Although the other porcelain and ancient paintings related to the Yongle Encyclopedia were also incredibly valuable, they definitely couldn't match the cultural significance of the encyclopedia itself. This was why the five experts kept urging Abigail to call and hurry William back to England.
The reason William had stayed in New York for two extra days was that his suspicion had flared up again. Not only did he have Sunday conduct a thorough investigation online into the suddenly appearing Baron Daniel Kabore, but he also secretly hired a freelance worker from the English nobility archives to dig up some records.
Until William figured out who this Kabore guy really was, he wasn't going to meet with him. After all, only a handful of people knew about his dealings with Grand Duke Devon regarding the antique Chinese artifacts.
Just as William was thinking about this, Sunday suddenly spoke up: "Sir, Miss Abigail is calling."
"Ugh, didn't I ask her to tell those experts that I still have unfinished business?" William sighed, feeling a headache coming on. He collapsed onto the sofa and said weakly, "Go ahead and answer it."
"Hello, good evening, boss. I hope I'm not interrupting your alone time with Miss Ambrosio, am I?"
Huh? Speaking in Chinese? "If I say you are, will you hang up?" William replied irritably. "Are those five experts standing right next to you?"
"Well, I can only say sorry, boss. I'm currently being stared down by five elderly men who could easily be my grandfathers. I think you can understand my situation."
"Go on then, what's the matter now?" William said helplessly.
"Ten minutes ago, Baron Daniel Kabore showed up again with a box. Inside it was a set of 24 volumes of the Wen Yuan Ge edition of the Siku Quanshu. Upon seeing these ancient books, the five Chinese experts nearly lost their minds. They wouldn't let the baron leave, insisting he wait until you return and buy them before letting him go," Abigail said with a playful laugh.
"The Siku Quanshu? Isn't that the set where only three fairly complete versions exist, one of which was damaged and later repaired? If I remember correctly, the Wen Yuan Ge version is supposed to be the most complete, isn't it?"
"Come on, boss, I said Wen Yuan Ge, not Wen Yuan Ge. God, there are too many homophones in Chinese. I'm switching to English."
After muttering a few complaints, Abigail continued, "Even simple sentences in Chinese can have at least four different meanings. I've been studying it for six years, and yet I still can't always fully understand what they're saying."
William chuckled smugly and then asked, "Alright, stop grumbling. Tell me what's going on."
"Okay. According to the experts, the Wen Yuan Ge edition of the Siku Quanshu was burned over 140 years ago during an unjust and disgraceful war. This set of 24 books is probably the only surviving set of the Wen Yuan Ge edition in the world. The five experts are hoping you'll return to London immediately to negotiate with Baron Kabore. They want you to find out if he has more of this edition. If he does, they strongly recommend that you purchase it. This is a one-of-a-kind set, and its literary and historical value, not to mention its monetary value, is extremely high. If you miss this chance, you'll surely regret it in the future."
"You know why I'm not eager to meet this Kabore guy, right?" William scratched his head, growing even more suspicious. This guy showing up with such rare Chinese national treasures? Even if he wasn't planning anything malicious, whatever he wanted in return had to be something of even greater value.
Still, it would be a shame not to meet him. If it was just about money, that would be easy to deal with. Right now, the prices of Chinese antiques weren't sky-high, and buying them would not only be a great show of status but also a far better investment than gold or jewelry.
But if his demands were too high or if he had ulterior motives, William thought darkly, well, he wouldn't hesitate to show the baron what it means to keep one's wealth under wraps.
"I'll return to London tomorrow. Arrange for Baron Kabore to meet me at Gordon's restaurant in Chelsea tomorrow evening. I'll treat him to dinner, and you'll accompany me."
"Got it, boss. I'll need the day off to buy a gown for the dinner, though," Abigail replied with a laugh.
"Alright, buy whatever you need. See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow, boss."
After hanging up, William sat on the sofa for only a few seconds before Ambrosio returned. She sat down beside him and gave him a sidelong glance. "Heading back to England already?"
"Yep, prepare dinner for me tonight. I'll be inviting a guest over," William said nonchalantly, showing no signs of embarrassment as if he hadn't just been caught talking with another woman.
Ambrosio didn't ask, so William certainly wasn't going to bring it up. After all, Abigail was the only woman working closely with him with whom he had a somewhat ambiguous relationship. As for the others, they were just fleeting distractions whose names he could barely remember.
Compared to those playboys who mess around with drugs, William considered himself a decent man. He might not be a saint, but he wasn't entirely unscrupulous either. If Ambrosio ever tried to meddle too much in his private affairs, William wouldn't stand for it.
However, Ambrosio was a clever woman. She knew William's boundaries. While she didn't mention Abigail, it didn't mean she wasn't bothered. She leaned in and kissed him passionately. Just as William started to relax, her eyes flashed, and she gave his waist a vicious pinch.
"Ouch!" This time she wasn't joking around. The pinch made William suck in a breath, but with his mouth blocked by hers, he couldn't cry out.
After about ten seconds, Ambrosio pulled away and smiled sweetly. "Dear, what should I prepare for dinner? If it's too complicated, we'll have to call in the chef. Also, who's the guest? What kind of wine should I serve?"
William rolled his eyes. The pain in his waist had subsided by now, and he replied grumpily, "You've met them before. It's Brian and Sam, the guys who've protected you before. Just make some Brazilian barbecue and other specialty dishes. Also, call the Macallan whiskey distributor in New York and ask if they still want to earn 30% more. It's been two days, and they still haven't delivered the whiskey I ordered."
"No problem, dear," Ambrosio said with narrowed eyes as she watched William rub his waist. She couldn't help but laugh, lightly punching his chest. "You jerk. Why is it that whenever I'm mad at you, all it takes is a hug, and my anger disappears? Have you cast a spell on me or something, darling?"
What an actress. William knew from her expression that she was putting on a show. After pinching him hard, she was worried he might be upset, so she was deliberately trying to make him laugh. Loving him might be real, but thinking she could easily forgive his flirtations with other women? No way. No woman could be that magnanimous.
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