I spent the whole day wandering among the various libraries in Luoyang, looking up information about Hu Shahu.

Hu Shahu, also known as Heshilie Zhizhong, was enfeoffed as the Prince of Ze by Emperor Xuanzong of Jin, but historical records about him are only a few words long.

Although the History of Jin includes a biography of Heshilie Zhizhong, it does not mention his burial except for stating the cause of death.

When Emperor Xuanzong of Jin, Wanyan Xun, ascended the throne, the Jin Dynasty was already on its last legs.

Because of repeated defeats and fear of punishment, Shuhu Gaoqi killed his superior Hushahu without authorization. Not only was he not punished, but he was also rewarded by the court, which is enough to illustrate the chaos of the Jin Dynasty's criminal law.

This foreshadowed the dynasty's eventual demise.

In the evening, I left the library and met Su Jialiang in a private room at a nearby teahouse.

When Su Jialiang saw me, he asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Are you worried that I might go back on my word and not give you that 10% of the shares? Is that why you're in such a hurry?"

"That 10% share was given to me by Master Liang. Whether it's feasible or not depends on your word. What's the use of me being anxious?"

I skillfully arranged the tea set on the table: "I'm here to see you because of something else."

Su Jialiang lit his signature large cigar: "About Duan Jinyan?"

I pushed the half-cup of tea in front of Su Jialiang: "That's right, I hope you can help me find out where Duan Jinyan is, or what his destination is."

"Now that the cooperation between the Su family and the Qing family has been finalized, I don't need to keep putting on airs anymore. To tell you the truth, I can't find any information about Duan Jinyan. Although the Su family has some connections in the industry, Duan Jinyan and I are not on the same level at all. We play different games, and I really don't want to mess with him."

Su Jialiang spun the teacup on the table: "Do you know why I have to cooperate with the Qing family? It's not just because the Su family needs their protection, but also because when the Qing family wanted to devour us, I also set my sights on them! When I first entered the antique business, my purpose was very clear: to use this business as the initial accumulation of funds to enrich my life. Now I have the money, and the Qing family is the springboard for me to clean up my name."

I was a little confused as to why Su Jialiang would say these things to me.

He continued, "But Duan Jinyan is different. He's too mysterious. Although he's in this industry, he's not like anyone else in it. Yet he has absolute dominance in the industry! If you offend someone else in the industry, I can just leave. But if I mess with Duan Jinyan, I'll suffer no matter what industry I'm in. So from today onwards, I hope you'll refrain from speaking about anything related to Duan Jinyan."

I sighed: "Since Mr. Liang is in a difficult position, let's talk about something else. I hope you can help me leave the country."

Su Jialiang picked up his teacup: "Smuggling?"

I explained, "I guess so. Since Duan Jinyan is going to the Far East to find Hu Shahu's tomb, I have to go and take a look. But there are too many eyes watching me now, and I don't want anyone to know my real whereabouts."

"If you want to go to Southeast Asia, it will be easier, but if you want to go to the Far East, it will be a bit difficult."

Su Jialiang leaned back on the sofa, smoking a cigar. After about three minutes, he tapped the table with his fingers and said, "Here's what I'll do. I'll arrange for you to go to Outer Mongolia and then transit through there. The environment in Outer Mongolia is much more relaxed than in China, making it a suitable transit point."

Is it safe?

"I will arrange for you to go to Outer Mongolia on a tour. Once you get there, you will be free! These travel agencies are all run by myself and are used to receive foreign businessmen. There are no safety issues."

"Is there someone in the Far East to meet us?"

"No, our business is not located there. After leaving Outer Mongolia, you'll have to take care of the rest yourself."

Su Jialiang was also a little surprised when I asked this question: "Isn't the Song family, one of the four families, closely related to you? Song Laosan can handle these things much better than I can. Why are you bypassing him and coming to me? What's the difference between this and begging for food while holding a golden bowl?"

I couldn't possibly mention my suspicions about Song Laosan to Su Jialiang, so I could only give a vague answer: "I left Third Master in the country because there are other things he needs to handle. I didn't want to distract him, so I didn't bother him."

Su Jialiang wasn't interested in these things: "Xiao Duan, do you have time tomorrow? If you're not busy, I can introduce you to our professional management team. After all, you're one of the shareholders, so you need to know how our business operates."

I shook my head: "Tomorrow is probably not possible. As you can see, I am eager to find Duan Jinyan, so time is of the essence."

"Alright then, you go ahead and do your own thing. If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know! Also, once you've finalized your trip abroad, let me know and I'll have someone prepare the necessary paperwork for you."

...

The matter involving Mr. Leng from Beijing was my first collaboration with Song Laosan, and my impression of him was that he was incredibly resourceful.

Even though he hasn't been in China for so many years, he can basically handle everything we need to do with a single phone call.

Now that I'm no longer with Song Laosan, things aren't going as smoothly for me. Although I've finalized my route abroad, I have no idea where to go next, how to settle down, how to find a translator and guide, or how to ensure my safety.

After meeting with Su Jialiang, I found Lin Que and used his identity to rent a van. I then hired two drivers, paying each of them 5,000 yuan, and had them drive back to Shenyang.

Since entering this industry, I have earned several million. Although I would not say I am extremely wealthy, I certainly no longer have to worry about small sums of money.

The next day at noon, I settled the fare for the designated driver at the highway exit, told them to return the way they came, and then walked towards Monkey's car.

When the monkey saw me return, it excitedly came up to me: "Young Master Duan, didn't we agree that I would go to Luoyang to find you after the Lantern Festival? Why did you come back by yourself? Didn't Third Master come with you?"

"No, he went to Beijing to see Mr. Leng."

I looked at the familiar city and stretched my body: "What have you been busy with lately? I've been unable to get through to you on the phone several times."

The monkey smiled mysteriously: "Hehe, I've been working on something big lately, but I can't tell you yet."

I pursed my lips: "Have you prepared everything I asked you to?"

The monkey made an OK gesture: "Don't worry, I have to do what you asked me to do properly!"

I pulled open the car door and got in: "Let's go straight to Professor Li's house!"