“What sort of rotten idea is that?”
Lin Wan looked speechlessly at Lu Zheng. He had actually suggested she take Zhao Xiaodao to the South American rainforest.
Lu Zheng shrugged. “We’re just going on holiday anyway. We’ve never been to a rainforest.”
Lin Wan shook her head repeatedly. “Never mind her. I don’t even want to go. I have absolutely no interest in the insects and snakes there.”
“Alright, alright. We won’t go.” Lu Zheng said helplessly. “Then let’s go to Africa. When? During the National Day holiday?”
It was already mid-September in the modern world. The National Day holiday was not far off.
Lin Wan nodded. “October is peak tourist season in Tanzania anyway. The weather is perfect. We can go again.”
Driving across the African savanna was truly exhilarating. The abundance of wildlife felt much better than being out at sea. Last time, Lin Wan had not explored enough. Since Zhao Xiaodao had mentioned it a few times, she decided to go along with it.
“Fine. We’ll go together then.” Lu Zheng thought for a moment. “I should be free lately.”
During the May holiday, while Lin Wan was away on business, he had stayed in the ancient realm the whole time. It had been ages since he had gone travelling.
With Si Lingxi gone and the three Tu sisters easy to keep occupied, the ancient side had entered a rare period of idle rest. For days now, his routine had been listening to stories in the morning, watching opera in the afternoon, and, well, other things in the evening.
Lin Wan shot him a glance, then reached down. In one fluid motion, she flipped over and straddled him. “Since you’re free, let’s continue.”
Lu Zheng. “…”
After another round, the two lay on the bed, gazing at the myriad lights outside the window.
“I really wish we could live like this forever, without a care…” Lin Wan laughed. “I never imagined I’d end up with a life like this.”
“Is it good?” Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow.
“Of course it’s good.” Lin Wan smiled.
Lu Zheng shrugged. “You can live like this for as long as you want.”
“There’s none of that old tension anymore.” Lin Wan nodded, then suddenly remembered something. Her eyes flashed. “Oh, right. There’s one more thing.”
“What?” Lu Zheng asked.
A cold smile touched Lin Wan’s lips. “The CIA has set another trap.”
“Another trap? About the artifact thief?” Lu Zheng asked curiously. “What’s strange about that? Didn’t you say before that they’ve set plenty of traps?”
Lin Wan said leisurely. “The previous ones were too obvious. Even the bait was fake. So they figured the artifact thief was clever and didn’t bite.”
Lu Zheng’s eyes gleamed. “This time the bait is real?”
“Real.” Lin Wan nodded. “And there’s a lot of it. Chinese bronzes, Egyptian gold artefacts, items from the Mesopotamian region.”
“They’ve gone all out.” Lu Zheng laughed. A thought struck him. “Is there a sheep-head bronze statue?”
Lin Wan frowned and shook her head. “No. From what I’ve heard, there aren’t many Chinese pieces at all. Most are from the Pharaoh’s country and the Aegean side.”
“That’s still impressive.” Lu Zheng clicked his tongue. “Items from those two places have always fetched high prices in the West.”
Lin Wan nodded. “Just preparing it all takes enormous money and effort. If the artifact thief doesn’t bite, it’ll all be wasted. So they prepared plenty, enough bait to guarantee an appearance.”
Lu Zheng could not help laughing. “So thoughtfully gathering everything in one place?”
Lin Wan also smiled. “And since the artifact thief only steals items kept off the books, everything they’ve prepared is exactly that sort. It’s all been moved to an underground auction house.”
“Auction house?”
Lin Wan nodded, then asked. “Do you know where the world’s largest underground auction market is?”
“Where?” Lu Zheng asked.
Lin Wan did not keep him in suspense. She said calmly. “The Lighthouse Country. New York.”
“Good heavens. Truly mastering the art of hiding in plain sight.” Lu Zheng marvelled. “It seems all the major auction houses have venues in New York.”
“Of course.” Lin Wan nodded. “Black and white all together. Keeping them side by side lets many items slip through unnoticed. Forces that operate in both worlds save costs.”
Lin Wan gave a derisive snort. “Plenty of underground auctions are just one street over from legitimate ones. People attend a proper auction in the morning, then head straight to the underground market.”
“Tsk, tsk. The police don’t interfere?”
Lin Wan shrugged. “Those venues all pay their taxes properly.”
Lu Zheng. “…”
“When does it start?” Lu Zheng asked with a smile. “It would feel wrong not to oblige them.”
“The word has already spread privately.” Lin Wan said. “This weekend, right after a Sotheby’s auction.”
“So just three days away.”
Lin Wan nodded. “All the items are currently in that venue’s vault. Two-metre-thick concrete walls, half-metre-thick alloy doors, countless cameras everywhere. Nearly a hundred armed guards from two security firms on rotating shifts. CIA elite personnel on the outer perimeter.”
Lu Zheng was speechless. “This is bait?”
Lin Wan nodded. “It is bait. They’ve left at least three deliberate flaws. The camera control room has lax protection. The venue’s ventilation system is old and poorly maintained. Finally, the location has access from all directions.
Given the abilities the artifact thief has shown before, this job would be straightforward.”
“But in reality?”
“There’s a second closed-circuit camera system linked to another control room. The ventilation has been secretly upgraded with plenty of traps. The outer perimeter is now a complete dragnet.”
“Good heavens. Is all this really necessary?”
“Five hundred million euros.” Lin Wan said.
Lu Zheng asked curiously. “Would they care about that much money?”
Lin Wan shook her head. “It’s not a small amount. If the plan succeeds, the money won’t be split with too many people. Just within one CIA department, everyone would get a hefty share. Haven’t you seen Hollywood films? Most are about a few hundred million dollars.”
“Fair enough.” Lu Zheng nodded. “When do we head over?”
“No rush. We’ll go on the day itself. It’s the weekend anyway.” Lin Wan smiled. “Their setup is tight. Acting while everything is static would risk exposing extraordinary abilities.
We’ll wait until the auction starts, then create some chaos. A fire alarm, perhaps. Then strike amid the confusion. Safer that way.”
Lu Zheng could not help laughing.
“What are you laughing at?” Lin Wan shot him a look. “I’m doing this for you.”
“Yes, yes.” Lu Zheng nodded repeatedly. “I just find it amusing. Like elite special forces playing paintball in a park.”
They could demolish the entire building in one move, yet they chose to play the technical game.
