Mr. Anderson said calmly at this moment, "Wang, since you have made such a request, you must have already made up your mind. Why not tell us what it is?"

"That's what I was waiting for." Wang Guan smiled slightly, simultaneously feeling in his coat pocket for a piece of paper, which he then handed over.

"This is..."

Mr. Anderson took it, and as he lowered his head to read, his expression instantly changed: "Wang, this is extortion."

"Is it?"

Wang Guan remained quite composed, smiling faintly, "Mr. Anderson, don't be angry so quickly. Everything is negotiable; if the deal falls through, we can still remain friends. If you disagree, then forget it; I won't force you..."

Believe that...

If Mr. Anderson understood the nuances of the [Chinese] dialect, he might have erupted in curses. However, the current situation was similar; his face was somewhat grim, and it took a long moment before he calmed down.

"Wang."

Continuing to scrutinize the contents of the paper, Mr. Anderson shook his head, "You should know that these things... well, I simply don't have these things... A clever housewife cannot cook without rice; I cannot conjure them out of thin air."

"Mr. Anderson, look closely." Wang Guan smiled, "This list was not drawn up arbitrarily. Even if you don't possess the items on this manifest, we are confident that if you work together, you can certainly manage to collect them all."

"What do you mean?" Mr. Anderson frowned, clearly puzzled.

"The person who compiled this list told me,"

At the same time, Wang Guan stated frankly, "Although these items are held by different people, those people share a common characteristic. As for what that characteristic is, I believe Mr. Anderson must already have an idea."

In that instant, Mr. Anderson fell silent. He certainly knew what common characteristic was implied. In fact, he had already sensed something while browsing the list. Now, with Wang Guan's reminder, his suspicion was confirmed beyond doubt.

"Wang, we are merely kinsmen, not family, nor relatives," Mr. Anderson sighed. "Though we are united, we are very clear about matters of interest. They won't assist me gratuitously without reason."

"Who said it was gratuitous assistance?" Wang Guan gestured. "I'm trading something for it—a fair and reasonable exchange of goods for goods. Furthermore, when dealing with family or relatives, one must be meticulous with accounts, but within the same organization, surely that isn't necessary?"

"Huh?"

Mr. Anderson's gaze instantly sharpened with suspicion: "Wang, I don't understand what you're implying."

"If you don't understand, then forget it."

Wang Guan casually added, "In any case, these are our terms, and bargaining is strictly discouraged."

"You people..."

It was only then that Mr. Anderson had a belated realization, beginning to grasp the situation. He couldn't help but silently curse himself for letting concern cloud his judgment; he should have realized earlier that anyone capable of knowing about the organization behind him, and who could draw up such a detailed list, was not easily dealt with.

This meant Wang Guan had backing, perhaps even official ties. Considering this, Mr. Anderson hesitated for a moment before admitting frankly, "Wang, I cannot make this decision on my own; I must seek instruction before I can reply to you."

"Of course, I can wait," Wang Guan smiled. "To be honest, we are all just mouthpieces. If those above us instruct us to do something, we have no choice but to comply; we are not in control of our own actions."

"That is entirely true." Mr. Anderson nodded in agreement. After shaking hands and bidding farewell to Wang Guan, he hurried away once more.

Not long after Mr. Anderson departed, Wang Guan immediately received news from Germany: the analysis results confirmed that the metal fragment was indeed over three thousand years old.

At this, Wang Guan chuckled, simultaneously rubbing his hands together, preparing to recuperate and then strike a heavy blow. He did not believe that Mr. Anderson and the organization behind him would agree to his terms so easily.

The declaration of 'bargaining strictly discouraged' was merely an excuse set up for better negotiation later. After all, before the transaction was finalized, there would certainly be a back-and-forth, requiring mutual compromise and concession before a final agreement could be reached.

As it turned out, Wang Guan’s guess was correct. Just one day later, Anderson returned for a visit, and this time he wasn't alone; he brought a whole team with him—a grand procession of over a dozen people. With more people, the momentum immediately shifted. Armed with confidence, they were ready to counter Wang Guan’s demands.

Wang Guan himself was inexperienced in such matters, but Elder Qian had already made arrangements. During the formal negotiations, out of nowhere, more than a dozen people materialized and sat down next to Wang Guan.

Suddenly, the entire scene resembled a business negotiation between two major corporations—turbulent undercurrents swirling, swords drawn, creating an atmosphere as volatile as a powder keg ready to ignite.

Of course, no matter how fiercely the two sides argued, Wang Guan and Mr. Anderson maintained smiling faces, occasionally whispering about the taste of the tea and coffee.

However, the negotiation was truly arduous, perhaps even meticulous to the extreme. A minor issue could instantly lead to a deadlock, which happened from time to time. Whenever this occurred, everyone tacitly agreed to take a temporary break before re-engaging.

After all, both parties intended to transact business. The seemingly intense arguments were merely probes into each other's bottom lines; a complete breakdown of talks was never truly possible.

Thus, the process dragged on intermittently for a week. Wang Guan himself was growing weary, even if the negotiators were not. But after this period of probing, everyone had grasped the other side's limits, and an agreement was nearly within reach.

Seeing this, the opposing side stopped dragging their feet and moved decisively. On the ninth day of negotiations, they swiftly finalized the various details and signed the contract.

"A pleasure working with you!"

In that moment, both Mr. Anderson and Wang Guan let out a unified sigh of relief, feeling a wave of relaxation.

Yet, the respite was brief, as Wang Guan had to depart for Australia immediately. He needed to investigate the authenticity of those items; after all, one couldn't simply accept the other party’s word that the items were genuine. During the negotiations, many people had come to appraise the metal fragment. The contract was signed relatively smoothly precisely because the tests showed no immediate issues.

Now, it was time to test the discernment of Wang Guan and his team. Mr. Anderson's side was responsible for providing the artifacts, but confirming their authenticity depended entirely on their meticulous scrutiny. If they brought back fakes, it would be their own failure, with no one else to blame.

Understanding this, Wang Guan dared not delay. After consulting with Elder Qian, he arranged for the elder to personally secure a contingent of experts from the Forbidden City to accompany them.

Naturally, borrowing these experts came at a high cost—a significant favor that would need to be repaid slowly. Furthermore, since Elder Zhou was leading the team, and he was accompanied by esteemed senior figures, Wang Guan, as a junior member of less renown, naturally fell into the role of an assistant, running errands here and there. Still, running errands shouldn't be looked down upon; countless people in the field would jump at the chance to assist such great experts.

After all, being near the experts, especially while they were appraising items, offered the easiest opportunity to learn. Even without active appraisal, the casual remarks made when the great masters conversed and laughed among themselves were profound enough for deep contemplation.

This was not exaggeration, but fact. Since the elders possessed rich experience, numerous insights were certainly hidden within their brief statements. If one listened attentively, one could definitely bypass many difficult detours. Thus, having such an opportunity for close-range learning was something many would fight fiercely to obtain.

While Wang Guan absorbed the teachings of the seniors, the plane smoothly landed in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was a beautiful city, situated in the verdant and pleasant heartland of Australia, renowned for its year-round greenery and flowering plants—a garden city often called the natural capital.

Wang Guan's first impression upon arrival was the fresh air, giving him the feeling of being on a vast grassland. In reality, Canberra was built upon a grassland, or perhaps Australia itself was essentially one large plain.

Well, at least in Wang Guan’s perception, Australia was a nation founded on grasslands, and thanks to the excellent urban planning, the air quality was naturally high.

This was an aside. After landing at the airport, Mr. Anderson had arranged for personnel to meet them, drive them to their hotel in the city, and then... nothing more. Perhaps intending to test their patience, Mr. Anderson's side made no further contact after depositing them at the hotel.

However, Wang Guan and his team remained composed. Especially Elder Zhou and the others, being seasoned veterans, were absolutely not going to let such a minor thing disrupt their composure. They ate, they drank, and when the mood struck, they even went out sightseeing, treating it as a subsidized vacation.

Wang Guan, moreover, was exceptionally generous, covering all expenses for shopping and consumption. The elders, however, felt awkward and refused his generosity. After all, the older generation placed more value on integrity and felt they shouldn't accept rewards without merit, so they politely declined.

Moreover, before Wang Guan could argue, Elder Zhou shifted the topic: "Since they want to test our patience, we shall return the favor and let them wait. Don't think we are isolated here. Come, I’ll take you to visit some old friends."

As he spoke, under Elder Zhou’s direction, the group set off in force. After several turns, they arrived at the local Chinatown and confidently headed towards a specific shop.

Chinese people have roots all over the globe, so it was not strange for Australian cities to have Chinatowns.

And with the continuous development of the Chinese economy following the reform and opening up, interactions with overseas Chinese worldwide had become increasingly frequent, making it even less surprising that Elder Zhou had friends here.

"Brother Xu."

Upon entering, Elder Zhou called out, and an elderly man with a full head of silver hair came forward to greet them.

Wang Guan took the opportunity to observe. The old man appeared to be in his seventies, with very short hair standing up like silver needles, giving an impression of vigor. In short, he was a man radiating vitality.

"Brother Zhou, long time no see."

At the same time, the old man smiled broadly, warmly inviting everyone to sit in the tea room for pleasantries and small talk... (To be continued)