The boss's eyes flickered. "Are you looking for someone?"
He Yining turned to look at him. "If you have any news, feel free to inform me. I'll make sure the price satisfies you."
The boss thought it over. Making money with one's life was one thing, but spending it was another.
This group was clearly not to be trifled with.
With so many bodyguards and these men exuding an air of nobility, they were obviously wealthy and influential.
Provoking such people was clearly asking for trouble.
So the boss quickly replied, "You're too kind, honored guest. They're all staying in town, but not in the inns—they're camping outside. Any capable team camps outside; only solo operators and temporary groups stay in the inns."
"Which direction is the foreign team?" He Yining pressed further.
"West," the boss answered.
He Yining nodded and turned to signal Xiao Chun.
Xiao Chun stepped forward, pulled a checkbook from his bag, filled in an amount, and handed it to the boss.
The boss's eyes went wide at the number.
Five hundred thousand!
Truly wealthy people!
Having obtained the information he wanted, He Yining didn't linger and led his team away immediately.
Shen Qi said to Feng Manlun, "Brother, I heard you have other business here. I won't hold you up. I didn't expect to run into her here. Whether she's my mother or not, I have to go see for myself."
Feng Manlun smiled faintly. "Alright, take care, then."
"You too." Shen Qi nodded solemnly. "Stay safe."
The two groups parted ways.
He Yining didn't bother with what Feng Manlun was here for. Everyone had their secrets.
Right now, he just wanted to help Shen Qi confirm that woman's identity.
In truth, he was curious too.
If that woman really was Shen Ziyao, why would she be entangled with a foreign grave-robbing gang?
A woman who had vanished without a trace after the divorce.
What kind of person would she be?
Shen Qi and He Yining didn't bring many people—just Shen Wu and Xiao Chun. The four of them headed quickly westward.
This town was big in some ways and small in others.
It stretched long from north to south but was narrow from east to west.
So after only about ten minutes of walking, they reached the edge of the town.
Sure enough, a stretch of military tents stood one after another in the wilderness.
As the four approached, they were immediately stopped. "Sorry, this is a private camp ahead."
The speaker spoke English.
He Yining replied in English, "We mean no harm. We're looking for someone."
"Who?" the other pressed.
"A lady," He Yining answered. "We want to confirm if she's an old acquaintance."
"Who are you?" the other continued.
"My name is Xiao Qi. I'm the seventh in my family." Shen Qi finally spoke. "Please tell that lady, if she... still remembers me, I'll wait for her here!"
The other nodded, turned to have someone take over his patrol, and went to find her.
Shen Qi felt her palms damp with sweat.
Would that person be the one she was looking for?
Would that person be her mother?
Would she agree to see her?
Shen Qi suddenly grew anxious.
They say one feels timid when nearing home. At this moment, she truly felt a surge of fear.
If she was her, why hadn't she come to find her?
If she wasn't, where would she go from here?
Shen Qi waited silently for a long time. To others, it might have been just a moment, but in her heart, it felt like an eternity...
The man who had gone to report finally returned.
He looked at the four with surprise and said, "Follow me."
She was willing to see her?
A flash of brightness lit up Shen Qi's eyes: She knows me! She's willing to see me!
Shen Qi practically rushed in.
The man led the four to a tent and said, "Ella is inside. Go on in."
Ella?
That name was...
Unexpected.
Shen Qi's fingers trembled slightly. She took a deep breath, lifted the tent flap, and stepped inside.
Shen Wu followed.
That was his aunt. He had to be sure!
Though Shen Ziyao had left when he was just three or four, there were always photos of her at home!
As long as he saw her in person, he'd recognize her!
He Yining felt it was only right for a son-in-law to pay respects to his mother-in-law, so he went in too.
Xiao Chun, as the chief assistant, naturally stayed close to the CEO.
Thus, all four entered.
To everyone's surprise, the woman sitting in the room wore a mask.
Clearly, she didn't want them to see her face.
Shen Qi froze, almost blurting out "Mom."
"What business do you have with me?" the mysterious woman asked, sitting gracefully and calmly at the table.
Her demeanor seemed utterly unrelated to grave robbing.
"You... don't you recognize me?" Shen Qi's disappointment was palpable. "Do you really not remember me?"
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.
She wasn't...
She wasn't Mom.
Mom wouldn't not recognize her.
Mom wouldn't look at her with such unfamiliar eyes.
Mom wouldn't abandon her.
"I just wanted to see who came looking for me," the mysterious woman said flatly. "Sit down."
He Yining guided Shen Qi to a chair and sat her down, sighing as he wiped away her tears.
But Shen Qi's tears flowed like an open faucet, impossible to stop.
Seeing Shen Qi cry so sorrowfully, the mysterious woman's lips curled slightly. "So, who did you think I was?"
Shen Qi didn't answer.
Shen Wu couldn't help asking, "Ms. Ella, are you Chinese?"
Ella nodded. "I am."
Shen Qi looked up at her again.
"Then, may I know your Chinese name?" Shen Wu continued.
"Sorry, that's not for sharing," Ella refused outright.
"Was it you who hired workers to repair the grave this morning?" Shen Wu pressed on.
He Yining sighed inwardly. Thank goodness Shen Wu was here.
Shen Qi was too emotional and tense to speak.
He had to comfort her, so many questions were inconvenient to ask.
"It was me," Ella didn't deny it.
"May I ask why? The owner of that grave is connected to us." Shen Wu looked at Ella calmly.
Having spent years fighting alongside the minister, Shen Wu naturally had an approachable air.
His logic was sharp, his questions simple but hitting the mark.
Hearing this, Ella countered, "What relation are you to him?"
"He was my biological father." Shen Qi wiped away her tears. "He passed away when I was five."
Even through the mask, Ella's expression shifted.
"You're his daughter?" Ella's voice rose sharply.
"Yes," Shen Qi replied, her eyes glistening.
"So his daughter is this grown." Ella gave a bitter smile and lowered her gaze. "Then, I suppose you should call me Aunt."
With that, she removed her mask.
She was indeed a very beautiful, elegant woman.
Shen Wu's face fell with disappointment.
She wasn't his aunt after all, but Shen Qi's aunt.
"Aunt?" Shen Qi stared at her in surprise.
She had never heard of any relatives on her father's side growing up.
Ella smiled wryly. "No wonder you don't know. Your father and I haven't been in touch for decades."
With the mystery of Ella's identity unraveled, the atmosphere seemed warmer.
Though Shen Qi hadn't found her mother, finding an aunt was still heartening.
Shen Qi nodded.
"Your father and I are both from Tangshan, Hebei. During the big earthquake, everyone in the family died. Only I and your father—my brother—survived by chance. Later, a British man adopted me, and my brother was taken by someone else. From then on, we siblings lost all contact." Ella smiled bitterly. "A few years ago, I tracked down this place and found my brother's grave. I never thought that parting as children would be our final farewell."
Shen Qi's eyes reddened.
This topic was so heavy.
"So, Aunt, what brings you here?" He Yining asked.
"I'm an archaeology expert," Ella replied. "I'm their technical consultant."
So that was it!
He Yining nodded inwardly.
That made sense!
His mother-in-law showing up here would have been too jarring!
"This isn't a place for you. Finish your visit and head back early," Ella said. "The situation here is already tense. Something could go wrong."
"Aunt, come with me!" Shen Qi pleaded eagerly. "You have a niece now. You have family!"
Ella chuckled softly. "I can't leave. Besides, archaeology is my job. This grave is one of my research subjects. I won't abandon it."
Shen Qi's eyes grew even more disappointed.
"Aunt, I heard this place holds all the treasures of an emperor. Is that true?" Shen Wu asked out of curiosity.
Ella smiled faintly. "That's what they say, but no one has verified it. However, I've found something more interesting. They say the emperor first buried here wasn't gold or silver, but a device called 'Chasing the Moon.' Its construction defies logic. Given the productivity and relations of that era, such a sophisticated mechanism shouldn't have existed. I have to get to the bottom of it."
Shen Qi frowned. "But it's too dangerous."
"Danger? So what? I've already died once." Ella spoke lightly. "I've never married. I live for freedom. If I truly feared for my life, I wouldn't be in this line of work."
Shen Qi bit her lip, watching her.
Ella continued, "Alright, that's all I have to say. You should go. Though I'm your aunt, let's not meet again."
"Why?" Shen Qi's voice cracked.
She had finally found a relative. Why couldn't they meet again?