63: Chapter 63 You'd better show some real skills

Inside the car.

While driving, Old Li couldn't help but turn his head to look at Hu Tian. His eyes were full of surprise and curiosity, as if he were looking at a "giant panda" that had just run out of the deep mountains and old forests. "Brother Hu, looking at how scholarly and refined you are, I thought you were just a weak scholar who couldn't even truss a chicken. I never expected that when it came to the critical moment, your skills would be so 'hidden from view'! Those few moves just now, my old eyes saw them clearly—they were fluid and extremely professional! Even more agile than those actors in martial arts films!"

Hu Tian smiled awkwardly, waved his hand, and said, "Section Chief Li, you flatter me. I just practiced some kung fu for a few years when I was a child for self-defense. It's not worth mentioning, just some 'amateur' skills."

"Practiced for a few years?"

Old Li obviously didn't believe it. His expression was as if he had heard some huge joke, as if he were saying "Who are you trying to fool?" "Brother Hu, don't be so modest. I can tell what level you're at. The speed of your strikes, the control of your force, the fluidity of your moves—without ten or eight years of 'childhood foundation,' you couldn't possibly achieve this level! To be honest, did you have a master guiding you at home? Or are you a 'lay disciple' of the Shaolin Temple?"

Hu Tian inwardly groaned. He couldn't tell the truth about the abilities granted by the system, could he?

Wouldn't he be taken away to be sliced up for research?

He could only continue to play it off, his acting skills even more superb than when he faced the scarred man earlier. "Really, there isn't one, Section Chief Li. Maybe I just have good talent, plus I like watching martial arts videos in my spare time, so I learned a little bit. I'm the 'self-taught' type."

"Good talent?"

Old Li burst into laughter, his hearty laugh like an "old urchin," shaking the car roof. "You kid, not bad! Young people like you who are skilled in both literature and martial arts are rare these days. You can appraise treasures and fight; you are truly someone who can 'write to secure the world and ride a horse to determine the fate of the universe'! I think you should stop working in the antique business and go be a special forces soldier to protect the country!"

Hu Tian was a bit embarrassed by the praise and quickly changed the subject, fearing that if Old Li kept asking, he would give himself away. "Section Chief Li, you just said we are going to the Museum this time to appraise what cultural relics? What kind of items are they?"

"Well, about that..."

Old Li was about to answer when the red light suddenly turned on at the intersection ahead. He stepped on the brake, his movements as skilled as an "old driver." "About this. I also heard from Director Zhang that the Museum has newly acquired a batch of collections. The origins are a bit complicated, and since Master Li Hao recommended you, we need Brother Hu Tian to help take a look and check their authenticity and condition. This is a 'big scene,' so you must show your true skills."

Ten minutes later, the car slowly drove into the parking lot in front of the city Museum.

Old Li parked the car steadily and pulled out the key.

"We're here, Brother Hu Tian. Our mission this time is not easy. I heard that several leaders from the capital are 'big shots' in the industry. You must be on your toes and not embarrass our Cultural Relics Bureau."

Hu Tian nodded, pushed the car door open, and stepped out.

Looking up at the magnificent Museum before him, he couldn't help but feel a surge of inexplicable anticipation—who knows what he would encounter today?

The Jinling City Museum stood before Hu Tian like a treasure trove of history that had traveled through time.

The entire building adopted the Ming and Qing style, with the main building three stories high and covering an area of over ten thousand square meters; the scale was frighteningly large.

The main entrance was a towering pailou-style gatehouse, with carved beams and painted pillars, flying eaves, and bracket sets. Every detail revealed the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient artisans, fully displaying works of supernatural skill.

Above the gatehouse hung a gold-stamped plaque, with the six large characters "Jinling City Museum" written in a vigorous and powerful hand, shimmering in the sunlight.

The square was paved with bluestone slabs, clean and tidy, with rows of ginkgo trees planted on both sides. It was late autumn, and the golden leaves danced lightly in the wind, adding a touch of poetry to this solemn building.

In the center of the square stood a bronze tripod about three meters high. The body of the tripod was engraved with intricate taotie patterns, appearing ancient and solemn.

The outer wall of the main building was built with antique blue bricks, and exquisite reliefs were embedded in the walls, depicting important events and legendary figures in the history of Jinling; the scenes were so vivid they looked "alive."

Through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows of the first-floor exhibition hall, the antique display counters inside were vaguely visible, and the lighting was soft and tasteful.

There was an annex building on both the left and right sides of the Museum, forming a "pin" character layout with the main building. This pattern was a type of "concealing wind and gathering qi" in "feng shui formations."

The annexes were connected by carved corridors, and the tops of the corridors were covered with glazed tiles, which emitted a faint green light under the sunlight; the color was as beautiful as jade.

Through the corridors, one could see rockeries and water pavilions in the inner courtyard, with a few old pines and cypresses dotted among them, adding a touch of garden atmosphere to this modern Museum.

It was morning, and many tourists were entering and leaving the Museum in twos and threes. There were young couples taking pictures with cameras and parents bringing their children to visit and learn.

Two uniformed security guards stood at the entrance, scanning the passing crowd with vigilant eyes; their gazes were as sharp as "eagle eyes."

Hu Tian took a deep breath, feeling the heavy historical atmosphere emanating from this Museum.

As a treasure hunter, he had a natural sense of closeness to such places—here were collected countless precious historical relics, each carrying a unique story; they were the "priceless treasures" of human history.

The two passed through the revolving door of the Museum and stepped into the lobby on the first floor.

The spacious lobby was hundreds of square meters, with a huge dome overhead, inlaid with exquisite caisson ceiling paintings; the scenes were as magnificent as if entering a "celestial palace."

In the center hung a large antique bronze chandelier, and soft light sprinkled over the entire space; the light was as warm as being at "home."

The floor of the lobby was paved with polished marble, and calligraphy and painting works by famous masters from various dynasties in Jinling hung on the surrounding walls.

"Brother Hu Tian, look, Master Li is over there."

Old Li pointed to the service desk on the right side of the lobby.

Hu Tian looked in the direction he pointed, and saw Master Li Hao standing there, wearing a brand-new dark gray work uniform, with a "Jinling City Museum Research Administrator" work badge hanging on his chest; his entire spirit had clearly been upgraded to a new level.

Li Hao's face immediately bloomed with a smile, and he walked up to greet them: "Old Li, Brother Hu Tian, you're here!"

"Master Li, congratulations!"

Old Li stepped forward and patted Li Hao on the shoulder, the action as intimate as "old comrades-in-arms." "Transferring from Wenchang Pavilion to the city Museum is a promotion. From now on, you're a 'city dweller'."

Li Hao waved his hand modestly, keeping a low profile: "Not at all, not at all, it's all thanks to Brother Hu Tian. If it wasn't for that day at Wenchang Pavilion, where Brother Hu Tian identified the genuine Emperor Qianlong imperial cloud and dragon pattern three-legged bronze incense burner at a glance, how would I have had the chance to be transferred here? This is truly 'a look from Bo Le, and one's value increases tenfold'!"

He turned to Hu Tian, his eyes filled with sincere gratitude, the look so genuine it was moving: "Brother Hu Tian, that time was really thanks to you. Director Zhang attached great importance to that matter and specifically praised me at the meeting, which led to this transfer opportunity. You are my 'great benefactor'!"

Hu Tian smiled: "Master Li, you are too polite. It was just a small effort, not worth mentioning."

"Let's not stand here and chat,"

Li Hao looked at his watch, "Director Zhang and several experts from the capital are already waiting on the third floor. Let's go up quickly. That batch of newly acquired collections is not simple. I recommended you to take a look; this is a 'once-in-a-thousand-years' opportunity."

Saying this, Li Hao took the lead and walked toward the depths of the lobby.

The three bypassed several display cases and arrived in front of a metal door marked "Staff Passage." Li Hao took out an access card and swiped it; the door opened in response, the sound as crisp as a "lock-opening sound."

The decoration inside the passage was significantly simpler than the exhibition hall outside; the walls were painted with simple white paint, and there were fluorescent tubes overhead.

The group walked up the stairs, their footsteps echoing in the narrow corridor; the sound was as clear as an old monk "knocking on a wooden fish" one by one.

"Brother Hu Tian,"

Li Hao said while walking, his tone very solemn, "The origin of the collections this time is indeed a bit complicated; they were collected from a private collector. That collector is advanced in age and wants to donate his life's collection to the Museum, but there is a large quantity of items, and the authenticity is mixed, so they need careful identification. Director Zhang said that if this batch of items can be confirmed as genuine, it will be a huge boost to our Museum's collection level."

Soon, they arrived at the third floor.

Li Hao pushed open the door to the stairwell and led Hu Tian and Old Li into a tastefully decorated corridor.

At the end of the corridor was a heavy double wooden door, with an "Appraisal Room" sign hanging on it.

Li Hao stopped, adjusted his collar—the action as solemn as "attending court"—and turned to say to Hu Tian, "Brother Hu Tian, be prepared. The situation inside is not small; it is a 'gathering of heroes,' a radish meeting... oh no, it's an expert meeting."

After speaking, he reached out and pushed open the wooden door; the action was as gentle as "pushing open the heart door of a beloved."

The door opened gently, and a deep, elegant scent of sandalwood overflowed like flowing water.

This appraisal room was quite spacious, over one hundred square meters, with precise constant temperature and humidity systems installed on all four walls, silently maintaining the micro-environment most suitable for the preservation of cultural relics.

In the center of the room lay a huge mahogany long table, the tabletop covered with thick dark green velvet cloth, upon which were arranged dozens of porcelain pieces, calligraphy and painting scrolls, and bronze wares, emitting either warm or cold luster under the special lighting.

Around the long table, seven figures stood or sat.

Closest to the core position of the long table were three white-haired elders. They were leaning over together, the magnifying glasses in their hands refracting spots of light, whispering to each other, their expressions so focused as if they were engaged in a silent conversation.

Behind them stood two young people around twenty-five years old, holding notebooks and pens, occasionally bowing their heads to write rapidly, fearing they would miss a single word.

On the other side, two middle-aged men in dark suits sat calmly, their demeanor steady, imposing without anger; one could tell at a glance that they were people who had long held high positions.

The sound of the door opening broke the silence in the room. Hearing the sound, everyone raised their heads.