Chapter 146: Life-threatening Danger? The Archaeological Tomb Is Not Simple

Gu Shengsheng nodded. "I’m fine. These artifacts are all very precious. Give them to Director Wang Yu to put away."

Wang Yu: "...Didn’t you just say these couldn’t be sold for money?"

Zhang Zhengyi and Zhang Lianqing both looked at Wang Yu as if he were an idiot. He instantly understood—he had made a fool of himself...

By now, the two professors and three mediators had been untied, and the rags stuffed in their mouths were removed.

The two old professors were crying with gratitude. "Thank you, young friend! If it weren’t for your silver tongue, we really wouldn’t have survived."

"Those people just didn’t play by the rules! They didn’t want anything and were completely single-minded. It was genuinely dangerous; they might very well have killed us."

The police chief came over to Gu Shengsheng and said, "We really have Miss Gu to thank for this."

"My contact at the National Security Bureau told me you had incredible talent. I didn’t believe it at the time—I even thought he was exaggerating. But now, I’ve seen it with my own eyes."

"I hope we’ll get to see even more of your skills. As for the archaeological work here in Anxi, we’ll be counting on your assistance, Miss Gu."

Gu Shengsheng exchanged a few pleasantries with him, offering some formal words of thanks of her own to conclude the conversation.

While everyone was sighing in relief to be alive, the three mediators exchanged glances.

They walked up to the chief, looking as if they wanted to say something but were hesitating.

The one in the middle spoke up. "The three of us failed to complete our mission. We’re very sorry to have disappointed you."

"However, we have something we need to say about this Gu Shengsheng."

Then, mustering their courage, they glanced at Gu Shengsheng and said directly, "We are grateful that she resolved such a major crisis today."

"But her methods were completely out of line. As someone representing our side, the police, she was fraternizing with those criminals and even encouraged them to seek revenge."

"These kinds of methods are unacceptable. Their mindsets are now warped. So when they go to prison, won’t they still be warped? During their rehabilitation, they’ll only be motivated by selfish goals, focusing on reducing their sentences. That’s not how justice is supposed to work."

"It violates every principle we hold dear! Miss Gu is far too opportunistic."

Hearing this, Gu Shengsheng almost had to laugh.

She turned her head and asked, "And what if I were to say that the two aren’t mutually exclusive?"

"What?" The three mediators were a little stunned.

"With all your theoretical knowledge, I would have thought you’d at least grasp the basic concepts of the collective versus the individual. As Huaxia people, we must be prepared to sacrifice personal interests for the collective. We must also be prepared to sacrifice partial, short-term benefits for the good of the whole."

"And in this case, the ’short-term benefit’ is your desire to fish for fame and praise. You want to be lauded by others, and you want to arrest the criminals. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. By your own standards, couldn’t I call your actions opportunistic?"

"I was able to ensure everyone was saved in the end. That’s what matters."

Then, Gu Shengsheng smiled. "Of course, speaking for myself, I *am* opportunistic. If I don’t love myself, if I don’t look out for myself, then what’s the point of me living in this world?"

The chief nodded, his eyes full of approval.

"This shows the importance of applying knowledge flexibly. If you ask me, I don’t think Miss Gu did anything wrong. In fact, without her, who knows what kind of disaster would have unfolded here. Do you have any idea how difficult it is for our country to cultivate a single scientific mind?!"

At this, he sighed, then once again expressed his gratitude to Gu Shengsheng.

Zhang Zhengyi also came over, standing in front of Gu Shengsheng like a bear protecting its cub.

He said, "Our young friend Gu Shengsheng shouldn’t have to put up with this kind of thankless criticism! It seems the management of your personnel could use some improvement."

"Of course."

After that, most of the police personnel left, leaving only the research team and a dozen or so auxiliary officers to assist.

Other staff were busy setting up tripods for the livestream, which was meant to show the public how the situation was resolved and build their trust in the authorities.

The professor’s kidnapping case was now over, and the truth had come to light.

And Gu Shengsheng had gained countless new fans.

[System]: Emotion Value collected 103,000... 104,000... Still rising continuously. BEEP... 104,586.

Tang Sancai Panel Attribute x1

Tang Lady Panel Attribute x1

’Interesting. Now that I’m in Anxi City, the System’s appraisal attributes are related to Anxi’s unique local artifacts.’

Netizens:

"Holy crap, Sister Gu is such a badass. She’ll take on anyone—she’d argue with heaven and earth. She’s incredible."

"The most ridiculous part is that she saved them, and they still have the nerve to criticize her. I’m just speechless."

"Forget it. It takes all kinds. I’ll just worry about myself. Don’t push me, my mental state is already fragile."

"Sister Gu, you’re the best! The dig hasn’t even started, and you’re already kicking things off with a bang."

"I can’t even imagine... This archaeological documentary might just become the highest-rated one in history."

"Can’t wait for tomorrow’s archaeology livestream!"

Gu Shengsheng also addressed the camera, saying, "Thank you, everyone, for your concern. I’m fine."

"I’ll take good care of myself, and I hope you all stay safe, too. Tomorrow, I’ll show you a whole new world of archaeology."

At this point, Zhang Zhengyi also appeared on camera.

The normally stern professor forced a smile. "Just watch the livestream," he said. "You’ll be kept up to date on our progress."

Then, his expression grew serious. "Shengsheng is an excellent Appraiser, and she’s incredibly talented. So I hope none of you will say anything negative about her."

"Okay, Professor! We’re all loyal fans."

"Okay, Professor! We’re going to eat now."

"Bye, Professor. You said, ’Princess, please eat.’"

Zhang Zhengyi stared at the comments with a puzzled expression. People were spamming "Princess, please... eat, sleep, watch a drama..."

He was completely baffled. "I have no idea what you’re all talking about. What does this mean? But seeing that phrase reminds me of, ’My lord, please mount your horse.’"

His comment made the netizens die of laughter.

The chat was then flooded with a solid wall of "Hahahahahaha."

Zhang Zhengyi scratched his head, completely bewildered.

"I’m going to prepare the entrance to the tomb for tomorrow," he said. "Shengsheng, pack up your things. Find a good spot, mark it, and then we’ll go back and rest. We have to be back here bright and early tomorrow."

"Alright."

With that, she got busy as well.

About an hour later, Gu Shengsheng walked over to the spot Zhang Zhengyi had found and looked down. She couldn’t see a thing.

But one of the professors from Anxi said, "We saw an ancient symbol here, and it looked like there was an inscription, too. We got a bad feeling from it."

Gu Shengsheng nodded. "Inscriptions are often the keys to triggering mechanisms. Did you notice anything else out of the ordinary?"

"No. We were almost injured by the traps inside. Luckily, those three robbers just happened to stumble in."

"Otherwise, we would have really died in here. Something feels off."

As he said this, he showed Gu Shengsheng the photos they had taken while exploring the tomb.