Chapter 3: My Girlfriend Gave Me Money

Sitting alone in the room waiting for Wu Qian's call, I was on pins and needles.

Wu Qian finally called, telling me to bring the box to room 1307.

I took the box and pressed the doorbell of room 1307. The person who opened the door was a man with a face full of flesh, looking at me with gloomy eyes.

Wu Qian came over, took the box from my hands, and whispered in our local dialect: "Turn yourself into a bodyguard from a movie." After saying that, she winked at me.

I immediately understood and instantly wiped the smile off my face, stiffening my expression to mimic the gangsters in movies.

I wasn't tall, but I had some muscle, so I looked the part. If I was going to pretend, I had to be convincing. I took a pair of sunglasses out of my pocket and put them on, instantly feeling like everything had gone dark.

Sitting on the sofa in the room was an old man—Boss Qin from Hong Kong, looking to be in his fifties. A few sparse hairs were plastered neatly across his head. He had his legs crossed, and a gold ring glittered on the middle finger of his left hand—a typical nouveau riche.

Boss Qin looked at us and smiled silently: "Miss Wu, you've seen my money, shouldn't you let me see the treasure now?"

Wu Qian seemed a bit nervous; out of the corner of my eye, I saw her legs trembling slightly. I leaned into her ear and whispered: "With me here, don't be afraid!"

Wu Qian turned back and smiled at me, then carefully and slowly opened the tightly wrapped box.

A bronze tripod, standing on three legs, was revealed after peeling away layers of silk cloth. Patches of copper green remained on the tripod, and one leg was already missing, leaving only two legs stubbornly supporting it. Its appearance instantly made the room feel as if the sounds of history were flowing faintly through it.

After the bronze tripod appeared, Boss Qin's eyes never left it. He carefully picked up the treasure and examined it in detail. After about ten minutes, he waved his hand, and the bodyguard who had opened the door for me left.

This sudden turn of events took me by surprise. Boss Qin's background was unknown; who knew what kind of person he was? I felt things were taking a bad turn and tugged on Wu Qian's sleeve: "Let's go!"

Boss Qin looked at me and laughed out loud: "Little brother isn't a professional, are you?"

I puffed out my chest and said: "I've been in the trade for five years!"

"I don't think so!" Boss Qin looked at me with a half-smile.

I tried very hard to squeeze out a smile, but the muscles in my face had become stiff. I knew clearly that this smile must look worse than crying.

"Little brother, please rest assured! I, Old Qin, am very honest in business. But for such a large transaction, I wouldn't feel at ease without having an expert take a look, right? Don't you agree?" Boss Qin hadn't been able to bring himself to put down our treasure: "It's a pity, a three-legged tripod turned into a two-legged one; it's truly a shame!"

Sweat beaded on the tip of Wu Qian's nose. I sat down beside her and gently put my arm around her shoulder. Since I couldn't pretend anymore, I decided to stop pretending altogether. Right here in the capital, was I really afraid of a Hong Kong farmer committing crimes?

Not long after, the bodyguard returned, followed by an old man with white hair and a white beard. The old man walked straight to Boss Qin's side, took the treasure from his hands with both hands, and used a magnifying glass to look at it from left to right, then tapped it gently. Finally, he closed his eyes in excitement, leaned back on the sofa, and let out a long sigh. Then, crystal-clear tears flowed from his murky eyes, as if he were as excited as if he had found a long-lost relative.

"Boss Qin, congratulations!" the old expert said to Boss Qin: "Only you can better preserve history."

Boss Qin beckoned to his bodyguard, who respectfully handed the briefcase in his hand to us.

Boss Qin reached out and shook Wu Qian's hand: "Miss Wu, if you have any more good treasures, don't forget this old friend of yours!"

"Rest assured, Boss Qin. The expert said that only you can preserve history. For the sake of future generations being able to witness history, I must find you!" Wu Qian said, letting go of his hand: "Goodbye." She pulled me out the door.

We didn't return to our room but went straight down to the lobby. Wu Qian said to me: "We need to change places to stay!"

After leaving, we took a taxi and ran a long way before finding a small guesthouse. As soon as we entered the room, Wu Qian hugged me and gave me a fierce kiss.

"We're rich!" Wu Qian excitedly opened the briefcase—a whole case of cash, a full million!

She excitedly took out two stacks of money and handed them to me: "Here, your bonus!"

I felt a bit embarrassed. I hadn't done anything, and I'd stumbled into such a huge fortune; I wasn't mentally prepared for it! Two stacks meant twenty thousand yuan. How long would I have to work to save that much?

"This is all ours, but I'll keep it for now," Wu Qian said: "Take this twenty thousand yuan first. Tomorrow, go buy a 'Big Brother' mobile phone. Being Wu Qian's boyfriend without a mobile phone, I'd lose so much face!" She breathed out like an orchid.

When I took that twenty thousand yuan, I no longer felt the slightest bit of guilt. Compared to a million, this little bit of money seemed too insignificant. ===== CHAPTER 4 =====