C22 A Net to Catch All

The next morning, Yuh Wenming gradually regained consciousness from his faint. A few people were keeping watch over him, one still clutching a knife, seemingly concerned that he might turn it on himself.

Glancing at the needles they held, he couldn't help but inquire, "What's your plan? Are you going to kill me?"

They exchanged looks and burst into laughter. "Kill you? I don't have the nerve for that. Our boss is looking for you."

With a gesture to his underlings, one of them dashed out to fetch someone. Now alone in the room, Yuh Wenming shifted slightly.

"Don't move," his captor warned, on edge. "The ropes on you are tied for a reason. Stay still unless you fancy a dose of this," he said, brandishing a syringe filled with anesthetic.

Sighing in resignation, Yuh Wenming said, "I really don't understand why you're resorting to this."

He refrained from engaging in pointless chatter, instead trying to extract some useful information. "I have a question. Is your offer for me to join genuine? I'm eager to go down and explore for treasures myself."

Hearing Yuh Wenming's interest in joining, the man chuckled. "Do you think we're grave robbers?"

It was clear from his response that they were not grave robbers. Yuh Wenming still had to piece together the origins of those items, but there was no rush to discuss it.

"Do you recall the jade pendant I purchased from your stall?" Yuh Wenming asked.

"Jade pendant?"

The small vendor entered just in time to catch Yuh Wenming's question and pondered it. Among the assorted trinkets in the bag, the jade pendant could have been one of them.

"What about the jade pendant? You're not suggesting it's lost and you want us to compensate you with another, are you?"

Yuh Wenming quickly shook his head, not intending to be so presumptuous.

"That jade pendant has caused me a great deal of trouble. I saw you in the car ahead and followed you here."

The subordinate realized how Yuh Wenming had managed to track them back to their hideout.

The farmhouse appeared unremarkable from the outside, but to those in their line of work, it was a clandestine hub.

"That jade pendant isn't ours. I found it at a different vendor's stall. I'm not sure why you're asking about it."

He sighed in resignation. "I've been marked. After being bound here for over twenty-four hours, I suspect they've arrived by now."

No sooner had he spoken than a noise from outside caught their attention.

The small merchant glanced toward the door and his eyes bulged in surprise. "Are you in cahoots with them? Are you a cop?"

Hearing the small merchant lump him with the rest, Yuh Wenming let out a light laugh. "If I were with them, do you think you'd have managed to knock me out?"

If he had needles on him, he could simply walk over and set them straight. There was no need for all this unnecessary effort.

The small merchant yelled to his underling, "Quick, hide anything you can!"

Bronze artifacts were everywhere; it was too late to take them out, so they had to stash them inside the house.

As they scrambled to conceal their goods, the window was smashed open, and a group of people burst in.

"Hands up! Don't move, or I'll end you."

The small merchant sidestepped and released Yuh Wenming from his bonds.

As Yuh Wenming rose to his feet, someone aimed a syringe at him. "Get down. We call the shots here."

With no other choice, he squatted next to the small merchant.

Realizing they didn't recognize Yuh Wenming, the small merchant quickly deduced he wasn't one of their group.

A slight smile played on his lips as he waited to see if they could handle him.

"With bronze artifacts all over, did you really think you could hide?"

The small merchant approached them with a sheepish grin. "We had no idea."

Yuh Wenming raised his hands and stepped over to the staff member. "I was the one who called you yesterday. You..."

"Laosan, what are you blabbering about? We're clearly in this together. How could you have called them? You're being foolish."

The small merchant's attempt to implicate him took Yuh Wenming by surprise, and he was eager to clear things up.

But before he could get a word out, the small merchant interjected, "Exactly, we're all in this together. What are you even saying?"

The underlings were well aware of the small vendor's significant influence inside. If they ever needed help, they knew they'd have to seek it from within.

"Exactly, we may have our internal squabbles, but you actually brought them into this," one remarked.

The staff gave Yuh Wenming a skeptical look, but it was clear they were inclined to believe their story.

It was common for there to be internal disputes, but calling in the staff like this was unprecedented. They had never been involved in such a scenario before.

Yuh Wenming, sensing their gaze, raised his hands in surrender.

He was promptly handcuffed and they attempted to escort him away.

"Hold on, my phone has the evidence. Trust me, you won't find any mistakes," Yuh Wenming insisted.

He reached for his pocket to retrieve his phone, but before he could produce it, numerous hands were poised around him, ready to act at the slightest provocation.

Their expressions suggested they suspected Yuh Wenming was reaching for a weapon, not a phone.

"You've got it all wrong," Yuh Wenming said calmly. "I'll lean against the wall, and you can retrieve the phone from my pocket yourselves. Is that acceptable?"

Hearing Yuh Wenming's logical proposal, they began to doubt he was the villain they suspected.

He caught the eye of a staff member and nodded subtly, "You two, go check, but be cautious."

Approaching Yuh Wenming, they searched his pocket only to find it empty.

"Your pocket is empty."

"What? Empty?" Yuh Wenming was momentarily taken aback, then remembered he had dropped his phone the day before.

He smacked his forehead in frustration. "I forgot, I left my phone outside yesterday. Could you please come with me to look for it?"

Initially, there was a willingness to give Yuh Wenming the benefit of the doubt, but this latest development eroded their trust. They scoffed, "Enough with the games, just come with us."

A crowd gathered, intent on forcing them into the car to prevent any escape attempts.

Yuh Wenming was reluctant to go. Once inside, he knew his options would be severely limited.

Then it struck him – Zhang Xinyue from the Cultural Relics Bureau might vouch for him since she had seen him at the Antique Market.

Whether they would recognize her or whether her testimony would carry any weight was uncertain.

But at this juncture, trying was the only option left.