Chapter Six: The Theft

"You rascal, you’ve got no respect for your elders. I’m asking you a question, and instead, you throw it right back at me," Zhao Zizhen said with a mock-angry laugh.

"Hehe."

Wang Guang responded with a sheepish grin.

"It seems you really believe he can pull it off," Zhao Zizhen continued. "Tell me, why are you so confident he can do it?"

Wang Guang scratched his head. "A teacher is a teacher; before I knew it, you’ve thrown the question back at me again."

"Stop the flattery!" Zhao Zizhen glared at him.

"Alright, I won't hide it from you, Teacher. I truly believe that person can do it." Wang Guang took a deep breath and spoke seriously. "After all, the security level at the Eagle Nation Museum can't possibly compare to the security the Netherlands keeps for their lithography machine manufacturing manuals."

"Since he was able to bring those manuals out of the Netherlands, taking back cultural relics from the Eagle Nation Museum should be a breeze for him."

"What do you think, Teacher?"

Zhao Zizhen nodded slightly. "Not without merit, but I must remain somewhat skeptical."

"Huh?" Wang Guang was stunned.

"Have you forgotten the first principle of our research? Always maintain a shred of doubt about everything, at all times, until you have one hundred percent confirmation and certainty. That is the only way to achieve the most accurate results through thousands of experiments!" Zhao Zizhen reminded him, never missing a chance to instruct.

"Yes, Teacher, I will remember that." Wang Guang accepted the lesson.

"Good. You mentioned earlier that you wanted him to help us acquire some data. What kind of data were you thinking of?" Zhao Zizhen finally returned to the core of the issue.

"I haven't thought of the specifics yet. I just think that expert is so incredible that I wanted to see if I could ask him to help us get some information. Anything that we can put to use, from any field, would be fine." Wang Guang felt a bit embarrassed.

"You kid... I never realized you were so quick-witted, but that’s not a bad line of thinking. However, you are forbidden from asking him that," Zhao Zizhen cautioned solemnly.

"Why?" Wang Guang was puzzled.

Zhao Zizhen coughed lightly and said slowly, "That person helping us get the lithography manuals is already a massive favor. We don't know what methods he used, nor do we know how dangerous it was for him. It's already shameful enough that we’re reaping the benefits of his work; how could we easily demand more?"

"Not only would that increase his personal risk, but if word got out, it would make the Academy of Sciences look like a bunch of incompetents!"

Wang Guang opened his mouth and lowered his head slightly. "I'm sorry, Teacher. I didn't think it through."

"Don't blame yourself; it's only human nature to have such thoughts," Zhao Zizhen said, not wanting to scold him further. "Just remember to consider others more in the future. We sit in our offices and easily obtain top-tier information, but we can't even begin to imagine the dangers he faces while getting it for us."

"If he manages to bring those cultural relics back, he will truly be a national hero. We cannot add to his burden over some trivial information."

"Yes, Teacher, I know I was wrong." Wang Guang lowered his head even further.

"You haven't done anything terribly wrong. Let's just wait and see if he can actually retrieve the relics. If he really succeeds, it won't be too late to ask then," Zhao Zizhen’s eyes flashed.

"Ah, Teacher, you..."

This statement left Wang Guang completely bewildered. He had just been scolded for suggesting they ask, and now the teacher was saying this. Wang Guang was dazed.

"Oh, you young people are always so impatient. While I also believe he can likely do it, one must ultimately let the facts speak for themselves." Zhao Zizhen sighed slightly, shaking his head. "If he fails, wouldn't we just be making things awkward by asking now? But if he truly succeeds in bringing the relics back, it proves he possesses some incredible means, and we certainly shouldn't waste such a good opportunity."

"..." Wang Guang was speechless. After a long silence, he gave Zhao Zizhen a thumbs up. "A teacher is a teacher after all. I’ve learned much today."

"Alright, stop the bootlicking. Go back to work, and don't tell anyone else about this." Zhao Zizhen waved his hand. "I’m genuinely looking forward to the day those relics return home. How many years has it been? It’s time for those wandering children to come back."

*Children?*

Wang Guang noted the word Zhao Zizhen used, but upon reflection, he realized it didn't seem wrong at all. In a sense, those cultural relics were indeed the precious children nurtured by five thousand years of Shangxia civilization.

He, too, instantly began to feel a surge of excitement.

...

Three o'clock in the afternoon.

It was an unremarkable day, and many office workers were just beginning their afternoon tasks.

Some netizens who were slacking off at work were scrolling through the news when they suddenly discovered a piece of breaking news that swept across all major media platforms and shot to the top of the trending list in a heartbeat!

"Eagle Nation National Museum suspected of being robbed! Multiple precious artifacts missing overnight!"

At first, when netizens saw this news, they thought it was a joke. After all, what kind of place is the Eagle Nation National Museum? How could it possibly be robbed?

But when they saw the source of the news, the netizens lost their composure! Because the news was released by the same account across multiple platforms: The Official Media!

News released by the official media couldn't possibly be false, especially not news of such magnitude; it was impossible for there to be any errors or oversights!

Thus, once the authenticity of the news was confirmed, the netizens were in an uproar!

"Are you kidding me? The Eagle Nation National Museum actually got robbed?"

"Which legendary figure did this? This is too incredible! I need to come out and worship them!"

"Hahaha, is this a movie coming to life? These kinds of plots were only ever seen in blockbusters before, and now it's actually happening?"

"I’ve lived long enough to see everything. At this very moment, I desperately want to know which items were stolen and if our cultural relics are still there!"

"Damn, that’s the big question. Those treasures all belong to us. Even though they are in their hands for now, they at least had a known location. If we lose track of them entirely, that would be even worse!"

"Don't panic. Many local media workers are already going to the scene to check the situation. There’s a time difference between us and the Eagle Nation; it’s just eight in the morning there."

"That's right, I'm an international student here. It's morning now, and I heard that when the museum staff came in for their morning shift and opened the doors, they discovered the theft that happened overnight. They were so shocked they fainted on the spot!"

"Haha, fainted on the spot? Is that for real?!"

"Heartwarming! Truly heartwarming!"

Beneath the news, the comment count was increasing by thousands every second!

More people were calling for compatriots in the Eagle Nation to start a live stream; they wanted to see more details as soon as possible!