60: Chapter 60 Zhao Shanhe, oh Zhao Shanhe, are you finally going to make your move?

"Alright, Master Li, I am staying at the Jinling International Hotel on Jinling Road, in room 3808."

Hu Tian gave the address, and after waiting for Master Li to note it down, he added, "Then I will see you tomorrow, Master Li. Sorry for the trouble."

"Done, see you tomorrow then!"

Li Hao hung up the phone, a hint of excitement audible in his voice.

Hu Tian put down his phone, a thoughtful smile appearing at the corner of his mouth—a smile that concealed a scheme.

This phone call had come truly coincidentally, so much so that it felt as if it had been arranged by the heavens.

He quickly sorted through the two matters in his mind, his train of thought gradually becoming clear, as if he had parted the clouds to see the blue sky.

Zhao Shanhe was expected to send people to make a move within twenty-four hours, and at nine o'clock tomorrow morning, the special car sent by Master Li would come to pick him up and take him to the Museum.

If Zhao Shanhe's people chose to strike during that time, the scene would be quite interesting—it would be a literal case of "throwing oneself into the net."

Hu Tian pondered in his heart: Zhao Shanhe, that local tyrant, was accustomed to running rampant in Jinling City. The reason he dared to make a move was nothing more than relying on the influence he had behind him, and having judged that Hu Tian was merely a solitary outsider with no support, easy to manipulate, treating him like a lamb to the slaughter.

But if the incident were to happen in broad daylight, and specifically on the way to the Cultural Relics Bureau, the nature of the situation would be completely different. It would no longer be "staging an accident," but rather "walking straight into the line of fire."

The car from the Cultural Relics Bureau represented the face of the government. If Zhao Shanhe's people made a move at that critical juncture, it would be equivalent to running straight into the line of fire; they would be lucky to escape with their lives.

At that time, he wouldn't need to waste any effort maneuvering; government departments would naturally launch an investigation into Zhao Shanhe, and by then, Zhao Shanhe would be like a "mud bodhisattva crossing a river—unable to save even himself."

This is called using force against force, using four taels to deflect a thousand catties!

Of course, the premise for all of this was that he had to act out this play naturally, without a hint of pretense, making it seem real.

He must not take the initiative to provoke the other party; he only needed to follow the original plan, take the car to the Museum as usual tomorrow, and if Zhao Shanhe's people really did strike on the way, he would respond accordingly, making the commotion big enough for the accompanying personnel to see clearly and plainly.

Hu Tian ran this train of thought through his mind repeatedly, and the more he thought about it, the more secure he felt. This strategy was simply "flawless."

He walked to the window and looked at the sparse lights on the street below, his expression calm, like a general about to go into battle.

Zhao Shanhe, this "kidnapping" trap you've set, I'm afraid that in the end, you will be the one who gets "tied" up in it. This is what you call "reaping what you sow."

Having figured all this out, Hu Tian stopped overthinking it. He drew the curtains, took a shower, lay down on the bed, and began to close his eyes to recharge, preparing to welcome tomorrow's "good show."

There was still a good show to perform tomorrow; he needed to be well-rested, otherwise, how could he live up to Zhao Shanhe's "painstaking efforts"?

The night passed without incident.

As a five-star international hotel, Jinling International Hotel had strict security. After all, it wasn't a place that just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could enter and exit at will. No matter how arrogant Zhao Shanhe was, he wouldn't dare to make a move blatantly in such a place; that would be equivalent to seeking his own death, unless he was tired of living.

Hu Tian slept quite soundly, sleeping until dawn without even having a dream, feeling full of energy.

May 15, 2012, Friday.

Outside the window, the sun was bright, the weather was surprisingly good, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, as if even the heavens were helping to set the stage for today's performance, specifically clearing the area.

After getting up, Hu Tian checked the time; it was exactly 7:40 AM. He casually flipped through the calendar provided by the hotel on the nightstand. It listed the auspicious and inauspicious activities for the day: Auspicious: Sacrifices, Traveling, Seeking Wealth, Betrothal, Forming Alliances.

Inauspicious: Breaking Ground, Excavation, Burials, Opening a Business.

He looked at the two characters for "Traveling," a playful smile curling the corners of his mouth. He thought that this almanac was quite fitting; today was exactly the day to "travel" and also to "seek wealth." As for that "forming an alliance," if he could take this opportunity to connect with the people from the Cultural Relics Bureau, that could also be considered another kind of "forming an alliance." This luck—one had to admire it.

After washing up, Hu Tian changed into a clean and sharp casual outfit and went downstairs to the hotel's buffet restaurant.

There weren't many people in the restaurant; a few tables of guests were scattered about. There were business people in suits and tourists with their families, all quietly eating breakfast, the atmosphere lazy.

Hu Tian carried his tray, randomly chose some porridge, steamed buns, fried eggs, and side dishes, and found a seat by the window. While eating breakfast, he observed his surroundings calmly. His gaze seemed casual, but in reality, it was as sharp as a hawk's.

Soon, he noticed something unusual; it felt as if a piece of dog-skin plaster had been stuck to his back.

In the corner of the restaurant, two men wearing ordinary jackets were sitting there pretending to eat breakfast, but their eyes kept glancing toward Hu Tian. Their movements were stiff; one look and you could tell they weren't professionals, but rather "greenhorns" who had just entered the business.

One had a crew cut and a scar on his face, looking quite fierce. The other wore a baseball cap, pulled down very low. The food on the plates in front of the two had hardly been touched, yet they kept sitting there. It was clearly tailing, and their acting was so clumsy that Hu Tian couldn't bear to expose them.

Hu Tian sneered in his heart. So Zhao Shanhe had sent people to "watch" him, fearing he would run away? What did he take him for?

However, he remained calm on the surface, continuing to eat his breakfast at a leisurely pace, as if he hadn't noticed anything. He drank his porridge, ate his buns, and his demeanor was as composed as if he were dining at his own table. This level of composure was truly extraordinary.

The two people tailing him, seeing that Hu Tian was completely normal, relaxed slightly and continued to sit there, going through the motions of eating breakfast, looking quite ridiculous.

Just as Hu Tian picked up a small steamed bun, his phone suddenly vibrated. The screen displayed the name "Waner," the name dancing on the screen as if carrying a hint of a young girl's coquettishness.

He raised his eyebrows slightly, thinking that this girl was truly impatient. It had only been one night since they parted, and she couldn't help herself. It was truly "a day apart feels like three autumns."

"Hello, Waner."

Hu Tian answered the phone, his voice carrying a hint of morning laziness, sounding exceptionally magnetic.

From the other end of the phone came Zhou Waner's slightly shy voice, soft and glutinous like cotton candy: "Brother Hu Tian, are you awake? How did you sleep last night? Did you dream of me?"

"Just woke up not long ago, I'm eating breakfast at the hotel."

Hu Tian laughed, his tone carrying a trace of doting, "Why, did you miss me so early? Be careful, lovesickness can make you ill."

Zhou Waner's voice sounded a bit embarrassed, carrying a hint of a coquettish nasal tone: "Hate you! Who missed you... It's just... It's just that my roommates kept talking non-stop last night, which made me not sleep well all night. My ears are going to get calluses."

"What did they say? Were they saying good things about me?"

Hu Tian asked knowing the answer, deliberately teasing her.

"What else could they say? Isn't it just about you taking me back to school yesterday?"

Zhou Waner's voice got smaller and smaller, as if a mosquito buzzing, "They said... said you... are interested in me, and also told me to seize the opportunity or something. It's so annoying; they are all 'love advisors'."

Hu Tian heard the little thoughts in her words and couldn't help but laugh. This girl was saying one thing but meaning another: "Then what do you think? Were they right or wrong?"

The other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds, and then Zhou Waner's slightly shy voice came through, the voice so sweet it could drip water: "I... I don't know either. It's just, it's just that when I woke up this morning, my head was full of the things you said yesterday. I wanted to hear your voice; it makes me feel warm inside."

Hu Tian felt a warmth in his heart; this girl was actually quite cute, like a clingy little kitten.

However, he soon noticed that the two people tailing him in the corner were looking over here again, and he immediately came up with a plan. Since you want to listen, I will let you listen to your heart's content.

"Waner, now that you say that, I'm a bit reluctant to go out."

Hu Tian deliberately raised his volume and said casually, his tone filled with affection.

"Go out? Are you going out today?"

Zhou Waner asked curiously, her tone carrying a hint of nervousness.

"Yeah, I have something to do in a while, I have to leave the hotel."

Hu Tian pretended to say it casually, while glancing at the two people with his peripheral vision. Sure enough, he saw their ears perk up like two vigilant rabbits, "I originally wanted to rest in the hotel today and keep you company, but the other party said this matter is quite important and insisted that I go."

"Then where are you going? Will it be very far? Will there be any danger?"

Zhou Waner asked with concern, her tone full of worry.

"It's not too far, just in the city. It's about a half-hour drive."

Hu Tian continued to reveal information calmly, every word meant for Zhao Shanhe's people to hear, "The other party said they would send a car to pick me up around nine o'clock. I estimate I'll have to be out for most of the day and won't be able to return until the evening."

In the corner, the scar-faced man with the crew cut had already taken out his phone, head down, not knowing who he was texting. His fingers flew across the screen, as fast as a piano player's.

Hu Tian sneered in his heart. The fish had taken the bait; now Zhao Shanhe should be unable to sit still.

"Then be careful on the road."

Zhou Waner exhorted, her tone carrying a bit of reluctance, "Do you want me to go with you? I can ask for leave."

"No, no, you stay in school and attend class, don't let your imagination run wild."

Hu Tian said gently, his tone firm, "It's just some serious business, no need to worry. I'll be back soon."

Hu Tian laughed, "Alright, I'm going to eat breakfast first. I still need to tidy up and get ready to go out in a while. Let's talk later, behave and wait for me."

"Mm-hmm, then pay attention to safety on the road. I will miss you."

Zhou Waner said lingeringly, her voice making one's bones melt.

After hanging up the phone, Hu Tian continued to eat his breakfast unhurriedly, as if it were just an ordinary couple's call. That level of calmness made people admire him.

The two people in the corner were clearly unable to sit still anymore. The one with the scar-faced crew cut stood up and walked out, obviously going to report the situation, leaving only the one in the baseball cap to continue staring at Hu Tian, his gaze looking as if he were looking at a dead man.

Hu Tian secretly laughed in his heart. Zhao Shanhe, oh Zhao Shanhe, are you finally going to make your move?

That truly hits the spot; I'm almost moved to tears.

He slowly finished the last mouthful of porridge, wiped his mouth, and got up to walk out of the restaurant, his pace light, as if he were taking a walk to digest his food.