As the saying goes, "A day in the heavens is equivalent to ten years on Earth." From a modern perspective, one would prefer to work in the heavens while living on Earth. Lorin's capabilities were still somewhat lacking; when time flowed differently across dimensions, he could only reduce the time discrepancy by two-thirds. But for Huang Xuan, this was more than satisfactory.
Every morning, Zhang Xinyi woke up early, had breakfast, and instructed the butler to wake Huang Xuan before hurrying off to her company. No matter how successful her business was, she probably never imagined that her son had traveled to another dimension—even though the word "dimension" likely wasn't in her vocabulary.
Butler Zhou diligently woke Huang Xuan. By his calculations, Huang Xuan had only slept for a few hours. Considering the time difference, he should have slept for several more hours to adjust his biological clock. Unfortunately, no one at home knew that he had just taken a trip through a time-travel machine.
"Good morning, Uncle Zhou," Huang Xuan mumbled as he got out of bed. His computer, still running from the night before, emitted a faint hum. The butler opened the window and said, "Ah Xuan, you shouldn't stay up too late playing games. You're on vacation now, so you can play during the day."
Butler Zhou, a southerner, spoke with a noticeable nasal tone. Huang Xuan quickly agreed. In recent days, he had been addicted to World of Warcraft, often staying up late to raid dungeons, much to the displeasure of his family. However, he realized that such opportunities would be rare in the future. If he had the time, he'd rather explore other dimensions. The allure of high profits might not be about the money itself; instead, the massive returns were like a drug, making it impossible to resist and not consider other factors.
Noticing Huang Xuan's distracted demeanor, Butler Zhou gave him a few more reminders, but Huang Xuan paid little attention.
After breakfast, the chef left for home. Huang Xuan's parents rarely came home for lunch, and since he ate and stayed at school during term time, the family usually only had breakfast and dinner at home. As for meals during Huang Xuan's vacation, he had to fend for himself.
Saying his goodbyes, Huang Xuan grabbed a small box of books and, with a popsicle in his mouth, headed out. Too lazy to search for a business card, he spoke into the air, "Lorin, do you remember that auctioneer I contacted a few days ago? The one Lou Ping introduced?"
"Yes."
"His number? I need to call him."
Lorin's voice sounded somewhat sullen. "Scanning requires energy, and the base's energy reserves are running low."
"Is that a complaint?" Huang Xuan teased with feigned surprise.
"I've already input the information into your phone," Lorin replied, completely ignoring Huang Xuan's jab.
Huang Xuan chuckled, pulled out his phone, and as soon as it powered on, it rang. "Hello, is this Mr. Huang Xuan?"
He glanced at the caller ID, which seemed to be a Shanghai number. Huang Xuan frowned slightly and said, "Yes, this is he. Who's calling?"
"This is Gan Lizheng, the Technical Director at Shanghai Xinye Company. Are you the creator of Password One and Password Two?"
"Yes, that's me," Huang Xuan replied, somewhat puzzled. Those two programs had already been sold.
There was some background noise on the line before Gan Lizheng continued, "Our company is very interested in your software. Do you have time to come to Shanghai to discuss this with us?"
"Those two programs have already been sold."
The other party chuckled. "I'm aware, but it seems you retained the rights to future modifications and other versions."
"Yes."
"We're interested in purchasing those rights, including the core technology."
"I'm not selling." Huang Xuan immediately refused. Although he didn't know why they were interested, with a large sum of money soon coming his way, such offers had lost their appeal.
The caller was silent for a few seconds before saying, "If it's inconvenient for you, we can send someone to Nanjing to meet with you."
"I'm not interested in developing future versions at the moment," Huang Xuan lied. "So, I don't think there's a need." With that, he didn't wait for a response and added, "Thank you for your call. I'll hang up now."
He exhaled, shaking his head as he searched his contacts for Liu Ziqing, whom Lorin had added.
"Hello, who's this?"
"Is this Mr. Liu Ziqing?"
"Yes, it's me." Liu Ziqing's voice was energetic, giving the impression of being wound up and ready to go. Huang Xuan appreciated this kind of spirited demeanor, much like his parents. Walking along, he said, "I'm Huang Xuan, the one Lou Ping introduced."
"Hehe, hello!" There was no need for Huang Xuan to mention Secretary Lou's name—just the full-page article on the national Mountains and Rivers Are Red was enough for anyone in the auction business to remember his name.
Liu Ziqing didn't ask why Huang Xuan was calling. He didn't need to; it was obvious that most calls to him were about auction items. But Liu Ziqing wasn't in a rush. He just chuckled and waited for Huang Xuan to speak first.
Huang Xuan, oblivious to the nuances, simply followed the conversation and said excitedly, "Mr. Liu, are you familiar with ancient books and rare editions?"
"I know a bit about them."
"That's great." Huang Xuan had a good impression of the professional level exhibited during their last transaction and felt reassured. After organizing his thoughts, he said, "I have a few rare books here. I'd like you to take a look."
"No problem. When would be a good time?"
"How about right now?" Huang Xuan glanced around. "How about near the Science and Technology Museum? I'll find a place where we can talk. I'd also appreciate it if you could bring an appraisal expert."
"Not a problem. How about inviting Mr. Shen Bingde? He's the one we consult for anything we're unsure about."
"Sounds good," Huang Xuan agreed readily.
"See you in forty minutes," Liu Ziqing responded with equal enthusiasm—after all, who would turn down a commission worth tens of thousands?
Huang Xuan found a nearby café and secured a private room. Just as he started sipping his coffee, Liu Ziqing called to say they had arrived. Huang Xuan checked his watch—barely half an hour had passed.
"Thank you both for coming." Huang Xuan stood to greet them, mimicking the formal gestures of the Republic-era businessmen he had encountered recently, extending his arms in an exaggerated welcoming motion.
His eccentric greeting amused the two men. Shen Bingde sat down first, with Liu Ziqing taking the seat beside him, directly across from Huang Xuan. After ordering drinks, Liu Ziqing turned his attention to the box on the table. "What treasure do you have for us this time, Mr. Huang?"
Huang Xuan chuckled and nudged the box toward them, taking a small sip of coffee. "Aren't you worried I might be fencing stolen goods?"
"We have a pretty good idea of what treasures various collectors have. If Mr. Huang can find something so obscure, I'll consider myself lucky," Liu Ziqing said as he carefully opened the yellow silk-covered box and placed it between them.
Shen Bingde's expression shifted slightly. His white beard twitched as he said, "I'll take a look first. You two can continue chatting." With that, he pulled out his toolkit and magnifying glass, engrossing himself in the examination.
Huang Xuan and Liu Ziqing made small talk, but their attention was focused on the small box on the table. Unlike Liu Ziqing's feigned composure, Huang Xuan was genuinely at ease. If the last appraisal of the stamps had been to prove Lorin's existence, this time the appraisal of the books was more of a formality. With Lorin's technological advantage spanning eons, how could he lose in valuation to an ordinary person, even if that person was a renowned art appraiser?