Chapter 130 Discovery

As soon as the old man spoke, Wang Xiuyuan's fluke of hope was instantly shattered. But now that trouble had found him, what else could he do?

Hiding was definitely out of the question. The only solution was to face the problem head-on. At a time like this, the less confident one appeared and the more one's eyes darted around, the easier it was to arouse suspicion.

So, before the Bodyguards could speak, Wang Xiuyuan quickly replied with a smile:

"We're hiking enthusiasts. We just happened to pass by here."

"Your house is beautifully built and exceptionally well-maintained. We've seen many similar houses along the way, but most of them were in a worrying state of disrepair."

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"So, I couldn't help but stare at your house for a while. I hope we didn't cause you any trouble."

Wang Xiuyuan's strategy was simple. The reason he gave was merely logical enough to pass muster on the surface.

The real key to his response lay in flattery. Wang Xiuyuan used those poorly preserved similar houses to highlight how good the house before him was.

This wasn't just praising the house; it was also praising the owner's taste.

Flattery will get you everywhere—a truth proven by countless people.

As long as a person isn't as absolutely rational as a machine, anyone with even a hint of vanity will lower their guard significantly upon hearing praise and flattery. Some might even drop their guard entirely.

Just as Wang Xiuyuan expected, the vigilance on the owner Eric Rouse's face quickly faded upon hearing his words, replaced by a bright and warm smile.

Because Wang Xiuyuan's praise hit all the right spots. The thatched-roof house before them was indeed in excellent condition, clearly having been maintained with great care.

The edges of the thatch on the roof were neat, obviously having been meticulously trimmed.

The thatch looked to be in great shape, unlike those poorly maintained houses where the roof thatch had turned black and rotten; those owners were lucky if it didn't leak.

"Haha, thank you for the compliment."

"I've always taken great care in maintaining my house. Every year in March and April, when rainfall is at its lowest, I take the opportunity to replace any wheat straw on the roof that's starting to decay. So, at a glance, the roof looks as good as new."

"There aren't many thatched houses like this left in all of England now. Everyone uses industrial tiles for their roofs. Although the construction is many times faster, the thermal insulation and soundproofing are nowhere near as good."

"A traditional Englishman would never use that industrial assembly-line construction trash to build a house. They'll regret it sooner or later."

Eric Rouse was clearly tickled pink by Wang Xiuyuan's praise. While patting himself on the back, he didn't forget to look down on those who used industrial materials for their homes.

In any case, Wang Xiuyuan and the Bodyguards almost couldn't keep a straight face after hearing this.

Imagine simply complimenting a moderately attractive woman by calling her a great beauty, and doing so in a logical way that hits the mark—otherwise, she definitely wouldn't believe it.

After all, if you praise an ugly woman as a rare beauty found only in heaven or on earth, she certainly won't believe you! So, the degree of praise is very important; you have to make it sound reasonable.

But right after you finish praising this beauty, she actually takes it and runs with it, climbing to the top of the pole and hanging there while calling everyone else ugly. Who could stand that?

Anyway, Wang Xiuyuan and the others who knew the truth couldn't take it. If they hadn't been professionally trained, they would have burst out laughing long ago.

"It's inevitable that they'll regret it. Society today is too impetuous; everyone discards those fine traditional crafts just to save money."

"As time goes on, there will be fewer and fewer workers with the skill to lay thatched roofs."

"Rarity makes things expensive. By then, the cost of building such a house will only keep rising. They won't even have the chance to regret it unless they're exceptionally wealthy."

"The walls of this kind of thatched house must be made of stone. The facades of walls built with bricks from industrial kilns simply can't form a harmonious style with the thatch."

"Most people only build a house once in their lifetime. So, when they choose industrial materials, they can forget about ever owning a traditional home like this."

Wang Xiuyuan's flattery skills were absolutely top-tier. At his level, if he were dropped into the Western world, he would be the invincible king of flattery, absolutely dominating and bamboozling these foreigners until they didn't know which way was up in minutes.

"Exactly! I think so too. Those people won't even have a chance to regret it later."

"Are you busy right now?"

"I mean, if you're not in a hurry, you can come into my house for a drink of water and a rest. You can also take a look around."

When these words reached Wang Xiuyuan's ears, the corners of his mouth curled up involuntarily.

"Thank you for the invitation. I just hope we won't be a bother."

Led by Eric Rouse, Wang Xiuyuan followed him through every room of this distinctive house, but he still found no trace of any treasure. This made him start to doubt the authenticity of the treasure clues.

Eric Rouse pointed at the lawn in front of the house and boasted, "I was born, grew up, and started my family in this house. I used to play on this lawn when I was a child."

"Including my grandfather, my father, and my two sons, everyone was born in this house. This place holds the collective memories of four generations of our family."

"So, the exterior of this house is almost exactly as it was when my grandfather built it. The biggest difference is this lawn and the landscaping out front."

"My grandfather and father lived in poor economic conditions. They were busy working the farm, and in their few spare moments, they'd take on odd jobs to earn money. They simply didn't have the energy to tend to the landscaping."

"I was the same at first, until my children went to work in London. Only then was I finally free."

The lawn in front was clearly meticulously maintained; the height and density of the grass were uniform, with no weeds in sight.

The low shrubs were also carefully pruned, each one having a neat shape.

The lush green lawn, exquisite shrubs, verdant trees, and neat stone walls paired with the wheat-straw roof—everything looked so harmonious and natural.

The house showed few traces of industrialization; it looked as if it had grown right out of the ground, making one feel comfortable and relaxed just looking at it.

Suddenly, Wang Xiuyuan's eyes narrowed. He seemed to have found the treasure hidden within the clues.

Wang Xiuyuan's gaze pierced through the surface of the lawn. Buried more than half a meter underground was a vast hoard of gold coins, silver coins, gold nuggets, gold jewelry, and silver tableware.

Seeing these items, Wang Xiuyuan couldn't help but start to feel a headache coming on.

He had just acquired six Antique Appraisal Skills last night, but coincidentally, none of them covered Western ancient currency or jewelry. This was awkward.

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