511: Are you an artist?

"You haven't even gotten out yet and you're already thinking about arresting me?" Su Yue said flatly.

Xiao Xiao frowned, staring at him for a moment, then said, "I'm Xiao Xiao, Deputy Captain of the Municipal Bureau's Economic Investigation Detachment. Since I've introduced myself, what about you?"

Su Yue didn't answer directly, only smiled and said, "Oh? Such a young Deputy Captain? A bright future awaits."

Xiao Xiao frowned in dissatisfaction and said, "You won't even say who you are?"

Su Yue was silent for a moment, then replied, "Of course not. Every word I say now could become evidence. But the name doesn't matter. My name is Sun Qi, the 'yuan' from 'fang yuan'. As for my profession... I'm an artist."

"An artist?" Xiao Xiao was startled.

Su Yue smiled, "A deception artist."

Xiao Xiao also smiled and said, "A deception artist? Flattering yourself, you're just a fraud."

Su Yue said dismissively, "Just? If that cave over there hadn't collapsed, do you think you would have met me?"

Xiao Xiao understood in her heart that, just as Sun Qi said, if the path over there hadn't been blocked, he would have already left with ten million. A name suddenly popped into her mind.

"Speaking of deception... I did think of someone."

Su Yue raised his eyebrows, "Who? Tell me, we're in the same circle, maybe I even know him."

Xiao Xiao said, "Su Yue."

Su Yue was startled when he heard his own name, then smiled.

"What? You know him?" Xiao Xiao asked.

Su Yue nodded and said playfully, "Of course I know him."

"Oh?" Xiao Xiao asked in confusion, "How do you know him?"

Su Yue smiled and said, "The top scorer in the Shanghai college entrance exam who cheated. In our circle, he's a good prospect."

Hearing Sun Qi's words, Xiao Xiao frowned, "He's not just a prospect anymore. What he's done, what he's capable of... it's simply too much."

Su Yue smiled again when he heard this female Officer praise him so much, "Well, I didn't know that. What has he done? Speaking of which, I haven't seen any news about him since the cheating incident... Looks like you've hidden him away?"

Xiao Xiao didn't say more, as this was confidential after all.

Seeing that she wouldn't say more, Su Yue feigned surprise, "It seems you really have covered up the news... This kid is growing so fast? I really wish I had a chance to cross paths with him... Unfortunately, it seems there's no chance now."

Xiao Xiao sneered, "Trapped in a cave, even if you're rescued, you'll ultimately just be arrested. Perhaps this is your retribution. Taking illegal wealth, such an outcome is not excessive."

Sun Qi smiled, "Retribution? I didn't expect to hear something like that from you. If I'm retribution, then what about you? Your calf is injured, and looking at you, even if the bone isn't broken, you won't recover anytime soon. You're a Deputy Captain of the Investigation Department, a high rank, serving the people... You, like this, and me, locked up here by heaven, does that mean you've also received retribution?"

"As for the illegal wealth you mentioned... do you think that foreigner will want this money back?"

Hearing Sun Qi's words, Xiao Xiao fell silent. Retribution or not was irrelevant. The most important thing was Sun Qi's question: would the foreigner want the money back?

If a report was filed and a case opened, it would be illegal trading of cultural relics, plus smuggling, which is a serious crime and would likely result in sanctions. But if the ten million was not pursued, perhaps he could be repatriated, hire the best lawyers with his money to fight the case, and might even be treated as a victim...

Thinking about it this way, Sun Qi's ten million could even be considered clean money. If it weren't for this natural disaster at the final step, he would probably have left with two boxes of money.

Xiao Xiao was silent for a while, then let out a cold snort.

"Silver-tongued, you're quite good at arguing. But in court, you won't have so many opportunities for flowery words."

Su Yue smiled, didn't answer, but instead asked, "Are you from the Economic Investigation Department? How did you get this case? Is cultural relic theft also under your jurisdiction?"

Xiao Xiao shook her head and said, "I'm a special case."

"What about you? When did you start being this so-called 'artist' of yours? Looking at your situation, your family background should be decent."

Su Yue counter-asked, "How can you tell my family background is decent? I have no parents, let alone a family."

Hearing this, Xiao Xiao was startled and looked at Sun Qi sitting beside her. She had intended to apologize about the question, but seeing the indifferent expression on his face, she ultimately didn't say it.

Sun Qi continued, "As for when I started on this path... actually, looking back, it's not complicated. For kids like us who grew up on social welfare, if you want to get what you want from the adults in the orphanage, you have to put on an act. Only those kinds of children get better treatment. When pretending becomes ingrained, there's no need to elaborate on how you specifically ended up on this path. We are, after all, different from rich kids like you."

Xiao Xiao was always able to grasp the key points of his words. Sun Qi's reminiscence struck Xiao Xiao's heart, and she fell silent. She didn't even realize that her hostility towards Sun Qi was gradually lessening.

The more you understand a person, the more you come into contact with their past, the easier it is to be moved. And Su Yue was very good at moving people's hearts.

Buzz... The light of the camping lamp flickered, seeming to be running out of power. This battery-powered camping lamp was originally the cheapest kind, but it was enough to illuminate a brief transaction.

"Why not turn it off?" Seeing the light flicker, Xiao Xiao asked.

Su Yue replied, "Because occasionally turning it on will increase the psychological burden. Once anxiety arises, occasionally turning on the light will only make the anxiety worse. Relax. And be mentally prepared, you should understand that this light will go out sooner or later."

His calm tone made Xiao Xiao feel a little more at ease. And the words "relax" seemed to carry some kind of magic; she felt a bit tired.

...

Outside the cave.

It was now midnight.

The Investigation Department personnel responsible for searching the cave returned one after another, bringing confirmed news.

"What!?" Xiang Haitian was very surprised when he heard the news.

"There really is a second exit? And the second exit is also blocked? He blasted the other exit after leaving the cave?"

"Did you see any traces of someone leaving?"

The investigating personnel shook their heads and said, "Unable to determine. The cave is full of dust, even if someone passed through, the traces are covered."

A Qi glanced at Xiao Ting and said, "Go check out the situation."

Xiao Ting nodded and immediately walked towards the other cave entrance. More than ten minutes later, he called back.

"Natural collapse, not caused by blasting. This was likely caused by ground vibration. Kang Team, looking at this situation, even if the excavator arrives, it's best not to start digging immediately... it might cause secondary vibration. If it causes secondary damage, even if Xiao Xiao is still alive, she might be harmed by our actions."

A Qi sighed heavily when he heard this. The rocks blocking the cave entrance were too big; how could they be dealt with without an excavator?

At this moment, Xiang Haitian also received a call. In the Municipal Bureau's interrogation room, the tomb raider, the fraudster, the translator, and the bodyguard all mentioned the same name: "Mr. Wang."

The problem now was that they at least needed to figure out who this Mr. Wang was.

Just then, a commotion was heard. Xiang Haitian and the others turned their heads and saw the situation behind them. Several reporters had somehow found their way up, some had even crossed the cordon.

"What's going on!? Who let them up here?"

A police officer hurried over and said, "Xiang Team, they came up via a small path, but it's okay, the brothers over there are talking to them, they'll leave soon."

But no sooner had he finished speaking than the female reporter among the journalists shouted, "Xiang Team! We are from the Guangdong-East Daily! What is going on here? Is it related to the stolen cultural relics case!? And what's with this cave explosion? We just need these two answers and we'll leave immediately!"

Xiang Haitian knew that now was not the time to announce the answers, especially in this situation where life and death were uncertain. He turned his head without a word and said coldly, "Quickly get them to leave, don't waste time here."

Xiang Haitian turned around, pondering a way to rescue them. Did they really have to move the stones out manually? He gritted his teeth, his heart filled with anxiety.

...

Inside the cave.

At this time, Xiao Xiao had fallen asleep. Loss of blood combined with exhaustion, it was natural for her to fall asleep.

But Su Yue was not asleep. He was thinking about how to leave this place.

Friendly reminder: The website is about to be revised, which may cause reading progress to be lost. Please save your "Bookshelf" and "Reading Record" in time (screenshots are recommended), and we apologize for any inconvenience caused!

"There are no gaps in the cave; finding a way out is simply a fantasy. If I am to be rescued, I must rely on the people from the Investigation Department, but then I will be arrested..."

Su Yue closed his eyes, thinking. He was wondering what was happening outside right now.

Since there was only one way to be rescued, he could only start by looking at the situation outside.

"Pretend to be someone from the Investigation Department? Or the rescue team? Hiss..." Su Yue was worried; these options were unlikely. After all, he couldn't make any preparations right now.

Although he could guess the situation outside, he didn't know the specifics at all. Even if he did, he had no replacement clothes from the Investigation Department on hand.

Trying to escape under these circumstances was simply a pipe dream.

"No chance? Am I going to be arrested like this? Alas..."

Thinking about this, Su Yue sighed deeply.

He hadn't expected his plan to end at this step.

Just then, an idea suddenly flashed, and a bold plan quickly formed in Su Yue's mind. The corner of his mouth slightly lifted, his thoughts gradually took shape, and quickly developed into a complete scheme.

"Although it's risky, this is the only way."

Su Yue thought this, then opened his eyes. However, even with his eyes open, he still couldn't see anything. A sense of dread instantly flooded his heart. If it weren't for the steady breathing beside him, Su Yue feared he might truly collapse before leaving this place, just as he had worried. This absolute darkness was terrifying.

He stopped thinking and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep as quickly as possible.

...

After an unknown amount of time, Su Yue suddenly felt a pressure on his neck. His heart jolted, and his right hand quickly moved towards his pant leg, where a dagger was hidden. However, as his arm quickly reached out, his elbow touched another warm body, causing his arm to freeze instantly.

"Mm... what's wrong?" Xiao Xiao wasn't fully awake yet and mumbled this like she was still dreaming, completely defenseless. The pressure on Su Yue's neck came from her arm. Xiao Xiao was clinging to Su Yue like a sloth.

After she finished speaking, she immediately woke up.

"Ah!" she exclaimed, then quickly calmed down, realizing her clothes were disheveled. But in the darkness, she couldn't see anything, yet she still nervously asked, "You... what did you do?"

Su Yue sighed, "I'm telling you... don't wrongly accuse a good person. You were the one who clung to me, I didn't do anything."

Xiao Xiao was startled, her face feeling a bit hot. She realized that when people sleep, their bodies instinctively seek out heat sources. In this situation, it was normal for her to move closer to Su Yue.

"Alright, we don't even know if we can get out alive, so don't worry about these small things," Su Yue said. "If you can still sleep, sleep a little longer. Maintain your strength; maybe an extra few minutes of life will bring hope."

However, this endless darkness brought fear. Xiao Xiao felt her heart race, trying to press against the cave wall, but finding it difficult to feel safe. Although she heard Su Yue tell her to rest, in this situation, it was hard to close her eyes again.

To dispel the unease in her heart, she spoke, "Now we don't even know the time..."

This feeling of losing all reference points made her even more anxious.

Su Yue's voice came through, "Don't you have a phone?"

Hearing this, Xiao Xiao was startled, then immediately fumbled in her small bag for her phone.

Xiao Xiao glanced at the time.

"Only five o'clock?" Her tone was filled with disappointment.

Su Yue understood where her disappointment came from. After all, in the current situation, time was their biggest enemy. What they wanted was to wake up and find that a path had been opened outside. As time passed, they would even start to doubt if anyone was still thinking about saving them. This doubt would gradually destroy their hope, and many who survive difficult situations rely precisely on that sliver of hope.

Belief is sometimes the foundation that supports a person's survival, but this belief will dissipate little by little with time, which is a bad sign.

Then, Xiao Xiao turned on her phone's flashlight.

The sudden light was a bit dazzling. Su Yue avoided the light, shielding his eyes with his arm. Xiao Xiao, on the other hand, looked at the situation in the cave and breathed a sigh of relief.

Hearing her sigh, Su Yue frowned. The effects of the darkness were gradually becoming apparent, but he still spoke, "I advise you to turn off the flashlight."

Xiao Xiao was startled, then immediately turned off the flashlight, but still asked, "Why?"

Su Yue explained, "We still need to keep track of time, otherwise the situation will be worse. You just experienced it, didn't you?"

Xiao Xiao recalled the feeling she had just had, that fear of completely losing direction, not knowing where she was, or even the time... She had never felt such great fear, more terrifying than death.

Su Yue's voice continued, "No matter what, your phone is our only tool to understand the situation right now. And our light still has some battery left, which can ensure a sliver of hope before we're on the verge of collapse."

Xiao Xiao nodded, feeling more and more that this person was very reliable. He considered problems much more than ordinary people, like playing chess; she was still thinking about the current move, while the other person had already planned how to checkmate.

She admired people like this because she had just experienced that kind of terror.

"Su Yue, why are you so calm?" Xiao Xiao asked.

Su Yue replied, "If I didn't even have this much of a strong point, I wouldn't dare call myself an artist."

Xiao Xiao was a little surprised, "You really think this is art?"

Su Yue smiled and asked back, "Do you really think what you're doing is absolutely just? Who defined the word 'justice'? If I hadn't set this trap, this celadon crouching sheep would have flowed abroad. So, am I also just?"

Xiao Xiao felt these words were sophistry, but she couldn't find a reason to refute them. In the end, she could only force herself to say, "The law dictates this. Say words like that to the judge."

Su Yue said noncommittally, "You brought up this topic."

Xiao Xiao knew she had absolutely no advantage in words and could only change the subject, "You still haven't answered my question. Do you really think this is art? What kind of art is this?"

This time, Su Yue's answer was much more serious.

"The definition of the word 'art' in the dictionary is using behavior to express reality. But I believe that art should be understood as using behavior to express beauty. What do you think is enough to be described as 'beauty'?"

He posed this question but didn't wait for Xiao Xiao's answer before continuing, "In my opinion, 'beauty' is human thought. There is nothing more artistic than manipulating people's thoughts. You should understand, right?"

Xiao Xiao was a little stunned hearing this explanation. This was the first time she had heard such a statement. Although taking human hearts as beauty has existed since ancient times, she still disagreed with this view. She reacted slightly and said, "You say you can manipulate thoughts, then try manipulating my thoughts now?"

Su Yue laughed, "This young lady's will is like steel, I wouldn't dare."

Xiao Xiao heard Su Yue seemingly mocking her again and bit her lip, about to retort, when she heard Su Yue continue, "You're thinking now, 'What kind of art is this? Just glib talk.'"

Xiao Xiao was startled. Before she could speak, she heard him continue, "This is just a simple application of psychology. What kind of manipulation of human hearts is this?"

Across the darkness, Xiao Xiao suddenly felt how terrifying this person was. She seemed to understand why this kind of intelligence, capable of controlling the whole situation, was called art.

Just then, she heard Su Yue's voice again, with a hint of a smile.

"You understand? Very good. Then let me ask you one more question..." Su Yue's voice was exceptionally calm in the darkness, "Have you already started to believe that the world isn't just black and white? For me, a criminal you wanted to catch seven hours ago, do you now feel that I'm not so utterly evil?"

Hearing this, Xiao Xiao felt as if her heart had been suddenly gripped by a pair of invisible hands. She was utterly shocked: This wasn't a joke! He really did it! He really was silently manipulating her thoughts, changing her perception bit by bit.

Silence lasted for a moment, then Su Yue's faint laughter came again, carrying a hint of warmth, "Don't be nervous. I have nowhere to escape. But you have understood me after all, which proves... this is also a form of art, isn't it?"

Su Yue had met too many people in these past few months and experienced a life he had never had before. He gradually got used to this life. Although the System required him to escape and not be captured, otherwise the System would automatically shut down, nowadays, Su Yue no longer simply ran to escape; he gradually liked this feeling. Taking human hearts as the battlefield was the most interesting thing. He developed an interesting ambition—to become an artist who could deceive the entire world! This was also why he wanted to leave the country; his stage would be the whole world!

...

Outside the cave, the sun rose. Xiang Haitian, A Qi, and Xiao Ting had been waiting here all night. During this night, the excavator had already reached the mountainside but hadn't started working. Many engineers wearing orange-yellow helmets were using various instruments to calculate the condition of the mountain and evaluate whether the mountain would still be stable after blasting, which was the biggest challenge they faced. After all, if Xiao Xiao died due to a secondary collapse, whether it was public opinion or a guilty conscience, it would place an unbearable burden on the shoulders of the few people in charge.

A Qi's feet were already covered with cigarette butts, and there was an empty cigarette pack. If it weren't for the occasional police Officer on duty, he probably wouldn't have been able to keep smoking. When the first ray of sunlight shone on the mountaintop, A Qi took out another cigarette. Before he could light it, his phone rang.

"Director Liu." The call was from Director Liu of the Municipal Bureau. After hearing A Qi's voice, Director Liu said, "Kang Team, I can't get through to Xiang Team's phone. Is his phone off?"

Director Liu wasn't very familiar with A Qi, after all, A Qi was from Nanyang and was only temporarily seconded, so the address was a bit distant. But that wasn't the issue at the moment. After Director Liu finished speaking, without any extra words, he got straight to the point.

"Yuedong Daily published the Cuifeng Mountain incident on the front page. Now it's being discussed online. You guys handle it as soon as possible."

Hearing this, A Qi's face changed dramatically.