To be frank, Wang Guan harbored a degree of suspicion; he certainly wouldn't engage in anything illegal. Thus, with one loyal heart and two backup plans already in motion, he began considering how to politely decline.

"There are no outsiders here, so I'll be direct," Gao Zhuang said, setting down his wine bowl and lowering his voice. "Brother Wang, aren't you even a little curious about the origin of that salvaged porcelain?"

"Hmm?"

Wang Guan was momentarily startled, then a thought surfaced, and he instinctively whispered back, "Did you discover a sunken ship?"

"Smack!"

Gao Zhuang slapped the table and gave a thumbs-up. "Brother Wang is sharp indeed. I only hinted at it, and you already know the score. You're right; I have seven or eight parts certainty that there's a wreck beneath a certain location."

"As expected..."

Just then, Wang Guan flashed an understanding smile. It wasn't hindsight on his part; in fact, when Gao Zhuang had asked him to appraise that large crate of salvaged porcelain a few days prior, this very idea had occurred to him.

After all, to produce that quantity of salvaged porcelain all at once, and with the pieces appearing recently hauled up rather than collected over many years, there was only one logical explanation. Gao Zhuang had found a shipwreck, or at least its location, to yield such a haul.

"Brother Wang, don't think I'm lying just because I’m sharing this so easily," Gao Zhuang admitted with genuine openness at this juncture. He sighed. "Actually, after accidentally discovering that spot, I naturally assumed a chance to strike it rich had arrived. Who knew salvaging would be far more difficult than imagined? With my current capabilities, managing to dredge up a few things from the edges is already an achievement. My equipment is inadequate; I simply can't dive deep enough to explore..."

Some might consider Gao Zhuang foolish for knowing his equipment was lacking and not immediately purchasing superior gear. However, the gear wasn't the primary issue; the key constraint was a lack of capital.

Even though Gao Zhuang had managed to retrieve some porcelain, Wang Guan’s appraisal indicated that the items weren't highly valued. Selling that crate of salvaged wares would certainly net him enough money to buy another fishing boat, perhaps. The problem was, those funds were entirely insufficient to support a full shipwreck salvage operation.

Most crucially, although Gao Zhuang appeared rugged on the surface, his nature was anything but coarse. On the contrary, his meticulous disposition made him realize that salvaging a shipwreck within Chinese waters, without someone to shield and escort the operation, would likely result in him receiving little more than some meaningless commendations and a paltry reward of a few tens of thousands of yuan after everything was said and done.

Gao Zhuang certainly wasn't interested in doing all the hard work only for others to reap the benefits. Yet, knowing a gold mine lay waiting for his excavation while remaining powerless to touch it was an agonizing sensation.

Better one bird in hand than a hundred in the bush. Rather than watch a treasure trove he couldn't access, it was better to seek a partner. After weighing the pros and cons, Gao Zhuang decided to bring Wang Guan into the fold. In his estimation, Wang Guan wasn't the type to betray friendship for mere profit; if they managed to salvage the wreck, he certainly wouldn't shortchange him.

"A sunken ship..."

At the same time, Wang Guan let out an unconscious sigh. There was no need to doubt his interest; he was certainly moved. One ship equals ten tombs—it was too good an opportunity to turn away.

"Brother Wang, what do you say?" Gao Zhuang chuckled, "Want to go in on this big deal?"

"Absolutely."

Wang Guan nodded firmly, not rushing to ask for the wreck's specific coordinates. Instead, he pondered, "To be clear between brothers, Brother Gao, how much are you looking to take?"

"When my father was alive, he often educated me that a person shouldn't be too greedy; one must be content," Gao Zhuang said with a smile. "So, I only ask for two-tenths. I'm afraid I can't handle more."

"Oh?"

Wang Guan paused, then smiled and nodded. "He who is content is always happy. That's excellent advice, truly worth remembering."

As he spoke, Wang Guan hesitated no longer and immediately pulled out his phone to dial a number.

"Hello?"

A moment later, Yu Feibai’s lazy voice drifted through the phone: "The birthday banquet is over. Are you coming back? By the way, did you visit Chenghuang Temple during your days in Shanghai? Any good finds?"

"I picked up a tea bowl," Wang Guan replied with a slight smile.

Yu Feibai's energy visibly spiked, his voice rising higher. "What’s its pedigree?"

"Official ware from the Northern Song Dynasty!" Wang Guan paused, and only after hearing Yu Feibai's sound of envy did he continue, "And it's the rarer Black Ding ware, with peacock-blue oil-spot iridescence inside the bowl!"

"What?" Yu Feibai sounded like he was leaping up, his voice several octaves higher. "XXX, hurry up and get back here."

"Don't rush," Wang Guan said with a leisurely grin. "It’s not just the Black Ding; I also acquired a yellow jade thumb ring."

"Yellow jade? Hetian yellow jade?" Yu Feibai asked, startled. "You’re comparing this item to a Black Ding tea bowl, so the jade ring must be significant, right?"

"Yes, it is significant," Wang Guan chuckled. "Uncle De appraised it and said the yellow jade is top-grade chicken-fat yellow, and what’s more, it’s seed material."

"Then what are you waiting for? Fly back here immediately!" Yu Feibai burst out. "Yellow jade! I don't have such a fine item in my collection, yet it ends up benefiting you."

Wang Guan ignored him and continued talking to himself as if: "A yellow jade thumb ring, tortoise-shell shape—that’s a Ming Dynasty court piece. What surprised Uncle De and me the most was that the ring surface was engraved with the 'Hundred Steeds Picture'..."

"The 'Hundred Steeds Picture' carved on a jade ring?" Yu Feibai paused, vaguely grasping something.

Just then, Wang Guan added with a smile, "The exquisite detail and high technique of the 'Hundred Steeds Picture' engraving go without saying; it’s enough to put Lu Chongming several streets behind."

"Real or fake?" Yu Feibai sounded doubtful. "Lu Chongming is a Quasi-Master, after all!"

"What's a Master?" Wang Guan's face beamed as he revealed the punchline: "You have to know, the one who carved this jade ring was a Grandmaster..."

"Hiss!"

In an instant, Yu Feibai gasped sharply, immediately understanding everything and reacting with profound shock. "The jade ring legendarily carved by Lu Zigang under imperial command?"

"I don't know about that," Wang Guan played coy after getting his way. "But I definitely saw Zigang’s miniature inscription inside the ring's hole."

"Aaaah..." Yu Feibai stamped his foot and roared, "You damnable brat, are you showing off? If you have the guts, roll back here right now, or I’ll snatch the thing!"

"Jealous, aren't you?" Wang Guan asked with a smile.

"What do you think?" Yu Feibai’s voice dripped with menace. "If you don't let me admire that jade ring for three to five months after you get back, I’ll call Lu Chongming immediately and tell him to go to Shanghai and intercept you..."

"It’s good that you’re envious," Wang Guan smiled. "So, do you want to get a lucky find like mine?"

"Huh?"

Yu Feibai calmed down. "What do you mean by that?"

"Before you came, didn't you say that if you found a treasure, you wanted me to call you? Now..." However, before Wang Guan could finish, Yu Feibai exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "...Wait for me, I’m booking a flight right now!"

"Don't be hasty," Wang Guan quickly said. "This treasure isn't simple; it’s an undersea treasure."

"An undersea treasure?"

Yu Feibai paused, then immediately understood. "A sunken ship?"

"Exactly," Wang Guan laughed. "It needs salvaging. Do you have any contacts in that area? If not, I'll have to ask the local bosses in Shanghai for help."

"Tch, asking the Su family for help? Be careful they don't swallow you whole, bones and all," Yu Feibai threatened, yet he sounded supremely confident. "Besides, with my far-reaching connections, how could I possibly not have a way?"

"Good, as long as you have a way. Hurry over; we'll wait for you," Wang Guan said, confident that Yu Feibai wouldn't disappoint him.

"OK, I'll be there by tonight at the latest."

As they spoke, the two ended the communication. Wang Guan turned back with a smile. "That's settled. We don't need to worry about the next steps; we just need to wait for him to arrive."

"Oh."

Gao Zhuang nodded vaguely, his eyes revealing a mix of complex emotions: excitement and anticipation, mixed with a sense of loss and bewilderment. After all, handing over immense wealth, even for good reasons, didn't sit entirely well in his heart.

"Forget it. At this stage, overthinking is useless."

Fueled by a bit of wine, Gao Zhuang managed to cast off the complexity in his heart and enthusiastically urged everyone to continue eating the fish paste. The seafood feast concluded only as dusk settled, eliminating the need for dinner.

Afterward, the group continued their casual chat until night finally fell. Around eight or nine o'clock, Wang Guan received a call from Yu Feibai. He then smiled and signaled to everyone, "Time to go. The man is here; let's head to the port."

Gao Zhuang’s house was very close to the port, just a few minutes’ walk. Even though it was nighttime, the port remained busy, with stevedores loading and unloading cargo moving back and forth constantly.

At this point, following Yu Feibai’s instructions, Wang Guan slowly approached a section of the port. There, moored, was a massive yacht, perhaps over fifty meters long, looking incredibly luxurious and grand.

Yu Feibai was already standing on the deck, waving and calling out, "Over here! Hurry up and get aboard."

As he spoke, a wide gangway slid down, inviting Wang Guan and the others onto the large yacht. However, before they could step onto the deck, Yu Feibai rushed down shouting, "Where is it? Did you bring it?"

"What's the rush? Come meet a few of my friends first," Wang Guan said with a smile, introducing everyone one by one. He made a special point of introducing Gao Zhuang, subtly implying that the clue to the sunken ship came from him—Yu Feibai should understand how to proceed.

"Feibai, guests have arrived?"

Just then, Tang Qinghua’s voice drifted from inside the cabin, which surprised Wang Guan a bit.

"Don't be surprised. The yacht belongs to his family. He heard there was a show to watch, so naturally, he tagged along," Yu Feibai explained, then chuckled. "Let’s all go inside for tea and chat slowly..."

Under Yu Feibai's warm invitation, the group slowly entered the spacious, exquisitely decorated cabin. Tang Qinghua was already seated inside, focused intently on preparing tea.

"Don't be so formal; please, everyone sit down."

Noticing Gao Zhuang and the others looking slightly constrained, Yu Feibai said kindly, "You are Wang Guan's friends, and he is my friend, so we are all friends here."

Wang Guan smiled and chimed in, "The host is generous; there's no need to stand on ceremony. Sit down and have some tea."

Led by Wang Guan and Bei Ye, the others also settled into seats. Simultaneously, Yu Feibai reached out directly, his face alight with anticipation: "The jade thumb ring..."