Unfortunately, Carolyn Turner chose tenants with the discerning eye of someone picking a husband. She always felt uneasy about leaving such a large luxury house to a stranger, and her picky, fussy temperament led to a situation where she could neither accept nor reject anyone, causing the matter to be delayed day after day.

In the antiques business, one must read a vast number of ancient books, possess extensive knowledge of history and archaeology, and be familiar with the styles of artifacts from every era in order to truly master it. It also requires extreme attention to detail, the ability to spot traces of forgery from the tiniest flaws. Although Ian Lawson was not a professional antique dealer, he could always say a few words about the background and era of any antique. In the eyes of the utterly inexperienced Carolyn Turner, this was a sign of someone well-versed in gold, silver, and jewels.

Moreover, Ian Lawson came from a scholarly family, had manners that girls found appealing, a resilient character, and was meticulous enough. In Carolyn Turner's eyes, he was a man capable of great things. Right now, he was just a fledgling, and with her experience in reading people, handling such a young man would be a piece of cake. Therefore, Carolyn Turner extended a warm invitation, Ian Lawson half-heartedly agreed, and just like that, the arrangement was made.

The day after Ian Lawson moved in, he went to Tibet, so this time was essentially his official move-in. With a few words, he brushed off the security guard’s questions, used the key Carolyn Turner had given him to open the door, and headed straight for his room.

At this time, Carolyn Turner was still at work, and this was the quietest time in the white-collar residential complex. Ian Lawson's luggage from his move-in was still unpacked, so he took the opportunity to tidy up the room and put everything in its place. Ian Lawson made a phone call to inform Carolyn Turner that he was back, then took out his tools to examine that strange necklace.

The results of the specific gravity test were in, and with just a glance, Ian Lawson felt dizzy and lightheaded.

"This is unbelievable, it's actually a platinum necklace—an 18th-century platinum necklace? What kind of world is this?" Ian Lawson's miserable and disappointed shout echoed through the room.

Platinum, also known as the platinum group metal, was discovered in the early 18th century. At that time, some alluvial sands in rivers on the American continent often contained natural platinum grains. Miners dug up these silvery-white, wheat-grain-sized minerals, mistook them for silver, and sent them to the mint, only to find they couldn't be melted. In 1735, Spanish metallurgist de Ulloa brought this "fake silver" found in the gold mines of the Pinto River in Peru back to Europe and named it "platina," which in Spanish originally meant "silver from the Pinto region." After research by British chemist Watson, a specimen was sent to the Royal Society in London, and by 1748, platinum was officially recognized as a new element.

The discovery of platinum caused a sensation in Europe at the time. King Louis XVI of France once called platinum "the only noble metal worthy of a king's title," and wearing platinum jewelry became the most fashionable trend among the nobility. At that time, the price of a pure platinum necklace was astonishing, and only the wealthy or noble could afford to wear one.

The necklace lay in Ian Lawson's hand, its silvery-white metallic luster flickering and dancing in the sunlight, making him feel as if he were in a dream.

As a result, several questions surfaced in his mind: Why would such a person come to a remote place like Bomi, Tibet? What was their purpose? How did they end up in that secluded canyon branch? How did they die? Why was there no guide with them? Why...

After calming himself a little, Ian Lawson turned his attention back to the necklace pendant. The pendant felt similar in weight to silver, and the test results confirmed this, but unfortunately, his crude instruments couldn't determine the metal's composition. Still, Ian Lawson knew in his heart that this pendant was anything but ordinary.

"In that case, Jenny definitely didn't follow me for no reason," Ian Lawson murmured to himself, holding the necklace. Ian Lawson's words echoed in the empty room, sounding both like a question and an answer.

Suddenly, the phone rang, jolting Ian Lawson from his thoughts. He picked up the phone, and Carolyn Turner fired off rapidly: "Ian Lawson, you actually remembered to come back. Wait for me at home, I'll treat you to dinner."

"Why do you sound like a resentful wife?" Ian Lawson muttered under his breath, and before Carolyn Turner could react, he quickly added, "Okay, I'll cook dinner and wait for you."

"What? You can cook? Are you kidding me?" Carolyn Turner was quite surprised. "How about this, since it's your first day here, it would be rude not to eat your cooking. Fine, but I've invited a friend too. I'm warning you, if you're not confident, it's better to order takeout from the street—don't embarrass me."

Chapter 3 Curiosity (Part 1)

During his university years, Ian Lawson was a maverick. Compared to his peers, he seemed especially mature for his age. Ian Lawson had no interest in the usual topics of conversation among classmates, and when he did occasionally chime in, he often cut through the surface to the heart of the matter, which made him out of place with most of his classmates. Ian Lawson had no desire to ingratiate himself with those immature boys and girls.

On the other hand, since Ian Lawson was always working part-time, some classmates saw him as someone from whom nothing could be gained. In his spare time, if he wasn't working, Ian Lawson would go hiking alone, only having superficial contact with others. So, in his four years at university, he made very few friends, let alone had a girlfriend.