Trafford’s Trading Club

The sunlight shone and dispersed in the room. Vera’s eyelids fluttered slightly and then opened.

She breathed in the air of a new day… Her body still felt uncomfortable, but her current mood seemed good.

When she sat up and stretched herself hard, she saw a small black card on the edge of the pillow.

It was playing-card size, like the one used by her to play card tricks.

Vera frowned, she didn’t remember ever customizing such a prop… but she didn’t pay any more attention to it.

She got through another night of the full moon, which was good enough for her to be happy for over one month, until the next night of full moon arrived.

So her fingers gripped the black card, and threw it out subconsciously, as if it were a playing card— It flew out, stopped when it hit the wall; and slid down the wall. Finally, it became one of the many items in this room.

Vera shook her head with wry smile while looking at the current appearance of the room… She didn’t want to make trouble, so she had to ask some worker to fix the broken part of this room before she left the place she rented.

Vera walked out of the room with a quilt wrapped around her body.

She saw Vicar first.

Vera shook her head. She saw Vicar sitting opposite to her at a place two-meters away from the door, with a fruit knife in his hand.

Now, he was dozing off.

Vera walked over to him, foot kicked the stool leg. The shock had Vicar suddenly woke up, and the fruit knife fell down and made a loud noise, “Vera! You woke up. How’s everything going?”

Vicar got up hurriedly.

Vera lightly said, “If there are some delicious foods for breakfast, I think I will be better.”

“Oh! Wait for a second. If you want to eat, how I wish I could give you all the food in the refrigerator!” Vicar said with an exaggerated look, “So long as you don’t eat me!”

Vera rolled her eyes, and showed Vicar one-finger salute.

“By the way, did you get me to the bed?” Vera turned on the TV and asked Vicar later, who was cooking breakfast.

“How dare I!” Vicar shook his head, “Were you conscious of climbing into the bed this time?”

Vera shook her head, “I can’t remember… probably.”

Vera had been absent-minded for a split second… She seemed to remember that she fell down the floor, and vaguely… heard some weird sounds.

After breakfast, Vera looked at Vicar and said, “Get your tools ready. This evening, I’m going to visit Efim’s ‘fortress’.”

“Today?” Vicar was shocked, “Are you sure? But you need to take a rest now.”

“I’ve already recovered, I’ll probably make a full recovery this noon.” Vera said indifferently, “I’m not that healthy, but at least I should be a little better than ordinary people… just take it as loosening my bones and muscles!”

…

…

“Boss, Mr. Victor is coming.”

His henchmen sent him into the building—Efim was viewed by Victor at the moment when the lift door opened.

“Hahaha! Dear Victor, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

The hearty laughter and Efim’s sincere smile gave Victor an illusion, that he was meeting an old friend, who he hadn’t seen for dozens of years.

“Forgive me for coming to visit you in the evening because of the trivial matters at the police station.” Victor laughed.

Efim walked forward and embraced him heartily; and then hand on his shoulder and took him into the room, saying with passion, “I just opened a bottle of good wine. It’s what I bought from an auction last year in Sotheby, Italy. You should have a try!”

“Oh, really?” Victor smiled, “That’s worth having a taste, or else I won’t have any chances in my life later on.”

“Hahahaha!” Efim laughed, “No, you have more opportunities in the future! If you like, you cannot only taste these wines, but also have the ability to become one of the purchasers of these wines!”

Victor laughed without words.

As Efim opened the bottle, he said, “I’m 54 now. And I started to make a living when I was 13 years old. Do you know what’s the reason for me to make a living in the beginning?”

“I would be glad to hear it.”

“A pair of leather shoes.” Efim recalled the history, “At that time, the entire country was concentrating on developing military affairs… Military developed, but other fields collapsed. At that time I was in university. You know, in winter, I could only wear a pair of worn boots and was the mockery of the whole class; so since then, I swear that I must be capable enough to get what I want.”

Victor said calmly, “Now, Mr. Efim has owned a large amount of wealth that ordinary people cannot imagine.”

Efim laughed loud, “Let’s have a drink and stop talking about unpleasant things! Let’s talk about something else after drinking!”

Victor squinted his eyes, “Isn’t Mr. Efim too happy today? Don’t forget that you’re in a bad situation now.”

“No … greater returns always hides at back of a worse situation.” Efim patted Victor’s shoulder and said, “Come with me!”

He took Victor to the central area of the living room— a ‘The Nameless Maiden’ was placed on the central table quietly.

It was placed lying down.

“As a Muscovite, I think you must know what the picture is.” Efim said with smile.

Victor glanced at it, nodding before sighing with emotion, “It cost 260 million Euros. This world is too crazy. But, Mr. Efim, are you showing me the painting just for showing off?”

“No! I’m going to send this picture to you.” Efim suddenly said, “And I can tell you, this is the real one!”

Victor frowned.

He didn’t know what ‘the real one’ meant… as if there was a fake about.

In the video Urey sent him, it didn’t mention the details of the painting— but only revealed that the painting had been purchased by Efim secretly.

‘The Nameless Maiden’ was the same as a treasure handed down from ancient times, and could be regarded as a national treasure.

Efim’s behavior committed crime of scalping relics in private, which was a hard crime to escape.

“What do you want me to do?” But at the same time, he was keenly aware that Efim had other purposes.

Efim said then, “How did your subordinate film or get the video about this?”

Victor shook his head, “I can’t act rashly and alert the enemy… of course, before confirming Mr. Efim’s cooperative willingness.”

Efim rubbed his hands and nodded, “You’re right. You should be careful. However, I don’t need your answer, because I know where the video came out from.”

“Oh?”

“Now it’s the time for you to show that you are capable enough to be the head of the police station.” Efim sneered, “Now that this painting has appeared in someone’s home. Even if that person denies pleading guilty, he cannot get rid of the crimes of possession of national treasures, correct?”

Victor calmly asked, “Who’s the other party?”

Efim told him slowly, “He used to be an exiled guy who called himself ‘noble’… As of now, he’s doing illegal business… In the last decade, his family made a fortune by in firearms smuggling. They should be hiding in Morocco, but nobody knows why they came to Moscow recently… You know how developed the river transport is in this city!”

Victor seemed to understand Efim’s plan.

It was what he expected.

Efim sneered now, “Getting back a stolen national treasure, and even arresting the successor of this family that is running a weapons smuggling business… Oh, dear Victor, do you like this gift?”