Chapter 2: Wormholes

Since the factory commenced operations, he had rarely returned to this house. He hurriedly went upstairs, opened the door, and entered the room, eagerly turning on the computer to search online for the three antiques he had acquired.

Wormholes were hypothesized in the 1930s by Einstein and Nathan Rosen while studying the equations of gravitational fields, believing that instantaneous spatial transfer or time travel could be achieved through wormholes

Although the antique market in Kyoto is filled with counterfeit goods, Li Ming is not concerned about these. He simply wishes to understand various aspects of cultural relics and antiques, using the shapes and patterns of the various fakes to determine the origins of the treasures in that room

Moreover, this courtyard seems to have been recently completed, with bright and clear windows everywhere, clearly indicating that it is regularly maintained. Numerous lanterns are also hanging around, swaying gently in the cool night breeze.

However, the location of this house is too conspicuous, with not a single hidden spot in the vicinity. Moreover, a group of armed guards passes by here at regular intervals, making the risk of attempting to enter that house significantly higher

The items here may all be the spoils extracted from the common people's hard work by feudal royalty, and Li Ming feels no psychological burden in taking these things

Li Ming could tell at a glance that the families living here were either wealthy or noble, and it was even possible that some were of royal descent

This information left him dumbfounded, unable to calm down for a long time. He stared foolishly at these three treasures, thinking to himself: "This time, I have truly struck it rich."

He slept so deeply that it felt like the world was turned upside down, only waking up the next morning. After getting out of bed, Li Ming sat down in front of the computer again, continuing to search for various information. This time, he primarily focused on investigating the origin of that light spot

These three treasures are all extremely valuable. One is a Panlong Tianhuang stone paperweight. He researched a Tianhuang stone carved auspicious lion paperweight from the Ming Dynasty, 17th century, which was once auctioned in Hong Kong, and the final transaction price was 41.67 million.

Suddenly, his QQ lit up. Upon opening it, he realized that it was someone from Sotheby's Hong Kong contacting him. How quick that was, it had only been a short while.

Li Ming also examined the clothing of the people in that courtyard and the characteristics of the surrounding buildings. He ultimately concluded that the time and space he was in should be a parallel dimension to his own world. According to the timeline of his world, it should be Beijing during the Ming Dynasty, over three hundred years ago

Although the quality of this piece is slightly inferior compared to that item, it can still be considered a rare treasure. Moreover, he has consulted the catalog of historical fine Tianhuang stones and found no similar specimens.

Li Ming tirelessly searched for various information online, stopping only in the afternoon of the following day. After two days and nights without closing his eyes, Li Ming showed no signs of fatigue and managed to gather a wealth of information.

Could this be a palace? However, Li Ming quickly dismissed this judgment; a palace could not possibly be this small, and the defenses could not be this lax. This should be the estate of some noble or aristocrat outside the capital.

Suddenly, Li Ming had a flash of inspiration and immediately came up with an idea

However, such places are hard to find now. Li Ming, filled with confusion, quietly navigated carefully through the rows of houses. After walking for a while, he arrived at the front yard, where more and more people began to gather.

Li Ming heard the sound from his stomach and couldn't help but smile wryly. He had not eaten anything for a day and a night, and the feeling of hunger came rushing in. He chewed on two bags of instant noodles and then lay down on the bed, falling asleep immediately

Little monkeys, be careful, if you knock something over, I will break your dog legs, oh... take it easy...

He glanced at the watch, and the time was roughly as he had estimated. After the patrolling guards had walked away, Li Ming began to carefully examine the furnishings in the room

After these people finished moving their belongings, they left. Li Ming was very eager to go and take a look at that house. The items those people moved were all jars and bottles, as well as some things packed in precious boxes, which at first glance were clearly not ordinary goods

Suddenly, a commotion arose from a distance. Li Ming quickly sidestepped and hid behind a rockery, crouching there cautiously to observe the surroundings.

It seems that the room is filled with treasures; if only one or two items could be brought out

As soon as he returned to the workshop, he retracted the light gate, then excitedly opened the factory's main gate, driving away in his Wuling microvan and returning to the house he rented nearby

The third item is a natural jadeite bracelet of exceptional quality, which is also a top-tier piece among jadeites, valued at over 10 million.

With all due respect, I truly do not understand antiques. The reason I took these few items is primarily because they are small and have been placed in inconspicuous locations, so even if they were taken, Li Ming would not easily notice their absence.

Goo ... ... goo ... ...

They are all dressed in ancient attire, holding lanterns that resemble the wind. Groups of two or three can be seen, some carrying waist knives as if they are guarding the premises, while others, by their appearance, can be identified as servants from affluent households

Li Ming absolutely cannot make the wormhole public, as that would be tantamount to seeking death. He must remain low-key, low-key, and even more low-key, quietly selling off the treasures in that room, one by one.

He also wanted to determine which dynasty it was based on the architectural features of the courtyard he saw, as well as the clothing of the people in the courtyard

Li Ming hurriedly collected the light spots and did not rush to check the items inside the room. Instead, he crouched by the door, carefully listening to the sounds outside. After a while, a series of footsteps could be heard.

Li Ming looked up at the moon in the sky, then strode in a certain direction, coincidentally walking into another workshop. Li Ming took out the light point, opened the light door, and stepped inside.

They immediately decided to contact the owner, but they could not reach him by phone no matter what, so they had to contact him via QQ. Li Ming's phone had been smashed, and he had completely forgotten about this matter in the past few days

That would truly be a mess; if another ancient mystery in the academic world were to emerge, he would certainly gain great fame

At first, he thought this place was a historical site similar to the Forbidden City, but after observing for a while, he felt something was amiss. Historical sites have endured hundreds of years of trials and tribulations; even if they have been artificially restored, they still appear lifeless and devoid of vitality

He merely wishes to understand the origins of various antiques and the current status of treasures in existence. In the event that the parallel universe has a history identical to that of his current world, should he take out a treasure and find that the Palace Museum houses an identical item.

However, there is none here; whether it is the flowers and plants or the surrounding buildings, they are all filled with a vibrant atmosphere

Li Ming spent half a day selecting items around him, and finally took three of them to pack into his backpack. After glancing at his watch, he waited until the patrolling guards passed by before opening the light gate and returning to the workshop of his factory

Li Ming and the representative from Sotheby's auction house agreed on a time and place to meet online. After shutting down the computer, he went out, bought a new phone, and headed directly to the antique market in Kyoto

Thinking of this, Li Ming felt an immense sense of exhilaration. Such a large room filled with treasures, all of which belong to the people. This can be considered as acting on behalf of heaven, let's take them all at once.

Li Ming also researched the situation of the auction houses online. After making a comparison, he decided on Sotheby's in Hong Kong. He contacted them online and sent over photos of the three treasures, leaving his QQ number and phone number.

Li Ming stepped out of the light gate and immediately collected the light points. He knelt on the ground, looking around and discovering that he was in a vast courtyard. It was nighttime, and taking advantage of the cover of darkness, Li Ming quickly hid in a shadow, carefully surveying his surroundings with night vision goggles.

Looking again at the ground paved with enormous stone slabs, the surrounding buildings are luxurious and exquisite. The long corridors, artificial hills, and flower beds with their well-arranged greenery all exude an air of overwhelming wealth and opulence

Next, Li Ming began to rapidly acquire various knowledge about antiques online. The reason he did this was not to learn how to identify antiques, which was unnecessary, because there would definitely not be a single counterfeit item among the things in that room

Two carriages hurried over from a distance and stopped in front of a house not far from where Li Ming was hiding. A large group of people carefully unloaded the items from the carriages and moved them into the house

The second item is a fully intact Changhua bloodstone seal, which he researched online and found that the lowest auction record is at least over 10 million

The tall brick walls, with bracket sets built under the eaves, exude an ancient and substantial charm, and the architectural style is rich in traditional elegance

The accent is typical of Beijing dialect, but the pronunciation is somewhat peculiar, with a heavier emphasis on the final sounds, which differs somewhat from the current Kyoto dialect. Moreover, upon hearing him speak, one can immediately tell that this person, Li Ming, is definitely a eunuch

This room is very large, surrounded by shelves filled with various bottles, jars, ancient books, jade ornaments, and some exquisite gift boxes. On the ground in front of the door, there are piles of items that were just brought in by those people, likely to be registered and stored tomorrow.

At that moment, a sound resembling that of a male duck's quack emerged

Emerging from the light gate, Li Ming found himself in the yard outside his workshop. Li Ming's factory covers a large area; apart from two rows of factory buildings, the rest is an open yard.

Li Ming did not dare to touch these items. He cautiously walked to the innermost part of the room, where things were relatively chaotic. Li Ming also intended to start from here, but he was not knowledgeable about antiques, so this time he did not plan to take too many items; he only wanted to discreetly take a few inconspicuous ones to test the waters.

He observed here for a while longer, approximately memorizing the general times when these guards passed by, then looked up at the direction of the moon, and subsequently opened the light gate and entered a dark corner behind the artificial hill.

Can it be any faster? His photos have just been sent over, and the Sotheby's auction house is in an uproar. A group of appraisers has been examining the photos for quite a while. If these three treasures are identical to what is shown in the photos, then Sotheby's will have quite a spectacle for this spring auction.

When he appeared again, Li Ming found himself already inside the house across from where he had just been.

After searching online for a long time, Li Ming finally understood the origin of this light spot. This light spot is somewhat similar to the wormholes described in many time-travel novels. He also looked it up on Baidu, where the explanation of wormholes was even more scientific.