Chapter 68
When Hu Zhenzhen came to the garden, she specifically told Chen Kai that she wanted some peace and quiet.
She wandered around the garden alone before finding a secluded spot to put down the mysterious structure.
After she selected the location, the system sent out a small package.
The grayish package landed on the ground that Hu Zhenzhen had chosen, quickly unpacked itself, and merged into the earth before Hu Zhenzhen's eyes.
Where's the package? Where's that huge package from earlier?
Hu Zhenzhen waited for a while, but saw no change on the ground, so she cautiously approached.
[Xiao Jin, what is this? How did it disappear?]
Only after the mysterious building is placed can Xiao Jin reveal its true appearance.
Searching for the Golden Rat's Home
On the floor plan displayed by the system, this open space looks exactly like an underground villa.
Two mice live in the villa.
One is gold and the other is silver.
Regardless of color, both mice are called Gold-Seeking Mice. One is gold and the other is silver, representing a male and a female, and they also look for different things.
Xiao Jin explained a couple of things to Hu Zhenzhen.
The golden ones are called "Squeak Squeak," and the silver ones are called "Chirp Chirp." The golden ones are good at finding precious metals, while the silver ones are good at finding buried treasures. Each has its own strengths.
They are a husband and wife mouse pair who live in this underground mouse house and love nuts.
[The host has provided them with safe protection. From now on, if you give the mice nuts, they can help you find treasures!]
Hu Zhenzhen's eyes lit up.
These two mice are treasures; I wonder what kind of treasure they might find.
Hu Zhenzhen was extremely curious, so she went inside and grabbed a handful of cashews and a handful of pine nuts, then returned to the two mice's little nest.
The mouse's burrow was in a small open space in the corner of the wall.
Hu Zhenzhen found a small door on her wall, complete with a delicate little pull ring.
She knocked on the small door.
"Are Squeaky and Chirp there?"
Shortly after she knocked, the small door opened from the inside, and two mice crawled out.
The two mice appeared before Hu Zhenzhen for the first time and seemed a little reserved, standing only at the door and not daring to approach her.
Hu Zhenzhen did not insist.
She glanced at the two rats' large tails but couldn't tell what breed they were.
Although it is a hamster that lives underground, it has a large, fluffy tail like a squirrel.
Hu Zhenzhen placed a large handful of nuts in front of them.
"Squeak and Chirp, here's the payment. Can you help me find treasure?"
After Hu Zhenzhen finished speaking, the two mice huddled together and chirped a few times, seemingly discussing something.
The silver mouse stood up and made a bowing gesture.
Hu Zhenzhen understood that this meant she had agreed.
"Thank you, Jiji. I'll leave it to you then."
After hearing Hu Zhenzhen's words, the two mice began to carry nuts into the house.
But they were very principled; they only moved half of it inside, leaving the other half outside.
Hu Zhenzhen couldn't help but laugh.
They collect a deposit first, and only take the other half after they actually find the item.
After carrying all the nuts, Jiji disappeared back inside the door.
The remaining golden one sat at the door, guarding the nuts with Hu Zhenzhen.
Summer has passed, but it's almost noon and the sun is still blazing.
Hu Zhenzhen wanted to wait in the yard, but felt it was too sunny, so she asked Chen Kai to hold up an umbrella for her.
"Please have a seat, boss!"
Chen Kai was meticulous in his work; in addition to the umbrella, he also brought a folding recliner so that Hu Zhenzhen could sit down.
The tiny creature, Squeak, sat on the ground.
But its fur was golden, which stood out against the green grass, and Chen Kai spotted it at a glance.
Is this your new pet?
"I wouldn't say that," Hu Zhenzhen replied vaguely. "Zhizhi and Jiji are a couple, they just live in my yard."
"Okay, boss, I'll tell the gardeners to keep them from disturbing them."
This might be the boss's new way of keeping pets.
Many wealthy people like to let their horses roam freely, and some even own horse farms where their horses can run wild. Chen Kai is used to it.
After saying that, Chen Kai went back to his room.
In the decorative bonsai on the table, a tiny paper umbrella is in the hand of a fake figure.
Chen Kai took the small umbrella and went to the backyard, where he gave it to the golden mouse next to the pile of nuts.
Zizi looked extremely happy after receiving the gift.
The little umbrella was in the golden mouse's hand, but due to the angle of its hand, the mouse couldn't hold the umbrella vertically above its head.
But it also imitated Hu Zhenzhen and put the umbrella on its head.
A golden mouse, wearing a paper umbrella, looks adorable.
"Thank you. You should go back and rest now. You'll be visiting the venue this afternoon, so remember to take lots of photos."
When the afternoon's events were brought up, Chen Kai did not refuse Hu Zhenzhen's kind offer.
Even if it's the nearest venue, it takes until midnight to get back.
Before leaving, Chen Kai needed to pack his things.
"Okay, then if you need anything, just call Liu An. I'll have him ready and waiting in the lounge."
"Don't worry," Hu Zhenzhen waved her hand, "there's nothing to worry about for now."
Her only task now is to wait here for the silver mouse to return and see what treasures it will bring back.
She didn't have to wait too long.
While Hu Zhenzhen was playing a few rounds of the match-3 game, Zhizhi was already moving things home.
It seems Jiji is back!
Hu Zhenzhen stood up abruptly and looked around.
But apart from the spot where she was sitting, there were flowerbeds all around her, so Hu Zhenzhen's field of vision was limited, and she didn't even look at where Jiji was.
"Chirp chirp chirp!"
Hearing the chirping, Hu Zhenzhen realized where the mouse was, squatted down, and looked under the chair.
To her surprise, the mouse had actually brought her a big gift.
This thing was very heavy; it took the mouse a long time to push it to the vicinity of Hu Zhenzhen's chair.
It is a jade seal.
There was a lot of mud and ash on it, and I don't know where Jiji found this thing, but you can tell that the little guy was exhausted.
Hu Zhenzhen quickly grabbed the juice next to her, poured some into the bottle cap, and placed it in front of Jiji.
The mouse didn't stand on ceremony and drank the bottle cap clean.
"Chirp!"
It dropped the things there, bowed to Hu Zhenzhen, and rushed home.
Hu Zhenzhen saw a fleeting glimpse of golden fur at its doorway, guessing it was Jiji's wife, Zhizhi, coming out to greet him.
"You've worked hard, chirp chirp!"
Hu Zhenzhen thanked the two mice and, disregarding the dirt, carried the jade seal into the house.
Chen Kai will leave in the afternoon, leaving the task of taking care of Hu Zhenzhen to Liu An.
Liu An was a meticulous person; though he was in the reception room, his attention was always on the backyard.
The moment Hu Zhenzhen entered, he heard the commotion and stood up to greet her.
When Liu An saw the boss, whose hands were covered in mud, carrying in a large stone, he paused for a moment before reaching out to take it.
"Boss, let me help you!"
"No need for now. Go and contact Director Wang of the museum for me and ask if he has time to come and take a look."
When it comes to cultural relics, museum staff are naturally more discerning and can tell when something was made.
Hu Zhenzhen examined it herself and it seemed to be several hundred years old. Judging from the intricate carvings on the jade seal, it must have been used by a king or general.
It might even be the seal of some celebrity.
Hearing her arrangement, Liu An realized that what Hu Zhenzhen was holding was not a stone, but an antique.
Fortunately, he didn't rush to take it; if he had fallen and hurt himself, it would have been a serious matter.
Liu An felt relieved and made a phone call to Director Wang as Hu Zhenzhen had instructed.
Since that auction, Hu Zhenzhen has become a good friend of Director Wang. After Liu An made a phone call, he immediately said he could come.
During the lunch break, Director Wang rushed to Woshan Villa.
He brought a toolbox specifically for cleaning cultural relics with him when he came.
Upon entering, he only had time to greet Hu Zhenzhen before his gaze was fixed on the jade seal, unable to look away.
After simply wiping away the dirt from the surface of the jade seal and getting a general idea of its condition, Director Wang couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"Mr. Hu, could this thing have been passed down from your family's ancestral grave?"
This sounds so strange, like she dug up her ancestors' graves.
Hu Zhenzhen's lips twitched, and she said, "It's not from my family's ancestral grave; I just dug it up."
Just dug out?
Upon hearing this, Director Wang became immediately excited.
"Where are the other things that were dug up? Where did you dig them up from? Can you show me?"
"There's nothing else, just this one. I dug it out of the garden."
After all, the mouse only brought this one thing back, and Hu Zhenzhen had nowhere to find anything else for Director Wang.
To prove the truth of her words, Hu Zhenzhen even dug a hole in the ground.
Of course, Liu An dug the pit himself.
Director Wang temporarily placed the items on the table and followed Hu Zhenzhen into the courtyard for a quick look.
"I wanted to move this flower into a pot, but I unexpectedly dug this up from the side."
To make it seem plausible, Hu Zhenzhen even deliberately dug in a corner.
Fortunately, Director Wang didn't suspect her; he was just amazed.
"This is such good luck! When I get home, I'm going to dig in the flower bed too, just in case."
He made a joke and couldn't wait to go back and see the jade seal.
"This should be the seal of Crown Prince Li Chengxi. It is said that he has loved white jade since he was a child. The emperor specially invited ten master carvers to carve and study it together, and only then did they produce a jade seal that satisfied Crown Prince Li."
"It's a pity that the Crown Prince died young. He only used this seal for two years before he died in battle in Yanbei."
As Director Wang spoke, he sighed.
As he spoke, he used a small brush in his hand to brush the surface of the jade seal.
After the initial cleaning was completed, Director Wang looked at the words underneath and exclaimed, "Just as I expected."
"Is it really Lee Seung-hui's?"
Goodness gracious! Jiji brought back such a huge antique after just one trip. What will Zizi find when it goes out?
Hu Zhenzhen couldn't help but swallow hard when she recalled Xiao Jin's description of it as a 'precious metal'.
Director Wang looked somewhat shy.
"Mr. Hu, may I borrow your jade seal for a few days?"
Fearing that Hu Zhenzhen would reject him, he quickly explained the reason.
"Don't worry, I will definitely return it in five days! I just suspect that this jade seal may have been taken out of the tomb by tomb robbers and ended up with you by accident."
“The soil here is worth studying. If we can pinpoint the tomb of Lee Seung-hui, we will have done a great service to the archaeological community.”
Hu Zhenzhen readily agreed.
Director Wang had already covered for her, saying it was stolen by tomb raiders, so Hu Zhenzhen was naturally willing to cooperate.
After all, Hu Zhenzhen wasn't dug directly from a tomb, so in reality, it doesn't violate the laws of Country Z in this world.
The items belong to her, and Director Wang cannot force her to donate them until she expresses her intention to do so.
However, Hu Zhenzhen only has one piece. If they really find Li Chenghui's tomb by analyzing the soil and the appearance of the jade seal, then the things unearthed will definitely be more than just a few, and the research value will only be higher.
But this thing was precious, and Director Wang was quite apprehensive before Hu Zhenzhen actually agreed.
He breathed a sigh of relief when she agreed.
When cleaning the soil off the surface of the jade seal, Director Wang made a point of placing a plastic board underneath it.
Now is the perfect time to collect the soil and take it back with us.
Upon returning to the museum, he immediately reported the matter to the provincial authorities.
"Requesting assistance from the leadership!"
To outsiders, these people who deal with cultural relics are all eccentric, but they get along very well with each other.
In the tenth year after the founding of the People's Republic of China, each of the six provinces established a museum in its provincial capital and the city with the best development.
Now, a hundred years have passed.
These museums house the findings of archaeological teams from various regions, as well as artifacts donated by people from all walks of life.
However, for those who are truly working to protect cultural relics, the current number is far from enough.
For them, every new artifact they unearth is a process of witnessing history.
Now that there is a clue to finding the tomb of a historical figure, Director Wang's hands trembled slightly with nervousness. He dared not hold the jade seal directly, but only placed it on the table to study it.
Upon receiving his message, the province immediately dispatched experts and transferred archaeological staff from other cities.
Within 24 hours, a large archaeological team of 35 people arrived in S City.
People who are so engrossed in their research don't even have time to eat.
The bus that picked them up took them directly to the museum in S City, where they couldn't wait to start working.
After much persuasion, Director Wang finally convinced them to go to their hotel to drop off their luggage.
"This soil is clearly not from one place."
“We have already compared the soil with the soil in Hu Zhenzhen’s garden. Only the pH value of the outermost layer of soil is the same, while the value of the soil on the inner side that is pasted on the jade seal is very different.”
"I remember doing a nationwide soil sampling two years ago, and I'm comparing the results from that time."
...
Everything is proceeding smoothly.
After lending out the jade seal, Hu Zhenzhen forgot about it a few days later.
It wasn't until Director Wang shamelessly called her to extend the time for borrowing the jade seal that she remembered this matter.
"Of course, no problem, Director Wang. I will definitely give my full support to the province's work."
Research is no simple matter, and even if Director Wang wanted to borrow it for a month, Hu Zhenzhen would agree without hesitation.
She happened to be following the sequel to "Dragon Slayer" and didn't have time to go to the museum to hand over the work to Director Wang.
It's easy for a TV series to amaze audiences, but maintaining its reputation after the initial peak is not so easy.
The dragon-slaying mission is currently at a critical juncture.
It was right after twenty episodes had aired, when the audience had already lost interest.
Both rival companies are eyeing this show and have been waiting for this moment.
As soon as "Dragon Slayer" shows any signs of fatigue, their people start predicting its demise.
But "The Dragon Slayer" didn't give them a chance. Since its broadcast, it has maintained a rating of 5, and on its highest day, it even touched the edge of 6.
It's been almost a decade since we've seen such viewership.
The head of Lotus Platform has been riding high lately, smiling at everyone he meets, and even the wrinkles around his eyes have increased from smiling.
Today's episode marks the first major conflict to erupt.
Tie Lanxin, played by Zhu Qingqing, will also die amidst the conflict, marking the first heartbreaking moment in the story.
Many TV dramas nowadays omit dramatic or heart-wrenching scenes to cater to the market, but Lei Tao insisted on maintaining the integrity of the plot and stuck to his own ideas.
The eccentric monk Wuguo and Jueqing meet in the bamboo forest, their long-standing grudges having been brewing for a long time.
Suspecting each other due to a wrongful conviction, the two got into a fight over a disagreement.
Tie Lanxin, who was gathering herbs for a patient nearby, was caught up in the dispute. When her beloved turned cold and she was at a disadvantage, she couldn't help but take action and released a poisonous insect as a hidden weapon.
This did indeed get Jueqing out of danger.
But this also exposed her to the strange monk's fruitless gaze.
Everyone in the martial arts world knows that Tie Lanxin, with her kind heart and gentle hands, has unparalleled medical skills, but her martial arts skills are only rudimentary.
Wuguo only struck her once, a blow filled with rage that took her life and brought the feud between Wuguo and Jueqing to an irreconcilable point.
Hu Zhenzhen watched the master tape and even shed a few tears when Tie Lanxin died.
She was quite certain that the audience wouldn't abandon the show because of this, but Lei Tao, who was usually the most steadfast person, became uneasy at this moment.
This was the first time in his life that he had tasted success.
The closer you get to success, the more afraid you become of unexpected events.
That's how people are. Even if Lei Tao usually has a stubborn streak and refuses to admit defeat, he'll get nervous at this moment.
Lu Ye couldn't stand it anymore and offered him a few words of comfort.
"Alright, Lao Lei, what are you doing, a grown man, putting on this Xi Shi holding her heart act?"
"We've succeeded this time, so just be happy. Don't be depressed when the score is over nine points. Where am I supposed to find such a great screenwriter?"
With Lu Ye's words of comfort, Lei Tao felt much better.
The two of them sat together, watching Lotus Platform on TV, waiting for the audience's feedback.
After the TV show showed Tie Lanxin's death, Lei Tao couldn't wait to turn on his phone and start searching.
[Aaaaaah! Sisters, run! There's a knife!]
Lei Tao was startled when he first saw this message.
Fortunately, the comments that followed told him that the audience hadn't actually left.
[Does anyone understand? I just started liking Lan Xin. Screenwriter, where do you live? I promise I won't send you razor blades!]
[Please update ten episodes immediately. I need to see the ruthless killer Wugong avenge his sister as soon as possible.]
[I'm crying like a dog. Will leaving a message on Hu Jintao's Weibo bring Lan Xin back to life?]
The more Lei Tao looked, the more at ease he felt.
"Alright, now you can finally rest assured."
Around the same time, Hu Zhenzhen also sent a WeChat message, saying almost exactly the same thing as Lu Ye.
For the dragon slayer, the most worrying hurdle has been overcome.
The subsequent improvement in reputation was already expected.
Hu Zhenzhen took two days off at home and tried again, asking Zhizhi to go out for a while.
This time, however, Zhizhi only dug out a gold ring from nearby and gave it to Hu Zhenzhen.
It wasn't that Hu Zhenzhen disliked the gold ring, but compared to the things Jiji had found, the gold ring seemed rather insignificant.
However, Hu Zhenzhen still carefully put the items away in a special small bag.
It's like opening a blind box; you never know what the mouse will bring, and there's always a new surprise.
Two days later, Hu Zhenzhen finally decided to go out.
The trip was planned well in advance, to cut the ribbon for the venue that had just changed its name.
Chen Kai had already arranged everything; all Hu Zhenzhen needed to do was show up and cut the scissors.
It is said that Chen Kai also invited a locally well-known singer to sing, which was also a way for Hu Zhenzhen to test the person and see if he had the potential to be signed to the company.
Chen Kai kept in mind what Hu Zhenzhen had mentioned about the music company that day, and had already gathered several promising talents.
After Hu Zhenzhen got off the plane, she found that things were not quite what she had expected.
What's with this bunch of reporters blocking the exit?
Are there any celebrities on the same flight as her today?
Hu Zhenzhen was still suspicious when, after taking a few steps, the microphone was almost shoved into her face.
"Mr. Hu, do you have anything to say about the photos of the site where Yi Seung-hui's tomb was discovered?"
"Ms. Hu Zhenzhen, do you have any response to Director Wang's public thanks?"
"I heard you were the first person to find Lee Seung-hui's burial items. Could you tell me which item it was?"
Hu Zhenzhen listened to several questions before she understood the situation.
Yi Seung-hui's tomb has been found.
Hu Zhenzhen was surprised that it was so fast; she had thought she would have to lend out the jade seal for several more months to find more clues.
Even after learning the details, Hu Zhenzhen still found it difficult to answer the reporters' questions.
How can we explain this? We can't exactly say that Lee Seung-hui's jade seal was dug up from her garden, can we?
It's one thing for her to say something that sounds like a lie, but if someone is really greedy and wants to get rich, then her garden will be in trouble.
"Ah, have they found Lee Seung-hui's tomb yet?"
For a moment, this was the only way Hu Zhenzhen could react.
The reporters were all very friendly and began to explain the current situation to Hu Zhenzhen.
"Mr. Hu, just two hours ago, the news came out that Lee Seung-hui's tomb is in Q City, and the archaeological team has officially set up camp here."
Q City, wow, it's so far away.
Could it be that Jiji found the jade seal from such a far away place and transported it back that day?
The gold-hunting rat produced by the system is indeed not as simple as it seems.
Hu Zhenzhen sighed inwardly, but replied aloud, "That would be wonderful."
That's enough time for her to come up with something official.
Hu Zhenzhen's response was simple: just praise the archaeological team and Director Wang.
"If it weren't for this group of people who care about cultural relics and are willing to work day and night for them, I'm afraid Lee Seung-hui's tomb wouldn't have been found so quickly."
"I... I only did something insignificant."
"The credit belongs to the archaeological team. Please pay close attention to the archaeological excavation!"
Hu Zhenzhen thought she had given a perfect answer.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, I saw the online reports and was instantly stunned.
[Hu Zhenzhen, a born lucky charm, immediately provides clues to the ancient tomb.]
[The humble and wealthy Hu Zhenzhen is helping the archaeological team with Lee Seung-hui's burial items; she has already personally flown to Q City.]
So the reporters didn't listen to a single word of her high-sounding speech.
What is the connection between this report and the interview we just had?
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