I was a rookie reporter in the 00s

Fu Siyuan took out a photo of porcelain and handed it to the shop owner. The shop owner took the photo and said, "Sir, you may have misunderstood. We don't sell things of unknown origin like this here."

"Boss, I didn't say that the porcelain in my photo was of unknown origin. How did you know that?" Fu Siyuan questioned the boss.

"I...I, I was just talking nonsense." The boss was speechless for a moment.

Fu Siyuan didn't say anything. He just stared at the shopkeeper quietly until his eyes began to flicker. He knew he had crossed his limit. The shopkeeper didn't know what to say next.

Fu Siyuan's confrontation with the shop owner at Guyuntang (Guyun Hall) grew increasingly tense. Neither spoke, but suspicion of each other lingered in their eyes. Knowing he had aroused suspicion, Fu Siyuan needed to leave quickly. He feigned interest in an antique and bargained with the shop owner.

The shop owner's eyes flashed with impatience, and he was obviously fed up with Fu Siyuan's pestering. Fu Siyuan took the opportunity to ask to see other antiques, and he slowly walked towards the back door of the shop.

The shop owner followed Fu Siyuan, a hint of vigilance in his eyes. Fu Siyuan knew he had to act quickly. At this moment, a customer suddenly came to buy something, and the shop owner turned around and walked back into the store. Fu Siyuan's opportunity had come. He knew the store was large and the owner would not be able to find him for a while, so he decided to take the opportunity to look for clues elsewhere in the store.

Fu Siyuan's heartbeat raced in his chest, his gaze roaming among the cracks in the antiques inside Guyuntang, searching for any clues to a hidden chamber. A faint scent of sandalwood hung in the air, a stark contrast to his nervousness. He knew he had to proceed with caution; any slight misstep could put him in danger.

His gaze finally settled on a seemingly ordinary tapestry. Its pattern, an ancient landscape painting, resembled the other decorations in the shop. But Fu Siyuan's intuition told him that it might hold a secret. Pretending to admire it, he slowly approached, his fingers gently touching its edge.

His fingers felt an unusual bulge in the corner of the tapestry. With a sudden impulse, he pressed down hard. The tapestry slowly slid to the side, revealing a narrow passage. Fu Siyuan's heartbeat quickened, knowing this might be the secret room he was looking for.

He quickly glanced around, making sure no one had noticed his movements. Then, taking a deep breath, he cautiously entered the passage. The light was dim, and the air smelled damp and musty. His footsteps echoed through the passage, each one remarkably clear.

Fu Siyuan reached the end of the passage, where a heavy wooden door opened. He gently pushed it open, and the sight before him shocked him. The secret room was filled with antiques and cultural relics, from ancient jades to modern paintings and calligraphy. Anger welled up in him. These were illegal artifacts, witnesses to history, yet these criminals were treating them like commodities.

He quickly turned on the flashlight on his phone, and the light swept across the secret room. Each artifact seemed to tell its own story. His fingers gently touched a Han Dynasty pottery figurine, and the cold touch filled him with anger and powerlessness.

He knew these cultural relics had to be recovered; they belonged to the country and the people. He began photographing them with his phone, recording the location and condition of each one. He moved quickly and carefully, fearing to alert the shopkeeper outside.

Just then, his cell phone suddenly rang. It was Zhang Wanqing calling. He quickly picked up the phone and whispered, "Wanqing, I found a large number of illegal cultural relics in the secret room of 'Guyun Hall'."

Zhang Wanqing's voice came from the other end of the phone, with a hint of nervousness: "Fu Siyuan, you have to be careful! Li Wei has obtained the evidence and escaped."

Fu Siyuan hummed and hung up the phone. He knew time was running out and he had to leave as soon as possible. He quickly put away his phone and prepared to leave the secret room.

Fu Siyuan carefully closed the door to the secret room and returned to the passage. His pace quickened, his heart filled with anxiety and anticipation. He knew that this evidence was enough to reveal the secrets of "Guyuntang" and bring the owner to justice.

He returned to the tapestry and was about to put it back in place when he heard footsteps outside. His heart skipped a beat, knowing the owner had returned.

He quickly hid in the shadows nearby, holding his breath, waiting for the shop owner to arrive. His heartbeat quickened as the shop owner's footsteps drew closer. He knew he had to remain calm and not let the shop owner discover his whereabouts.

The owner pushed open the door and scanned the store, as if looking for something.

At that moment, the shop owner's cell phone suddenly rang. The shop owner answered the phone, his voice low and urgent. Fu Siyuan took the opportunity to rush out from the shadows, quickening his pace and running quickly to the door. He pushed it open with force and rushed out.

He rushed out of Guyun Hall and into the street. His heartbeat quickened and he ran faster and faster, but he knew he couldn't stop.

Inside Guyun Hall, the shop owner's gaze wandered among the antiques. He felt that Fu Siyuan was no ordinary customer; he must have come with a purpose, otherwise he wouldn't have suddenly vanished. The shop owner's gaze finally settled on the tapestry. His intuition told him something was amiss. One corner of the tapestry was slightly raised, as if someone had just touched it. A sense of unease welled up in him, as he knew the secrets of this secret room must not be discovered.

He quickly walked towards the tapestry, his fingers lightly touching the slightly raised edge. His heartbeat quickened, knowing that this tapestry held a secret that had been with him for years. He pressed hard, and the tapestry slowly slid to the side, revealing the narrow passage.

He took a deep breath and walked cautiously into the passage. The light was dim, and the air smelled damp and musty. His footsteps echoed in the passage, each one remarkably clear.

When he reached the door to the secret room and found it slightly ajar, a surge of anger welled up in him. Someone had been in there, and it was most likely the reporter, Fu Siyuan. He quickly entered the secret room and scanned it. Everything remained as it was, but he couldn't calm down.

He knew that if Fu Siyuan discovered the secrets here, all his years of hard work would be wasted. He had to take action to prevent Fu Siyuan from leaking this information. He looked for Fu Siyuan everywhere, but couldn't find him.

Fu Siyuan had already rushed out of Guyun Hall and quickly blended into the crowd, trying to make himself less conspicuous. His mind replayed the scene in the secret room. The photos and videos of the illegal cultural relics were still on his phone. This was the key to exposing the antique shop owner.

However, he seemed to realize that someone was following him. He guessed that the owner of the antique shop must have discovered him and sent someone to follow him.

He quickly called Zhang Wanqing and Li Wei, but no one answered Zhang Wanqing's call, while Li Wei's was connected. He whispered, "Li Wei, I've been discovered. Someone is following me. I need your help."

Li Wei's voice came from the other end of the phone, with a hint of nervousness: "Fu Siyuan, where are you? I'll be right there."

Fu Siyuan told Li Wei his location and quickly walked into an alley, trying to escape possible pursuit. His footsteps echoed in the alley, and his heartbeat quickened. He knew he had to reunite with Li Wei as soon as possible.