Grandmother said she had ordered her son Lin Zhijun to atone for his sins. Besides having Grandpa do certain things, she also assigned her son Lin Zhijun with some tasks.
Liu Shou, who collaborated with Lin Zhijun, was very astute. He wasn't just working with Lin Zhijun for revenge against Zhao Shicheng. After Grandmother learned the full details, she had her son find Liu Shou alone, after Grandpa and Liu Shou had spoken.
"What did you discuss with my dad?" Lin Zhijun didn't beat around the bush, directly asking Liu Shou as soon as he saw him.
Liu Shou forced a smile and said, "We just talked about selling the 'Jing Ke Assassinating Qin' collaboration. Your dad said he negotiated with a foreigner of Australian nationality who wants to buy 'Jing Ke Assassinating Qin' for three hundred thousand."
"Do you believe it?"
Liu Shou stared into Lin Zhijun's eyes. His expression was serious at first, then he burst into laughter, "Do you think I'm an idiot?"
"It's good that you don't believe it."
"It's not like I've only just met Old Lin. Old Lin's sense of justice is ingrained in his bones. If you want me to believe he'd buy and sell national treasures, you might as well kill me."
"You're indeed very smart. What do you plan to do?"
"Escape. This 'Jing Ke Assassinating Qin' is already famous. As long as I leave Xi'an, I'll find a buyer, and then I'll be rich."
"Liu Shou, if you do that, you'll be a wanted criminal."
"So what? As long as I have money, I'll flee abroad. What can the law do to me? I'll be living a life of luxury."
Lin Zhijun's acting skills were also top-notch. He frowned, "Liu Shou, I'm risking a falling out with my father to warn you. You must keep your promise. We agreed that no matter how much you sell this 'Jing Ke Assassinating Qin' for, I only want seventy thousand."
"Deal! It's a promise. Of course, I'll keep my word. Tell me, will Old Lin be heartbroken when he ends up with nothing?"
"He can't end up with nothing."
Lin Zhijun seized the opportunity to weave in Grandmother's plan.
Lin Zhijun's suggestion surprised Liu Shou. Liu Shou looked at Lin Zhijun, "Tell me your idea?"
"My father's design must be to get the police to help him recover the national treasure. But the police won't respond to just a few words from you. So, this theft case is bound to be established."
Liu Shou blinked, "I hadn't thought of that."
"The reason the national treasures we have haven't been discovered missing is because there are substitutes at the archaeological team and the museum. To establish the theft case, my father will beg Zhao Shicheng to steal those replicas."
"Zhao Shicheng isn't stupid. Would he help Old Lin?"
"Risk and reward are proportional. If Zhao Shicheng received the one million promised by the mysterious person X, he would naturally keep this secret. But it's different now. He didn't get the money, and the risk of keeping the secret is so great. If it's exposed, he might not be able to save himself. It's better to make other plans."
Liu Shou pondered. Lin Zhijun watched Liu Shou, certain that Liu Shou had believed his lie.
"What do you think Zhao Shicheng will do?"
Lin Zhijun had an answer in mind, but he didn't answer Liu Shou's question immediately. After thinking for a moment, he asked as if testing, "Do you think Zhao Shicheng will find a scapegoat?"
"Who?"
"That's hard to say. If it were me, I'd find the person who helped me forge it. What's his name again?"
"Xun Chong." Liu Shou said with a laugh, "Then I have a way."
"What way?" Lin Zhijun was also anxious. What if what Liu Shou did wasn't according to the plan?
"I'll find someone to help Zhao Shicheng steal that set of replicas."
After discussing with Lin Zhijun, Liu Shou secretly sought out Zhao Shicheng. Not long ago, Zhao Shicheng had framed Liu Shou and even had him arrested. This time, Liu Shou completely humiliated Zhao Shicheng. He was secretive and directly told him that he would help Zhao Shicheng steal the national treasures stolen from the archaeological team. Zhao Shicheng was in a state of confusion at the time. His plan was to make Xun Chong the scapegoat, but he was still unsure. Later, he consulted others and found that if Zhao Shicheng assisted in the theft, it might be logically sound.
However, this would mean Zhao Shicheng would have to serve 6-8 years in prison for stealing national treasures.
Zhao Shicheng had a clever plan. After his brother was imprisoned, he would use his connections to ensure he didn't serve too many years.
But Liu Shou didn't think that way. Liu Shou was petty and didn't want Zhao Shicheng to get off easy at all. He pretended to help Zhao Shicheng, but in reality, he had already made arrangements.
Upon his return, Liu Shou told the members of "Yan Luo Hall" whom he had hired, "This transaction still carries risks. We don't know that Australian person, and we've never heard of him. If we get caught during the transaction, the person who betrayed us will definitely be Zhao Shicheng."
Hearing Liu Shou say this, the horse-faced man revealed a row of yellow teeth and said with a half-smile, "I'll handle the transaction alone. The others will observe from a distance. If I get caught, don't rush to save me, my family. First, make Zhao Shicheng wish he were dead."
On the day of the transaction, the horse-faced man was solely responsible. However, the police had already set up a net, and neither the ox-headed or horse-faced demon nor the black and white impermanence could escape. They had fallen into Liu Shou's trap, but they didn't know it. After being caught, "Living Yan Luo," following the usual procedure, confessed for leniency. This time, they didn't have a unified story, but because of Liu Shou's hint, they all pointed fingers at Zhao Shicheng.
Zhao Shicheng, who was supposed to go to jail, suddenly became the main culprit, and even Zhao Shicheng was implicated. Liu Shou, meanwhile, had happily fled alone. It was Lin Zhijun who had arranged this for Liu Shou, and he had repeatedly warned Liu Shou to give him seventy thousand yuan after this set of national treasures was sold. Later, the two met at "Logical Paradox," and Liu Shou immediately wrote Lin Zhijun a seventy-thousand yuan IOU. This is a later story. After getting on the train, Liu Shou encountered a couple arguing and then fighting. Liu Shou got caught up in it, and the fat woman in the argument dragged him to the ground. Liu Shou finally broke free and went to get his suitcase. Fortunately, the suitcase was still there.
During the train journey, Liu Shou even tied his suitcase to himself with a rope when he slept. But when he arrived near Beijing and opened the suitcase, he found that the general's head of the terracotta warrior had been replaced with a stone of similar weight at some point.
Liu Shou carefully recalled the arguing couple as the suspects. But the train had been gone for a long time, and the couple had already gotten off. Liu Shou had no leads. After getting off the train, he called Lin Zhijun, who flew into a rage, "Liu Shou, don't try to play tricks on me. If you don't give me that seventy thousand, I tell you, if you dare set foot in Xi'an again, I'll break your legs one by one, and your arms one by one."
Liu Shou had no one to complain to. He knew that Lin Zhijun had some local influence. If he really went back, he might not only have his arms and legs broken by Lin Zhijun, but he might also be framed by Lin Zhijun. With no other choice, Liu Shou could only drift in Beijing, engaging in scams, until he met Li Jiu, and then returned to Chang'an to follow Li Jiu and learn the art of scheming.
Grandpa's face showed no sign of joy after hearing Grandmother talk about Lin Zhijun's atonement. Grandmother was puzzled and asked Grandpa, "Your son has reformed, why are you still looking so gloomy?"
"I just hope he doesn't get involved in those crooked ways in the future."
"You don't trust your son?" Grandmother asked seriously.
"It's not a matter of trust. Lin Zhijun doesn't think he's done anything wrong. Everything he's done is simply because he chose his family over his friends in the martial world."
Grandmother understood Grandpa's meaning, and her expression also became melancholic.
There was a mistake in the return process. The general's head and the bronze short sword with the inscription "Qin Year Seven" that were returned to the police were identified by experts as genuine and stored in the national treasury. Grandpa was almost speechless about this. Xun Chong's forgery skills were unparalleled in the world. It couldn't be said that those experts were incompetent. Grandpa had been in the antique industry for so many years and had developed a discerning eye, but when it came to this 'Jing Ke Assassinating Qin,' his discerning eye failed him. For a long time, Grandpa didn't know whether what he had in his hand was a replica or the genuine article.
Thus, the task of returning it was repeatedly postponed. Later, Grandpa became a museum director elsewhere. It wasn't that he couldn't access the terracotta warriors, but during the time he was in contact with them, he was unable to swap the genuine article back.
The above is everything Grandpa left in his letter.
Lin Han was no longer the Lin Han of the past. She already knew that her father had been a member of "Logical Paradox." Many times, Lin Han wouldn't mention her father.
But this time, in Grandpa's letter, Lin Han touched upon her father's dark past, and sadness welled up in her heart.
I looked at Lin Han and suddenly smiled at her.
Lin Han frowned, "What are you smiling about?"
"Grandma told you Grandpa's wine flask was under the table. Did you drink that day?"
"Yes, I did."
"And then?"