Chapter 101: Cambridge
The relationship between Americans and the British was quite interesting. On one hand, they both looked down on each other. The Americans thought the British were passé, while the British saw Americans as upstarts.
Yet, on the other hand, being primarily Anglo-Saxon nations, they shared significant common interests. Consequently, there existed tangled connections that couldn't easily be severed. After amassing wealth, both sides fancied buying properties in each other's territories.
However, the English tended to purchase vast estates in America, while Americans preferred historically significant structures in England. In summary, both sought something they lacked in each other's realm.
So, for an American to come to England after making a fortune to purchase a historically rich residence was a commonplace affair, particularly the property purchased by the Lewis couple near Cambridge, exuding the owner's refined taste.
The reason this couple sought Liang En's help to inspect the residence was simple: it was a bundled sale. They aimed to further understand their new home through this approach.
For ordinary folks, this approach might seem peculiar, but it was commonly known that the affluent often indulged in peculiar hobbies.
For Liang En, these particular affluent hobbies were highly encouraged. It was precisely these demands that sustained his industry with a sufficient market.
After making the decision and arranging it over the phone, Liang En, Pierce, and Fan Meng set off for Cambridge early the next morning in Pierce's father's SUV.
"Have we got everything?" Liang En asked, starting the car and gripping the steering wheel.
"Rest assured, boss. Metal detectors, pry bars, all sorts of temporary tools, we've got everything," Fan Meng gestured to the pile of tools beside him and in the trunk. "Now we just hope the property isn't too vast."
"Don't worry, it won't be that big," Pierce, seated in the passenger seat, assured confidently. "I checked their property online. It's a standalone villa in the city, with six bedrooms, a garden, and an outdoor swimming pool."
"Though I didn't find the exact area of this property, according to the satellite map, it's just a few hundred square meters. With the three of us, we'll wrap it up in a day."
Cambridge wasn't far from London. Therefore, about an hour after setting off, they drove into this city steeped in history.
Before Cambridge gained fame through its university, it had been a significant port city along the River Cam since Roman times, serving as a trade hub in the Cam river valley.
Because of its trading prominence, the city appeared more open compared to Oxford, relatively more modern, though nowhere near the modernity of London.
"I toured Cambridge and Oxford with my parents when I was young, and they hoped I'd get in here," Fan Meng reminisced as the car entered the city center, gazing at the buildings along the road.
"I had the same experience; it seems many Chinese parents do that," prompted by Fan Meng's words, Liang En recalled his own childhood. "It's a mix of parental expectations and their aspirations."
Liang En's father, a graduate from the 80s, might have stayed back in a university as a professor if circumstances hadn't pushed him to leave the country with family.
Hence, he naturally wished for Liang En to pursue a path through education—lawyer, engineer, or teacher—rather than anything related to business. Therefore, earning a million pounds didn't thrill his father as much as Liang En getting published in a magazine did.
Honestly, it seemed a common trait among the Chinese: seeking to alter destinies through knowledge rather than other means.
Thus, when Liang En was young, his parents took him to these academic sanctuaries, Cambridge and Oxford, while encouraging him.
Sadly, gaining entry into these prestigious universities required either parental financial support or possessing exceptional talent, diligence, and a bit of luck. Consequently, Liang En never made it.
Soon, the car passed through the center of Cambridge and halted in front of a house surrounded by neatly trimmed hedges.
"Welcome—" After the doorbell chimed, a servant verified their identities and opened the door. Inside the living room, a couple in their forties welcomed Liang En.
"Nice to meet you," greeted Liang En. "You've invited me here mainly to inspect this residence and uncover things you might have overlooked, correct?"
"Yes, that's right," affirmed Mr. Lewis, nodding. "We want to understand the history of this house, especially because the previous owner wasn't the original one, leaving many things uncertain."
"You haven't extensively renovated this house, have you?" Liang En inquired after a brief inspection with the owners.
"Yes, besides the bedrooms and bathrooms, we've made minor changes. The rest of the house has mainly been cleaned, leaving the original classical charm intact," Mr. Lewis confirmed.
"Understood, let's start the search," Liang En nodded gently. "If we find anything that might cause damage, we'll inform you in advance."
Unlike regular rooms, the affluent tended to have specific storage rooms for various items. Thus, the attic exploration tactic Liang En usually employed for treasure hunting lost its efficacy.
Therefore, instead of heading straight to the attic as usual, Liang En and his team commenced their search with a metal detector on the ground floor.
"I've found something here," within three minutes of exploring from the living room, Fan Meng's metal detector beeped. It had detected a metallic reaction between decorative wooden panels and the wall.
Since Liang En had upgraded all their detectors to high-quality ones after his financial success, they could distinguish between black and non-ferrous metals. Now, the detector indicated a non-ferrous metal inside the wall.
Considering the unlikely probability of copper as a building material in this house, the found item shouldn't be a structural component.
"It's a one-kroner horse sword coin," Liang En announced after fetching the fiber optic detector from the car and inserting the probe into a gap in the wooden decoration. He swiftly identified the object concealed within.
Table of content
Chapter 102: The Peculiar Book
"It seems we'll have to leave this silver coin inside," remarked Liang En as he leaned in to scrutinize the first item they found upon entering.
The object in question happened to be a rather common Victorian-era silver coin, worth at most 40 pounds in the silver market. It was a dime-a-dozen antique, lacking substantial value.
Attempting to pry open the peach wood decorative panels from the Victorian era for something as ordinary and valueless as this seemed like an unworthy endeavor.
"How did this thing end up in here?" Fan Meng, his curiosity piqued, glanced at the screen displaying the silver coin wedged between the wooden panel and the wall.
"There are cracks on the panel, yes, but a coin this size couldn't fit in like it is now. I can't find any spot where this coin might have slipped in," Liang En explained, pondering the situation.
"These decorative panels must have been replaced." Liang En rose and assessed the overall situation on this side of the wooden decorations, pointing to the topmost wooden strip. "It's this thin strip on the top edge of these decorative panels."
"It appears that, after a while, there was some deformation between the wood and the wall, causing a crack. Upon noticing this, the previous owner of this house wedged in this strip to seal the gap and added a new decoration to the upper edge of the panel."
Shortly after, Mr. Lewis, alerted about the situation, arrived and, upon understanding the circumstances, requested Liang En to take a picture of the silver coin.
For him, documenting this discovery and showing it to others sufficed; he had no interest in extracting the item from behind the wooden panel.
Over the subsequent hours, the trio found a variety of small items scattered around the gaps in the wooden floor or beneath certain pieces of furniture—hairpins, rings, even a pen nib.
Although Liang En and his companions weren't particularly thrilled about these findings, the Lewis couple found satisfaction in this batch of treasures.
To them, these trinkets spanning over a century vividly illustrated the history of this residence, the very reason they had enlisted Liang En's help in searching.
For these affluent individuals, they sought something intriguing and boast-worthy—a conversation piece about their home's history.
After a solid five hours, the group completed exploring the entire room. Liang En, standing in the upstairs living room, used a "Detection (N)" card.
Despite the employer's satisfaction with the search, Liang En felt something was missing, desiring to uncover more.
In an instant, a white light emanated from the second-floor study, indicating the most historically significant item within the entire building.
"There shouldn't be anything valuable in the study," Liang En furrowed his brow, recalling Mr. Lewis mentioning they hadn't yet arranged the study due to their recent move, particularly the book cabinets.
During their inspection, Liang En confirmed that the cabinets housed common hardcover books from the '20s to the '60s, nothing rare or with hidden compartments.
"It seems I must have overlooked something," he realized, swiftly heading to the study and following the white light to find a copy of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" resting on the shelf.
"A fairy tale book?" Liang En frowned, well aware of this book's fame in both worlds as a renowned children's storybook.
After a thorough inspection, he found nothing exceptional about this '30s edition—neither the book itself nor its spine showed any anomalies.
In other words, there seemed to be no hidden compartments, akin to the incident with the hummingbird gun discovery and the Shen Bo-liang's draft paper previously found.
Furthermore, Liang En meticulously checked for any hidden codes inside the book, only to find it pristine, except for slight aging and the initials "A.M.T" on the front page, nothing out of the ordinary.
"It's unlikely that this book holds any particular value," Liang En murmured softly, checking the book's publication number at the back and comparing it on his phone. Several other books in the cabinet appeared to be more valuable.
"But if it's not this, then what could it be?" Liang En squinted in contemplation, absentmindedly running his hands over the book cover until he noticed something awry.
Normally, the book covers' edges should be smooth due to processing, unless they were excessively worn.
However, the inner edge of this book's cover felt rough, unlike the smoothness of the back cover, akin to rough stone. It was evident that the interior of the book cover had been tampered with and reattached.
"Hmm?" Realizing the anomaly, Liang En delved deeper into investigation, noticing the book cover had been peeled off and stuck back together.
"This is intriguing—" Liang En mused, precisely at that moment, Pierce and Fan Meng, having realized Liang En had been absent for a while, came upstairs to find him.
"I've found something interesting." Liang En raised the book in his hand, smiling at his two companions. "But to proceed, we might need to consult the homeowner."
"You're suggesting there might be something hidden inside the book cover?" prompted Mr. Lewis, holding "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."
"It's just a possibility. This book is quite new and hasn't endured much wear, so it's odd for its cover to have been tampered with and reinstalled. I suspect someone hid something inside," Liang En explained.
"Mr. Lewis, do you happen to know where this book came from?" Pierce interjected, pointing at the book Mr. Lewis was holding. "Knowing its origin, like where it was purchased or from whom, could provide valuable clues."
"We're not entirely sure about the book's origins," Mrs. Lewis expressed regretfully after exchanging thoughts with her husband. "These books were already here when we bought this house. We did ask the previous owner, but they claimed the books belonged to their predecessor."
"In other words, tracing the origin of these books seems impossible," Liang En sighed softly, eyeing the book. "We'll only find out what's hidden once we open the cover."
Table of content
Chapter 103: Secrets Within the Pages
In the living room, Liang En wielded his tools, commencing the dismantling of the cover of the book in front of him. Soon, the leather cover began to yield.
For Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, a 1930s edition of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" held a certain charm, yet they were entirely willing to risk damaging the book by unraveling its secrets.
Compared to the potential value of hundreds of pounds this old book might hold, deciphering the hidden content within seemed far more enticing to the Lewises. Consequently, Liang En swiftly obtained permission to unveil the book's cover.
As Liang En commenced peeling off the outer layer of leather, he realized this book diverged from the norm. Unlike regular books with covers adhering entirely to the cardboard, this one was only glued around the edges.
"Words here." Due to the central part of the book not being glued, Liang En swiftly removed the outer layer of leather. It was at this moment that Mrs. Lewis, seated nearby, was the first to exclaim.
Once the outer layer of leather was removed, a line of faded blue ink appeared on the cardboard cover where it had been concealed by the leather.
Swiftly, the small space nestled between the leather cover and the cardboard was cleared, drawing the attention of the five present individuals to the lines of text on the cardboard.
"Another dismal defeat. Can Britain truly triumph in war? I hope if the war fails, my money can still be retrieved. Remember, money is under the bushes behind the bench in the park I frequent."
"What on earth is this gibberish?" Mrs. Lewis wore a perplexed expression after reading the text.
And this was the initial reaction of everyone upon encountering these lines. These disjointed words made understanding their meaning quite challenging.
"This should have been written during WWII, considering the book is from the 1930s, and the continuous string of defeats for Britain started around the time of World War II," Liang En deduced, feeling the boost from the "Logic Enhancement (R)" card, swiftly inferring more than what the text explicitly described.
"Clearly, the author of these words was pessimistic about the outcome of the war, hence the decision to hide their wealth, hoping to preserve their fortune amidst the turmoil," Liang En deduced.
"I remember during the beginning of WWII, the British military had a rough time," Fan Meng chimed in. "Especially after the Dunkirk evacuation, many thought Britain might fall."
"Exactly," Mr. Lewis nodded. "My grandfather left for Canada during that time. He once told me that many had lost their confidence."
"So, it was somewhat common for people at that time to hide their money?" Mrs. Lewis proposed her view after hearing the gentlemen's assessments.
"Yes, at least judging by this note," Liang En nodded. "And the concealed money is likely precious metals or jewels, not likely banknotes."
After all, if Britain were to fall, the Germans wouldn't recognize British paper currency. In such a scenario, the only valuables would be items like gold, silver, or jewels—the most primitive forms of currency.
"So, the content in this book details a treasure hidden with valuable metals?" Pierce furrowed his brow. "But we still don't know where these items are."
"A.M.T." Liang En pondered over the name abbreviation written on the book's title page, feeling that this abbreviation, without much documentation in the book, could be the key to solving the puzzle.
At this point, the Lewises were not idle; they eagerly fired up their laptop to inquire about the contents of this room from the real estate agent.
Soon, the couple received highly valuable information. "The realtor just informed us that this room, from the 1950s to the early 1970s, was occupied by a professor, and the books on that shelf should be his legacy."
After reading an email, Mr. Lewis looked up. "Do we have detailed information about this professor?" Upon hearing Mr. Lewis's question, Liang En immediately ceased perusing the book and inquired.
"We do—" Mr. Lewis looked at the latter part of the email. "This professor hailed from King's College, Cambridge, and had a fervent passion for books."
"So, before retiring to New Zealand, he specifically instructed the real estate agent that the next resident must be willing to retain his books for the room to be sold," Mr. Lewis explained.
"Where did these books come from?" Fan Meng, animatedly, questioned the Lewises sitting opposite.
However, engrossed in their treasure hunt, the Lewises paid no heed to his impertinence and replied, "The origins of these books are quite convoluted; no one knows the exact details anymore."
"But what's confirmed is that most of these books originated from the local area, especially from some libraries at Cambridge University and certain second-hand book markets on campus."
"Cambridge University has second-hand book markets?" Liang En queried, puzzled.
Books aren't cheap in Britain, so it's somewhat common for students to opt for used ones. Consequently, there are numerous second-hand bookshops around campuses, but having such a market within the university itself seemed odd.
"In reality, this second-hand market isn't an actual market," Mr. Lewis immediately clarified, realizing his previous statement could be misleading.
"It's an internal exchange among Cambridge staff and students. Those with surplus items post notes on a notice board. Those in need directly buy face to face based on the information provided on these notices."
"Of course, with technological advancements, people have gradually shifted to posting this information online rather than on the campus notice boards in recent years."
"I see—" Liang En nodded. Considering some of the books in that cabinet appeared quite aged, they might have been books retired from the library.
Realizing this, Liang En and company promptly checked the books in the second-floor study cabinet and indeed found stamps from some libraries at King's College, Cambridge, among many books.
After a quick tally, they discovered that these stamps mostly belonged to the library of King's College, one of the most renowned colleges within Cambridge University.
Established in 1441 by Henry VI, it primarily accepted graduates from Eton College, also founded by Henry VI, for a significant period and had an exclusive intake of Eton graduates.
Moreover, this college boasted a library currently housing 130,000 volumes. The hard stamps on these books in front of Liang En and his companions confirmed that most originally belonged to this library but had later been legitimately circulated out.
Table of content
Chapter 104: Uncovering Clues
"We should look into the teachers and students at the King's College from the 1930s to the 1940s, especially those abbreviated as A.M.T.," Liang En proposed as both pieces of evidence pointed towards the King's College.
This task used to be incredibly challenging in the past, often requiring direct contact with the school to sift through dusty archives. However, with the gradual digitization of records in these schools, accessing such public information merely required a computer or smartphone connected to the internet at home.
Assigned to each individual for the year, six people, including the servants, swiftly pulled out their phones or laptops to search for the lists of teachers and students at the King's College.
"We found it—" seven to eight minutes later, Mrs. Lewis suddenly exclaimed softly, turning the computer screen toward the group. "Alan Mathison Turing!"
Mr. Lewis widened his eyes immediately. As someone who made his fortune in the computer network industry, he naturally understood the significance of this name.
Alan Mathison Turing, the renowned British mathematician and logician, hailed as the father of computer science and artificial intelligence. He laid the foundation for computer logic, introducing crucial concepts like the "Turing machine" and the "Turing test."
To commemorate his exceptional contributions in the field of computing, the Turing Award was established in his honor. Over time, it became the most prestigious award in the realm of computer science.
"So, Turing hid a substantial amount of money because he lacked confidence in Britain's ability to win the war," Fan Meng expressed his perplexity. "But I recall him participating in a certain military action led by the British—"
"Yes, he joined a British-led operation aimed at deciphering the German Enigma code during World War II," Liang En nodded. "This operation helped the British understand German submarine movements in the Atlantic, ultimately saving Britain."
"However, the British government still betrayed him due to his sexual orientation. He was subjected to severe persecution, even forced to undergo so-called 'treatment' with estrogen injections. It led to his eventual suicide."
"It's a tragedy," Mr. Lewis sighed, while the others nodded in agreement. From a modern perspective, the actions taken at that time indeed raised significant ethical concerns.
"But if the original owner of this book was indeed Turing, then this act of hiding money should be true," Mr. Lewis remarked after expressing his lament.
"If one knows Turing well, they'd understand that due to his lack of faith in Britain winning the war, he converted all his wealth into two silver bars," Liang En explained. "During the war, he was isolated for a prolonged period due to his involvement in code-breaking. Hence, after the war, he realized he had forgotten where he had hidden those two silver bars."
"Which means, at that time, Turing was also worried about forgetting the location of this treasure. So, he clandestinely wrote about it in this book, forgetting the existence of the book itself in the end," Liang En deduced further, analyzing more from Mr. Lewis's words.
However, a crucial question remained unanswered: where exactly was the garden bench mentioned in the note, assuming these were indeed Turing's hidden silver bars?
The clue abruptly ended there, but Liang En wasn't helpless. Soon, he thought of using his card deck to resolve this current puzzle.
Amid everyone either scrutinizing the paper or checking maps online, Liang En used an Identification (N) card on the fairy tale book.
After using the card, rows of tiny text materialized before Liang En, revealing the story behind Turing's message in the fairy tale book.
"Turing was a computer expert and a cheerful sports enthusiast, yet he had a sensitive side, occasionally seeming somewhat pessimistic."
"This record was made on June 11th, 1940, a week after the Dunkirk evacuation. Not optimistic about the war, Turing converted all his wealth into two silver bars."
"At that time, carrying this book and the two silver bars in his bag, he entered a garden near Cambridge, using reading as a cover to bury those two large pieces of silver in a park around Cambridge."
"Unfortunately, this fairy tale book got mixed up with a batch of unnecessary old books and was sold when he was conscripted by the British army. Consequently, he forgot the location of the buried silver."
"It still seems somewhat vague," Liang En remarked after reading. He confirmed these were indeed reminders left by Turing about the hidden silver but remained clueless about their exact location.
Realizing the current information wasn't enough to find the two silver bars, Liang En pondered for a few seconds, then decisively used the Identification (R) card he had been holding onto.
He chose this card because the earlier Identification (N) card confirmed the time Turing recorded this text, and typically, treasure seekers documented such notes shortly after burying their treasures.
Upon using the (R) card, a new scene unfolded in Liang En's mind. Quickly, he realized the observer of this scene was fixed on the book "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."
"This is intriguing," Liang En murmured after several seconds. He learned how to use this new card: it allowed him to observe 360 degrees around the selected item at his eye level.
Uncertain of the exact time Turing wrote these notes, Liang En anchored the observation point to June 11th, 1940, at midnight, then observed events 72 hours before this time.
Activating the card gave a sensation akin to using VR equipment, complete with functions like fast-forward, rewind, and pause.
However, after just rewinding a few hours, Liang En witnessed Turing using the book to conceal a small ironwood box while digging a hole amid artificial bushes.
Continuing back by over two hours, Liang En observed Turing taking the silver bars out of a cabinet, tucking them into the book, leaving home, burying the silver bars, and returning.
Contrary to Liang En's prior assumption, Turing didn't hide these items at night but chose the period between 11 AM and 1 PM.
After contemplating for a while, Liang En quickly understood Turing's reasoning. It was wartime, places like Cambridge had curfews, making it impossible to venture out at night.
Therefore, Turing opted to bury his silver at high noon when the sun was intense, and most people were indoors, occupied with lunch, reducing the chances of outdoor activities.
Evidently, some differences resulted from these choices. In Liang En's previous world, Turing hid the silver in a desolate area, which eventually turned into a construction site after the war.
However, amidst these differences, many similarities existed between the two worlds. Both world's Turings converted money into silver and subsequently lost it.
Table of content
Chapter 105: Tracking
By observing the route Turing took earlier, Fan Meng quickly reconstructed the path on the computer map. It was apparent that the silver was hidden under a tree in Professor Claire's garden.
The problem now was that Fan Meng couldn't tell everyone that he'd seen Turing hide the treasure using his superpower. So, the tricky part was how to lead everyone there without raising suspicion.
Luckily, there was a solution. After a brief moment of contemplation, Fan Meng came up with a plan that wouldn't arouse suspicion.
"I think we can split up and search the surrounding areas, especially the parks or gardens near King's College," Fan Meng suddenly suggested. As he spoke, everyone looked up at him.
"Turing is exceptionally cautious, almost abnormally so. For instance, he usually wears a gas mask or chains his cup to the radiator. So, when he hid the treasure, it was certainly a carefully thought-out process."
"Considering there was mention of common park benches in his notes, the options narrow down to a few parks in the Cambridge city area, possibly near King's College."
"Since Turing was working in Cambridge at the time, he wouldn't likely have frequented the wilderness parks on the outskirts every day. It's more plausible that it's in the smaller parks around his residence."
"You make a good point, but that poses a challenge," Pierce turned to Fan Meng. "These parks mainly belong to the city or the university. Unless we want to excavate in these places—"
"I'll handle that aspect. After all, I'm somewhat of an accomplished scholar now. So, the school should agree to let us conduct excavation work if we request it," Fan Meng interrupted.
With that said, Fan Meng looked at the Smiths. Since the book belonged to the Smiths, their permission was needed for the next steps in the treasure hunt.
"It'd be fantastic if we could get permission from Cambridge University," Diana Black remarked. Clearly, the admiration for knowledge was the same in both Eastern and Western worlds. Therefore, after Fan Meng made the request, the Smiths immediately agreed.
Having reached an agreement, they promptly headed to the university to discuss the matter. After Fan Meng presented Turing's notes, the person in charge swiftly reported the incident.
In just five minutes, a middle-aged man in a striped suit entered. After introducing himself, they learned he was in charge of such matters at King's College.
"It's a pleasure to hear information left behind by an outstanding former student of King's College," Deputy Dean William defined the nature of this treasure hunt as soon as he spoke.
"So, with our collaboration, you can excavate the gardens belonging to the college—" William quickly listed a series of requirements.
According to him, the excavated silver must be sold to them immediately at 50% of the market price. Additionally, the fairy tale book with Turing's notes would be donated to the college, which would, in turn, establish a permanent plaque to record Fan Meng and their team's names and the event.
As the landowners, it was within their rights to demand half the wealth. However, donating the book and purchasing such an item purely at the market price of the silver itself seemed excessive. Even if the school agreed to set up an exhibition plaque, it couldn't compensate for the financial loss.
Thus, negotiations commenced immediately. After over half an hour of bargaining, both sides compromised. The school would still buy the silver bars at the current market price, but the percentage increased from 50% to 60%, with the other conditions unchanged.
Evidently, the Smiths believed leaving their names at this place was significant. Therefore, the matter of donating the book was swiftly settled, leaving only the issue related to the silver.
Considering the school's dominance at this point and the Smiths' willingness to compromise, despite feeling slightly disadvantaged, Fan Meng and the team had to accept it.
However, after signing the contract, the other party provided some useful information related to Turing, hoping to narrow down the search area.
Among the information most useful to Fan Meng was learning about the two gardens Turing frequented during his time in Cambridge, including the real target, Professor Claire's garden.
"Let's start with Professor Claire's garden today." After a pretense of studying the map, Fan Meng suggested, "Since we only have half a day left, it's best to start with the smaller of the two gardens—"
"These gardens may have changed their chairs, but their positions haven't shifted for a century." Upon reaching the garden, the notified gardener quickly opened the gate for them and began explaining.
"I noticed this garden isn't open to the public." As soon as the gardener mentioned it, Fan Meng inquired, "It seems like visitors only stroll along the walls."
"Yes, it's a semi-public garden, primarily open to Cambridge faculty and students," the gardener led them towards his room within the garden.
"External visitors can only enter with authorized guides and are limited in number each day. Hence, this place isn't widely known outside."
Following the path, they arrived at the gardener's room. Then, the guiding gardener opened his computer, displaying a series of blueprints from a folder on the desktop.
"A few years ago, some students from King's College successfully digitized some ancient paper documents," the gardener explained while flipping through the blueprints.
"In that project, they stored all the blueprints of this garden's various renovations in my computer. Let me show you—here."
Soon, the screen displayed several slightly yellowed blueprint photos. The gardener proceeded to explain about these photos.
"These are the garden maps after renovations starting from the '30s. You'll notice, apart from adding a few facilities and changing some, we've hardly altered the garden's plantings."
This was good news. If the garden hadn't undergone extensive changes, there was a high probability that something buried there decades ago would still be in the same spot.
"The bushes behind the chairs—" studying the map, Fan Meng searched for the location of the target, addressing the companions around.
"Turing was a genius mathematician and electronics expert, but he wasn't a botanist. So, when he mentions bushes, it's likely referring to low trees, irrespective of the species—"
"There are three locations that seem suitable." A few minutes later, they narrowed down to several suspicious spots through the blueprints. The spot Fan Meng identified using the [Appraisal (R)] card earlier was also among the three suspicious locations.
"Let's get to work." Fan Meng turned to Dulis. "You can bring in the shovel and metal detector now."
Table of content
Chapter 106: Harvest
The first location everyone set out to explore was the one Liang En had spotted using the special ability. The reason for choosing this spot was quite simple.
Compared to the other two suspicious locations, this one was notably closer to the center of the garden. Naturally, it would be more concealed if someone intended to hide something there.
After reaching the position where the bench was situated in the garden, they glanced at it before moving together toward the bushes behind it.
"Now it's our turn," Liang En nodded at Fan Meng. Each of them took metal detectors and began scanning along the edges of the bushes.
Considering they were searching for two pieces of silver, buried by Turing himself, it was unlikely that these items were deeply buried. So, using metal detectors at this moment was an appropriate approach.
After a few steps on the soil laden with decayed matter, Liang En shifted behind a row of bushes that resembled a trimmed wall, arriving at the spot he remembered from before. He then activated the metal detector.
As soon as the detector turned on, an urgent beeping sound filled the air. After a brief scan with the detector's probe, he was quite certain that they had found their target.
He immediately called everyone over and, along with Fan Meng and Pierce, started digging using the small shovels they had brought along.
Understanding the value Cambridge University placed on both silver and containers holding silver, unlike in ordinary treasure hunts where external packaging might be disregarded, they used smaller shovels.
They began by gently removing the accumulated dark brown organic matter surrounding the area. This material was both soft and absorbent, making the digging process akin to shoveling snow.
After meticulously clearing this layer of organic matter for a few minutes, they reached a slightly firmer layer of soil. However, even this soil didn't last long against the steel shovels.
Concerned about damaging potential artifacts buried underground, they used probes to check the soil's condition beneath before slowly clearing the top layer of soil using their shovels.
Several minutes later, a corner of a dusty grey box surfaced. Similar to what Liang En had seen before, it was a wooden box reinforced with iron.
However, the iron covering it had rusted severely, exhibiting numerous holes, exposing the darkened wood beneath. Nevertheless, upon discovering the box, the subsequent tasks became much simpler.
Simultaneously, Liang En acquired three cards: Detect (N), Repair (N), and a brand-new, non-disposable skill card: Cipher Decryption (R).
"Cipher Decryption (R): Faced with encrypted content, an ordinary person can analyze it through logical methods or exhaustive techniques. However, for a historical explorer with borderline extraordinary abilities, expending legendary power can directly unravel the secrets of unreadable content."
"By using a minimum amount of legendary power, this skill transforms encrypted text into the caster's native language. The number of texts translated after casting directly correlates with the amount of legendary power invested and the caster's understanding of the content."
"Indeed, the abilities gained after the upgrade by the 'Golden Finger' are increasingly distorting reality. At least, such active skills were not present before. There weren't methods like a powerful finger unexpectedly appearing," Liang En pondered while clearing the outline of the box.
"At least, it'll be quite helpful for the ancient Egyptian work I'm planning to complete."
Despite Bo Liang's mastery in ancient Egyptian languages in his previous life, it didn't guarantee a hundred percent accuracy in his research.
Moreover, Bo Liang was just one person. With the discovery of numerous new artifacts in subsequent eras and the utilization of computers, many previously unexplored or insufficiently explored contents gradually got deciphered.
Therefore, despite inheriting knowledge from the great founder of Egyptology and having access to original manuscripts, Liang En encountered significant challenges while reconstructing "The Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic System."
These challenges mainly arose when dealing with a series of new items and evidence that he hadn't previously encountered in his memory, making it not so straightforward to incorporate them into the existing system.
Now, having obtained the skill "Cipher Decryption (R)," he could save a substantial amount of time spent on repetitive translations and validations. This would enable him to complete one of Bo Liang's most critical works, "The Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic System," within this year.
Unlike his silent endeavors in the past, Liang En had gained a certain reputation and position in the field of Egyptian archaeology. Therefore, he needed a significant work to further establish his authority in this domain.
While lost in thought, Liang En's hands didn't slack off. In just over ten minutes, they had lifted the entire box, along with some soil from the roughly half-meter-deep pit, and placed it into a prepared container.
"It feels quite heavy, at least 20 kilograms," after sealing the container, Fan Meng switched to Chinese and whispered to Liang En, "It seems the mathematician from back then had decent strength."
Finding what they were seeking on the first attempt was good news for everyone, eliciting smiles all around.
Under the collective escort of everyone present, the box containing the wooden chest was swiftly transported to the King's College at Cambridge University. It was then escorted by several archaeology students and professors into a specialized laboratory.
Evidently, compared to their amateur team, the school naturally trusted its own professional experts. Hence, they weren't given the chance to interfere, which was also a good thing for Liang En's team. After all, handling artifacts wasn't an easy task. Therefore, now that the school had taken over, they could finally relax.
"The box has been cleaned up; you can come over now," the next day at noon, while Liang En was engrossed in playing mobile games with Pierce and Fan Meng, a call came in from Cambridge University.
Upon their arrival at the university, they found the Lewis couple had just arrived as well. Consequently, after exchanging greetings, they all entered an office together.
On the desk in the office were three glass cases of different sizes. The largest one contained the previously excavated box, now cleaned and given a basic preservation treatment.
In the medium-sized case beside it were two not particularly large silver ingots, visibly a bit tarnished. The smallest case held an opened copy of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."
Obviously, these three cases contained everything Liang En and his team had found earlier. They were placed here because there would be a small handover ceremony taking place.
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Chapter 107: Handover and Practice
The handover ceremony was straightforward yet grand. Representing the receiving party, King's College of Cambridge University dispatched its dean and the library curator to attend.
Additionally, the Cambridge University's journal also sent reporters for a brief interview. Facing the interview, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis seemed somewhat excited.
After all, this was an interview with the globally top-tier campus publication, leaving one's mark due to this treasure hunt was indeed an honorable feat.
However, being a campus journal, it leaned more towards academic-related content. So, after a brief interview with others, Miss Diana Black, the journalist, immediately focused on Fan Meng.
Under the journalist's repeated inquiries, Fan Meng briefly introduced his previous experience in translating ancient Egyptian and hinted at his ongoing book summarizing ancient Egyptian language and script.
As Fan Meng eloquently recounted his experience in deciphering ancient Egyptian texts and dropped a teaser, Miss Diana nodded in satisfaction. She redirected the conversation back to the discovery of Turing's relics.
"Besides translating ancient Egyptian texts, my primary work involves searching for various treasures. Upon discovering Turing's treasure, I immediately contacted the university, hoping these items would return to their rightful place."
"I am delighted to witness Cambridge University showcasing the treasures of the great scholar Turing. I hope this prompts contemplation on future technology and certain orientations—"
Truly, knowledge of the official jargon from past experiences was immensely helpful, especially when merging humanity's future direction and the current Western world's prevailing trends.
At least, after hearing Fan Meng's words, Miss Diana found his response remarkably satisfying. Compared to others' messy answers, Fan Meng's could go straight into the newspaper, saving her a lot of trouble.
After the interview concluded, Fan Meng and company proceeded to a small house adjacent to the office. The school personnel in charge of administration transferred the agreed-upon amount of money to them.
"Mr. Turing's treasure consists of two standard 500-ounce silver ingots, so as per our prior agreement and today's silver price, you should receive £11,000," explained the staff member while transferring the funds.
"It seems Turing was certainly not short of money," Pierce remarked softly after leaving the room. "Back then, anyone possessing wealth equivalent to 1,000 ounces of silver was definitely not poor."
"That's for sure. Three members of the Turing family were elected members of the Royal Society, and his grandfather even received honors in mathematics from Cambridge University. Looking at his background, he wasn't an ordinary person."
"Moreover, he was exceptionally talented. Entered Cambridge at 19, became a researcher at King's College, Cambridge, at 23. A true genius."
"If that's the case, it's understandable if he was affluent," Fan Meng interjected. "A single and talented genius, with a decent family background and not many expenses, could definitely accumulate a substantial fortune."
Amidst their banter, the five of them returned together to the Lewis' residence in Cambridge. Surprisingly, Mr. Lewis only asked Fan Meng for a symbolic penny.
"For us, the process of this treasure hunt is already fulfilling. Compared to a few thousand pounds, seeing our names in the Cambridge journal is evidently more significant," Mr. Lewis explained his reason for this.
Evidently, for wealthy individuals like Mr. Lewis, several thousand pounds were merely a trifle. Hence, having already gained sufficient benefits, he naturally wished to exhibit his generosity.
Of course, this was also related to Fan Meng currently being a somewhat renowned scholar. Thus, in Mr. Lewis' eyes, this gesture sufficed to leave a positive impression.
"Now it's time to turn fame into money," Fan Meng chuckled upon returning to their car. Then, he, Pierce, and Dulis divided the money.
Pierce received £1,100 from this transaction as he was the middleman. Meanwhile, Dulis, as an employee, received £150 as a bonus for this trip.
It must be said that in terms of monetary gains from this endeavor, it was fairly average, but for Fan Meng personally, it held significant value. At least, after acquiring new skills, writing the book ahead would undoubtedly be much more convenient.
Upon returning to London, besides writing the book, Fan Meng's primary focus was on practicing the use of the Turkish bow, the war hammer, and firearms.
After all, there wouldn't be a shortage of opportunities for expeditions to places untouched by the light of civilization in the future. So, learning these things beforehand was not a bad idea.
Since his body had been strengthened, Fan Meng became considerably proficient in the use of these ancient weapons. The most significant improvement came with the war hammer, as wielding a stick to strike was a foundational skill ingrained in human DNA.
Next was his proficiency in firearms. Although modern weaponry was structurally more complex than its ancient counterparts, it was surprisingly simpler to operate.
The only somewhat challenging aspect was using the bow and arrows. However, considering that archery remained a valuable skill even today, Fan Meng still invested a significant amount of time in training.
"Fewer and fewer young people are willing to learn the use of these ancient weapons," commented an elderly Turkish-German man in a comprehensive sports complex, observing Fan Meng adeptly shoot ten arrows.
"Truth be told, even in my homeland, Turkey, I've hardly seen many willing to learn this ancient skill. It's a rather sad state of affairs."
"Can't help it, Uncle Maimaiti, times have changed," Fan Meng remarked, taking a break while sitting nearby.
"On one hand, everyone's incredibly busy, with hardly any energy to learn something that doesn't have much practical use in modern society. On the other hand, nearly all aspects related to these skills have almost disappeared."
"Take the simplest example: aside from the scarcity of archery halls and places to practice, it's difficult to find a suitable shop selling bows and arrows."
"Why not consider ordering a custom bow?" Maimaiti inquired. "If you do, you can have a bow made that perfectly suits you."
"You're right, but I don't really know anyone in that field," Fan Meng shrugged helplessly.
After all, whether in the East or the West, this realm was a small circle, making it challenging for outsiders to find the right people.
Even though it was the internet age, the so-called craftsmen online varied greatly in skill. Hence, finding the right hands wasn't all that simple.
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Chapter 108: The New Bow and the Fake Antiquities
A gentle breeze whispered by, carrying the warm embrace of sunlight over the land. Even the grass, kissed by the sun's rays, sprouted tender shoots as February in Britain finally hinted at the arrival of spring.
It had been a week since Liang En returned from Cambridge to London. Seizing the opportunity of the fine weather, he dashed to the outskirts of London with Fan Meng, diving into a wild expanse to test his newly acquired bow and arrow.
Liang En gripped a brand-new Turkish bow made from various novel materials in his left hand. With a plastic thumb ring adorning his right thumb, he slowly drew back the bowstring.
As his movements flowed, a short arrow, shorter than the standard, slid from the groove on Liang En's left thumb, swiftly flying out as he released the bowstring.
After a few seconds in flight, the arrow spanned over 300 meters, piercing straight into a 3-meter diameter circle marked by a red ribbon on the far side.
"Nicely done—"
"Amazing!"
Witnessing the arrow's precise hit, the spectators beside Liang En erupted in applause and cheers.
For modern times, finding someone capable of pulling a 90-pound bow and hitting a target 300 meters away was rare. Each such individual became the center of attention whenever they appeared.
"An excellent bow," Liang En remarked to Maimaiti, having test-fired several types of arrows in succession. When he had complained about the lack of good bows at the archery hall, little did he expect this gentleman to be a renowned craftsman in the circuit.
Moreover, Liang En had been fortunate. Maimaiti happened to have a modern version of a Turkish bow nearly 80% completed, abandoned by a customer due to unforeseen circumstances.
Hence, within just a week, Liang En received this modern Turkish bow after a few simple modifications, perfectly tailored to his needs using contemporary materials.
His choice of a Turkish bow aligned with his mastery in shooting with it. Hence, he naturally required a fitting companion. Opting for modern materials was to avoid the complexities of maintaining traditional bows and to ensure the bow's durability in harsh conditions.
"As long as you like the bow," Maimaiti nodded. "Honestly, I had some bias against East Asians before, thinking they might not adapt well to such high-poundage bows. But it seems that was just my presumption."
The reason this bow was abandoned by its original buyer was straightforward. The affluent individual had impulsively purchased a high-poundage bow, only realizing later, after placing the order, that they couldn't handle it.
Consequently, the bow landed in Maimaiti's possession, despite the customer paying half the amount as a deposit, unable to salvage the loss.
Hence, he frequented the archery range to alleviate his inner frustration. Fortunately, Maimaiti crossed paths with Liang En.
Upon learning Liang En's need for a high-poundage bow and after repeatedly testing a 100-pound bow, regarded as the centerpiece of his shop, together, Maimaiti offered Liang En a 40% discount on the high-strength bow.
During this time, Liang En and Maimaiti gradually grew familiar. It was Maimaiti who informed Liang En about the ancient warfare reenactment this time around.
Therefore, after swiftly concluding negotiations yesterday with a tenant and renting out the property acquired as compensation from the Frenchman for a week at a price of £965, Liang En rushed over today to claim his new bow and immediately put it to the test.
"Maybe I'm naturally strong and suited for archery," Liang En chuckled. "I think anywhere in the world, shooters capable of handling a 90-pound bow are few."
He couldn't admit to these people that he'd been a novice before, having only used 26 or 28-pound bows despite mastering the skill. Anyone seeing a 90-pound bow would instinctively step aside, let alone using it.
However, after reinforcing his physical abilities akin to ancient Viking warriors through the Viking card, Liang En possessed enough strength.
Realizing this, he wouldn't waste his physical capabilities. Hence, he opted for a high-poundage compound bow to fully leverage his advantage.
Apart from the bow, Liang En also bought 150 arrows from Maimaiti, each equipped with various functionalities. After all, these items were harder to replenish compared to bullets.
Considering the likelihood of consuming a significant number of arrows during future outdoor operations, Liang En deemed it wiser to prepare such items in advance.
Concluding the archery session, Liang En headed straight for the campsite nearby the open field. Given the ongoing ancient warfare reenactment here, all service facilities were presented in ancient tent styles.
In this era, finding a site suitable for long-range archery wasn't an easy feat. Hence, this was why Liang En participated in such reenactments.
For this activity, he even specially donned the Hanfu he ordered from China during high school, aiming to blend into the surrounding environment.
Of course, this activity belonged to the lower end of professionalism, more inclined toward public outreach and promotional events, so there were various ancient costumes available for convenience at the entrance.
For Liang En, participating in this event had an additional benefit. Such events often came with small-scale antique markets, offering him a chance to procure items of interest.
"Over here, boss!" Liang En spotted Fan Meng waving at him from a distance, adorned in the replica armor shimmering in the sunlight that he had rented at the entrance.
"Find anything interesting?" After wading through the crowd, Liang En curiously asked Fan Meng. He held a silver box, clearly just obtained from one of the stalls.
"I found an intriguing jewelry box," Fan Meng handed over the box. "Seems like a Freemason item."
"Let me see." Taking the box, Liang En noticed a Freemason symbol carved in the center of the lid, consisting of a right angle and a compass, encircled by the Latin phrase 'NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM.'
This phrase meant 'New Order of the Ages'. If you have a one-dollar bill, you'll find this phrase below the pyramid design on the back of the note.
On the dollar bill, this phrase signifies the establishment of a new order in the United States after its independence from Britain. However, this phrase also served as a standard expression for Freemasonry, symbolizing their attempt to manipulate the establishment of a new world order.
Besides these mysterious and intimidating symbols, the box was riddled with flaws. The most apparent was its weight; merely holding it, Liang En confirmed that the material wasn't silver but rather a copper-nickel alloy, tinged with lead.
"This thing's got a high lead content. Touch it too much, and you won't grow taller," Liang En whispered in Chinese to Fan Meng, then placed the silver box back on the stall.
At that moment, Liang En noticed a dozen or so boxes of similar style on the stall, each adorned with the Freemason emblem and motto.
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Chapter 109 and 110 don't exist.
Chapter 111: The Map Inside the Box
"Why do you have so many boxes related to the Freemasons here?" Clearly, the stall owner knew what he was selling, so Liang En went straight to the point and asked.
"These are things I found while clearing out my grandfather's attic." Hearing Liang En's question, the seemingly simple-minded young stall owner glanced at them and said, "I only found out later from books that these have something to do with the Freemasons."
"Oh, I see." Liang En nodded. However, he mostly took what the stall owner said with a grain of salt. After all, antique dealers worldwide were quite skilled at pulling people's legs.
He trusted just a bit because upon examining the box earlier, besides the fact that its material was of high quality, its overall structure looked exquisite.
The beauty wasn't merely in the craftsmanship but in the overall design. The most peculiar aspect was that the Freemason pattern on the box blended harmoniously with the overall design, unlike something forced onto an empty box.
In other words, behind this item, there was either a master artisan or an original template. Otherwise, such a harmonious appearance wouldn't be achievable.
Compared to a master artisan, Liang En suspected there was an original template behind it. If there were a master artisan, the booth wouldn't be filled with boxes of varying sizes.
Thinking this, Liang En immediately inspected the booth. After using a "Detection (N)" card, he quickly focused on a dusty gray box, following a white light.
This box wasn't much different from the others, entirely made of lead, with just a layer of gold plating on the outside. It appeared weathered, perhaps from attempts to scrape off the gold, making it unremarkable.
This meant the owner didn't hold this box in high regard, leaving it in a corner. That was good news for Liang En; it indicated the owner didn't have a discerning eye for antiques, possibly selling genuinely valuable items.
Pretending to browse, Liang En scoped out the booth and pointed at the lead box. "Your box was pretty initially. Why scrape off the gold layer?"
"Oh, I did that when I was a kid." The twenty-something stall owner scratched his head embarrassedly. "I wanted to scrape off the gold but ended up getting a scolding from my father."
"Haha, everyone does some ridiculous things when they're young." Liang En chuckled, then picked up the lead box. "This box shouldn't be expensive, right?"
"Take it for 30 pounds. It's been with me since I was a kid, and who knows, it might indeed have something to do with the Freemasons." The owner considered. Unlike other places in England, bargaining didn't typically happen, except at flea markets. After a few rounds, Liang En bought the lead box for 25 pounds.
"Is this something valuable?" Once they left the stall, Fan Meng asked Liang En quietly in Chinese. He knew Liang En always found valuable things.
"It's hard to say, but I think this box might not be a simple imitation." Liang En opened the box to find it empty.
It made sense; if there had been something inside, the seller would have noticed it long ago, and Liang En wouldn't have gotten it at such a low price.
However, when they went to a secluded spot to examine the box further, they made a new discovery.
"Do you feel the bottom of this box is thicker?" After feeling it several times, Liang En asked Fan Meng.
"Let me see." Fan Meng took the box and felt it, but due to his rough hands, he didn't notice much difference.
"It seems normal to me; these metal boxes usually have thicker bottoms. Are you sure you're not mistaken?" After some feeling around, Fan Meng returned the box, a bit puzzled.
"I can't be mistaken; the bottom of this box is indeed thicker than usual." Liang En shook his head. "Moreover, the bottom seems to be welded."
"What's wrong with welding?" Fan Meng continued to stare at Liang En, not understanding why he was so interested in the box's manufacturing method.
"A box this size is typically cast by normal standards." Liang En opened the lid and pointed at the welded seams on the bottom.
"Even more peculiar, they specifically polished the weld, making it look like it was cast. Unless there's some secret inside, a normal person wouldn't bother."
After securing the box, they continued exploring the flea market but found little worth purchasing. Eventually, they left with the lead box.
However, at the market outside the flea market, they discovered many things worth buying. Mainly diverse and unique snacks from various countries.
Except for a few items with unidentifiable ingredients, they sampled over ten types of barbecue. Even though they only tried small amounts of each, the cumulative quantity wasn't negligible.
After eating and drinking their fill, they headed to Pierce's shop and, with the tools left in his warehouse, began dismantling the seemingly unremarkable lead box.
Compared to steel or copper, this lead box was notably easier to disassemble. With a chisel, saw, hammer, and pliers, Liang En soon removed the box's bottom.
"Look here, there's something unusual about the bottom of this box. They used two lead plates stacked together." Liang En told Fan Meng and Pierce, opening the two plates stuck together for a long time.
"There are writings and patterns here." Once Liang En cleaned the rust off the surface, Fan Meng immediately noticed a series of patterns and words engraved on the lead plates.
"It looks like a map." As Liang En gradually cleaned, Pierce realized the concentric patterns on the lead looked like a map.
"If it's a map, it shouldn't be very old." Liang En shook his head after a brief look. "After all, contour maps only appeared in the 18th century and weren't widely used until the 19th century. In other words, this map is at most a couple of hundred years old."
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