Regarding the matter of the suspect, Yuan Jing would naturally inform Daoist Priest Ming Zhang and Yuan Ye, so Lu Zheng returned to his home in Tonglin County.
In the evening, he summoned Shen Ying and Liu Qingyan. After a brief rest for the night, Lu Zheng handed those several spiritual herbs to Liu Qingyan to refine into pills.
After all, Liu Qingyan’s skill in pill refining was superior to his own.
…
Elizabeth and the other two spent a week touring Beidu, then returned to Haicheng, bid farewell to Lu Zheng, and flew away.
The days passed one by one…
One day in the modern world, shortly before the Spring Festival, Lin Wan came home from work and saw that Lu Zheng had already prepared two dishes and was waiting for her.
“Braised king prawns in oil, sweet and sour pork tenderloin? Thank you, husband. Mwah!”
She set aside the document bag in her hand, leapt straight onto Lu Zheng, and gave him a loving reward.
Lu Zheng held Lin Wan as they went to the bathroom to wash their hands together. Only then was Lin Wan set down to change her clothes, and they sat at the dining table.
“It’s really delicious!”
Lin Wan slurped a prawn, expertly removed the head and shell, then stretched out her fair hand and fed it into Lu Zheng’s mouth.
At the same time, she bit into a perfectly cleaned prawn that Lu Zheng offered her.
After a warm and loving dinner, Lu Zheng went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. When he came out, he saw that Lin Wan had already prepared snacks and drinks on the coffee table in the living room.
“Why haven’t you turned on the TV?”
Normally, at this time, Lin Wan would have already switched on the television, selected a film or drama to watch, and be waiting for Lu Zheng.
Lin Wan leaned on the sofa and waved the document bag in her hand.
Lu Zheng had of course noticed it earlier. “I thought it was work-related, that you were preparing to assist with a case or go on a business trip again.”
Lin Wan shook her head. “No, this is something I investigated secretly.”
Lu Zheng could not help laughing. “Oh? So this is the information you wanted to look into? What is it all about?”
Lin Wan said feebly, “Tracing it back to the source involved sifting through a massive amount of information. I only managed to identify a few possible families, and I’m still not sure if they are the right ones.”
“Possible families? Sure about what?” Lu Zheng asked curiously as he took the document bag, opened it, and pulled out a stack of materials. “What are you talking about?”
“These five families are the ones I found with verifiable records. Their ancestors came to China, participated in the Eight-Nation Alliance, and even today their family circumstances remain quite favourable.” Lin Wan explained. “In addition, there are eight well-known private collectors, with connections in both legitimate and underworld circles. It is said that many artefacts of dubious origin are locked away in their safes, unknown to the public.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng’s smile faded.
“Just as you said, if the cultural relics are in national museums, under the current rules tacitly accepted by various countries, it would indeed be inconvenient for us to take action.
However, those in private hands, obtained not through purchase but through plunder, and which are national treasures, now that we have the capability, should we not intervene?
After all, you cannot expect them to suddenly develop a conscience.
Moreover, even in that film with Cheng Long, the way he retrieved those animal heads was hardly legal.
They are our possessions, after all. We cannot allow them to remain forever hidden in those dark basements.”
Lin Wan looked at the materials in Lu Zheng’s hands and said calmly, “Before they bring them out for sale or donation to museums…”
Lu Zheng nodded. “Exactly. Once they are exposed to the light, it becomes much harder for us to act.”
Lin Wan smiled. “At that point, we could anonymously donate them to the state. Even if the original owners publicise it, it would only lead to verbal disputes, and public opinion would definitely favour our side. Moreover, if we can muddy the waters…”
“Muddy the waters?” Lu Zheng asked, puzzled.
Lin Wan shrugged. “Do you think our country is truly interested in those pharaonic, Olympian, or Third Brother artefacts?”
Lu Zheng was stunned. “You are simply a little genius!”
Lin Wan raised her head proudly and placed her hands on her hips.
“You should stop being an Interpol officer. Hurry up and turn to a life of crime. This is clearly the career that suits you!”
Lin Wan glared at him, bared her teeth, and pounced. “I’ll bite you to death!”
Then Lin Wan bit Lu Zheng.
Nevertheless, the materials were neatly returned to the document bag by Lu Zheng.
…
Lu Zheng held Lin Wan and asked, “When do we go? During the Spring Festival holiday?”
After all, it was on the other side of the Earth. Flying there would take Lu Zheng quite a while, and for this kind of operation, it was best not to take a plane and leave a travel record.
“Forget the Spring Festival. I’ve already requested leave from the unit. We leave tomorrow!” Lin Wan said excitedly, her eyes shining with enthusiasm.
She felt she could not wait another day.
“Alright!” Lu Zheng nodded, then added, “It’s fortunate that the items taken from the Fan Ning family haven’t been sent to Beidu yet.”
“No rush. We’ll send them all together once we’ve collected enough artefacts.”
Lu Zheng nodded. Then, having rested well, Lin Wan, full of energy, eagerly turned over and straddled Lu Zheng once more.
…
[Sir Bowman’s collection stolen. According to insiders, hundreds of items were taken, worth at least £200 million]
[Unsolved case! The Grant family reports theft of family collection, including a bronze sculpture from Pharaonic Egypt weighing 500 kilograms]
[Artefact thief strikes again. The Clark Manor in Gaul visited, over 200 artefacts from China, Japan, India, and Malaya vanish]
[Security companies see booming business. European collectors live in fear. Under Interpol coordination, police from multiple countries have joined the investigation]
…
Lin Wan checked the internal network for work assignments. “Police will enter Lord Raman’s residence tomorrow. We need to adjust the schedule and go there tonight instead.”
Lu Zheng nodded. “Okay.”
…
Over the following half month, several famous private collectors in Europe were targeted, and news about the incidents never ceased.
However, those who reported the crimes could only register the loss of less important items. For the illicit ones, they could only spread word through underground channels.
Several private collectors had jointly posted a bounty for the lives of these artefact thieves!
Yes, these…
No one believed that more than a dozen major cases were the work of a single pair of male and female thieves.
Yes, more than a dozen…
While carrying out their operations, Lu Zheng and Lin Wan discovered additional clues in these homes. Deciding they might as well go all in, they cleared out the lots.
Yet they had principles. Ordinary collectibles of low cultural value, or artworks acquired through legitimate trade, they left behind.
What they took were those hidden in basements, rarely seen by anyone, artefacts of questionable provenance.
These collections included not only Chinese items, but large numbers from Pharaonic Egypt, Greece, various Middle Eastern countries, as well as from Japan and India, both nations with cultural heritage.
Although Chinese people might look down on the history of these two countries, they are genuinely regarded worldwide as having deep historical foundations.
After all, among the four ancient civilisations, only China does not have the word “ancient” prefixed to its name.
