"You have an advantage in the jewelry business, which is that you're not just a designer but also a scholar, so you naturally have a valid reason to turn down those who are now looking to place orders with you."
Despite the surge in orders after this exhibition, Elizabeth did not intend to seize the opportunity by accepting them all. Instead, she suggested that Liang En take a break from his activities.
"We're selling jewelry, not everyday items, so engaging in a bit of artificial scarcity marketing will better highlight the value of these items."
"Moreover, it takes some time to spread information about your jewelry designs, especially for someone with your level of skill; it needs time to ferment."
"What you say makes sense, but if we pause supplies, there must be a reasonable explanation," Liang En nodded, acknowledging Elizabeth's viewpoint.
"Even if we do intend to reduce output and wait for the right moment to strike again, we absolutely can't give customers the impression that we're just waiting for prices to rise. So we need a very reasonable excuse."
"That's simple. Didn't you notice something off in that antique shop from Banksy' photos earlier? So now you can use the investigation of a certain matter as a reason to take a trip to the U.S. and sort it out while you're at it."
As soon as Liang En finished his analysis, Joan immediately came up with a response plan for the whole matter. Since they were going to lay low anyway, it was better to have a targeted retreat rather than wandering aimlessly.
"The results from the investigation in the U.S. have come in. According to the findings, this item was sold to the antique shop by the nephew of an old farmer who passed away," Elizabeth reported the investigation results.
"Our people found an opportunity to approach the nephew and asked him a few simple questions, from which we obtained the following information. First, this uncle was once a U.S. military officer stationed in southern Korea, from the late 1940s to the late 1950s."
"Second, after returning home, this major inexplicably came into a significant amount of wealth, enough to buy a sizeable farm near Seattle. All his legitimate income combined couldn't account for this."
"The most important point is that we investigated this soldier's life and found that his close colleagues and direct subordinates had all perished by the time he left Korea."
"All perished!" Liang En became fully alert upon hearing this. No matter how he heard it, the whole situation reeked of conspiracy, but he really didn't want to get himself entangled in a bunch of trouble.
"Yes, all perished, but it likely wasn't the major's doing," Elizabeth continued reporting the clues she had found and the conclusions drawn from them.
"Because his direct subordinates at the time were a purely Black unit, who were used as cannon fodder by the Americans during the Korean War. As for his colleagues, they too were lost, perishing in a plane crash on their way back from a vacation in Japan."
"Based on the data I've found, this major chose to retire after returning from the Korean Peninsula partly because of these events, as he believed his luck was simply too terrible."
"It seems the situation is indeed somewhat complex; we must conduct an on-site investigation," Liang En said as he lightly tapped the table with his hand.
From the current information, this was already the limit of what they could find. To obtain further details, they would need to delve deeper into a frontline investigation.
"So, where are we going? Seattle in the U.S.?" After hearing Liang En's decision, Joan asked curiously, "Or Korea or Japan?"
"Seattle. The individual in question continued working in international trade between Asia and the Americas for decades, so he indeed had the means to bring those items back to his hometown. Most importantly, this Buddha statue was discovered in Seattle."
Looking at the map spread out on the table, Liang En pondered for a few minutes before pointing to Seattle on the U.S. west coast.
"And for us, searching in Seattle is the easiest. If we really can't find what we're looking for there, we should be able to find clues to determine whether those items are hidden in Japan or Korea."
"Your analysis makes sense." Elizabeth nodded approvingly after hearing Liang En's judgment, then said, "The person I commissioned is close to buying the statue, but it will take a few more days."
"Is the Buddha statue still there?" Joan asked curiously. "If I remember correctly, Banksy visited that antique shop one or two years ago. Has it really stayed there this long?"
"Yes, it has." Elizabeth nodded. "After all, this Buddha statue isn't cheap. It's considered a fine piece from the Qing Dynasty, so it's priced at $260,000, making it normal for no one to have bought it yet."
"To avoid suspicion, our people are haggling with them. The price has already dropped to $243,000, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should be able to secure the statue within the next two days."
"That's good to hear." Liang En nodded in approval. He knew that paying the full amount at once could attract unnecessary attention, which would be detrimental to their upcoming actions.
Over the next two days, besides waiting for the purchase of the statue in the U.S., Liang En primarily focused on analyzing the background of that former U.S. major.
Based on the information Liang En found, the major had lived quite well after the war, running a successful farm and a thriving trading company, making him a bona fide success.
Moreover, according to the current clues, his profits mainly came from the connections he built while serving as an officer in Japan and Korea, which obviously facilitated the discreet transportation of certain sensitive materials.
More importantly, the information available suggested that this major still had some special ties with the U.S. military even after retiring, such as running a maritime route between Japan and Vietnam during the 1960s and 1970s.
Unlike regular commercial operations, much of the information about his business activities was either classified or completely unavailable, clearly indicating that there were some undisclosed aspects behind it.
"This isn't necessarily a bad thing, because based on the clues alone, if he did find something connected to the Buddha statue during his service, he certainly had the capability to transport those items back to Seattle on the U.S. west coast."
After completing her research, Joan shared her thoughts with Liang En. Unlike Liang En, who was mainly preparing academically, Joan's preparations were more practical, such as arranging for clothing, food, and accommodations for their trip to Seattle.
"This sounds like good news. To be honest, I'd prefer to solve the problem in one go. If we have to run around to several places, that would be quite a hassle," Joan said, looking up from the suitcase she was packing.
"Think about it. If we don't find anything in Seattle, we'll have to cross the Pacific to Japan and Korea. I certainly don't want to be eating kimchi three times a day."
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