Tomb Raiding: My Family's Last Clan Chief is Little Brother

Chapter 306 Special Badges
It was past 4:30, and the stage had been cleared out.

Before long, someone brought up the brocade box containing the Ghost Seal.

"Congratulations, Third Master Wu." The female supervisor, who had previously worn a moon-blue peony cheongsam, personally presented the brocade box to Wu Xiaoxie.

Wu Xiaoxie opened and checked it once, and then had the deliveryman confirm that everything was correct before taking out the black gold card and handing it to the supervisor.

After the payment was made, the card was returned to Zhang Wuxun's hands.

The crowd on the second floor had already begun to disperse, and Huo Xiangu didn't plan to stay any longer, so she stood up, leaning on the armrest.

"Wait a minute." Zhang Wuxun suddenly called out to her, "Grandma Huo, I have something to give you."

Huo Xiangu paused slightly, took Xiuxiu's arm, turned around and said indifferently, "I don't care for ordinary things."

Zhang Wuxun smiled calmly, "Don't worry, you will definitely be very satisfied with this."

As he spoke, he took out a small rectangular ebony box from his inner pocket of his suit.

Huo Xiuxiu stepped forward, took it, and handed it to Huo Xiangu.

Zhang Wuxun gestured for him to open it and take a look.

The ebony box was only the size of an adult's palm, with a clasp on it.

When Huo Xiangu opened the box, her pupils suddenly contracted the moment she saw what was inside.

"Where did you get this?" Huo Xiangu quickly closed the box, staring straight at Zhang Wuxun. Her expression was distorted and frightening, a mixture of shock and a desperate attempt to conceal her emotions.

If you look closely, you'll notice that her hands are actually trembling slightly.

"Grandma, are you alright?" Huo Xiuxiu didn't understand why her grandmother's emotions had suddenly become so intense, and she stepped forward to support her with concern.

She wanted to look at the box, but Huo Xiangu slightly raised her hand to avoid it.

Huo Xiuxiu frowned and looked at Zhang Wuxun, "What did you put in the box?"

Zhang Wuxun remained calm and composed. "Naturally, it's what Old Madam Huo has always wanted to know the whereabouts of."

Huo Xiuxiu wanted to ask more questions, but Huo Xiangu raised her hand to stop her.

In just a few breaths, Huo Xiangu's complexion returned to normal, but a trace of unconcealed grief remained in her eyes.

"What do you want from me, or rather, what do you want from the Huo family?" she asked in a deep voice.

"There's no need to be so serious." Zhang Wuxun smiled easily. "I just hope that you can be more frank, after all, we still have opportunities to cooperate in the future."

"Oh, and also, you still need to pay half of the price for today's auction item. After all, Wu Xie was tricked by you, so you should pay for his emotional distress." Zhang Wuxun pointed to the brocade box in Wu Xiaoxie's hand.

Upon hearing this, the fat man immediately gave Zhang Wuxun a thumbs-up.

Although he didn't know what was in the little box.

But that didn't stop him from gloating after seeing the old woman get her comeuppance.

Upon hearing this, Huo Xiangu paused for a moment. Seeing that Zhang Wuxun's expression didn't seem fake, she thought for a moment and said meaningfully, "It seems you do know quite a lot."

She then tilted her head slightly and said, "Xiuxiu, transfer the money to him."

Zhang Wuxun smiled, his eyes crinkling, like a cunning tabby cat that had just succeeded in its scheme.

See, having a hobby of collecting things is actually quite useful; it makes up for any extra losses.

“However…” Huo Xiangu changed the subject, “You must explain the whole story of this thing to me.”

“No problem.” Zhang Wuxun readily agreed.

In just a few words, most of the people outside had dispersed.

The two groups of people went downstairs one after the other and exited from the lobby of the Crescent Hotel.

Coincidentally, their car was parked near the Huo family's car.

As Zhang Wuxun opened the car door, his hand suddenly paused, as if sensing something. He turned around and walked to Huo Xiangu's Hongqi car, gesturing for her to roll down the window.

"What is it?" Huo Xiangu's expression showed a hint of impatience.

After all, she was a seasoned veteran, and not only did she fail to gain any advantage from these youngsters, but she also ended up being outmaneuvered. Naturally, she didn't want to see these little fox cubs right now.

"I'm afraid we'll have to trouble you, ma'am, to give us a ride," Zhang Wuxun said with a shameless smile.

Huo Xiangu chuckled, "You seemed to be handling things with ease before, but how come you can't even protect what's in your own hands and need to rely on the Huo family's influence?"

Zhang Wuxun raised an eyebrow. "You mean Liuli Sun? He's not someone I'm so wary of. I'm talking about another group of rats lurking in the shadows."

Huo Xiangu realized something, and her expression changed. "You mean..."

Then, as if avoiding something, he lowered his voice and said, "Then let's follow."

The two communicated in a cryptic manner, leaving the others completely baffled.

"Thank you very much, ma'am."

Zhang Wuxun thanked them, then beckoned Wu Xiaoxie and the others to get in the car, and joined the Huo family's convoy in the Mercedes they had rented.

A large convoy of over a dozen Hongqi cars set off, making a grand entrance. As expected, the rats lurking in the shadows, wary of the Huo family's power and the presence of many eyes and ears, did not make a move on the road.

Zhang Wuxun and his group successfully arrived at a very mysterious compound, where the guards at the entrance were all armed.

As the car passes by, you might encounter the patrol team inside.

This place is really big. It took the car almost ten minutes to drive in before finally stopping at a place with many courtyard houses.

Various towering ancient trees grow out of the courtyard wall, providing lush shade. The main road and small paths paved with bluestone crisscross together, creating a sense of ancient charm and profound tranquility, like a secluded Zen retreat surrounded by flowers and trees.

The old lady left with her men via another route, leaving Huo Xiuxiu behind and a bodyguard and driver named Xiao Li.

"Let's go." Huo Xiuxiu straightened her wrinkled clothes and picked up her small bag. "I'll lead you in through the alley. Give the car keys to Xiao Li to park the car."

Zhang Wuxun and the others said nothing, following Huo Xiuxiu into the dappled shade of the alley. They walked all the way to the end, where they finally saw a very inconspicuous little wooden door. A traditional-style latch lock hung on the door. Huo Xiuxiu took a small hair clip from her hair, inserted it into the keyhole, and fiddled with it for a couple of seconds. The lock opened.

The fat man muttered under his breath, "This girl is even more skilled at picking locks than I am."

Upon hearing this, Huo Xiuxiu elegantly rolled her eyes.

Pushing open the door, you enter a large, well-maintained courtyard.

Grandma Huo sat by the well under the persimmon tree in the courtyard, drinking tea.

The ebony box that Zhang Wuxun "gave" to her was placed on the stone table beside her.

"Sit down." Huo Xiangu glanced at them lightly and pointed to the empty chairs by the stone table.

Zhang Wushou and a few others went over and sat down.

The atmosphere was somewhat somber, and for a moment no one spoke, as if they were competing to see who could keep their composure the longest.

Holding the brocade box in her arms, Wu Xiaoxie deliberately broke the silence with a smile, "Grandma Huo, if you're not going to say anything, are you planning to make me light the sky lantern again?"

Huo Xiangu snorted coldly, "I, Old Lady Huo, won't use the same trick twice. The reason I agreed to let you hitch a ride is simply because I'm willing to accept the loss, and I also want to hear some things from you, my friend."

Wu Xiaoxie turned to look at Zhang Wuxun, and seeing him nod slightly, he said to Huo Xiangu, "It's only fair to return the favor, so please tell me about Yangshi Lei first."

Huo Xiangu snorted lightly, picked up the ebony box and stood up, saying, "You just want to know why I bought Yangshi Lei. I can tell you, but this is information that can only be given within the Nine Gates. The three of them do not belong to the Nine Gates, so please stay outside."

Wu Xiaoxie turned around and winked at Zhang Wuxun and the other two, then handed the brocade box containing the Ghost Seal to Zhang Wuxun, and got up to follow Huo Xiangu into the side room.

Zhang Wuxun and the other two stayed in the courtyard, with Huo Xiuxiu also nearby.

Seeing that Old Madam Huo was not there, she turned around and sat down in the chair, craning her neck to look at Zhang Wuxun several times. Her blinking was quirky and playful, much more lively than when she was with Aunt Huo.

"Hey, I know you're definitely not Wu Xie's little follower. Can you tell me what's in the little box you gave my grandma?" Huo Xiuxiu asked, puzzled. "I've never seen my grandma lose her composure like that before, so there must be something very important in there."

The fat man clicked his tongue in surprise, "Brother Wu Xie? You call him so affectionately, but when your grandma tricked us, you never tipped us off even once."

Huo Xiuxiu scratched her ear and pouted, "How could I dare? Besides, I don't even have your contact information, how am I supposed to tip you off?"

"Little Flower Brother didn't tell me that the person who came was Brother Wu Xie. I only know the basics about the things my grandma did with him." Huo Xiuxiu was also very frustrated.

Even though she was already 19 years old and an adult, her grandmother and Xie Yuchen always treated her like a child and kept everything from her.

Zhang Wuxun poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and said calmly, "Your grandmother has her reasons for not telling you."

Huo Xiuxiu knew this would be the outcome, and her eyes darted around. "How about this, we exchange information. You tell me what's in that box, and I'll tell you some information I know, okay?"

"Not very good." Zhang Wuxun wasn't fooled at all.

Although Huo Xiuxiu is still young, she is the successor personally trained by Old Madam Huo. She may seem naive on the surface, but when she gets serious, she is no pushover.

"If you really want to know, why don't you ask your grandma, or go and see for yourself?" Zhang Wuxun said.

Huo Xiuxiu frowned. "How can you be like this? Ever since that box got into my grandma's hands, she's never let it out of her sight. If I had a chance to peek at it, would I need to ask you?"

Zhang Wuxun raised his eyelids slightly. "Then there's nothing I can do. I roughly know the information you have, and your grandmother will tell me more detailed information if we cooperate later."

Huo Xiuxiu was getting increasingly angry at this stubborn guy. Knowing she wouldn't get any information from him, she glared at him sullenly and quickly walked away in her high heels.

Once everyone was out of sight, the fat man nudged Zhang Wuxun and said, "Hey, Muyu, what did you put in that box? Why did the old lady react so strongly?"

Zhang Wuxun chuckled softly and uttered two words, "Forbidden Woman."

"What the hell?" the fat man exclaimed, quickly lowering his voice. "How did you get that thing? No, when did you get it?"

The young man also turned his head to look over, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

If he hadn't lost his memory, he would have been able to guess that what Zhang Wuxun put in the box was the claw he had been scratched by Huo Ling, who had turned into a forbidden woman, when he entered the iron gate to save Wu Xiaoxie at the Golmud Sanatorium. He then cut off that claw and took it with him.

I just casually put it in a box and put it in my space, I never expected it to come in handy now.

Zhang Wuxun explained softly, and the fat man exclaimed that it was fate, "Wonderful, absolutely wonderful, a net profit of 330 million from just one paw!"

“But there’s something strange,” the fat man said, puzzled. “That thing called the Forbidden Woman looks neither human nor ghost, and only has one claw. How did the old woman recognize that it was Huo Ling?”

This has to be considered a coincidence.

Zhang Wuxun explained, "The claw I cut off had a ring on it, an imperial green one, and I noticed that Huo Xiangu was also wearing the exact same one."

“This kind of imperial green jadeite from old mines is rare to begin with, let alone made into such small ornaments. It is very likely that the two rings were cut from the same piece of material, which is why Aunt Huo was able to recognize them at a glance.”

"Moreover, I think Huo Xiangu must have some guesses about what happened after her daughter disappeared. The deeper purpose of her asking Wu Xie to buy that pattern thunder is actually to cooperate with us," Zhang Wuxun affirmed.

"Our previous actions were more of a test for Wu Xie, a test of our capabilities."

The fat man was still puzzled. "Why would she test us for no reason? Could it be related to her daughter who has become a 'forbidden woman'?"

Zhang Wuxun nodded. "It's pretty much true, otherwise she wouldn't have reacted so strongly. But this is also beneficial to us. In short, the pattern Lei that Tianzhen found is definitely the key to the whole thing. Perhaps it also has some kind of connection with the underwater Yao village in Banna. She should propose to cooperate with us soon."

The fat man took a sip of tea and suddenly remembered something. "By the way, about that badge you asked me and Tianzhen to look into last time, we found a little bit of information about it in that old research institute that's about to be demolished."

Zhang Wuxun looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue.

The young man stopped drinking his tea and focused intently on him.

The fat man touched his nose and said in a muffled voice, "But you two shouldn't get your hopes up too high. The information they found there is tiny, barely the size of a little finger. All they know is that the badge used to be the symbol of a very special unit."

Zhang Wuxun frowned. "Special forces?"

“That’s right.” The fat man nodded. “We only found a tattered piece of paper in some corner. The penmanship on it was so damp that it was illegible, but there was an outline watermark on the paper that looked like the badge.”

Zhang Wuxun reached out urgently, "Where's the paper? Let me see."

The fat man pulled a cigarette case out of his pocket, and from between the aluminum foil and cardboard, he pinched a very small, thin piece of paper out with his fingernails pressed together.

Thank you so much to the generous donor 【金秋乱世】 for the generous donation! Sending you a huge heart! *
(End of this chapter)