Hearing Lin Yue’s command, Shen Bao immediately nodded, “Rest assured, City Lord, your subordinate will definitely handle this properly.”
The reason he was able to become the captain of the enforcement team was due to Lin Yue’s appreciation.
It could be said that Lin Yue had shown him great favor.
His character was such that if he received a drop of kindness, he would repay it with a gushing spring. Therefore, over the years, he had been constantly trying to find ways to repay Lin Yue.
Now, an opportunity was presented to him, and he naturally would not miss it.
Moreover, with Ye Fan around, it was foolproof.
Lin Yue nodded with satisfaction, “Young friend Ye, this matter is all up to you.”
Looking at Ye Fan, her gaze was deep, and her words were full of anticipation.
Ye Fan felt surprised by Lin Yue’s attitude, but he still nodded heavily, “City Lord Lin, you are too kind. The rise and fall of the world is the responsibility of every man. This matter concerns the antique circle and also affects my interests. Do you think I would not do my best?”
…
After leaving the City Lord’s mansion, Qi Yuanhao invited Ye Fan for tea when he had time. Ye Fan did not refuse, and then returned to the Tianyin Pavilion with Shen Bao.
“Second Brother Shen, I didn’t see you at the Shen family elder’s birthday celebration last time.”
Ye Fan had already learned from Shen Tianyin that the Shen family had two young men and two young women in the younger generation. He had met Shen Shiyun and Shen Tianyin, but he had never met these two men.
Above Shen Bao, there was Shen Tao, who was said to be very mysterious. Very few people in Jiangcheng had seen him.
Therefore, Ye Fan had this doubt: why did the two young masters of the Shen family not attend their grandfather’s birthday celebration?
Furthermore, with the Shen family’s strength, why was Shen Bao willing to condescend to be a mere captain of the enforcement team in the City Lord’s mansion?
Hearing Ye Fan’s question, Shen Bao gave an awkward smile and lit a cigarette.
“It’s a long story. Our Shen family established a family rule long ago: the young men of the younger generation are not allowed to rely on the family and must strive independently outside. If they cannot achieve the accomplishments set by the family, they are never allowed to step foot in the family home again, and their lives and deaths are their own outside. That’s why I didn’t go back for the elder’s birthday. As for my elder brother, he is not in Jiangcheng. You will meet him if there is a chance in the future.”
Shen Bao explained concisely.
Ye Fan nodded, “No wonder. But this rule is quite interesting. The men are self-reliant, and the women fight for power within the family. The Shen family is quite lively.”
These words carried a sarcastic tone.
Shen Bao smiled wryly. He felt that Ye Fan’s words were as if he were speaking up for his sister.
“Shen Shiyun has been domineering and willful since she was young; we are all afraid of her. Tianyin is intelligent and clever and is highly regarded by her grandfather, even more than me and my elder brother. However, after Shiyun’s mother passed away, it greatly affected him, and he chose to go out to relax. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Shen Shiyun secretly plotted against Tianyin and seized the management rights of most of the family’s assets. It was from that time that they became adversaries, and my elder brother and I tried to persuade them several times to no avail.”
Shen Bao was also helpless about the struggle between Shen Shiyun and Shen Tianyin, and could only silently support his younger sister.
However, due to his limited ability, the help he could provide to Shen Tianyin was not significant.
Ye Fan was stunned for a moment, then looked at Shen Bao and smiled, “Tianyin is the luckiest to have a second brother like you.”
…
Upon returning to the Tianyin Pavilion and explaining the whole story, Shen Tianyin’s beautiful eyes widened.
“You’re going to Hua Village?”
Ye Fan stared at her blankly, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem with Hua Village?”
Ji Nanshan, who was standing nearby, also gasped.
“That’s the famous ghost village in Jiangcheng. So many people have gone to explore it, but they never returned. They vanished without a trace.”
Ji Nanshan’s words piqued Ye Fan’s great interest. He hadn’t expected there to be such an interesting place in Jiangcheng.
“Legend has it that Hua Village was not originally a village, but an empty area at the foot of a mountain. At some point, every night, many people would set up stalls there, hawking their wares, like a bustling marketplace. However, when dawn broke, those people would mysteriously disappear. Therefore, many young people wanted to go explore it.”
“But every group of young people who went to explore eventually disappeared without a trace. Over time, Hua Village became the famous ghost village of Jiangcheng, and no one dared to check it out anymore.”
Shen Bao, standing nearby, was stunned, “How come I don’t know about this?”
Ji Nanshan shook his head, “It’s normal for Young Master Shen not to know. The news about Hua Village is only circulated within the antique circle. It is said that Hua Village has many antique treasures, and some bold people would go there to scavenge in the morning, collecting exquisite items. These legends were also spread by those scavengers.”
“Antique treasures? Scavengers?”
Ye Fan frowned, pondered for a moment, and then smiled, “That’s right. Hua Village must be where Qin Zhonghe and his counterfeit operations are located.”
The news about Hua Village being a ghost village was likely spread by Qin Zhonghe and his associates. The reason for doing so was to prevent people from going there and discovering their counterfeit secrets.
After all, this was a major matter. Once discovered, they would not only lose money but their lives might also be threatened.
As for why those young explorers disappeared, Ye Fan couldn’t figure it out for the moment. He would only know once he arrived at Hua Village.
“Second Brother Shen, tomorrow morning, we will head to Hua Village. I’d like to see what’s going on here.”
As a tomb keeper, Ye Fan feared these strange things the least.
He had dealt with such matters too much in his previous life, even encountering more bizarre things.
Looking at Ye Fan’s discerning gaze, Shen Tianyin opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing.
…
The next morning, Ye Fan and Shen Bao had a quick breakfast and then drove to Hua Village.
Hua Village was located in the southern part of Jiangcheng. This area was mountainous, with continuous mountain ranges surrounding half of Jiangcheng.
“According to the location, Hua Village is just ahead. However, the mountain roads here are rugged, and it’s difficult for vehicles to pass. We can only walk from here.”
Arriving at the foot of the mountain, Shen Bao said helplessly.
“Let’s walk. However, we are here to gather information, so we must not act rashly. If we alert them, the consequences will be unimaginable.”
With just the two of them, if they were exposed, Qin Zhonghe would not let them off easily.
Even a cornered dog would jump over a wall, let alone a sinister and cunning person like Qin Zhonghe?
Shen Bao nodded, “Rest assured, all actions will be as you command. This was personally instructed by the City Lord.”
Ye Fan smiled, and then the two of them walked side-by-side towards the village.
The geographical location of Hua Village was extremely advantageous. Apart from the difficult mountain roads, there were no other flaws.
Situated amidst the mountain ranges, it naturally formed a landscape resembling a lotus pond.
Spiritual energy ascended, nourishing the entire village.
“Tsk tsk, this is truly a treasure of feng shui. The spiritual energy is dense and the momentum is magnificent. If one were to live here, their lifespan would also be extended.”
As they walked, Ye Fan marveled.
At the same time, he became even more impressed with Qin Zhonghe for choosing such an excellent location.
The rugged mountain paths here meant very few people would come here, thus avoiding disturbance.
And the excellent feng shui location could gather wealth.
“We’re about to enter the village. Be careful, and do not be careless.”
Seeing residential houses not far ahead, Ye Fan quickly whispered.
“Don’t worry, I know what to do.”
Shen Bao’s expression was serious, and he responded in a deep voice.
Just as the two of them were slowly approaching the village, two figures suddenly rushed out, “Don’t you know this is a forbidden area? Get back!”