Song Laosan acted quickly, taking the high-speed train back to Shenyang that afternoon.
I waited for several hours, pretending to have just returned from out of town, and met him at a teahouse.
In the private room filled with the aroma of tea, I took the initiative to start a conversation: "The main reason I went to this other place was to investigate the whereabouts of Duan Jinyan. I have made some progress. He is likely to appear in the Far East region."
"In other words, Wei Shengnan and her group's real destination was Russia."
When Song Laosan said this, his eyes also became puzzled: "But where did they get the information?"
I shook my head: "That's what I don't understand either."
Song Laosan pressed further, "Why did Duan Jinyan go to Russia? Was it because of the antique trade, or for some other reason?"
Upon learning that Wei Shengnan was preparing to go abroad, I knew that my time was running out, so I could only try my best to win over Song Laosan: "He wants to find the tomb of Hu Shahu, a powerful minister of the Jin Dynasty. It is said that there is a jade seal in the tomb. I think it was probably privately made by Hu Shahu, but I don't know its specific function."
"Is that even a question? Duan Jinyan works for Jinbai International, so naturally he's doing this for the money!"
Song Laosan saw things clearly: "Any ancient jade seal has great historical and research value. Although you say this jade seal is a replica, once it is unearthed, its age and workmanship are consistent with that era. As long as Duan Jinyan conceals its origin, then it can be the real thing!"
I nodded thoughtfully: "In any case, we have to make a move before the other two. Do you have any connections in the Far East?"
"No, although the Hermitage Museum in Russia has a lot of Chinese artifacts, the country's economy has not been doing well in recent years, so the antique market is also relatively sluggish."
Although Song Laosan said that, he still reassured me: "However, this is not impossible. Give me three days, and I will definitely be able to pull the strings. I can't say how hard it will be, but it's better than you being completely clueless. It's just that Russian visas are not easy to obtain. Even if I ask my friends in international travel agencies, it will probably take ten days to half a month to get a result."
I replied, "I've already figured out the route to leave the country. We'll transit through Mongolia and sneak into the Far East. This way, we can avoid the other two authorities finding out our whereabouts."
Song Laosan had no objection: "Alright, then we'll do as you say. How many people are we going to take this time?"
I concealed the truth about Lin Que and Man Jing: "You, me, and the monkey, that's three."
Old Song licked his lips: "No tomb raiders? Then who will be responsible for breaking ground after we find the tomb?"
I replied casually, "I'm going there to find someone, not to rob a tomb."
Upon hearing this, Song Laosan said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Xiao Duan, you can't say that. I'm cooperating with you to make money. You can leave empty-handed, but I can't!"
I smiled and said, "If we go early, we can see Duan Jinyan; if we go late, someone will have opened the tunnel."
Old Song paused for a moment, then laughed.
I continued, "After what happened in Luoyang, did the other two sects contact you?"
"You mean they want to contact me and pull me away from you?" Song Laosan scoffed. "At least so far, I haven't received a call from them. But it's understandable. They were able to find Duan Jinyan's whereabouts before you, which means they have other sources of information. If they contact me rashly without knowing my loyalty, what if I reveal the information to you? Wouldn't that be a loss for them?"
When I heard what Song Laosan said, I picked up the cigarette box but didn't say anything.
Old Song continued, "Little Duan, you already knew Duan Jinyan's whereabouts when you were in Luoyang. The reason you sent me to return the Gongxin Zun to Mr. Leng was just to get me out of there, wasn't it?"
"Why would you ask that?" I naturally showed a puzzled expression: "We're partners, how can we not even have this most basic trust?"
Song Laosan completely ignored me and continued talking to himself: "I, Song Laosan, am greedy for money, but I don't want to die because of money. If I were really on the side of the other two sects, there would be no need for me to tell you this news. This would buy them more time."
I am the only one who knows the truth about Su Jialiang's matter, so I know that Song Laosan is bluffing me. I said with a smile, "Third Master, you are really overthinking it. I have never doubted you from beginning to end, and this news was only dug up today."
Song Laosan smiled and changed the subject at the right moment: "If that's really the case, then I guess I'm being too sensitive. I'm not saying all this because I doubt you, but just to tell you that I'm the one who most wants the Four Gates to get rid of their grudges, not someone who is not trusted by anyone... I hope you understand what I mean."
...
With Song Laosan taking over logistics again, I felt much more relaxed.
That evening, I contacted Su Jialiang and confirmed the departure date.
Three days later, I met up with Song Laosan again, and the three of us drove Monkey's BMW 5 Series straight to Luoyang.
On the bus, Song Laosan, while eating a sausage, said to me, "The relationship with the Far East has been established. I've found a professional security team, and the translator has been confirmed. He's a student who studied abroad in China. I've investigated his background; he's just an ordinary person with no connection to the other two departments."
I never doubted Song Laosan's abilities in this regard: "Where's the guide?"
Song Laosan swallowed the food in his mouth: "We haven't looked yet because the Far East is too big, and we don't even have a specific destination. I suggest we go to Vladivostok as our first stop. I contacted a professor at the Faculty of History and Philosophy of Far Eastern National University. Perhaps he can provide us with some help."
I licked my lips: "Isn't this a bit too high-profile? We didn't have official identities in the past. If people in academia notice something is wrong, it will be very troublesome."
"Don't worry, I've considered what you're saying." Old Song smiled slyly. "This professor is of Chinese descent!"
...
Su Jialiang's bronze ware reproduction business is among the best in the country. He not only has a large number of distributors, but also undertakes a large amount of overseas business. It is said that a single exquisite piece can easily sell for hundreds of thousands of US dollars.
The reason for setting up the travel agency was to facilitate business people's entry and exit from the country, and this business was handled by a professional manager who had no connection with him.
Now we are in the same boat as Su Jialiang. With his help, we completed the relevant procedures in Luoyang that day and then boarded a plane to Ulaanbaatar via Beijing.
As the plane taxied on the runway, Song Laosan received a message just before turning off his phone. He then turned his gaze to me: "I just received news that Wei Shengnan and Qu Ruilin have booked tickets for tomorrow morning. They will fly directly from Shenyang to Moscow."
Upon hearing this, I remained silent, watching the scenery receding outside.
This is my second time going abroad. Before, when I was in Bihar, Wei Shengnan, Qu Ruilin, and I were teammates.
But this time, they became rivals.
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