Reborn As Super Heiress

Capítulo 1432: Chapter 1416: Bottom Line

Just a couple of days after Zhou Shitao made the call, Gu Xu indeed arrived at the Magic Capital with the Oil Rat.

This Oil Rat had a shifty, cunning look, with eyes that darted around. Just one glance and you could tell he wasn’t honest. Even after a stint in prison, he hadn’t learned his lesson and seemed to be plotting something sinister.

However, Huo Sining wasn’t afraid of whatever schemes the Oil Rat might be brewing. She turned to Qibao and said, “Qibao, do you still have some Thousand-Mile Guider? Sprinkle a little on him!”

Qibao’s eyes lit up immediately upon hearing Huo Sining, and in a flash, he was beside the Oil Rat, discreetly scattering some powder onto him.

The Oil Rat sensed something was off and looked warily at Huo Sining and Qibao: “What do you guys want to do?”

Huo Sining smirked and said, “Nothing much, just marking you. We just put some Gu poison on you. On the road to find Old Mr. Zhong, I hope you’ll obediently follow orders. I advise you not to play tricks. With that Sub Gu on you, no matter where you run, we can find you.”

Hearing this, the Oil Rat was suddenly shocked, panic flashing in his eyes, completely caught off guard. It seemed he hadn’t expected Huo Sining to have this move.

“You woman… you’re truly despicable!”

The Oil Rat gritted his teeth in hatred toward Huo Sining. If what she said was true, and there was already Gu poison inside him, then his escape plan would be unusable. Even if he managed to run, he’d still be caught.

Thinking of this possibility, the Oil Rat’s face turned ashen, his gaze toward Huo Sining growing unfriendly.

Huo Sining laughed lightly, unconcernedly shrugging: “The higher the road, the higher the devil. You can’t blame me; I’m just being cautious. If you truly lead us to Old Mr. Zhong without causing trouble inside, we’ll naturally relieve you of the Gu poison once we return. This Thousand-Mile Guider won’t harm your body, at most make you lose a little bit of blood.”

The Oil Rat, despite having raided countless tombs, was not particularly brave and especially feared death. Now that he was under Huo Sining’s control, no matter how angry he felt, he could only obediently follow her arrangements.

With the Oil Rat issue settled, they all got into the car and drove toward Changnan.

Due to the gravity of the matter, Gu Xu’s team had brought along a Jeep and two people from a special department. Once the Oil Rat was in the car, he was closely watched to prevent any mid-route escape attempts.

Once in the car, Gu Xu relayed the information they’d extracted from the Oil Rat to Huo Sining.

It turned out that back in H, when Huo Sining had caused a commotion at the City C Museum, the police had found a Zhong imitation Famille Rose Porcelain Zun from Zeng Fugui. Indeed, the Porcelain Zun was given to Zeng Fugui by the Oil Rat, but he didn’t know it was a counterfeit at the time. Even Zeng Fugui was unaware and treasured it as a prized possession.

“Where did that thing come from?” Upon hearing this, Huo Sining couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, asking the Oil Rat sitting behind her.

The Oil Rat defended himself: “I really don’t know who this Old Mr. Zhong you speak of is. That thing, I traded a small Bronze Ding from a tomb for it, right in Changnan Jingdezhen. I can take you to that shop, but whether the owner knows this Old Mr. Zhong, I’m not sure.”

Huo Sining and Gu Xu exchanged a glance, taking the Oil Rat’s explanation with a pinch of doubt, not fully buying it.

They drove to Jingdezhen, with the Oil Rat providing directions, not toward the bustling Jingdezhen but instead leading them to the outskirts.

Huo Sining thought the Oil Rat was up to his tricks again and frowned: “Are you sure it’s this way?”

The Oil Rat glanced at Huo Sining and said, “I’m not bragging, but when it comes to excavation, I’m unmatched. I also have special ways of identifying routes. Kanyu isn’t just useful for tombs; it’s practical in daily life. Just follow my directions, and you can’t go wrong!”

As he spoke, the Oil Rat pointed to a road sign: “See that? Twenty kilometers to the Porcelain Village. That’s our destination. Do you know what the Porcelain Village does? It makes porcelain. Inside the Porcelain Village, there are countless pottery workshops, at least eight hundred if not a thousand!”

Huo Sining paused for a moment: “You got the thing from this place?”

The Oil Rat noticed the hint of ridicule and amusement in Huo Sining’s eyes, his face reddening with embarrassment as he awkwardly said:

“I know what you’re thinking. The Porcelain Village is just a hub for high-quality imitations. When I traded for a fake, I was really fooled. But back then, I did have it appraised by several seasoned antique experts who all said it was genuine. I was really impressed by that Porcelain Zun; it was incredibly realistic. Who would’ve thought it was just a high-quality imitation!”

The Oil Rat, unlike the old-school antique dealers, didn’t make excuses when fooled. He openly admitted it, without any trace of regret or irritation in his eyes.

“You take it well, but I get it. You couldn’t return the Bronze Ding from the tomb for money. You traded it for a Porcelain Zun and then used it to get in good with Zeng Fugui. Zeng Fugui loves porcelain, and that Zun was right up his alley. I bet you two have been collaborating quite a bit these past years, haven’t you?”

Huo Sining sneered, her gaze at the Oil Rat void of warmth.

Zeng Fugui, driven by greed, had swapped out countless genuine artifacts from the H Museum, selling them elsewhere. The chances of retrieving those items now were slim, and even a layperson knew that.

A grand museum becoming a sieve due to insiders like Zeng Fugui was despicable. Yet, without middlemen like the Oil Rat, Zeng Fugui couldn’t have pulled it off. Both Zeng Fugui and the Oil Rat shared responsibility in this affair.

Unlike the older generation experts and professors like Zhou Shitao, Huo Sining didn’t share a deep emotional connection with antiques. She didn’t have such pure love for them, yet she had clear boundaries in her heart.

She knows her strengths and leverages them, but she’s also aware of what should and shouldn’t be done. Museums and official tombs are off-limits for her; that’s her bottom line.

But the Oil Rats and Zeng Fuguies of this world are different. They’re greedy and will abandon morals for money, doing whatever it takes. It’s this trait that Huo Sining despises most about them.