"Xiao Ying, you're overthinking it!"
As Luo Bin spoke, he waved his wand and cast a vacuum Protective Barrier. Then, gripping the Stone Shard, he cut through the Hidden Compartment bit by bit. Robbie and Xiao Ying both held their breath, afraid of disturbing him as he cut through the steel plate.
Ten minutes later, the Hidden Compartment was completely separated from the top of the Safe. Luo Bin gripped its edges and slowly lifted it. Then... a stack of yellowed, blackened sheets that looked like wastepaper appeared before them.
"Ugh, they hid it so carefully that I thought it would be something good. Turns out it's just a pile of wastepaper!"
Xiao Ying spoke indignantly.
"No, that's impossible. These sheets were kept inside the Hidden Compartment and rarely exposed to oxygen. Judging by how badly they've aged, they must be at least a thousand years old. A thousand years... wait, could this be evidence left behind by the wealthy and powerful who funded the inhuman experiments?!"
Robbie's eyes widened. Clearly, his own guess had shocked him!
"I think so!"
The yellowed, blackened sheets had deteriorated so badly that they looked as though the slightest touch would crumble them to dust. Luo Bin dared not touch them with his hands. Instead, he gripped his wand and moved aside the cover sheet, revealing ancient writing in bold, forceful strokes.
[Sponsor: Demin Edward Recipient: Lester's Great Experiment Funding amount: 30% of the Edward family's business profits Funding term: indefinite Expected return: upon the experiment's success, priority provision to descendants of the Edward family Personnel support: delivery of 100 Muggle-born wizard children each year]
Demin Edward appeared on the first page, which meant he had been the first to agree to provide funding when First-Generation Lester approached the wealthy and powerful