Zhou Shitao has always disliked those who curry favor and scheme. If Hong Wenkun had shown interest in the three Han Dynasty antiques in the courtyard upon entering, Zhou Shitao might have thought more highly of him. But as soon as he entered, Hong Wenkun quickly tried to cozy up to Zhou Shitao, completely forgetting his purpose for being there. How could Zhou Shitao give him a friendly look?

Zhou Shitao does things according to his own mind. If he doesn’t like someone, he won’t spare them a glance. So, when Hong Wenkun extended his hand and tried to please him, Zhou Shitao ignored him, leaving Hong Wenkun awkwardly with his hand out.

Ji Kun noticed the situation and didn’t want it to become too awkward, so he quickly stepped forward, took Hong Wenkun’s hand, and smoothly defused the embarrassment by saying:

"Director Hong, it’s good you’re here. These are the three Han Dynasty pottery jars we found at Old Qi’s house. Preliminary estimates suggest they are from the mid-Eastern Han period. But we’ll need specialized equipment to conduct a precise dating. Once your staff is ready, you can take over. We’ve just cleaned the jars a bit, but they may need further treatment once taken back."

Though Director Hong was somewhat embarrassed by Zhou Shitao, he couldn’t afford to put on airs with Ji Kun. So, he went along and started chatting with him.

Ji Kun initially intended to discuss the possibility of Han tombs around Anmin Alley with Hong Wenkun, but realizing the gravity of the matter and the number of onlookers in the courtyard, Ji Kun glanced at them and decided to hold his tongue for now.

Hong Wenkun, adept at scheming, initially paid attention to Zhou Shitao upon entering. But now, turning his head, he noticed Huo Sining and Gu Xu standing beside Zhou Shitao. These two had been quite the newsmakers over the past six months, often hitting the headlines. It would be hard for Hong Wenkun not to know about them, and upon seeing them, his expression changed.

"Oh, forgive my poor eyesight, Mr. Gu, Miss Huo. I didn’t expect to see you here. Are you two visiting Fucheng for tourism?" Leaving Ji Kun, Hong Wenkun approached them eagerly upon seeing Gu Xu and his wife.

Huo Sining gave the so-called director of the Fucheng Cultural Relics Bureau a slight smirk, wondering how such an idiot could become a director.

"Director Hong, you are indeed forgetful. You seem to have forgotten that my wife is Professor Zhou’s closed-door disciple. Naturally, my wife came to Fucheng with Professor Zhou, while I’m here acting as her bodyguard."

Gu Xu also held no favorable impressions of Hong Wenkun. He immediately saw him as a fawning, opportunistic climber. Putting someone like this in charge of the Cultural Relics Bureau doesn’t worry that missteps will occur?

However, after thinking it over, Gu Xu could understand. Fucheng was a negligible place, without many ancient structures. The museum exhibits were likely high-end replicas from other provinces, with very few local artifacts.

Before discovering the Han Princess’s Tomb, this was a barren place with nothing significant in terms of ancient relic research. To be the director of the Cultural Relics Bureau here was effectively a nominal post, with a relaxed job and no benefits, just a dull yamen.

It’s precisely because of the state of the Fucheng Cultural Relics Bureau that it is filled with those who curry favor and scheme, hoping to make connections with influential people or find opportunities to transfer out of this stagnant department. Thus, their efforts are so painstaking.

But with such a rabble, could they really handle the excavation of the Fucheng Han Tomb? Not only Gu Xu doubted this, but Zhou Shitao was also filled with questions.

It wasn’t that he looked down on these people. It was evident from their earlier actions that they did not have even the slightest respect or affection for cultural relics. From the moment they entered, neither Hong Wenkun nor his staff focused on the Han pottery jars.

Should they truly be entrusted with the excavation of the Han Princess’s Tomb, Zhou Shitao even doubted whether, given their working style, they would sell the unearthed artifacts, like the Taoist Wang in Dunhuang, or casually give them to other officials for benefits.

With no adequate governance in remote areas like Fucheng and the complexities of archaeology involving many people, such incidents are hard to prevent. The more Zhou Shitao thought about it, the more likely he considered such scenarios.

In other words, he didn’t trust people like Hong Wenkun. The excavation of the Han tomb is a significant matter that would not only shock Huaxia but also draw attention from international archaeological circles. If something went wrong, foreign media would likely ridicule Huaxia for being foolish and incompetent.

On a trip to Philadelphia, Zhou Shitao had developed an intense dislike for foreign media, definitely not wanting to give them an opportunity to tarnish his reputation, which is why he needed to nip such problems in the bud.

So, during the handover, Zhou Shitao, using the pretext of needing research samples, kept the jar with a chipped spout and handed the other two over to the Fucheng Cultural Relics Bureau.

As for the 150,000 yuan compensation to the old man, Huo Sining privately covered it upfront.

She knew the Cultural Relics Bureau wouldn’t cheat her out of this money, and she believed they would need her help in the upcoming excavation of the Han Princess Tomb, so she wasn’t worried about them denying payments.

After wrapping up, Zhou Shitao’s group returned to the hotel. Hong Wenkun wanted to host a dinner, but Zhou Shitao sternly refused.

Zhou Shitao wasn’t inherently inflexible. If Hong Wenkun and his people had shown care and respect for the relics when entering Old Qi’s courtyard, Zhou Shitao’s attitude might have been different.

Usually, when Huo Sining and her group visited other provinces for work, it was customary for reception personnel to entertain them with meals—a standard practice and courtesy, which was no big deal.

But a misstep at the first occasion leads to subsequent mistakes; Hong Wenkun left a bad first impression on Zhou Shitao, so the idea of dinner was immediately crossed out in his mind.

Hong Wenkun, likely feeling lost like a monk with no clue, couldn’t fathom why he had offended Zhou Shitao. But given Zhou Shitao’s high status and supreme position in the Cultural Relics Bureau system, controlling the fates of the underlings, even if Zhou Shitao had a poor attitude, Hong Wenkun dared not confront him directly.