Chapter 497: Identity Revealed! The Astonishing TombRaiders from the Past! (2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Indeed. if one were to consider each bronze coin or silver ingot as an artifact. then certainly tens, or even hundreds of thousands were present.
“This letter? Is it not a catalog of artifact names?” Luo Feng questioned after perusing several of the correspondences.
The unique contents of this particular letter were instantly detected by Luo Feng. At a cursory glance, it seemed more like a letter dispatched from a different location.
Luo Feng read it meticulously. “Dear Jiro, today I invited seven artifact restoration masters at a cost of 130… I brought in three restorers today, costing 80. These European-trained restoration experts are highly skilled; even a damaged antique painting can be restored to its original condition.”
It appeared that such military fortifications were not exclusive to this location.
The number of restorers invited was indeed considerable.
This letter, clearly, was a communication between the person responsible for the restoration and someone within the Cherry Blossom nation.
“In accordance with your instructions, we have invited more people to restore the artifacts!”
“Dear Jiro, per your suggestion, I have additionally invited a master at replicating antique paintings and have also arranged for a specialist in the field of bronzeware.”
“I have arranged for a ceramics restorer, their craftsmanship is quite exquisite, and they will undoubtedly be of great assistance to you!”
“Dear Jiro, please ensure that the artifacts are well preserved according to our agreement. When we return to our homeland, we can jointly plot our grand plans!”
“Dear Jiro, please reveal to me the location where you keep your items!”
“Dear Jiro, are you thinking of reneging on our agreement? I have always considered you my best friend!”
“If you break our agreement, I will expose this matter!”
“Alright, I will personally come to find you. I hope you can provide me with a satisfactory answer.”
Luo Feng read for a very long time, roughly half an hour, before he had finished reading the letters sent to him.
The several dozen envelopes were all correspondence from a man named Ogawa, written for Jiro.
From these letters, Luo Feng was able to glean valuable information.
The following letters were sent by another individual named Koike.
“Mr. Jiro, I have found a house domestically that meets your requirements. The address is…”
“I have already purchased the house!”
After Luo Feng finished reading, he continued on to the remaining envelopes.
The remainder were merely catalogs of artifacts, no more letters were included.
After organizing these letters, Luo Feng picked up his shovel and set out once more.
The overall structure of the building had collapsed, hence to access certain rooms, he had to excavate the fallen debris.
With a steady rhythm, Luo Feng continued to dig along with the wealthy second-generation heirs.
By approximately 11 p.m., Luo Feng had unearthed more than twenty artifacts.
There were still more than twenty treasure marks yet to be unearthed.
Luo Feng decided not to pull an all-nighter.
It had been a tiring day.
It was time to retreat and get some rest.
Indeed, Li Shishi knew that Luo Feng had been visiting Qin Ruobing’s tent for the Dast few davs.
But she understood.
After all, Luo Feng couldn’t be monopolized by a single person.
She even suggested they all lean on Luo Feng.
However, it seemed that Qin Rubing couldn’t accept such an arrangement.
After all, Luo Feng had broached the subject gently once, and Qin Rubing had outright rejected it.
However, Luo Feng was confident that girls, when pampered enough, would be more accepting; if they could endure sharing him with Li Shishi, they could certainly get used to his flighty ways. It was only a matter of time.
The night was crisp and clear.
By seven in the morning, Luo Feng, having only slept five hours, was already awake. Conventional wisdom would suggest that after a full day of treasure-hunting, followed by two more hours at night, even the hardiest of bodies would require rest. But Luo Feng had consumed enough energy drinks to restore his vitality in no time. Luo Feng mused to himself, had he tens of thousands of such drinks, he would be in a state of constant bliss. With such a supply, he could spend more time each day on his pursuits – work-related or otherwise pleasurable.
At nine in the morning, after breakfast with everyone, Luo Feng resumed his excavation. Word of his activities soon reached the Bureau of Cultural Relics. The bureau was aware that Luo Feng had recovered the artifacts stolen in the old days and wished to meet him immediately. However, Luo Feng was deep in his excavation and had no desire for interruptions. They did not dare disturb him and could only wait patiently. The same was true even if officials from the Department of War had come; unless Luo Feng wished to see them, they would not dare to take him away outright.
A voice cut through the quiet, ‘You have unearthed a corpse.”
“Valued at 2000 yuan!”
Luo Feng did not pay much attention. He continued his excavation.
Around eleven, he dug up two more bodies, each priced in the thousands, indicating their identities were not particularly important. However, upon examining the artifacts within one of the bodies, Luo Feng confirmed the individual’s identity; could it really be the same Ogawa mentioned in the earlier letters?
Among the letters found within Ogawa’s belongings, Luo Feng obtained further information. It seemed that both Jiro and Ogawa were in charge of artifact restoration or organization, but they harbored ulterior motives. They wished to claim the artifacts as their own and had already taken action.
Several of the masters they hired were experts in forgery, providing fake artifacts for inspection while keeping the real ones for themselves—a classic substitution scheme. Another revelation from the letters was that Jiro had purchased a farm in Sakura Country specifically for trading and storing these artifacts. The location of the farm was also mentioned, allowing for a future investigation.
From the letters, it seemed that Jiro’s family was unaware of his illicit activities, and very few people were privy to this information. After all, even family members could not be trusted with such secrets, for if exposed, it would spell their ruin.
It was clear from the letters that there had been a disagreement between Xiao Chuan and Jiro over the distribution of their illicit gains. The two agreed to meet here. But the results of their negotiation, based on the evidence here, did not seem to satisfy either party.
It seemed likely that Jiro was killed by Xiao Chuan. Xiao Chuan then got into a firefight with others. Judging by Xiao Chuan’s corpse, he must have engaged in a suicidal standoff with his adversaries, using a grenade to ensure mutual destruction.
No wonder such a robust military fortress had fallen. It had seen a fierce battle. Those under the old Japanese regime were all too keen on such actions, driven by their insatiable greed—first for gold, now for artifacts.
However, this behavior was not surprising; wherever one was, the flow of money was similar. Funds from higher-ups dwindled down through the ranks, leaving the lower ranks with little. Money from the lower ranks, on the other hand, trickled upwards, leaving not much to spare either..
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢