Charging into the workshop, I saw Yang Hanxue standing not far away, holding something in his hand, a smile on his face.
The workbench in front of him was a mess, with a cutting machine lying on its side, clearly ruined.
Seeing that Yang Hanxue was unharmed, I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Brother Yang, what is this..."
I walked over and took a look at what he was holding.
Yang Hanxue glanced at me and said, "You've worked hard these past few days. You don't need to come here anymore."
"Is the tool you wanted ready?" I asked.
He nodded and handed me the item in his hand.
I took it and looked. It was a very special key. The head was butterfly-shaped, extending into a sleeve, with many gears at the top that became progressively thinner, the thinnest part resembling an embroidery needle.
"This is a socket core key," Yang Hanxue explained. "It's the only key that can open the Five Elements Twin Dragon Box."
He then sighed and said, "This is the first time I've made this kind of key, and I'm not entirely sure if it will work. After all, the Five Elements Twin Dragon Box uses a unique 'Qi Men Shuang He Zhuan Xin' lock, a very special combination lock. Not only does it require turning the core as an intermediary, but the control of the bolt when turning the key must also incorporate the principles of Qi Men and Five Elements to find the correct combination..."
I didn't understand any of what he was saying. I glanced at Hong Yunpeng, who also had a bewildered look on his face.
"Do you need anything else, Brother Yang?" I asked.
Yang Hanxue pondered for a moment and said, "The young lady Bai you went to Bian Hai with last time, I need you to find her. We'll need her help with the unlocking."
"No problem," I replied with a nod.
"Alright then, that's about it for today. Go and tell Miss Wu that I need to rest well tonight, and tomorrow she should find a quieter place for the unlocking."
"Okay!"
After sending Yang Hanxue back to the hotel, I quickly called Wu Tingxiu and explained the situation.
After listening, she said, "Okay, I'll arrange the place for unlocking. As for other matters, you handle them as you see fit. If you need anything, just tell me directly."
"Alright, I'll go find Bai Hanyan now."
"Mmm..." she murmured on the other end of the line. After a moment, she added, "Before you go, I'll have someone send something to you. Bring it with you when you go."
Before I could ask what it was, she hung up the phone.
...
Two hours later, I arrived at the entrance of Yipinzhai, carrying a packaged gift box.
This was sent by Wu Tingxiu, who said it was a gift for Bai Hanyan.
After entering Yipinzhai and sitting in the reception room for a while, I met Bai Hanyan.
She had returned to Guangling the day before yesterday and had called me to invite me to dinner.
However, I had been with Yang Hanxue these past few days and didn't have time, so I declined.
"Why did you suddenly decide to come find me?" Bai Hanyan asked, with her arms crossed and a clear hint of displeasure on her face.
"I was busy these past few days. Now that things are settled, I've come to see you," I said with a smile.
She gave me a reproachful glance. "A weasel paying New Year's greetings to a chicken, with no good intentions... Tell me, are you here because you need my help with something?"
Her words made me feel a little embarrassed, so I handed her the gift box in my hand.
"What is this?" she asked, looking at me with curiosity.
I smiled and said, "A gift for you."
"A gift for me?" Bai Hanyan stared at me incredulously.
I quickly added, "I've troubled you so many times before, I feel quite bad..."
Before I could finish, she took the gift box and tore it open without a word.
Inside was a very beautiful necklace. I had seen it on a billboard before, and it seemed to be a big brand, called Cartier.
When Bai Hanyan saw the necklace, her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed with joy, "Is this a gift for me?"
I smiled and asked, "Do you like it?"
"Not bad, Xiang Fei! I didn't expect you to be so generous." As she said this, she leaned closer and asked, "This necklace isn't cheap, is it?"
I just smiled and nodded.
"Okay! I really like this gift, I accept it."
With that, Bai Hanyan asked me to help her put it on. After it was on, she looked at me and asked, "Did you really just come to give me this necklace today?"
I smiled awkwardly. "There's something else I need your help with."
"What is it?"
"The box we retrieved from Yuncheng last time, Wu Tingxiu is preparing to open it, and she needs you to help."
"Me to help? What can I do? I don't know how to pick locks."
I explained the situation in detail. After listening, she said, "So that's why you're giving me a necklace."
After agreeing with Bai Hanyan, I left Yipinzhai, got into Hong Yunpeng's car, and returned to the hotel.
On the way, I asked Hong Yunpeng if he knew how much the necklace cost. His answer surprised me; he said it was at least tens of thousands.
I gave a wry smile and shook my head. No wonder Bai Hanyan was so happy when she saw the necklace; it was that expensive.
The next day at noon, everyone arrived at a leisure farm outside the city.
This place was arranged by Wu Tingxiu. When we arrived, Wu Hao was also there.
Once everyone had gathered in a large private room, Wu Hao had the Five Elements Twin Dragon Box placed on a large square table.
Yang Hanxue surveyed the surroundings and said to me, "Have them remove all unnecessary people."
I nodded and conveyed this to Wu Tingxiu. Soon, all the bodyguards in the room left.
Suddenly, there were only five people left in the room: me, Yang Hanxue, Wu Tingxiu, Bai Hanyan, and Wu Hao.
Yang Hanxue first washed his hands with a basin of water, then took out his specially made key and placed it on the table. He then produced a stethoscope.
The whole setup looked less like picking a lock and more like performing surgery.
With everything ready, Yang Hanxue put on the stethoscope, picked up his custom-made key, and began to feel around the box. He quickly found the keyhole and gently inserted the key.
When the key was inserted, he didn't turn it immediately. Instead, he placed the stethoscope on the box.
"Brother Xiang, come help me with something," Yang Hanxue said.
I quickly went over, and he asked me to hold the stethoscope steady.
I nodded and did as he instructed.
Soon, he turned the key slightly to the left, furrowed his brow, restored the key to its original position, and then turned it slightly to the right.
The turns were very small, and his movements were extremely gentle.
He continued this, turning left and right, more than ten times.
When my hand holding the stethoscope started to feel sore, he stopped and said, "Let's take a break."