Chapter 3: The Police's Eyes

Gu Fatty and the others crawled out of the car with their hands and feet. At this moment, Chen Hai could no longer pay attention to Su Qian. He pried open the shattered car window and was about to climb out—an ignited detonator fell just one meter away from Su Qian, and there were still two large boxes of detonators in the compartment. If they were detonated together, he might not even be able to find a trace of his bones.

Although the car did not overturn, everyone was left dizzy and disoriented. Su Qian was thrown between two rows of seats, and a black tripod was hurled towards her

The lid of the large wooden box was lifted, and everyone saw the contents inside, their expressions becoming even more unpleasant.

Suddenly, the middle-aged man's mobile phone, which he had in his hand, rang.

"Go back!" the young man shouted hoarsely.

Chen Hai wanted to pull Su Qian up, but the black tripod was heavier than expected. Both Chen Hai and Su Qian pushed and pulled with all their might, yet it did not budge at all. Su Qian was completely trapped between two rows of seats, while the others were in a state of panic, with no one coming forward to offer assistance.

The bundle of detonators exploded violently in mid-air

Su Qian appeared somewhat restless, occasionally glancing towards the windowless warehouse door.

Under the impact of the intense air wave, Chen Hai was thrown into the air and crashed heavily into the compartment, the excruciating pain radiating from his back nearly tore his nerves apart

Hearing the sound of sirens, it seems that the police car was blocked when it entered the village ahead.

It is unclear whether the young people were too excited or if they acted recklessly after being cornered, but the flames unexpectedly reached the fuse.

One million ah

The young man, emotionally agitated, flicked his lighter, the flame flickering near the detonator's fuse. Chen Hai felt a surge of fear, and Gu Pangzi and the others hurriedly stepped back, afraid of provoking this person.

Chen Hai has left. Su Qian could no longer contain the surging pain within her heart, tears streaming down as she tightly embraced Chen Hai's cold body in her arms

What is going on? Chen Hai thought to himself in confusion. He noticed that Gu Panzai seemed somewhat distracted today, which was not their usual reaction.

Chen Hai took a deep breath and thought to himself that Gu Panzai had interacted with the middle-aged man and must have inquired about the price of this broken tripod from the bookstore. If it were only 100,000, Gu Panzai would most likely have already taken the plunge and would not continue to wade through this murky water.

The fortunes of these individuals far exceed that of Chen Hai. Furrowing his brow, Chen Hai thought that the Hei Ding was too peculiar, and perhaps not taking it on was not a bad thing. He contemplated whether there were other items worth sifting through.

Su Qian screamed in fright, but fortunately the black dragon-headed cauldron was blocked by the chair, preventing it from crashing directly down. However, as the vehicle tilted, it pressed down on her legs.

"What you just said, is it true?" Chen Hai struggled to sit up, the excruciating pain threatening to tear his nerves apart, but even in death, there was one question he had to ask

Aside from Chen Hai, who couldn't help but glance at Su Qian, no one else paid any attention to the unease that Su Qian displayed

The driver, in a flurry, started the car, pressing the accelerator down hard, but the steering wheel was not straightened out. The vehicle rushed towards the drainage ditch by the roadside, and with a sudden stomp on the brakes, the passengers were thrown into disarray. Chen Hai's waist hit the corner of the seat, causing him to gasp in pain, while Su Qian fell into the aisle.

Seeing Su Qian's gaze suddenly dart behind him, Chen Hai felt a chill in his heart, thinking that it was truly not worth risking his life to save her. He never expected to be used by this woman, and he cursed loudly: "Damn you!" His consciousness completely fell apart.

The middle-aged person extended a finger

You all want to die! A young man blocked the car door, holding no shotgun, but possessing a bundle of detonators, brandishing a disposable lighter, and pretending to ignite the fuse, intimidating the fat man and the others to step back

The young man watched as the fuse sizzled and burned, then he threw down the bundle of detonators and jumped out of the car first

This must be the feeling of dying, Chen Hai felt that he was about to give up.

They did not expect anyone to report to the police. In the face of the sudden incident, they were somewhat flustered, but their expressions towards Chen Hai and the others became even more menacing, wishing they could drag out the person who reported them and beat them up first

First, select the items and negotiate the price. If you can make the payment on the spot, we will arrange for a vehicle to take you away with the goods. If you are unable to make the payment on the spot, we can have someone accompany you to the city to withdraw the money... The middle-aged man who looked like a construction technician just now revealed a glimmer of sharpness in his eyes, no longer appearing unremarkable, indicating that he has always been the one in charge of this matter. "Of course, although we cannot confirm the age of this batch of goods, if you think you can casually offer a price to dismiss us, I advise you to refrain from speaking."

The bus ultimately failed to stop in time, swerving to one side and sliding into the drainage ditch, followed by a violent crash

Chen Hai did not expect that this group would offer such a high price. Seeing that others were also interested in the black cauldron, he chose to remain silent for the time being. The others also did not speak, clearly dissatisfied with the middle-aged man's offer

However, the likelihood of this is low, as several police cars are sounding their sirens, making it impossible for a group of villagers to block them.

"Chen Hai, I like you!" Su Qian shouted from behind

Both boxes contain detonators

All of you, move the things onto the vehicle! San Pao, guard the main gate. Whoever dares to run out, beat them to death!

Chen Hai did not see anyone else, but upon witnessing this scene, he understood the relationship between Gu Panzai, Su Qian, and the police. He noticed that their expressions were somewhat off, but at that moment, he did not think to consider this aspect.

Seeing Su Qian's terrified expression, Chen Hai turned his head and saw that the dragon head and ears of the black cauldron had deeply pierced into his back, blood gushing out like a spring, staining the black cauldron. Chen Hai tilted his head and fainted.

Upon answering the phone, the middle-aged man's complexion changed dramatically. His slanted eyes swept over everyone with a fierce glare, revealing a menacing expression. With surprising agility, he retreated to the side, lifted a corner of the waterproof cover, and picked up a double-barreled shotgun, pointing it at the crowd. In a fit of rage, he shouted, "Which bastard called the police?"

Chen Hai was momentarily stunned, unsure of who among them was the police informant, but he could understand that it must have been the middle-aged man who had arranged for someone to see the police car entering the mountain at the trailhead

Bang! The detonator struck the frame of the station and bounced back into the car.

Chen Hai was still pondering the bizarre scene he had just witnessed, as well as the strange psychological pressure exerted on him by the black, broken ding. Although there were many other old items in the warehouse, some of which were larger in size, none of them evoked such a unique sensation in him.

"What happened, Xiao Su?" The middle-aged police officer turned his head and saw Su Qian sitting stiffly in the aisle.

Five or six young men suddenly appeared with crowbars, long wrenches, and a butcher's knife made from a welded steel pipe, surrounding me in a state of panic

When Chen Hai woke up, he felt excruciating pain in his back. Through his blurred vision, he saw Su Qian and Gu Pangzi sitting in the front seats, quietly conversing with two police officers. Gu Pangzi was nervously smoking, and Su Qian's jeans were stained with blood, likely from her left leg being injured by the Longshou Black Cauldron earlier

Entering the relatively spacious warehouse, there were several piles of items covered with waterproof cloths. Chen Hai could not discern what was concealed beneath the stacks. At that moment, two young men walked over from outside and glanced at Chen Hai and the others.

There are only seventy to eighty pieces of broken tripods and broken seals, and none possess the strange sensation of alternating hot and cold like the black tripod does

Two strong and robust young men pulled back a waterproof cloth from the corner of the warehouse, revealing a pile of old items, including tripods, seals, and woks

Apart from that black tripod, everything else was not as heavy as imagined. Faintly, the sound of police sirens could be heard. All the items had already been loaded onto the bus, and Chen Hai and the others were also hurried onto the bus. Subsequently, the middle-aged man moved two large wooden boxes up with the three individuals.

... ...

How to trade? Everyone's eyes sparkled with excitement, but they also did not forget the key question

Seeing the car door burst open, Gu Fatty and the others were the first to react, rushing towards the door, wanting to escape first before anything else. At this moment, if they did not flee far enough, once the police surrounded them, they would surely be taken as hostages.

In the yard of the warehouse, there were two young men on guard. Upon seeing the bus approaching, they quickly opened the main gate of the yard, and the bus came to a stop on the threshing ground in the yard

Although the middle-aged man only held a shotgun, the barrel was indiscriminate, and everyone was so frightened that their faces turned pale, not daring to utter a word, completely unaware of what had happened

Seeing that everyone was silent, the middle-aged man, holding a double-barreled shotgun, felt restless and at a loss for a moment. After a while, he realized that he needed to leave this place quickly, rather than being caught like a turtle in a jar by the police rushing up the mountain. He raised his shotgun and shouted:

Chen Hai's body trembled all over, his body stiffening at the car window. Turning his head, he saw Su Qian trapped in the seat, tears streaming down her face, unsure whether it was from fear or the pain of her leg being crushed by the black cauldron.

After the bus entered the mountains and traveled for a while, it passed through a village and stopped in front of what appeared to be a warehouse yard

The black cauldron was moved into the warehouse, placed together with other goods, thus it no longer appeared so conspicuous

Chen Hai felt his body was icy cold, devoid of any strength. The dragon head and ears of the black cauldron had pierced into his back, seemingly draining the blood from his body. His consciousness began to blur, as if a black hole was about to devour his three souls and six spirits.

There are about seventy to eighty items, but most of them are in poor condition, with only seven or eight items being intact

Chen Hai and the others, under the threat of the shotgun, did not dare to resist and hurriedly loaded the goods onto the vehicle

Chen Hai thought the middle-aged man would ask for 100,000, but upon seeing Gu Pangzi frown, he realized that the middle-aged man's asking price was actually one zero more than he had anticipated

"Damn you!" Chen Hai shouted angrily at Su Qian. However, despite his curses, he found himself unable to abandon Su Qian and jump out of the window alone. He crawled and rolled towards the ignited detonator, grabbed it, and threw it out of the car door.

"Why must we..." Gu Pangzi shouted

The middle-aged person also had no intention of returning the phone to everyone, stating that the goods were all in the warehouse

The police really might rush in, but he is not afraid, after all, the transaction has not yet begun, and these matters have nothing to do with them. However, he is worried that acting rashly before the police arrive might lead to misunderstandings from the other party, which would be an unjust death

Show them the goods, the middle-aged man said

Day! Day! Day! Chen Hai watched as the fuse was about to burn out, his heart racing in fear, and he rolled and crawled forward, grabbing the bundle of detonators and throwing it out of the car door again

At this time, the other three individuals, along with the driver, also moved the black tripod over.

"Old Zhou, what are you all planning to do? Who would call the police? Don't joke with us like this," Gu Fatty questioned with a relatively calm demeanor.

"Do not speak, the ambulance will arrive soon," Su Qian said as she limped over to Chen Hai, who had just regained consciousness, comforting him despite her own pain.

He casually pointed at the black cauldron with dragon-head handles and asked, "What is the price of this?"

This group of people, engaged in mountain excavation and grave robbing, certainly requires explosives. However, the fact that they are loading two boxes of detonators onto the vehicle at this time is certainly not for the purpose of tomb raiding

Everyone stood there, looking at each other in confusion

Certainly, in the antique circle, the focus is more on authenticity and quality. Unusual items like the Longshou Black Ding, which are unearthed, are actually harder to sell. However, there are still a few individuals who show some interest; as long as the price is right, they might not mind acquiring it.

Middle-aged individuals must have arranged for personnel to incite the public to intercept police vehicles. Although Chen Hai was not concerned about what the police would do to them, he hoped even more that the police vehicles would be blocked and unable to pass. As long as they successfully escaped the police's pursuit, there would be no need for the middle-aged individuals to hold them as hostages against the police.

Everyone is willing to take this risk in order to make a gamble, but these old items have never been certain, there is no corresponding market price to measure them, nor is there a definite buyer to take over. Taking such a great risk, spending millions for a mysterious and unverified relic, somewhat exceeds everyone's initial expectations

Everyone stopped asking for prices, but that did not prevent them from crouching down to study the pile of items, and Chen Hai also joined in.

At that moment when Chen Hai's consciousness completely collapsed, the azure dragon engraved around the black cauldron behind him suddenly emitted light. A dragon-shaped phantom, about a foot long, struggled out from the black cauldron, and in the next instant, it seemed to tear through space, flashing before Su Qian's eyes and disappearing.