Chapter 221: Incident

Bai Zimu stood below the stone stele for a very long period of time.

There weren’t many names on the stone stele, and the person he was looking for was not on it; Bai Changhuai was missing, even though searching for so many years yielded no results, Dong Yuxiu still firmly believed he was missing, unwilling to admit he had departed from the world of the living.

It seemed as if as long as she kept searching, the other party was still alive in some unknown place.

It was only until now that Bai Zimu finally understood why Old Master Bai didn’t take out those photos. He and his mother were the same kind of person, if it was the person they deeply loved encountering this kind of matter, they could only choose a “reason” for themselves, only if the other party was still alive, would they themselves have the motivation to continue living.

Staying in the cemetery for a period of time, Bai Zimu returned to the car.

The man accompanying him had already waited in the car for a period of time, Bai Zimu suddenly asked:

“That armed police force back in the year, is it still here now?”

The man said:

“Still here, but has already changed to another area, initially this area was the intersection of the railway and highway, so the two sides were close, right now they should have already gone to a place further north, the highway is built somewhat faster than the railway.”

Bai Zimu asked him:

“Can you take me to go see?”

The man hesitated slightly, nodding and saying:

“Can do, but we have to first go replenish supplies, that stretch of road is somewhat desolate, the surroundings also have no signs of human habitation, driving a night car to rush over we can arrive at noon the second day.”

The other party was familiar with the Tibet area, it was Bai Zimu’s first time coming, entirely following his arrangements.

The jeep made simple replenishments at a gathering place, because it only got dark after eight o’clock in the evening here, after the two of them ate dinner, the driver let Bai Zimu go watch the vehicle, while he himself slept a bit, resting to build up energy.

Wait until the sky was about to turn dark, the driver then drove the car taking Bai Zimu on the road.

The vehicle drove in a stretch of darkness, the car headlights could only illuminate the road ahead, when the car bumped, for a moment it felt like sitting on a lonely little boat, the surroundings a stretch of dark sea, boundless and endless.

Bai Zimu’s body was wrapped in a thick overcoat, the temperature at night here was lower, he was somewhat puzzled:

“Uncle, why didn’t we stay at the inn over there, and hit the road early tomorrow morning?”

The man said:

“You just arrived and don’t understand the situation here, the inns at night are also not safe, when we first arrived, it was all several people taking turns keeping night watch sleeping in the car, these few years have gotten a bit used to it, driving the night car is instead safer.”

Bai Zimu nodded, and asked again:

“I’ve caused trouble for you right?”

The man laughed a sound, and said:

“Not considered so, this little bit of yours is not called trouble, tomorrow at noon we can find the place, ask clearly, and you can settle a matter weighing on your mind.”

He accompanied Bai Zimu all the way searching over, seeing his age was similar to his own nephews, and actually felt somewhat emotional, “Little… Little Lei, after you return from here, also don’t be sad anymore, your family still has other relatives, in the future when you yourself start a family, slowly having more people by your side, then it will be fine.”

Bai Zimu heard him call himself, the corners of his lips curling up very shallowly a bit, wrapped by the overcoat exhaling a breath, slowly nodding and giving a “Mn” sound.

“You are a top student from a prestigious university, and also grow looking striking, definitely easy to find a partner, if you can’t find one, our unit still has quite a few little girls, Uncle will introduce them to you!”

“No need, I already have a partner.”

This time it was the man’s turn to be surprised, he took a glance at Bai Zimu somewhat unexpectedly saying:

“Already dating a partner now? [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] I even thought you people doing academics would all wait until thirty to start preparing to start a family.”

“My family’s situation is different,” Bai Zimu sat there chatting idly, saying half-truly half-falsely:

“My family has an older brother, almost thirty and not marrying, Lei… my mama has just been very worried the whole time, urging us tightly.”

“You still have an older brother?”

“Yes, my relationship with my brother is especially good.”

Bai Zimu also didn’t know what he thought of, sitting there laughing to himself, actually looking a bit better in spirits than when standing in front of the stone stele during the day.

The jeep drove for a whole journey, the driver’s energy was very good, and was also an old hand, the whole journey was very safe.

Bai Zimu helped him watch the road the whole time, only squinting to sleep a bit during the early morning hours.

The sky was about to brighten, ahead the undulating snowy mountains could faintly be seen, and also a small house not far away.

The man’s eyes lit up a bit, saying:

“It’s an outpost, exactly we can go over to rest a bit, borrowing the place to start a fire to eat some things.”

That was a very small border outpost, just two stone houses of different heights built there, the reason it could be recognized, was because a flag was hung on its roof, faintly fluttering in the sky above.

Because of the backlight reason, when the jeep drove to the front of the house, the driver finally saw clearly the hanging flag was not a red flag, for a moment violently stepping on the gas pedal, turning the head and getting back on the highway!

Bai Zimu:

“Uncle, what’s wrong?”

“Sit steadily, might have run into tough characters!”

The driver gritted his teeth, the muscles on his cheeks bulging a few times, while looking at the rearview mirror urging him saying:

“In a while if the other party makes a move, absolutely do not resist, these people have hunting guns in their hands, getting hit on the body is not a joking matter! Also, I will negotiate with them, you hide behind me…”

Just as he was speaking, vehicles suddenly rushed out, four or five cars chasing behind them, all were heavy off-road vehicles, the very front one obviously modified, reinforcing the car body, the speed also increased a lot, when catching up provocatively bumping the rear of the jeep once.

The jeep was bumped deviating off the highway, under the bumpiness, Bai Zimu was almost strangled breathless by the seatbelt.

……

On the other side, the capital.

Lei Dongchuan for several days in a row, attended quite a few auctions.

Some auctions only required capital verification to enter, while a portion still needed the recommendation of people within the circle, the threshold being extremely high.

The three elders in Lei Dongchuan’s family, the wealthiest would have to count Dong Yuxiu and Mother Lei, but the two of them during normal days were both very busy people, at most attending one or two charity auctions a year, going to these kinds of antique and jewelry auctions very rarely, therefore also not having admission tickets.

Lei Dongchuan finally found people from Baohua Silver Building for help, under Lu Ping’s recommendation, getting an admission ticket.

Lu Ping knew he was investigating Luo Jiaqing’s matters, intentionally putting down the busy work at hand, coming over to accompany him to attend the auction together. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] He knew Lei Dongchuan was young in age, not quite understanding these jewelry and antiques, and sat beside him patiently explaining.

Lu Ping himself was quite proficient in miscellaneous learning, quoting classics and citing ancient works, under a round of explanation instead letting Lei Dongchuan learn quite a few things that could only be known within the gold object trade.

Lei Dongchuan flipped through the thin booklet in his hands, and raised his head to look at the items on the stage, roughly estimating a price in his heart, but the final hammered price of that item far exceeded the calculation he just made, multiplying four or five times over.

Lei Dongchuan turned his body slightly, asking Lu Ping in a low voice:

“Uncle Lu, just now the auctioneer said it was an overseas bid, this kind of situation raising the price through telephone is it common?”

Lu Ping said:

“Not necessarily, some things are fought over fiercely, will also multiply, but generally won’t exceed this much.”

“What are they usually?”

“That is far too many, antique calligraphy and paintings, jewelry and gold objects, things that have aged are always especially popular.”

Lu Ping said:

“Like last time Master took a fancy to an old antique ruby brooch, following and chasing the price seven or eight times, that thing’s craftsmanship was old, but couldn’t withstand its material being good, right now that pure, that large of a gemstone is hard to find, after Master bought it back and altered it, the second year in spring it went on the auction, the price compared to before directly doubled.”

A thought flashed past in Lei Dongchuan’s mind, he raised his eyes to look at an antique gold object placed inside the glass cover on the stage, thoughtful.

After the auction ended, Lei Dongchuan sent the other party back, and on the way asked again about the Luo family’s matters.

Lu Ping sighed a sound, and said:

“During the time two years ago Baohua Silver Building also encountered a matter, a group of people ran over to peddle cat’s eye stones, under the guise of our Baohua Silver Building’s signboard, at that time it made me anxious enough to choke, later although the matter was resolved, but I always felt something wasn’t right, those people’s intention of targeting was too obvious, I later followed that little bit of clue and investigated a bit, and actually did find out a few people, among which two had some dealings with Jinyuan Jewelry Store.”

Lei Dongchuan asked: “Luo family playing tricks again?”

Lu Ping was somewhat hesitant, after thinking about it still gently shook his head:

“I also can’t say for sure, those two people besides receiving Jinyuan Jewelry Store’s money before, also did transactions with an antique shop in the capital, the span from south to north was very large, and looking at the business done it didn’t seem like proper buying and selling.”

Lei Dongchuan had just heard of this in the auction house, lowering his voice and asking:

“Uncle Lu, are you saying they smuggle cultural relics?”

Lu Ping:

“I also merely guess.”

Lei Dongchuan:

“How much did you investigate?”

Lu Ping pondered for a bit, simply telling him everything he knew:

“Other things I couldn’t investigate, but the Luo family’s matters I could still inquire to a bit, the gold object trade has its own rules, the Luo family and Master’s matters from back in the year quite a few old people all know, the absolute majority of people still believe Master, especially after the rehabilitation, the Luo family is even more unable to blend into this circle. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Their business is done ordinarily, yet can maintain for so many years, inherently there are some unclear accounts hidden behind.”

“The Luo family has never been caught?”

“This isn’t too clear, what I heard are all just some rumors.”

Lu Ping picked a few to tell him,

“Just saying the Luo family once selected a piece of jewelry to send to a competition, that thing itself was quite ordinary, the material was also not that good, the craftsmanship was exactly the master craftsman level within the gold object trade, a chunk away from a true master, yet forcefully passed through five passes and slew six generals all the way to take the grand prize, at that time He Junhua of Yasong Jewelry Store was in a competitive relationship with them, because of this even making a fuss almost going to a lawsuit.”

“Wanted to sue the Luo family?”

“No, sue the referee, saying he judged unfairly.”

“Did the lawsuit succeed?”

Lu Ping smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying to him:

“No, if the lawsuit succeeded at that time, He Junhua also wouldn’t have gone as far as carrying a suitcase of diamonds and gemstones back in the year to come look for Master, begging his old man to come out of the mountain, to forge a treasure of the store for their Yasong Jewelry Store.”

Lei Dongchuan vaguely remembered the matters from back in the year, however he was still small at that time, the most profound memory was still Luo Jiaqing who followed over, from that time Luo Jiaqing was quite annoying to people, he even had a fight with Luo Jiaqing.

Lu Ping said:

“About a year later, that prize-winning jewelry of the Luo family was sent into the auction exhibition, selling for an astronomical price.”

Lei Dongchuan asked:

“Who acted as this sucker taking the loss?”

Lu Ping shook his head and said:

“I also don’t know, somewhat similar to today’s situation, also telephone remote bidding, only hearing saying the buyer who auctioned down that piece of Luo family’s jewelry is an overseas personage.”

Lei Dongchuan heard out some clues, having plans in his heart, after sending off Lu Ping he went to investigate a bit again.

He slowly accumulated his own network of connections in the capital, plus those people Dong Yuxiu previously introduced to let him know, and truly let him inquire out a bit of matters.

The Luo family’s business had a deficit; this time exactly doing a transaction with the capital’s antique trade, wanting to sell a Tang dynasty gold object, but the price could not be agreed upon the whole time. Although looking for quite a few shops, they were all to hoodwink the public, the true goal was wanting to transport that piece of treasure to overseas. It was just that the Luo family was unlucky this time, running into black eating black, having just arrived in the capital the goods were swallowed by the other party not counting, and was also reported once, the entire Jinyuan Jewelry Store being thoroughly investigated, funds frozen, the situation even more adding frost to snow.

The overseas clients chased them asking for the thing, the Luo family naturally couldn’t take it out, wanting to take out an item of equal weight how could it be easy, they then thought of Master He who was most adept at Tang dynasty gold object craftsmanship.

Reckoning they were also pressed hard, having no path to turn to, before discarding their face to beg in front of Master He.

Master He naturally was unwilling to agree, the old man hated evil like an enemy, even if he didn’t know these shady secrets of the Luo family, also still remembered the matters of back in the year, harboring deep resentment towards the Luo family.

When Luo Jiaqing was leaving, he still looked around a circle of “acquaintances” in the capital, attempting to borrow some money for turnover.

It was just that when the Luo family was rich and noble, there were still a few bad friends by their side, once falling into distress scattering one after another, Luo Jiaqing not borrowing a single cent returned home dejectedly.

……

Lei Dongchuan connected these together, having a few fractions more disdain towards that Jinyuan Jewelry Store in his heart; it was lucky this black shop wasn’t in Dongchang, if he knew the Luo family father and son did this kind of unconscionable business, would have caught them all in one net early on and reported them all to his second uncle, investigating down to the bottom.

Fang Qi standing on the side handed up the final piece of document, placing it on the desk:

“Boss, this is the matter of Luo Jiaqing you previously let me investigate, I have kept people keeping an eye on his whereabouts the whole time, after he went back he again went to the Tibet direction.”

Lei Dongchuan just wanted to pick it up to look, suddenly his mobile phone rang, the people who knew his mobile phone number were not many, suddenly an unfamiliar incoming call made Lei Dongchuan somewhat puzzled, after picking it up, hearing out it was the people of Professor Tang Qi’s “training camp group”.

“Hello, may I ask if this is Lei Dongchuan? I am Professor Tang Qi’s student, it’s like this, Professor Tang is writing a thesis report, needing a piece of data from previously, we cannot contact Bai Zimu, can only call the spare phone number he left behind, could I trouble you to help pass on a message, letting him find that piece of data a bit, Professor Tang is waiting to use it over here, a bit urgent…”

Lei Dongchuan stood up all at once, the knuckles pinching the mobile phone forcefully turning white:

“He isn’t together with you guys? Didn’t he say following Professor Tang to go do an academic seminar?”

“Ah? No, Professor Tang has not left the provincial capital during this period of time—”