Chapter 26.2: Mixing Ink and a Forged Contract
She glanced down at the color of the ink on her palette knife, then remembered the system notification she’d heard just moments ago.
…This time, I really can’t complain that the suspicion is unfounded.
The problem was, she hadn’t intended to do anything illegal.
How could it be this much of a coincidence?
She’d only just mixed the color of the fifty-cent banknote and hadn’t even had time to alter it before her master walked in.
Could my master actually have some kind of supernatural luck?
No, this won’t do. I need to find a temple or something and cleanse myself of whatever bad luck is following me.
While silently making plans, Jiang Xia tugged the corners of her mouth into a textbook smile.
“Ahem. I got these from the printing factory. I originally wanted to develop a fast-drying ink for mimeograph machines. But since the factory also had the three primary inks and metallic powders, I brought them back as well so I could mix some colored inks and make stamp pads for fun.”
That was the truth.
Well… mostly.
She’d just omitted one tiny detail.
Unfortunately, Jiang Xia’s credibility in matters like this was so low that it couldn’t even unlock a shared bicycle.
So even with Huang Xueling standing right there, the table covered with seals, and the freshly made colored stamp pads serving as evidence, Chief Wu still didn’t believe her.
Because even if he did believe her…
She had still managed to recreate the ink used for printing banknotes.
Chief Wu felt utterly exhausted.
To make matters worse, there was an outsider in the room. The words he wanted to say rose to his throat, only to be swallowed back down again.
In the end, all he could manage was,
“Go ahead and keep playing around. At this rate, you’re going to lead everyone in the department astray.”
Seeing Jiang Xia being scolded by her master, Huang Xueling grew visibly uneasy.
She hurriedly explained,
“Chief Wu, this isn’t Jiang Xia’s fault. I was the one who asked her to mix the inks.”
Chief Wu glanced at Huang Xueling.
For a brief moment, he really did waver.
They were both young women. It was perfectly normal for girls to like pretty colors.
But Jiang Xia… was another story altogether.
Was Jiang Xia a normal young woman?
Chief Wu shook his head.
Just as he was wondering how to get Huang Xueling out of the room so he could have a private word with Jiang Xia, the sound of approaching footsteps came from the hallway.
Standing in the doorway, Liao Zhongsheng looked surprised.
“Chief Wu? What brings you here?”
When did Old Fox Liao get here?
Chief Wu’s heart skipped a beat.
Almost instinctively, he turned sideways, positioning himself between Jiang Xia and the grayish-purple ink behind her.
“Oh, I came to deliver some case files our squad needed. While I was here, I thought I’d stop by and check on Jiang Xia.”
The protective gesture caught Jiang Xia completely off guard.
“Oh.”
Understanding dawned on Liao Zhongsheng.
The first part was obviously just an excuse. His real reason for coming was to see Jiang Xia.
Still, he hadn’t expected that after less than a month together, this master and apprentice would already be so close…
Wait.
Why did Chief Wu seem… nervous?
He was just visiting his apprentice. What was there to be nervous about?
Puzzled, Liao Zhongsheng instinctively looked past him.
All he saw on the glass-topped table were several blobs of colored ink, a pile of bottles and tins, and seals of various sizes.
So they were mixing colored inks to make stamp pads?
Young people really do come up with all sorts of fun hobbies.
But…
There wasn’t anything there worth getting nervous over, was there?
Growing even more suspicious, Liao Zhongsheng casually probed,
“Jiang Xia, what are you two up to?”
Still hoping to keep the truth from attracting too much attention, Chief Wu answered before Jiang Xia could.
“Ahem. These two girls were mixing colored stamp-pad ink earlier. Before I came, they were saying it was time to get back to work and bottle everything up so they could start mixing the fast-drying ink for the mimeograph machine. Then I came in and started chatting, and they got delayed.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Jiang Xia fell completely silent.
Good heavens…
The world’s turned upside down.
Master is actually covering for me!
Meanwhile, Chief Wu was busy convincing himself.
That’s right.
She’s still just a kid.
What’s so strange about a kid playing with colorful inks?
Having successfully talked himself into it, his demeanor gradually relaxed.
He even managed a joke.
“Section Chief Liao, you’re not going to punish them for this, are you?”
“Of course not.”
Section Chief Liao smiled.
“It’s just a bit of chatting. It’s not going to delay any work.”
After a brief pause, and seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he continued,
“I’ve got something to take care of, so I won’t keep talking. Xiao Huang, come with me for a moment.”
The master and apprentice finally have a chance to talk in private. Why are you still standing there?
“Huh? Oh.”
Still somewhat confused, Huang Xueling put down the seal in her hand and followed him out.
“All right. See you later.”
Chief Wu waved them off. Only after the two of them had entered the next room did he close the door.
He walked over to the table, pulled a banknote from his pocket, found a fifty-cent note, and placed it beside the freshly mixed purple ink.
Lowering his voice, he asked,
“Where did you learn to mix printing ink? You’ve matched the color of this banknote almost exactly!”
“The master printer at the printing factory taught me.”
Since she’d already used that explanation yesterday, Jiang Xia answered with complete confidence this time. She even sounded a little aggrieved.
“I just wanted to mix a color that looked nice. How was I supposed to know it’d end up matching the banknote? It’s not like I took out money and copied the color.”
There it was.
His apprentice’s mouth was as stubborn as reinforced steel.
Mindful that the walls had ears, Chief Wu didn’t state things outright. He merely sighed.
“One of these days, you’re going to be the death of me.”
He paused.
Then he let out a long, weary sigh. Looking deeply disappointed, he picked up the banknote, slipped it back into his pocket, and said,
“You know perfectly well what this kind of ink could be used for. Since you’ve already mixed it here at the Municipal Bureau, there’s nothing I can do about it now. Just… watch yourself.”
“I’m leaving.”
With that, Chief Wu turned and walked away.
Jiang Xia had been bracing herself for a long lecture.
Instead, this was all he said.
When she realized he really was leaving without another word, panic immediately welled up inside her.
Oh no…
Did I really make Master that upset?
Instinctively, she reflected on what she’d done.
Then she couldn’t help feeling… it didn’t actually seem that serious.
After all…
She’d only mixed a color.
Still, she had to smooth things over with her master.
If she really let him walk out that door like this, she’d probably never be welcome back at Zhouying Police Station again.
Taking several quick strides, Jiang Xia caught up to him and blocked his path.
“Master, I really didn’t do it on purpose. It honestly was a coincidence this time. I just wanted to mix a nice-looking shade of purple. Maybe I’ve seen banknotes so many times that I unconsciously drifted toward that color.”
Chief Wu was silent for a while.
“I believe you.”
“But some things are different.”
He raised his head and looked Jiang Xia straight in the eye. His voice was unusually stern.
“I know, Jiang Xia. You probably think this old man is nagging, stubborn, always stopping you from messing with things like this.”
“But there’s a saying I believe in: When you carry a blade in your heart, the urge to kill will eventually arise.”
“The more you study these things, the more completely you master them… who’s to say that one day you won’t feel tempted to try? And the moment you do…”
“…your life will be over.”
Meeting Chief Wu’s severe gaze, Jiang Xia fell silent.
He wasn’t wrong.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have drawn an absolute red line for herself that she refused to cross.
The only unfortunate part was that the red line she’d drawn for herself was quite a bit farther away than the one her master had drawn.
Otherwise, they would have been in complete agreement.
“Master… I was wrong.”
Jiang Xia lowered her head slightly and admitted her mistake.
“I won’t mix colored printing inks anymore.”
In any case, recreating the same inks a second time no longer earned experience points. She had no intention of doing it again anyway.
She might as well make use of the opportunity to show a sincere attitude.
This time, she truly meant what she said.
Chief Wu studied her expression for a moment. Once he was sure she wasn’t lying, he nodded in satisfaction and patted her gently on the shoulder.
“It’s enough that you understand.”
“I won’t lecture you anymore. Things are busy back at the station, so I’m heading back. No need to see me out.”
With that, Chief Wu turned to leave.
The corners of his mouth curled upward ever so slightly.
Just as I thought…
This approach works best.
Trying to forbid her outright could never compare to playing the emotional card.
I just can’t use it too often… or she’ll catch on.
Ah… this troublesome apprentice.
When would she ever stop getting herself into situations like this?
He still wanted to live a few more years…
Although Chief Wu had said there was no need to see him off, there was no way Jiang Xia could actually let him leave on his own.
She accompanied him all the way downstairs before returning to the storeroom.
At some point, Huang Xueling had come back. She was still using the palette knife to fill the stamp pads with ink, occasionally pressing one of her seals onto paper to make another colorful design.
“You’re back, Jiang Xia?”
Looking up as Jiang Xia entered, she spoke with obvious envy.
“I never expected your master would actually come all the way here to check on you. Unlike my master—some days he doesn’t even say a few words to me, let alone teach me anything.”
“Trace examination isn’t the same as forensic medicine.”
Huang Xueling was young enough to say whatever was on her mind, but Jiang Xia couldn’t be quite so blunt.
Walking over to the table, Jiang Xia casually mixed a little red ink into the suspicious purple to destroy the evidence while she spoke.
“A forensic examiner can spend the early stages just memorizing a huge textbook. But trace examination is different. The theory has to go hand in hand with hands-on practice. It’s not something that can really be taught through words alone.”
“Really?”
Huang Xueling looked unconvinced.
“Of course.”
Continuing to stir the ink, Jiang Xia explained,
“Trace examination mainly involves things like footprints, fingerprints and palm prints, tool marks, and all sorts of other physical evidence—how to collect them, examine them, and identify them.”
“If someone just explains it verbally, you’ll probably be completely lost.”
“And from what I’ve seen, Trace Examiner Li isn’t exactly good with words. Maybe he’s worried he won’t explain things well, so he doesn’t teach you much in the office. But when you’re actually at a crime scene, I’m sure he’ll explain everything as he goes.”
“Now that you mention it…”
Huang Xueling thought back over the time since she’d joined the department and nodded.
“You’re right. Master does teach me when we’re out at crime scenes.”
Watching someone else study themselves to exhaustion every day, Huang Xueling had always been relieved that she didn’t have it so hard.
But at the same time, having so little to do left her feeling increasingly anxious.
She couldn’t help complaining,
“It’s just… I learn so little this way. Right now it feels like I still don’t know how to do anything.”
This girl’s actually pretty motivated.
An idea struck Jiang Xia.
“Then why don’t you start studying on your own?”
Huang Xueling spread her hands helplessly.
“But I don’t know anything. How am I supposed to teach myself?”
“No problem. You don’t know—but I do.”
Jiang Xia smiled.
“I took trace examination courses at school and made tons of notes. They’re still in my desk drawer. Once I’m done bottling these inks, I’ll bring them over for you.”
“Really?”
Huang Xueling’s eyes widened.
She jumped out of her chair and threw her arms around Jiang Xia.
“Jiang Xia, you’re the best!”
“Really. Hey, hey, be careful. Don’t get ink all over yourself.”
Jiang Xia laughed.
After a moment’s thought, she added,
“But they’re just written notes. Without actual evidence to work with, self-study is still pretty difficult. Ideally, you’d have some physical examples to examine while you’re reading.”
“Physical examples…”
Huang Xueling frowned.
“Those are kind of hard to come by…”
She thought for a while before asking,
“How about I borrow some of the evidence from next door?”
Jiang Xia: “…”
Wait… that’s evidence.
Can you really just take it out that casually?
She had to admit, some of the casually lax practices in police departments of this era could still be genuinely shocking.
“That won’t be necessary.”
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Xia quickly steered things back toward a more sensible idea.
“Why not make your own practice materials?”
“Hmm?”
“Some things are hard to get, sure. But fingerprints are easy.”
“Take a few sheets of paper and an ink pad. Ask a few people to leave their fingerprints. Have one person print their finger twice. Keep one copy aside, mix the other in with everyone else’s, and then you can practice fingerprint comparisons.”
“You’re right!”
Huang Xueling’s face lit up with realization.
Excited, she immediately turned to leave, clearly intending to grab some paper and start collecting fingerprints.
After only a couple of steps, though, she suddenly stopped.
Turning back, she returned with an embarrassed smile.
“I almost forgot. There’s no rush. I’d better help you finish mixing the ink first.”
“Sounds good.”
Jiang Xia nodded in satisfaction.
It had to be said, although Huang Xueling was young and impulsive, she really did have a likable personality.
She was someone worth becoming friends with.
“I’ll mix the fast-drying ink once I’ve finished bottling this colored ink.”
With the formula in hand and her own experience to draw on, developing the fast-drying ink didn’t take Jiang Xia long.
The key was that it couldn’t dry too quickly.
If the ink dried in a minute or two, then after printing only a dozen or so sheets, the ink remaining on the mimeograph stencil would dry out completely.
After several rounds of testing and adjustments, Jiang Xia finally determined the ideal ratio of drying agent.
With that formula, the printed ink would dry completely in about five to six minutes.
That meant even after printing a hundred and thirty or a hundred and forty copies, the entire job would only take around half an hour.
That wasn’t much slower than an inkjet printer.
“All right, finally finished.”
Jiang Xia raised her hands.
Despite being careful, she’d still managed to get a little ink on them. Fortunately, none had gotten onto her clothes.
“I need to go wash my hands. Xueling, just keep timing it for me, then go do your own thing.”
“No problem. Oh, right, Jiang Xia—I’ve got a bar of soap in my drawer. Don’t forget to take it.”
“Got it.”
Taking the soap with her, Jiang Xia spent quite a while scrubbing her hands in the restroom before finally washing away every trace of ink.
After shaking the water from her hands, she picked up the soapbox and headed back toward the Technical Division.
On the way, she spotted Huang Xueling standing outside the Third Investigation Squad’s office with a young man.
Huang Xueling was holding an ink pad and several sheets of paper, waiting for him to leave his fingerprints.
Her initiative is really something.
“You’re back already, Jiang Xia?”
Seeing her return, Huang Xueling waved enthusiastically.
“This is Bai Fangqiang from the Third Investigation Squad. We grew up in the same neighborhood.”
The Criminal Investigation Unit also had a Third Investigation Squad, though people mentioned it far less often.
That was because the Third Squad mainly handled economic crimes.
Their investigations were very different from ordinary criminal cases. Aside from cracking down on profiteering and smuggling, they rarely had much overlap with the other squads.
Jiang Xia figured she probably wouldn’t have many dealings with the Third Squad in the future.
Still, since Huang Xueling had taken the initiative to introduce him, she greeted him politely.
“Hello. I’m Jiang Xia.”
Through the gap in the half-closed door, Jiang Xia could see a crowd gathered inside the office.
Standing in the middle was Trace Examiner Li.
He had his head lowered, carefully comparing a document.
“Trace Examiner Li’s busy?”
“Uh… yeah, he is.”
There was still a hint of fatigue on Bai Fangqiang’s face, but the moment he looked at Jiang Xia, his expression became almost identical to that of yesterday’s clerk—his eyes practically gleamed with curiosity.
He looked like he wanted to ask something, thought better of it, then changed his mind again. In the end, he decided to explain the situation first.
“We’ve just taken on a case from a daily chemical products factory. They’re working with a foreign company, and they’re supposed to deliver the goods now, but there’s a problem with the contract.”
“The two parties each produced a copy of the contract, but one page is different.”
“Right now, Trace Examiner Li is comparing the handwriting.”
A forged contract?
Jiang Xia frowned slightly.
A contract involving foreign investment certainly wouldn’t be for a small amount of money.
She asked,
“Didn’t they put a seal across the page joins?”
“Oh? You know about that?”
Bai Fangqiang looked surprised.
Normally, multi-page contracts could easily be tampered with by replacing individual pages.
To prevent that, financial staff would stamp a seal across the edges of multiple pages so that part of the seal appeared on each sheet. If any page was later substituted, the seal impression would no longer line up, making it an extremely effective anti-tampering measure.
He sighed.
“They should have, of course. But most of our state-owned enterprises are used to handling things with simple written approvals. They barely even use formal contracts, so who’d remember to stamp a cross-page seal?”
Jiang Xia’s brow furrowed.
“Then the foreign company set them up on purpose.”
Using contracts that way might not have been common domestically, but foreign companies certainly knew the proper procedures.
If they had deliberately failed to remind their Chinese partner about the cross-page seal…
Then they were clearly acting in bad faith.
“I think so too.”
Bai Fangqiang nodded in agreement.
He glanced toward the office again, as though he could somehow see through the wooden door.
Then he let out another heavy sigh.
“The contract involves goods worth over a million yuan. I just hope we can figure out what happened.”
Just then, a familiar voice drifted out from inside the room, the thin door doing little to block the sound.
“It won’t work! The handwriting on these two pages is completely identical. They were both written by the same person. There’s no way to tell them apart!”
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