I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

Li Jing'an led Xie Hui and the prosecutors into the guesthouse with a smile: "Come on, Brother Xie, feel free to investigate. Just let me know if you need anything. Don't worry, with our relationship, I'll definitely support your work."

"Thank you, Brother Li. Let's go to the conference room first to check the styles and designs on the order form to see if the furniture made on the order matches. Then we'll ask the staff in the conference room."

"Haha, no problem, no problem." Li Jing'an waved his hand. "How about this, I won't take you guys. After all, I need to avoid suspicion, right? Here's what I'll do: I'll find someone for you. You can just tell him what to do."

After saying that, he turned around and shouted, "Da Mao!"

"Here he comes! Brother Li." Xu Damao followed up from behind with a grin, first looking at Li Jing'an, then his gaze fell on Xie Hui.

Li Jing'an pointed at Xie Hui and said to him, "Da Mao, you know Xie Hui too. He used to live in our courtyard house. I can't go there myself, so you take Comrade Xie Hui to the meeting room. You must cooperate with Comrade Xie Hui's work."

"Okay, Brother Li, don't worry, I will definitely cooperate with Director Xie's work." Xu Damao replied with a smile.

Once Li Jing'an had walked away, Xu Damao turned around, his smile unchanged: "Haha, Director Xie, we meet again."

---

In the guesthouse conference room, the prosecutors moved back and forth, flipping through the documents in their hands with a rustling sound.

A young man frowned and approached Xie Hui, handing him the list: "Director Xie, the items on the list match up as much as possible. But there's a problem we can't be sure of—the items on the list and those at the scene are from the same batch. The state-run guesthouse has standard-issue furniture; it's impossible to distinguish them. I think we should focus our efforts on the people who make the furniture at the furniture factory and get their statements."

Xie Hui took the list and looked at it, then slowly said, "Getting the statements from the furniture factory workers is quite important. But what good are statements alone? Without evidence, a statement alone cannot convict someone. The receipts kept by the furniture factory don't show anything; a statement alone isn't enough."

He looked up, scanned the furniture in the conference room, his gaze lingering on the tables, chairs, and cabinets: "Shouldn't we have someone appraise these pieces of furniture to see if they're new or used?"

The young man was taken aback: "Huh? You mean you want to find a craftsman from a furniture factory to take a look?"

"We can't use people from the furniture factory," Xie Hui waved his hand. "We can find collectors or people in antique shops to check if these pieces of furniture are actually new."

He paused for a moment, then quickly made a decision: "Here's what we'll do. You take two people to talk to the staff working in the conference room again and see if you can get anything out of them. I'll notify the procuratorate to find someone knowledgeable to take a look."

After saying that, he turned and walked out.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The corridors of the detention center were long and cold.

Deputy Director Liu of the furniture factory followed the guard to a meeting room. The guard opened the door but didn't go in; he simply gestured with his chin, indicating that Liu should go in himself.

Deputy Factory Director Liu didn't take it seriously, assuming that the procuratorate was going to interrogate him again.

He froze as soon as he stepped inside.

There was a person sitting opposite him, looking at him with a half-smile.

Director Du of the furniture factory.

Deputy Factory Director Liu's expression changed instantly.

"What? You're a little surprised to see me here, aren't you?" Director Du's voice was clearly mocking.

Knowing he couldn't avoid it, Deputy Factory Director Liu sat down opposite him with a stern face and asked in a low voice, "Why is it you? What brings you here?"

He was secretly wondering to himself: Did the procuratorate not take his report seriously at all?

"Hehe, why isn't it me?" Director Du tilted his head and looked at him. "You think you can do anything to me just because of your report? You're too naive."

These words made Deputy Factory Director Liu's heart skip a beat. The procuratorate must have investigated, but it seemed they hadn't found anything yet. But a new question arose: he was still under investigation, so how could Factory Director Du have come to see him in the detention center?

Factory Director Du chuckled, leisurely lit a cigarette, exhaled a puff of smoke, and said slowly, "Old Liu, I won't go easy on you here. You won't be able to smoke in prison anyway, so you might as well quit now."

Ignoring Deputy Factory Director Liu's ugly, stiff face, he continued, "Hey Lao Liu, that's not fair. We've worked together for so long, and you reported me just to get a lighter sentence. Isn't that a terrible person?"

"I have nothing to say to you." Deputy Factory Director Liu's face was ashen. "I've already done it, and I don't regret it. Are you alright? If not, I'm going back."

He was about to stand up as he spoke.

"Hey—" Factory Director Du gestured with his hand, "Old Liu, we haven't even gotten to the important stuff yet, why are you in such a hurry? You'll have plenty of time to rest later. Don't rush things. Besides, you won't have much free time in the future, so cherish it. Right, what was I going to say again?"

He narrowed his eyes, put a cigarette in his mouth, and leaned closer: "So, are you unlucky, or am I lucky? You reported me, and that got you involved with someone you can't afford to mess with. Heh heh, don't you think you deserve it?"

Deputy Factory Director Liu remained silent, like a clay sculpture.

"The fact that I'm able to see you at this time today is definitely not due to my own abilities; I don't have that kind of power." He held the cigarette between his fingers and nodded at Deputy Factory Director Liu. "Someone sent me to tell you..."

His voice lowered, but he spoke slowly and deliberately:

"You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. Saying the wrong thing isn't just a matter of slapping yourself a few times."

Factory Director Du kept pointing at him with his cigarette in hand: "They're just letting you experience it so you'll know what to do."

He suddenly changed the subject: "Oh, right, and your son too. What a fine young man, I don't know what he did wrong, he got arrested too."

"Why? Impossible!" Deputy Factory Director Liu's emotions finally flared up. "My son is honest and upright; you can't fool me!"

"Hehe, it's nothing." Factory Director Du shrugged nonchalantly. "It's fine if you don't believe me, but I still have to tell you, he's been arrested. I don't know the specifics."

He paused, a feigned regret on his face: "What crime he commits depends on you. He could be innocent, or it could be petty theft, or a member of a gang of hooligans. If he's convicted of counter-revolution, then he's finished."

After saying that, he chuckled twice: "I know you might not believe me. It's okay, you'll believe me in no time."

He didn't look at Deputy Factory Director Liu's reaction again, stood up, threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out, then left without looking back. As he reached the door, he tossed out, "See you later."

Deputy Factory Director Liu stood up, moved to the doorway, and waited for the guard to take him back. His mind was in turmoil, replaying Director Du's words over and over. He didn't know if it was true or false, and clung to a sliver of hope—that maybe Du was just trying to scare him.

He followed the guard down the corridor, and as he walked, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

This is not the way back to his cell.

He quickly said, "Reporting to the warden, have we gone to the wrong place?"

The young prison guard turned to look at him, a slow smile spreading across his face. "That's right, this is the way. You're lucky; someone put in a good word for you, to take good care of you. They're worried you won't sleep well, so they've moved you to a different spot."

The prison guard's enigmatic smile deepened as he spoke: "Hey, let me tell you something interesting. Your bed has already been assigned to a new recruit. It's quite a coincidence; you two are probably from the same family, both surnamed Liu, and named Liu XX."

Deputy Factory Director Liu stopped in his tracks.