Chapter 132 How could I possibly accept this? (Part 2)

The siblings stood by the window.

Downstairs, Gu Ming led the way with his suitcase, followed by Lin Sicheng, as they walked through the street stalls.

The younger brother frowned: "Sis, could it be that he just guessed by chance?"

The woman thought for a moment, then shook her head.

If it were a guess, it would be impossible to guess the key correctly, let alone the sundial.

Moreover, they came looking for something, so since they needed something from someone, they couldn't possibly make things up or lie on the spot.

So, if it really is a sundial from the Han Dynasty, as he says, then that thing is worth at least tens of millions...

Watching Lin Sicheng get into a taxi, the woman turned and walked into the shop. She went inside and then to the back room, where she dialed the owner's number.

The younger brother waited outside for about four or five minutes before the older sister came out and carefully washed the teapot.

Then he opened the cabinet and took out a special tea box.

The younger brother was startled: "The big boss is coming too!"

"A loss of tens of millions, we absolutely have to get the big boss to come and take a look!" The woman nodded. "Go and check the surveillance footage!"

The younger brother didn't dare to delay and quickly turned on the computer.

About an hour later, two middle-aged men entered the store.

They were both around forty years old; one was short and stout, with a smiling face and an oily sheen.

The other one was tall and thin, with a cold face and sharp eyes.

The siblings asked in unison, "Big Boss, Second Boss?"

The two nodded, glanced at the brass key on the tea table, and then sat down in front of the computer.

The tall, thin man clicked the mouse. On the screen, Lin Sicheng sat opposite the tea table, clasped his hands in a fist and said loudly, "Brother, your surname is Lin. May I ask your surname, sir?"

The big boss remained expressionless, but the fat man behind him paused, staring at Lin Sicheng's little fingers pressed together:

"This is called the Yuanliang Seal, which comes from the Song Dynasty's 'Book of Promoting Officials' (a classic of geomancy): 'Yuanliang succeeds to the throne, inherits the lineage and presides over the sacrificial rites...' Later geomancers used it to practice the art of divination..."

The tall, thin man curled his lip: "Old Li, what era is this? Still talking about geomancers?"

The fat man paused for a moment, then gave his signature fake smile: "You're right!"

Continuing on, Lin Sicheng introduced himself: "I come from Chang'an. Thanks to Manager Zhao's guidance, I found your esteemed establishment..."

He unfolded the painting, paused it, and then zoomed in on the screen.

Then, he pursed his lips and said, "New!"

The fat man remained noncommittal.

Lin Sicheng clicked the mouse again and started looking at things. He pointed and asked for the bronze fish-shaped vessel first. He pointed again and asked for a jade disc, and then pointed again and asked for a lacquered box with gold inlay.

Then I read those two books.

The tall, thin man thought for a moment, then went back to his original position: those two books were alright; he spent about five or six minutes reading them. But the first three items took less than a minute in total.

They didn't even touch it, just glanced at it?

It may sound like the young man was just pointing randomly, but every single item he pointed to was genuine.

But to say you've made a correct assessment?

His posture was so casual and carefree. It felt like he was buying groceries, not antiques.

But they were really generous with their money; they spent over a million dollars on something in less than ten minutes.

After looking at it twice, the big boss scoffed, "Pretentious!"

Second boss Li, the fat man, sighed.

Old Chen is good in every way, except for one thing: his skills are not good, and he is arrogant.

Take this young man on the screen, for example: jargon is fine, that's relatively easy to learn. But those complex theories and feng shui formulas—if you're not a true geomancer, you won't even understand them, let alone use them.

Therefore, he is definitely a master.

Is he just a little too young?

With that thought in mind, the fat man took out his phone, opened the group labeled "Street Running," and scrolled through it for a while.

Then I dialed the number, and it rang twice before being answered.

The fat man smiled again: "Manager Zhao, how have you been? How is the old ancestor?"

"Good, everything is fine!" Laughter came from the other end of the phone. "Manager Li is calling to inquire about Boss Lin's background, right?"

Xiaolin, boss?

Was it really Zhao Xiuneng who introduced them?

Looking at the excessively young face on the computer screen, Li Jinqian replied, "Yes!"

Zhao Xiuneng laughed heartily, with a hint of schadenfreude: "You missed out, didn't you?"

Li Jinqian paused for a moment, then said, "I did buy four items, but whether I made a good deal or not, I don't know yet!"

"Hahaha... Manager Li, if you didn't miss out on this treasure, I'll kowtow to you!"

Zhao Xiuneng laughed even louder, "Did he just glance at it, maybe didn't even touch it, and then asked for the bag? Don't disbelieve me, when he came to me, I had seven loose items laid out, and he didn't even use them for three minutes!"

Li Jinqian's eyelids twitched: "With such sharp eyes, what does this person do?"

"He's a student, he looks like one, and he really is. As for where he learned his craft, I honestly don't know. The old lady probably knows, but she didn't say... But her eye for detail is truly exceptional, and her skill is even more remarkable! I'll just mention one thing: he can mend large blue-and-white porcelain jars, the kind you can't tell with your naked eye..."

Hey Zhao, what nonsense are you spouting?

Li Jinqian's eyes widened, and the words that were on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down.

Old Chen glanced at him, then turned his head back and stared blankly at the screen.

The siblings stared at each other, looking incredulous.

Why? Because a well-repaired piece of imperial kiln blue-and-white porcelain can sell for millions. A slightly larger piece in better condition can fetch tens of millions. That's equivalent to them risking their lives digging up tombs for years…

Perhaps guessing their astonishment, Zhao Xiuneng chuckled again: "He is indeed an expert, but Boss Lin is in the legitimate business, not on the same path as Manager Li. So, he's really here to source goods; picking up a few bargains from you is just a side thing!"

Li Jinqian was skeptical, clicking the mouse and zooming in: "But his painting is too new?"

"I just looked at the photos, and they are indeed too new. But Boss Lin's background is definitely legitimate; he's certainly not here to bait Manager Li. So, if he can help look for him, Manager Li should help look for him. Besides, he certainly won't let Manager Li look for nothing..."

Don't let his young age fool you; he has an extraordinary air about him. The old lady offered him an imperial inkstone from the Ming Dynasty, a jade piece by Lu Zigang, and a manuscript by Li Dongyang, but he refused them all!

The group fell silent again: These items together must be worth at least seven or eight million, if not ten million.

Li Jinqian still didn't believe it: "What does the old lady want him to do?"

"Replacing the chicken cup?"

Zhao Xiuneng chuckled and hung up the phone.

The group looked at each other in bewilderment.

After a long silence, Old Chen frowned and asked, "Old Li, do you believe it or not?"

Li Jinqian pondered, neither nodding nor shaking his head.

To them, having someone in their early twenties repairing blue-and-white porcelain or chicken cups seems as ridiculous as a caveman creating an atomic bomb.

But then again: it's just finding a few paintings; if you can find them, great; if not, so be it. Is it really necessary for Zhao Xiu to brag like that?

Therefore, one thing is certain: this person is indeed an insider.

“We are indeed like-minded, but to say whether he lost his treasure… it’s hard to say!” Li Jinqian shook his head. “Let’s make an appointment tomorrow and ask him again.”

"Let him go, it's not like we haven't been here before," Chen Wei said nonchalantly. "Since we're open, we're in business. As long as he's capable enough, he can take it all!"

In the early years when the business was just starting out, before Li Jinqian joined, Chen Wei had sold things worth tens of millions for tens of thousands of yuan before.

These few items that this kid bought have been sitting in the store for years without anyone even asking about them. Even if he made a good deal, how much of it could he actually sell?

One or two million at most.

"Let's go!"

Chen Wei rubbed his hands together, then stood up again. "I've invited some leaders to play cards tonight!"

"Old Chen, wait a minute!" Li Jinqian grabbed him and pointed to the copper key on the tea table. "What about the sundial? If what that kid said is true, and that thing is from the Han Dynasty, it's probably worth tens of millions."

But how much did they sell it for back then? Eight hundred thousand!

"They've all been sold, and you still want them back?" Chen Wei chuckled. "Old Li, we may be doing something shady, but that's precisely why we have to be honest!"

Li Jinqian stood there, speechless.

What he admired most about Lao Chen was this: he kept his word and was a man of his word.

Otherwise, given his skill of "drilling holes with explosives," Li Jinqian wouldn't even look at him with his eyes closed.

Seeing him standing there motionless, Chen Wei picked up his bag and said, "Why did you have to call me here? What a waste of time! You'd be better off using this time to improve your eyesight. Let's go!"

Li Jinqian moved his lips slightly, and the words "Fuck your mother" came to his lips.

The siblings watched Chen Wei's retreating figure and couldn't help but admire him: a loss of tens of millions, and the big boss didn't even blink an eye?

Just as she was sighing to herself, Li Jinqian tapped the table and stood up: "Ahui, do you have that person's phone number? Let's make an appointment, tomorrow!"

"Okay, I'll call in a bit!"

After Li Jinqian left, the woman found the note left by Lin Sicheng.

The phone rang four times before being answered, and a gentle voice came from the other end: "Hello, who is this?"

The woman smiled and said, "Mr. Lin, my surname is Qiao. I just reported to the boss and was thinking of making an appointment with you to see if you have time tomorrow!"

"Yes, are you going to the store?"

"Return it to the store!"

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Qiao!"

The woman chuckled and hung up the phone, and Lin Sicheng let out a sigh of relief.

The so-called "testing the waters" approach involved spending a million to finally get the door open.

The rest will fall into place naturally...

He put away his phone and glanced at Gu Ming, who was staring at the jade disc with shining eyes.

"Gu Ming, stop looking!"

Why don't you look?

Gu Ming drooled, his eyes wide with disbelief: "Spend 100,000 and earn over a million? Chengwa, I'm quitting being a policeman, I'll do this instead..."

"What the hell are you going to do?"

Lin Sicheng grabbed the jade disc and shoved it into the box, saying, "Won't I make you pay, you son of a bitch?"

Gu Ming was skeptical: "You seem quite relaxed?"

Lin Sicheng was stunned for a moment, then chuckled coldly.

He seems to have it easy, but that's thanks to his past life's hard work and accumulation, and even more so to his extraordinary talent.

This line of work is like learning mathematics: 0.1% talent is definitely better than 99.9% effort. Lin Sicheng belongs to this category, not to mention he is also hardworking enough.

Even so, only Lin Sicheng himself knows how many setbacks he suffered and how much tuition he paid in his past life.

The remaining 60% of people lost more money than they gained, and their income did not cover their expenses.

Of the remaining 10%, only a small percentage manage to earn something, like Grandpa, Hao Jun, and Guan Xingmin. This group relies not only on innate talent and hard work, but also on extreme caution.

The last 30% belong to those with little talent and an inability to control themselves. For these individuals, there's only one outcome: financial ruin and the destruction of their families.

With Gu Ming's personality, it's practically tailor-made for him...

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment: "After we get back, I'll take you somewhere to see it!"

Gu Ming looked up: "What are you looking at?"

Lin Sicheng sighed: "Look at the destruction of families and the death of loved ones!"

...

As dawn broke, Hangzhou was still shrouded in a thin, white mist.

Autumn's chill crept onto the branches, a gentle breeze lingered, and the soft ringing of copper bells startled a few black cicadas into falling.

An old farmer, wrapped in a cotton-padded coat, squatted beside a bamboo basket filled with mud-covered porcelain shards.

Further ahead: greenish copper coins, Guanyin carved from boxwood, broken bottles in underglaze red, and mottled calendar posters... the view stretches as far as the eye can see, and there are too many different kinds to count.

Gu Ming's eyes were wide open, and his head was spinning wildly.

Lin Sicheng sighed: "How much money did Li Xinfang give you for this trip to Hangzhou?"

Gu Ming was startled: "How did you know?"

Nonsense, if you didn't have a few coins in your pocket, would you dare to try?

"Listen to me, just hold this job well and you'll be set for life!"

Gu Ming pondered for a long time, punched Lin Sicheng, and then said with a worried look, "The food is quite soft, but I'm afraid it won't last long!"

Oh?

"You've finally figured it out?" Lin Sicheng chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm here. Otherwise, I'd make you change careers."

While she wasn't exactly a wealthy heiress, Li Xinfang's family was certainly well-off. At first, the two were still attracted to each other, but once the initial excitement wore off, various problems arose.

But forget about getting rich quick. With Gu Ming's personality, he couldn't keep a mountain of gold even if you gave him one. He can only work on himself.

Although he's a bit rough around the edges, he's resolute, decisive, and incredibly resilient. Coupled with his father's more than ten years of influence, he's far better suited to be a police officer than a lab technician.

With my help, I dare not say how high Gu Ming's future achievements will be, but I can ensure steady progress and a harmonious family.

"Since you're currently working in hospital logistics and are bored out of your mind, why not start preparing for the exam now and try to pass it on your first try next January..."

Gu Ming scratched his forehead: "I'll probably be laughed to death!"

After all, the common perception in this era is that doctors don't work as hard as police officers, and their income is higher.

"What are you laughing at? Open your eyes and look behind you: in your entire life, the best you can hope for is to be the director of a community hospital..."

Lin Sicheng scoffed, "You shouldn't have listened to those nonsense back then. With a score of 610-something, you could have gotten into Jiaotong University's medical school, but what did you do? You chose to study laboratory medicine?"

Gu Ming remained silent.

Looking back now, things haven't gone as planned. So, sometimes, when relatives offer advice, it's not always out of good intentions.

He nodded again: "As long as Lao Gu agrees!"

"Don't worry, I'll definitely agree!"

If Uncle Gu knew that he had tricked Gu Ming into becoming a policeman instead of a doctor, he would surely be so moved that he would treat him to a feast.

"Oh, right..." Lin Sicheng suddenly remembered, "Has your hospital replaced that old, broken equipment?"

"They changed it a long time ago. My dad talked to the hospital director, and after he transferred me to logistics, they changed me... I forgot to ask you, how did you know there was something wrong with the machines in our hospital?"

Lin Sicheng blurted out, "Nonsense, don't you even know what you looked like back then?"

Gu Ming thought for a moment, then nodded.

He vomited frequently, and he thought it was just a stomach problem... Luckily, it was discovered early.

Gu Ming sighed: "If it weren't for you, I would have almost died young!"

Lin Sicheng chuckled without saying a word: "There are too many people who owe me."

Of the seven or eight people in their department, each one owed Lin Sicheng a life.

There are still so many patients...

But as the saying goes: there are things you should do and things you shouldn't do. If you can't remember, that's fine; but since you have remembered, you should at least do something about it...

The two chatted idly as they entered the mall.

It was just past eight o'clock, and although the ghost market outside was bustling, most of the shops were still closed.

However, the lights in the room on the second floor had been on long ago.

Before the two even entered, Li Jinqian stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, then gestured, "Brother Lin, please come in!"

Lin Sicheng looked at him closely, then cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "I am a senior brother from the Jiangxi School (one of the schools of Feng Shui, belonging to the Qi-based school)!"

Li Jinqian paused for a moment, a hint of unease appearing on his face: "I dare not call you senior brother, Brother Lin, just call me manager!"

In ancient times, top-tier geomancers sought out dragon veins and determined celestial configurations. Regardless of their effectiveness, at least founding emperors believed in this. Local warlords, however, shouldn't have placed too much faith in it; if they succeeded, it was considered a contribution to the dynasty's fate.

For example, Guo Pu (of the Jin Dynasty), Liu Bowen, and Yao Guangxiao.

A slightly less senior official was the Imperial Astrologer, in charge of astronomical observation, surveying, determining the location of the mausoleum, and constructing the palace. Examples include Li Chunfeng and Liao Junqing (Ming Dynasty, who selected the Thirteen Tombs).

A slightly less advanced skill involves observing stars, calculating calendars, and determining agricultural seasons, as exemplified by Sima Qian. And then, a slightly less advanced skill, like choosing auspicious burial sites (for yin and yang) for high-ranking officials and nobles.

People like Yang Yunsong and Lai Buyi, who were rumored to be almost divine, belong to this category.

Many scholars practiced geomancy and feng shui. Whether it was effective or not is a matter of opinion. Take Su Shi, for example; he would consult the oracle before important matters, and every divination brought good fortune, yet each time he suffered great misfortune…

Even the lowest of the low can set up a stall to predict good or bad fortune, perform divination, and exorcise evil spirits. Only the truly despicable and desperate would seek out people's ancestral graves, dig up their tombs, and sever their life force.

Although this school studies the knowledge of geomancy and uses the techniques of finding mountains and water, it has absolutely nothing to do with the word "geomancy," let alone the Jiahe School.

And Li Jinqian, even that one, was included. The only reason they were able to find the tomb was because of Chen Wei's connections within the Shaoxing archaeological team.

He only learned a little bit of it incidentally to make shipping and receiving easier, in order to fool laymen...

Lin Sicheng cupped his hands in greeting again: "Alright, Manager Li!"

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the group sat down, and the siblings quickly made tea. Their attitude was completely different from yesterday.

After thanking him and picking up his teacup, Lin Sicheng glanced into the inner room again.

There should be no one inside, so Chen Wei isn't there.

This is a legendary figure: with only a junior high school education, he was self-taught and joined the archaeological team by chance.

But he is generous and has a great personal charm, even possessing some of the qualities of a ruthless leader.

If I set my sights on someone, I'll throw around items worth hundreds of thousands without batting an eye. I don't care what you lack; if you need something, I'll sell everything I own to get it for you.

What kind of cadre can withstand such a test?

Their skills were quite unique: in the early stages, finding tombs relied on Chen Wei researching information internally, so development was relatively slow. But around 2012, with the widespread use of civilian drones, Chen Wei learned remote sensing map positioning, and the group's development took off by leaps and bounds.

The method of drilling was extremely crude: using explosives.

Therefore, the number of artifacts destroyed in the tombs they entered was several times that of those stolen. These included the famous Six Tombs of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Xiagucheng Site in Huzhou (a group of noble tombs from the Warring States period to the Han Dynasty), and the Longquan Kiln Site in Lishui.

Because the tomb's structure was damaged and archaeological information was lost, most of the stolen items were from a dynasty that even the tomb's inhabitants did not know.

For example, the few items Lin Sicheng bought yesterday.

However, one thing is certain: this gang operated for over twenty years, spanning seven provinces and cities, eventually growing into twelve sub-gangs with nearly two hundred members, yet never experienced a single instance of infighting. This was all thanks to Chen Wei's personal charisma and his relatively fair method of distributing the spoils.

Coincidentally, in 2015, when relevant departments in Shaoxing were conducting a rescue excavation of the Southern Song Dynasty official tomb at Jiangposhan in Lanting Town, Lin Sicheng, along with several teachers from the Palace Museum, provided support and guidance, and the two became acquainted as a result.

But Lin Sicheng almost got dragged down by Chen Wei...

With a sigh, Lin Sicheng waved his hand, and Gu Ming placed a box on the tea table.

Then Lin Sicheng smiled again: "Manager Li, please don't take offense. I came in a hurry, so I can only offer this as a token of my appreciation!"

I casually opened it, and there it was—the bronze fish.

Li Jinqian paused for a moment, then sighed inwardly: At this age, he was truly unworthy of Sihai's personality and methods of handling affairs.

This item did indeed come from Huzhou, but as to whether the tomb dates back to the Warring States period, the Qin Dynasty, or the Han Dynasty, the buyer did not know.

However, as this person said, if this bronze fish is an artifact from the Han Dynasty and is part of a set with a sundial, then it must have come from the Grand Historian of the Western Han Dynasty (who was in charge of astronomy and calendar, and whose position was hereditary during the Han Dynasty).

Find a knowledgeable buyer and tell them this was used by Sima Qian. Would you believe me?

It's worth at least a million. If we could also buy back that sundial to complete the set, it would sell for at least ten million.

Zhao Xiuneng was right: Don't let his youth fool you, his demeanor is truly extraordinary!

It's a pity Old Chen isn't here, otherwise the two of them would definitely be able to hit it off.

With a sigh of relief, Li Jinqian put away the box and raised his teacup again: "Brother Lin, please feel free to ask if there's anything I can do to help!"

Lin Sicheng nodded, took out the map of the Autumn Mausoleum of Maling, and spread it on the tea table: "Manager Li has a wide network of contacts, could you please inquire: do you have any similar items, as new as this? The range is roughly Lishui and Jinhua area... price is negotiable!"

It was actually in Jinhua, or even Wuyi, but Lin Sicheng couldn't be too certain.

“It’s not troublesome at all!” Li Jinqian replied, then looked at it carefully again, “But this painting, something feels off?”

"That's not quite right, it's actually a forgery!" Lin Sicheng said, repeating his prepared explanation. "But Manager Li, look at the painting skills, the brushwork is top-notch!"

Li Jinqian nodded, but inwardly he was somewhat skeptical: the painting skills were indeed good, and the calligraphy was beautiful, but to stoop to the level of imitating forgeries, he probably wasn't a famous artist.

After a brief pause, he suddenly had a strange thought: Could this person be trying to make a counterfeit into a genuine one?

Didn't Zhao Xiuneng say that what he was doing was legitimate?

He probed, "Brother Lin, are you only looking for the painting, not the person?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Yes, look for paintings. Whether they are documents, scriptures, ancient books, or calligraphy copybooks, anything on paper or silk, whether it has paintings or words on it, the more the better, the newer the better... but don't look for people!"

Li Jinqian's heart skipped a beat: Sure enough!

Suddenly, his mind started working again: Zhao Xiu could say that he only did legitimate work, but it didn't seem that legitimate.

I just don't know if their eyesight is really that good.

Thinking it over, he pointed to the painting again: "Not to brag, but if such things really exist in the province, it's just a matter of a few phone calls. But Brother Lin has come all this way and brought such a generous gift; I truly feel unworthy of it!"

After a slight pause, Li Jinqian looked at the shelves and said, "How about Brother Lin picks out a couple more items?"

Lin Sicheng was taken aback.

He was certainly familiar with Li Jinqian; he seemed quite meticulous and cautious. But upon meeting him again, why did he seem to be just like Chen Wei: trying to recruit everyone he met?

But there's no reason not to take advantage of a bargain that's offered to you. Besides, there's absolutely no need to feel guilty about finding bargains from tomb raiders and antique dealers.

After a moment's thought, Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "How could I possibly accept that?"