Mystery One, Toyotomi's Secret Order

Odd looking keys and locks.I'm also worried about ruining it... I won't be able to pay for it.So, it was suggested that I should get some antique experts to try it out. "

"I heard the locksmith's words and thought it made sense, so I went to Redman. I think the one introduced by Redman... must be a first-class expert! I didn't expect the result to be the same. Those experts, None of them could open it. And one... asshole suggested to just split him. Hmm...the crap idea of ​​splitting a box...they'll teach me! Idiot Yankee!" spat the cowboy.

"What? This trip to Texas is just to... open a lock?"

Hearing Austin's explanation at the first glance, an unknown fire suddenly rose in Zhang Wei's heart.I thought to myself that this old cowboy is too fussy, even if he has money, he can't make trouble like this? !To ask him to come all the way to Texas to open a lock, he really thinks he is a corner locksmith!Although Zhang Wei has a good temper that everyone praises, but this meeting is also full of anger.

But I think of Redman's repeated reminders: the old cowboy is an important donor to the museum.In an instant, Zhang Wei had no choice but to suppress his displeasure and hide his emotions.

At this moment, Zhang Wei finally fully understood the real purpose of this job: unlocking.Be a locksmith.Help an old man unlock Chen Feng's memories and wishes.Although, the key and the box may be ancient relics.But asking those top experts to come all the way to open a wooden box is really too much of a fuss.No wonder there is no praise from these experts.

Zhang Wei began to complain that Redman did not tell him the truth.If he had known about this earlier, he would definitely not have appeared in Texas now.May have been on the way to Baghdad, looking for the original book of Ibn Batuta.

Looking up, seeing the expression and eyes of the old cowboy mixed with longing, excitement, nostalgia and loss, the dissatisfaction in Zhang Wei's heart instantly disappeared a lot, replaced by pity welling up from the bottom of his heart bit by bit.Now that the wooden box has arrived, to paraphrase the Chinese saying, it can be considered a predestined relationship.

It is a catchphrase that the old curator often puts on his lips.

"Ancient things have spirits, and only those who are predestined can get close to them."

Otherwise, how could Zhang Wei meet the most oriental antiquities in the most western place? How to explain this?

"God's will. It's God's will."

Zhang Wei persuaded himself, and he simply put up with his temper and helped the old cowboy realize his unfulfilled childhood dream.

After all, he couldn't bear to see the old man disappointed. After calming down, Zhang Wei tried to respond to his master in a calm tone.

"Let me try it out!"

Zhang Wei comforted himself, even though there was nothing in the wooden box.But seeing this weird combination of lock and key is worth the trip.Zhang Jian looked at the dragon key and thought to himself: the size of the dragon head is much larger than the keyhole, so of course it is impossible to enter the lock room.With a backhand turn, gently push the dragon tail into the keyhole, and carefully swing it from side to side to test the reaction in the hole.

The dragon key was pushed into the hole about a third of the way, and there was an obstruction from the fingertip.Zhang Wei immediately tried to turn left and right, strange to say, no matter whether he went left or right, there was no difference, and he went smoothly without hindrance.This result can make Zhang Wei very puzzled.According to your own habits, hold the key and turn it clockwise.After half a turn, the key slipped directly into the second lock.Zhang Wei was a little excited about the progress. He didn't expect the unlocking process to be so smooth, and he couldn't help showing a smug smile on his face.

The owner of the opposite seat is obviously not as optimistic as the visitor.Probably this situation has long been familiar.Every time the lockpicker was the same as Zhang Wei, he soon showed a complacent smile.In the end, no one was able to open the box.

Zhang Wei continued to push the dragon key inward until it touched the bottom.Repeated the previous action, swaying from side to side to test, but unexpectedly got the same result.At the moment, Zhang Wei is not only confused, but also seems to have fallen into a five-mile fog.

The inside and outside of the two locks present the same strange phenomenon. They can be turned left, right, clockwise, and counterclockwise. There is no fixed direction at all, and the interior seems to be empty --- there is no mechanical device at all.Simply put, the lock seems to be empty.That being the case, what kind of force or mechanism is used to start unlocking.

At that moment, Zhang Wei fell into the same predicament and doubts as the previous lockpickers: Is the lock broken?There is nothing inside the lock, and there is no device that can support the opening of the lock.So what's the use of the serrations on the dragon key?Having said that, the inside of the lock is indeed divided into two locks, inside and outside.And the key can also enter the inner and outer lock passages in sequence. Is there any secret of unlocking hidden in it?

Zhang Wei felt unprecedented frustration.I thought it was just a trivial matter like unlocking the lock, but to bother him from a thousand miles away, is it more than an overkill?It's just killing chickens with a knife.I didn't expect the easy task of turning the palm of the hand and breaking the branch, but at this time, Zhang Wei was trapped in the maze.The previous self-satisfaction disappeared in an instant, and it ended up in a deep quagmire, unable to get out of riding a tiger.

Time passed by, and finally, Zhang Wei had no choice but to look up, face the master, and grin bitterly.

"This...is really a very special lock! Not only is it special on the outside, but the inside is very...strange...special!"

Zhang Wei barely squeezed out "strange" to replace the "weird" that he almost blurted out, to cover up his predicament.

Seeing Zhang Wei's unfurled brows, the old cowboy blinked, as if realizing something, and then spoke.

"Son, I know what you're trying to say? Do you think this lock is broken? Think I purposely asked you to open a...broken lock?"

Zhang Wei didn't respond, but his expression already told the answer.

"If you don't tell me, I understand. Several locksmiths said the same thing before. Including those experts... suggested that I just take an ax and split the box. But I believe that someone can open the box intact. Some things are destroyed. If it is destroyed, it will be destroyed forever, and it will never come back..."

The old cowboy's last words were uttered with a bit of heavy sadness, slipped into Zhang's ears, and went straight into his heart.

Zhang Wei understood what Austin meant, and he would not be willing to destroy a collection full of childhood memories.It feels like killing one's beloved animal with one's own hands, and it is also heartbreaking.Thinking of this, Zhang Wei felt the same, and opened his mouth in a different mood.

"Jason, don't worry. I believe I can open this lock. Please give me some time."

"Then what's the problem? I didn't rush you! It doesn't matter if you open the box or not. You can keep it as long as you like...you can keep it as long as you like, no problem!"

Austin returned readily.It made Zhang Wei feel a lot more relaxed.

Chamber of Secrets Dragon

PrestonHollow (PrestonHollow, TX) 1940

Zhang Wei propped his forehead, trying to rearrange his thoughts, after a while, he said, "Jason, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, you can ask!"

"Do you remember how your mother opened the lock?"

The old cowboy held his chin with his left hand and thought for a while: "What is this? I really don't remember clearly. But I remember that my mother didn't take much effort to open the box. So, I don't understand why it took so much time and effort. Even the experts that were brought in couldn't open the box. What a... Strange! The lock doesn't look like a very difficult lock."

"Then..." Zhang Wei hesitated to speak.

"Then what? Child. Just ask if you have anything to say?"

Seeing that Zhang Wei was hesitating to speak, the old cowboy changed his sitting posture, stroked his white mustache, and looked at the seat opposite Zhang Bin with a kind attitude.

"Then...you...did you remember the key wrong? Because, from the appearance of the box, the color of the lock pattern, and this dragon key...it seems very...very...mismatched."

Zhang Wei asked implicitly and euphemistically, but the cowboy responded with a laugh.

"Ha! I knew you would ask that. Son, have you ever seen such a special key?"

Zhang Wei shook his head.

"For me, this dragon key left a very deep impression on me. Back then, I played with it in my hand for a long time: I asked my mother, is it a...snake? A crocodile? Or just...a lizard?"

The cowboy's eyes are full of innocence, and the corners of his mouth are raised from time to time. The cheerful expression makes Zhang Wei feel that he just asked a stupid question.

"At that time, I didn't even know it was... an Eastern dragon. I thought it was a snake. This thing is really special. I will never forget the scene at that time! Now, you still think I will remember it wrong? "

According to the owner's description of the situation, Zhang Wei agrees with the old cowboy that it is unlikely to mix up the combination of lock and key.It's just that Zhang Wei didn't understand why Austin's mother could easily open the seemingly unsolvable lock at that time?Nowadays, experts with rich experience in unlocking, and a group of veteran experts, can't do anything about this key.

Compared with the simple lock on the small wooden box in front of him, Zhang Wei has experienced many lockpicking experiences that are more complicated, difficult, and dangerous than now.Take the time in Shaanxi, China many years ago, when I unlocked two complicated Tai Chi gossip locks one after another, so I was able to enter the underground palace of Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum, and took out the Ganjiang sword and an ancient bronze fragment (see Zhang Weizhi's Guide to Chariot).The situation at that time can be said to be a narrow escape, a close call.Compared with the strange lock on the small box in front of me, it is really a bit overkill now, and I feel discouraged because I can't use my strength.

Staring at the wooden box in front of him, Zhang Wei thought over and over again.

"If Mrs. Austin can easily open this lock, it shouldn't be a very complicated lock. Otherwise, if the lock cannot be opened, she should seek assistance. Besides, if the lock is really so complicated, Mrs. Austin should tell her How to unlock the son's lock. Maybe, she forgot; or, she thought it was too easy and unnecessary. Maybe..."

Thousands of possibilities swirl in Zhang Wei's mind.Seeing Zhang Wei's ecstasy and distressed look, Austin, like the guests, fell into deep confusion for a moment, and forgot the time for a moment.until the old cowboy felt