Tomb raider: You're going to extract my alien bloodline?

Chapter 17 Wushan Residence

After resting for a few days in Panjiayuan, Beijing, and getting their bodies and minds in top condition, Qin Yuan and Fatty Wang boarded a train heading south to Hangzhou.

The green train chugged along, the scenery outside the window gradually changing from the open plains of the north to the water towns of the south. The fat man leaned back in his hard seat, munching on roast chicken, and smacked his lips: "Hey, do you think little Wuxie will cry tears of joy if he sees us? I, Fatty, am one of his saviors!"

Looking out the window at the rice paddies and fishponds rushing by, feeling the humid air so different from that of the north, Qin Yuan smiled and said, "Whether he cries or not, I don't know, but he'll definitely get a good meal. He promised me that before he left."

"Yes, yes, yes! Hangzhou cuisine! West Lake Vinegar Fish, Longjing Shrimp, Dongpo Pork... Slurp..." The fat man almost drooled all over his clothes just thinking about it.

Chatting along the way, the train finally stopped at Hangzhou Station. The two got off the train, took a taxi, and headed straight for Wushanju on Hefang Street.

Standing in front of the antique-style facade of Wushanju, the fat man stroked his chin: "Hmm, it looks more impressive than our Feilong Antique Shop, but I wonder what the quality of the goods inside is like."

Pushing open the slightly ajar wooden door, the bell on the door rang crisply. The shop was dimly lit and filled with the distinctive smell of wood and dust from the old house.

Behind the counter, a young man wearing glasses and looking somewhat dazed was intently staring at the computer screen, clicking the mouse rapidly.

It was Wang Meng, the innocent young man.

Hearing the doorbell ring, Wang Meng didn't even look up, and said weakly, "Welcome, feel free to look around..." Her eyes were still fixed on the screen, as if she was at a crucial moment in breaking the record.

Qin Yuan and the fat man exchanged a glance, both seeing the smile in each other's eyes. Qin Yuan quietly took out his phone, switched to camera mode, and snapped several photos of the completely absorbed Wang Meng.

The sudden flash of light and the sound of camera shutters startled Wang Meng. He looked up abruptly and saw two strange men standing in the store, one of whom was holding a phone pointed at him. He panicked and asked, "What...what are you doing?"

Qin Yuan deliberately put on a stern face, shook his phone, lowered his voice, and said with a serious tone, "What are you doing? Playing Minesweeper during work hours, slacking off! Tell me, if I send this photo to your boss Wuxie, how much of your salary will you have left this month?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Meng turned pale with fright. He was naturally honest and timid, and Qin Yuan's bluff made him believe it was true—that the boss had sent someone incognito. He was so anxious he was almost in tears. He rushed out from behind the counter, pleading helplessly, "No! Don't tell the boss! I...I was wrong! I'll never do it again! Please, I'll go make some tea right now!"

Seeing Wang Meng's pitiful look, as if she was about to shed tears, the fat man beside him couldn't hold back any longer and burst into earth-shattering laughter, clutching his stomach: "Hahahaha! Oh my! I'm dying of laughter! Little Blackie, you're too mean! Look how scared you've made that kid!"

Qin Yuan couldn't hold back any longer. He laughed, put away his phone, and patted Wang Meng on the shoulder: "Just kidding. We're friends of your boss, Wu Xie. We're from Beijing. Isn't he in the store?"

Wang Meng then realized she had been tricked. She breathed a sigh of relief, but her face still flushed with lingering fear. She pouted pitifully, "Oh...so you're the boss's friend! You scared me to death. The boss went out this morning, saying he had some business to attend to, but he should be back soon. Please have a seat, I...I'll go make some tea."

Wang Meng hurriedly went to the back to prepare tea, while Qin Yuan and the fat man took the opportunity to look around Wu Shan Ju.

The shop wasn't very big, but the display shelves were filled with various porcelain, jade, and bronze items, and the walls were adorned with calligraphy and paintings, making it look quite presentable.

In the past, Qin Yuan would probably have just watched the spectacle without being able to distinguish between truth and falsehood. But at this moment, the knowledge of antique appraisal in the "object" section of the "Sixteen-Character Yin-Yang Feng Shui Secret Technique" naturally surfaced in his mind.

He strolled over to a display shelf and his gaze swept over a blue and white porcelain vase. The shape appeared dignified, but the glaze was too bright and flamboyant, the blue color was dull and lacked depth and richness, and the exposed iron-red color on the foot was done in an extremely deliberate and stiff manner... a typical low-quality modern imitation.

He then looked at a bronze Buddha statue next to him, its patina unnaturally greasy, its face blank, and its patterns blurry... It was like something you'd find at a street stall.

Let's look at another landscape painting that claims to be from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The brushwork is weak and lacks strength, and the inscription and seals are full of flaws...

The more Qin Yuan looked, the more his lips twitched. He quickly scanned most of the items in the store, and the conclusions he drew based on his newly acquired knowledge left him both amused and exasperated.

None of the things in this room are real; they're not even high-quality replicas. They're mostly cheap handicrafts meant to fool laymen!

"Pfft..." Qin Yuan couldn't help but laugh out loud, and whispered to the fat man, "Fatty, I used to think your shop was a rip-off, but at least you had a few Republic-era imitations to make it look presentable. Compared to Wu Xie's place, yours is practically the conscience of the industry, honest and fair to everyone!"

Upon hearing this, the fat man curiously came over to take a look. Although his theoretical knowledge was not as good as Qin Yuan's at the moment, he had been hanging around Panjiayuan for many years and still had a good eye. After a careful look, he chuckled: "Hey! It really is! This Wuxie comrade looks like a pretty honest guy, but this shop he runs... he's even better at swindling than his third uncle! With this thing on display, isn't he afraid of ruining his reputation?"

The two were joking and complaining when Wang Meng brought over two cups of tea, looking a little embarrassed: "Um... the boss doesn't usually drink tea, so this is all the tea leaves we have in the shop. You guys... just make do with this."

Qin Yuan took the cup and glanced at it. Good heavens, almost half the cup was filled with broken tea leaves, the water was murky, and it smelled stale. He took a sip, and the astringency made him grimace. He couldn't help but complain again, "Wang Meng, is your Wu Shan Ju restaurant about to go bankrupt? This tea you serve to guests is worse than our big bowls of tea in Beijing! Wu Xie's stinginess is on par with his third uncle!"

The fat man also took a sip, swallowed it with a contorted expression, and chuckled, "Not bad, not bad, authentic, green and environmentally friendly, no additives!"

Wang Meng blushed and stammered, unsure how to respond.

Just as Qin Yuan and Fatty continued to ramble and discuss the "scum tea," the door of Wu Shan Ju was pushed open again, and the bell rang crisply.

A young man wearing a simple white T-shirt, looking a little tired but with bright eyes, stepped through the door. It was Wu Xie.

He looked up and saw the two people in the shop, paused for a moment, then his face lit up with a delighted smile:

"Fatty! Qin Yuan! You guys really came?!"