Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 1595: Chapter 1579: Chatterbox

The Oil Rat was fairly honest, revealing all he knew about Old Mr. Zhong in detail.

Huo Sining reported everything to Zhou Shitao, and according to her thinking, if Old Mr. Zhong was indeed under someone’s control, then this person must definitely be Gao Yuyuan.

According to Madam Yan, if Old Mr. Zhong were still alive, given his age, he would definitely be at least in his seventies or eighties. An elderly person of his age, older than Mr. Feng from Porcelain Capital, would not be able to continue producing high-quality counterfeits unless coerced, especially at such a high output.

After Zhou Shitao communicated with the Cultural Relics Bureau above, he received instructions, and of course, the instruction was not to make a big deal out of it. It was best to quietly resolve it, eliminate the source, and then thoroughly investigate the swapped artifacts from the museums one by one.

This approach quite fits the style of Huaxia Country’s public entities. When something happens, they typically cover it up first, solving it internally before discussing it further, and they definitely will not make it public if they can minimize the issue.

Huo Sining felt a bit disdainful towards the superior’s approach, but in this situation, her thoughts obviously had no effect; she could only follow whatever arrangements were made from above.

Zhou Shitao was too old to handle the matter, so eventually, the task fell onto Huo Sining and Gu Xu.

Fortunately, the Cultural Relics Bureau was supportive enough, dispatching a team for them, allowing the two to command as they pleased.

Nevertheless, with caution in mind, Huo Sining thought it better not to alert the enemy, so after discussing with Gu Xu, they decided not to bring the people dispatched by the Cultural Relics Bureau.

She had a storage ring, and Gu Xu’s physical skills and investigative ability were quite good. With their cooperation, an average person would surely be manageable; adding more people would be a burden and could make the target too large, potentially messing things up.

After spending a day in the Imperial Capital, early the next morning, Huo Sining and Gu Xu hurried to the location mentioned by the Oil Rat, where Old Mr. Zhong might be imprisoned.

Following the Oil Rat’s guidance, Huo Sining and they returned to the Porcelain Capital; however, this time, they were headed to Linshui County, about forty kilometers away from Porcelain Town.

Linshui County was not far from Porcelain Town, but after reaching the county, they learned from locals that they would need to drive dozens of kilometers to reach the small town mentioned by the Oil Rat, and the mountain road was not easy to traverse.

Huo Sining and Gu Xu could only rent an off-road vehicle in the county, negotiating a price for their trip to Dongtang Township: two days in total, including driver and rental costs, amounting to two thousand yuan.

The driver seemed quite satisfied with the price, immediately agreeing.

The driver, about forty years old and looking strong and friendly, was quite talkative on the way, constantly asking Huo Sining and Gu Xu what they were doing in Dongtang Township.

To avoid exposing their intentions, Huo Sining casually made up an excuse, saying they were going to the countryside to collect goods.

The driver became enthusiastic upon hearing this, smiling: ”Well, what a coincidence! I often have clients renting cars to collect goods in the countryside. Several old acquaintances always rent my car each time, and I know some families have good stuff stored. But prices depend on your expertise and negotiation skills.”

Huo Sining hadn’t expected her casually made-up excuse would actually hit the mark: ”Really? Sir, do you know if there’s a family named Gao in Dongtang Town?”

The driver paused upon hearing the surname Gao, seemingly lost in thought, but after several seconds, his eyes revealed confusion, and he shook his head:

”The surname Gao? Haven’t heard of it. This surname doesn’t seem common. What’s the full name? I can ask around for you.”

Huo Sining was surprised, instinctively glancing at Gu Xu, feeling puzzled inside.

This was quite odd. Gao Yuyuan was supposedly influential in the Porcelain Capital area, even Mr. Feng mentioned Gao Yuyuan had a small reputation in Porcelain Capital. Given Mr. Feng’s status, he wouldn’t lie, which means Gao Yuyuan should have some capabilities.

Linshui County wasn’t far from Porcelain Town. If Gao Yuyuan truly had Old Mr. Zhong controlled in Dongtang, why was Gao Yuyuan seemingly not well-known in this area?

Could it be for safety reasons, intentionally concealing information in Dongtang so people wouldn’t find out?

Huo Sining thought this explanation possible, yet she already had a sense of unease.

As they drove towards Dongtang Town, the driver kept chatting nonstop, sometimes bragging about helping clients find goods and making money, other times boasting about his car.

His car was actually a domestic model and second-hand, but he insisted the previous owner, his friend, took great care, and after modifications, the off-road vehicle became better suited for rural areas compared to regular cars.

The driver was skillful, clearly familiar with the roads. After entering a mountain valley, it became a winding mountain road, and after what felt like a long time, they finally reached their destination, Dongtang Town.

”Mr. Gu, Miss Huo, you’ve chosen the right place to collect things here. Outsiders generally don’t know this area once produced porcelain, but Porcelain Capital’s fame overshadowed Dongtang, drawing less attention.”

”Don’t be fooled by the humble conditions around here; many families might have imperial kiln items. I am not an expert in this field, but you two seem experienced, whether you find treasures hinges on your skills and luck.”

”Let me tell you, the families with deep roots in Dongtang are...”

After reaching the town, the driver resumed his chattering.

Huo Sining glanced at Gu Xu beside her, appearing slightly restrained. She initially wanted a helpful driver to gather information, but now it seemed this decision might not have been wise; this driver was really too talkative, driving them a bit crazy.

Beside her, Gu Xu stifled his laughter, looking at Huo Sining, and asked calmly: ”Is he trying to say all the words he didn’t in his past lives in this lifetime?”

Huo Sining chuckled at this remark: ”Possibly.”