With Xia Pingan in charge, the Inspection Department acted swiftly and decisively. Several carriages rushed to the warehouse of Jinming Trading Company. The team members got off the carriages and quickly sealed off the courtyard.
When the several security guards of Jinming Trading Company who were guarding the warehouse saw the officials of the Inspection Department rushing towards them like wolves and tigers, they all stood aside and didn't dare to move.
The two warehouses of Jinming Trading Company were close to each other. Each warehouse was tens of thousands of square meters in a large courtyard, so it was convenient to seal them off.
Xia Pingan stood in the open space outside the warehouse. Looking at the warehouse in front of him, he grinned. Just now, he "saw" that the two warehouses were full of goods. They should have just entered the warehouse.
Fan Gang, who was wearing a black robe, was standing beside Xia Pingan at some point in time. He didn't say much and only nodded slightly at Xia Pingan.
As for Situ Hua, he met up with Xia Pingan's team halfway and came to the warehouse of Jinming Trading Company.
After receiving the notice, the person in charge of the warehouse rushed over, sweating profusely. As soon as he saw the people of the Inspection Department, his face changed. He hurriedly put on a smile and said, "Officers, this is the warehouse of Jinming Trading Company. Our warehouse is piled with drinks and silk. There are no prohibited items. Is there any misunderstanding?"
The person in charge of the warehouse naturally couldn't get close to Xia Pingan. His subordinates would deal with it.
"The Inspection Department received a tip-off that someone reported that there are prohibited items in the warehouse of Jinyang Trading Company. Open the warehouse. We want to check it!" Situ Hua said to the person in charge of the warehouse.
"This... our shopkeeper is not here. Jinming Trading Company is the property of Director Li. Officers, can you..." The person in charge of the warehouse didn't understand the situation and was still struggling.
"What Director Li or Director Ma? We, the Inspection Department of Donggang, enforce the law impartially. Don't be like this!" Situ Hua's fierce look was very frightening. "I order you to open the door of the warehouse immediately. We want to check it. If you don't open it, we will break the door and you will be responsible for all the consequences!"
Seeing the surrounding summoners from the Inspection Department looking at him coldly, the person in charge of the warehouse broke out in a cold sweat. He quickly took out the key and opened the doors of the two warehouses to let the people from the Inspection Department in for inspection.
In the warehouse where the drinks were stored, bottles, cans, and all kinds of packaged high-end drinks piled up like a mountain.
Shang Jing City was a place of extravagance. Li Chaoming was the director of the Jinyang District Police Station. Many high-end drinks in various restaurants, wineries, and clubhouses in Jinyang District had to be purchased from the firms designated by him. It could be regarded as a disguised protection fee. The profit of this high-end drink business was high, and it was endless every day. It was really a good business.
It was the same for the silk business. As long as there was a way, it would be a big business.
As soon as the doors of the two warehouses were opened, two teams from the Inspection Department entered to search.
Xia Pingan also followed him into the warehouse that was filled with wine and strolled around.
The warehouse was filled with the rich aroma of wine.
In this kind of warehouse, when moving things in and out of the warehouse, they would occasionally break the bottles and jars of wine. When the wine spilled on the ground, the aroma of the wine would linger for a long time.
"What kind of wine is this Exquisite Wine?" Seeing that the front of the warehouse was filled with white porcelain jars and packaged in wooden frames, Xia Pingan asked Situ Hua beside him. Xia Pingan was really not familiar with the drinks of Shang Jing City and the Great Shang Kingdom.
"This Exquisite Wine is a specialty of Yunzhou Province. These Exquisite Wine are all good wines that have been stored in caves for more than ten years. The purchase price of such a jar is at least 30 gold coins. It would be even more expensive if it was sold …" Situ Hua swallowed his saliva as he explained to Xia Pingan.
Behind the mountain-like piles of Exquisite Wine, there were also boxes of blue glass bottles. It was called Moonlight Wine, which was also a famous wine of the Great Shang Kingdom.
After the Moonlight Wine, there was also a famous wine called Congealing Dew in dark glass bottles.
Other than that, the warehouse was also filled with famous wines from the Great Shang Kingdom such as Chiliarch, Zifu, and Yangui.
"Sir, we found something here …" A member of the Inspection Department who was inspecting the wine warehouse suddenly shouted.
Xia Pingan walked over with his men. Well, there were two long dark green wooden boxes in the back of the warehouse that were filled with Zifu wine. They were too special. The two wooden boxes looked like a person with long hair who had emerged from a group of bald men.
"Open them and take a look …" Xia Pingan said calmly.
"Yes!"
The wooden boxes were opened. Inside, there were black rifles.
One wooden box contained ten rifles. Two wooden boxes contained twenty rifles.
The Great Shang Kingdom had very strict gun control. Although private individuals were allowed to own guns, they had to go through the procedures. Furthermore, the gun business was exclusive to the state. Privately possessing more than three guns was a crime. The sale, transportation, and circulation of guns were strictly regulated.
Two boxes of guns were found in the warehouse. There were twenty rifles. They were all prohibited items. Smuggling guns was not a small crime.
"Immediately seal the warehouse and bring the relevant people to the Inspection Department for questioning!" Xia Pingan ordered.
"Yes!"
On the other side, two boxes of guns and two boxes of bullets were also found in the silk warehouse.
When the guns and bullets were moved out of the warehouse, the supervisor of the warehouse was dumbfounded. How could he know why there were two boxes of guns in the wine warehouse?
Looking at the yellowish bullets and the oiled rifle, the warehouse manager's face turned pale with fright.
"Sir, I'm wronged. Sir …"
"Take him away!"
The people from the Inspection Department didn't say anything and directly took him away.
A few minutes later, Li Heihu, the head of the Axe Gang in the dock, arrived with thousands of his brothers in a formidable horse-drawn carriage.
All the members of Li Heihu were coolies in the dock. They were all strong and honest. However, if they were forced into a corner, they would fight you with axes.
"Inspector, Your Excellency …" Li Heihu and over 1,000 members of the Axe Gang gave a salute to Xia Pingan by kneeling down on one knee.
"Why are there so many people?" Xia Pingan asked with a smile.
"Your Excellency, I've called all the brothers who are not on duty today!" Li Heihu answered.
"Go to move the goods. After that, leave 50 jars of Exquisite Wine for the brothers of the Axe Gang to taste!"
"Thank you, Your Excellency!" Li Heihu stood up and roared, "Brothers, let's get to work. After that, the inspector will treat us to Exquisite Wine!"
Over 1,000 brothers of Li Heihu shouted as they started to move the goods in the warehouse like ants moving house.
Xia Pingan called Situ Hua over. "You're in charge of this place, right?"
Situ Hua revealed a confident smile as he licked his lips. "Don't worry, Your Excellency, I'm in charge of this place. No problem. Your Excellency, are you going back to the Inspection Department?"
"I've not finished yet. No hurry. I will take Hua Ziqin and Fan Gang to No.6 Pier!"
"No.6 Pier? Your Excellency … "Situ Hua became dumbfounded as he faintly remembered that there was nothing important at No.6 Pier. He wondered why Xia Pingan wanted to check it.
"As the inspector, of course, I have to pay more attention to such an important place as the wharf!" Xia Pingan replied with a smile as he didn't explain too much. After leaving the warehouse of Jinming Trading Company to Situ Hua, Xia Pingan got on a carriage and left the warehouse compound of Jinming Trading Company with Hua Ziqin and Fan Gang. In less than 10 minutes, they had arrived at No.6 Pier in the East Harbor District.
It was another scene at the wharf.
Huge ships that weighed tens of thousands of tons were lined up on the dock. Huge steam cranes were sliding back and forth on the rails of the dock. Countless people were busy here.
They didn't even need to show their ID badges. The faces of Hua Ziqin and Fan Gang, who often patrolled here, were the passes. They could pass through No.6 Pier unimpeded.
Seeing that the inspector had come to check, the people in charge of port affairs, dispatch, and customs at No.6 Pier hurried over to accompany him.
The people from the Inspection Department walked in front while the people in charge of the wharf followed beside Xia Pingan. They were responsible for explaining things to Xia Pingan and responding to any inquiries.
Xia Pingan had already summoned the Black Dragon.
Hua Ziqin and Fan Gang originally didn't know what Xia Pingan wanted to do here, but when they saw Xia Pingan summon the Black Dragon, their faces instantly tensed up and became alert.
After walking around the wharf for a while, Xia Pingan brought everyone to the berth of a huge cargo ship.
The cargo ship was more than 200 meters long and was docked at the harbor. Looking up, the superstructure of the cargo ship was like a building.
At the bow of the black cargo ship were three large white words, "Fulong". This cargo ship was still waiting in line to be lifted and unloaded …
"Who owns this cargo ship? What's on it?" Xia Pingan asked the person beside him.
The person in charge at the wharf immediately flipped through the book in his hand and replied, "Sir, according to the customs declaration, this Fulong cargo ship is carrying Purple Starwood and Ten Thousand Dragon Incense Rice, a specialty of the Ten Thousand Dragon Archipelago in the south. The owner of this Fulong cargo ship is the Fulong Trading Company!"
"Hehe, this cargo ship is quite big …"
"It displaces more than 36000 tons …"
"Okay, let's go up and take a look!"
Everyone went up the stairs to the ship. The captain and crew came out to greet, accompany, and inspect them.
This cargo ship was divided into several huge compartments. These compartments were filled with things that had been transported from afar. They were huge pieces of Purple Starwood that were piled up like a mountain. Each piece of Purple Starwood was so thick that it would take several people to wrap their arms around it. In Shang Jing City, Purple Starwood furniture was exclusive to rich and powerful families. Its value was self-evident.
There were more than 10,000 tons of Purple Starwood on the ship.
In addition to Purple Starwood, there were also more than 10,000 tons of Ten Thousand Dragon Incense Rice. These Ten Thousand Dragon Incense Rice were packed in gunny sacks and piled up like a mountain in the cabin.
Xia Pingan, who was wandering around in the warehouse of the rice, suddenly asked the captain, "Is there any other cargo on this Fulong cargo ship …"
"No, this is all the cargo. They are all filled with Purple Starwood and food!" The captain replied.
"Oh, is that so? Then let's go to the bottom of the warehouse to take a look …"
Hearing Xia Pingan's words, the captain's face slightly changed. However, he still smiled, "Sir, the bottom of this cargo ship is filled with various kinds of engine rooms. There are piles of coal and pipes everywhere. The air is also dirty. There's really nothing to see …"
"It doesn't matter. The Inspection Department just likes to look at dirty places. If it's not dirty, I won't go!" Xia Pingan said with a smile while touching the Black Dragon's head.
The people present weren't fools. As soon as they heard Xia Pingan's words, everyone's eyes were fixed on the captain's face.
Fan Gang, who was wearing a black robe, was like a ghost. Unknowingly, he was standing behind the captain. His gloomy eyes were staring at the captain's neck.
Sweat immediately appeared on the captain's forehead. However, he had no other choice but to bring everyone to the bottom of the cargo ship to take a look.
The air in the bottom of the cargo ship was dirty. It was narrow and dim. Everywhere was pitch black. The bottom of the cargo ship was densely covered with various kinds of complicated pipes.
Xia Pingan flicked his finger and a large number of fireflies were summoned. The specks of starlight turned into floating lamps and illuminated the bottom of the cargo ship.
Xia Pingan had already let go of the Black Dragon and let the Black Dragon lead the way.
After entering the bottom of the cargo ship, the Black Dragon sniffed the air. After barking twice, it directly walked in a certain direction.
Looking in the direction of the Black Dragon, the captain's head was sweating profusely. His legs were weak and he almost fell.
"Haha, Fan Gang, help the captain. Let the captain walk properly. Don't let him fall!" Xia Pingan laughed.
Fan Gang reached out a hand and directly grabbed the captain's neck. He then led the captain forward.
The Black Dragon directly led everyone to the coal bunker at the bottom of the cargo ship.
The coal bunker was connected to the steam boiler at the bottom of the ship. This was where the coal was stored. Because Fulong had come from afar, there wasn't much coal left in the coal bunker.
The huge coal bunker was gray and black everywhere. The ground was filled with cinders. Under the illumination of the fireflies, it looked like a huge funnel at the bottom of the ship.
"Woof woof woof …" The Black Dragon ran into the coal bunker and barked. It even used its claws to scratch the steel walls of the coal bunker.
The captain, who was grabbed by Fan Gang, was completely limp. He couldn't even stand steadily. His whole body was trembling like a sieve, and he was drenched in cold sweat.
"Captain, the Black Dragon said that there's something in the coal bunker. Let's open it and take a look …" Xia Pingan glanced at the captain. Without waiting for him to speak, he directly took two steps forward and took out the Scepter of Adjudication. He urged his divine power and used the golden spearhead of the Scepter of Adjudication to hit the steel walls of the coal bunker.
A golden light flashed. The Scepter of Adjudication instantly cut a one-meter-long hole in the steel plates on both sides of the coal bunker like cutting cloth. The steel plates broke.
In the next second, a dazzling scene appeared. From the broken hole, dazzling pearls poured out. The pearls danced cheerfully and poured into the cinders at the bottom of the coal bunker.
The black cinders and the snow-white pearls created a strong visual impact.
The number of pearls pouring down was definitely not eight or ten. Instead, it was endless like sand pouring out of a cart.
However, those pearls were much bigger than sand. They were round and plump, and the smallest one was as big as a longan. Apart from the white pearls, there were also black and purple pearls …
The onlookers were dumbfounded.
"These are … Ten Thousand Dragon Pearls …" A customs official at the port was dumbfounded.
Ten Thousand Dragon Pearls were one of the most precious things produced in the Ten Thousand Dragon Archipelago. They were definitely a luxury good. Because the Shang Dynasty didn't have them, the customs of the Shang Dynasty imposed heavy taxes on these imported pearls.
Of course, as long as there was profit, there would naturally be people who would take risks. It was not uncommon for summoners who possessed spatial equipment to smuggle these precious items. The customs of the Shang Dynasty and the Judgement Army also had various methods to deal with them. There were layers of prevention and control measures. A battle of wits and courage between the two sides was a common occurrence.
No one would have thought that these expensive Ten Thousand Dragon Pearls actually had this kind of smuggling method. They were hidden in the compartment of the coal bunker at the bottom of the ship. What's more, the number of pearls was absolutely shocking. Even though those dock officials at the scene boasted that they were experienced and knowledgeable, they had never seen 10,000 Dragon Pearls pouring down and piling up like sand in front of them.
This was definitely a shocking case!
The customs of Shang Jing City hadn't encountered such a big case for many years.
Someone who had the ability to smuggle so many Ten Thousand Dragon Pearls at once and had the ability to digest them was definitely not a nobody in Shang Jing City.
In the blink of an eye, the Ten Thousand Dragon Pearls pouring down had piled up to a meter high. It was still pouring down, and it was probably measured in tons.
Hua Ziqin fiercely pinched her arm twice before shifting her gaze away from those pearls. Looking at those pearls, Hua Ziqin felt like she was about to drool. It was like a dream.
Apart from being used as jewelry, Ten Thousand Dragon Pearls were also top-grade maintenance products for women. The main effect of Ten Thousand Dragon Pearls on women was to delay aging and make their skin white and tender. This was something used by the imperial concubines in the palace, and the latter was the reason why Ten Thousand Dragon Pearls were so precious. In addition, Ten Thousand Dragon Pearls were essential medicinal ingredients for several precious medicinal pills.
Countless fireflies fluttered in the pitch-black coal bunker.
Under the light of the fireflies, the precious Ten Thousand Dragon Pearls poured down from the coal bunker like a waterfall. They were as resplendent as a river of stars as they fell on the pitch-black coal. This scene was something that everyone present would never forget for the rest of their lives.
Everyone was petrified.
As the last few Ten Thousand Dragon Pearls rolled down from the cracks of the curled and cracked steel plate, everyone present suddenly woke up from that dream-like scene.
Everyone held their breaths as they looked at the pile of Ten Thousand Dragon Pearls that was more than two meters high at the bottom of the coal bunker. Their gazes were infatuated and shocked.
"Ahem, these are stolen goods and also evidence. I'll put them away first so that the thief won't be concerned about them!" Xia Pingan stepped forward and waved his hand. A rolling mist covered those resplendent pearls. In the blink of an eye, the dream-like pile of pearls was all collected by Xia Pingan into his space-teleportation equipment.
Everyone's gaze once again fell on Xia Pingan's face.
"From now on, the East Port Supervision Office of the Ruling Army will officially seal up the Fulong. No one can touch the things on the Fulong without my permission. Fan Gang, take some people and arrest the shopkeeper of the Fulong Trading Company and all related people involved in this case …"
Xia Pingan directly ordered from the bottom of the coal bunker.
Many of the people present were secretly thinking in their hearts that this time, someone in Shang Jing City was going to be in big trouble. They just didn't know who that unlucky person was.
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