My Perfect Female CEO

In the afternoon, Zhang Lu arrived at the Lu Family’s private residence but didn’t find any trace of Ye Fan and Mengyao.

She tried calling them, but no one answered, so she had no choice but to wait for Ye Fan and Mengyao.

After asking the servants, Zhang Lu learned that Lu Qianqian and Qi Sixue took Ye Fan and Mengyao to the hot springs.

"Such a nice activity, and they didn’t invite me." Zhang Lu sulked jealously and could only patiently wait.

Zhang Lu looked dejected, it seemed the treasure hunting journey was not going well, hence she couldn’t be cheerful.

Not long after, Lu Binwang and Qi Haomin also came looking for Ye Fan and Mengyao, but similarly, they couldn’t find them.

"Miss Zhang Lu, have you found the treasure?" Lu Binwang asked curiously.

"There’s certainly quite a lot in the treasure; I’ve contributed my part as well," Qi Haomin said sincerely with delight.

As the owner of the ancient painting, Qi Haomin, and Lu Binwang, the seller of the ancient painting, both took a significant risk with their actions, but judging by the results, everything was worth it; all crises were resolved, naturally bringing great joy.

Being able to cooperate with Ye Fan and Zhang Lu to accomplish such a meaningful task, how could they not be happy?

"Sigh!" Zhang Lu sighed bitterly, greatly respecting Lu Binwang and Qi Haomin, unsure of how to explain.

"What happened? Did some unforeseen event occur?" Lu Binwang’s expression became tense.

"Perhaps there were enemy obstructions?" Qi Haomin probed further.

"It’s a long story; I’ll explain in detail once Ye Fan and Mengyao arrive," Zhang Lu replied with a distressed look.

Having lived for most of their lives, Lu Binwang and Qi Haomin realized the situation was not good, but they didn’t inquire further.

When night fell, Ye Fan, Mengyao, Lu Qianqian, and Qi Sixue finally returned to the Lu Family’s private residence.

After finishing their hot spring session, the four of them had a grand meal before returning to the Lu Family’s private residence.

Led by the host, Lu Qianqian, Ye Fan and Mengyao allowed themselves to be hosted and didn’t refuse the kind gesture.

"Why are you all here?" Mengyao glanced at Zhang Lu, Lu Binwang, and Qi Haomin, and said softly, "It seems you all have issues to discuss?"

"Enjoying such a pleasant hot spring without inviting me—it’s really thoughtless," Zhang Lu complained with grievance.

"Weren’t you busy with something?" Mengyao said indifferently, "If you weren’t busy, we would definitely have invited you."

"Yes, indeed, I’m just a busybody," Zhang Lu grumbled, though in reality, she wasn’t in the mood for a hot spring getaway.

Ye Fan spoke directly, "Go ahead, tell us what happened. Judging by your expression, something seems amiss."

"Nothing escapes you." Zhang Lu surveyed the surroundings, hesitated briefly, then resolutely said aloud, "According to the map’s guidance, we found the treasure, but the treasure was completely empty, just an empty shell."

"How could this happen?" Lu Binwang exclaimed loudly.

"Impossible, it doesn’t make sense," Qi Haomin was utterly baffled.

Lu Qianqian and Qi Sixue also cast questioning glances at Zhang Lu, waiting for her explanation.

Ye Fan and Mengyao exchanged a look, both displaying a bitter smile.

"Was the treasure destroyed and then stolen?" Ye Fan had already guessed a rough idea of the situation.

There was no problem with the map; following the map’s guidance led to the treasure, yet nothing was found, not even a shadow of an artifact; then the only explanation is that the treasure was stolen by someone.

"Grave robbers visited the treasure site, all the valuables were gone, the treasure location looked as if it had been swept clean." Zhang Lu said.

When saying this, Zhang Lu’s expression was rather despondent and miserable.

Imagine, when Zhang Lu and the others arrived at the treasure site, after struggling and fighting for the country’s dignity, aiming to combat external forces and prevent national treasures from leaving, only to find nothing—it had all vanished, and it had been gone for a long time. The sense of disappointment and frustration was palpable.

The origin of the treasure traces back to a diary left by a Japanese general during WWII.

After Japan was defeated, the treasure, which was plundered, was hidden on-site, for there was no time to transport it; thus, the precious Huaxia treasures were stashed away, hoping for a chance to retrieve them later.

Regarding the exact treasure details, there wasn’t a definite number, as it was too vast to record.

This Japanese general, through secretive means, left the matter of the treasure for his descendants.

Additionally, as the general passed away long ago, he entrusted the treasure’s matters to his descendants.

The treasure was shrouded in mystery, with three ancient paintings containing treasure maps being crucial to it.

Xi Guxiu was exactly the descendant of this Japanese general.

After more than twenty years of effort, Xi Guxiu and Nagano Yoko found two out of the three ancient paintings. During the process of obtaining the last painting, the treasure’s story was leaked through Huaxia insiders, which aroused the other party’s forces to spy and compete.

In the end, Ye Fan and Zhang Lu achieved a major victory.

But just as the joy was about to be savored, they plummeted to despair; the treasure had been stolen many years ago.

"After toiling so long, exerting so much effort, we ended up with nothing—a real regret," Mengyao sympathized and consoled, "It has come to this, you can only accept the reality; even if you’re puzzled, it’s of no use."

"That’s true, though it pains me greatly, it’s quite frustrating." Zhang Lu said indignantly.

"Those who stole the artifacts are truly abominable, trading away their own culture and history—such people deserve punishment. Foreign museums displaying Huaxia artifacts are a disgrace." Qi Haomin, as a collector, couldn’t help but express enraged patriotism, being deeply loathsome towards such matters.

He often visited foreign museums, where Huaxia’s historical treasures witnessing its glorious past were placed in others’ lands; each sight of such a scenario made his heart ache uncontrollably.

Through personal connections, Qi Haomin has acquired many artifacts at substantial prices, though people like him are numerous, it is still insignificant; the relics that can be repurchased are pitifully few, with too significant and valuable items impossible to buy.

"Think of the positive side; the treasure site was robbed, but it does not mean all artifacts were leaked out; maybe some returned to some collectors’ hands or to some institutions," Ye Fan said calmly.

"The event has happened; further investigation is meaningless—we can only accept this harsh reality." Zhang Lu sighed.

"The grave robbers in our country, demonstrating astonishing skills in stealing their ancestors’ burial items, it’s truly impressive," Lu Binwang lamented.