Chapter 1

Late at night, at the famous white cliffs of Dover in England, the howling wind whipped up huge waves that crashed against the white cliffs, producing a deafening roar.

At the top of the white cliffs, Jiang Ping bent over, trying to avoid the fierce wind, and stumbled forward with great difficulty. A few kilometers behind him, a large group of police officers were searching carefully with police dogs. The barking of the dogs occasionally reached Jiang Ping's ears, reminding him that his pursuers were getting closer.

Jiang Ping never expected that this seemingly foolproof operation would end up like this. He could clearly feel the blood flowing from the wound in his abdomen, and his strength was slowly draining away with the blood. He couldn't help but bitterly smile and shake his head, realizing that this time it would end in failure.

Exhausted, Jiang Ping had no strength to continue. Although the police were not far behind, he had to stop to rest for a moment.

Jiang Ping, approaching his forties, was one of the most famous thieves in the world. Over the past two decades, he had a flawless record—thirty-three heists, all successful. The reason others had such precise statistics on his heists was that he had a habit of leaving his unique mark, even with a number, at each crime scene.

It was precisely because of Jiang Ping's "arrogant" behavior that he became a thorn in the side of the International Criminal Police Organization and local police. The reward for his capture had reached $2.7 million, making him the most valuable thief in history.

Just as Jiang Ping sat down by a hidden small mound, his phone vibrated silently. The only person who could call this number was his partner, Dong Zhen. Dong Zhen was responsible for selling the stolen goods and providing support. The helicopter for this retreat was arranged by him.

Jiang Ping struggled to answer the call and, before the other party could speak, asked in a deep voice, "What's going on? Why hasn't the helicopter arrived, and why are the police here first?"

Dong Zhen replied in a relaxed tone, "The helicopter didn't come? No problem, I'll arrange another one. As for the police... Can't you shake them off? Don't be too nervous, I believe in you!"

Dong Zhen's tone made Jiang Ping realize something, and he immediately said coldly, "You betrayed me! Why?"

"Because I'm sick of it!" Dong Zhen sneered, "Why should the profits always be split 70-30? I put in so much effort, yet I get less than half of what you do. I can't stand it!"

Listening to Dong Zhen's hysterical voice, Jiang Ping remained silent. He knew that Dong Zhen was a deep and calculating person, and the reasons for his betrayal were not just these.

Sure enough, Dong Zhen quickly added, "And once you're dead, all your 'works' will be mine! Don't worry, I'll find them a good home."

Besides being a thief who gave the police a headache, Jiang Ping had another identity—he was a highly skilled forger. Jiang Ping's level of expertise was extremely high, and his range was very broad. Antiquities and artworks from all over the world were his targets.

Any work forged by Jiang Ping was almost indistinguishable from the real thing, even the most experienced appraisers could be deceived. Over the past decade, Jiang Ping had accumulated a considerable number of "works." If these forgeries were sold as genuine items, they would be worth a significant fortune, which was indeed worth Dong Zhen's actions.

However, Dong Zhen didn't stop there and continued, "The last reason is because of Su Yinmeng!"

Hearing this name, Jiang Ping's heart trembled, and he involuntarily thought of the beautiful, elegant woman who seemed to be a dream. He couldn't help but shout, "This is between us, don't involve her!"

"Ha, you're worried!" Dong Zhen laughed triumphantly on the other end of the line, "You never admitted to liking her before. You two are the same, both pretending not to care even though you like each other. It's ridiculous."

Jiang Ping temporarily forgot his situation and muttered to himself, "Yinmeng... she likes me too?"

"That's right, she admitted it to me herself," Dong Zhen said crazily, "A woman like her deserves only me. So you must die, only then will I have a chance!"

Dong Zhen calmed down a bit and said mockingly to Jiang Ping, "Rest in peace. I'll spend your money, and your woman... I'll take care of her!"

Jiang Ping didn't waste any more words with Dong Zhen, shook his head, and hung up the phone. He knew that he had been betrayed by Dong Zhen. Dong Zhen was a very cautious person, and since he had revealed the truth, it meant he was confident in killing him. It seemed that tonight he was doomed.

However, Jiang Ping was not entirely a lamb to the slaughter. He reached into his pocket and felt the pigeon-egg-sized gem. This gem was the target of his current operation—a precious artifact from ancient Egypt, known as the "Eye of the Future."

According to legend, this gem had the power to show the future, but mainstream scholars believed it was just a myth. The Eye of the Future was valuable because of its historical significance.

Jiang Ping had taken advantage of the opportunity when the Eye of the Future was sent to the UK for an exhibition, infiltrating the heavily guarded British Museum to steal the precious gem.

According to the original plan, Jiang Ping should have sent the Eye of the Future to Dong Zhen through a special channel immediately after the heist. However, out of caution, he had sent a forgery he had prepared in advance. This was originally just a precaution, but now it was his only chance to retaliate against Dong Zhen.

Thinking of Dong Zhen holding the forgery and trying to trade it with the notoriously ruthless Russian mafia, Jiang Ping's lips curled into a cold smile. The Russians were not to be trifled with, and Dong Zhen would not have a good outcome.

However, this was no longer important to Jiang Ping. The police were getting closer, and with his severe injuries, he could not escape. It seemed that Jiang Ping had only one choice: to surrender to the police.

But Jiang Ping did not intend to do so. He knew that Dong Zhen was a cautious person, and since he had revealed the truth on the phone, he would not give him any chance to live. Dong Zhen had definitely bribed the police, and even if Jiang Ping surrendered, he would end up dead. Moreover, the Eye of the Future hidden on his body might fall back into Dong Zhen's hands, which Jiang Ping could not accept.

As the police pursuing him got closer, Jiang Ping, who was already at the end of his strength, made his final decision. He struggled to stand up and staggered toward the edge of the cliff.

In a short while, Jiang Ping was standing at the edge of the white cliff. At the same time, the police behind him saw him and loudly ordered him to surrender. However, Jiang Ping ignored their commands, and without hesitation, he used his last strength to jump off the white cliff.

Jiang Ping fell into the turbulent sea from a height of several dozen meters. Already severely injured, he immediately fell into a semi-comatose state and did not resurface. The police who arrived later shone their flashlights down but saw nothing but the sea.

No one knew what was happening underwater. The Eye of the Future, which Jiang Ping had hidden on his body, gradually became brighter, and a faint orange-yellow light began to shine through his pocket, standing out in the dark sea. When the Eye of the Future reached its peak brightness, Jiang Ping was enveloped in a warm glow. However, this only lasted a moment, and even the police searching on the surface did not notice.

"Too stuffy... can't breathe!" Jiang Ping, who was unconscious, gradually regained his senses. He felt as if he were deep in the sea, surrounded by water that made it impossible to breathe, and he was about to drown.

The instinct for survival made Jiang Ping struggle involuntarily, and he suddenly opened his mouth to take a deep breath. As fresh air rushed into his burning lungs, Jiang Ping's consciousness returned, and he immediately opened his eyes.

The first thing Jiang Ping saw was a delicate young girl. She was pinching his nose, with a mischievous smile on her face. When Jiang Ping recognized the girl, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and he was speechless. This mischievous girl was none other than his younger sister, Jiang Wei.

However, Jiang Ping clearly remembered that his sister had died of acute leukemia when he was nineteen. Because the family couldn't afford a bone marrow transplant, she passed away a year later, at the age of sixteen. Now, Jiang Ping was thirty-eight, meaning his sister had been dead for eighteen years. How could she suddenly appear in front of him? At this moment, Jiang Ping even thought he was dead and had met his long-dead sister in heaven.

Jiang Wei, seeing her brother's dazed expression, thought he was still asleep and smiled at him, "Lazybones! If you don't get up soon, you'll be late for school!"

Seeing his lively sister, Jiang Ping, who was still in shock, asked involuntarily, "Xiao Wei, you... you're okay!?"

Jiang Wei replied curiously, "What could be wrong? What's wrong with you today? You seem strange."

"I'm fine!" Jiang Ping forced himself to calm down and managed a faint smile, "Maybe I'm still half-asleep, so I'm a bit confused."

Jiang Wei didn't doubt her brother's words and just wrinkled her nose cutely, "You're such a lazybones. Breakfast is ready, come out and eat quickly!"

With that, Jiang Wei walked out of the room with a light step, leaving the stunned Jiang Ping on the bed.

"School? My dead sister is alive again, what's going on?" Jiang Ping shook his head hard, trying to clear his mind and understand his current situation.

===分割线===

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