36: Official hijacking

Wang Dalong felt like he had painstakingly grown cabbages for half a year, and just as they were ready for harvest, a pig had rooted them up overnight.

That sense of grievance and absurdity left a lump of frustration stuck in his chest.

"These people... how could they be here?" He lowered his voice, his tone filled with frustration. "Could it be that they also know the treasure is here? No, that's impossible. It doesn't make sense!"

Lin Feng leaned against a crumbling wall, his expression calm, but his gaze followed the staff members wearing uniforms that read "Cultural Relic Protection." They were surveying and measuring the courtyard with professional speed. The man in glasses leading them was directing workers to mark several excavation points. Their objective was clear; they had obviously come prepared.

"It's not a coincidence," Lin Feng said softly. His gaze fell on the man's phone. Despite the distance, his enhanced vision allowed him to see clearly that the screen was on Bilibili's dynamic feed. The most prominent thing on the page was Lin Feng's own avatar and ID.

In an instant, Lin Feng understood everything. The other party didn't know where the treasure was at all; they were simply tracking him. His Bilibili account was like a GPS tracker. As long as he posted an update announcing where he was going, these people could react immediately and beat him to it, using the legitimate and undeniable reason of "Cultural Relic Protection" to seal off any place he had his eye on.

They had anticipated his anticipation.

"Clever, truly clever," Lin Feng thought, giving them a silent thumbs-up.

Wang Dalong also followed Lin Feng's gaze and saw the phone screen. Realization dawned on him instantly, and he punched the wall in anger, shaking loose a cloud of dust. "Damn it! These campers! They're playing dirty! They're lurking in our livestream; as soon as we move, they jump the gun! How are we supposed to play? If we go to Lingyan Temple, they'll definitely seal that off too! If we go to Ziyun Temple, they'll probably even kick the Taoist priests out!"

This was a "dimensionality reduction strike." Lin Feng's proud logical reasoning and information analysis skills seemed somewhat powerless in the face of absolute administrative authority.

Just as the two were preparing to slip away quietly, the man in glasses sensed something and swept a sharp gaze toward their hiding spot.

"Who's there? Come out!" The two young staff members beside him immediately became alert.

There was no hiding now. Lin Feng patted Wang Dalong, signaling him to stay calm, and then walked out from behind the crumbling wall with composure.

"We're just here as tourists. We saw an ancient temple and wanted to come up to see the view," Lin Feng said, his expression calm as if he were truly just a tourist who had wandered in.

The man in glasses was stunned for a moment when he saw Lin Feng and Wang Dalong, but then a knowing smile appeared on his face. He pushed up his glasses, stepped forward, and extended his hand.

"Mr. Lin and Mr. Wang, I presume? I've heard much about you. I am Li Jianguo from the Cultural Relics Section of the Municipal Cultural Bureau." His manner was very polite, even warm, but there was an uncompromising edge behind his smile.

"Section Chief Li, hello." Lin Feng shook his hand; the grip was cold and firm.

"Your names are known far and wide," Li Jianguo said with a smile, his gaze lingering for a second on the stone slab covering the entrance to the underground palace that Lin Feng had discovered. "Mr. Lin has single-handedly made outstanding contributions to the discovery of world cultural heritage. Those of us in cultural relic work admire you greatly."

He started with a round of flattery, putting Lin Feng on a pedestal. Wang Dalong was left dazed, wondering why this man wasn't following the expected script.

Li Jianguo immediately followed up, "However, Mr. Lin, as you know, cultural relic protection is highly professional work. Especially for unexcavated sites like Hailuo Temple, any non-professional contact could cause irreversible damage to the relics underground. Therefore, to protect these treasures left by our ancestors, we have implemented temporary control over this area in accordance with regulations."

His words were airtight, both acknowledging Lin Feng's achievements and clearly drawing a line. The meaning was clear: we're taking over now; you can leave.

"We also took into account your love for history and culture, Mr. Lin, and were afraid that you and your fans might be too enthusiastic. If any accidents occurred during the treasure hunt or if damage was caused to the site, that would be unfortunate. So, we took the initiative to handle the protection work for you." Li Jianguo still wore that warm smile.

Wang Dalong's mouth twitched as he listened. This didn't sound like a lockdown; it sounded like a representative for good deeds coming to present an award.

Lin Feng looked at Li Jianguo and suddenly smiled.

"Section Chief Li is right," he nodded, appearing exceptionally cooperative. "We didn't consider things thoroughly enough. Since professionals like you are here, we can rest easy. We'll leave this place to you and head down the mountain now."

His reaction actually caught Li Jianguo off guard. He had expected Lin Feng to argue his case or at least show some resentment, but he hadn't expected the other man to be so agreeable.

"Then... then I truly thank you for your understanding and support, Mr. Lin!" Li Jianguo said quickly.

He immediately called over the two sturdiest young men. "Xiao Zhang, Xiao Wang, you two must 'escort' Mr. Lin and Mr. Wang down the mountain safely!"

He placed heavy emphasis on the word "escort."

The livestream's comment section exploded.

[Oh ho! Brother Feng has really lost face this time.]

[It's over! It's over! Just wait for the official announcement in a few days!]

[You shouldn't be too honest; now there's nothing left to watch.]

Thus, a comical scene unfolded.

Lin Feng and Wang Dalong walked in front, while the two serious-looking young men in uniform followed at a short distance behind. They didn't speak or get too close; they simply followed.

Wang Dalong felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He whispered to Lin Feng, "Brother Feng, is this an escort? It feels more like we're being deported. I feel like we've been caught in bed and are being politely asked to leave the house without even being allowed to put on our pants."

Lin Feng ignored him and simply looked back at the ruins surrounded by yellow caution tape. There was no dejection in his eyes; instead, a strange light flickered within them. He was certain that his judgment had been wrong.

Because from beginning to end, the system that only he could see had not reacted at all. There were no "Key Information Detected" prompts, and his enhanced eyes hadn't seen any special light effects representing treasure or clues in any corner of Hailuo Temple.

There was nothing here.

Li Jianguo's interception seemed like a successful blockade, but it had inadvertently helped Lin Feng confirm one thing—the temple was not the correct answer.

"Let's go." Lin Feng's pace became much lighter.

"Huh? Where to? Back to Chengdu?" Wang Dalong asked.

"No." Lin Feng looked at the mist-shrouded mountains ahead, his voice carrying a renewed fighting spirit. "We're going to find a place to rethink everything."

Looking at Lin Feng's straight back, Wang Dalong suddenly felt that this game of cat and mouse had only just begun. That section chief from the Cultural Bureau, Li Jianguo, probably never would have dreamed that the trap he had painstakingly set hadn't trapped Lin Feng at all, but had instead helped him rule out a wrong path.