Just as Liang En took out the metal detector and began searching, the detector buzzed after only a few seconds. Bending down and searching for a moment, Liang En quickly felt a brass cartridge on the side of a wine barrel.
".45 ACP pistol cartridge, and it's a model from after World War I," Liang En confirmed the cartridge's model as he picked it up and examined it.
Because the early version of this handgun cartridge, which appeared in the early 20th century, had a groove around the cartridge case to prevent the bullet from getting stuck, this feature was eliminated with technological improvements during World War I.
Soon, Liang En found seven or eight more cartridges in various corners of the wine cellar. Cartridges themselves were of little value, but the presence of spent cartridges in a wine cellar was an interesting occurrence. Normally, there wouldn't be many people firing guns inside a wine cellar.
"It seems this wine cellar is not ordinary," Liang En remarked as he discovered the situation. His interest in the wine cellar grew, and his actions naturally quickened.
Half an hour later, he had gone through everything in the wine cellar. Apart from the cartridges, he also uncovered a dozen or so bottles of whisky, large and small.
The reason the loot wasn't substantial was primarily due to the unfavorable local environment for preserving various items. For instance, those large wine barrels he had seen at the entrance of the wine cellar were all empty due to long-term corrosion. The wood of the barrels had deteriorated, and the wine had long since vanished.
The same fate befell the glass-bottled whisky. Due to the corrosion of the stoppers and caps, most of the contents had disappeared, with only these dozen or so lucky bottles being preserved.
However, it was during this process that Liang En realized the wine cellar was not as simple as it seemed on the surface. There was likely a hidden space.
This assumption arose because when Liang En examined the depths of the wine cellar, he discovered a heap of various debris at the far end, which not only clashed with the surrounding environment but also defied logic.
After all, a wine cellar needed to be kept clean, and it was improbable to have a pile of trash inside. If the debris had been thrown in after the wine cellar was abandoned, anyone with common sense would not have placed it all the way inside; it would have been stacked near the entrance.
So, after moving the bottles that still appeared to contain whisky out of the wine cellar, Liang En waved a shovel to clear away the pile of debris on the ground. Soon, a black-painted iron plate appeared before him.
After lifting the iron plate and waiting for the air to clear for about half an hour, Liang En donned a gas mask and climbed down. At the bottom of the stairs, he discovered a space spanning several dozen square meters.
Oddly, although the area of this underground room wasn't large, apart from a room with a three-meter high ceiling, there was also a corridor just ten meters in length, allowing only one person to pass through at a time.
And at the other end of the room, there was a pile of objects covered with oilcloth.
"Let me see what this is..." Liang En murmured as he walked forward and lifted the oilcloth, raising a cloud of dust. When the dust settled and the oilcloth fell, a set of peculiar containers came into view before him.
"Is this a boiler?" Liang En looked curiously at the machine in front of him, comprised of sealed containers and a series of pipes. In his impression, machines like these, with containers, pipes, combustion chambers, and instruments, easily evoked thoughts of boilers.
However, he quickly abandoned this speculation after closer inspection. He realized that both the container and pipe walls were thin, and even the container could be dismantled with simple tools.
"In other words, this thing is a distiller. A distiller for making homemade whisky," Liang En concluded about the purpose of this apparatus as he recognized its lack of pressure resistance. He combined this with his earlier inference from the wine cellar. After all, Ireland was known for producing whisky, so he had seen similar equipment before. He suspected that these instruments might have been hidden due to the Prohibition era in the United States during the early 20th century.
From 1920 to 1933, the United States enacted the 18th Amendment to its Constitution, prohibiting the brewing, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. This period is known as the Prohibition era.
The reasons for this law were twofold. Firstly, the United States, being a country with a strong Puritan influence, believed that alcohol was morally corrupting and that prohibition would lead the country back to a morally pure secular society. Secondly, unlike the low-alcohol beer and cider that Americans had consumed earlier, the late 19th and early 20th centuries saw an increase in the production of high-alcohol-content whisky, which caused a series of social problems.
However, the effects of Prohibition were not as intended. From the first day of its implementation, various illegal alcoholic beverages, underground bars, and associated illicit activities proliferated.
Among these illegal beverages, apart from a few imported items, most were produced in devices like this distiller.
Therefore, the presence of such a distiller in this location wasn't strange. After all, there were numerous mining camps here, and most of the workers were affluent bachelors, leading to a high demand for alcoholic drinks.
Although this was a remote area and there were few inspections related to Prohibition, the channels for obtaining alcohol from the outside world were cut off, forcing the local owners to distill their own alcohol to supply their bars.
Given these circumstances, the distillers used for making alcohol didn't need to be as small and affordable as those in the East Coast cities. After Liang En carefully examined it, he realized that this distiller, apart from being easily dismantled, was nearly identical to a legitimate distillery apparatus. Both the primary copper structure and the instruments used for monitoring the distillation process looked similar to those in proper distilleries, just slightly smaller in scale.
This design actually helped Liang En. Once he understood the simple structure of the distiller, he quickly dismantled it using the tools he had brought with him.
It had to be said that the earlier Viking card was indeed incredibly useful. Without the strengthening it provided in this chapter, he would have struggled to carry each 50 kg piece of the dismantled distiller on his own to his vehicle.
"Hmm, what's this?" As Liang En disassembled the main container, he suddenly noticed that there was a tightly wrapped oilcloth package inside.
After moving the oilcloth package to the ground and opening it, he revealed a violin case and a small leather box. However, when Liang En reached out to open the violin case, he realized it was heavier than he had anticipated.
"As expected, this is a Chicago Typewriter." After opening the case, he found a disassembled Thompson submachine gun lying quietly inside. Due to being sealed in the container previously, there was no trace of rust on the entire gun.
Unlike the improved M1A1 version from World War II, this M1928 submachine gun featured a compensator at the muzzle, a barrel cooling fin, a small grip beneath the barrel, and a 50-round drum magazine. It was the finest version of the Thompson submachine gun.
Of course, due to its complex structure and high production costs, the production volume of this version of the submachine gun was disappointingly low. However, its current value was high.
After carefully placing the M1928 submachine gun, Liang En opened another box. To his surprise, he found two pistols inside along with the corresponding tools.
Unlike the expensive M1928 submachine gun, the pistols in this box were common M1911A1 models. Fortunately, both pistols were well-preserved, and the additional stag horn grips added significant value to them.
Seeing these two pistols, Liang En realized that the narrow corridor he had seen in the basement earlier wasn't just a passage but a shooting range used by this underground liquor dealer for firearm testing.
As Liang En confirmed that both the still and the three guns were relics from the Prohibition era, three new cards instantly appeared in his mind. Among them were two "Detection (N)" cards and a new bronze-tier "R" card.
"Let me see if this card is related to the Thompson submachine gun," Liang En thought excitedly as he saw the new card. After all, during that era, gangsters wielding Thompsons and firing in the streets had become a symbol of American society.
[Cocktail (R): There are seven possible origins of cocktails, but the most widely recognized one dates back to 1776. A New York bar was about to close when an officer requested a drink. The remaining drinks were mixed together and stirred with a chicken feather.
The officers enjoyed the taste and asked the waiter for the name of the drink. The waiter replied, "This is 'Cocktails' (plural form of chicken feathers), hence the name 'Cocktail'."
Enhancement Card (one-time use): By consuming this card, you can gain knowledge about cocktail mixing and tasting, limited to mixing only, not including flair bartending. Note that you'll only gain the skill, not physical enhancement.
Liang En was puzzled by this card. He couldn't quite understand the connection between this card and the items he had found.
Fortunately, after climbing onto the rooftop and regaining signal on his phone, he used keywords to search online and found the connections among these items.
During the Prohibition era, drinking alcohol was risky, so having any kind of alcohol was considered good. To avoid detection and mitigate the effects of low-quality alcohol, people started mixing various ingredients, giving rise to the popularity of cocktails.
After the end of Prohibition, cocktail recipes from Europe elevated these alcoholic beverages to a higher level, making cocktails a mainstream choice.
"After I go back, I need to form a team," Liang En thought as he slumped into a seat. He had made several trips to the basement within the basement, and he realized that while he had gained enhanced abilities from the cards, he still had limitations. Having companions would significantly improve his efficiency.
After clearing out the cellar in the tavern's courtyard and with noon approaching, Liang En took out the self-heating food he had brought and began to eat. At the same time, he contemplated his goals for the afternoon.
Narrowing down his options, he set his sights on the building where the former mayor's mistress had lived in this small town. It was to be his second target of the day and the last before calling it quits.
His reason for choosing this was simple. While items like antique jeans or vintage cola bottles could fetch a decent amount, he needed to find more valuable things, especially considering he was alone.
Places like the coal miner's residence or the town's residential area were naturally abandoned since he was aiming for more lucrative findings. As for the bank or the police station, while they seemed promising, given the state of the town's decay, the scavengers who had visited before him had likely picked those places clean already.
As for how Liang En learned about the room where the mayor's mistress resided, it was by sheer coincidence. While cleaning out the underground cellar, he stumbled upon an abandoned ledger. This ledger documented certain events from the final days of the town.
The target location was a two-story building made of red bricks. However, due to the passage of time, the entire roof had collapsed, reducing the building to a pile of ruins.
"Ah..." Looking at the debris before him, Liang En displayed a gesture of resignation. Yet, since he was already here, he thought it would be more suitable to take a stroll around the place before leaving.
However, just as he was using a metal detector to conduct a comprehensive search on the rubble with a somewhat resigned expression, he unexpectedly heard an alarm from a certain spot on a remaining wall.
"This might have been a storage room or study in the original layout of the room." After a quick examination of his surroundings, Liang En made a judgment, "Excluding the height of the debris pile, this spot should be at the chest level of a person around 1.7 meters in height."
This judgment also indirectly suggested that the metallic response within the wall was most likely caused by something hidden there intentionally, rather than being a part of the building materials or something else entirely.
With this in mind, Liang En immediately fetched a hammer and started to strike the wall. Fortunately, red brick walls were much easier to break than reinforced concrete, so with just a few strikes, a sizable hole appeared in the wall.
Without hesitation, Liang En quickly reached into the hole and retrieved a wax-paper bundle that had been placed inside. He then rapidly moved away from the now precariously unstable wall that he had heavily struck moments ago.
Once he was safely out of the danger zone, he finally had the chance to examine the wax-paper bundle, which was about the size of a glasses case. Judging from the traces on the wax-paper, it had been well-preserved inside the wall. At the very least, there were no signs of significant mold or decay.
"Did mistresses back then really live in such poverty?" Looking at the dusty wax-paper bundle, Liang En quipped before opening it, then revealing the box contained within.
However, in the instant the box was opened, he was utterly stunned by its contents.
"This is simply bizarre," Liang En whispered under his breath, for what appeared before him was a necklace that was decidedly abnormal: a necklace adorned with seven bird heads set onto gold plates.
This bird head necklace featured green and red hummingbird heads. Through online image searches, he discovered that these two types of hummingbirds hailed from Brazil in South America.
It was unclear what the designer of the necklace had been thinking, as the two red hummingbird heads flanking the central one were hung upside-down on the necklace. Consequently, as soon as the box was opened, gravity caused the bird heads to stand upright.
For Liang En, this piece of jewelry was among the most macabre he had ever seen. While hummingbirds were undoubtedly beautiful, these pretty little heads should have remained attached to their bodies rather than being fashioned into jewelry.
At least in his eyes, this jewelry was in the same vein as necklaces made from human bones—both exuded a distinct possessiveness, a certain cruel sentiment.
"England, London, 18 New Bond Street. 1868." As he read the inscription on the box, Liang En felt that this jewelry might not have belonged to the last mayor's mistress. After all, the house itself had quite a history.
However, whether it was the cruel craftsmanship or the unknown owner, none of that hindered Liang En from considering this box and its contents as his own discovery. After all, this was a part of history.
After exploring the small building, it was already 5 o'clock in the afternoon. So, Liang En finished his work and left the abandoned town with the items he had found.
Once he left the mountainous area, it had already turned dark. He found a safe spot, parked his car by the side of the road, and dialed Mr. Bruce's number.
"Hello, Liang. What can I do for you?" The voice on the other end belonged to Mr. Bruce himself, and you could tell he was in quite a good mood.
"Well, I've come across some items from the Prohibition era that I'm thinking of selling. Since I'm not American, it's a bit challenging for me to handle them. I wanted to ask if you might be interested in these items."
"Could you tell me what they are? It would be great if you could send over a few pictures." As soon as Liang En mentioned it, Bruce, who was having drinks with some friends, immediately straightened up and said.
"I'm not particularly interested, but there are a few people around me who are similar to me in taste. One of them might be interested in these items."
"Understood, thank you. Please give me ten minutes." Upon hearing this from Mr. Bruce, Liang En promptly thanked him, hung up the phone, hopped onto the cargo bed of his car, flipped open the tarp, took some photos, and sent them to Mr. Bruce.
A few minutes after sending the photos, Liang En received a callback from Mr. Bruce. In the call, Bruce mentioned that one of his friends who owns a bar was very interested in the items, and he wanted Liang En to deliver them to a residence in Tidton County.
Around 10:30 PM, Liang En drove the rented pickup truck into a residence several kilometers away from the town in Tidton County.
As soon as he parked the car and before he could turn off the engine, Bruce, who had been informed of his arrival through surveillance cameras, came out of the house along with several middle-aged and elderly people.
"We were having a little party just now." After Liang En got out of the car, Mr. Bruce pulled him aside and said in a low voice. "And after seeing the photos you sent, everyone wanted to take a look at those items."
"No problem, the more, the merrier. After all, these aren't things that need to be kept in the dark." Liang En nodded gently as he looked at the gathering crowd. "By the way, could you tell me who's interested in my items this time?"
"It's Mr. Carlos." Bruce pointed to a middle-aged man of Mexican descent not far away, who was excitedly instructing his servants to remove the cloth cover and shine a light on the distillation apparatus. "He runs several bars and specializes in a vintage aesthetic."
"If I remember correctly, the style he emphasizes at his largest bar in Los Angeles is from the 1920s and 1930s. So, your items should fit his requirements."
"Very nice, these are exquisite pieces from the Prohibition era's private distilleries." As a professional, Mr. Carlos quickly recognized the distillation apparatus and exclaimed loudly.
"Or rather, even though these were intended for producing bootleg alcohol during Prohibition, they were actually crafted by legitimate distillers and workers in proper distilleries. The alcohol produced is no different from regular commercial spirits."
"That era saw this as quite a common thing. Because Prohibition left them all unemployed, naturally they needed some jobs to support their families."
"How's the situation?" Bruce walked over with Liang En and asked, "Oh, by the way, Old Carlos, Mr. Liang here is a scholar of ancient Egyptian languages and he recently did me a big favor, so don't bring out your usual business attitude."
"Liang—" Hearing Bruce's words, a middle-aged white man wearing single-lens glasses and dressed like an old cowboy spoke up. "Is he the one who published a paper in the 'Journal of the British Archaeological Association' recently?"
Liang En's surname is uncommon in the Western world, and Bruce had already pointed out his expertise in ancient Egyptian languages, so an older gentleman quickly pieced something together and asked.
"Yes, sir, I've published two articles already, and I've just submitted the third one." Liang En replied, then took out his phone and showed the older gentleman the reply he received from the 'Journal of the British Archaeological Association'.
"Your research is truly invaluable." Upon acknowledging Liang En's identity, the elderly man suddenly became quite excited. "I believe your progress in this field has surpassed all research from the previous ten centuries—"
"Alright, Hans, you can discuss academic matters later. Since we know Mr. Liang is not just a treasure hunter, but also a top scholar in certain aspects, the attitude of Carlos, the chain bar owner, has improved as well."
"Mr. Liang, I like both this complete distillation apparatus and the three guns, so would you be willing to transfer them to me together?"
"Of course, I'm willing. After all, I'm not that interested in these modern items, so naturally, I'd like to sell them for a good price." Liang En nodded and said, "So please make an offer. If it's suitable, they're yours."
"If that's the case—" Seeing Liang En regain control over the pricing, Carlos fell into thought. Since Liang En's intentions were different from what he initially assumed, the pricing needed adjustment.
Before, he treated Liang En as an ordinary treasure seeker, so he naturally hoped to push the price down as much as possible. But now, a price too low would not be appropriate for presentation.
This change was dictated by social status. As wealthy individuals, they naturally held a higher status than treasure hunters who scoured everywhere. However, it was a different matter when the treasure hunter was a somewhat renowned scholar.
"I think $88,000 is an appropriate figure." After pondering for about a dozen seconds, Carlos stated a price. Then he proceeded to explain to everyone present.
"The distillation apparatus is in good condition, and I'm in the same profession, so I'm willing to pay $22,000 for it. As for the two handguns, even though they've been modified and are well-preserved, they were produced in large quantities, so I can offer $3,500."
"The most valuable item among them is the M1928, because it's a rare legally owned automatic weapon nowadays, and it's in excellent condition. Taking into account similar items' prices, I'm willing to offer $62,500."
Gun regulations in the United States are becoming increasingly strict. In the past, people could even buy heavy weaponry like machine guns. However, these are now banned, with the only exception being firearms from before the ban took effect.
But guns are unlike ordinary items; they wear out. So, after some time, these firearms naturally become rarer. Therefore, their prices rise with time.
For instance, a submachine gun like this one could easily fetch $70,000 to $80,000 at an auction. However, in a direct transaction without middlemen, a price slightly above $60,000 is still reasonable.
As for the distillation equipment, Liang En had no idea about its market price. However, in this situation, the other party wasn't likely to haggle.
"That works." After thinking for a few seconds, Liang En made a decision. Even though he could have asked for a bit more at this point, raising the price a thousand or two dollars was entirely unnecessary in this context.
These magnates are quick to pay up, that's for sure. Just over ten minutes later, Liang En received a notification from the bank regarding the funds being transferred, and then a bodyguard drove the car away.
"A pleasure doing business." Carlos extended his hand to shake Liang En's and invited, "I believe we can continue our gathering together."
"Oh, a headache. It seems staying up late isn't a good idea after all." Early the next morning, Liang En woke up in his guest room at the Carlos Manor, shaking his head to clear away the fog in his mind.
Last night, he had been chatting with this group of people until late. However, the gains were substantial.
At the very least, Hans, the elder who managed various art-related businesses, had expressed that Liang En could directly sell him any valuable items in the future. This meant that Liang En had opened up a new sales channel.
Over the next week, he spent a leisurely time in Yellowstone Park, enjoying a laid-back week that felt like a Christmas vacation. As the holiday came to an end, his father had also managed to find a reliable helping hand for him.
"Do you remember Fan Meng? He's the son of your Uncle Fan," Liang En's father said over the phone, "He's back now, and your Uncle Fan asked me to help him find a job."
"Fan Meng, Uncle Fan's son—ah, I remember," Liang En immediately recalled the person his father was talking about.
In Ireland, there were very few early Chinese immigrants, and this Uncle Fan was a good friend of their family from before. He was of Indonesian-Chinese descent and had immigrated here with his parents due to discrimination.
The reason the two families became acquainted was also quite coincidental. When Liang En's father had just arrived and was buying seeds, he was almost swindled by an ABC (American-born Chinese) and nearly lost everything. Fortunately, Uncle Fan stepped in to help, recovering most of the losses and dealing with the swindler legally.
After that incident, a deep friendship developed between Liang En's family and Uncle Fan's family. The best vegetables from their farm were often sold to Fan's restaurant.
Fan Meng was Uncle Fan's second son. Unlike his elder sister, who eventually got into Oxford, and his younger brother, who had a talent for cooking and spent his days experimenting in the kitchen, Fan Meng wasn't good at academics and didn't enjoy cooking.
During their time in middle school, Fan Meng was a year ahead of Liang En. Because their families had a good relationship and both of them liked military matters, they got along well.
Later, due to Fan Meng's good health and bravery, he locked himself in his room for a week after failing to get into university after high school. Then, he made the decision to join the French Foreign Legion.
Even after he joined the Legion, Liang En kept in touch with him. However, due to the Legion's overseas deployments, they could only chat for about ten minutes once every month or two.
Considering that Fan Meng was a year older, he had just completed his five-year contract. Clearly, he hadn't chosen to become a non-commissioned officer and stay in the military as a professional. Instead, he had chosen to retire.
"Mengzi, what are you up to now?" After hanging up with his father, Liang En dialed Fan Meng's new number directly. The moment the call connected, he heard a cacophony of voices, with the sound of stir-frying mixed in.
"Since I retired from the foreign legion, I've been working for my dad's shop, driving and delivering goods. Anyway, I have shares and a severance package from the retirement, so I'm just taking it easy for now."
The microphone carried the accent of the Guangdong province in Southern China, spoken in Mandarin. As an Indonesian-Chinese person, his Chinese was indeed much better than that of most second or third-generation overseas Chinese.
"By the way, I heard from my dad that you've made a fortune recently, even bought the ranch next to your house. Is that true?" After exchanging a few pleasantries, Fan Meng asked straightforwardly.
"It's true, but it's a bit like winning the lottery, relying purely on luck. That's why I used most of the money to buy the ranch. After all, for us Chinese, land is the most valuable asset."
"Absolutely." Fan Meng nodded and then shifted the topic. "By the way, you're not just calling to chat, are you? I guess my old man wants you to help me find a job."
"Uh, your guess is right," Liang En admitted directly. "My business is getting busier, and I can't handle it all by myself. So, I need a reliable helping hand—"
Next, Liang En briefly explained the nature of his work. During his description of searching in the wilderness, Fan Meng often interrupted him, asking about things he had glossed over.
"Alright, buddy, I'm in," even though Liang En skipped mentioning facing off against arms smugglers like a black market gun dealer, Fan Meng, having spent so many years in the foreign legion, could naturally catch a hint.
"My work here is quite demanding, and sometimes it can be dangerous—" out of habit, Liang En tried to offer a warning, but Fan Meng cut him off before he could finish.
"No worries, can it be any more dangerous than a battlefield?" Fan Meng brushed it off, "It's settled then. Give me a call when you're back in Dublin, and I'll pick you up at the airport."
After they made plans, Liang En continued his journey in Yellowstone National Park. It wasn't until two days later that he boarded a plane and returned to Dublin.
"Mengzi, here we are again." Stepping out of the airport with his luggage, Liang En's first sight was Fan Meng holding up a sign in the waiting area. The two immediately exchanged shoulder taps.
"Yeah, it's been two years since we last saw each other since that one time I came back from vacation," Fan Meng grinned, revealing a scar on the side of his cheek, which, combined with his towering physique, gave him a somewhat fierce appearance.
Unlike Liang En, Fan Meng's mother was an Eastern European immigrant. So, he used to look quite handsome, even somewhat resembling the male lead from Twilight.
However, now, the scar on his right cheek completely destroyed the original pretty boy image.
"What happened to your face?" Liang En inquired about the scar on Fan Meng's face. "Just a shrapnel, really. I was protecting an injured comrade at the time and didn't have time to protect my handsome face," Fan Meng said nonchalantly.
"And at that moment, I was quite lucky. If it had been a bit higher, I would have lost my eye. And if it had been a bit lower, you would have been seeing me with a white chrysanthemum."
On the way back, Liang En told Fan Meng about things like confronting arms smugglers in the wilderness, then got serious. "Contrary to what you might have originally thought, this job requires patience and can be dangerous—"
"I'm totally fine with that," Fan Meng shrugged. "Actually, your job seems much easier and safer than I imagined it to be. By the way, what specific tasks will I mainly be doing?"
"Relax, I'll handle the specialized work. You just need to drive, handle the lifting, and excavate when needed. Of course, sometimes you might need to pay attention to security," Liang En said as he drove.
"Of course, if you have other skills, that would be even better. After all, this job involves going out into the wilderness, and having a diverse skill set will be very beneficial."
"I can use a metal detector, build shelters, and do vehicle maintenance," Fan Meng said, "For a year, I spend four months overseas on peacekeeping or counter-terrorism missions. I'm also an armored vehicle driver in the amphibious unit, so I've learned quite a few skills."
"That's fantastic. You know I had a ton of issues during my last wilderness assignment—" hearing Fan Meng, Liang En quipped.
Soon, the two arrived at Liang En's parents' farm. After greeting his family, they moved the things Liang En had stored at home to the underground storage of his newly purchased ranch.
During the Cold War era, the shadow of nuclear warfare loomed over the heads of people worldwide. Just targeting the UK alone involved 1,200 nuclear missiles. In this situation, the fear of nuclear war became deeply ingrained in everyone's hearts.
For many citizens of that time, before entering the realm of dreams at night, they anxiously worried whether they would wake up alive the next morning.
Thus, in such circumstances, constructing various types of protective shelters became a popular practice. For instance, various countries were frantically building public civil defense structures, and many individuals would also construct private shelters.
Beside the small private ranch residence that Liang En purchased, there was one such private shelter. Unlike the simple shelters ordinary people constructed, this shelter was located next to the ranch, owned by a wealthy person. That's why it could be built 7 meters underground.
As the global situation changed, the risk of a worldwide nuclear war diminished, causing this shelter to gradually fall into disuse. It transformed into an underground storage space for the ranch's owner.
Upon taking possession of this ranch, Liang En made only minor renovations. The significant change he made was converting this underground nuclear shelter into an antique warehouse, intending to store various items he might discover in the future.
Of course, this not-so-large underground space was currently quite empty. Apart from a safe in one corner containing the chess pieces Liang En had found on Lewis Island, the Kazan copper pot, and some small trinkets, there were only a few items that had been shipped from the United States.
It had to be said that Mr. Bruce, the person from before, was indeed impressive. Not only did he help Liang En transport the ring, necklace, and the RB calligraphy and painting, but he also brought back the 56 Half and completed the necessary procedures for it.
"European Union gun permit, Class B. That's not an easy license to obtain," remarked Fan Meng, a former soldier who was well aware of these matters. Compared to Class C and Class D licenses, which only allowed single-shot civilian rifles and had restrictions on carrying firearms in residential areas, this Class B license permitted the ownership of up to three long guns and two handguns.
"Unfortunately, I only have a Class C license, so I can only possess purely single-shot civilian rifles and can't carry handguns," Fan Meng shrugged, adding, "Your luck is indeed quite good to have encountered a big shot who helped you with all these procedures."
"You can try out this semi-automatic later," Liang En said, "I remember there's an area on the ranch that's set up as a shooting range. It seems the former owner of the ranch built it himself."
"Alright, I'll go have some fun shooting," Fan Meng said, using the excuse of playing with guns to leave the underground shelter after finishing moving things. Once he had left, Liang En began examining the antiques that had been brought all the way from the United States.
After getting ready, he first opened the rectangular wooden box containing the RB calligraphy and painting. From inside, he took out a scroll and slowly unrolled it, revealing a scroll that had turned brown over time.
There weren't many characters on the scroll, with only four lines excluding the signature. Fortunately, ancient RB held a deep respect for Chinese culture, so these words were all written in Chinese rather than Japanese.
"By the southern banks of the Ganges, who would come to my Chan empty hall, not worth half a coin," Liang En softly read the words on the paper, his face showing a pensive expression.
Although he couldn't currently discern the exact meaning of what was written, he could sense a strong sense of arrogance and a kind of profound realization hidden beneath that arrogance.
"The author of this should be a high-ranking monk," Liang En contemplated, looking at the final signature, and then he saw the five characters, "Donghai Chun Yi Xiu... Chun Yi Xiu!"
After reading the contents of the signature, Liang En's mind raced, and then his eyes widened because even if he wasn't an RB person, he definitely was not unfamiliar with this name.
In order to validate his thoughts, Liang En pulled out his phone and began searching. Not only did he discover the specific identity of the person behind the signature, but he also found out what exactly this piece was.
Just as he had suspected, this "Donghai Chun Yi Xiu" was the same as the "Clever Yi Xiu" he had watched in the animation series "Clever Yi Xiu" during his childhood.
There were many stories about him, and to summarize briefly, he was a monk similar to the ancient Chinese Daoji monk, akin to the venerable Ji Gong, known as the "Living Buddha" of that time.
Liang En now held in his hands a handwritten piece from 1481. It was composed by the 88-year-old Yi Xiu on his deathbed, and it was his farewell verse.
What Liang En didn't know was that this piece of writing had manifested here from two different worlds with slight discrepancies. In the world Liang En was previously in, this piece had always been preserved at the RB Kyoto's Pearl An Temple.
In this world, however, this piece had been sold in 1944 and had since disappeared, leaving behind only a few blurry photographs from the 1930s.
The reason for this difference was due to the fact that in this world, during the final stages of World War II, the United States' bombing also targeted Kyoto. The city suffered considerable damage, leading to significant changes in the fate of people and objects.
Regarding the piece itself, it primarily embodied a spirit of tranquility and serenity, reflecting the culmination of Yi Xiu's life in his poetry, calligraphy, and Zen cultivation.
At the time, Mr. Bruce had estimated the value of this piece to be seventy to eighty thousand US dollars, likely because calligraphy itself was already quite niche. Hence, during the evaluation, the significance and value of this work had likely gone unnoticed.
Out of caution, Liang En used a [Appraisal (N)] card. Soon, rows of small text appeared before him, clarifying the background of this Yi Xiu's handwritten work.
[The final handwritten piece left behind by Master Yi Xiu before his nirvana. Due to the large-scale bombings before the end of World War II, this handwritten piece left Pearl An Temple and was subsequently sold.]
[After the conclusion of World War II, this significant calligraphy and Buddhist work went through multiple transactions and eventually left RB, making its way to the United States, where it has been preserved until today.]
And just as these words concluded, two cards were revealed. One was the common [Detection (N)] card, and the other was [Japanese (R)].
[Japanese (R): As a Buddhist master, Master Yi Xiu was most known for his eloquence, using language to help others comprehend the power of Buddhism.
Enhancement card (one-time use), consuming this card enables the user to proficiently master all aspects of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Japanese from the Heian period to the present day.]
"It's not about Buddhism after all," Liang En, while somewhat surprised that the card that appeared on this piece was different from his expectations, was also quite pleased with the prospect of being able to fluently master Japanese.
After all, Master Yi Xiu was a venerable monk. If the Buddhist teachings he could gain this time were particularly profound, Liang En couldn't guarantee that his will wouldn't be significantly influenced, possibly leading him to become a monk.
Having confirmed the true identity of this RB calligraphy, Liang En placed it into the specialized safe he had spent quite a sum of money to acquire. He then used the [Japanese (R)] card.
With a solemn expression, he then took out the small box containing the gold-plated silver ring, preparing to examine the origins of this previously enigmatic ring.
The ring in question is made of silver with a gold plating, adorned with diamond-shaped decorations on the exterior and featuring some patterns on its sides.
The ring's face employs a unique design with a triangular prism shape, engraved with Gothic-style English letters "IHS" and "MAR," symbolizing significant religious figures in Christianity.
To be candid, during that era, rings with religious motifs like these were quite commonplace. You could even say that among ten rings, eight of them would be of this type. If it weren't for the small cross on the box, this ring might fetch as high as 200 pounds.
Regarding the fact that the ring size being relatively small doesn't necessarily imply that the owner is female: in that time, warriors often wore rings on their pinky or ring fingers to avoid hindrance to their weapon usage.
"It seems I'll have to use another card." After carefully inspecting the ring and its box, Liang En, puzzled about the origin of this object, could only resort to using another 【Appraisal (N)】 card.
"How is this possible?" Staring at the information conveyed by the card, Liang En's eyes widened. This time, the card had provided him with unprecedented information.
【This is a ring from the 15th century, produced in mainland Europe, and owned by several famous historical figures throughout history.】
【In the 20th century, the ring left England and was brought to the United States. Unfortunately, due to the card user's insufficient level, it cannot read beyond the influence of faith-based forces.】
"Apparently, there are things even the card cannot identify." Observing this, Liang En turned his gaze to his main card, 【Historical Explorer (Novice) (UR)】, lost in contemplation.
Evidently, the history encapsulated by this item might be more significant than all the artifacts Liang En had found before, to the extent that his current level couldn't unveil the story behind this object.
"But the question is, how do I upgrade this main card?" Liang En, with a headache, looked at the main card that appeared as translucent as glass, wearing a pensive expression. The entire system of this card set relied on his own exploration, and naturally, he had no idea how to upgrade it.
Considering that it's called a "Historical Explorer," upgrading should involve searching for various historical remnants and rediscovering them.
Realizing this, Liang En could only shake his head in resignation and place the ring back into the oak box. It seemed that unraveling the mysteries of this ring would likely take some time.
Upon going outside, Liang En discovered Fan Meng practicing with a firearm in the pasture. It had to be said that as a professional soldier, Fan Meng's marksmanship far surpassed that of someone like Liang En, who had been taught only academically.
"Give it a try." Seeing Liang En emerge from the basement, Fan Meng cleared the chamber and placed the gun on the table. "Since I'm responsible for your safety, I need to gauge your skill level."
"No problem." Liang En nodded and then, using the rudimentary equipment on the field, meticulously mimicked the tactical movements from his mind for practical shooting training.
"Have you secretly joined the military in these past few years—wait, this doesn't resemble military training." After Liang En completed his shooting exercises and confirmed safety, Fan Meng's expression shifted to one of surprise.
Because previously, Liang En had mentioned that he had learned shooting by following online content and receiving a bit of separate training. However, now it appeared that Liang En's shooting technique was hardly distinguishable from that of formally trained soldiers.
"What did you see in my shooting just now?" After placing the gun on the table, Liang En approached Fan Meng and asked, "Why do you say even joining the military wouldn't result in this kind of skill?"
"Because your habits are consistent with those of the East German military," Fan Meng stated directly. "You know we have people from all over in our foreign legion. After the Cold War ended, a group of former East German soldiers joined the foreign legion, so I'm quite familiar with this."
"So, I now believe that you truly are a genius in this area. At least, reaching this level through self-study is extremely rare. Even among the foreign legion, I've only encountered one or two like you."
"So, from now on, we just need to practice coordination a bit." After the praise, Fan Meng continued, "After all, both of us have received professional training. For us right now, the most important thing is to enhance our cooperative understanding."
Thus, over the next three days, the two of them specifically went to a shooting range near Dublin to practice various shooting techniques and, most importantly, coordination. Thankfully, as both of them had received training in this area, their synchronization improved rapidly.
"Alright, I think we've trained to a satisfactory level." After declining the shooting range owner's repeated invitations to become a CQB tactics instructor, Fan Meng said to Liang En.
"After all, we're here for treasure hunting, not to become mercenaries. So, we just need to strengthen the basics in this regard. Other skills can be learned slowly. After all, we're not in a rush to use them."
"By the way, what do we do next?" After the training session, Fan Meng curiously inquired. "I've done some research online these past few days. Our job involves using metal detectors to search barren lands and unearth objects that react."
"That's just one part of our job." Walking out of the shooting range, Liang En took out his phone and shook it. "Next, we're going to Surrey County. There's an entire old neighborhood there that needs to be demolished. So, we're going to help them clean out their attics."
Possibly due to the relatively humid climate in the UK, people tend to throw all sorts of unwanted items into their attics. Therefore, there might be many valuable things left in the attics.
For treasure hunters like Lawrence and the others, each attic is like a lottery ticket. It might provide valuable finds unexpectedly.
So, on that day, the two of them returned to London. After spending a night in Liang En's house, they set out the next day in the truck towards Guildford, a city in the western part of Surrey County.
This city isn't particularly large, even today it only has a population of around 140,000 people. It's nestled amidst the rolling hills of Surrey County countryside. Historically, due to its location between London and Portsmouth, Guildford gradually became an important stopover between the capital and the port.
For travelers, it's a pleasant place. From a historical standpoint, the city houses the University of Surrey and Guildford Cathedral, alongside the preserved traditional cobbled High Street and riverside pathways.
Moreover, the city boasts modern shopping and entertainment facilities. Guildford High Street is home to almost 240 retailers, hundreds of restaurants and cafes, making it a shopper's paradise.
However, all of this was unrelated to Liang En and Fan Meng. Upon arriving in the city, they headed directly to an old neighborhood on the northwest outskirts, preparing to participate in a small-scale auction organized by the city government.
"Are you sure we can find anything valuable in this place?" After getting out of the car, Fan Meng looked at a row of dilapidated houses on the side of the road.
It's no wonder he had doubts, as these houses were peeling and the glass on the windows was broken. Weeds and shrubs grew wildly in the gardens, presenting a rather deteriorated appearance.
"Good things are likely to be found in places like this." After a careful look, Liang En said, "In our line of work, the fancier a house looks, the less potential it has. These old houses, with history, are more likely to yield profits."
After getting off the car, Liang En and his group quickly located the auction organizers who were surrounded by a crowd of treasure hunters. After waiting for over half an hour, the auction started.
As this wasn't a formal auction, the procedures were naturally not very formal either. Once most of the people had gathered, the organizers announced the rules for the auction.
Perhaps the auction organizers hoped to make more money this time, so they opted for a silent auction instead of an open one.
According to the rules, the hosts would lead them to walk past the fronts of each of those houses one by one, stopping for five minutes at each doorway. After that, everyone would secretly place their bids, and the highest bidder would win.
"What can we deduce from this?" After the organizers finished announcing the rules, Fan Meng looked at the row of small buildings in front of him with a puzzled expression. In his eyes, although these precarious houses had some stylistic differences, he couldn't discern which one was more valuable.
"Of course, you can deduce a lot." Since Liang En and Fan Meng might be partnering for a long time to come, Liang En quietly shared some knowledge about this with Fan Meng.
"You see, these houses are all standalone units with gardens. So, compared to the common row houses in the city, these places usually house higher-level white-collar workers or small business people."
"Got it. In other words, because people from this area are wealthier, it's easier to find valuable items inside the rooms." Fan Meng was just unfamiliar with these aspects, so a simple explanation from Liang En cleared up the situation.
"Exactly. While valuable items might not always be in the expensive boxes, the probability of finding valuable items in those expensive boxes is generally higher than in the shabby ones."
Since they were on the topic, Liang En didn't mind elaborating a bit more. "However, the problem is that many things you can notice, others can notice as well."
These small buildings appeared quite similar, with peeling paint and broken glass giving them a rather dismal look. Nonetheless, their condition was much better than the buildings Liang En had seen before, where even the roofs had collapsed.
Unless there were unforeseen circumstances, these rooms were likely to hold a substantial amount of items that had survived until today—treasures for seekers like Liang En.
However, the number of people attracted by these treasures today was quite high. There were even several prominent figures in the treasure hunting community, individuals who owned companies or clubs.
So, even though Liang En had the advantage of ample liquid capital at his disposal and placed bids on all 16 houses in this row, he ended up winning only one of them.
"After making the payment and getting the keys, those experienced ones have really sharp eyes. The three rooms I was most hopeful about have all been taken by them," Liang En said to Fan Meng as they walked towards the room.
"Thankfully, we didn't miss out on this backup room, so we won't go back empty-handed."
"Why don't we bid a bit more to focus on those rooms you favored?" Fan Meng asked with some confusion. "If we raise our bids further, I believe we should be able to secure one or two of those three rooms."
"That might be because everyone has different habits," Liang En replied as they reached the room's entrance.
"I'm not too fond of taking excessive risks, so I always set a maximum line for each bid. Even if something is more appealing, I'd choose to give up if it surpasses that line."
With that, Liang En used the antique bronze key to unlock the room's door and walked in. Just as the door opened, a gust of wind swept in, stirring up dust in the hallway.
"Alright, where do we start looking?" After a glance at the furniture placed near the broken glass window, which had deteriorated to the point of ruin, Fan Meng turned to Liang En. "And, what exactly are we looking for?"
"We're looking for various valuable items. Anything of value is our target," Liang En surveyed the living room and continued, "But the specific targets range from small decorations to furniture."
"Understood." Fan Meng nodded and began searching with Liang En, starting from the living room. Soon, Liang En's focus settled on the coffee table in the living room, covered by a tattered tablecloth.
"Is there anything special about this coffee table?" Fan Meng asked with a puzzled expression after they uncovered the piece, revealing a coffee table with drawers.
To him, the coffee table looked drab, lacking any decoration. The copper handles and rings were covered in green rust, making it quite unremarkable.
"This coffee table is an oak piece from the Victorian era, and it's in remarkably good condition considering its age," Liang En lightly tapped the coffee table's surface and said, "If we clean it up, it shouldn't be too difficult to sell for around 1,000 pounds."
"Just this coffee table is worth 1,000 pounds!" Fan Meng widened his eyes, looking at the seemingly ordinary coffee table. If he were alone, he wouldn't have realized that this coffee table was worth that much.
"Don't forget, I spent 2,150 pounds to buy this room, so having a coffee table worth 1,000 pounds inside is not that surprising," Liang En explained, surveying the living room.
"However, it seems that this living room has only this valuable item. As for the other furniture, I don't even think they're suitable for firewood."
He said this because the remaining furniture in the room, mostly pine and particleboard, had all deteriorated and cracked over time, some even growing mold.
Initially, Liang En thought the wool carpet near the interior of the house had an interesting pattern. He planned to roll it up and clean it, hoping to sell it for a few dozen or a hundred pounds.
But as he tried to lift it by hand, a piece the size of his palm tore off the main carpet. Upon closer inspection, Liang En realized that although the carpet appeared nice, it was practically disintegrated. He couldn't even lift a corner.
After inspecting the living room, they moved on to the kitchen and dining area. Unfortunately, the house had been in use until the 1960s or 1970s, so all the items inside were from that era, limiting their value.
However, as Liang En was about to leave the kitchen full of junk, he noticed that Fan Meng had been standing by the kitchen door, staring at something above the door, as if he had discovered something.
"What did you find?" Liang En approached Fan Meng and asked.
"I think there might be something hidden right at the center above the door." Fan Meng stood on his tiptoes and pointed to the beam above the door. "The beam is pressed down severely, curving the entire thing into an arc. This shouldn't be the case under normal circumstances."
"Indeed." After examining it from within the kitchen, Liang En also realized that there was something odd about the door beam.
So, he asked Fan Meng to fetch a handsaw from the car, and he himself found a sturdy wooden stool in the room. Climbing up, he began sawing the beam.
Soon, he discovered that the center of the beam was hollow. The space inside was filled with small square paper parcels wrapped in yellowed newspapers.
"These are quite heavy. They might be hard currency." Liang En jumped off the stool after cutting through and Fan Meng pointed to the six square paper parcels on the table with a smile. "I doubt anyone would be bored enough to place lead blocks in a door frame."
a
The opened camphorwood box was filled with various strips of cloth and scraps of paper. After reaching inside, Liang En and his companions pulled out one metallic object after another.
After spending over ten minutes, Liang En and his companion finally cleared out everything inside the box. They laid out a large pile on the attic floor.
The items included six candleholders, four beer mugs, two plates, a teapot, four teacups, two boxes, a picture frame, seven jars of various sizes, and six animal sculptures about the size of a palm.
"These seem to be tinware," Liang En said, taking one of the cups in his hand and giving it a slight shake. He quickly deduced some basic information about these items. "And judging by their appearance, they should be products from the British Straits Settlements about eighty to ninety years ago."
Liang En's confidence in his conclusion stemmed from his use of an Appraisal (N) card on the largest plate. The card displayed that the plate had been manufactured in 1917 in what was then the British Straits Settlements' Kuala Lumpur.
"It turns out they're made of tin, which explains their dull appearance," Fan Meng remarked, a look of understanding on his face after Liang En's explanation. Then, with a slightly embarrassed expression, he asked, "By the way, how much are these things worth?"
"It's a bit hard to say, but selling the entire lot along with the box for over 2700 pounds shouldn't be a problem," Liang En replied after considering the pile of items. "I examined the marks on these tinwares, and they're all of the best kind, made with low-lead tin."
"You see, during the refining process of tin, it's easy for lead to get mixed in. Once the lead content exceeds a certain limit, these tin products aren't suitable for storing food or drinks."
"So, compared to tinwares with higher lead content but larger production, these lead-free tinwares often fetch prices several times higher, not to mention that these items can be considered antiques."
However, apart from this box, they didn't find anything particularly valuable in the room. Even when they used a metal detector, they only found a few low-denomination British copper and nickel coins.
But as they moved the tea table and the camphorwood box out of the room, realizing they had two to three hours left before finishing, Liang En and his companion finally dismantled the bronze chandelier in the living room.
This wasn't an act of destruction; it was because they realized that the bronze chandelier might be worth some money. And indeed, once the bronze chandelier was taken down, Liang En discovered that it had been modified from an old-style candle chandelier.
"Unfortunately, when it was modified, they removed all the structures used to hang the chandelier and even drilled several holes inside for wiring," Liang En sighed after inspecting the chandelier.
"A complete chandelier can fetch at least 1800 pounds on the market, but after this modification, I estimate it could sell for around 500 pounds."
"Let me do the math," Fan Meng immediately began, "600 plus 1000 plus 2700 plus 500. So, we've found items worth 4800 pounds. After deducting the 2150 pounds auction fee and 100 pounds miscellaneous charges, we've made a profit of 2250 pounds."
"It's still an estimate. To know for sure how much we've made, we'll have to wait until we actually sell them," Liang En shrugged.
An hour later, the two arrived at Pierce's shop. As they entered, Pierce warmly approached. "Lawrence, the Viking trinkets you consigned with me last time sold, totaling 350 pounds."
After exchanging a high-five with Liang En, he turned his attention to Fan Meng. "And this is—"
"This is Fan Meng. Our families have been connected since my father's generation. We have a good relationship, so I've brought him on as my assistant," Liang En introduced Fan Meng to Pierce.
"Hello, you can call me Pierre," Fan Meng stepped forward and shook hands with Pierce. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise." After shaking hands with Fan Meng, Pierce turned to Liang En and asked, "Did you come here today after finding something during your dig? I noticed you came in that van."
"Yes, we went to Surrey today. While we didn't find any exceptional treasures, we did come across some valuable items," Liang En nodded, and together they unloaded the items from the van.
Soon, everything was off the van, and Pierce started examining the items Liang En and his group had found. After around ten minutes, he stood up from beside the tea table.
"If you package these items for sale, I'm willing to offer 5000 pounds."
"That's a bit more than I had estimated. I thought these items might be worth around 4800 pounds at most," Liang En said directly about his initial estimate, given their friendship. "How did you arrive at the 5000 pounds?"
"Mainly due to this tea table. It's likely from the mid-Victorian era, and it's exceptionally well-preserved," Pierce pointed to the tea table on the ground.
"Plus, I've recently met a wealthy Indian individual who just bought a new residence near Knight's Bridge. They're interested in decorating in the Victorian style, and this tea table fits the bill. I think I can sell it to him for a high price."
"It seems luck is on your side recently," Liang En lightly tapped Pierce's shoulder, saying, "By the way, do you have any new leads for me?"
"I've been looking for you, but with Christmas just passed, information has been scarce," Pierce shook his head with a touch of helplessness.
"I've only got one deal currently, up in Dundee, Scotland. It involves clearing out a warehouse. However, based on the photos I had a local take, the warehouse seems mostly empty. And they're asking for an additional 1500 pounds on top of that. It's a bit of a raw deal."
Saying this, Pierce shared a few photos with Liang En. After seeing them, Liang En felt that the warehouse owner might be trying to deceive them into paying more. The images suggested that while valuable items had been placed near the entrance, the rest of the space was filled with rubbish.
This situation was a common occurrence in auctions – the seller manipulates the arrangement of items in the warehouse to disguise the true value of the room's contents, using deception to earn more money.
"For this pile of junk, it's not worth the trip to Scotland," Liang En shook his head. "I'll look online; maybe I'll stumble upon other opportunities."
Leaving Pierce's shop with money in hand, Liang En and Fan Meng returned to the apartment they were renting in London. Upon arriving at the doorstep, they noticed the building manager approaching, holding a thick stack of mail.
"You must be Lawrence," because Liang En and Fan Meng were the only two East Asian residents in the entire building, even though Liang En hadn't lived there for long, the manager could still recognize him.
"Yes, is there something you need?" "All these are for you." The plump African American woman handed over a stack of mail to Liang En, saying, "Since you left before Christmas, there's been mail for you nearly every day. It only stopped a couple of days ago."
"Thank you so much! You've really been a great help." After receiving that pile of letters, Liang En smiled and nodded, then returned to his room with the letters.
Once in his room, he opened each of the letters one by one. To his surprise, apart from two letters which were advertisements and bills, the remaining letters came from various museums such as the British Museum, the Hermitage Museum in Russia, and the Louvre Museum in France, all related to the departments for ancient Egyptian artifacts.
Clearly, the translations of common words in ancient Egyptian language that Liang En included in his third paper had caught the attention of a group of experts in this field. Hence, they had sent him letters inquiring about these matters.
In addition to expressing their hope for bilateral exchange, almost every letter included several photographs of ancient Egyptian inscriptions along with a request for Liang En's assistance in translating the content of the photographs.
Translating these ancient Egyptian texts, whether written on papyrus or carved on wood or stone, wasn't particularly difficult. So, Liang En quickly translated everything and sent them back via email to the addresses provided in the letters.
When he sent the final translation, his email inbox chimed. Opening the email, he was surprised to find that Dr. Louis, the curator of the Egyptian department at the Louvre, had responded.
"Do the French move this fast?" Looking at the email, Liang En widened his eyes in astonishment because this efficiency was not what he typically associated with the French way of doing things.
Of course, Liang En was unaware that his article had been seen and highly appreciated by the experts of the Louvre's Egyptian department before its publication. Therefore, they were closely monitoring his inbox and responding promptly to any activity.
The content of the email was intriguing as it turned out to be an invitation. Dr. Louis invited Liang En to participate in an archaeological expedition to Egypt scheduled for two weeks later.
Clearly, Liang En's papers had showcased his expertise in ancient Egyptian language. This was why the individuals from the Louvre's Egyptian department had extended an invitation for him to partake in an on-site archaeological expedition in Egypt.
Contrary to most people's notions of archaeology involving searching for buried treasures and traveling to exotic locations, the reality of archaeological work often differed significantly. It wasn't about brushing dirt carefully with toothbrushes and dental tools to uncover artifacts, as portrayed by fictional characters like Indiana Jones.
In fact, in the majority of archaeological work, field archaeologists didn't spend much time doing such activities. Moreover, their work bore little resemblance to the silver screen depictions.
To provide a simple example, anything found in these legitimate archaeological efforts did not and should not belong to the discoverer. The most valuable findings would be sent to national or regional museums for public display.
However, the majority of discovered artifacts would be packed away in boxes or bags and stored in local museums, universities, or other research institutions for scholars to study.
From the perspective of archaeology, post-excavation research was often more crucial than the initial digging. What might take 6 to 7 weeks to uncover might require scholars to study for two years or even longer before they could publish their research findings.
In essence, if Liang En were to accept this invitation and go to Egypt for the archaeological expedition, he would likely not gain much financially. Considering he wouldn't be able to pursue his own work during this period, it would actually cost him money.
However, from another perspective, participating in these archaeological activities would benefit his personal reputation, which was crucial for many things ahead.
What was even more important was that if he were to discover certain historically significant relics, even if he gained nothing material, the cards he obtained might make him feel that the trip was worth it.
Furthermore, due to the subtle differences between the two worlds, several countries in this world had enacted regulations related to personal treasure hunting. This meant that Liang En still had a chance to bring back some treasures from this region.
Of course, Liang En's ability to do this stemmed entirely from his possession of that set of magical cards. Hence, he was entirely qualified to obtain various treasures without violating any laws.
After making up his mind, Liang En left his room and discussed the matter with Fan Meng. Because Liang En was invited as a scholar, and scholars who received such invitations were not only respected figures but were often of advanced age.
In such cases, the inviting party not only provided a slot for the scholar but also one or two slots for their students.
With an egalitarian consideration, even though Liang En was young and relatively unknown, they still granted him a spot for an assistant who would be provided with food, accommodation, and travel expenses.
"Of course, I'll go with you. Didn't we agree on this beforehand?" Fan Meng said directly upon hearing the news. "Besides, I'm quite familiar with North Africa. Maybe I can be of some help to you."
Due to the fact that the French colonies were mainly concentrated in West and North Africa, their interests in African countries were largely centered there. In this context, foreign legionnaires were often stationed in this region.
Therefore, most of Fan Meng's previous overseas deployments were in the Sahara Desert and its surrounding areas. This made him naturally familiar with a large expanse of territory, including Egypt.
Once the personnel were settled, Liang En faxed copies of their passports to the Louvre Museum.
The biggest advantage of this trip for them was that the Louvre Museum would handle all the necessary procedures on their behalf, sparing them the trouble.
Ten days later, the two of them, well-prepared with two large suitcases, boarded a plane headed straight for Paris, France, to meet up with the Louvre Museum's archaeological expedition team.
At first, they were concerned that their heavy luggage might cause discomfort to others.
However, upon meeting, they discovered that the Louvre Museum's archaeological team had brought even more baggage. The wooden and metal boxes sealed with lead on top alone could fill a standard small cargo container.
"This time, we'll take a batch of carry-on luggage to Egypt for the preliminary survey, while these large items will be transported by train to Marseille and then shipped directly to Egypt by boat."
After Liang En and his team joined the archaeological expedition, a young worker named Bernard explained the process to him. "So, if you have any large items that are difficult to carry, you can send them together with these things."
"Thanks, but we don't have that much stuff. Carrying it with us shouldn't be a problem," Liang En said with a smile. "By the way, I know we couldn't reveal the location of the survey due to confidentiality before. Can we talk about it now?"
"Sorry, no one except our leader, Mr. Jacques, knows the location of this survey," Bernard said with a somewhat helpless shrug. "We want to prevent illegal diggers from reaching the target before us."
"Alright, I understand," Liang En nodded and handed his inventory list to Mr. Bernard.
"You're doing the right thing. I also hope that this time we can find something truly valuable, rather than just cleaning up after a group of tomb raiders."
"Thank you for your understanding," Bernard said with a smile as he took the list. "Of course, there are still some things we can reveal. For instance, our target this time is the ruins of an Egyptian fortress near the mouth of the Nile."