Chapter 499: Impatience
Chapter 499: Impatience
Lu Hongjun believed that he had already retired, and with so much time having passed, there was no way anyone would pursue the matter further. However, after hearing Lu Jiaxin's words, he became uncertain once more.
Lu Jiaxin said, "Tell me the exact location of the items, and I'll have Wang Lin retrieve them."
Without a moment's hesitation, Lu Hongjun refused, "That won't do. What if your bodyguard gets greedy and runs off with the items?"
Seeing her caution, Lu Jiaxin felt even more certain that these items were extraordinary. "Rest assured, they would give their lives to protect me. How could they possibly abandon their duties for these few items?"
Lu Hongjun's face paled as he asked, "What do you mean they'd give their lives to protect you? Has something happened to you?"
The kidnapping incident had already been reported to Lu Jiaguang, and it wouldn't be long before he found out. Of course, Lu Jiaxin didn't intend to keep it from him; she simply didn't want Lu Jiaguang and the others to worry.
Lu Jiaxin explained, "Someone was envious of my wealth and wanted to kidnap me, but my bodyguards were fantastic and chased them away. Now, give me the exact address, and I'll have Wang Lin familiarize himself with the location first. We'll go retrieve the items later tonight."
"It's hidden in a very secretive spot. They won't be able to find it if I don't go with them," Lu Hongjun replied.
As the conversation went back and forth, Lu Jiaxin finally agreed. "Fine, I'll have someone come pick you up after dinner. You can bring your bodyguard to get the items later."
If he wanted to cause a fuss, so be it. She wasn't afraid of a few bodyguards. As for whether Lu Hongjun's health could handle it, well, if he wanted to be stubborn, she wasn't going to bother herself with it.
"You're not coming?" Lu Hongjun asked.
Lu Jiaxin replied, "It's just a few items. There's no need for me to go."
"They are all rare treasures," Lu Hongjun insisted.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "Last week, Su Heyuan bought me a 'Longevity and Blessings' bottle with a yellow glaze and pink enamel. Are your treasures rarer than that?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Hongjun couldn't help but ask, "Su Heyuan has a girlfriend, the daughter of a high-ranking official in Hong Kong. They haven't gotten married yet due to the passing of the lady's elder. Such an expensive gift from him must have some ulterior motive. You must not accept it."
Lu Jiaxin scoffed, "You have a dirty heart, so you assume others are the same."
"Su Heyuan and I are as close as siblings," Lu Hongjun defended himself. "His girlfriend knows me, and we often eat together. It's not like what you're thinking."
Lu Jiaxin's rebuttal left Lu Hongjun speechless, and he simply said, "My items are better than that pink enamel ceramic Su Heyuan bought."
Intrigued by his claim, Lu Jiaxin decided to join them that evening. Knowing they would need equipment for the evening operation, he called Lee Qing and Wang Lin to purchase flashlights and other necessary items, as they might come in handy later.
At around 9 p.m., Lu Jiaxin sent Wang Lin to pick up Lu Hongjun. Unexpectedly, when Wang Lin arrived, Tang Sufin was reluctant to let Lu Hongjun leave, arguing that it was too late and unsafe, and that whatever the matter was, it could wait until the next day.
Mina, however, was not one to tolerate such behavior. She dragged Tang Sufin back into the house and pressed a dagger against her carotid artery. "If our boss wasn't so patient, I would have sent you to the afterlife a long time ago."
It would be a grave mistake to assume that the boss was a vegetarian. Kang Huijuan would spend the rest of her life in prison, Ah Fei had been shot in the head, and that 'Strong Brother' was now living a life worse than a dog's—all because the boss was merciful and didn't hold grudges.
Tang Sufin was terrified to the point of losing control of her bladder.
Mina released her with disgust and returned the dagger to her boot. With such little courage, how dare she act so boldly in front of the boss? She truly didn't know the meaning of the word 'death.'
Wang Lin brought Lu Hongjun to the mansion by Shichahai Lake and led him to a guest room in the front courtyard. "Old man, please wait here. The boss is currently occupied and cannot come to greet you. If you're tired, feel free to rest."
Lu Hongjun said he was tired and wanted something to eat.
Wang Lin was a little surprised but nodded and went to find the cook, who prepared a bowl of egg and vegetable noodles, along with some crispy sour radish and yellow cucumber.
"Why is there no meat?" Lu Hongjun asked.
Wang Lin smiled and explained, "The cook said that at your age, it's best to avoid meat at night as it's hard to digest. If you'd like some meat, she can prepare it for you in the morning."
Lu Hongjun ate a mouthful of noodles, his displeasure evident. However, to his surprise, the food was delicious—even the crispy radish and yellow cucumber were tasty. As the portion wasn't large, he finished it all.
After eating, Lu Hongjun regretted quarreling with his daughter so much. If they could get along, he could enjoy such delicious meals every day.
It was already 10:30 p.m. when they finally set off. Despite the darkness and the difficulty in finding the way, Wang Lin, having scouted the location earlier that afternoon, led them there swiftly.
They parked the car next to a horse and made their way through several twists and turns until they reached a flat-roofed house.
Lu Hongjun took out his keys and handed them to Lu Jiaxin, expecting her to open the door. But Lu Jiaxin refused and instead passed the keys to Yan Yijun, who then took out a face mask and put it on.
As soon as the door to the house was pushed open, even with the face mask on, Lu Jiaxin could smell the strong musty odor. This was why houses that had been vacant for a long time deteriorated so quickly.
Yan Yijun closed and locked the door, leaving Zong Jinghua in the courtyard while the rest of them entered the house.
Lu Hongjun pointed to the stairs and said, "The items are in the attic. Let's go up and get them."
Lu Jiaxin looked at the thick layer of dust on the wooden staircase and said disdainfully, "Wang Lin, Lee Qing, you two go up and bring the items down."
"The items are hidden in a secret compartment in the attic," Lu Hongjun interjected. "If I don't go up, they won't know how to open it."
"Then you go up, and I'll wait here," Lu Jiaxin said, unwilling to step into the dusty attic. She wondered how he had found this place and known about the secret compartment.
Seeing that he had no choice, Lu Hongjun allowed Wang Lin to support him as they climbed the stairs, with Lee Qing and Nick following closely behind. As for Yan Yijun and Mina, they stayed by Lu Jiaxin's side. These days, Yan Yijun always accompanied Lu Jiaxin when she went out, and Mina was there to fill in when needed.
After more than ten minutes, the group returned downstairs.
Lu Jiaxin examined the items—Lee Qing and Nick were each carrying two boxes of varying sizes, all locked.
This place wasn't suitable for opening the boxes, so Lu Jiaxin instructed Lee Qing, "Put these boxes into the luggage."
"Yes," Lee Qing replied.
Back home, Lu Jiaxin had the six boxes placed in the banquet hall in the front yard. Once the items were set down, she said, "All of you, out."
Yan Yijun and the others immediately left, with Yan Yijun being the last to leave and thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
Pointing at the locks on the boxes, Lu Jiaxin said, "Open them quickly."
In her opinion, locking the boxes was completely unnecessary. There was no need for such precaution when retrieving items from one's own family, and if thieves stole them, they could just find a locksmith to open the locks. However, seeing Lu Hongjun's extreme caution, Lu Jiaxin felt that if these items weren't national treasures, she would have to restrain herself from lashing out at him later.
Lu Hongjun first took out a key ring from his pocket and then looked at the numbers on the six boxes. He selected the key labeled '4' and inserted it into the lock.
(End of Chapter)
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