Master Gu said, "This incense burner is from the mid-Yuan Dynasty, and it's absolutely forbidden for private sale now. I acquired it not long after the founding of the People's Republic of China. As for this vase, it's a product of the Ming Dynasty's official kiln. These two items should be worth no less than 30 million on the black market."
I gasped, "So expensive?"
"Compared to the things you mentioned, these two items are only inferior. I'm giving them to you now, and you don't need to worry about damaging them, but you have to promise me you'll get back everything you lost." Master Gu was a shrewd man; he knew that while the Yuan Dynasty incense burner and the Ming Dynasty vase were valuable, they had fixed prices, whereas the brand-new Jing Ke sword and Overlord armor were a different story.
I carefully wrapped the two antiques and said to Mr. Gu, "You can borrow them for a few days after we get them back."
Grandpa Gu's eyes lit up, but he immediately said, "Let's forget it. I'm afraid I won't be able to resist the temptation and will ruin my reputation in my old age."
I said, "Actually, there's not much to do. Jing Ke's sword isn't even as fast as our fruit knife, and Xiang Yu's armor is nothing special except for being flashy."
Grandpa Gu said, "What do you know? If you put it that way, antiques are all junk. The real fun in being with them is in imagining the stories of their past owners."
"Then you should read fantasy novels. Besides, if you collect a whole toilet full of them, will people with rich imaginations ever eat? — I also have to tell you something. That Listening Wind Bottle was actually repaired a few days ago. You don't need to make any connections. If you want to see me, I'll call Jin Dajian over here to repair your bowls every day."
Grandpa Gu waved his hand, signaling me to get lost.
I had just gotten into the car when He Tiandou called me right on cue. He gave me an address and told me to go meet Gu Debai.
I said, "You want me to go alone with tens of millions of dollars worth of stuff?"
He Tiandou laughed and said, "Don't worry, they definitely won't kill you. Besides, you have quite a few of those random gadgets that Liu Laoliu gave you, so protecting yourself shouldn't be a problem."
From this, I've come to the conclusion that: a despicable person isn't necessarily a god, but a god is definitely despicable. From Liu Laoliu to He Tiandou, no matter what they looked like—a hoodlum or a gentleman—they basically never did anything decent.
The other party was openly staying in a hotel. I easily found the room number they had given us, knocked, and went in. Goodbai smiled and shook my hand. There were two other foreigners in the room, watching an advertisement on a local TV station. I really didn't expect that we would meet so easily; it was even smoother than discussing soybeans. Maybe this is how it is when dealing with the Mafia. Offering a rose and a copy of "Reference News" is outdated. They seemed very confident that we wouldn't call the police.
I put the things on the table and said to Goodbai, "Check the goods. If you're satisfied, release them." Then I plopped down on the sofa, grabbed the two foreigners' Marlboros, and started smoking, only to cough and choke. I hissed, "Is this what genuine Marlboros taste like?"
An innocent-looking foreigner said, "I bought it downstairs."
Another foreigner seemed somewhat gloating: "It's probably fake cigarettes."
I:"……"
Goodbai put on gloves and carefully opened the bag I had brought. When he saw the incense burner covered in blemishes, he frowned slightly but said nothing and went into another room. Low voices could be heard coming from inside; they must be their experts.
A few minutes later, Goodbai came out, taking off his gloves as he said casually, "The Yuan and Ming dynasty items are fine."
Although he didn't show anything on his face, he was very alert, blocking the doorway to prevent me from seeing the people inside. I instinctively peeked out, and the two foreigners next to me immediately put their hands on the guns in front of their chests. I rolled my eyes at them; after all, we were supposed to be friends who smoked fake cigarettes together.
Goodbai gently closed the door and sat down beside me. I said, "Since there's no problem, can our buddy let us in now?"
Goodbai looked me over with amusement and said, "Mr. Xiao, the antiques we want... well, our boss isn't too satisfied with the two items you brought."
"So what kind of product do you want?"
“We are very curious about one thing: why do the things you handle, even though they are from the Qin Dynasty, still look brand new? Are they so well preserved before, or do you have some kind of technique to make antiques look brand new? That’s exactly what our boss wants.”
I casually replied, "Hey, what new technology? You just wipe it with alcohol."
Goodbai stared at me in surprise for a long time, and finally asked doubtfully, "...Is it really just as simple as alcohol?"
I pretended to be guilty and said, "Actually... it's not that simple."
Goodbai leaned closer to me and said, "Can you tell me?"
I stammered, "Besides alcohol, we also need gasoline."
Goodbai: "..."
I'm not too worried about this issue; after all, it's not something science can explain, so I can talk a big game for now. I have to thank Goodbai for his two master's degrees; someone like him, if he can't come up with a reasonable explanation, will only use more advanced equipment instead of just wild speculation.
I said, "Can you release them now? I've already given you the items, and there are no problems. Also, these are the last two treasures I have left."
Good said, "Mr. Xiao, please don't say that. Actually, everything we've done is for the purpose of cooperating with you. We never intended to take anything from you for free. Including now. If you agree to continue our cooperation in the future, we will still pay you for everything we took from you before."
I said helplessly, "It seems you've got me figured out. If I say I really don't have what you want, you definitely won't believe me?"
Goodbai shrugged with a smile.
I held out my hand to him and said, "Okay, I have plenty of stuff. I wish us a pleasant cooperation in the future."
Goodbai paused for a moment before shaking my hand, and said somewhat absentmindedly, "Mr. Xiao's way of thinking is often unpredictable."
"Can you release him now? Anyway, if I change my mind, you can kidnap him again."
Goodbai: "...Release him, I'll release him right now." He did indeed make a phone call, speaking a few words in a foreign language, and judging from his tone, he was indeed giving orders. Following He Tiandou's instructions, I only ask that they restore Kongkong'er's freedom; then these two will naturally deal with them.
So far, things have been going very smoothly, almost too smoothly, but I haven't found any flaws. A short while later, He Tiandou called to let me know he was safe; they had actually released Kongkong!
Before leaving, Goodbai finally couldn't help but ask, "Can antiques really be cleaned with gasoline and alcohol?"
I guessed this bright student was planning to practice on Grandpa Gu's incense burner. Anyway, the old man had said he wasn't afraid of damaging it, so I said, "Of course." As I spoke, I took out a brand-new, shiny lighter and waved it in front of Gu Debai's eyes. "See this lighter? Isn't it new? But can you guess which dynasty it's from?"
Goodbai's eyes lit up: "Which dynasty?"
I patted him on the shoulder with a smile: "From this dynasty."
Goodbai stood there dumbfounded. By the time he reacted and started cursing in seven or eight languages, I was already far away—I just love teasing such high-achieving but low-ability kids.
When I got back, there was a middle-aged man around forty years old in the house. He was short, bald, and had a sharp, wiry look on his face. He Tiandou was asking him questions. It seemed that this was Kongkong'er.
I slumped into the sofa and said casually, "The rest is all up to you guys."
He Tiandou asked Kongkong'er, "Can you still find their hideout now?"
Kongkong'er said, "They drugged me, and I've been unconscious ever since. Godfather, what do you plan to do?"