So, facing the collector's inquiry, Shen Shi slowly said, "Ancient texts."
Just two words, and the atmosphere instantly fell silent.
Not only the collector, but even another guest who had hidden their presence, also looked over.
"What a coincidence," the collector laughed.
Though her lips were like gold, they appeared soft when she smiled.
"What do you have?" The guest asked first.
"I have The Art of War." Shen Shi looked at him.
Silence struck again in an instant.
Even though faces couldn't be seen and tones couldn't be heard, Shen Shi seemed to sense his urgency.
Originally planning to throw it out, having made the decision, there was no need to hesitate further.
"How many words of annotation?" The guest asked again.
Annotation?
Shen Shi froze slightly.
His gaze swept across the battered copy of The Art of War on the table, seeming to understand.
What was truly valuable wasn't the original text of The Art of War.
After all, it was a famous work, and even in modern times, there were countless versions, so no matter how incomplete the ancient texts were, the original text shouldn't be lacking. But the annotations could possibly be one of a kind.
"Wait a moment." Shen Shi was decisive and began to become illusory.
Semi-online mode.
At this time, the main consciousness had returned to reality.
He directly went to the study and picked up the copy of The Art of War.
Hai City Literature and Art Federation Publishing House, Hardcover Edition, with a tough shell, a full three hundred and twelve pages, as thick as a novel with over one hundred thousand words.
Compared to the battered book observed earlier, it was countless times stronger.
When he returned to the collector's shop again, the book had already appeared in his hands.
However, at this moment, the book had become yellowed, dry, fragile, with the pages sticking together, seeming like they would fall apart instantly upon flipping.
Three thousand years of time had been added to this book.
But even so, the guest was excited, and the collector's gaze was also firmly fixed on the book!
"It's preserved so perfectly!"
Even though unable to understand the language, the translated voice still carried the disbelief in the collector's tone.
She gently raised her white jade finger, and the book in Shen Shi's hands immediately flew up, scattering page by page in the air. The originally fragile pages seemed to be delicately protected, separated clearly, and even the tiniest cracks were visible, with no impact between them.
However, the text above was like it had a mosaic over it, making it impossible to see clearly.
After all, what appeared here wasn't the actual book.
It was the virtual edition of the book.
The mosaic over the text was purely for protecting ownership.
Shen Shi didn't speak, being equally amazed at this scene, but still remembered to maintain his silent and taciturn persona.
After a long while.
The collector still had not withdrawn his shocked and enchanted gaze.
"I haven't seen such a perfect ancient text in a long time!" His finger slowly swept over the hovering pages, seemingly feeling the texture, "Preserved in a vacuum environment without any deficiency! It should have only gone through one owner, a pity its owner didn't flip it much—Sir, please sell this human treasure to me at any cost, I will certainly give you a satisfactory deal!"
The azure glow in the collector's eyes became intense.
The excitement in his tone was unmistakable.
This was, in fact, an irrational gesture in a transaction.
Shen Shi didn't believe someone three thousand years later would lose control over their emotions, yet he still displayed this behavior.
This sufficiently demonstrated the value of this book!
Guessed correctly!
Shen Shi's heart was equally elated!
This meant that he, living in the past, held an actual treasure!
Thanks to anonymity, Shen Shi's mood wasn't leaked at all.
After a moment of silence, he managed to reign in his emotions, then looked at the guest from before.
"Show me your trade item."
"...Please!"
Due to anonymity, Shen Shi didn't know the other guest's expression.
But the swirling liquid had already flown over.
Introduction sounds came at the same time:
"Transformation material produced by Adelaide civilization, specially manufactured to integrate into other civilizations. It can simulate any carbon-based life form, with minimum precision to the ancestral cell, having strong mimetic decomposition of matter, and equipped with the strongest anti-detection systems, with high military value..."
Shen Shi looked at the glob of liquid in his hand, listening to the continuous translation in his ear.
Even without detecting the original tone due to anonymity, he could feel the urgency in the other person's hearts from these long introductions.
Anonymity is indeed not omnipotent.
It was right to speak less.
But compared to these, Shen Shi at the moment was more amazed by the item in his hands.
He had already temporarily acquired the rights to the item from the trading platform and understood its actual use.
Transformation.
The so-called transformation material was composed of incredibly minute individuals capable of transforming into most elements.
Note, it's elements! Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron kinds of elements!
From a modern scientific perspective, this was almost impossible. These so-called elements were the basic particles that make up matter, resulting from the change in atomic proton numbers leading to qualitative changes. In other words, if this kind of matter truly existed as witnessed, its control level was at least at the proton level!
But does proton change not involve energy change?
Forget it.
Shen Shi gave up trying to use his limited scientific knowledge to comprehend the technology three thousand years in the future.
Suppressing his excited emotions, he manipulated according to the operation manual. With just a thought, the dark liquid in his hand rapidly compressed, into a cube of gold.
Both in weight and texture, it was indistinguishable from real gold!
Then, with another thought.
It transformed into a bird of unknown species, with ever-changing feathers, stunningly beautiful, spreading its wings, and starting to fly enthusiastically around Shen Shi in the small room.
This was a record of extraterrestrial species in the transformation material's database.
Transformation material could simulate and transform into most elements, but the combination still needed a control terminal to manage, similar to the relationship between a remote control and a drone.
"Not bad." Shen Yi pretended to be calm.
"Let's trade then!" The guest's urgency couldn't be suppressed by anonymity.
This was a complete version of The Art of War! Even if it's not a solitary copy, just its completeness could make its value ten times more than one with missing parts!
If this treasure was presented to the lord...
Must complete the trade!
The guest even looked at the collector warily.
At that moment, they were trade partners; the next instant, they became foes!