Since then, instant noodles had completely disappeared from the fridge.

Ian Lawson, his stomach growling with hunger, couldn’t find a single instant food item, so he sighed and gave up searching.

Thinking on an empty stomach was the most painful thing. Ian Lawson turned his sluggish mind, lay on the sofa, and went over the events from beginning to end. Finally, unable to resist the torment of curiosity, he muttered, “Enough, I have to get to the bottom of this no matter what. If they won’t say it, I’ll be the one to break the ice.”

Ian Lawson leapt up from the sofa, rushed to his room, and put the metal box into his bag. After a moment’s thought, he transferred the data from the camera onto a USB drive, placed it in his suit pocket, picked up the bag, and left the room. He grabbed the demon-subduing pestle, but after a brief consideration, gently locked it back in the drawer.

The elevator at the Lido Holiday Hotel slowly stopped at the 29th floor. There was a dedicated security guard on this floor. Ian Lawson contacted Jenny in the presidential suite at the elevator entrance and was then led into the room.

The so-called presidential suite was actually the largest comprehensive business suite in the hotel. It consisted of several fully equipped rooms of various sizes, allowing all accompanying personnel to be accommodated together and meeting a variety of business needs. Of course, guests who could bring a large entourage and bodyguards didn’t care about the cost, so the presidential suite was always luxuriously furnished. As soon as Ian Lawson entered, he was immediately attracted by the artworks displayed inside. Taking advantage of the bodyguard’s announcement, he slowly paced around the room, looking for things that interested him.

“Almost all of them are fakes, except for that gaudy gilded tea set and the ubiquitous gilded items—such a big room, and the only real thing is the gold; everything else is fake,” Ian Lawson shook his head and sighed.

A woman’s laughter rang out. Ian Lawson turned his head. At some point, the suite’s door had silently opened. Accompanied by Jenny, the elderly man who had appeared in the shop stood tall and straight, walking slowly toward Ian Lawson, each step as precise as if measured by a ruler. Unconsciously, he exerted great pressure on Ian Lawson.

Ian Lawson respectfully handed over the gift box. “Sir, this is the item you purchased. Please check it.”

Chapter 7 Shock

Jenny suddenly spoke, using clear and fluent Chinese: “Mr. Ian Lawson, please take out the receipt so we can settle the remaining payment.”

Ian Lawson was shocked inside, but didn’t let a trace of surprise show on his face. As he handed over the box, he raised the receipt in his hand. “Please give me the balance first. Once I’ve counted it, I’ll hand you the receipt.”

Jenny took the gift box and tossed it into the corner of the sofa without even looking at it, then gestured, “Mr. Ian Lawson, please have a seat.”

A stack of US dollars was placed on the coffee table. Ian Lawson picked it up and counted it. “The amount is correct. Here is the receipt, please check.”

The three of them sat down. The old man fixed his sharp gaze on Ian Lawson. The room was silent, and Ian Lawson didn’t know how to begin. “That lighter…” Ian Lawson managed to squeeze out the words.

“Stop, we don’t have time for nonsense.” The old man raised his index finger and said sternly in English.

Jenny deftly produced a brown Louis Vuitton briefcase, opened it, and laid it out on the coffee table.

Stacks of neatly arranged US dollars lay inside the case, all hundred-dollar bills, exuding a faint scent of ink.

“One million US dollars,” Jenny explained.

The old man then took off a necklace from around his neck and gently placed it on top of the pile of cash.

“My name is Paul,” the old man introduced himself.

Ian Lawson glanced at the necklace, sighed, and took off the platinum necklace he had picked up, placing it on the pile of cash, right next to the other necklace—the two necklaces were almost identical, with similar patterns and styles.

The old man gazed affectionately at the necklace Ian Lawson had put down, his eyes moistening. After a long while, he reached out with trembling hands to pick up the necklace and examined it closely in front of his eyes.

“It’s Luther’s necklace. It’s been over two hundred years, and we’ve finally found it.”

Ian Lawson unceremoniously picked up the old man’s necklace and examined it carefully. The only difference between this necklace and his own was that the ship’s silhouette on the pendant was clearer, and upon close inspection, there were ten sails depicted. On Ian Lawson’s original large round pendant, there were only three ship silhouettes, and they were faint and blurry.

“What else?” The old gentleman gently placed the necklace on the coffee table and asked, “There should be something else.”

Ian Lawson took the diary box out of his backpack and answered briefly, “That’s all.”

The old man looked deeply at Ian Lawson and said, “You’re a smart kid, very well prepared. I like that.”

In just over ten days, the pages of the notebook had already turned black and brittle, the writing blurred and unclear. With the slightest force, an entire page would crumble into butterfly-like fragments, rustling to the floor.

“This was only opened in the past few days,” the old man said.

“Yes, I’m very curious by nature. For example: the first date in the diary is April 12, 1795, yet this pendant is made of rhodium metal—rhodium in 1795? Is that possible?” Roger Lawson answered frankly, “I’m very curious. I hope all my questions can be answered. That’s exactly why I came here.”

“Curiosity can sometimes be fatal,” the old man said with feeling.