Solving Middle Age Crisis by Intelligence System-Chapter 570 - 382: Breaking News (Double-Length) (2)
"It’s fake, but right now we have to prepare for the worst... If we dig deeper, I won’t be able to escape..." Zhang Dayong replied bitterly.
Qi Yun breathed a long sigh of relief; as long as it isn’t real, the nature of the situation might not be so serious.
The room fell silent, with only the thick soup in the pot bubbling away.
Qi Yun lit a cigarette, took a few deep drags, and then took out his mobile phone to call his brother-in-law, Shao Yuewen. After waiting for more than forty minutes, Shao Yuewen appeared at the door of the private room.
Upon seeing Zhang Dayong was also present, Shao Yuewen immediately understood why Qi Yun had asked him to come; reaching this position naturally meant keen perception in certain aspects.
Once Shao Yuewen took a seat, Qi Yun poured him a cup of tea and then recounted the situation regarding the bronze artifacts.
Shao Yuewen didn’t seem too surprised after hearing the story; he just frowned and remained silent.
Qi Yun glanced at Zhang Dayong, then seriously asked, "Brother-in-law, is there room for maneuver in this matter?"
Shao Yuewen sighed; if Qi Yun had asked him about this before Xiao Hanguang’s team came to J Province, he would have found reasons to avoid getting involved.
But now Qi Yun was not the same as before... He had to carefully weigh the costs and benefits involved.
Qi Yun saw the other’s hesitation and didn’t press further, allowing Shao Yuewen time to think.
His relationship with Shao Yuewen was different from that with Zhang Dayong; there was no deep friendship between the two.
Although he had saved the other’s son, Shao Yuewen had already repaid him during the security company paperwork incident, so even if he was unwilling to help this time, it was understandable.
Regarding why Qi Yun didn’t seek other contacts but asked Shao Yuewen to handle this matter, it was naturally because the latter’s father-in-law was the only one in a position to exert influence.
Shao Yuewen stared at the teacup, his fingers rubbing the cup wall repeatedly. After three minutes, he finally looked up at Qi Yun: "There should be room for maneuver, but the difficulty is considerable."
"Wait for me to ask around, and then I’ll get back to you."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Dayong, who didn’t dare to breathe, let out a sigh of relief, slowly released his bloodless grip hidden under the table.
He knew he was saved.
Of course, this "saving" was not saving his life, but saving his political career.
The stone hanging in Qi Yun’s heart also slightly settled; he knew who the other party meant by asking and figured that having room for maneuver was better than being stuck in a dead end.
He nodded earnestly: "Alright, thank you, brother-in-law, this matter is indeed tricky."
"Hmm, I’ll be off now. Wait for my news." Shao Yuewen didn’t stay long, got up from his chair, and took his leave.
Qi Yun also stood up, accompanying him to the car.
Returning to the private room, Zhang Dayong squeezed out a difficult smile, sincerely thanking Qi Yun: "Thanks."
Qi Yun waved his hand, opened a bottle of beer, and poured a cup for him: "Put your mind at ease, wait for his news. If he can’t help, I’ll think of another way."
Zhang Dayong nodded, raised his glass, and drank it all in one go; with Qi Yun’s words, he felt reassured.
Old Feng outside saw that the talks were over, brought in a few plates of fresh beef tripe, and accompanied Zhang Dayong for a few drinks. The three of them ate until nearly midnight before leaving.
Shao Yuewen was indeed efficient; Qi Yun had just returned home when he received a call from the latter.
"Let him go to the disciplinary department tomorrow and explain the issue himself."
"Okay." Qi Yun responded immediately, knowing that since the other party had said this, the necessary arrangements were definitely made.
Shao Yuewen paused, then continued: "He might face some disciplinary actions, but that’s already the best outcome."
"You know, things are very tense right now. Qin Minghui just had an incident, and Zhang Dayong has a very prominent label on him."
"Hmm, I understand. This outcome already exceeds expectations." Qi Yun said with gratitude, "Thank you, brother-in-law. I owe you one."
"Haha, no need to be so formal with me. You’ve called me brother-in-law; how can I not help you when you have issues." Shao Yuewen replied casually.
Qi Yun chuckled; regardless of whether the words were sincerely meant, they sounded comforting.
"Alright, I won’t disturb your rest. When you’re free, I’ll bring some good tea to your place."
After some polite exchanges, they ended the call.
Qi Yun promptly passed on the news to Zhang Dayong, who could finally get a peaceful night’s sleep.
...
The next day was a weekend. In the morning, Qi Yun took Zhao Qing and their daughter for a stroll through the mall, then proceeded to the same tea house where he had previously met De Gaulle.
Since he had received a bit of assistance from De Gaulle in Japan a few days ago, Qi Yun was now less hostile towards him, although necessary caution was maintained.
"ASML share matters; Christopher has already started advancing, and I believe it’ll only be a few days before there is news. Once the shares are obtained, I’ll have the lawyer contact you."
Upon meeting, De Gaulle promptly expressed his sincerity.
Qi Yun was pleased with his attitude and nodded with a smile: "Alright, I trust Mr. De Gaulle’s character."
"So let’s discuss the map matter."
"Regarding the final clue, it is indeed hidden in the Apostolic Archives beneath St. Peter’s Basilica."
As he spoke, De Gaulle took out a stack of photos from his bag and placed them in front of Qi Yun. "My family paid a great price to obtain this clue, persuading those cardinals to allow entry."
Qi Yun did not doubt this; the mysterious archive was a core part of the Vatican, not easy to access without substantial investment.
He picked up the photos from the table and began examining them one by one.
The first was a fist-sized stone with a rough, pitted surface, resembling the lunar meteorite Qi Yun had found earlier, likely discovered years ago on Mount Kilimanjaro.
The second was a golden compass, inlaid with twelve neatly cut rubies, featuring a lion head-like pattern in the center, presumably related to the Egyptian pyramids.
The third was a statue, the typical feathered serpent god of the Mayan civilization, clutching a small jade piece in its mouth, with eyes inlaid with two milky white shells, giving it a somewhat eerie appearance.
The fourth was a black cross; its material was indistinguishable, with no surface patterns, but there was a small transparent crystal in the center, seemingly containing something inside.
The last was the stone tablet Qi Yun had discovered in the ruins of Loulan Ancient City.
After examining all of them, Qi Yun put the photos down and stared at De Gaulle: "Are these the items found at those five places?"
"Yes!" De Gaulle answered solemnly.
Qi Yun wasn’t sure if any private items were mixed in among these five photos, but from the other’s demeanor, it didn’t seem like he was lying.
After contemplating for a few seconds, he also took out his phone, pulled up a photo from the gallery, and showed it to De Gaulle.
It was a picture of a bronze mirror from Genghis Khan’s Tomb in Northern Mongolia.
De Gaulle grabbed the phone, his pupils suddenly contracted, and even his breathing became rapid.
For this secret, his family had explored for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, now finally witnessing the answer in his generation—how could he not be excited?
He stared at the bronze mirror’s picture for several minutes, and when he finally looked up, his face was filled with undisguised joy, voice trembling: "It’s it! It’s the Xuanyuan Mirror!" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
Xuanyuan Mirror!?
This thing really exists?
Qi Yun was momentarily stunned hearing these words.
However, what shocked him even more was how the other could recognize the origin of this bronze mirror?
Back in the tomb chamber, even the artifact expert Hua Weiguo couldn’t identify this mirror.
Clearly, De Gaulle’s family indeed possessed knowledge unknown to him...
