Chapter 236: Allocation of Gains
In the somewhat dim and cramped living room, Liang En and his companions discussed the development of the turquoise mine.
Although it might take about half a year to wait for the Egyptian side to finish researching the ruins and demarcating the relics in the mining area, considering the complexity of the preparation work needed for mining, it was best to start preparing various plans now.
"Now the Copts have decided to take charge of the mining personnel and security." After Daniel's father finished stating what he could do, Mr. Skoode nodded. "So, does everyone have any thoughts on this?"
"Count Boskiet has his own jewelry company and can handle gemstone processing and provide some sales channels," the steward Lubson spoke first.
"Then I'll take charge of providing equipment and arranging transportation for the tourism plan, as well as handling publicity," Mr. Skoode followed up, "At the same time, I can liaise with various museums to sell a batch of turquoise jewelry through museum channels and persuade those museums to do corresponding promotions."
"After that, I can contact various museums to sell a batch of turquoise jewelry through museum channels and convince those museums to do corresponding promotions." Liang En, who had the least capital in his hands, spoke slowly after the two big shots had finished.
"In addition, I managed to establish contact with the Chinese side earlier. If we need infrastructure construction, they should be the best choice in terms of cost-effectiveness."
For Liang En, who used to accompany his father to the Chinese embassy in Ireland for the New Year's celebrations every year, he naturally had some connections with the embassy.
So when he found out that there was a lot of infrastructure work needed here, Liang En immediately thought of his compatriots and contacted a counselor with the number left by the other party using a satellite phone.
After learning about Liang En's request, the other party quickly provided him with a series of contacts, which could reach several state-owned enterprises specializing in this kind of work.
"You're right. The Chinese are indeed the best choice for this." Lubson nodded. "Local personnel here are unreliable, and labor costs in Europe are prohibitively high."
Because everyone wanted to cooperate, they quickly agreed on the timing of the start of each project and the division of labor.
However, until the end of the discussion, no one mentioned anything about the final distribution of profits. This was because such details could only be decided after everyone started working, and it didn't make much sense to discuss this topic beforehand.
"Finally, another exploration is completed." The next morning, when everyone started to act on their own, Liang En relaxedly said to Fan Meng and Joan of Arc, "Now we can finally relax."
Because they would be dispersing for their own reasons, considering their future plans, Liang En entrusted his three crows to Lubson, who had come by private plane.
Although Lubson was flying to London this time, Liang En assured himself that his crows were as good as pigeons. As long as they were released in London, he could find their way home.
Of course, for these three highly intelligent crows, flying back home from the desert of the Sinai Peninsula was also no problem at all.
But in order to make these little guys voluntarily take the plane back home, Liang En promised them that when he returned home, he would give each of them a shiny necklace that could be worn around their necks.
"It seems that raising highly intelligent pets is not just beneficial." Watching the crows obediently walk into the cage, Liang En thought to himself that while it was much easier for these crows to carry out tasks with high intelligence, they also did some things that made people laugh or cry.
But Liang En didn't see anything wrong with it. Since he had already enjoyed the convenience brought by the crows, he naturally should accept the troubles these little guys brought.
Especially considering the contributions these crows had made in these few missions, which far outweighed the troubles they caused, Liang En felt that these issues should be seen as a bit of interesting diversion in life.
After Lubson's car left, Liang En breathed a sigh of relief. Then he returned to his room and began to summarize what he had gained from this adventure.
For Liang En, this exploration was definitely a fruitful one. Not only did he gain a lot in terms of cards and academics, but he also found a huge source of wealth for himself.
Compared to the small-scale farming, real estate, and plantations he had dealt with before, Liang En only truly had enough money to support future adventures after acquiring such a mine.
For example, Liang En naturally knew that there were various treasures underwater, and he also remembered many valuable shipwrecks and underwater ruins. But without money, it was basically impossible to salvage them.
Because a professional salvage ship cost at least tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of pounds, and even renting a cheap ship cost tens of thousands of pounds per day.
Under such circumstances, Liang En's wallet simply couldn't support him for long. Moreover, even if the ship hadn't reached its destination, his money would probably run out.
As for loans, it was out of the question. Normal banks were unlikely to provide loans for such projects, and the interest rates charged by other borrowing channels would basically turn treasure hunting into unpaid labor.
However, just as Liang En was content with this adventure and prepared to leave, Daniel's father stopped him and handed him a somewhat old wooden box.
"Thank you very much for bringing us hope," Daniel's father said to Liang En earnestly. "So I hope you can accept this gift from us."
"Thank you—" Liang En took the box and carefully put it away, because he knew that according to local customs, he had to accept this gift, otherwise, it would be seen as an insult to the giver.
After bidding farewell to the Copts with reluctance, Liang En and his two companions got into Daniel's car and headed to Sharm El Sheikh in the south, then each took a plane to leave Egypt.
The reason for the separate actions was simple: it was now the resting period after completing an adventure, so naturally, everyone had their own private arrangements. And this time, Liang En and Fan Meng had different plans.
"Good luck to both of you on this journey! Also, I'll let Uncle and Aunt know what you're going to do," before boarding the plane, Fan Meng waved goodbye to Liang En and Joan of Arc, with a meaningful smile on his face.
Obviously, Fan Meng misunderstood the relationship between Liang En and Joan of Arc.
But it's understandable. Perhaps because of some kind of spiritual connection, the degree of tacit understanding between Liang En and Joan of Arc far exceeded what two people who had just met for the first time should have, so it was normal to be misunderstood.
Not to mention that Liang En had previously mentioned that he wanted to go to France with Joan of Arc for a few days, which made it very easy for people to think in a certain direction.
But in reality, Liang En's accompanying Joan of Arc to France this time was simply because Joan of Arc casually mentioned that she wanted to visit her hometown and the places where she had fought.
For this girl who had sacrificed her life for France, Liang En felt that he should definitely fulfill her wish. So he decided to accompany her during this leisure period.
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Chapter 237: Consolation and Enlightenment
"If you were fortunate enough to live in Paris when you were young, then it will stay with you wherever you go in life." These were the words of admiration for Paris by Hemingway in "A Moveable Feast."
But for Liang En, this city didn't seem much different from the others he had visited before. Of course, perhaps he was too young during his previous visits, or they were fleeting, leaving him little time to truly experience the city.
For Joan of Arc, however, Paris was once a dream beyond reach. She had led her troops to the gates of Paris years ago, only to be ordered by the king to retreat.
In a way, her experience was reminiscent of Yue Fei's return after receiving the twelve gold medallions. So, it was no surprise that their first stop on this journey was Paris.
From the moment they boarded the plane and entered the city by taxi, Joan remained silent, gazing out the window until they reached their pre-booked hotel and she had settled her luggage in Liang En's room.
"This Paris is nothing like I imagined," Joan expressed her feelings about the city to Liang En as she sat down on the chair.
"I can't see any resemblance to the Paris I remember. The architecture and the people are so different from the Paris of my time. I can't find anything familiar," she continued.
"What's wrong with that?" Liang En smiled, seeing Joan's bewildered expression. "Since you've been given a chance to live again, isn't it normal for this city to undergo a rebirth?"
"I understand that the city is completely different from what you remember now. But I believe this change is a form of self-renewal for the city. Compared to stagnation, this change is obviously good—"
"Yes, you're right." After listening to Liang En, Joan fell into deep thought. But moments later, she lifted her head, her whole demeanor appearing livelier than before.
"The past will never come back, so instead of dwelling in memories, it's better to look ahead and make each following day more meaningful," she remarked.
"Well said. Let's look forward rather than lament over our past regrets," Liang En applauded Joan's words.
To be honest, since their first meeting, Liang En had sensed that there was something weighing on the young girl's heart, making her seem somewhat repressed.
Considering Joan's life experiences, he wasn't surprised by this. Anyone familiar with her history would know the burdens she carried.
But times had changed, and Liang En hoped she could rediscover herself rather than dwell on ancient memories. Hence, his decision to accompany her on this trip to France.
Now, it seemed that despite Joan's lack of formal education, she possessed a remarkable ability to contemplate, evident in how quickly she grasped things.
So, as their journey progressed, Joan appeared much more relaxed. In Liang En's eyes, she had truly become the girl Letty, rather than the saint Joan of Arc.
Montmartre, the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral... Liang En and Joan visited various landmarks, with Joan specifically visiting the Notre-Dame Cathedral to see the commemorative plaque of the 1455 trial held by the Papacy to exonerate her.
However, Joan wasn't particularly interested in this exoneration. She believed she had only gone to save the people of France under the guidance of the divine, and whether she was judged as an evil witch or a saint held little significance to her.
In fact, over dinner, she openly admitted that both her trial and exoneration were based not on her actions but on the needs of the powerful figures of that time.
"I understand that. So, stepping out of those memories and looking at the world from a more objective perspective is the most important thing for you," Liang En remarked after quietly listening to Joan.
At that moment, the waiter brought the first course of the day from the kitchen, prompting them to pause their conversation and begin eating.
"This is a bit different from how I used to dine," Joan remarked to Liang En during a lull between courses. "Apart from the changes in cooking methods and dining habits, even the serving style is noticeably different from the past."
In Joan's time, Western meals were served all at once for a banquet, rather than the current practice of serving dishes one by one.
This change mainly stemmed from the progress of the times, where nobles and the wealthy preferred to display their extravagance and engage in conversation during banquets. Serving all dishes at once often led to them turning cold.
"You're right. One could even say that the past few centuries, from your time to now, have seen the most rapid changes in human history," Liang En nodded in agreement.
"So, apart from staying at home reading and adventuring with me, we should also go out more often in the future. It will help you understand this world better."
After spending three days exploring Paris, Liang En and Joan headed to the village of Domrémy-la-Pucelle in Lorraine. After avoiding several noisy groups of tourists, they reached a small hill where they could see the whole village.
"I was born here," Joan said, sitting on a rock and pointing to a two-story building surrounded by many tourists. "Of course, the two-story building there now must have been rebuilt later. My family's house was much simpler back then—"
During the following time, Joan reminisced about her life in her hometown. Unlike what some cheap literature might portray, her family was not extremely poor.
Joan's father was a low-ranking official in the village, responsible for taxes and organizing the village's defense. He held this position because he managed a farm of about 50 acres.
However, due to past productivity and the ravages of war, the farm provided a modest living but was not particularly prosperous. Hence, Joan had to help her family by herding sheep during her childhood.
But because it was a time of war, Joan also had the opportunity to learn some basic weapon usage and horseback riding from her father and other villagers.
In times of peace, a female like Joan would hardly have been taught such skills. However, after enduring years of war, circumstances naturally changed.
And what followed was much like what was written in many biographies and records: Joan claimed she heard guidance from angels and decided to save France.
"From then on, I never returned home," Joan said, her eyes fixed on the distant two-story building. "But I never imagined I would return to my hometown like this."
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Table of content - Next Chapter
Chapter 238: Hometown
Joan of Arc sat on the rock for several hours, sighing only when the sky darkened, then she leaped off the stone and began walking towards the edge of the forest behind.
"I remember when this place was just a meadow back when I used to tend sheep. Never thought it would turn into a forest. As you said, everything changes, and I should accept that change," she remarked as she walked.
Soon, she reached a large stone and began digging about a meter away from its edge, using a stick she retrieved from a nearby tree.
"What are you digging for?" Liang En, seeing Joan digging, took a stick himself and joined in, asking her what she was up to.
"Before leaving home, I left most of my belongings with my parents or gifted them to friends in the village. But there are a few things from my childhood that I buried here, where I used to herd sheep," Joan replied, turning to face Liang En.
"So, I thought I'd see if those things are still here. If they are, I can keep them as mementos. If not, at least I'll know," she explained.
Soon, black fragments emerged from the soil. Apparently, these were the remnants of the wooden box Joan had used to store those items. Unfortunately, after all these years, the box had completely rotted away.
In this state, the mechanism of those items had also deteriorated, leaving behind only faint black traces indicating their presence.
Fortunately, not all the toys from back then were made of wood or fabric. So, after brushing away a small pile of black carbon traces with sticks, they found two small terracotta figurines underneath.
"It seems you were a bit different from ordinary girls even back then!" Liang En teased softly, looking at the cavalry and infantry figurines before him.
Unlike today, in Joan's time, the education for boys and girls was drastically different. So, Joan's interest in toy soldiers as a girl was a rare phenomenon.
"These actually belonged to my two brothers," Joan said, looking at the figurines with a nostalgic expression. "But before leaving home, each of them gave me one as a keepsake."
After setting aside the two figurines, they continued digging. According to Joan, she remembered burying a terracotta spinning top among her belongings.
However, to their surprise, as they found the spinning top and pulled it out, they unexpectedly discovered a glint of gold beneath the soil.
"What's this?" Liang En asked, digging with his hands and retrieving a small object about the size of a thumb from the bottom of the pit.
The object was encrusted with purple crystal shards on both sides, with a ring of gold in the middle, resembling a crystal set in gold.
Upon closer inspection, Liang En found an intricately crafted hinge on the gold ring, indicating that this object was likely a small container.
Upon further examination, Liang En discovered that this object was actually a reliquary composed of a central axis and two decorative lids, all in excellent condition.
The exterior of the reliquary consisted of two crystal panels, with one side depicting six scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, while the other side featured the Nativity manuscript and the Annunciation to the Shepherds.
Behind these scenes was a wooden thorn affixed to the crystal, resembling a third of a toothpick, with an inscription on one side: "DE SPINA: SANCTE: CORONE".
This inscription, in Latin, translates to "from the thorn of the holy crown". Considering the cultural context, it likely referred to the thorn from the crown of thorns worn by Jesus during his crucifixion.
"A reliquary!" Joan immediately recognized what Liang En was holding. "I never expected my mother to have left this here—"
Seeing this object, Joan seemed excited. She took a few quick breaths and then burst into tears. Tears fell onto the reliquary from her long eyelashes.
Clearly, this was something very important to her, explaining her intense reaction.
Seeing Joan suddenly cry, Liang En was momentarily stunned. Then he quickly took out a few tissues from his pocket and handed them over. Though he was a straightforward guy, he knew that sometimes, in such moments, saying nothing and simply being there was best.
From Joan's fragmented words earlier, Liang En realized that her sudden emotional outburst was likely due to a mix of nostalgia and thoughts of her own mother.
For Joan, coming to this era had brought a lot of pressure because everything she was familiar with remained over five hundred years ago.
Whether it was family, friends, or foes, they had all turned to dust, and everything she knew had become mere words in history books.
This was why she had a noticeable sense of reliance on Liang En. He was the only familiar presence in this world besides the simple knowledge about modern life in her mind.
So, seeing something related to her mother all of a sudden naturally struck a chord with Joan, eliciting a strong emotional response.
Though in the eyes of many, Joan, as the saint who led the French army to victory, should have been a strong and stoic figure, not one to show her emotions. After all, the common perception was that a great warrior, a leader, should have a mind as firm as steel and depths as profound as the sea, never shedding tears, let alone crying in front of others.
However, according to the accounts of a French king's attendant at the time, the historical Joan of Arc was actually quite emotionally expressive. When she felt like laughing or crying, she did so, unlike the stoic figures often depicted in history.
After a while, Joan stopped crying and regained her composure. She then lifted the small reliquary and recounted the story behind it.
It turned out that after successfully recapturing Reims, although Charles VII was crowned king of France in Reims Cathedral, their isolated forces had to retreat afterward to avoid being surrounded by enemies.
Because Reims was originally French territory, and because the city conditionally opened its gates to them, the French army didn't acquire much loot from the city.
However, since Reims Cathedral belonged to the French royal property, before leaving, the French army, under the king's orders, took away a considerable amount of wealth from the cathedral.
Since Joan had previously declined Charles VII's offer to be formally recognized and instead only requested exemption from taxes for her birth village, Charles VII rewarded her with this precious reliquary taken from Reims Cathedral.
However, at that time, Joan felt she had divine protection and didn't need the protection of such relics. So, she entrusted reliable individuals to take the reliquary back to her hometown and present it to her mother.
Now, seeing it again, it was evident that Joan's mother, out of love for her daughter, had placed this relic alongside the small items Joan had buried earlier, praying that the divine would keep Joan safe.
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Chapter 239: Another Encounter with the Golden Society
After discovering the sacred box, Liang En and Jeanne d'Arc thoroughly cleaned out the small pit where it had been hidden. Unfortunately, apart from the sacred box, they didn't find anything else of value in the pit.
It made sense though; this place was merely where Jeanne used to hide her childhood toys. Her mother likely placed the sacred item there as a token of prayer to the divine, but surely didn't stash any other riches inside.
While the place was safe, it wasn't close to Jeanne's house, making it quite inconvenient for hiding anything valuable.
After concluding their trip to Donglemy Village, Jeanne seemed to liven up considerably. If she previously gave off the impression of a serious warrior, now she resembled more of a girl in her late teens.
Originally, they planned to return to Ireland as their next destination, but to their surprise, when they were about to purchase plane tickets, Liang En received a call from Paris.
"Congratulations on discovering the world's oldest turquoise mine," said Dr. Louis, the curator of the Egyptian department at the Louvre, offering his congratulations to Liang En for his latest discovery.
It was easy for them to know about Liang En's discovery since the Louvre had been following his work since he went to the Sinai Peninsula. A major discovery like a mine couldn't escape their attention.
"This time, it was just a matter of chance meeting a Copt living locally, coupled with some good luck," Liang En chuckled. "Is there something you need to discuss today?"
"Oh, yes," Dr. Louis replied after Liang En's inquiry. "I wanted to ask if you'd allow our Louvre archaeological department to conduct excavations at the mine you discovered—"
Unlike Liang En's significant find, the Louvre's archaeological team would be excavating based on historical relics they discovered over half a century ago in the northern Sinai Peninsula.
Their choice was understandable; being a major museum, stability was their priority in all excavations. They couldn't afford to take risks like Liang En might.
However, this meant the Louvre's excavations yielded lesser results. They only found a section of an ancient Egyptian road leading to Canaan and a fortified outpost serving as a station along the road.
So upon learning about Liang En's discovery of ancient Egypt, even the oldest turquoise mine, the curator of the Louvre's Egyptian department called Liang En, hoping to gain some insights from him.
"Of course, you can," Liang En answered. He had a pleasant cooperation experience with the Louvre before, achieving mutual benefits. So, Liang En didn't mind the Louvre sending an archaeological team to join in the examination of the mine ruins.
"You can discuss the details with my lawyer. Of course, I'll inform him that you only need to pay the lowest price in equivalent exchange."
After settling the cooperation matters, Liang En intended to exchange pleasantries and hang up. But he suddenly remembered something and asked Dr. Louis:
"Before discovering the ruins, my Coptic companion had a skirmish with a group of artifact looters mixed with local bandits. Do you happen to know who those obviously European looters were?"
"We've heard about that incident," Dr. Louis replied after pondering Liang En's question briefly.
"But you don't need to worry too much. Those people shouldn't affect your mining operations. After all, they're just a team under the Golden Society."
"To be honest, your collaborators dealt a heavy blow to the damn Golden Society this time. That team was the only elite force the Golden Society had in the Middle East, and wiping them out will keep them quiet in the Middle East for a while."
"The Golden Society!" Liang En's eyes widened upon hearing Dr. Louis's response. He hadn't expected to hear the name of that organization again at this time.
"Yes, they're a global artifact theft organization. Sometimes, to fetch a high price for their possessions, they choose to destroy a lot of artifacts," Dr. Louis said, his tone tinged with anger.
Understandably so, any reputable archaeologist wouldn't harbor any fondness for those illegal artifact traffickers, especially ones who wreak havoc on ancient relics.
"But recently, those guys have been suffering consecutive setbacks," Dr. Louis continued, his tone turning lighter, even showing a hint of schadenfreude.
"Besides the team that was taken out by your collaborators, they had their entire network dismantled at a crucial trading hub in Europe. So, they'll definitely be quiet for a while."
"A crucial hub? What happened there?" Liang En's curiosity was piqued. In his view, the most crucial aspect for those outlaws should be their sales network, so it was strange that this network had been disrupted.
"I heard they left evidence during an auction while trying to sell some stolen artifacts from an Irish museum. Police locked onto them after identifying the exposed personnel during the auction and then struck to take down several nodes."
As the renowned curator of the Egyptian department at the Louvre, Professor Louis naturally had his own special channels. So, he had a clear understanding of the whole situation and shared what he knew with Liang En.
However, Liang En's expression became somewhat strange after hearing his explanation because he remembered that the last time he was commissioned by a certain officer to attend an auction, the task seemed to involve investigating the whereabouts of missing exhibits from an Irish museum.
"It seems I've crossed paths with the Golden Society again," he thought inwardly, feeling a bit annoyed by encountering such situations with the Golden Society several times in a year.
But considering his achievements in treasure hunting and archaeology over the past year, which probably surpassed those of most peers in a lifetime, conflicts with these professional artifact thieves were to be expected.
Fortunately, given the recent heavy blows the Golden Society had suffered, Liang En wasn't too worried about their retaliatory strength in the short term.
Especially considering the elite team that had been wiped out, after the disruption of their European distribution channels, they would undoubtedly need to focus all their efforts on resolving the issues arising from these disrupted channels, leaving little room for other matters.
More importantly, Liang En's previous actions had all been carried out with enough secrecy, so the other party wouldn't realize the extent of the damage he had caused until they became aware of the situation.
So, after hearing such news, Liang En quickly calmed down his somewhat excited mood, exchanged pleasantries with Dr. Louis, hung up the phone, and then went to the airport with Jeanne to return to London.
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Table of content - Next Chapter
Chapter 240: Exchange Meeting Information
"It seems like Christmas is approaching," Liang En remarked as they exited Heathrow Airport, noticing the Christmas decorations along the roadside, signaling the nearing holiday season.
After spending a considerable time on the Sinai Peninsula and focusing mainly on Joan of Arc during their trip to France, Liang En's sense of time had become somewhat blurred.
"Yes, Christmas is just a week away," Joan nodded. "So, it's time to start preparing for the Christmas feast, like procuring ingredients."
"Actually, many people nowadays choose to have Christmas dinners at restaurants," Liang En remarked quietly. "Everyone is so busy that there isn't much time to cook at home."
"It seems like in this era, not everything is necessarily better than in the past," Joan shrugged. "But nonetheless, it's much better than the times when people couldn't even afford a decent meal."
Soon, they arrived at the apartment Liang En had rented. After dropping off their luggage, they went out to purchase various supplies Joan needed.
Fortunately, Liang En had rented a spacious apartment, considering it would serve as their main base of operations in London. Thus, with a bit of rearranging, they could easily make room for Joan in London.
Fan Meng was currently not in London, as it was holiday time, so he had gone straight to Dublin to assist his father. Many people tended to dine at Chinese restaurants during the Christmas holiday, so an extra pair of hands always helped.
Apart from Chinese cuisine, both Japanese and Indian restaurants were also busy during the Christmas holiday. Since neither Chinese, Japanese, nor Indian cultures traditionally celebrated Christmas, it provided an opportunity for these restaurants to cater to customers.
"Christmas nowadays feels entirely different from our time," Joan suddenly remarked as they exited the store.
"In my time, Christmas was mainly celebrated for religious reasons, though of course, people also saw it as an opportunity to relax," she explained. "But now, it seems Christmas has turned into a purely commercial holiday, with an abundance of festive items but lacking the true holiday spirit."
"That's probably one downside of progress," Liang En reflected, thinking of the changes in Chinese New Year festivities back in his homeland. Like Christmas, Chinese New Year seemed to have lost some of its traditional charm over time.
After reflecting on the changes between past and present, Liang En returned to the house with a pile of goods and spent the entire afternoon tidying up the room that had previously served as storage.
Fortunately, since Liang En and Fan Meng hadn't lived there for long, the room wasn't cluttered with too many things, making the cleaning process relatively straightforward.
However, due to the short duration of their stay, the room had accumulated quite a bit of dust and even some cobwebs, requiring them to invest a fair amount of time and effort into cleaning.
The next day, Liang En and Joan spent the entire day resting in the room. After all, they had been on the move for nearly half a month, so they needed some time to recuperate.
But it seemed fate had other plans for Liang En, as just as he was settling down to rest for the second day, a phone call from Pierce jolted him out of bed.
"Please, I've just returned from France, spent over half a month in the desert," Liang En yawned, checking the caller ID. "Unless it's something urgent, please don't disturb me."
"I'm sorry to disturb you, but this is indeed important," Pierce's voice came through the phone. "I wanted to ask if you're planning to attend this year's Christmas Antique Exchange."
"Christmas Antique Exchange? What's that?" Liang En sat up immediately, holding the phone against his ear with the bedhead as support. "Why have I never heard of this exchange before?"
"Because it's an internal event for antique dealers, only inviting those who have achieved a certain level in the industry," Pierce explained.
"So, after becoming a shareholder in our Emerald Antiques store this year, you received an invitation from the organizers to attend this gathering."
"Do you have any detailed information about this exchange?" Liang En's spirits lifted upon hearing that it was an internal event.
Because according to what he had heard from others before, these internal exchanges often unearthed interesting items, even some very valuable ones.
However, attending such an exchange required a keen eye, as everyone present was a professional, and getting a good deal wasn't as simple as it seemed.
In addition to various antiques and artifacts, the exchange also involved a series of second-hand tools related to treasure hunting and shop management. For small business owners like Pierce, attending such exchanges often meant finding useful second-hand equipment.
Taking all this into consideration, Liang En decided to participate in the exchange. Of course, his main purpose wasn't to hunt for bargains but to see if there were any second-hand equipment worth purchasing.
"In that case, you better keep an eye out these next few days. I think they'll send you an invitation soon," Pierce advised, giving Liang En some pointers for attending the exchange.
"Every year, this exchange takes place two days before Christmas. You can bring 1-2 family members or friends, but they won't have the qualification to purchase anything."
This rule was in place because the exchange was always held just before Christmas. Considering Christmas as a time for family reunions, participants were allowed to bring family members or friends along.
This was good news for Liang En because Joan seemed a bit lonely here by herself. So, taking her to the exchange might alleviate some of her homesickness during this time meant for family gatherings.
As Pierce's call had been a bit lengthy, Liang En found himself wide awake now. He decided to get up, freshen up, and join Joan, who had just finished preparing breakfast.
Although Joan's cooking skills were somewhat lacking by modern standards, frying an egg, cooking bacon, and making a vegetable salad were tasks she could handle without much difficulty.
Today's breakfast turned out quite well, at least there were no major flaws in terms of taste or texture, and it didn't taste any worse than what one might get from a regular street-side eatery.
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