Noon.
1 pm.
Dong Xuebing boarded a taxi outside of the National Museum. He told the driver to send him to the airport in English, but the driver doesn’t understand. He had to gesture with his hand like a plane taking off before the driver gets it. He closed his eyes to rest and had one hand over the Buddha statue and under his clothes.
Ring… ring… ring… Dong Xuebing’s phone rang.
Dong Xuebing answered. “Hello, Old Qian.”
“Xuebing, the signal over at your side is poor. I had to call several times before it got through.” The Sixth Bureau Deputy Chief said.
“Maybe… I was busy earlier. Oh, my return ticket…”
“Chief Xu had settled it for you. We couldn’t get any flights around 2 pm, but there is a flight departing at 3.05 pm. Is it fine?”
“Ok. Thank you.”
“Haha… everything is ready. Just bring your passport, and you can board the plane.”
“Thanks. Sorry to trouble you and Chief Xu. I will treat you all for dinner when I am back.”
“Hahaha… no problem. I will order all the expensive dishes.”
After hanging up, Dong Xuebing lifted his hand to look at his watch and remembered he had left his watch in his car at the airport. Expensive items like his watch must be declared at the customs, and it’s a hassle. That’s why he did not bring it along. He looked at the time on his phone. Hmm… it’s slightly past 1 pm. and he should reach the airport before 1.30 pm. There’s still time.
Tokyo International Airport.
After paying the taxi drivers, Dong Xuebing entered the terminal building and is prepared to enter the departure hall.
Suddenly, Dong Xuebing noticed a few armed police officers running. They are holding on to their radio sets and seems to be attending to some urgent cases.
Dong Xuebing looks around, and there are five times more police officers compared to yesterday. He frowned and started walking over to the customs. More than a dozen police officers are stationed at the customs, and the queue for security checks is very long. Not only all luggage had to go through the x-ray machine, but everyone also had to be searched.
“Eh? What’s this?”
“It’s a Buddha statue. What’s wrong?”
“Please come over here. We need to conduct further checks.”
“What’s there to check? It’s fine with I enter. Can you all hurry up? I need to catch my flight.”
“Sorry. Please cooperate with us!”
The security officers and a few police officers surrounded a middle-aged woman, and one of them is making a phone call. After a while, someone ran over with a picture and pass it to the customs officers. The officers look at the picture and the Buddha statue before letting the woman go. Dong Xuebing looked from afar and narrowed his eyes. He knew the Japanese Police had tightened its security. They could not find the Buddha statue and the at the museum and increased the manpower at the airport customs. They are afraid their national treasure will be smuggled out overseas!
There are a lot of police officers around.
Dong Xuebing felt a headache. It will not be easy for him to pass the custom.
When Dong Xuebing comes to Japan, all he had thought about is how to steal the Buddha statue back and not consider how he will bring it back. How is he going to get past the custom? He will definitely be caught if he goes through the security checks now!
Standing in the center of the departure hall is too eye-catching. Dong Xuebing did not want to be noticed by the Police and went into the toilet.
Dong Xuebing thought for a while and entered a cubicle. He took out the and rolled it again before securing it with a rubber band. After that, he took out the Buddha Statue and stuffed it into the roll’s empty space before keeping it in his cloth bag. He then tied the cloth bag with a dead knot and held it in his hand. Other than it is slightly heavy, it looks normal, and no one can tell what was inside.
OK!
Dong Xuebing has an idea!
Dong Xuebing looked at his phone time and switched it off as the battery is running out.
Dong Xuebing took a few deep breaths and said the command. STOP!
Time stopped!
To save time, Dong Xuebing did not waste a second and went out of the toilet. The noisy departure hall is very quiet now. A passenger is handing over his passport to the customs officer, and some passengers look like they are in a rush.
Dong Xuebing held the cloth bag in his hand and ran towards the customs. People are in queue to clear customs, and he saw two customs officers and three police officers at the checkpoint. He squeezed himself through the gap between the officers and entered the transit area. He continued running and entered the toilet diagonally opposite boarding gate 25. Two men are washing their hands, and Dong Xuebing entered a cubicle before resuming time. STOP!
……
……
Time resumed!
“Why is the security so tight today?”
“I think a serious case had happened. I saw the officers holding up a picture, and they seem to be searching for something.”
The two middle-aged men chatted as they washed their hands and left the toilet after a few seconds.
Dong Xuebing sigh in relief when he heard those two men left. He looks around in the small toilet cubicle. There is a toilet bowl, a toilet paper holder, and nothing else. He frowned. He does not want to lose these items, and he placed the bag on the toilet bowl before locking the cubicle from inside. After that, he stepped on the toilet bowl and climbed out through the gap between the cubicle walls and the ceiling. Once outside of the cubicle, he pushed the door to check if it is secure. Now, it will look like someone is in the cubicle, and no one will enter.
Ok!
STOP!
Time stopped.
Dong Xuebing left the toilet, got past the customs, and returned to the toilet cubicle earlier before resuming time. He had thought of boarding the plane straight away without getting check by the custom, but he cannot board without the boarding pass and getting the passport stamped. Even if he had boarded the flight with his power, the Japanese authorities would suspect him for having no records of him leaving the country. He does not want the museum to suspect him as he is from the government service/
After leaving the toilet, Dong Xuebing went to clear customs and immigration.
Five minutes…
Ten minutes…
Twenty minutes…
Finally, it’s Dong Xuebing’s turn.
The customs officers and police officers look at Dong Xuebing. one of them used a metal detector to check him from head to toes. It did not sound, and Dong Xuebing does not have any luggage. There is only a mobile phone, wallet, and passport on the X-ray machine’s conveyor belt. The security personals saw Dong Xuebing’s passport and started conducting a body search as if he is a criminal.
Dong Xuebing gave them a stare angrily. “Are you all done?!”
The customs officers could not even find a piece of paper on Dong Xuebing and let him enter.
After keeping his wallet, passport, and phone, Dong Xuebing smiled in his heart before making his way to the toilet outside of gate 25 quickly.
There is someone in the toilet, and Dong Xuebing pretended to wash his face and hands. This toilet is nearest to the customs check, and people kept entering. He got impatient and stopped time. He quickly climbed into the cubicle and grabbed the cloth bag. He checked the knot on the bag, and there are no signs of anyone trying to untie it. He returned back to his former position in the toilet and resumed time. STOP!
……
Time resumed!
Everyone is in a rush, and no one noticed Dong Xuebing is holding a cloth bag in his hand suddenly.
After walking out of the toilet, Dong Xuebing checked his flight and gate. His flight is at gate 36, and he started making his way over to his boarding gate. There will be no more security checks until he arrives at Beijing customs. But he can repeat what he did earlier and is not worried. Many people are queuing up to board the flight when he reached gate 36.
Dong Xuebing sat in the gate hold room and thought back on this trip.
It’s not easy…
If it was someone else, he or she would surely be arrested before he can bring the relics out of the museum. Even if the person can bring it out, it will be hard to bring it back to China.
Luckily everything went smoothly.
It was until now, Dong Xuebing can finally relax. He knows the Japanese Police cannot catch him now.
But… what is he going to do with the now? Dong Xuebing had stolen it in a fit of anger, and it is too hot to handle!
Sell it?!
This relic is Japan’s most famous national treasure, and no one will dare to buy it.
Throw it away?
But it will be a waste to throw it away.
Dong Xuebing suddenly got an idea. Damn! I can donate it to the museum too. Damn! You all dare to refuse to return our stolen relic?! Fine! I will do the same to you all!
