War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 255 The Distorted Treasure
"Where's the evidence?" Herbert put down the A4 paper in his hand and asked, "I need to know the detailed cracking process, and I hope these requirements are also included in the investigation fee of 20 euros."

"certainly"

Wei Ran happily moved out the excuse he had thought up before entering the North African battlefield, "Mr. Herbert, you must have heard of the most complicated encryption system during World War II, right?"

"Enigma Cipher Machine" Herbert gave the answer without even thinking about it.

"Yes, the Enigma cipher machine." Wei Ran leaned back in his chair and said, "But even the most complex encryption system during World War II was successfully cracked in the middle and late stages of the war."

"What are you trying to say?" Herbert asked, frowning.

"To put it simply, I asked someone to decipher the code word on this oil drum with a computer." Wei Ran said deliberately to stimulate the other party's appetite.

"So you have no way to prove that your deciphering is correct?"

"Don't worry." Wei Ran pointed to the A4 paper at the other party's hand, "Look at the signature that left this code word, German Herald newspaper reporter Per Schilling, the time is December 1941, 12."

Seeing that Herbert focused his attention on the piece of paper again, Wei Ran continued, "According to this clue, I searched through many files and found some records about this reporter. At the price of 1941, the codebook used by the reporters sent by the German Herald to the front was found."

"Where's the codebook?" Herbert asked.

Wei Ran stood up with a smile, and went upstairs to get the code book that came with the oil drum from the bedroom. As for the hand-drawn map mixed in the code book, he temporarily put it upstairs.

Slowly going downstairs, he opened the codebook and pushed it in front of Herbert, Wei Ran pointed to the signature on it and said, "Per Schilling, the Herald, is the same person who left the code word on the oil barrel. In order to find and buy this cipherbook, I spent a lot of effort and cost."

"Where did you find this thing?" Herbert's eyes widened.

Wei Ran pretended to be profound and replied, "Where I found it is my business, but at least it proves that the 20 euros were not wasted, right?"

"I need to verify the authenticity." Herbert was extra cautious. While speaking, he actually took out a pair of white gloves from his pocket and put them on.

"Please," Wei Ran said, and picked up a stack of white paper and a signature pen from the station next to him, and handed them to the other party.He turned around and went into the small kitchen, slowly brewing a pot of coffee.

When he returned to the long table with the coffee pot, Herbert was still struggling to translate the code word on the oil drum, and on the white paper in his hand, several mistakes in his own translation had been crossed out. The place.

"At the Hongqi Forest Farm at this speed, I'm afraid I have to carry a silicone dummy 24 hours a day."

Wei Ran teased secretly, did not urge the other party, just sat down quietly, poured a cup of coffee for Herbert and himself, and waited patiently.

It took more than half an hour before Herbert carefully closed the code book and put it aside, then took off his gloves, and re-transcribed the content he had just translated.

"Victor, it's the same as what you translated, the secret language on the oil barrel was indeed written in this codebook." Herbert circled the German word "treasure" at the end of the translation with a pen in his hand , "But I want to know more, what kind of treasure is this."

"That's a second deal"

Wei Ran pushed the warm coffee to the other party, deliberately showing a slight flaw in his words, "The previous 20 euros only included the codebook and the decrypted content. Only after you paid the remaining 10 euros After the final payment, we will have a chance to talk about the treasure."

"So you have a clue?" Herbert asked.

"The final payment of 10 euros." Wei Ran looked at the other party with a smile, "According to the agreement, you need to pay in cash."

Herbert gritted his teeth, stood up and said, "Please wait a moment, I need to make a call."

"Please." Wei Ran cupped his hands again and watched the other party walk out of the studio.

In less than five minutes, Herbert sat down at the long table again, opened the briefcase, took out wads of cash from it, and placed them on the table between the two of them, waiting patiently for Wei Ran to use the money counter After counting twice, he asked, "Can I tell you the clues to the treasure now?"

"sure"

Wei Ran put the cash on the table into a file bag prepared in advance and threw it to the side station, then said absent-mindedly, "But I'm sorry Mr. Herbert, out of consideration for the safety of the treasure, I will You need to talk to the people behind you in person."

"I'm not behind my back." Herbert laughed dumbfounded in the middle of speaking, and stood up happily. "It seems that I have to make a phone call."

"We can talk in Volgograd or any city in Europe," Wei Ran said deliberately before the other party walked out of the studio.

Herbert made an OK gesture, and at the same time pressed the dial button on the phone.This time the call was faster, within two minutes before and after, Herbert hung up the phone and walked back.

"Mr. Victor, if it's convenient, how about we go to England?" Herbert asked standing at the table, "My employer will help you arrange board, lodging and transportation, and there will be an extra thousand pounds per day travel expenses."

Wei Ran looked at each other with a smile, "Where is England?"

"Scotland, near Loch Ness." Herbert added with a smile, "The Loch Ness that is rumored to have a water monster."

Wei Ran flipped through his phone pretending to be thinking, and then gave a reply, "I can set off as soon as tomorrow, but I only have a week at most."

Herbert hurriedly said, "I will arrange the itinerary as soon as possible, do you need me to book a ticket for you?"

"Then I will trouble you." Wei Ran said, picked up the pen on the table, copied a copy of his passport information and handed it to the other party.

After stuffing the paper into the briefcase, Herbert turned to say, "Mr. Victor, next is my private request."

"Please speak"

"Can we reach some cooperation on historical mysteries in the future?" Herbert said his plan, "Just like this time, I can help you introduce some clients, and you only need to pay some negligible commissions. "

"It's my honor." Wei Ran stood up and held the hand extended by the other party, "But I'm only good at World War II history and modern history."

"Every historian has his own areas of expertise and areas of expertise, which is normal." Herbert shook hands with Wei Ran, then took out a business card from his briefcase and handed it to Wei Ran, "I hope we There will be more opportunities for cooperation in the future.”

Taking the business card, Wei Ran said with a smile, "I look forward to the next cooperation as much as you do."

"I will let you know as soon as I have arranged the itinerary," Herbert said as he picked up the briefcase and the oil barrel on the table. "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave first."

After politely sending Herbert away, Wei Ran looked at the small card thrown on the table, and pressed it under the glass of the writing desk.As for the cooperation mentioned by the other party, it is natural to wait for the opportunity to cooperate.

After waiting in the studio for two days, he took away the cash of 10 euros from Alili who had come from Inta.

Naturally, Ji Ma didn't borrow so much money from him back then, but the astronomical telescope at the abandoned military base definitely didn't need to be refurbished. Therefore, at the suggestion of his aunt Zhou Shujin, Wei Ran simply gave the other party some more. Take this opportunity to make a small investment in Ji Ma's camp.As for whether he can make money, he doesn't care. With the responsibility of Hongqi Forest Farm, he will not let himself lose money.

In the blink of an eye, on the morning of June 6th, Herbert took a taxi to the studio again, and found Wei Ran who was reviewing.Before anyone walked into the studio, he said straight to the point, "Mr. Victor, we have a flight at noon today. If you are ready, we are going to the airport now."

Wei Ran, who had received the news two days ago, immediately put away the learning materials provided by Hongqi Forest Farm, glanced at the taxi parked at the door of the studio and said, "Take my car and let him not have to wait."

"Then I won't be polite." Herbert, who was carrying two suitcases, immediately turned around and waved to the taxi at the door. The latter rolled down the window and spat in disdain, stepped on the accelerator and walked away. .

"The Russians are so enthusiastic," Herbert joked embarrassingly.

"It's really enthusiastic, an enthusiasm that even black people can't bear."

Wei Ran made a joke, put on a satellite phone that he bought at a high price the day before, pulled the suitcase that was prepared last night, and beckoned Herbert to get into the exaggerated off-road vehicle parked at the door.

On the way to the airport, Wei Ran took the opportunity to ask, "Herbert, tell me about your employer?"

"An old guy who always dreamed of finding the family treasure"

Herbert summed it up succinctly, "His name is Charlotte Burton. In addition to running a bar and souvenir shop in Fort Augustus on the south bank of Loch Ness, he also runs a jewelry store in Edinburgh."

"Charlotte Burton?"

Wei Ran laughed secretly, what fine tradition does this Burton family have?Why are the names all related to the protagonists in various famous novels?

Herbert nodded and continued, "He spent a lot of money in finding the so-called family treasure. Of course, he also made me a lot of money."

"Tell me about that so-called family treasure?" Wei Ran continued to ask.

"According to him, his father was a British soldier stationed in North Africa during World War II. After the war, the soldier only brought back one oil drum, which is the oil drum in the suitcase."

Herbert paused, and continued, "According to Charlotte, his father died on the expedition shortly after he was born, and only he and his mother left him and his mother in the oil drum. Four Carthaginian goddess gold coins and two rare Lydian amber gold coins.

It was also by selling those two Lydian amber gold coins that their family survived the difficult days after the war and have a decent life today.And most importantly, Mr. Charlotte has always believed that his father must have discovered the treasures left by the ancient civilization of Libya when he was serving in North Africa. "

"Herbert, just now you said what is the Lydian amber gold coin?" Wei Ran asked after slightly reducing the speed of the car.

"One of the world's first metal coins to be used"

Herbert explained clearly, "The biggest feature of this small gold nugget that drives coin collectors crazy is that one side has a lion, a lion and a bull's head, or a stag or other animal pattern, and the other side is a gold nugget. Corresponding stamp."

Isn't this the little gold nuggets that were found with the gold coins at the bottom of the well?

While Wei Ran slandered, he couldn't help being a little puzzled. The three gold coins that were distributed to him were inlaid on the three oil barrels by the metal book, so where did the small gold nugget that was distributed to him go?
(End of this chapter)