Though the clerk found Lin Teng’s persistent questioning somewhat strange, the two had a good relationship, and he knew this Magistrate Lin was capable. After slight hesitation, he said: “It’s our Left Vice Minister, Lord Sun.”

“So it was Vice Minister Sun.”

The Minister of Revenue was advanced in years and close to retirement age. Affairs in the Ministry of Revenue were now mainly decided by Vice Minister Sun.

“Why is Magistrate Lin asking about this?” The clerk couldn’t help but ask.

Lin Teng smiled: “There are many cases at the office involving many people, so I’ve come to check the household registration records.”

Seeing Lin Teng unwilling to say more, the clerk tactfully didn’t pursue the matter further. He instructed: “Strictly speaking, these household registration records can’t be examined by unrelated people. But since Magistrate Lin wants to see them, I’ll naturally provide the convenience. However, these records can’t be taken away. Magistrate Lin will have to look at them here.”

Lin Teng naturally couldn’t ask for more and quickly expressed his thanks.

The clerk led Lin Teng into a room and carried out several high stacks of records, piling them on the desk: “I don’t know which section Magistrate Lin mainly wants to see, so I brought them all. However, this only includes households within the city walls. Villages and towns in the capital suburbs aren’t included.”

“Any section is fine. I’ll just browse through them first.”

“Then take your time looking. I’ll go to the outer room for some water.” Thinking about how long it would take to get through so many records, the clerk found an excuse and slipped away.

Lin Teng couldn’t have wished for more. He picked up a record and began examining it.

The covers of these records all clearly stated which area they belonged to. Naturally, he first searched for those four missing women.

After considerable effort finding the household registration information for the four women, their birth dates and times were indeed as their families had stated—exactly the seventh day of the seventh month during the mao hour.

First Miss Wang’s was the same.

Afterward, Lin Teng began roughly browsing through, recording any women with this birth date and time in the small notebook he’d brought with him.

The sky gradually darkened. The clerk came in rubbing his eyes: “Magistrate Lin, still not finished?”

Lin Teng didn’t look up: “Almost done.”

“Then at least light a lamp before continuing. It’s almost dark.”

Only then did Lin Teng notice the light: “It’s this late already?”

The clerk didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “Of course. You’ve been looking for almost two hours.”

Lin Teng smiled apologetically: “I lost track of time for a moment. Is it time to leave the office?”

“Yes.” The clerk responded dejectedly.

Lin Teng looked down at the remaining records and said shamelessly: “Then after I finish, I’ll treat you to drinks, brother.”

Hearing he still had to wait, the clerk’s eyes immediately went blank: “Magistrate Lin, the records aren’t going anywhere. You can come back tomorrow to look.”

Lin Teng insisted: “Better to finish looking. After we finish, let’s go drink at You Jian Wine Shop.”

In all these years, what hadn’t he encountered? If he came back tomorrow, what if they told him the records had burned?

He had understood the principle of “the night is long and dreams are many” long ago.

“You, You Jian Wine Shop?” The clerk’s voice suddenly rose sharply, his face glowing with excitement. “Is it You Jian Wine Shop on Qingxing Street, the one people call ‘You Jian Black Shop’?”

He had to make this clear!

You Jian Black Shop? Lin Teng frowned, then thought about it and realized it was probably right, so he nodded: “Yes, You Jian Wine Shop on Qingxing Street, the one Miss Luo runs.”

The clerk nodded with a silly smile: “Alright, alright. Magistrate Lin, take your time looking. No rush.”

Heavens, he would soon be able to eat food from You Jian Wine Shop.

He’d heard that every dish at You Jian Wine Shop was incredibly delicious. He’d been thinking about it for ages. It was just that the prices were too expensive. For a minor clerk like him to eat there once would have only one result: bankruptcy.

Looking at the clerk whose eyes were glowing, Lin Teng suddenly felt somewhat anxious.

For the sake of investigating this case, was he sacrificing too much…

By the time night had fallen like ink, Lin Teng rubbed his dry eyes and stood up.

The clerk, dizzy with hunger, looked delighted: “Magistrate Lin, you’re finished?”

Lin Teng nodded: “Thank you for your trouble today, brother. Let’s go, time for drinks.”

After spending most of the day roughly browsing through the city’s household registration records, there were a total of one hundred and six people with the same birth date and time as the several missing women.

Omissions were inevitable. After all, the time was too tight—he’d almost skimmed over them at ten lines per glance. And even if he wanted to secretly watch over all one hundred and six people, it would be impossible for Lin Teng.

First, the office couldn’t spare that many personnel. Second, these were all women. Without knowing the criminal’s targets, even with enough personnel, they couldn’t just keep watching them without doing anything else.

He could only do his best. Based on experience and intuition, he would select the areas where the criminal was most likely to strike and use limited personnel to watch over a dozen or so households first.

Lin Teng brought the clerk to You Jian Wine Shop. It was already closing time.

All the customers in the main hall had dispersed, leaving only the staff cheerfully cleaning up.

After closing, it was time for their own people to eat.

“Why did Magistrate Lin come at this hour?” Upon seeing Lin Teng enter, Hong Dou couldn’t control herself and rolled her eyes.

Coming when people were eating—wasn’t this being annoying?

The clerk had just been marveling that even a waiter could be this beautiful when he was shocked by this eye roll.

Using eye rolls to greet customers—this really was a specialty of the black shop, wasn’t it?

“Are you closed?” Lin Teng suddenly felt his empty stomach aching somewhat.

“Please come in, Magistrate Lin.” A gentle voice came through.

Since Luo Sheng had spoken, Hong Dou could only invite them in, saying with a stern face: “Only one serving of sauce-pepper fish head and one plate of braised beef left. Plain noodles are unlimited.”

Lin Teng breathed a sigh of relief: “Having something to eat is enough.”

One serving of sauce-pepper fish head and one plate of braised beef—he could still handle that.

A quarter hour later, watching the clerk bury his head in his fifth bowl of plain noodles, Lin Teng said through gritted teeth to put it on his account.

After bidding farewell to the clerk outside the wine shop, Lin Teng turned to see the young lady standing at the entrance.

Luo Sheng walked over and asked: “Did everything go smoothly for Magistrate Lin today?”

Lin Teng found it inconvenient to mention Vice Minister Sun. He nodded slightly: “Fairly smooth. I roughly screened out some women with the same birth date and time. If luck is good, perhaps we can find the perpetrator.”

“How many women?”

Lin Teng thought it wasn’t anything he couldn’t say and stated the number.

“One hundred and six? Does Magistrate Lin have enough personnel to watch over them all?”

Lin Teng smiled bitterly: “I can only do my best. I’ll select a dozen or so first.”

Luo Sheng thought for a moment and said: “If Magistrate Lin trusts me, I can arrange personnel to stand guard outside these women’s homes and watch them.”

Lin Teng was surprised: “Miss Luo has that many personnel?”

Luo Sheng was straightforward: “I have money.”

Lin Teng fell silent.

Miss Luo’s words were truly confidence-inspiring. Wasn’t that right? With large amounts of silver scattered about, why worry about lacking personnel?

But this would trouble Miss Luo too much. He wasn’t anyone to Miss Luo—how could he let Miss Luo spend so much money?

The more Lin Teng thought about it, the more ashamed he felt. He bowed to Luo Sheng with embarrassment: “Miss Luo is helping so much. Lin Teng truly has no way to repay—”

“What, you want to become our miss’s male concubine?” Hong Dou’s shocked exclamation rang out, interrupting Lin Teng’s words.

Lin Teng still maintained his bowing posture, looking completely bewildered.

What do you mean become Miss Luo’s male concubine? He didn’t say that!