You were allowed to marry into No. 76 family, and you were promoted to director?

Chapter 431 Dead End
Upon seeing this result, Zhao Xuan's lips twitched slightly, and he couldn't help but curse inwardly.

Those guys from the Zhenxingqi Society really know how to hide things. No wonder that after all this time, there hasn't been a single trace of the national treasures that were transported from Beiping.

Back then, the people from Zhenxingqi Society probably used the excuse of burial or relocation to secretly bury those national treasures in the International Cemetery.

Zhao Xuan was speechless. Li Mingzhu and the parents of this body were buried in the International Cemetery. Every time Zhao Xuan went there, besides offering incense and sweeping the graves of his parents, he would visit Li Mingzhu.

If Zhao Xuan had ever been so bored as to have Edith conduct a thorough search of the International Cemetery using dialysis and scanning modes, these national treasures would have been discovered long ago.

Letting out a long breath, Zhao Xuan smiled and shook his head.

Seeing this, Wang Shuyu asked with curiosity and surprise:
"Comrade Chenguang, you've found it?!"

Zhao Xuan calmed himself down, looked up at Wang Shuyu, and nodded with a smile:

"found it."

With Edith having marked the important information in his mind, Zhao Xuan spread the document out on the table after saying this, then took out a pen from his pocket and began to draw circles on the document.

After Zhao Xuan finished doing all that, Wang Shuyu's attention was drawn to the information he had circled. Several minutes later, Wang Shuyu's eyes widened, and she said with a look of disbelief mixed with a sense of unease:

"No wonder there's been no clue about those national treasures for so long. Those people from the Zhenxingqi Society are really cunning!"

Once these key pieces of information were extracted, Wang Shuyu, with her intelligence, naturally determined the location of the national treasure in no time.

After sighing, Wang Shuyu frowned slightly and looked at Zhao Xuan:

“Chenguang, although it has been confirmed that it is in the International Cemetery, the International Cemetery covers such a large area that it is not an easy task to determine exactly where the item is buried in a short period of time.”

Zhao Xuan smiled:
"Leave it to me. I'm good at this kind of thing. I'll call you once I've confirmed it. Tell Uncle Miao to keep an eye out, and Xiao Liu can just wait."

"Once this is done, the subsequent scheduling will be your responsibility."

Wang Shuyu nodded solemnly:
"Chenguang, don't worry. If I can't do well at this point, then I'm not qualified to see your true face."

Watching Zhao Xuan come and go in such a hurry, without even having a sip of water, Wang Shuyu sighed.

If I were able to move freely now, I wouldn't need to work so hard like Chen Guang.

Japanese naval defense zone.

All the people invited by Ding Moqun have arrived.

After a sumptuous dinner, Ding Moqun stood on the banquet hall stage, smiling broadly as he spoke into the microphone:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the reason I have invited you all here today is for a batch of precious treasures of the Dragon Kingdom."

"I believe that everyone has heard that when the Qing Dynasty fell, a group of people transported a large number of national treasures out of the palace overnight."

"It just so happens that among the people here today are those who were in charge of this matter back then. I believe everyone is familiar with them. They were the ones who revitalized the flag society back then."

"Now, let's invite President Lü to the stage."

Amidst scattered applause, the audience members, each lost in their own thoughts, walked onto the stage. Lü Tianting, dressed in a black suit, was the first to step onto the platform.

"Hey!"

"Hello everyone, I believe many of you should know who I am, after all, in the past, the streets and alleys of Shanghai were plastered with wanted posters for us Zhenxingqi Society members."

"That's right, I am Lu Tianting, the president of Zhenxingqi Society."

"I'm standing here today to tell everyone that, for the sake of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, I'm going to auction off those national treasures to raise funds to support its development!"

In the audience, Wang Yiya and her father Wang Yang stood together. Upon hearing this, they were both lost in thought, clapping along with everyone else with heavy hearts.

Wang Yiya was a member of the underground Communist Party, and she naturally knew that the organization had been searching for the whereabouts of these national treasures.

Huang Qian's arrival was to find the whereabouts of these national treasures.

Wang Yiya never expected that before Huang Qian's mission was even completed, these traitors from the Zhenxingqi Society would actually put the national treasure up for auction.

This incident fueled Wang Yiya's anger.

She was now pondering whether the national treasures had already been transported to this cruise ship. If so, there was nothing that could be done. If not, perhaps she could risk her life to pass on the intelligence from the cruise ship and let the organization prepare.

In short, under no circumstances should national treasures be allowed to remain abroad, let alone fall into the hands of the Japanese.

Of course, Wang Yiya is not afraid of spending money. If possible, taking pictures of the items and bringing them home is the least risky way to protect national treasures.

Wang Yiya knew that although her family was extremely wealthy, it was absolutely impossible for them to acquire all the national treasures.

Thinking of this, Wang Yiya's gaze searched around and landed on Song Yuanyuan, who was not far away, wearing a white dress and with a beautiful and graceful figure.

If they could join forces with the Song family, perhaps they could really acquire these national treasures.

But doing so would make the intention all too obvious.

In addition, the cruise ship carried not only Chinese people, but also foreigners from the International Chamber of Commerce in the foreign concessions.

These foreigners were also quite interested in China's national treasures, and Wang Yiya immediately lost confidence in trying to snatch them from them.

In particular, Japanese people were also involved, the most notable of whom was Hideo Tojo.

With these troublemakers around, Wang Yiya could only silently pray that these national treasures hadn't already been transported to the cruise ship.

Wang Yiya's father, Wang Yang, was actually a member of the Kuomintang. Although he was not affiliated with the Military Intelligence Bureau, he was a staunch supporter of the Kuomintang.

Wang Yang also considered purchasing a few of these national treasures as gifts to return to the Party and the country, and to deliver them to the Chairman.

While in Shanghai, Wang Yang was secretly helping the Nationalist government raise funds. He couldn't touch too much money, but he could still make decisions about the funds for a few national treasures.

In the crowd, Song Yuanyuan, dressed in a white dress with long, flowing hair, appeared poised and elegant. Her beautiful face remained unchanged after listening to Ding Moqun and Lü Tianting's words.

Although Song Yuanyuan was a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau, after becoming a member of the Ghost Group, she only accepted Zhao Xuan's orders.

Without Zhao Xuan's orders, no matter what opportunity presented itself, Song Yuanyuan would not take any action if there was any risk of exposure.

This was the order Zhao Xuan gave the day he became a member of the Ghost Squad.

Therefore, compared to the underground party members, military intelligence agents, and central intelligence agents present, Song Yuanyuan was more calm and objective, and could perceive from an outsider's perspective that Ding Moqun might have other intentions in doing so.

After the applause subsided, Song Yuanyuan narrowed her eyes slightly. Based on her woman's intuition and her own analysis, Song Yuanyuan was fairly certain that this was Ding Moqun's trap!
As a member of the Ghost Group, Song Yuanyuan was also very familiar with the people at the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai station.

There are now three people from Shanghai station on the ship.

Sun Bing, Zhao Jiang, and Zheng Yi, who personally led the team!
Looking at the expressions of the three people in the crowd, Song Yuanyuan felt quite helpless. From their expressions, she could roughly guess that Zheng Yi was also very interested in these national treasures.

Once Zheng Yi gets too deeply involved, he will definitely fall into Ding Moqun's trap.

However, Song Yuanyuan had no intention of giving any warnings. It was better to survive alone and continue to lie low than to be wiped out.

Standing on the outermost edge of the crowd in the cruise ship's banquet hall, Ye Luyan, holding a glass of red wine, took a small sip and looked indifferently at Ding Moqun, Lü Tianting, Tojo Hideo, Uchiyama Mizuki, and Wang Ningyu, who were taking turns speaking on the stage.

After everyone on Ding Moqun's side finished speaking, Ding Moqun returned to the stage, smiling broadly as he looked at the audience and said loudly:

"Alright, now everyone should understand. I won't waste your time."

"Next, we will present each item in the form of slides, and then Ms. Hua Xiaonuan, one of the top appraisal experts in China, will explain the value of the items to everyone."

As soon as Ding Moqun finished speaking, Liu Shiran, a reporter who had boarded the cruise ship, stepped forward with her camera and asked loudly before Hua Xiaonuan could even come up on stage:

"Excuse me, Director Ding, may I bother you? I am Liu Shiran, a reporter from the French Concession Translation Bureau. I would like to ask if these items are sold on a cash-on-delivery basis after the auction?"

Ding Moqun gave Liu Shiran a deep look, his smile unchanged, and said in a gentle voice:

"Miss Liu's question is one that many people here are also concerned about. President Lü, would you please explain it to everyone first?" Lü Tianting, standing at the very front of the audience, turned around, waved to everyone, and then, with a broad smile, stepped onto the stage, standing in front of the spot Ding Moqun had vacated, and said:
"As we all know, antique paintings and calligraphy are extremely valuable and are bound to be bumped or knocked during transportation. To avoid this, it is naturally impossible to transport the auction items onto the ship."

"But don't worry, I have sent all the auction items to a warehouse for storage, and the warehouse is located in this box I have here."

As he spoke, Lü Tian held up a small black box.

"This box requires three keys to open, and these three keys are held by me, Director Ding, and Mr. Tojo, respectively."

"After the auction and celebration banquet, and once the cruise ship docks, we will open this box together, then take the buyer to the warehouse to check the condition and authenticity of each item. After that, it will be a cash-on-delivery transaction."

"Therefore, we have invited the authorities from the World Chamber of Commerce to witness this event, so there is absolutely no need to worry about not being able to receive the items after bidding."

Ding Moqun also smiled at the opportune moment:
"As the saying goes, you can run away from the monk but you can't hide from the temple. I, Ding Moqun, am in Shanghai. Everyone knows where No. 76 is. I can guarantee that after this auction, all buyers will be able to take their desired treasures home. Absolutely no deception."

At this moment, Hideo Tojo and Mizuki Uchiyama also went up to the stage and made a promise along with Ding Moqun.

Then came the French Concession Governor Smith, who personally went on stage to vouch for the company. After the members of the International Chamber of Commerce joined in, everyone present was finally relieved.

Besides members of the Military Intelligence Bureau, the underground Communist Party, and the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, the banquet hall was also filled with celebrities and gentry who had been invited to participate in the auction.

These people were extremely interested in the batch of national treasures that were transported from Beiping.

While Ding Moqun was setting things up, the auction was genuine.

"It seems everyone is settled. Now, the auction will officially begin. Please look at the slides. Miss Hua, could you please explain them to everyone?"

Wearing a white orchid-patterned cheongsam and white high heels, the tall and beautiful Hua Xiaonuan gracefully swayed as she stepped onto the stage.

The sound of her high heels, combined with Hua Xiaonuan's radiant aura, made the hearts of every man present race.

Even Ding Moqun couldn't help but glance at Hua Xiaonuan a few more times, not to mention Tojo Hideo, who agreed to Ding Moqun's request because he was attracted to Hua Xiaonuan's beauty.

Furthermore, it was only after Zhenxing Qishe and Ding Moqun offered them substantial benefits that Tojo Hideo joined them.

Otherwise, Tojo Hideo should be in the epidemic prevention supervision team right now, making final preparations for heading north to Harbin tomorrow.

As Hua Xiaonuan began her explanation, a bid was quickly placed for the first item.

In the crowd, Wang Yiya silently took a few steps back, while Wang Yang kept staring at the slides.

Wang Yang was also very interested in the first item that was put up for auction.

The Yao Bian Tenmoku tea bowl was stunningly beautiful even from the slideshow, and with Hua Xiaonuan's explanation, Wang Yang could hardly contain his excitement.

The foreigners at the World Chamber of Commerce had never seen such a magnificent treasure before, and this one item alone was priced at over six hundred thousand US dollars.

Moreover, the price continues to rise.

Wang Yang smiled wryly. At the million-dollar mark, even he felt he couldn't afford it.

It wasn't that he didn't have the money to bid, but since the first item he bid for was such a valuable treasure, Wang Yang figured the treasures to come would definitely be even rarer.

If you buy it now, you'll probably only be able to look on with envy when you come across a treasure you truly desire later.

Wang Yiya, who had retreated to the outermost part of the crowd, had an uncertain look in her eyes.

From the moment Lü Tianting held up that black box, Wang Yiya was certain that this was definitely a trap set by Ding Moqun.

However, the ship carried not only Japanese people, but also foreigners from the World Chamber of Commerce and prominent gentry from Shanghai.

If Ding Moqun dares to play tricks on them, he will have no place in Shanghai after this.

Therefore, if Ding Moqun dared not, then the auction of these national treasures must be genuine.

There is no doubt that Lü Tianting is the head of the Zhenxingqi Society, which means that the black box most likely contains the location of the warehouse where the national treasures are stored.

There will be a celebration banquet after the auction, and the cruise ship will dock tomorrow morning.

Therefore, whether it was the underground party, the Kuomintang secret police, or the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, they only had one night to stop these national treasures from leaving the country.

The chances of getting the location of the national treasure are greatest at the celebration banquet.

As Wang Yiya withdrew from the crowd, she was contemplating whether or not to fall into Ding Moqun's trap, knowing full well that there were tigers in the mountains, yet still heading towards them!
After much deliberation, Wang Yiya finally made her decision.

Since this scheme was set up by Ding Moqun, it must be an inescapable trap, both on the cruise ship and outside.

She couldn't possibly accomplish anything on her own.

Therefore, Wang Yiya planned to contact one of her own people who had boarded the ship. The reporter Liu Shiran was the first person Wang Yiya discovered who was one of her own.

The auction was scheduled to last about three hours, and Wang Yiya planned to make preparations before it ended.

We definitely need to steal that black box, but even if we do, we won't use it.

Wang Yiya could tell from a distance that the black box was a trap; if it wasn't opened with all three keys at the same time, the contents would be destroyed.

So one person can't do it alone. Right now, she can only do the preparatory work first, and then find an opportunity to meet with Liu Shiran.

After leaving the crowd, Wang Yiya took a deep breath and turned to walk out of the banquet hall.

In addition to the officers from the 76th Operations Section who were brought aboard by Fan Dingfang, the security personnel for the banquet hall included a squad of military police officers brought by Mizuki Uchiyama from the Military Police Command, as well as personnel sent by the police station.

It can be said that the security on this cruise ship is quite adequate.

Wang Yiya headed in the direction that Fan Dingfang was guarding.

"Hey, Yiya, what brings you over here?"

Wang Yiya took out a pack of women's cigarettes from her bosom, looked at Fan Dingfang with a half-smile, and said:
"I'm not interested in these bottles and jars. Smoking in here would probably have a bad influence, so I'm planning to go outside and get some fresh air."

Fan Dingfang sighed:
"Yiya, you also think those bottles and jars are boring? What a coincidence, we're thinking the same thing. But it's my duty, I can't leave. What a pity, otherwise I would like to go out for a smoke and enjoy the sea breeze."

"Yiya, go ahead, but come back quickly. Although we are colleagues, I can't abuse my power for personal gain too much. Don't make things too difficult for me."

Wang Yiya chuckled, stepped forward, and patted Fan Dingfang on the shoulder:

"Old Fan, you're a different person now that you're a deputy section chief. You're much more composed. Don't worry, I'm just going out for a smoke, it'll only take a few minutes. Cover for me!"

Fan Dingfang winked happily, signaling Wang Yiya to hurry back.

At No. 76, there were almost only Buddhist temples, and the women there were all incredibly beautiful. Who wouldn't be interested in these single beauties?

In terms of looks and figure, these beauties from Unit 76 would be one in a million.

Privately, these idle bachelors from Unit 76 had already ranked Dao Yan and the others.

The number one beauty of No. 76 is undoubtedly Dao Yan; this is universally acknowledged and there is no dispute about it.

Before Wang Ningyu arrived, Wang Yiya would definitely have been ranked second.

Now the second one is Wang Ningyu, but this woman, like Dao Yan, is someone that even the old bachelors of No. 76 dare not dream of.

Wang Yiya, who ranked third, and Yang Huamei, the director of the medical office, who ranked fourth, are the real hot commodities.

As for Miao Xue, she was beautiful, but her beauty was too sinister. Coupled with her personality, the old bachelors of No. 76 didn't even have the courage to look her in the eye when they met her.

Therefore, up to now, all these people from No. 76 have been aiming to win over Wang Yiya or Yang Huamei, considering it an honor for men!

(End of this chapter)