Chapter 50: The Crimson Gold Coiled Dragon

Inside the sandalwood box with golden dragon motifs lay three tiny golden dragons.

They were embedded in three small grooves, each secured in place by a tied red ribbon.

All three little golden dragons were exceptionally intricate, standing only two to three centimeters tall. They were marvelously exquisite, yet each possessed a distinct posture, appearing startlingly lifelike.

Their slender bodies featured wide mouths and extended necks, with twin horns atop their heads arching backward toward the nape. Their round eyes were deep-set, their jaws slightly parted, and their bodies rounded with tails dragging downward and curling upward at the tips.

Covered entirely in stippled patterns that resembled fine, minuscule scales, they stood firmly on all fours, exuding an imposing, majestic aura as if caught in mid-stride. Their craftsmanship was astonishingly vivid and true to life.

Gazing at these three lifelike and incomparably delicate little golden dragons, David and the others were struck dumb with amazement, their eyes filled with utter fascination.

"Good heavens! These little golden dragons are simply breathtaking. They are absolute treasures beyond price!"

David exclaimed with profound emotion.

At his words, Shawn was the first to snap back to reality.

Just then, the seller's lawyer, whose eyes were still glazed with obsession, suddenly reached out a hand, intending to touch the three little golden dragons inside the box.

Such reckless behavior was something Shawn would never allow to happen.

He swiftly pulled the sandalwood box toward himself and shook his head firmly.

"Finch, watch your behavior. You've crossed the line."

The lawyer named Finch started, finally jolting back to his senses.

Immediately afterward, the fellow withdrew his hand and offered an embarrassed, awkward smile.

"I am terribly sorry, Sean. These three little golden dragons are simply too realistic and breathtaking; they are utterly mesmerizing."

"I was completely captivated by them and lost my composure for a moment. Please forgive me."

Before his voice had even faded, the auction house manager suddenly chimed in:

"I seem to have heard of such small golden dragons before, though I can't quite recall where."

"But one thing is certain: they are undeniably ancient Chinese cultural artifacts, and they are worth a fortune."

"Sean, do you know their origin? Could you tell us a bit about them?"

As they were speaking, Mary suddenly stepped forward and cast a glance at the three little golden dragons inside the box.

The instant she laid eyes on the trio, a flash of startled delight immediately crossed her eyes.

Right after that, she fell into deep recollection.

"About twenty years ago, I saw these little golden dragons in Joshua's study. There were six of them in total."

"Joshua regarded them as supreme treasures, taking them out to admire them from time to time, cherishing them to the utmost degree."

"I never imagined they would be kept in this small safe, nor did I expect to see them again after twenty years."

With those words, Mary turned her gaze toward Shawn.

"Sean, may I ask if you would be willing to sell these six little golden dragons to me? Name your price."

Before her voice had completely died away, a wave of gasps erupted at the scene.

"My god! What kind of treasure could this possibly be? She's letting him name his own price—could they be even more precious than Braque's masterpieces?"

"Without a doubt, these little golden dragons are priceless treasures, which is why Mary said that. That fellow Sean is just ridiculously lucky!"

The others present murmured among themselves, consumed by intense curiosity.

They were standing rather far back and could not see the three small golden dragons at all, forced to imagine their appearance out of thin air.

Yet they could witness the shocked expressions of David and the others, and hear the words spoken by David and Mary.

Based solely on these clues, they could easily draw their own conclusions.

These three abruptly unearthed little golden dragons were unquestionably priceless treasures.

Without exception, everyone stared fixedly at Shawn, eager to see what astronomical sum he would demand.

However, Shawn did not reply immediately.

He reached into the sandalwood box, gently lifted the piece of brocade lining beneath the little golden dragons, and displayed it to David and Finch.

Beneath that layer of brocade, there was nothing at all, let alone any hidden documents.

Having finished the demonstration, Shawn immediately closed the sandalwood box, cutting off the greedy gazes of Finch and his cohorts.

Only then did he give a resolute and decisive reply.

"I am very sorry, Mary, but I have grown far too fond of these exquisitely crafted little golden dragons. I have no intention of selling them."

Mary paused for a moment, then nodded with a look of disappointment.

"Very well then, I suppose it cannot be helped. It seems I have no chance of acquiring these six little golden dragons."

"Yet this is only natural. Who could fail to love such priceless treasures? Who would ever bear to part with them?"

Shawn nodded, then prepared to open the remaining three sandalwood boxes.

At that exact moment, a trembling voice filled with half-dreamy excitement burst through his earpieces.

"Shawn! I've tracked down the origins of these three little golden dragons. They are the crowning treasures of the Shaanxi History Museum!"

"Their proper name is the Tang Dynasty Solid Gold Walking Dragons. Discovered in 1970 on the outskirts of Xi'an, there were twelve of them in total, and their unearthing caused an immediate and massive sensation."

"Shortly afterward, they were housed in the Shaanxi History Museum and hailed as one of the supreme artistic masterpieces of ancient China."

"In 1975, the Shaanxi History Museum was burglarized. Six of the gold walking dragons were stolen and have been missing ever since."

"Stolen along with them were five gold hairpins, a gold bracelet, and a gilded octagonal cup—all of them priceless treasures!"

"Who could have imagined that these national-treasure-level gold walking dragons would turn up in Los Angeles, locked inside the safe of a Jewish financier?"

"Even more incredibly, these priceless artifacts, missing for nearly fifty years, have somehow fallen into your hands. Heaven is truly watching!"

Following this detailed explanation from Half-Asleep-and-Awake, the live-stream chat room erupted like an active volcano.

"Holy shit! They really are national treasures! Shawn, you must bring these supreme national heirlooms back home; you can never let them wander overseas again!"

"How on earth did these gold walking dragons end up here? Could this Jewish financier named Joshua actually be the mastermind behind the gold walking dragon theft case?"

"That is entirely possible! Could the other priceless treasures stolen at the same time be inside the remaining sandalwood boxes?"

Hearing these explanations and discussions from the live stream, Shawn felt his legs begin to tremble slightly with excitement.

Yet on the surface, he had to pretend as if nothing was amiss to avoid giving himself away. What a grueling performance!

In truth, ever since he first laid eyes upon those two small safes, he had already discovered the gold walking dragons and the rest of the priceless treasures.

Judging solely by the era and exquisite craftsmanship of these cultural relics, he was entirely certain that these items were paramount national treasures.

To prevent leaving any flaws behind—lest the American police or the FBI investigate later and cast suspicion upon him—

He hadn't even dared to use his phone to search the internet and figure out what these national-treasure-level relics actually were.

Therefore, lingering doubts had remained in his mind; he had understood neither the origin and value of these national treasures nor how they had drifted away to America.

Now, having heard the explanation from Half-Asleep-and-Awake, everything suddenly became clear to him.

He finally knew that these little golden dragons were called the Tang Dynasty Solid Gold Walking Dragons, the museum-defining treasures of the Shaanxi Museum!

That was the Shaanxi Museum! A museum situated in the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties.

To become the defining treasure of the Shaanxi Museum demonstrated the immense weight and extraordinary significance of these gold walking dragons.

There was no question about it: he would move heaven and earth to find a way to bring these priceless treasures back to his homeland.

If he failed to do that, he truly would have no face to look upon his elders and countrymen back home.

If he were to sell these national treasures to foreigners, he could forget about ever returning to China for the rest of his life.

Not only that, but he would forever bear the eternal infamy of being a traitor to his country.

Even his parents would never be able to hold their heads high in society again.

Thinking of all this, Shawn felt the crushing weight of mountains pressing down upon him!

Yet the reality of the situation was that he had to maintain a casual demeanor, exercising strict control to display only the faintest trace of excitement so as not to arouse suspicion.

Shawn forced himself to regulate his emotions, then cautiously opened the second sandalwood box adorned with golden dragons.

As expected, the remaining three gold walking dragons lay quietly inside that sandalwood box.

They were just as flawless, just as brilliant, just as earth-shattering and breathtaking as the first.

The reactions of David and Finch followed the exact same pattern as before, leaving them struck dumb with spellbound fascination.

Within the live-stream chat room, the cheers had grown deafening.

"Splendid! All six gold walking dragons are here. These stolen national treasures can finally return home!"

"Holy shit! We are witnessing history! The moment this stream ends, I'm going straight out to buy fireworks to celebrate with the whole nation!"

"Count me in! This treasure-hunting stream is too momentous to forget; it's definitely going down in the history books!"

At that precise moment, Shawn spoke in a low voice:

"Let me remind everyone: you must keep this strictly confidential. Do not leak the news; I'm afraid of complications arising!"

At his words, the viewers in the live stream paused for a moment.

Immediately afterward, Rich-A-Hole, Half-Asleep-and-Awake, and the others hurried to remind everyone else.

"Shawn is right. We need to maintain strict confidentiality for now to prevent any leaks."

"No one is to spread the word that Shawn has found the gold walking dragons. The guy is still right there at the auction venue—it's way too dangerous!"

"Don't say I didn't warn you. If anyone dares to leak this and ruins this monumental event, I will spare no expense to human-flesh-search them and make their life a living hell!"

Right then, Shawn lifted the brocade lining at the bottom of the second sandalwood box, allowing David and Finch to inspect it.

Beneath the brocade, there was likewise nothing to be found.

Having confirmed this, Shawn immediately shut the sandalwood box, cutting off those greedy, covetous gazes once again.