Chapter 52: The Three Treasures of Baoding

On the coastal highway leading from Malibu to Los Angeles, Xiao Ran was driving at high speed.

David was currently driving ahead, leading the way.

This was to prevent police from pulling them over. Since David was a lawyer, it was more appropriate for him to deal with the police if necessary.

Xiao Ran’s Touareg was in the middle, making it easier to respond to any situation.

Behind them, Anthony and Sam closely followed in a Chevrolet Suburban, tasked with protecting Xiao Ran and those priceless antique cultural relics.

In the blink of an eye, this small convoy had pulled far away from the top-tier luxury mansion where the estate auction had taken place.

Throughout the high-speed drive, the three vehicles maintained a consistent speed and a tight formation, giving no other cars any opportunity to cut into the queue.

Moreover, their speed was kept strictly within the maximum speed limit to avoid catching the attention of highway patrol officers.

These strategies had all been devised by that fellow Anthony, and they proved to be quite effective.

From the moment they left that luxurious mansion until now, they had not encountered any trouble.

Just as they were moving along, Fang Yufei’s voice suddenly came through.

"Xiao Ran, a guy claiming to be the head of the Cultural Relics Bureau's Security Division wants to join the livestream."

"Besides this guy, there's also someone claiming to be the deputy curator of the Shaanxi History Museum who wants to join."

"Should I let them in? They might be able to provide you with some help."

Without a moment of hesitation, Xiao Ran immediately rejected the idea.

"I have no idea if their identities are real, and I can't verify them on such short notice."

"If their identities are genuine, that would naturally be best. But if they're fake, we'll be in deep trouble!"

"From now on, temporarily close the channel for joining the livestream and do not accept any requests."

"Only after the issue on my end is resolved and I'm certain it's safe will I reopen the join channel."

Fang Yufei seemed momentarily stunned before responding.

"Understood, Xiao Ran. I'll close the livestream join channel right now."

Xiao Ran nodded, then abruptly changed the subject.

"Beijing girl, once you close the join channel, leave your apartment immediately and go wait for me near the Los Angeles Consulate General."

"Remember to turn off your phone and other electronic devices. Don't turn them back on under any circumstances, so nobody can track you."

"Once you arrive near the Consulate General, find a place to hide and don't show your face until you see my car."

"Ah!"

Fang Yufei let out a gasp of surprise, clearly startled.

Not only her, but the guys in the livestream were also thoroughly spooked.

"Damn! Xiao Ran, you play this game really smoothly! Anyone who didn't know better would think you used to be a secret agent!"

One of his childhood friends joked, a hint of genuine concern underlying his tone.

"Even if you haven't eaten pork, you've seen a pig run! Do you think I watched all those spy thrillers for nothing?"

Xiao Ran retorted with a good-natured laugh.

Before his voice faded, the wealthy Saudi benefactor piped up.

"It never hurts to be careful, especially in a fucked-up country like the United States. Stay safe, Xiao Ran!"

"I know what to do, Xiao Ran. See you later."

Fang Yufei replied, and then vanished from the chat.

Right at that moment, Elaine’s phone rang—it was a call from Pierre.

Seeing her answer the call, Xiao Ran immediately stopped talking.

After chatting for a short while, Elaine hung up the phone and said with intense excitement:

"The news that you discovered that Cubist oil painting by Braque has already spread to Paris and caused quite a sensation."

"Pierre called me after seeing the photo of you and me holding that oil painting."

"He kept marveling, saying that your luck is simply unbelievable, as if God Himself were standing right beside you."

Xiao Ran smiled with a modest sense of triumph.

"It's no surprise that the news spread to Paris so quickly. After all, Braque is French and holds a revered status in the French art world."

"Naturally, Pierre and the others would be thrilled to hear that a piece by Braque has surfaced."

As they spoke, they had already driven out of Malibu and entered downtown Los Angeles.

However, this route did not lead to UCLA; instead, it headed directly toward the Consulate General of China in Los Angeles.

Under Xiao Ran’s direction, the convoy made a small detour, effectively shaking off any potential pursuit.

This left all those tailing them who had headed straight for West Hollywood or set up an ambush near UCLA completely empty-handed.

No sooner had they entered downtown Los Angeles than Xiao Ran’s other phone rang.

This phone was primarily used for regular communication rather than livestreaming and was connected to the car's hands-free system.

The dashboard display, however, showed an unknown number.

Xiao Ran glanced at the dashboard before pressing the answer button on the steering wheel.

A calm male voice immediately came through the speakers, speaking in crisp, standard Mandarin.

"Hello, is this Xiao Ran? I’m Ma Ming from the Los Angeles Consulate General, here to meet you. Where are you currently located?"

Xiao Ran didn't immediately reveal his location. Instead, feigning curiosity, he asked:

"I am Xiao Ran. Brother Ma, where are you from back home?"

Ma Ming was clearly taken aback for a second before replying in a deep voice:

"Baoding."

At that exact moment, a fan in the livestream chimed in:

"Xiao Ran, if you say this to him, you should be able to figure out if this guy is really from Baoding."

"Just tell him you visited Baoding last year and were deeply impressed by the 'Three Treasures of Baoding': iron balls, sweet bean sauce, and donkey meat burgers."

"Especially the donkey meat burgers—you still daydream about them."

Hearing this, Xiao Ran almost burst out laughing.

Still, he followed the advice and repeated word-for-word what the Baoding fan had told him.

Immediately afterward, Ma Ming replied in a thick Baoding dialect, sounding somewhat amused and annoyed:

"Well, well! Highly alert, aren't you?"

"You actually thought of testing me. The Three Treasures of Baoding are iron balls, sweet bean sauce, and *chunbulao*."

"What the hell is a donkey meat burger? Though that stuff really is delicious—now you've got my mouth watering just talking about it!"

"Hahaha!"

A wave of laughter erupted in the livestream chat as everyone joined in.

"That's right, Xiao Ran, this bro is definitely from Baoding! That accent is as authentic as it gets!"

The Baoding fan immediately gave a definitive confirmation.

Hearing this, Xiao Ran felt vastly more at ease.

He promptly reported his current location and his upcoming route.

At the same time, he didn't forget to remind the other party to meet and assist Fang Yufei near the Consulate General.

"Don't worry, Xiao Ran. We will ensure the safety of you and your friend, and we will protect your personal interests as well," Ma Ming replied decisively.

Soon, Xiao Ran and his companions penetrated deeper into downtown Los Angeles, where the surrounding traffic grew increasingly dense.

The speed limit on the road dropped accordingly, forcing the convoy to slow down.

Just then, Xiao Ran’s phone rang again—this time, it was a call from Anthony.

Once connected, Anthony’s voice came through instantly.

"Sean, someone's got their eyes on your car. They're about fifty meters back and slightly to your right."

"There are two vehicles in total: a black Lincoln SUV and a blue Dodge Challenger."

"Looking through the windshields, there are at least two people in each car."

"Don't stop; keep driving forward. Leave those two cars to us."

Xiao Ran checked the rearview mirror and instantly spotted the two tailing vehicles trailing behind.

Then, activating his X-ray vision inwardly, he quickly glanced over his right shoulder.

The very instant he turned his head, he saw right through Elaine in the passenger seat—a view seductive enough to cause a nosebleed.

The next moment, his vision pierced directly through the Touareg and locked onto the two trailing vehicles.

In the blink of an eye, he had thoroughly inspected both cars.

Inside each vehicle were three guys, all of them unfamiliar faces he had never seen before.

There were Black men, white men, and Hispanics among them, and every single one was carrying a handgun, though thankfully no long guns.

Through the identification cards carried by these fellows, Xiao Ran managed to catch a few names, though they proved useless for now.

The next instant, he snapped his head back and deactivated his X-ray vision.

"Anthony, I see those two cars. They definitely don't look friendly."

"I'll leave those two vehicles in your hands. Be safe, and avoid getting into a street shootout with them if at all possible."

"If you can figure out a way to force them to back off, that would be ideal. Of course, play it by ear depending on the situation."

Before his voice completely faded, Anthony gave his confirmation.

"Copy that, Sean. Leave it to us."

"Those guys are just a bunch of street punks—easy to handle!"

Xiao Ran nodded, then said in a cold, measured tone:

"I promise you each a bonus of twenty thousand dollars once this whole thing is over."

"If anyone gets injured, all medical expenses are on me, plus a generous disability payout."

"However, I want you to prioritize safety and protect yourselves. We'll be working together in the future, and there will be plenty of opportunities to make money!"

"Woohoo! Sean, you're a truly generous boss. More than happy to work for you!"

Anthony and Sam cheered out loud.

Elaine, sitting beside Xiao Ran, anxiously glanced backward a few times.

"I can't believe we're actually being followed. Are those guys going to rush up and try to rob us?"

In the livestreaming room, the atmosphere instantly grew tense.

"Holy shit! It actually happened! Are we really about to see a street firefight?"

"What kind of country is this anyway? It's way too dangerous!"