“Fifth Brother, this time the item is specifically requested by someone from Hong Kong.” Seeing Fifth Brother's expression, Brian Cooper felt he had been a bit too harsh. After all, once the item was sold, the money still had to be divided up. Although the amount each person received was different, the accounts were open, and Fifth Brother had the right to know.

“They offered this much.” Brian Cooper held up five fingers and said in a low voice, “And depending on the condition, the price can go even higher. Fifth Brother, do you think I can afford not to take this seriously?”

“Fifty thousand?” William Cooper was stunned for a moment. For a single item to be worth fifty thousand was already quite impressive.

“Fifty thousand? Fifth Brother, you’re thinking too small.” Brian Cooper sneered.

“Five hundred thousand?” William Cooper couldn’t keep his voice down, but quickly realized and glanced around, lowering his voice, “Second Brother, this thing was just a woman’s hair ornament in ancient times, how could it be worth so much?”

William Cooper had been tomb raiding with his family for several years and had some understanding of the market for various items. Among tomb goods, the easiest to sell were jade and porcelain—these items were highly liquid, popular among collectors, and recognized by the market both domestically and abroad.

The hardest things to come by in tomb raiding were calligraphy and paintings, because the dampness in tombs made them hard to preserve. Some paintings hanging in tomb chambers would disintegrate as soon as the tomb was breached. But if you ever found a well-preserved famous painting, you could make a fortune. As for bronzeware, while it was valuable, the government’s crackdown was intense, and smuggling it out was risky, so the price was often forced down.

“You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? They sent a picture and asked for this item—otherwise, do you think I’d have let that kid trick me?”

Brian Cooper shook his head in frustration. He’d been in this business for over twenty years and had handled countless antiques. As long as it came out of the ground, he could tell real from fake with a sniff. He never expected to be tripped up by a young kid.

Losing eight thousand yuan was a small matter, but the old client in Hong Kong had specifically requested this item and even raised the price by another three hundred thousand. This forced Brian Cooper to go back to Nancy Stewart, because according to the buyer, if Nancy Stewart didn’t have the real thing, he couldn’t have made such a convincing fake.

“If this thing is so valuable, could that kid really have the genuine article?” William Cooper glanced into the antique market. “Second Brother, I say we’d be better off looking for a few more tombs. Maybe we’ll get lucky. Didn’t you say there are plenty of these in Qin and Han tombs?”

In the underworld, everyone had their own turf. William Cooper and his family lived off their ancestors’ trade. Although they didn’t have the guts for the most dangerous jobs, fighting wasn’t their strong suit either. He could tell that the kid named Su had some connections in the antique market. If things got rough, they might not come out on top.

“You think I don’t know that?” Brian Cooper said irritably. “These things are usually scattered in tombs. Unless archaeologists carefully brush them out bit by bit, you can’t find a complete one. If we want a whole piece, it’s pure luck. It’s not as easy as you think.”

Brian Cooper had seen hoopoe ornaments before, but they were always incomplete. Such small items buried in the earth were impossible to find without meticulous effort. Targeting Nancy Stewart was actually the most convenient option.

“Fifth Brother, Mang Mountain hasn’t been peaceful lately. Uncle Carter said we’re not going underground for a while.” A trace of fear suddenly appeared on Brian Cooper’s face.

“Second Brother, I’ll listen to you and Uncle Carter.” Seeing Brian Cooper’s expression, William Cooper couldn’t help but shiver. He knew exactly what Second Brother was talking about.

Strangely enough, since the start of this year, tomb raiders making a living around Luochuan City had run into trouble one after another. It wasn’t that they were caught by the police, but rather that several accidents had occurred during tomb raids.

First, there was the group from northern Sichuan. While raiding a Han dynasty tomb, the tunnel suddenly collapsed, burying two people alive. Even the one guarding the entrance didn’t escape. Only the fence for stolen goods, who wasn’t at the scene, survived, but he was so frightened he left Luochuan and disappeared.

Then there was a group from Xishan. After six months, they dug open a large Qin dynasty tomb. This group was well-equipped—the tunnel was reinforced, and everyone wore oxygen masks. Since it was a big tomb with lots of goods, five people went in while three stayed above.

Unexpectedly, after two hours, there was no sign from the five below. As dawn approached, the three above couldn’t wait any longer and went down one after another. Of the eight people, only one came back up, but he had gone mad—he just knelt at the tunnel entrance, kowtowing nonstop. By the time villagers found him, he had died kneeling there.