"Steel wire?" Sun Fatty chuckled dismissively. "Lazi, you're a bit of an amateur on this. The higher-end the tech, the easier the flaws. That type of biometric safe you just mentioned? Cracking it is actually easy—just cut the ID circuit and reprogram it. After that, anyone's fingerprint or iris will be accepted. But this guy is a different story."
Sun Fatty pointed at the safe behind him and continued, "It looks simple, but opening it without the proper means is basically impossible. The combo lock inside has a built-in silent mechanism. Even with specialized audio amplification devices, you won't hear a sound from it. That's where most technical thieves get stuck."
"And then there's the twelve-layer bi-directional pressure lock. All of them are pressure-loop based. Whether you use a steel wire, iron wire, or professional lock-picking tools, if it's not the correct key, the internal pressure will immediately snap the tool in half. Oh, and the keyhole is rigged with ten milliliters of liquid lead. It'll pour into the lock and solidify within thirty seconds. After that, the only way to open it is to call in specialists from the factory."
Xiao Heshang and I were both speechless. The butler remained quiet as well, though his expression turned odd when he looked at Sun Fatty—he clearly had no idea how Sun Fatty could know so much about this kind of safe.
A sudden thought struck me. "Dasheng, what if Ma Xiaolin forgot the passcode?"
Sun Fatty's eyebrows twitched, and he revealed a mischievous grin. "Then he better be ready to part with some cash. After three failed attempts, the code will auto-randomize. At that point, only the manufacturer can unlock it. A single maintenance visit? Not too pricey—seventy-five thousand. U.S. dollars."
Xiao Heshang stared at the safe for a while before turning to the butler. "When will Mr. Ma be back?"
The butler spread his hands helplessly. "You'd have to ask the police when they're releasing him." He had just finished speaking when a familiar voice called from the hallway, "Already released!"
It was none other than Ma Xiaolin himself. He had only gone to the police station to give a statement and confirm that he wasn't at the scene when the incident happened—he was still mid-flight. The matter was straightforward, with no legal entanglements. Ma Xiaolin hadn't even bothered calling his lawyer. As soon as his statement was done, he rushed back.
Seeing his boss return, the butler quickly stepped forward, took Ma Xiaolin's coat, and stood quietly to the side awaiting instructions.
Ma Xiaolin didn't look too happy about nearly getting into legal trouble on his own doorstep. His face was tired as he said to the three of us, "Gentlemen, this ain't the place to talk. Let's head to the living room."
Xiao Heshang responded, "No rush to talk. Mr. Ma, we just took a look around—both the scene where the man died and the bedroom where you said you saw the ghost. Nothing out of place."
Ma Xiaolin's expression darkened. He let out a sigh and said, "Master, even you couldn't find anything, I—"
Before he could finish, Xiao Heshang cut him off impatiently. "Let me finish first." He pointed at the now-visible safe on the wall. "Mr. Ma, would you mind opening that safe for me? Don't worry, I just want to take a look."
Ma Xiaolin didn't respond right away. He glanced at his butler, who quickly averted his eyes.
Ma Xiaolin forced a smile. "Just some documents in there. Nothing worth looking at."
Sun Fatty stepped closer too. "Old Ma, whatever's inside isn't our business. But whether you'll live to see the New Year might be."
Ma Xiaolin took an unconscious step back. "You mean—the thing that's harming me is inside?"
"Could be. Might not be," said Sun Fatty, hedging his words. "One glance and we'll know. If you're too scared to open it, just hand over the key. Our… Master Heshang will open it himself." Xiao Heshang shot him a murderous glare.
Ma Xiaolin hesitated. "I… don't have the key anymore."
"Huh? What do you mean? You think we're eyeing your valuables?" Sun Fatty's face darkened, suspecting Ma was worried we'd get greedy.
Xiao Heshang didn't say a word. He was already turning to leave. If the client wouldn't cooperate, then we didn't have to return the deposit. It wasn't even real compensation—just a retainer—so half of it didn't need to go to the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation either. At worst, we'd lose three plane tickets.
"Sun-sheng, please don't misunderstand." Ma Xiaolin hurried to explain. Two years ago, he took a group of young models on a yacht party. He got drunk and accidentally dropped the key into the sea. He reported it to the manufacturer, and a day later, a German engineer flew in. It cost him half a million Hong Kong dollars to have the safe opened.
And that was just the beginning. Making a new key would require significant alterations to the safe's internal structure and cost no less than eight hundred thousand. Ma flatly rejected the idea—what if he lost the key again? Another 1.3 million? No thanks. Since then, he simply never locked it. Not even the butler knew that the safe hidden behind the painting had been sitting unlocked for over two years.
"If you don't believe me, go ahead and try the handle—it'll open just like that." He hesitated but didn't open it himself.
Sun Fatty didn't fully buy it. He reached for the handle and gave it a twist. The safe opened without a sound. It really wasn't locked.
The safe had four layers. The top layer held several cloth pouches, including the luminous pearls we'd sold Ma Xiaolin last time. The rest were various documents. At the very bottom sat a jade ornament with gold inlay—used as a paperweight, it seemed.
"Squeak squeak!" Wealth Rat poked its head out of Sun Fatty's pocket and bared its teeth at the gold-inlaid jade piece. If Sun Fatty weren't blocking it, I bet Wealth Rat would have already rolled around with the ornament in pure bliss.
We didn't touch anything—just looked inside the safe. Still, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"Lazi, something's off," said Sun Fatty. Wealth Rat suddenly froze inside his pocket, then started to tremble.
"What's it sensing?" I looked again—still nothing. Could it be that jade ornament? I reached in to pick it up. Ma Xiaolin didn't seem to care—he'd been using it as a paperweight.
"Lazi, don't touch it with your bare hands! That's a Jade Plug!" shouted Xiao Heshang.
"Jade… Plug!" I immediately tossed the ornament back into the safe, a wave of nausea surging in my gut.
I'd only learned about Jade Plugs after joining the Bureau. Popular in the Han Dynasty and also known as Nine-Orifice Jade, they were used to seal the nine orifices of the dead—eyes, ears, nose, mouth, genitals, and anus. It was a posthumous privilege reserved for nobles and high officials. For those of lower rank, using one was a serious violation.
Taoists of old believed: "With gold and jade sealing the nine hollows, the dead shall not decay." It echoed the idea behind jade burial suits. Ancient Chinese held a near-religious reverence for jade, believing it protected the living and preserved the dead.
The gold-inlaid jade I just held was shaped like a thick chopstick, angular and hard—not your typical Jade Plug. But if Xiao Heshang was right, then that thing's size and shape made it suitable only for sealing the genitals or anus. While no one was looking, I furiously wiped my hand on Ma Xiaolin's bedcover.
Ma Xiaolin picked up the jade and examined it. "Jade Plug? No way. Master, I dabble in antiques too—I know what a Jade Plug looks like."
"You do?" Xiao Heshang sneered. "Then tell me—if this isn't one, what is it?"
Ma Xiaolin had no answer. He hadn't known what the jade piece was back then—just thought it looked nice, so he used it as a paperweight. He'd never had a problem with it. Even now, he hadn't connected the recent haunting with that jade.
"Could it really be… a Jade Plug?" he muttered uncertainly.
"Not just any Jade Plug," said Xiao Heshang. "Lazi, pay attention. Give me a bullet."
"What for?" I asked, but still pulled a round from the spare magazine.
"You guys are carrying… guns?" Ma Xiaolin's smile faltered. Sun Fatty grinned. "Relax. If we wanted to kidnap you, we'd already be demanding ransom."
Xiao Heshang asked the butler for some tissue, then used it to pick up the Jade Plug and placed it on the coffee table. "Watch closely. Time for a miracle." He slowly brought the bullet closer to the jade.
As the bullet neared, the Jade Plug began to quiver. The closer it got, the more it shook. When the gap closed to about five centimeters, the jade suddenly began spinning—fast, like it was electrified.
Then came the sound. A piercing, sorrowful shriek, like a woman in unbearable pain.
Ma Xiaolin jumped back. "That sound—that's it! That's the sound I heard the night I saw the ghost!"
Xiao Heshang stood coldly, watching the spinning Jade Plug. All traces of his usual goofiness vanished. When he withdrew the bullet, the Plug slowed and stopped.
"Old Xiao… Master, what is that thing?" Sun Fatty stepped forward now that the scream had ceased.
Xiao Heshang handed the bullet back to me. "Besides being a Nine-Orifice Jade, it's also a container."
Sun Fatty's face contorted. "You mean that thing can plug a… um… hole and hold something too?"
Using the tissue, Xiao Heshang held the jade under the light. "Mr. Ma, weren't there once patterns etched on this?"
"Yes, yes! There were! Now that you mention it, I don't see them anymore!" Ma Xiaolin scratched his head.
Xiao Heshang wasn't surprised. He returned the Plug to the safe and rummaged around some more. "Hmm? Now this is a nice find." He pulled out one of the luminous pearls we'd sold Ma Xiaolin.
"Actual luminous pearls—and not just one," he muttered. "Mr. Ma, these must've cost you a fortune."
I could feel my face going pale. Ma Xiaolin awkwardly said, "Friends gave me a good deal. Wasn't that expensive."
I had to ask, "Master Xiao, how much are these worth? Eight million feel like a lowball?"
"You think this is cabbage at a market? This quality? Maybe twenty exist worldwide." Xiao Heshang looked at me with helpless pity. "I may live in a mountain cave, but I know the value. At least a hundred million each…"
One hundred million(Note: Equivalent to approximately 14 million US dollars.)… each? Three pearls… I felt an overwhelming urge to draw my gun and shoot Ma Xiaolin on the spot.
Sun Fatty groaned beside me. "Lazi… why does my heart ache so bad?"
Ma Xiaolin chuckled dryly. "They're friends. I'll repay the favor in time."
Sun Fatty gritted his teeth. "You better."
Xiao Heshang, still puzzled, asked, "What does this have to do with you two?" Then he put it together—how we met Ma Xiaolin before. "Don't tell me… the 'eight-million sucker' was you two?"
"We'll talk about that later," Ma Xiaolin interrupted. "First, let's deal with my issue…"