards here; I doubt that Phantom Thief would dare come near."

After the Count Sachsen refused to open the box, Shi Lei used his Psychic Scan the outline inside. He discovered that the display stand, which should have contained jewelry, was empty.

Good heavens, did the Phantom Thief Refraction steal it beforehand? Or did the Earl orchestrate this whole thing, trying to White Wolf?

Claiming jewelry was stolen when no jewelry was actually stored there seems like an attempt to use the case to cover up their innocence.

"Count Sachsen, the people I've brought today are no ordinary people, they..."

Maena wanted to show the Earl just how formidable Mister Zhongli was. He believed that as long as he stayed near the jewels, even a hundred Phantom Thief Refraction wouldn't stand a chance.

But before he could finish speaking, Shi Lei interrupted him:

"Maena, let's go outside and wait. We'll just do as the Earl says."

"..."

Maena noticed Shi Lei pointing outside, and had to swallow back the words that were about to come out.

Seeing that they were quite sensible, the Count Sachsen said nothing more and continued to stand guard beside the booth.

As the four walked out, they encountered a Caprini Race man in his thirties walking towards them.

He carried no weapons, his gaze sweeping over the four men, and he waved at the Earl, shouting:

"Father!"

The Count Sachsen remained silent, his face still stern and expressionless. This prompted his son, the Saxony Viscount, to realize what was happening and turn to watch the four leave.

Only after they reached the outside of the storeroom did the Count Sachsen lower his voice and speak to the Viscount Saxony:

"So, have you found the Twin Towers Dream?"

"No, Father. I searched every jewelry store in the city and found no trace of anyone selling stolen goods. I even killed the guards responsible for watching over the jewelry, but they still refused to reveal any information about the robbers."

I have a feeling the robbers will go into hiding and lay low until later, then bring the goods out to sell again. But the Queen's Voice is due tomorrow, Father, what should we do?"

Upon hearing this, the Count Sachsen glared at the Viscount Saxony with a hint of annoyance, his tone utterly helpless:

"What else can we do? We have to keep insisting that the Twin Towers Dream was stolen by the Phantom Thief Refraction. I've already gotten rid of that troublesome Kazimierz man outside; what happens inside is up to us."

"Alright, that's the only way then."

The two thought their plan to frame someone was flawless, but they never expected to encounter Shi Lei is beyond human comprehension.

Even from a distance of thirty or forty meters, with an open roller shutter door, the conversation could be heard.

Shi Lei currently faces two choices.

First, take Maena inside and forcibly open the black box, revealing the Count Sachsen's plan to use the empty display case to frame the Phantom Thief Refraction.

Secondly, we will still take Maena in, but after revealing the plan, we will capture the Count Saxson and his son. Once the Empress's Voice arrives, we will hand them over to them for disposal.

Honestly, neither of these options is good.

Because once the plan is exposed, it would be tantamount to breaking ties with the Count Saxson and his son, and there would be no peaceful resolution.

Simply exposing something without doing anything is like discovering evidence of a woman's promiscuity but promising to keep it a secret. It's like taking off your pants to fart—completely unnecessary.

Handing the father and son over to the Queen's Voice, whom they don't understand, could result in either a severe punishment or a lenient sentence; the uncertainty is too great.

If, after the plan is revealed, the Count Sachsen and his son are killed on the spot, not only will he be willingly becoming Heinz's executioner, but he will also bring a lot of trouble upon himself.

Shi Lei is not a bloodthirsty person; he only acts when he is certain that a target deserves to die. Otherwise, he usually handles matters according to local laws.

Seeing him gazing in the direction of the warehouse, seemingly looking at something, Maena asked him with some confusion:

"Mister Zhongli?"

This brought Shi Lei back to his senses, and after a brief silence, he came up with a way to avoid getting his hands dirty:

"That box is empty."

"What!?"

Maena was very surprised to hear this. The black box was completely opaque, and she couldn't understand how the other person could see it.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, the waters here are very deep, and you probably can't handle it. Mr. Maena, go in and say goodbye to them now, and leave the rest to me. That way, we can understand this matter without implicating either of us."

Although he had some doubts, he still followed Shi Lei's instructions and went in to resign from his post with the Count Sachsen. He came out of the storeroom shortly afterward and said that he could leave the Count's Mansion.

Compared to the Count Sachsen, Maena was more inclined to believe Shi Lei, because he had no conflict of interest in the matter and no need to deceive him.

Once on the street, Shi Lei began to speak:

"Mr. Maena, you know the situation here better than I do. I need you to investigate the Count of Count Sachsen's bombing of the mines. Come find me at the inn when you have any news."

Seeing that Shi Lei showed no sign of leaving, Maena knew he was going to stay and stake out the Phantom Thief Refraction, and replied:

"Okay, I'll go ask someone right now."

He had worked with Sargon merchants many times when he worked for the Commercial Union. He had a few acquaintances in the city, which made it so easy for him to meet the Twin Empresses.

After Maena left, Shi Lei waited outside with Exusiai and Lappland.

Time flies by like watching a movie on fast forward.

At exactly 10 o'clock, the Phantom Thief Refraction should have appeared as Crime Notice. However, when Shi Lei extended his Psychic Power to a radius of two kilometers, he found no suspicious persons.

Inside the Count's Mansion, however, a commotion broke out. The guards who were originally watching over the jewels were running around at the Count Sachsen's orders.

Even though the phantom Phantom Thief Refraction didn't actually appear, they still had to act out a fierce battle with him without any props.

This comical scene, which made Shi Lei, who Psychic Scan, quite amused him.

To deceive the outside world, the Count Sachsen and his son really went all out with their act. The guards were jumping, shouting, and behaving like monkeys inside.

Seeing him laughing so happily, Exusiai was completely confused and asked in bewilderment:

"Zhongli, what are you laughing at?"

"Didn't you hear the sounds of fighting coming from the Count's Mansion? But the Phantom Thief Refraction didn't show up. They're staging this themselves, trying to use this opportunity to settle their scores."

Is it really that outrageous?

Seeing that Exusiai wanted to go over to check, Shi Lei used the Jade Shield Wall to block her.

"Wait, have you forgotten how dazzling you were in the dark? Actually, there's nothing to see. The jewels were stolen before ten o'clock, and the Count Sachsen staged it all to frame the Phantom Thief Refraction."

Exusiai stared at the halo above her head and let out a helpless sigh:

"If that's what you're saying, then it really doesn't make any sense. Sigh, I thought I'd be going to have to fight Phantom Thief today."

"No rush, let the bullets fly a little longer."

Exusiai didn't understand the joke and was a bit confused:

"Ah?"

Shi Lei didn't explain the specific meaning to her, because explaining that movie would take a long time:

"It's nothing, you two go back to the hotel first. I'll take another look, and if I don't find anything new, I'll head back."

After saying that, he continued to focus his attention on the area around the Count Sachsen, expanding the scanning range.

Lappland pursed her lips in displeasure upon hearing this:

"You're not waiting for the Phantom Thief Refraction, are you?"

"Yeah, if we can't wait any longer, we'll go back. There's no chance of a fight, you guys go back first."

Her purpose in coming here tonight is the same as Exusiai's: to confront the Phantom Thief Refraction. But if he doesn't show up soon, it will be incredibly boring.

"Okay, this is boring."

After the two returned to their hotel, Shi Lei continued to keep an eye on the area around the Count's Mansion.

Ten minutes later, the armored guards carrying halberds all ran out of there. Pretending that the Phantom Thief had successfully escaped, they searched the streets.

At the same time, Shi Lei sensed Heinz appearing within the range of his Psychic Scan. Although he had changed his clothes and shoes, the particles in his hair had not been removed.

Wearing a hat and mask and carrying a bag, Heinz entered the public restroom on the street. After checking that each stall was empty, he placed a triangle sign with the word "Cleaning in Progress" on the door of the men's restroom.

Three minutes later, a guard saw the triangular sign at the entrance of the public restroom and went inside. He took out a package from his crotch and pulled out an oval-shaped object.

Even without seeing it with his own eyes, Shi Lei could guess that this was very likely the stolen 'Twin Towers Dream'.

Haha, so it was an inside job?

Heinz handed the bag to the guard, who quickly exchanged it after a quick glance and left the scene.

He then ran to a small alley a few hundred meters away, opened a manhole cover, and hung the bag on it. Only then did he rush back to the Count's Mansion to rejoin the other guards.

Tonight's gem theft case, like a scroll painting, was completely exposed under Shi Lei's scanning.

The Phantom Thief Refraction, didn't display any extraordinary magical skills. Instead, he stole the gem by bribing an inside man. There were no fancy maneuvers; he achieved his goal using the simplest and most straightforward methods.

Shi Lei's Psychic Power was locked onto Heinz, and he followed him step by step to the Jewelry Appraisal Institute they had visited before.

It was confirmed that the other party had hidden the 'Twin Towers Dream' in a hidden compartment inside a mechanical panel.

Shi Lei searched for information via mobile network and knocked on the door five minutes later.