Chapter 162 Forcing Someone to Use Their Ultimate Move
The woman gripped her phone, her knuckles turning slightly white. Her other hand supported her forehead, her fingertips unconsciously tapping her temples.
One after another.
Zhao the Trash!
Why was he able to persuade Zhao Polan to come out of retirement?
Despite the unpleasant nickname, in the tomb raiding world, he was a figure on par with Yu Dahai, Gao Zhengang, and Yang Bin.
They only call each other that in private. If it were in person, even a big boss would have to bow and call him "Zhao the Boss".
If it were his old lady, the big boss would have to bow down and call her "Your Majesty".
It's not age that we respect, but rather tradition, craftsmanship, seniority, and money.
In the 1950s, because of their poor family background and lack of food, Zhao Xiuneng's grandfather and father began to filter tombs: they would only go into tombs that had been robbed twice, and they would not touch whole objects, open coffins, or touch corpses.
They only searched for damaged items, repaired them, and sold them. They were subsequently sentenced to eight years and five years respectively.
Not long after his release, the old man passed away, and the family lived a quiet life for twenty years. In the early 1980s, Zhao Xiuneng and his father returned to their old ways. But after less than two years, they were arrested again.
Fortunately, the father and son only filtered the pit twice, didn't cause any damage, and only collected scraps. The father took the blame for everything and was sentenced to two years.
In the third year, Laozi was released, worked for a few months, and then Zhao Xiuneng went back in and was sentenced to one year.
And so it went, the father went in and the son came out, the son came out and the father went in again. This continued until the early 1990s, when the father passed away and his mother took over.
The hype had just died down, and more and more people were getting into this line of work, so the old lady changed her approach: she would only accept, not steal.
They don't buy complete items, only broken pieces. After repairing them, they sell them as damaged items. But what others sell them for is anyone's guess.
Zhao Polan's nickname originated from that time.
But the old lady's skills were extremely high, and her reputation grew, attracting more and more people to come to her for repairs and to buy loose items.
Naturally, Zhao Polan became Zhao Batou (a repairman), and gradually became Zhao Batou.
In any case, in the three provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu, and Shanxi, those who engaged in tomb raiding and antique trafficking rarely failed to ask this mother and daughter for repairs. For example, Yu Dahai, and Yang Bin. Especially Yang Bin, who intermittently apprenticed with the old lady for four years.
Afterwards, its reputation spread, and many tomb raiders from other provinces came with their broken tools, gradually spreading to the southern coast.
The old lady was also very shrewd. When faced with misfortune, such as when a man was shot and left behind a widow and her children who couldn't survive, she would provide some relief.
After a while, people start asking how much gratitude is expressed, how high one's seniority is, and how long one's lineage is.
The key point is that those who seek their repair services are not just tomb raiders and antique dealers. Famous collectors, high-ranking officials, and even cultural institutions come in much larger numbers than tomb raiders.
At least in the Guanzhong region, this mother and daughter are genuine local bigwigs and traveling masters in the cultural relics, antiques, and even tomb raiding industries.
So here's the question: Zhao Xiu has been clean for many years now, at least fifteen or sixteen, if not twenty. The Zhao family's net worth is at least two or three hundred million, if not seven or eight hundred million.
But with just one phone call, this man could get Zhao Xiu, who was already in his sixties, to bring his two sons to help him fall into the pit.
Unconsciously and without reason, the girl's intuition that something was wrong grew stronger and stronger.
Some were even terrified.
After frowning and thinking for a long time, the woman changed her card and entered a long string of numbers.
People who travel abroad frequently will recognize this as a Singapore number.
It took a long time to connect, and a lazy voice came from the other end of the phone: "Nianqin!"
"Brother-in-law, that guy from Zhejiang has taken the bait! But he hired Zhao the Lackey!"
"I know, the third brother (Fang Ka) called last night!"
A creaking sound came from the bed, as if someone had sat up. "Judging from this, this person's identity and background are not a problem, at least he's not Lei Zi!"
"I know, but brother-in-law, I've never heard of this person before?"
"It's not surprising. This industry is full of talented people; it's not uncommon for a genius to emerge occasionally. We're not like Old Lady Zhao; we know people from all walks of life. Besides, he's from out of town..."
After a slight pause, the man on the phone chuckled, "Nianqin, you're afraid you won't be able to handle him and he'll turn the tables on you, right?"
The woman hummed in agreement.
She had been worried before, feeling that Lin Sicheng was too much for her. Now that Zhao Xiuneng had suddenly appeared, Xu Nianqin was even more worried: with a powerful dragon and a local tiger, what if she tried to kill the snake but ended up getting bitten instead?
"This person's connections are definitely not simple, and Zhao Polan's (Zhao Xiuneng's) connections aren't simple either. I'm afraid that even if we burn them, we'll still be suppressed by those above us..."
Without generating significant influence and social impact, the claims of misleading the police and diverting attention are nothing but empty talk...
The man scoffed, "Suppress it? How can he suppress it? He overturned the Dragon Tower and the Golden Box (referring to the large tomb), and the quicksand even killed people. How long can it be suppressed from above? If you're still not at ease, then make it bigger, so big that the top won't dare to suppress it!"
The woman's heart skipped a beat: "Brother-in-law, what do we do?"
The man thought for a moment: "Do we still have some gunpowder? We've dug more than one tunnel, so let's put some in beforehand... Hmm, a lot, and when the time is right, we'll detonate it when they're halfway through digging. Then we'll blow them up with a deafening roar, and let's see who dares to lie down then!"
"Thump thump... thump thump..." The woman's heart was pounding like a drum: How many people would be killed by this?
Even if that person doesn't die from the explosion, he'll probably get shot...
Seeing that he didn't speak, a cold laugh came from the phone: "If you don't dare to do it, then hand it over to the third brother!"
The woman paused for a moment, then her expression suddenly changed.
Her subordinates weren't very obedient to her to begin with, and if they didn't dare to do it this time, they could easily take her down without her brother-in-law even needing to say anything...
After a moment's thought, she gritted her teeth and said, "Brother-in-law, I'll do it!"
"Good for you to go for it!" the man praised. "But don't rush, the tunnel here will open soon, we'll start testing it when we unload the goods... let's keep the people calm first!"
"Brother-in-law, I know!"
The microphone went dead. The woman sighed and changed the card again.
She first made arrangements for Song Laosan, and after calming herself down, she handed the phone to Lin Sicheng.
As soon as the call connected, she gave a forced, hearty laugh: "Boss, have you found Longlou yet?"
"We did find it, but it's like it's been licked clean; not even a single plank (coffin) is left." Lin Sicheng chuckled. "Yu Zhiguo and Gao Zhangyan truly live up to their reputations!"
Haha~
The woman laughed again, "Isn't there another one? You're so professional and knowledgeable, you can't possibly not recognize the treasure hall and the golden box, can you? I only carried a hundred buckets of water for you (and sold it to you for a million), I've lost a lot of money!"
"It's hard to say. Whether it's a loss or a gain, we'll only know after we've gone down into the tomb!"
"You're sure to make a fortune!" The woman's laughter subsided, and she deliberately lowered her voice. "But I just heard some rumors that things haven't been peaceful lately, so I'm giving the boss a heads-up: it's best to be cautious for a while..."
There was a moment of silence on the phone, then a voice said, "Thank you!"
"Boss, you're too kind. I'm still waiting for you to help me check the codes (ship the goods). Please don't let anything go wrong..."
"rest assured!"
After a few more words, the call ended. The woman sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose: "They should be able to keep me calm by now..."
...
Lin Sicheng gripped his phone, his face gradually darkening.
Zhao Xiuneng frowned deeply.
They're going to use you as a scapegoat, and they'll definitely end up targeting you. Why would they kindly remind you that things aren't going well lately?
This is clearly a delaying tactic.
But why slow down? Shouldn't the faster they dig and the earlier they fire the blasts, the safer they will be?
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Zhao Xiuneng's mind, and his heart skipped a beat: Was this because they thought the cannon wasn't loud enough and wanted to increase the intensity?
Oh no, I think I messed things up...
He moved his lips, about to say something, but Lin Sicheng shook his head: "President Zhao, don't worry, at most they'll just make a fuss about the tomb. But I'm not really digging it up, am I?"
That's true.
Zhao Xiuneng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Immediately, Lin Sicheng's phone vibrated twice, and he answered it without hesitation.
"Xiao Lin, we've intercepted Song Zixiao's (Song Laosan's) phone call. Xu Nianqin is talking to him: They're preparing explosives to hide in the tomb passage of the Northern King..."
Lin Sicheng's expression changed: Quicksand and mercury are not enough, we also need to set off a cannon to make a sound.
How much did these people want to kill him?
In a flash, Chen Peng reminded him, "Xiao Lin, if you can't manage, you should come back first!"
"Director Chen, I'm not really going to dig up a grave!"
With five or six armed police officers following him every day, and the fact that this group only wanted him to cover for them more thoroughly, it actually showed that they were very confident in his identity. So there was no need for him to back down at the slightest sign of trouble.
What's even more striking is that this group is incredibly arrogant, audacious, ruthless, and vicious. Why would they want to kill someone without any prior grudge?
It's impossible to rely on the police for protection forever. If they don't kill him this time, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep peacefully at night anymore...
"Director Chen, let's wait a bit. At least for now, there's no immediate danger!" Lin Sicheng paused. "Besides, Director He might have news soon!"
"That's true!"
After giving a few more instructions, Chen Peng hung up the phone.
Zhao Xiuneng said with a grim face, "Boss Lin, we need to think of a way to completely cut off Yu Dahai's claws, otherwise we'll never have a peaceful day!"
Lin Sicheng nodded: "I know!"
At the very least, we must uncover this "international intermediary agency".
Compared to them, those so-called "card-laying thugs," "lackeys," and "heads-in-chief" are at most small fry on the periphery.
To put it simply, if the funding channels are cut off, what will he do with his chicken feather organization?
Fortunately, Lin Sicheng had already found out the origin of the phoenix-patterned square mirror: Princess Anding, daughter of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, and Wei Zhuo, the cousin of Empress Wei, was the daughter of Rong'an County Princess Wei Ying.
During Empress Wei's reign of terror, she lavishly bestowed titles and honors upon members of the Wei clan, with Wei Ying being granted the title of county princess. However, a few years later, Emperor Xuanzong (Li Longji) launched the Tanglong Coup, and Empress Wei was beheaded and her body displayed publicly. All members of the Wei clan, regardless of gender or age, perished.
This included Wei Zhuo and his children.
Afterwards, Emperor Ruizong Li Dan was restored to the throne and issued an edict to "level the tombs of Xuanzhen and Xun (Empress Wei's father and brother)," and ordered that the rebellious ministers could not be buried in the Wei family's ancestral tombs, but could only be "buried outside the cemetery."
The Wei family members mentioned here refer to Empress Wei's direct relatives. The so-called Wei family ancestral tombs refer to the branch of the Jingzhao Wei family, specifically the branch of Wei Xuanzhen (Empress Wei's father).
Historically known as Rongxian Mausoleum, it was excavated in 1984 during the construction of the National 7067 Project (National Aerospace Propulsion Research Institute), where more than 300 tombs of the Wei family were unearthed.
However, neither the prince consort Wei Zhuo nor his children were among them.
Based on the historical record of "burial outside the tomb", Lin Sicheng was 90% certain that these tombs were located within 1.2 kilometers between the current 067 Research Institute and Huangzipo.
Any further and it wouldn't be considered "burial outside the cemetery"; any closer and it would be inside the Wei family ancestral tomb.
Lin Sicheng even dared to reduce the left and right distance to within 500 meters.
After all, they were a prince consort and a county princess. Since their titles hadn't been stripped, they would certainly be given some semblance of dignity. Even if they were buried outside the ancestral graveyard, they would certainly be buried on a branch of the dragon vein...
The report has been submitted, and Director He has already gone to follow up. It's a little over a kilometer from north to south, and no more than 500 meters from left to right, less than one square kilometer. It should be approved soon.
Once construction stops, the police can easily surround the site and trap workers. Even if it's an "international intermediary agency," how can it possibly grow wings and expand overseas?
After pondering for a moment, Lin Sicheng picked up his pen and began sketching on the drawing board.
It depicts a phoenix amidst lines, dots, and circles.
Zhao Xiuneng also understands feng shui, but compared to Lin Sicheng, his knowledge is at best superficial. Therefore, he only half-understands it, and his understanding is vague and unclear.
Just as I was about to ask, a SUV came speeding by, kicking up dust.
In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the Prince's residence, and the off-road vehicle beeped again.
This is Director He's car, and He Zhigang must be inside.
It seems the report has been approved?
Lin Sicheng was overjoyed. He tucked his easel under his arm and quickly walked down the slope.
The driver opened the car door a moment earlier, and as soon as he sat in the passenger seat, his heart skipped a beat.
He Zhigang was there, and so was Chen Peng. The two sat in the back row, their faces equally gloomy.
Lin Sicheng was stunned for a long time: "Report, not approved?"
The two men, their faces dark, nodded in unison.
Lin Sicheng was somewhat puzzled: even a state-owned enterprise shouldn't be so heartless?
"No, just within a half-kilometer radius?"
"Director Li (from the Public Security Bureau) and Director Liu (from the Cultural Relics Bureau) went together, but the command center directly refused, saying that although it was only half a kilometer, the Aerospace Robotics Research Center is located between Institute 067 to the south and Huangzipo to the north. They couldn't afford to be responsible for any delays in the construction..."
After a brief pause, He Zhigang sighed, "They can stop work if they want, but only if the province issues them a document, or if they actually unearth a large tomb..."
Before he could finish speaking, Chen Peng sneered, "If they dared to get the province to issue a document, why would I be in such a hurry? If we could unearth a huge tomb, why would we need to stop their work?"
"Heh...this is forcing me to use dirty tricks on them!"
He Zhigang's eyes flickered, but he remained silent.
If local public security organs can come up with a solution, they can come up with as many as they want.
But since it's a national project, Chen Peng has to be prepared to shed this identity at any time...
Lin Sicheng frowned and remained silent. After a long while, he raised his head and looked at the drawing board in his hand.
A phoenix, head held high, soars into the sky.
"Director He, should we stop work as soon as the large tomb is unearthed?"
He Zhigang paused for a moment, then said, "Yes!"
Lin Sicheng nodded: This is forcing someone to use their ultimate move!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
