Li shook his head fondly. He knew his uncle wanted to hear every detail, and his uncle knew that he wanted to tell him. He watched the old man as he laid out the pieces on either side of the “river.” He had a thick head of unusually curly hair, highlighted by an occasional strand of silver, and wore square tortoiseshell-rimmed glasses. His eyebrows were raised in a permanently quizzical expression, and more often than not a smile would carve deep creases in his cheeks. He always wore colourfully patterned short-sleeved shirts over baggy trousers that concertinaed around open sandals, and carried a small satchel in which he kept a jar of green tea, his chess set, a pack of cards, a book, and that day’s newspaper. “Your move.” Old Yifu waved a hand at him impatiently, and Li moved one of his Soldiers a single square forward. “Okay, tell me.”

But Li had other items on his agenda ahead of the murder inquiry. “There was a strange man in my office today,” he said.

“Oh?” his uncle said casually, apparently focusing attention on his first move.

“A feng shui man.”

“Ah.” Old Yifu seemed reassured by this and moved one of his Horses.

“He said he was a friend of yours.”

“Hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm.” Old Yifu feigned indifference. “Your move. Pay attention.”

“He said you’d sent him.”

“Well, of course he would.”

“Because you did?”

“Why else would he say it?”

Li sighed. “Uncle Yifu, it’s not that I have anything intrinsically against the idea of feng shui . . .”

“I should hope not!” Old Yifu was indignant.

“In fact, I’m sure that many of its precepts are based on fundamental truths, and that there is practical value in them.”

“Of course there is. Practical and spiritual. Come on, move!”

Li moved a Horse to protect his Soldier. “It’s just that . . . well, as you know, the authorities are not very keen on it. At least, not officially.”

“Nonsense!” Old Yifu was adamant. “No builder worth his salt puts up a new building these days without flying the plans past a feng shui man. State buildings, too.”

“Well, that’s as may be . . .” Li took a deep breath. “But the truth is, Section Chief Chen doesn’t want a feng shui man in the building and told me as much.”

“Chen?” Old Yifu snorted his derision. “What does that old fart know? You leave Chen to me. I’ll sort him out.”