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At that moment, Mr. Anderson chuckled slyly, "If you truly wish to thank me, you could perhaps persuade Yu to transfer the Snake Horn to me."

"I can't help you with that," Wang Guan quickly shook his head. "If he finds out I promised something so readily, he'll certainly fall out with me. If you want to buy the Snake Horn Bixi, you should negotiate with him yourself."

"I tried, but the moment I brought it up, he hung up..." Mr. Anderson sighed. "I offered three million US dollars, and he still refused. If I ask him for his price, he won't even respond. I really don't understand what he wants."

What else could it be? He clearly doesn't want to sell the item.

Wang Guan didn't believe Mr. Anderson was unaware, but seeing his disappointed expression, he felt compelled to offer some vague comfort. To avoid being accused of kicking the ladder away or discarding a bridge after crossing it...

Putting aside the minor details, in Wang Guan's view, the most valuable takeaway from the evening's banquet was that single statement from Mr. Anderson. However, Fang Mingsheng did not see it that way.

After the banquet concluded, many guests departed, but Fang Mingsheng shamelessly stayed behind. Mr. Hill couldn't very well rush him out; instead, arrangements for accommodation had to be made. Perhaps he had managed to glean some useful intelligence, or perhaps it was the alcohol, but Fang Mingsheng was quite energized. Even late into the night, he kept Wang Guan engaged in endless chatter, yet surprisingly, he let slip no clues whatsoever.

Wang Guan was beginning to feel weary. After some thought, he decided to simply state, "Boss Fang, I'm heading back tomorrow. What about you?"

"No need to rush things," Fang Mingsheng hadn't quite grasped it, so he waved his hand and smiled, "Yu Wei is handling matters in London; you can just relax and enjoy the benefits. Rest well tonight, and tomorrow we’ll accompany Prince Abdul for a horse ride and..."

"Not back to London."

At this point, Wang Guan shook his head. "I'm returning to [China]."

"Ah?"

Fang Mingsheng froze, surprised. "Why the sudden urgency to leave?"

"Mr. Anderson just told me that Mr. Zhu Da might have gone to Taiwan," Wang Guan explained. "Besides, Mr. Yu is in charge of the London operation; it hardly matters if I’m there or not. I might as well return to the capital to discuss matters with Elder Qian; perhaps another trip to Taiwan will be necessary."

"Oh."

Fang Mingsheng suddenly understood, but a look of hesitation crossed his face.

Wang Guan observed his expression and naturally discerned Fang Mingsheng's concerns—or rather, his reluctance to depart so soon. This was entirely expected, and he found no cause for surprise.

Merchants pursue profit. For Fang Mingsheng, the trip to Britain wasn't primarily about tracking down Mr. Zhu Da; it was about cultivating a relationship with Mr. Hill. But now that he recognized the value of Prince Abdul, leaving anytime soon became even less likely.

Understanding this, Wang Guan did not press the issue. He simply smiled, "Boss Fang, don't feel obliged. I can manage the return trip myself. It’s fine if you stay; if anything happens with Mr. Yu, you can help look after things."

"That's certainly fine with me."

Wang Guan provided an easy exit, and Fang Mingsheng naturally took it.

There was no need for further discussion. Perhaps feeling a bit awkward, Fang Mingsheng didn't press Wang Guan further and immediately retired to his room. The night passed uneventfully. The next morning, Wang Guan used a simple excuse to bid farewell to Mr. Hill.

Mr. Hill was somewhat surprised and naturally tried to persuade him to stay, but seeing Wang Guan's firm resolve, he assumed Wang Guan had a genuine emergency and couldn't possibly detain him. Thus, he sent him off with friendly regards.

Shortly thereafter, Wang Guan returned to London and went directly to find Yu Wei, informing him of his plan to return to [China]. Yu Wei must have found it quite strange.

However, as Wang Guan explained, Yu Wei suddenly understood and nodded in comprehension.

"Flying back and forth, you must be exhausted," Yu Wei offered in sympathy.

"It's fine; I'm still young, I can handle it."

Wang Guan smiled, chatted with Yu Wei for a few more minutes, and then headed straight to the airport to purchase his ticket for departure.

Not long after buying the ticket, the flight was ready for boarding. Watching his luggage pass inspection safely and be carefully stowed by the flight attendant, Wang Guan let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief when no one was paying attention. Then, with a light stride, he boarded the aircraft. He felt genuinely cheerful, sensing that the journey, likely exceeding ten hours, would not feel tedious after all.

In reality, Wang Guan's haste to leave Britain was not solely due to the information provided by Mr. Anderson. The primary reason was the sheer preciousness of what he had obtained from Mr. Hill's vault—so valuable, in fact, that Wang Guan preferred not to suffer any delays, choosing instead to return to the capital immediately to prevent any unforeseen complications.

Now, safely airborne, the aircraft soaring through the sky, Wang Guan finally felt at ease. With his mood brightened, he felt a sudden urge to sing out loud. However, considering his tone-deaf voice and the scores of passengers asleep beside him, he wisely abandoned the idea of staging such a performance...

Ten hours flashed by, and the plane landed smoothly at the Capital Airport.

After disembarking, Wang Guan pulled his suitcase along with the flow of people out of the airport. Looking up, even though the sky was slightly hazy, he perceived it as incredibly bright.

Composing himself, Wang Guan hailed a taxi. In less than half an hour, he was back at the grand residence.

"Why are you back?"

It was worth noting that Wang Guan hadn't called Elder Qian to inform him of his return to the capital, so Elder Qian was naturally very surprised to see him.

"I was uncomfortable staying in England, so I scampered back home in defeat," Wang Guan joked lightly, then looked around. "Where is Fei Bai? Has he gone home already?"

"Mhm." Elder Qian smiled faintly. "He couldn't settle after two days and left early yesterday morning."

As mentioned before, Yu Feibai's grandmother’s birthday was approaching, and he needed to return to help with the preparations. Knowing this, Wang Guan nodded and smiled, "If I have time later, I'll go join the celebration."

"But you just got back, how could you be busy?"

As he spoke, Elder Qian seemed thoughtful. "Did something unexpected happen with the matter?"

"There was indeed a surprise," Wang Guan admitted. "Someone informed me that Mr. Zhu Da might have gone to Taiwan."

"Taiwan?"

Elder Qian started, then quickly inquired, "What exactly happened? Tell me everything in detail."

"That Mr. Anderson—you know him, Elder Qian—we confirmed the day before yesterday that Mr. Zhu Da had spent time in Seattle. But yesterday, he suddenly recalled that the man mentioned going to Taiwan at one point..."

Wang Guan explained, hesitating slightly, "I just don't know if the man has reached Taiwan yet. Or if he hasn't gone, or if he's there now—I’m worried he might have already left."

"Whether he has left or not, this is indeed a crucial lead." Elder Qian's expression grew more serious, and he pondered for a moment. "Other places don't matter as much, but if he is in Taiwan, it becomes much easier to handle."

Wang Guan understood Elder Qian’s meaning. After all, the mainland and Taiwan were separated only by a strait, and the two regions shared countless connections. Compared to Britain or the United States, Taiwan was almost like a home field, where more resources could be mobilized.

As far as Wang Guan knew, Elder Qian had many friends in Taiwan. A few calls from him, and his friends would surely be willing to assist in the investigation.

"Wait a minute..."

At the same time, Elder Qian reacted. "This lead is important, yes, but you didn't need to fly back personally, did you? Couldn't a phone call suffice?"

"I suddenly missed home, so I came back," Wang Guan confessed with a sigh. "When you're away, especially in a foreign country, language barriers make communication difficult. It’s so much more comfortable at home. I truly don't understand why so many people like to travel abroad."

"Don't change the subject."

Elder Qian would not be fooled by such a simple trick. He pressed with curiosity, "Come on, tell me, what exactly happened? Yesterday you were fine, saying you would assist Yu Wei with the seminar and continue investigating Mr. Zhu Da's whereabouts. Even with a new lead now, you shouldn't just drop that matter."

"In my experience, you are not the type to give up halfway."

Wisdom flickered in Elder Qian's eyes. "Something must have occurred that made you feel you absolutely had to return immediately. Otherwise, no matter how uncomfortable you felt abroad, you would have seen the task through before coming back."

Just as Elder Qian understood Wang Guan, Wang Guan knew he couldn't keep it hidden any longer. He immediately smiled, "Elder, your perception truly is sharp, seeing through everything with clarity. You are correct. Yesterday, not only did I receive news that Mr. Zhu Da might be in Taiwan, but I also obtained an object. It felt incredibly valuable, and I feared delays, so I rushed to bring it back..."

"What object?"

Elder Qian, hearing this, grew serious amidst his curiosity. "Take it out and let me see."

Wang Guan had been waiting for those exact words. He immediately retrieved the item from his suitcase upon hearing the request, carefully placed it on the table, and invited Elder Qian to examine it closely.

"A stone carving?"

At first glance, Elder Qian frowned slightly. But he didn't jump to a conclusion; instead, he reached out and picked up the object to examine it meticulously. After weighing it for a moment, he suddenly noticed something peculiar.

"It's not a natural stone carving."

Elder Qian looked up. "At least part of it is not natural stone. The veining underneath is wrong; there's a slight granular quality. This is something compressed from stone powder."

"I knew your sight was keen, Elder Qian, to spot the flaw immediately," Wang Guan praised. It was astonishing that the object had been in the possession of the Hill family for hundreds, even thousands of years, and no one had noticed anything amiss—truly a case of blind arrogance.

Then again, perhaps it wasn't the fault of Mr. Hill's ancestors. Once they became nobility, they surely looked down upon objects made of mere stone. The fact that they were preserved at all must have been out of respect for the progenitor.

For nobles, who usually admired gold, silver, and jewels, who would truly care about a few worthless stones?

It was precisely because of this disdain that the object survived for centuries, only to be discovered by Wang Guan, finally awaiting its moment to see the light of day. Otherwise, it might have remained a hidden treasure, perhaps even being destroyed without its secret ever being exposed.

From this perspective, Wang Guan felt he had done a great service... (To be continued)

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