Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 441

Chapter 441: "Tracking You Down the Network Cable"

The headless knight stood atop a mountain of corpses and blood, surrounded by flames blossoming like lotus flowers on the ground, with a sunset as red as blood in the background.

The oil painting visible upon entering the main entrance imparted a sense of oppression.

Salin paused for a moment, eyes filled with contemplation.

This painting... it's "Blood Sunset."

A soft prompt from the butler by her ear brought Salin back to reality. She smiled apologetically before following the butler into the living room.

The moment she entered, Salin noticed Clover sitting on a wooden chair. Clover was a man in his fifties or sixties, with intermingled black and white hair, deep-set features, and piercing eyes.

Besides Clover, about twenty black-clad bodyguards stood in the living room. Two guests, a man and a woman around forty years old, sat on a set of fine wooden chairs.

The man, with his hair slicked back with hair gel, had a fair complexion, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and was dressed in a respectable suit, giving off a refined air.

The woman had her hair styled up, wore appropriate makeup, and was dressed in a red long dress, exuding an air of elegance and nobility.

As Salin observed the three people in the living room, they also scrutinized her.

Dressed in a black women's casual suit, without makeup or even foundation, and with a neat hairstyle, she exuded a vibe of competence.

The first impression Salin gave to the three was quite favorable.

However, judging by Salin's demeanor and attire, she seemed less like a collector or someone with significant influence and more like a white-collar worker thriving in the steel jungle.

Clover did not stand to greet her, merely gesturing towards a wooden chair with a smile, "Please, have a seat."

He recognized every person who received an invitation and knew that Salin was an employee of a recently emerged antique-related website.

"Hello, Master Clover," Salin greeted Clover casually as she sat down, without using an honorific.

Clover did not mind this small detail and asked, "Are you the chief appraiser of the Luo Ling Museum?"

"Yes," Salin nodded.

"Luo Ling Museum? Is that the website selling thousands of antiques online?" the man with the gold-rimmed glasses asked curiously.

The recent promotion seemed effective, as the woman in the red dress also knew about the Luo Ling Museum. She joined the conversation, saying, "Not a single antique sold in months, now they're spending money on promotion?"

The woman's tone was quite arrogant, and she spoke of the Luo Ling Museum with disdain.

Salin remained unperturbed, ignoring the woman in the red dress, and looked at the man with gold-rimmed glasses, smiling, "Yes, our company currently has 1,205 antiques, mostly genuine items from the Vera era of the Kendia Desert."

"The Vera era, the strongest empire in the history of the Kendia Desert, but it mysteriously collapsed a thousand years ago and vanished from history," the man with gold-rimmed glasses remarked with interest.

"It seems you are quite knowledgeable. If you're interested, you can visit our website to see if there's anything you like," Salin maintained her smile.

The woman in the red dress, feeling slighted, looked at Salin with hidden anger but did not react openly.

The claim of over a thousand genuine items sounded like a joke, but no one openly contradicted her, maintaining proper etiquette.

Clover observed calmly. When Salin finished speaking, he introduced, "This gentleman is Mickey, the man behind the Yorknew Borla Auction House, and this lady is Angie, the treasured daughter of Tiffany Jewelry Group, who loves collecting time-honored jewelry."

Introducing names and identities without much embellishment, the mere mention of Borla Auction House and Tiffany Jewelry Group highlighted Mickey and Angie's extraordinary status.

Borla Auction House is the third largest auction house in Yorknew.

Tiffany Jewelry Group is the world's largest jewelry group, owned by Angie's father, the world's third wealthiest man.

"Hello, I'm Salin, currently employed as the chief appraiser at the Luo Ling Museum, with some knowledge of various antiques and the histories of different countries. Naturally, I would not dare to boast before Master Clover," Salin stood up, giving Clover a modest compliment.

To establish a cooperative relationship between the Luo Ling Museum and Clover, and to leave a good impression on Clover, Salin adjusted her demeanor, presenting herself as a competent professional, all for the sake of the Luo Ling Museum.

Before boarding the plane, Ro's rhetorical question now found its most appropriate answer.

"Do you know the background of the oil painting outside?" Angie asked, her gaze coldly fixed on Salin, suddenly posing a challenge.

Clover and Mickey exchanged glances, saying nothing.

"I know a little," Salin replied softly as she sat down, "It is a fantasy work from the late 12th century called 'Blood Sunset,' painted by a deserter from the last battle of Dunkirk in the late 12th century."

The three people present were taken aback, as this differed from their understanding.

"The Battle of Dunkirk involved 80,000 soldiers from two warring nations in a brutal conflict in the Dunkirk Valley, the last battle of the late 12th century."

"The final result was no survivors, with all soldiers on both sides heroically perishing. How could there be a deserter? Moreover, the painter is the most famous artist of that era, Kosel. How could he be a deserter?"

"Miss Salin, ignorance is not a justification for making wild claims," Angie laughed lightly, her tone carrying a hint of coldness.

Clover and Mickey did not speak, but their expressions clearly showed agreement with Angie.

"In fact, a painting brush made from Kosel's leg bone and his final note were acquired by a senior hunter from our company and are currently in our possession," Salin said calmly, looking at the three of them, "Furthermore, Kosel's real name is Ersaiko, and he was an unremarkable name on the list of fallen soldiers."

At this point, Salin's tone became more serious, "Sometimes, the truth is only in the hands of a few."

As her words fell, Salin recalled the scene when Ro brought a set of bone brushes and a leather note to her.

At that moment, Ro enthusiastically recounted the history of the brush and the note, like a child who had discovered a great treasure.

Salin loved seeing Ro in such moments, as if seeing her past self, and saw the vibrant energy she longed for in Ro.

Ersaiko was a painter forced into the army, the only deserter from the Battle of Dunkirk, who later changed his name and rose to fame five years after the battle.

The main color in the "Blood Sunset" painting is like fresh blood, the backdrop is piles of tragic corpses, but the most vivid image is a bloodstained headless knight, standing defiantly, refusing to fall.

The so-called fantasy work refers to the fact that Ersaiko had never witnessed the aftermath of the battle but painted this scene, hence it was called a fantasy work.

However, what Salin meant by fantasy work was different.

Ersaiko had seen this scene, except for the headless knight, as he deeply wished to be that headless knight himself.

This was the most sincere fantasy of a deserter after the war.

Without Ro finding the bone brush and the final note, no one could unveil this hidden truth.

At least in this matter, Ro was one of the few who held the truth.

Clover listened to Salin's words and, instead of immediately refuting, showed great interest, saying, "May I see that brush and note in person?"

The fact that he hung Ersaiko's famous oil painting at the entrance showed Clover's love for oil paintings.

When Salin saw that painting, she had a plan in mind. Thanks to Angie steering the conversation to the painting, she was able to pique Clover's interest.

Mentioning something voluntarily and bringing it up passively in such a setting had vastly different effects.

"I didn't bring those items, but I can have someone bring them here, and they might arrive in time for the appraisal event the day after tomorrow," Salin said.

Before coming here, she hadn't thought that Ersaiko's brush and note would have such an effect. She decided on this plan upon seeing the painting, but it wasn't a problem; she could have Ro bring the items.

"That would be best," Clover said with delight, "The truth hidden beneath the truth is why I entered this field."

He didn't fully believe Salin's words or make any direct conclusions but wanted to see the brush and note himself to draw his own conclusions.

Angie frowned slightly, saying nothing more.

Salin's confidence made it difficult for her to judge, but the truth would be revealed the day after tomorrow.

They then discussed topics related to antique history. Salin's knowledge and eloquence impressed Clover and Mickey, making them frequently look at her in a new light. Both of them, being in this industry, mentally regarded Salin as a peer.

Clover was the most renowned appraiser in the industry, though his activity had decreased in recent years. His protégés, spread worldwide and well-known as appraisers, were evidence of his mentorship.

The excellence of his protégés was something he took great pleasure in. He regarded Salin differently, unaware that her age and appearance did not match, nor did he know her true age.

Mickey, the man behind one of Yorknew's largest auction houses, highly valued skilled appraisers. Witnessing Salin's abilities, he even considered recruiting her.

When the conversation reached a peak, Clover invited Salin to stay for

 a meal.

Salin gladly accepted, having observed that Clover was a big figure without much pretense.

In fact, if the topics and industry did not intersect, Clover might not have been so courteous to Salin.

At five in the afternoon, Clover received a phone call and left the living room.

Taking the opportunity, Salin called Ro, but the call didn't go through, so she reluctantly called Sabo.

At the Hunter Association thousands of miles away, Sabo answered the ringing phone.

"Where is Ro?"

Salin's voice came through the phone.

Sabo glanced at Ro's closed door and replied casually, "Still sleeping."

"Wake him up and give him the phone."

"Okay, hold on."

Sabo put down his work, walked to Ro's room door, and knocked loudly, calling out Ro's name.

After knocking for about ten seconds, there was no response from inside.

Sabo, puzzled, tried turning the doorknob. The door opened, revealing no sign of Ro inside, with the bed neatly made.

Seeing this, Sabo was stunned. He had thought Ro had stayed up all night and was still sleeping, but that wasn't the case.

"Ro's not in the room," Sabo said.

"Then where is he?"

"I don't know."

Salin frowned slightly, saying, "Find Ersaiko's brush and final note in the warehouse, then find Ro and make sure he brings those items to Bit City to meet me. If Ro can't be found by midnight, bring the items yourself."

"What about the website?" Sabo asked in surprise.

"We'll deal with it later."

With that, Salin hung up decisively.

Reaching a cooperation agreement with Clover was far more important than the daily operation of the website.

Sabo stared at the phone, realizing the importance of this matter.

"Where did Ro go?"

Sabo muttered to himself, not feeling like searching. If Ro didn't show up by midnight, he'd follow Salin's instructions.

With that in mind, he booked two plane tickets online and then found Ersaiko's brush and final note in the warehouse, packing them securely in a box.

After that, he sat back at his computer and got back to work.

Time passed, and when it reached 9:30 PM, Ro still hadn't shown up.

"Where did he go? At least leave a message," Sabo stretched and muttered.

Suddenly, his expression changed as he saw the unique white glow of nen emanating from his computer screen. Next, a head emerged from the screen.

Sabo was so startled by this sudden turn of events that he fell to the ground, hands pushing back, retreating several meters.

"Hey, have you had dinner?" Ro greeted Sabo, who was sitting on the floor, and then, like Sadako crawling out of a TV, he jumped out of the computer screen.

Sabo cursed angrily, "Are you crazy!"

"Uh..." Ro didn't know how to respond.

He had finally won against Ikusebe, who then used the "tracking you down the network cable" method to send him back. Scaring Sabo was expected, considering his computer was off.

Still recovering from his shock, Sabo told Ro about Salin's instructions.

At 11 PM that night, after explaining the situation with Ikusebe to Sabo, Ro boarded a spaceship to Bit City with the brush and final note.

On August 16, at 11 AM.

Luxury cars stopped at the specially designated parking spaces in front of the Ohara Museum.

Screech!

The sound of brakes was heard as a black luxury car came to a stop. The door opened, and a bald man dressed like a nouveau riche in a suit stepped out, followed by several others.

Four black-clad bodyguards and a blonde woman in a shoulder-baring gown emerged, revealing members of the Phantom Troupe, including Chrollo and others.

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