With these thoughts in mind, Gu Shengsheng boarded the plane with Zhao Dehai. Neither of them was very talkative, and they had planned on sleeping as soon as they got settled.
But as Gu Shengsheng watched the other passengers board, she felt that something was off.
"Why are they all... foreigners?" she murmured. And judging by their complexions and language, many of them seemed to be from Myanmar.
"This flight has layovers in Rui City and Beijing City. It originated in Myanmar and its final destination is Ruiguo. But there are usually a lot more of our countrymen on this route! It looks like there aren't many this time," Zhao Dehai said, clutching his briefcase tightly. He had no intention of putting it in the overhead compartment.
Gu Shengsheng looked at Zhao Dehai, her eyes filled with suspicion.
Just then, her fingers accidentally brushed against his briefcase, which was bulging conspicuously. Gu Shengsheng was about to pull her hand back.
But then, the System's mechanical notification chimed in, sounding as lifeless as if it had been dead for days:
Item: Dominican Amber
Age: 430 million years
Description: A 430-million-year-old crystallization. The insect contained within is of high research value. It holds extremely high value for geological and gemological research.
Market Value: 120 million yuan
Recycle Value: The System dares not recycle this; it would be placed on a wanted list.
When Gu Shengsheng saw this, she was shocked beyond belief.
'No wonder he's the head of the Cultural Relics Bureau. To think he's personally carrying something like this, and without any bodyguards.'
'And just a moment ago, he had the nerve to say that a young girl like me should protect him. How ridiculous is that!'
Now, Gu Shengsheng's gaze became even more evasive when she looked at Zhao Dehai.
He was right next to her, but she wished she could be sitting a mile away.
Zhao Dehai looked at her. "Are you intimidated by all the foreigners?"
"Yeah. I'm just a hick who's never seen the world."
She answered dismissively.
In Gu Shengsheng's eyes, Zhao Dehai was a walking target.
'He must have been targeted long ago.'
Gu Shengsheng said, "Mr. Zhao, maybe you should get off the plane. The item you're carrying... it's dangerous, isn't it?"
Zhao Dehai said, "I have to make this trip sooner or later. They've been watching me for days. It wouldn't matter how many men I brought with me; the worst that can happen is death. But I will protect this item, no matter what."
Seeing his noble, self-sacrificing air, Gu Shengsheng was suddenly at a loss for words.
She just nodded. "You are a man of great principle, sir."
"Or... do you have a private jet?" she asked. 'To transport something this important, they should at least use a private jet, right?' Gu Shengsheng thought.
"Have you been reading too many novels? I'm just a little old man who manages cultural relics. How would I have something like that?"
"..." Gu Shengsheng's feelings were complicated. 'So many celebrities in showbiz have private jets, yet the people who truly need one can only take commercial flights and high-speed trains.'
With that thought, she resigned herself to the situation. She would just have to roll with the punches.
'According to the System, 120 million yuan... This thing must be headed for the Beijing Museum's collection. It's so valuable, whoever steals it is looking at some serious jail time!'
Of course, the foreigners on this plane probably wouldn't care about that.
The changes in air pressure and the drone of the engines made Gu Shengsheng feel drowsy, and she soon drifted off to sleep.
She awoke from a nightmare and raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her brow.
But a flash of metal stopped her—a gleaming switchblade had popped open right in front of her face.
Gu Shengsheng: "..."
She feigned composure and turned away as if to go back to sleep, only to find herself staring not at a knife, but down the barrel of a gun.
'Damn it...'
'Are they really going for the kill right away?'
Gu Shengsheng glanced at Zhao Dehai. He was clearly aware of the situation, but he still had a faint smile on his face.
'His nerves are incredible,' Gu Shengsheng marveled.
She knew these desperadoes would want to be absolutely certain they had the item in hand before they made a big scene.
Gu Shengsheng didn't dare to risk a direct confrontation. She looked at Zhao Dehai and said, "My pink bag... are my things still inside? I just had a dream that I'd lost everything in it."
Zhao Dehai replied, "It should be in the overhead compartment. We can check when we land."
Sure enough, about three minutes later, the gun and the knife vanished. Immediately, someone stood up and went to the restroom.
Gu Shengsheng quickly turned to Zhao Dehai and said in a grave tone, "I know the item in your bag is important. But we need to call for national assistance now."
"The government knew about this before I even boarded. There are people protecting us right now, but in a head-on fight, there's no telling what might happen. They can't guarantee my complete safety."
"But you will be fine," he said with absolute certainty.
Gu Shengsheng said, "You really think I'd abandon you? If I wanted to stay out of trouble, I wouldn't have boarded this flight in the first place."
He smiled, recognizing that she was a good kid. He took an emerald-green pearl from his bag. "When the time comes, take this and run. Someone will be there to escort you."
Gu Shengsheng started to get nervous as well.
'But didn't the System just identify it as amber?'
Gu Shengsheng thought for a moment, then asked to confirm, "Is this the only thing?"
"Yes."
Gu Shengsheng examined the texture of the Luminous Pearl. It was likely worth several million yuan. While very translucent, its quality wasn't top-tier, nor was it a particularly rare variety.
'The truly valuable part must be the jadeite encased within this Luminous Pearl.'
Seeing Gu Shengsheng staring blankly, the old man took the initiative to explain. "We still don't know what this thing is. It's very strange. None of the coefficients from our tests match up. It's the strangest Luminous Pearl we've ever seen. That's why we're taking it back to Beijing City for a proper appraisal."
'Perhaps... that won't be necessary.'
'The thing messing up its identification coefficients is the amber inside. The truly valuable item is the amber as well.'
Gu Shengsheng clutched the Luminous Pearl.
She said decisively, "I have a plan."
Zhao Dehai was baffled.
Gu Shengsheng said, "I can guarantee the artifact will be safe. Can you trust me, Mr. Zhao?"
"Of course. You and I, young lady, we've forged a bond through life and death."
Before his laughter could even fade...
...he couldn't laugh anymore.
Gu Shengsheng calculated the time. 'Three minutes... three minutes until we arrive in Beijing City.'
They would only be safe once they landed at the Beijing City airport. But now, it was clear these people couldn't wait any longer. They would soon discover that her bag was empty...
Calculating the time, Gu Shengsheng stood up, clutching the Luminous Pearl.
And just as she expected, all the passengers around them stood up, guns in hand, all aimed at her. They were clearly well-prepared; even the way they raised their weapons was swift and practiced.
'It looks like you don't get to this point without having a few lives on your hands.'
Zhao Dehai was stunned, but he stood up to shield her.
He never wanted to drag a young girl like her into this mess.
But Gu Shengsheng had already started to speak. "Everyone's objective tonight is this Luminous Pearl, correct?"
"I see you're all from different countries, so you're not a single group, are you? In that case, who should we give it to? Who gets to be the one to steal it away?"
One of the foreigners laughed. "At this point, we're taking it out in the open. This isn't stealing. You're gifting it to us voluntarily, aren't you?"
Gu Shengsheng felt sick just listening to him.