Chapter 271 – Police are here! (1/2)

Afternoon. Hou Qing’s wounds are treated.

Dong Xuebing cleaned his hands and helped Hou Qing wear back her pants.

Hou Qing was surprised and relieved to see Dong Xuebing did not pounce on her. “… Thank you.”

“Sleep a while. You should not have slept last night, right?” Dong Xuebing helped Hou Qing to lie down on his bed. “I will wake you when it’s time to eat.”

Hou Qing was beaten the night before and was exhausted. She hesitated as she looks at Dong Xuebing before closing her eyes. Her legs were curled up as if she was prepared to kick out anytime. Dong Xuebing was afraid she would escape out of the room. If she were caught by the people outside, she would be in danger. So, he took a rope and tied her legs before covering her with a blanket. After that, he went over to the chair and slept with his head on the table.

A few hours passed.

Knock… knock… knock…

Dong Xuebing woke and looked at his watch. It’s almost even, and the woman also awake.

Dong Xuebing walks over and opens the door. The man manning the stairs was outside with a few pieces of bread and packet milk, and Dong Xuebing took the food from him and thanked him. That man saw Hou Qing on the bed and winked at Dong Xuebing with a smile.

“How was her?”

“Hmmm… not bad. She is feisty.” Dong Xuebing replied.

That man laughed and left.

Dong Xuebing was hungry and stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth and finished a packet of milk. He helped Hou Qing up and started feeding the bread and milk to her. Hou Qing was starving and swallowed without chewing.

After Hou Qing was full, she looks at Dong Xuebing. “How much have they paid you?”

Dong Xuebing shrugged his shoulders. “They have not paid me anything. We got to wait until we are overseas.”

“What if they did not bring you along?” Hou Qing had not given up on convincing Dong Xuebing to switch sides. “They are a group of outlaws, and you are different from them. You don’t know what they are capable of. Young man, listen to me. If you don’t want to spend the rest of your life in hiding, help me pass a message to the police. You just want money, right? This is a big case, and the rewards will be high. It will be at least a few hundred thousand.”

Dong Xuebing shook his head. “Not interested.”

Hou Qing tried to persuade Dong Xuebing but was rejected.

At night, Hou Qing was thinking about how to escape. She can overpower this skinny young man if she tries, but even if she can untie herself, what’s next? Run out of the room? Many men outside are armed with guns. Hold this young man hostage to threaten them? It will not work. They will not let her go because of Dong Xuebing, and Hou Qing frowned as she continues to think of an escape plan.

The next day.

Morning.

“Did you have a good rest?” Dong Xuebing asked.

Hou Qing nodded. “Thank you.”

Dong Xuebing laughed. “If you want to thank me, stop thinking to escape.”

“How can I escape in this situation?” Hou Qing replied. “I must be able to move first.”

Dong Xuebing does not believe Hou Qing has no way to untie herself. He reminded her. “Big Sis, you should have seen what happened yesterday. You will have lesser sufferings being here with me. But if you tried to escape and is caught by someone else, I will not be able to help you. You should know what will happen to you if you are in their hands. All of them lust for you.”

Hou Qing kept quiet.

Dong Xuebing continued. “I might need to go out for a while. Just remain in the room quietly.”

After Dong Xuebing finished, someone knocked and entered the room. “Brother Xie, Boss, and Manager Ma are looking for you.”

“Ok.” Dong Xuebing took a deep breath.

That man brought Dong Xuebing out of the room and walked up the stairs. This is the first time Dong Xuebing saw the building and his location since coming here. This is a two-stories building, and there are no other houses nearby. He can see a few warehouses through the windows and further away, it is the sea.

They are located someone near the waters?!

That means the relics can be smuggled out of China, and they can escape?!

On the first floor, there are two armed men. One of them is standing by the window, and the other is by the door. That man did not stop on the first floor and continued his way upstairs with Dong Xuebing. They reached a room at the end of the second floor, and that man knocked. A man shouted, “Come in.” from inside.

“Boss, he is here.” That man said.

A middle-aged man with pale complexion raised his head. “Ok. You can leave now.”

“Yes.” That man left and closed the door softly behind him.

Ma Wentao and the middle-aged man were the only ones in the room with Dong Xuebing. Dong Xuebing immediately know the middle-aged man is the Boss. “Boss, Brother Ma.”

The Boss nodded slightly and asked. “You are Xiao Xie? I heard Manager Ma mentioning that you know a lot about antiques.”

Dong Xuebing replied modestly. “I only know a little.”

“Hehe… you are quite modest.” The Boss looks stern and had the aura of someone holding high positions. He smiled as he looks at Dong Xuebing. “I want you to validate a few items and see if they are authentic. Xiao Xie, check closely as this deal is very important. If you perform well, I will provide you with a good life.”

Dong Xuebing suppressed his excitement. “Yes. I will do my best.”

The Boss nodded towards Manager Ma.

Ma Wentao took out something from a cabinet on the right, and place it on the table.

This item is around two meters and looks like a scepter with a unique shape. An eagle is craved at the top, and there are a pointed beak and two long rabbit ears. In its mouth, there is a small ball inside. The middle portion hollowed, and the hollow part should be used to make the small ball. The lower part of the scepter has gold rings, and the item looks like it’s made from bronze.

Dong Xuebing saw it and was excited!

This is one of the stolen relics from the Museum!

Ma Wentao looks at Dong Xuebing. “Xiao Xie, can you tell if this piece is authentic?”

Dong Xuebing nodded and quickly held that item in his hands. He pretended to examine it carefully and frowned as he took the magnifying glass on the table. Suddenly, he gasped. “This item should be from the Yuan dynasty or Liao dynasty and is used by the nomads. I don’t know what the name of this item is, but the markings on it are not fake. This should be authentic. Look at this part. If the markings are from fake aging, the rust will not be like this. Also, here, here and here…” Dong Xuebing had read about the history of all the stolen artifacts, and can easily make up stories to fool them.

The Boss smiled. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” Dong Xuebing replied. “I am sure this is authentic, but I am not sure about the value.”

Ma Wentao took out another box from the safe. “Take a look at this item.”

This item is a porcelain item, and it was not well preserved. Dong Xuebing’s heart skipped a beat. This is another stolen item. He pretended to examine it for a while and said. “This piece should be from the Song Dynasty. It is not made using the methods we used when we make counterfeits. Furthermore, if this is a counterfeit, no one will purposely make a flaw here. It’s a pity that this piece is damaged.”

The Boss thought for a while and asked. “How much is this worth?”