Lin Yang stared intently at the hall master, paying attention to his every micro-expression, trying to find any trace of lying.
"I... that's all I know. The Black Skull organization is always cautious, and they won't reveal too much information to us."
The hall master collapsed to the ground; in his condition, what reason did he have to lie?
The second-in-command of the Rock Gang spat at him.
"You better not be lying, or you'll regret it when I take you back."
Lin Yang stood up. Although he had obtained some clues, there were also quite a few collectors in the capital.
Investigating this would be a huge undertaking.
"So what kind of deal do you have with the Japanese conglomerate?"
“Our main business with the Japanese group is trading contraband. They provide the goods, and we are responsible for selling them locally, making huge profits from it.”
"You bastards, you'll do anything for money!"
The second-in-command of the Rock Gang was furious. Although they were also involved in the underworld, no one with a conscience would do such illegal and harmful things.
Lin Yang secretly thought that there was probably a deeper conspiracy behind these illegal transactions.
The involvement of the Black Skull organization, Wildfire Hall, and Japanese groups is not simply a matter of collusion for profit.
"Besides transactions, is there any other connection between the Black Skull organization and the Japanese conglomerate?"
Under the intense gazes of the group, the hall master finally spoke.
“I heard that… the Black Skull organization has a big plan that requires technical support from the Japanese conglomerate, which has many gangs under its control, and we are just one of them.”
But the leader said he really didn't know what the specific plan was; he had only overheard some conversations from the Black Skull organization.
The group was somewhat confused after hearing this, but they could tell that Japan had infiltrated many gangs and organizations in China.
This is definitely not a good thing. Lin Yang thought that he must not let Japan cause trouble in China.
Ding Na said she would relay this information to her company, which would closely monitor the follow-up matters.
"It seems I need to find that collector first."
Lin Yang recalled the old collector Zhao Tianbao, with whom he had previously exchanged ideas at an auction, and wondered if the old man might have any clues.
Ding Na needs to return to the company to report back, and she will keep in touch with Lin Yang if there are any new leads.
The second-in-command of the Rock Gang began to clean up the mess, arranging for his men to clear the battlefield and treat the wounded brothers.
Wildfire Hall suffered a severe blow after this conflict and will not be able to recover its strength in a short period of time.
Lin Yang then focused on finding clues to the treasure map. Following his previous plan, he went to visit the old collector Zhao Tianbao.
Zhao Tianbao lived in an antique-style mansion.
Arriving at the gate of the mansion, I gently knocked on the door.
A short while later, a very young man who looked like a butler opened the door.
"I need to talk to Teacher Zhao. We spoke on the phone before."
After Lin Yang explained his purpose, the young butler invited him into the house.
The butler looked to be in his early twenties, dressed in a neat suit and wearing silver-rimmed glasses.
Judging from his speech and behavior, he must be quite cultured.
Sure enough, the collector's butler was more upscale than that of ordinary wealthy people.
Zhao Tianbao was in his study, carefully examining an ancient painting with a magnifying glass, muttering something to himself.
Upon seeing Lin Yang arrive, they warmly invited him to sit down.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with him, Lin Yang went straight to the question.
"May I ask if you have a secret room in your home?"
Zhao Tianbao's kind smile suddenly disappeared, replaced by a somewhat somber expression.
"My house does have a secret room, but it's where I store some precious collections, and I don't show it to people easily. How did you know?"
Lin Yang didn't know how to start the conversation. Zhao Tianbao seemed quite amiable, but he had been through too much, and Lin Yang couldn't fathom his thoughts.
But Zhao Tianbao easily guessed something from his hesitation.
"Stop beating around the bush. Judging from your expression, things must be more complicated than they seem. Is it related to the lost treasure map?"
Left with no other choice, Lin Yang had to bite the bullet and recount how the treasure map was stolen by the Black Skull organization.
They finally found a clue.
Unable to decipher the code, the Black Skull organization hid the treasure map in a collector's secret room.
He told Zhao Tianbao the information related to the treasure map, but didn't say anything else.
He concluded by reiterating that his presumptuous visit was solely to see if the treasure map was hidden in Zhao Tianbao's secret chamber.
Zhao Tianbao listened quietly to Lin Yang's story, his wrinkled face revealing no expression.
After a moment of silence, he slowly nodded.
"In that case, I'll take you to the secret room in my house. Hopefully, you'll find the treasure map as you wish."
Having received permission, Lin Yang quickly stood up and bowed to Zhao Tianbao in gratitude.
Thank you for your help.
Supported by the young butler, Zhao Tianbao slowly walked towards the secret room.
The secret room is located in a very secluded corner of the mansion, covered with lush green plants.
From the outside, you can't tell at all that there's space hidden inside.
Zhao Tianbao stopped in front of what appeared to be an ordinary wall.
The young butler skillfully pressed a mechanism in an inconspicuous spot on the wall.
A secret room soon appeared.
Lin Yang followed closely behind Zhao Tianbao and the butler, carefully walking down the path.
After entering, Lin Yang briefly looked at a few of the collections and was immediately amazed.
"Your collection is truly eye-opening; each piece is a rare treasure."
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