Chapter 41.2: Our Line of Work
Feng Zhengming nodded slightly, clearly agreeing.
“Exactly. Who had the ability to make something like this in the past? And even if you could make them, what good would they be?”
He had a point.
Although the system had given Jiang Xia max-level counterfeit currency-making skills, there was actually very little opportunity to make use of that ability in this era. In fact, it was even less useful than her pickpocketing skills.
The reason was simple: this was still the era of the planned economy!
The range of goods available for purchase was pitifully small. Not only could you buy things only from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, having money wasn’t enough—you also needed the corresponding coupons. There were separate coupons for grain, cloth, sugar, salt, meat, and so on. Without the appropriate coupon, you simply couldn’t buy the item.
And this was already the improved situation. Go back another ten years, and urban residents would even receive a household grain ration booklet with a fixed monthly quota. Once that month’s quota had been used up, even having both money and coupons wouldn’t be enough to buy grain from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.
Spending counterfeit coupons was difficult enough; making them was even harder.
Every industrial product had its own specialized coupon. There were already far too many varieties, and the more valuable the industrial product, the more anti-counterfeiting features its coupon carried, causing the difficulty to shoot up accordingly.
On top of that, the necessary raw materials were themselves subject to strict controls. You couldn’t even get your hands on colored pigments.
So how were you supposed to make convincing counterfeits?
Even the most skillful cook can’t make a meal without ingredients!
“That’s not entirely true. Back when coupons were in desperately short supply, there were still people who tried making counterfeits.”
Nearby, the older veteran detective Guo Lianyi spoke up.
“More than ten years ago, I remember there was an art teacher who used leftover paints to draw grain coupons. He made them look almost exactly like the real thing. Unfortunately, the paper was different, so he was caught after using only two of them.”
“Later, there was also a young fellow who was quite the oddity. He’d never attended a single day of school, yet somehow managed to imitate manure coupons well enough to get more than a dozen cartloads of manure delivered to his village. But if he got manure delivered here, there wouldn’t be any left elsewhere. Once they investigated, they traced it straight back to his village and arrested him.”
“Look at you, bringing up something from more than ten years ago.”
Feng Zhengming teased him, then continued, “But people have been making counterfeits in recent years too. As far as I remember, there have been people forging coupons and even counterfeit money, but their work was always pretty crude. You could basically spot something wrong at a glance. So they usually took them to the black market or the countryside to trick people. Something this convincing, though? This is the first time I’ve ever seen one.”
Guo Lianyi nodded in agreement.
“Exactly.”
“Really? This person’s counterfeit is only ‘somewhat’ convincing. It’s nowhere near genuine.”
Jiang Xia reached out and took the deliberately aged counterfeit coupon from Feng Zhengming’s hand. She ran her fingertip over it a few times and said casually:
“For one thing, the thickness is different. This isn’t made from the special paper used for banknotes. It looks like they soaked three sheets of rough draft paper in purple-tinted water, stacked and pressed them together, and dyed them while gluing the sheets together. Unfortunately, two sheets would have been too thin, while three made it too thick. The texture feels noticeably different from a genuine coupon.”
“Then there’s the printing color. This is also a dark purple, but it’s muddy. It isn’t a true purple mixed with black. I’d guess they couldn’t get magenta, so they mixed bright red with blue to make purple. Bright red contains yellow, and yellow mixed with purple turns into a muddy brown. Of course it would look dirty.”
“The anti-counterfeiting pattern looks similar enough, but the copper plate doesn’t seem to have been engraved properly. The edges are rough and jagged… That might have something to do with the pigments too. They didn’t use oil-based ink; they used water-based ink. Soaking it with water to make it look old would naturally cause the ink to bleed.”
At this point, even Jiang Xia couldn’t help but marvel a little.
“But having said that, whoever aged this thing really does have some impressive skills. They managed to print the design using water-based ink and then spray it with water to make it look old. That’s no ordinary aging technique.”
Water-based ink was exactly what its name suggested: pigment suspended in water. Once it got wet, it would dissolve and spread. Even after it had been applied to paper and dried completely, getting it wet would cause the ink to bleed across the paper.
So the person who made this counterfeit had to spray on an extremely small amount of water, quickly rub and distress the paper, and then dry it again. Too much water wouldn’t work. Taking too long to dry it wouldn’t work either.
It was a highly skilled job.
As Feng Zhengming listened to Jiang Xia, his expression gradually became blank.
What she was saying certainly sounded professional.
But the more he listened, the stranger it became.
With just one look and a few touches, she could identify not only what materials the counterfeiter had used, but even how they had made the counterfeit?
‘Jiang Xia, aren’t you a little too familiar with counterfeit printing?’
And judging from her tone, she even seemed to be praising the counterfeiter’s skills?!
There was just something… indescribably strange about this.
Feng Zhengming hesitated, wanting to speak but holding himself back, then wanting to hold back but ultimately unable to resist asking directly.
“Uh, Jiang Xia… you seem to know quite a lot about this?”
“I studied drawing.”
Jiang Xia answered with complete composure.
“I’ve dabbled in woodblock printing and engraving too. They’re all related fields. Besides, I talked with Master Liu, the person in charge of printing at the printing factory, a while ago, so I’m pretty familiar with this sort of thing.”
That… actually made some sense?
After all, counterfeit coupons were essentially printed materials. As someone who was at least half an expert in the field, it wasn’t unreasonable for Jiang Xia to be able to identify problems with their printing.
Feng Zhengming was only half-convinced.
“Then, Jiang Xia, what do you think this person’s occupation might be?”
Jiang Xia didn’t analyze it immediately. Instead, she asked, “What do you guys think, Captain Feng?”
“They’re definitely someone with relevant skills.”
Tian Jianguo spoke up.
“Making these counterfeit coupons requires considerable skill. If someone can make them this convincingly, they’re either an artist or someone connected to a printing factory. We can’t go wrong investigating in those two directions.”
“Not necessarily.”
Guo Lianyi shook his head.
“The young fellow who made those manure coupons couldn’t even read or write, remember? He still managed to imitate them. There are all sorts of extraordinary people out there.”
“Hey, don’t start arguing with each other.”
Seeing the conversation veering off topic, Feng Zhengming quickly rapped his knuckles on the desk.
“This counterfeit coupon showed up at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative yesterday. The ticket clerk who accepted it is named Wang Chunfang. We questioned her, but she was extremely busy that day. All she remembers is that the person who came to buy cloth was a man—fairly tall and thin, wearing black clothes. She can’t remember anything else about his appearance.”
“In that case, there’s no way we can have you draw a portrait and use it to find him. We’ll have to approach this from another angle—from the perspective of the person who made the counterfeit.”
As he spoke, a worried look appeared on Feng Zhengming’s face.
“This counterfeit is pretty convincing, so the person who made it must have some relevant skills. But there are quite a few people in the city with that kind of ability, and they’re scattered all over the place. Checking everyone would be a huge hassle. Since you know your stuff, Jiang Xia, see if you can find any other clues from the counterfeit and narrow down the possibilities.”
Even if Captain Feng hadn’t asked, Jiang Xia would have stepped in.
After all, as the old saying went, ‘people in the same trade are natural rivals.’ She hadn’t officially entered the profession yet, but as a senior practitioner, she ought to help eliminate a few potential competitors, right?
Well, actually, the main reason was that using her counterfeiting skills to track down a fellow counterfeiter sounded pretty interesting!
A hint of excitement rose in Jiang Xia’s heart, but she put on a serious expression and said solemnly, “I’ll do my best. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to figure it out, so just treat whatever I find as a reference.”
Feng Zhengming nodded.
In truth, he wasn’t expecting much. Jiang Xia wasn’t a professional counterfeiter, after all. How could she possibly identify the suspect outright? If she could use her expertise to narrow it down to a general direction and reduce their workload, that would already be enough.
Jiang Xia pulled the small horseshoe-shaped magnifying glass she always carried from her pocket.
She went all out, carefully examining the counterfeit first. Seeing that there were still five identical counterfeit coupons on the desk, she casually picked up Feng Zhengming’s teacup and poured a little water onto the glass surface.
She pressed one corner of the counterfeit coupon against it, then lifted it after waiting for several dozen seconds and carefully examined the color that had bled into the paper.
Jiang Xia already had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
“Let’s start with the most obvious thing—the ink I mentioned earlier.”
Jiang Xia put down the horseshoe magnifying glass.
“This counterfeit uses water-based ink, probably the red and blue inks and Chinese painting pigments that can be purchased directly on the market. That suggests this person probably has little to do with a printing factory. After all, printing factories mainly use oil-based ink. They basically don’t use water-based ink. And printing factories have the three primary colors, including magenta, which can be used to mix a proper purple. If someone working at a printing factory simply stole some, they could make the counterfeit look much more convincing.”
“Of course, someone at a printing factory wouldn’t necessarily have to steal the ink. But I took a close look at the edges of the patterns on this counterfeit. Aside from the jagged edges caused by the ink bleeding, there’s also some slight unevenness. It looks like the design was carved onto a wooden block to make a wood engraving. When carving by hand, it’s very difficult to make the edges fine enough.”
“The printing factory in our city has already switched to offset printing. The copper plates are made by etching them with an etching solution. Forget the younger generation—even most of the middle-aged workers wouldn’t know how to carve them by hand. Only the old master craftsmen still know how. But those men have been working for many years, earn good wages, and have families to support. It’s highly unlikely they’d risk doing something like this.”
“However, wood engraving gives us a general direction. The person making these counterfeit coupons—actually, they must be a group—should have someone responsible for the technical side who knows how to carve printing blocks. And it would have to be someone with long-term experience in carving. There’s also a very good chance they know something about mixing colors.”
Jiang Xia pondered for a moment.
“Someone like that really isn’t very common. That narrows the field considerably. Let me think… The only people who come to mind are the seal carvers around Jiming Bridge. They know how to carve, and they can also come into contact with painters and calligraphers. There’s a very good chance someone in that line of work could be involved in this.”
“Seal carvers? That actually could be possible.”
Feng Zhengming froze for a moment. That possibility genuinely hadn’t been on their radar.
But Jiang Xia’s analysis was remarkably well-reasoned. Seal carvers really were the people most likely to possess the necessary carving skills.
They had practiced for years, to the point that they could carve calligraphic styles from different dynasties and even create intricate designs of birds, flowers, fish, and insects on tiny seals. Their skill was by no means inferior.
They were perfectly capable of making counterfeit coupons.
And if they only had to investigate people in that line of work, the scope—and the workload—would be reduced to at least a tenth of what it was.
Knowing a lot really did come in handy.
Feng Zhengming sighed inwardly, then remembered Jiang Xia’s earlier mention of a group operation and couldn’t help asking:
“How did you figure they’re working as a group?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Jiang Xia flicked the counterfeit coupon with her finger.
“This counterfeiter has big ambitions. They even went to the trouble of making a printing block. Obviously, they want to produce these in bulk, expand their operation, and make a real success of it.”
“But their skills… well, they’re decent, but not that good. There are so many high-value coupons out there, not to mention actual money. So why did they choose to print cloth coupons? Because the version issued by our city doesn’t have fluorescent anti-counterfeiting features. The whole thing consists of just purple ink and a red seal, and the materials aren’t particularly good either.”
“In other words, this counterfeit coupon is just this person’s trial run. The goal should be to quickly produce and circulate a large quantity, build up some capital, and then use the money to buy better materials and manufacture higher-value nationwide coupons—or go straight into counterfeiting money.”
“One person definitely couldn’t accomplish all that. They’d need accomplices responsible for purchasing materials and getting rid of the counterfeit goods.”
Feng Zhengming fell silent for a moment.
The logic actually sounded quite reasonable.
But the more he listened, the more something felt… off.
The Criminal Investigation Division had never even encountered someone like this before. So how did Jiang Xia know the suspect’s motives and the entire process so thoroughly?
It was almost as if she’d either witnessed it firsthand or done it herself.
“Isn’t that a little exaggerated?”
Tian Jianguo was highly skeptical.
“We’re talking about just six counterfeit coupons. You’re making it sound like they’re running a whole distribution operation! Even if they made that many, would they actually be able to spend them all?”
“Of course they could.”
Jiang Xia didn’t think Tian Jianguo was deliberately being argumentative.
After all, people of their generation had grown up under a planned economy and strict household-registration controls. It was difficult for them to imagine just how much disruption counterfeit coupons and counterfeit money could cause, or just how reckless people involved in such schemes could become.
She patiently explained:
“The person making the counterfeits definitely knows that fake is fake. It can never truly pass as genuine. The moment they actually use one, it won’t take long for someone to discover it and trace it back to them.”
At that point, Jiang Xia suddenly remembered a movie she’d once seen. On a whim, she lowered her voice and put on a solemn expression.
“So, people in our line of work have a rule: you never spend your own counterfeit money.”
At those words, Feng Zhengming immediately looked up and stared straight at Jiang Xia.
‘You just said ‘our line of work,’ didn’t you?!’
“Ahem. That was just a joke.”
Jiang Xia winked at Captain Feng and continued with a smile:
“They definitely wouldn’t normally use the counterfeit coupons themselves. Generally speaking, they either go somewhere else to spend them, or they quickly sell off a large batch locally at a low price and then disappear. Since this person counterfeited coupons issued by our city, they’re more likely to be from here themselves. So they probably plan to sell them off and run.”
“But considering that this person has accomplices, I think there are two other possibilities. One is that they haven’t finished printing the large batch yet, but one of their accomplices got greedy and secretly took a few coupons out to spend. The main counterfeiter hasn’t noticed yet, but the moment they do, they’ll definitely flee.”
“The other possibility is that they’ve already finished everything and are preparing to dump the counterfeits on the market in large quantities at low prices. Using the coupons to buy cloth would simply be a test to see whether they can actually be used. After that, they’d move on to selling the rest on a large scale and make their escape.”
“Hmm… Now that I put it that way, Captain Feng, you’d better hurry. Otherwise, there’s a very good chance you’ll miss them.”
Feng Zhengming looked at Jiang Xia, his brows drawing together slightly, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
Whether they were fast enough was one thing.
But Jiang Xia seemed far too familiar with these people.
At this point, he couldn’t help feeling that she must have some kind of side business.
‘Why don’t you come clean first?’
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