Another Encounter

Su Mian wandered around the plaza in front of the building for a while. Since it was virtually impossible for him to see anyone he knew here besides Qi Chuan, it felt rather boring.

Then, as he walked, he grew hungry again.

His appetite hadn’t been great before they left because his physical state across the board was so poor this morning, so he hadn’t eaten breakfast. Although he’d had some snacks in the car, those were clearly not enough to stave off hunger.

Just as he was rubbing his stomach and wondering if they provided breakfast here, he felt a pat on his shoulder.

He assumed it was Qi Chuan returning, but when he turned around, he saw an unexpected figure.

“What a coincidence. We meet again, Su Mian.”

A tall and well-built man greeted him with a smile. He had a cold, stern face with sharp features, but his smile felt strangely gentle.

Su Mian looked at him in total surprise and instinctively took two steps back, but he stopped himself mid-motion, making his posture look quite stiff.

He stared at the man, his mouth hanging open slightly: “Officer Jiang…?”

“You look surprised to see me.”

Jiang Xun laughed. Su Mian nodded immediately, then put on a calm front, lowering his voice with feigned caution: “Officer Jiang, why are you here? Could it be that someone here again…”

“No, no.”

The man waved his hand.

“I’m on vacation. I’m not here as a police officer this time. I was invited to attend the exhibition and auction.”

“Oh, I see!”

Su Mian nodded outwardly, but internally he thought: I’d be a fool to believe that!

After all, Qi Chuan had explained it clearly—this exhibition and auction were different from ordinary ones; the invitees were all wealthy tycoons, industry insiders, or representatives from charitable organizations.

No matter how he looked at him, Officer Jiang didn’t look like a billionaire or an industry expert. Of course, maybe he was just a master of disguise?

While Su Mian was lost in thought, Jiang Xun asked: “Speaking of which, Su Mian, are you here to see the exhibition too?”

“Yeah, I came with a friend. Officer, you can just call me Su Mian.”

“Alright.”

Jiang Xun nodded, then added with a smile: “Then in this private setting, don’t call me ‘Officer’ either. I’m only a few years older than you; just call me Jiang Xun. ‘Jiang’ like the river, ‘Xun’ like to seek.”

“Sure thing, Officer Jiang Xun.”

“…”

Since the two only had a few brief encounters and weren’t close, Jiang Xun had only come over to say hello because he happened to spot him.

After a bit of small talk, seeing that Su Mian was clearly acting a bit resistant, Jiang Xun took the hint and said: “Alright, I won’t disturb you further. Have fun.”

“Yeah, see you.”

Su Mian nodded and watched Officer Jiang walk away. Only after the man’s figure completely disappeared did he let out a thoughtful expression.

What was Officer Jiang doing here?

Even though Jiang Xun said he was here for the exhibition, it felt off. Ultimately, if he were just a normal policeman, Su Mian wouldn’t care so much, but the problem was that this man was anything but normal. His sudden appearance here made it hard not to overthink things.

Could he be like me, wanting to see if there are special Relics among the exhibits? But isn’t he part of the official forces?

Unable to figure it out and noticing Qi Chuan’s figure in the distance, Su Mian retracted his thoughts.

However, he kept his guard up.

He would have to try his best to observe and stay away from whatever area Officer Jiang was in. If his body suddenly started changing and he needed to use the Stone of the Lost, it would be a disaster if he was nearby.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

After circling the plaza, Jiang Xun soon found his two teammates on a bench.

Seeing him return, the two immediately stood up. Old He was the first to speak: “You’re back, Captain? How is it? Any findings?”

“Nothing. Everything seems normal.”

Jiang Xun shook his head and sat down on the bench. He looked toward An Ye. The youth wearing glasses also shook his head: “Nothing on our end either. Everything here seems very normal—at least, it looks normal from the outside.”

“Which means the problem might be on the inside?”

The man looked up at the ornate white building in the distance, sat in silence for a moment, then suddenly stood up.

“Then let’s go see for ourselves what kind of tricks this Boss Yu is playing.”

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Beside the statue on the plaza, Qi Chuan met up with Su Mian. He looked in the direction Jiang Xun had just left with a strange expression and asked curiously: “Who were you chatting with just now? That back looked a bit like that Officer Jiang from before?”

“It was him.”

“It really was? Why would he be here?”

Qi Chuan was quite surprised. While Su Mian couldn’t figure it out either, he put on a casual front: “He said he received an invitation to the exhibition too. Anyway, it’s none of our business why he’s here.”

“Fair point.”

Compared to Su Mian, Qi Chuan obviously didn’t overthink things as much and tossed the thought aside instantly.

Then, the two walked side by side toward the main entrance.

They crossed the plaza and climbed the high steps. Up close, the magnificence of the giant building was even more apparent. The various paintings and patterns were dazzling.

However, the main door was unexpectedly modest, almost small.

There were people specifically assigned to check invitations at the door. After Qi Chuan showed his and stated that Su Mian was with him, no one cared whether Su Mian had his own invitation.

Once confirmed, the staff from Yuansheng gave them a small booklet and a specially made badge each.

The booklet contained the layout of the venue, making it easy to see where the exhibition halls were, and included brief introductions to some of the exhibits.

Other functional areas were also clearly marked: restaurants, a ballroom, a swimming pool, a gym, and so on. Su Mian even saw a gaming zone on there.

It honestly didn’t look like a place for an exhibition. If you didn’t know better, you’d think people were here for a vacation!

As for the badge, it was an identifier; wearing it allowed free access to any area listed in the booklet.

Entering the interior.

The hall, with its staggeringly high ceilings, could only be described as magnificent. Several crystal chandeliers larger than a person hung from above. The ceiling was even partially open, allowing one to easily see the sky through the glass.

Because of this open-style design in many places, even though the internal space was vast and complex, it didn’t feel oppressive or dim at all. Instead, it was very bright and grand.

To be fair, while Su Mian wasn’t used to this style, for a moment he felt that living here might actually be quite nice.

Of course, it was just a passing thought. All he could say was…

“It must be nice to be rich.”

After a slight sigh, he saw Qi Chuan studying the booklet. After a moment, Qi Chuan looked up and asked: “The exhibition halls are on the second and third floors, and the styles are all different. Where should we go first?”

Su Mian took the manual from him.

He glanced at it briefly, then immediately pointed to a certain spot. “Here.”

The young man leaned over to look.

The place he was pointing to was neither on the second floor nor the third. It was on the first floor—or more precisely, the first-floor restaurant!

“…”