It was already the second evening when we reached Shiziling. All the way here, everyone took turns driving, stopping only two or three times to use the restroom.
Sitting in this jeep, the ride was incredibly bumpy; I felt like my bones were about to fall apart.
There was a small village near Shiziling, and we went to rest at a local family's home.
These locals knew Er Mao, and their relationship seemed quite good.
Er Mao told us that when he first came here, he stayed at their place for over a month and had a good relationship with them.
The family consisted of only the couple and a child under ten. They seemed to be honest people.
I hadn't slept well in the car. Finally, reaching a place with a bed, I naturally collapsed and slept soundly.
After waking up the next morning, we ate and prepared to head into the mountains.
However, just as we stepped out, we saw a convoy of vehicles approaching, covered in dust. Before we could even react to what was happening, a large group of people got out of the cars, and then a familiar figure appeared before my eyes.
"Why is she here?" Er Mao asked, looking confused.
Even more than him, I was puzzled. Why was she here?
This so-called "she" was none other than Guan Zhenwan, whom I had met before, the owner of the auction house, the woman with a butterfly tattooed on her neck.
We had a brief collaboration last time, though it couldn't really be called a collaboration, as what we ultimately found wasn't the Kwantung Army treasure at all, but merely an underground fortification.
After that incident, I hadn't contacted her again, as there was no real reason to.
Guan Zhenwan, not far away, was wearing a brown windbreaker, her hair tied back, a pair of work pants, high-top suede boots, sunglasses, and holding a trekking pole. She still exuded that same cool, detached demeanor.
She hadn't noticed us. They seemed to have already contacted the village chief, so as soon as they got out of the cars, the chief, along with a few villagers, went to meet them. Soon, their group went to the chief's house.
I thought for a moment and asked Er Mao to inquire about why she was here.
Although I hadn't interacted much with this woman, I knew she was someone who never acted without a motive. She was likely here for some sort of scheme.
Er Mao soon returned with some news, saying that their group was a mountaineering organization, and they were here for a climb.
I didn't believe a word of it.
They carried so many bags of equipment; they hardly looked like they were here for a climb. I even saw some people carrying geological survey instruments. This setup strongly suggested they were here on a treasure hunt.
Regardless of what they were doing, it had nothing to do with me.
It was past ten o'clock. After packing, we were just about to set off for Xiaoqing Guan when a man stopped me: "Mr. Xiang, our boss invites you over for a chat."
Looking at the stranger's attire, I knew he was one of Guan Zhenwan's people.
I didn't know why that woman wanted to see me. After hesitating, I asked the others to wait for me and went alone to meet her.
Upon entering an SUV, I found Guan Zhenwan already seated in the back. After I got in, I sat next to her.
We were the only two in the car. She took off her sunglasses and smiled at me, "Mr. Xiang, we meet again so soon."
"Boss Guan, what a coincidence. How did you end up here?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
"Me?" I asked, confused.
She chuckled and said, "I was indeed mistaken before. I didn't expect you, Mr. Xiang, to have such influence that even Qu Chuan would obediently bow his head… To think I asked you to be my inside informant, I truly was blind."
"Boss Guan, you flatter me. I don't have that much influence; I just have a few friends."
"Those who can be Mr. Xiang's friends must be extraordinary people." She smiled, revealing two small fangs, her eyes flashing with a hint of shrewdness.
"Boss Guan, why did you ask me to come?" I inquired.
"Mr. Xiang, let's be direct. Since you've found your way here, you must also have that map, right?"
I was taken aback and thought to myself: Map? What map? Is this woman still looking for the Kwantung Army treasure?
It seemed she had misunderstood me. Seeing this, I decided to be straightforward: "Boss Guan, I don't have any map. I'm here to find someone."
She stared at me for a long time, seemingly disbelieving.
I continued, "I have absolutely no interest in that Kwantung Army treasure. My reason for coming here… or rather, my reason for coming to the North, is not for the Kwantung Army treasure at all. I'm just looking for someone. I believe Da Kui has already explained my situation to you clearly. I stumbled into Qu Chuan's lair by accident, and before that, I was completely unaware of what he was planning."
Hearing my words, she raised an eyebrow, "You're really not here for the treasure?"
"No," I nodded. "If Boss Guan still doesn't trust me, you can wait a couple of days. Today, I'm going to a Taoist temple to find someone. If things go smoothly and I find that person, I'll be leaving in a day or two. I'm sure you'll feel at ease once I'm gone."
She smiled, "Mr. Xiang, it's not that I don't believe you. I asked you to come here because I want to collaborate with you."
"Collaborate with me?"
"You have an antique shop in Guangling. If you have opportunities in the future, you can entrust some of your collection to me for auction, or sell them directly to me." She said with a smile.
This woman was truly adept at speaking. At first, she directly stated her suspicion that I was here for the treasure. Now that she realized I wasn't, she used the excuse of collaboration to avoid the topic.
It was as if I was the one forcing her to make that statement.
Indeed, this woman was no pushover.
"Alright, if there's an opportunity in the future, I'll definitely contact Boss Guan." As I spoke, I gestured outside the car, "I'll take my leave now."
She nodded slightly, a smile on her face.
After getting out of the car, I couldn't help but think to myself how persistent this woman was about the Kwantung Army treasure.
Returning to our lodgings, I called Er Mao, Fatty, and Song Bing. After preparing ourselves, we set off immediately.
After all, it was still several hours to Xiaoqing Guan from here. We had to set off earlier, otherwise, it would be difficult to travel once it got dark.
Fatty asked me what that woman wanted. I explained it to him, and he said, "Master Xiang, is the competition in the auction house this fierce? Even the bosses are out treasure hunting?"
I was at a loss for words, "Who knows her?"
I had a hunch that the woman's obsession with the Kwantung Army treasure wasn't for money. Judging by her appearance, she didn't seem to be lacking money. Of course, it was also possible that my feeling was mistaken…