bioinnovel Chapter 82 Opening the Box!
Chapter 82 Opening the Box!
The old Du family residence in the northern suburbs of Jinghai City.
This place is only visible on a map; if you actually drive here, even the GPS will get lost twice.
With its blue bricks and gray tiles, vermilion gate, and two stone lions at the entrance polished to a shine, it exudes an air of "I'm expensive, no vagrants allowed."
Zhang Yan stood at the front door, holding the dirty blue-and-white porcelain vase. Before he could even ring the doorbell, the door creaked open.
The person who opened the door was a middle-aged man wearing a Zhongshan suit, who looked like a butler, and had an anxious expression on his face.
Upon seeing Zhang Yan, she paused for a moment, her gaze lingering for two seconds on his cheap denim jacket and the "pickled vegetable jar" in his arms.
"You are... Mr. Zhang Yan?"
The butler asked tentatively.
"it's me."
Zhang Yan nodded. "Old Du sent me."
"Oh, you've finally arrived! The old man inside was practically begging to get out of there!"
The butler didn't care whether Zhang Yan's attire made him look like a master or not, and stepped aside to let him in, "Please come in quickly, several masters are waiting in the side hall, the atmosphere... is a little tense."
After passing through two courtyards, we arrived at a side hall.
Before I even entered the door, I could hear a quarrel coming from inside.
"Old Du, I'm not trying to be mean, but this box is a complete dead end! The copper springs inside have rusted shut long ago; even a god couldn't open it!"
"Exactly, unless you force it open, don't expect to see what's inside."
"Forced demolition? If there are fragile items inside, one hammer blow could cost tens of millions just for the sound?"
Zhang Yan followed the butler into the hall.
The room was filled with smoke, like a large opium den.
Four or five old men sat around a huge huanghuali wood table.
Some were holding magnifying glasses, some were holding stethoscopes, and one was shining a small flashlight into the cracks in the wood. They all looked worried, as if they had been constipated for three days.
Du Mingxuan sat in the main seat, the pair of walnuts in his hand no longer turning, his face full of annoyance.
Upon seeing Zhang Yan enter, Du Mingxuan's eyes lit up as if he had seen a savior, and he quickly stood up: "Young friend! You've finally arrived!"
This shout drew the attention of the other people in the room.
Several old men turned around and looked Zhang Yan up and down.
"Old Du, is this the...master you were talking about?"
The speaker was an old man with a goatee, dressed in a Tang suit, holding a purple clay teapot in his hand, his eyes full of disdain.
He is Feng Dehai, the vice president of the Jinghai Antiques Association, who is known for his arrogance.
"Isn't that a bit too inexperienced?"
Feng Dehai scoffed and pointed at the bottle in Zhang Yan's arms, "Running around carrying a pickle jar around like that, did you just come back from collecting junk at Panjiayuan?"
Several experts around also laughed a few times, and the atmosphere was filled with a cheerful mood.
Zhang Yan was not annoyed.
He walked over to an empty chair and sat down, casually placing the five-million-dollar "pickled vegetable jar" on the ground with a loud "clang".
The old men were so startled that their eyelids twitched.
"You must be Mr. Feng?"
Zhang Yan dusted off his hands, leaned back, and crossed his legs. "I saw you listening to that stethoscope for a while. What, is this box pregnant?"
"Are you listening to the fetal heartbeat?"
"puff--"
The butler standing next to him couldn't help but burst out laughing, and quickly lowered his head to pretend to cough.
Feng Dehai's face instantly turned a deep shade of liver: "You! You little brat, don't you know the rules! This is called sound localization! It's a profound technique in mechanical arts!"
"Alright, alright, let's all keep quiet."
Du Mingxuan quickly stepped in to smooth things over. Although he also thought Zhang Yan was young, his rock-solid performance on the field that day gave him a glimmer of hope.
"Zhang Yan, come and take a look at this."
Du Mingxuan pointed to the center of the table.
It was a box made of sandalwood.
It is about 30 centimeters square, entirely purplish-black, and carved with intricate cloud and dragon patterns.
The most peculiar thing is that the box has no keyhole and no gaps; it looks like it was carved from a single piece of wood.
But in the [Eye of Treasure Appraisal]'s view, a line of text was floating above the box:
[A Ming Dynasty Imperial Thousand-Layer Loom Box (Tiangong Style).]
[Status: Locked. Internal mechanism integrity: 98%.]
[Difficulty level: Hell]
Zhang Yan stood up and walked to the table.
Feng Dehai snorted coldly and stood to the side with his arms crossed: "Let's see what you can come up with."
"This is a secret technique left behind by Master Zhang, the 'Ghost Hand.' We've been studying it for three days and still have no clue how to open it. If you can open it, I'll eat this teapot right here and now!"
Zhang Yan ignored him.
He extended a finger and gently placed it on the surface of the box.
Cool and smooth.
In his mind, the parchment drawing he had taken from the blue and white porcelain vase instantly unfolded, transforming into countless golden lines that perfectly overlapped with the box in front of him.
perspective.
In his eyes, the piece of wood had disappeared.
Instead, there are hundreds or even thousands of precision gears, linkages, springs, and clips inside.
They silently locked together, like a mechanical monster that had been asleep for hundreds of years.
"This box is called the Thousand Machine Box."
Zhang Yan spoke calmly, his fingers tracing the lines lightly, "A product of the Ming Dynasty Imperial Observatory Workshop."
"No keys, no violence, just 'law'."
"law?"
Du Mingxuan was stunned for a moment.
"Yes, the 'lü' in 'musical rhythm'."
As Zhang Yan spoke, he pulled out a rusty thumb ring from his pocket.
Seeing the filthy thumb ring, Feng Dehai laughed again: "What? You're bringing out a broken copper ring to perform a ritual? You think this is some kind of shamanistic dance?"
Zhang Yan glanced at him, his eyes looking at him as if he were mentally challenged.
He picked up the thumb ring, gently rubbed the two characters "Tian Gong" on it with his thumb, and then suddenly snapped the thumb ring onto a very hidden longan relief on the bottom of the box.
"Click".
A very crisp metallic clang rang out.
Suddenly, a small copper turntable popped out from the bottom of the box, which had been sealed tightly.
Feng Dehai's laughter stopped abruptly, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg.
"This...how is this possible? We've touched it hundreds of times, it's definitely solid!"
Zhang Yan had no time to pay attention to their shock.
He raised his hands, his long fingers hovering on either side of the box.
Take a deep breath.
[Advanced Mechanical Manufacturing Mastery] Unlocked!
The next second, his finger moved.
fast!
So fast that you can't even see the shadow of the fingers!
His fingers moved as if playing a passionate piano piece, rapidly pressing, plucking, and rotating across the various reliefs, protrusions, and patterns on the box's surface.
"Click, click, buzz—"
A series of rapid gear-gripping sounds came from inside the box.
The sound was crisp, melodious, and rhythmic, like the soft murmur of some ancient instrument.
The senior experts present were all dumbfounded.
They've studied antiques their whole lives and opened at least eight hundred or a thousand puzzle boxes, but they've never seen one opened like this before!
This is not unlocking.
This is clearly a dialogue with a craftsman from hundreds of years ago!
"Left three, right seven, back five, forward one."
Zhang Yan muttered the formulas on the blueprints to himself, a fine layer of sweat appearing on his forehead.
The complexity of these thousand boxes far exceeded his imagination.
Even with blueprints and system assistance, this kind of high-intensity precision operation is extremely taxing on both physical and mental strength.
"Buzz—!"
With a final, long whistle.
Zhang Yan's hand suddenly stopped.
He withdrew his hand, let out a long breath, took out a tissue from his pocket to wipe his hands, and turned to look at Du Mingxuan, who had already turned to stone.
"It's open."
The voice just fell.
The sandalwood box suddenly vibrated.
The top cover slowly splits open like flower petals, folding outwards.
Immediately afterwards, something golden slowly rose from inside the box.
It was a bird.
A mechanical bird made of pure gold, only the size of a palm.
Each of its feathers is carved with lifelike detail, its eyes are inlaid with rubies, and its claws are gripping a jade branch.
Just as it was fully raised, its beak suddenly opened.
"Chirp—chirp chirp—"
The clear, melodious chirping of birds rang out in the quiet side hall.
Its wings were even flapping gently, and its head was turning nimbly, as if it had come to life!
"This...this is..."
Du Mingxuan stepped forward, trembling, tears instantly welling up in his eyes. "The legendary...Ming Dynasty Self-Singing Bird?!"
"My God! This is a national treasure! A true national treasure!"
"The spring inside can actually move?! This craftsmanship... it's simply divine!"
Several senior experts swarmed around him like madmen. Feng Dehai was so excited that he trembled all over. The purple clay teapot in his hand fell to the ground with a "crack" and shattered into pieces, but he didn't care.
"Young friend... no, master!"
Du Mingxuan suddenly turned around and looked at Zhang Yan, who was sitting in a chair drinking tea. His eyes seemed to say that he wanted to kneel down and kowtow on the spot.
"This is incredible! This is simply divine skill!"
"Mr. Du, you flatter me."
Zhang Yan put down his teacup, his expression calm. "Now that it's open, let's discuss our deal..."
"Here you go! Right now!"
Du Mingxuan waved his hand and yelled at the butler, "Quick! Transfer ten million to Master Zhang! No, twelve million! The extra two million is for the master's tea money!"
The housekeeper frantically pulled out his phone and started operating it.
"bite--"
Zhang Yan's phone vibrated.
[Received: 12000000 yuan.]
Hearing this pleasant voice, Zhang Yan finally managed a genuine smile.
This money is earned much faster than delivering food.
"And there's Old Feng."
Zhang Yan stood up, walked over to Feng Dehai who was still staring blankly at the mechanical bird, and pointed to the fragments of the purple clay teapot on the ground. "The teapot is broken; it might be a bit prickly to eat. Why don't you make do with this?"
Feng Dehai's face turned bright red, and he wished he could disappear into the ground.
He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but in the end he could only manage to stammer out, "The younger generation is truly formidable...the younger generation is indeed formidable..."
Zhang Yan didn't bother to look at those old men again.
He bent down, picked up the "pickled vegetable jar" from the ground, and waved to Du Mingxuan.
"Now that the matter is settled, I'll be leaving."
"My wife is waiting for me to come home and cook."
"Hey! Master, please wait!"
Du Mingxuan grew anxious and quickly caught up, "I haven't yet asked the master where he studied under me? If I encounter such a difficult problem in the future, where can I turn to you?"
"Jiang Da, the food delivery guy."
Without turning his head, Zhang Yan uttered a blunt truth and strode out of the Du family's gate.
The room was left with a group of experts looking at each other in bewilderment.
Delivery person?
Are the requirements for becoming a food delivery worker really that high now?
Not only do they need to know how to deliver food, but they also need to know how to repair antiques?
……
By the time we left the Du family's old house, it was completely dark.
The wind in the suburbs was a bit chilly, but Zhang Yan's heart was burning with excitement.
Twelve million.
Adding the pocket money Nie Qingcheng gave him before, he now has nearly 20 million yuan in cash.
"I'll accept being a kept man, but this diamond ring has to be a big one."
Zhang Yan was pondering which jewelry store to go to when his phone suddenly rang.
It's Nie Qingcheng.
"Hey, honey?"
Zhang Yan answered the phone, his tone instantly becoming gentle.
"Where is it?"
Nie Qingcheng's voice sounded a little tired, and there was the sound of files being turned over in the background. "I didn't see you when I got home, and the pot was cold."
"Just came out to earn some extra money, will be right back."
Zhang Yan smiled and asked, "What do you want to eat tonight? I'll go buy the groceries now."
"No."
Nie Qingcheng paused, then her voice suddenly lowered a few decibels, "You're near the Du family's old residence, right? Stand there and don't move."
"Um?"
"I'll come pick you up."
After Nie Qingcheng finished speaking, she hung up the phone immediately.
Zhang Yan stared at his phone, somewhat bewildered.
How did this woman know that she was at the Du family's house?
Just then, a black Maybach silently emerged from the shadows at the intersection and stopped in front of Zhang Yan.
The car window rolled down, revealing an unfamiliar face.
It's not Nie Qingcheng.
It was a man wearing sunglasses, bald, with a scorpion tattooed on his neck.
"Zhang Yan, right?"
The bald man grinned, revealing a mouthful of gold teeth. "Our boss would like to invite you for a cup of tea to talk about that bottle."
Zhang Yan narrowed his eyes.
Another bottle?
It seems those two petty thieves who were arrested kept their mouths shut and didn't reveal the mastermind behind it. Instead, the mastermind came knocking on their door.
"I'm busy."
Zhang Yan, holding the bottle, turned and left.
"That's not up to you."
The bald man snapped his fingers.
"Splash—"
The car door opened, and four burly men jumped out, each carrying a baton, instantly surrounding Zhang Yan.
"If you refuse a toast, you'll have to drink a penalty cup."
The bald man got out of the car, toying with a butterfly knife in his hand. "I was going to have a good talk with you, but since you're not going to give me any face, I guess I'll just have to break your legs first, and then we can talk slowly."
Zhang Yan sighed.
He carefully placed the bottle he was carrying on the flower bed next to him.
"Why can't you people learn your lesson?"
Zhang Yan cracked his knuckles, his gaze gradually turning cold. "I just made over ten million, I'm in a good mood, do you really want to force me to take action?"
"Make a move? Hahahaha!"
The bald man seemed to have heard a joke. "You? A pretty boy? Brothers, get him! As long as you don't kill him, you can have your way with him!"
Four burly men rushed forward with sinister grins.
Just as Zhang Yan was about to unleash his [Grandmaster Jeet Kune Do] and go on a killing spree.
Suddenly, the roar of an engine came from afar.
That was the distinctive roar of a V12 engine, like the howl of a wild beast, approaching from afar with a destructive force.
"boom--!!!"
Two blinding beams of light instantly tore through the darkness, shining directly onto the bald man and his group.
A red Ferrari LaFerrari, like a burning flame, rushed over at an incredibly high speed.
They're not slowing down at all!
Holy crap!
The bald man was so frightened that he scrambled to the side.
"squeak--!!!"
The ear-piercing screech of brakes cut through the night sky.
The Ferrari performed an extremely beautiful drift and came to a steady stop less than half a meter away from Zhang Yan.
The car door swung upwards.
A foot wearing a black high heel with red soles stepped onto the asphalt road.
Nie Qingcheng came down.
She was wearing a black, tight-fitting leather outfit, with long hair flowing down her shoulders, large sunglasses on her face, and carrying a... golf club in her hand?
She took off her sunglasses, and her fox-like eyes, which were usually full of smiles, were now filled with frost.
She didn't even glance at the terrified men, but walked straight up to Zhang Yan, looked him up and down, and only turned away after confirming that he was alright.
The golf club in his hand slammed heavily onto the ground.
"Who just said they were going to break my man's legs?"
Nie Qingcheng's voice wasn't loud, but it was so cold that it chilled you to the bone.
"Step forward."
"Let me see which blind fool is tired of living."