Chapter 2: No one would be stupid enough to sell cultural relics on Ebay, right?

This was impossible. No one would be foolish enough to sell over twenty artifacts from various periods on eBay, and at such a low price. But what if some of them were genuine? Qin Tian couldn't control her grip on the mouse, nor her instinct to bring the artifacts back to the Shanghai Museum the moment she saw them. She saved pictures of all the items, pulled out her credit card, and bought a Medusa head relief and an ancient Roman bronze coin on eBay.

By the time she shut down her computer, the London skyline was already fading. She had to go to the port to inspect the cargo in a few hours, but she still hadn't fallen asleep. It was all Tang Zhixu's fault, she thought vaguely. He was always asking her to do strange things, making her sleepless again. It had always been like this.

Qin Tian hadn't slept well in the past few hours and woke up before 8 a.m. When he looked in the mirror, his face looked pale and his voice was a little hoarse.

After a quick wash and a change of clothes, she drew back the curtains. The hotel window overlooked a quiet little garden, nestled against a backdrop of Victorian townhouses. The morning sun shone with a vibrant greenery. It felt like she was finally in London.

It was almost nine when her cell phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number in the UK. She cleared her throat and said, "Hello."

"Ms. Qin?" A young male voice came from the other end of the phone, speaking pure Chinese.

A change of personnel? The previous contact was a middle-aged woman named Lily Brown, the curator. They had always communicated via email. At one point, someone initiated a video call, and after a long, unspoken exchange of words, they tacitly reverted to email. Perhaps Lily herself was a bit of an i-person, and couldn't bear another awkward miscommunication, so she hired a Chinese translator.

"Yes," Qin Tian replied, "Excuse me, who are you?"

"You can call me Tony. I'm a curator for this exhibition. I'll be at the port at 10 o'clock today to inspect the Shanghai Museum's cultural relics. Do you need me to pick you up?"

It seems that this translator has been in the UK for many years. Anyone who has been in China for the past ten years would not give himself an English name like Tony. In China, this name does not mean Iron Man. Qin Tian thought silently in his heart.

"Thank you so much. I'll send you my address later."

"The address is in the email. I'll be at the hotel entrance at 9:20, is that okay?" Politeness made Tony's voice sound particularly pleasant. It seemed as if every sentence ended with the "May I" from British movies. Even the name didn't seem so cheesy anymore.

After hanging up, Qin Tian washed her face, put on a coat, and retrieved her testing kit—all in just three minutes. With plenty of time, she fixed her hair, undoing her awkward half-updo and carefully combing it into a ponytail. This was a gesture of respect for the translator, Tony. After completing these preparations, there were still about ten minutes until the scheduled time.

Qin Tian looked out the window. A few gray pigeons were strolling leisurely in search of breakfast. The hotel door faced a small, pedestrian-free path. A young Asian man stood at the entrance. He wore a well-fitting dark blue suit and a dark shirt, looking formal from the waist up. His trouser legs were gathered at his ankles, revealing a small part of his boots, giving off a hint of sultry aura.

The sky was a clear blue, its clouds gleaming brightly in the morning sunlight. As a pigeon passed by him, he fished a few kernels of corn from his suit pocket. The pigeon fluttered excitedly, its wings hitting the shiny surface of his boots. The man smiled, a smile that matched the sunlight perfectly.

A few more pigeons flew in to scramble for the food, and the man's pockets were soon empty. A flock of pigeons, cooing unconvinced, circled him a few times before leaving in a huff. The man glanced at the time on his wrist, pulled out his phone, and dialed. The next second, Qin Tian's phone rang. Qin Tian paused, then answered.

"Ms. Qin, I'm at the hotel entrance."

Qin Tian stood by the window, his phone in hand. There was only one person at the door: the Asian man. The black hands of the wall clock were ticking to 9:19.

"I'm out." Qin Tian said.

Qin Tian walked down the steps at the hotel entrance quickly, carrying the test kit. The Asian man came up to her and extended his hand to her.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Qin, I'm Tony."

Tony shook her hand, feeling just the right amount of strength, then released it. It was a handshake that was both business-like and appropriate, so standard it could be included in a handshake tutorial.

"My car is parked on the side of the road." Tony led her to a black Jaguar sports car.

Qin Tian was stunned. This person's love for cars was similar to Tang Zhixu's. He had been nagging about buying a commemorative edition Jaguar sports car for a while. She kept pouring cold water on him, saying that a two-seater car couldn't accommodate people or things, and it wasn't cheap. It seemed the British Museum was rich, as even translators earned such high salaries.

Tony opened the car door for her, and she got in, waiting for him to close it, enjoying the guest treatment. The door didn't close for a moment, and she looked up. Tony uttered the word "backpack," and suddenly she realized what was going on. She took off her backpack and handed it to him. He then closed the door, strode around to the back, put the bag in the trunk, and returned to the driver's seat.

Qin Tian looked at his profile. She wondered if all good-looking people looked alike, but she felt he looked familiar, yet she couldn't place where she'd seen him. This feeling of wanting to find the answer, yet being unable to, was the most draining. She went over the few actors she knew in her mind over and over again, searching for the answer.

Tony had already thought of some opening remarks to break the ice with Miss Qin, who had come from the Shanghai Museum, but she stared blankly, as if lost in thought. Unwilling to interrupt, he turned down the music and focused on driving.

When Qin Tian came to her senses, an unknown band was singing "They say life holds many truths, and I'll never let you go." The London Eye was visible in the distance from the window. The giant Ferris wheel stood in the boundless blue sky. Tony followed her gaze and said, "When I was a kid, I lived in Shanghai and there was a Ferris wheel there too. When I first came to England, every time I saw it, I missed home."

"Are you from Shanghai?" Qin Tian was surprised.

"Yeah." Tony turned his head to meet her gaze, and curled his lips. "When I was a kid, I often went to the Shanghai Museum. Back then, it was in the old building near the Bund."

Memories moved with the wind, old English buildings, marble parquet floors, a stopped clock tower, carefree running and exploring, Robin Hood holding her hand and climbing up the tower for adventure.

The music in the car suddenly stopped, and a call from Lily Brown flashed on the car screen.

With her limited English listening skills, Qin Tian could probably understand that Tony told her that the person had been picked up and was on the way, and would arrive in about 5 minutes.

Tony hung up the phone and explained to her that they were almost there. Their previous conversation about the past came to a halt. Qin Tian nodded. It didn't matter. She was only here for work.

The British Museum has curated a six-month exhibition titled "Treasures of China: Two Thousand Years." With a collection of approximately 23,000 Chinese artifacts, it could easily accommodate ten, let alone one. The 200-odd items loaned by the Shanghai Museum represent a tiny fraction of the British Museum's holdings. However, the British Museum's focus on historical integrity is to present a chronological presentation of China's cultural development. The Shanghai Museum's collection primarily aims to fill historical gaps.

Qin Tian's job was to oversee the handover of the artifacts. Upon arrival, they would be inspected and passed on to the British Museum. The subsequent installation of the exhibition had little to do with her, but she was still required to be present until she was certain everything was in place and the mission was complete. Fang Molin was right; this was indeed a lucrative position.

When they arrived, the container was already open, its contents sealed with ancient wax seals. Lily Brown greeted her warmly with a handshake, then asked if she was acclimating to the London weather. The presence of a translator was crucial to their communication. Tony stood quietly beside her, not interrupting their small talk, only offering clarification whenever she stumbled. He was truly competent.

Qin Tian pulled a magnifying glass from her backpack and examined the wax seals one by one before removing the seal. Perhaps to avoid suspicion, the several staff members sent by the British Museum didn't come forward to help her while she examined the wax seals. Only after the seal was broken did they, as if they had also broken the seal, rush to open the box. "Amazing," "Unbelievable," exclamations echoed. Qin Tian resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Think of those 23,000 Chinese treasures, right here in your museum. Only the British would interpret this affectation as a form of politeness.

She knew the Shanghai Museum's exhibits by heart, knowing whether they were genuine the moment she opened them. Yet, she still followed the procedure, donning gloves and examining each one. Even if it only took her five minutes to open and inspect each piece, over 200 pieces wouldn't be enough to finish in a day. Lily Brown poured her a cup of coffee, urging her to take her time. Tony, on the other hand, stared intently at the artifacts, his face calm but his eyes intense.

Qin Tianqing put down the Chunqiu Zizhong Jiang Plate he had just checked and walked slowly towards the Jade God. Tony walked to her side.

"Miss Qin, if you don't mind, can I examine both at the same time?" Tony looked at her, raised his chin and pointed at the artifact she had just examined. "This will be more efficient."

Qin Tian stared at him in amazement, a little confused. Why did the translator also have to inspect the cultural relics?