Chapter 240

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Protagonist:

Chen Yi

"Where's your person in charge?" Lu Fan knew Chen Yi's identity; with such a powerful backer behind him, his chest puffed out too. Too bad he's a man — nothing to look at.

The staff member's attitude improved, and he smiled: "Our director isn't in. Do you know him?"

Lu Fan spoke with righteous confidence: "We suspect the item brought for appraisal was swapped. Call him out."

"How could that be?" The staff member's face changed naturally and instantly.

With that one sentence from Lu Fan, Chen Yi sighed. Never mind that the two differed by nearly ten years in age — Lu Fan still had more social experience. How else to describe someone from the ivory tower? He directly said "swapped," which completely eliminated any room for maneuver — a dignified government institution, and a government appraisal institution at that, swapping an appraisal item; whatever the reason, a scandal like that they would absolutely never admit.

Although for Chen Yi, whether they were backed into a corner didn't matter, this still wasn't the way or attitude to solve the problem.

A person encounters many problems and many choices every day; the deeper one's position in society, the more problems one encounters. Therefore, solving problems at low cost is a social imperative everyone must learn. A so-called politician is someone who can solve problems at low cost — if speaking a few words and intimidating someone achieves the goal, then use intimidation; if negotiation achieves it, then negotiate. Stronger, more forceful means often imply higher economic or political costs; using them on small matters is clearly not worth it.

The moment Lu Fan spoke, Chen Yi also gave up on the idea of calling the police uncles, preparing instead to directly call his big uncle. Jiangning, as a vice-provincial planned city, its deputy mayor's position still carried considerable weight — at least far above some appraisal office, high up in the clouds.

However, he had just picked up the phone when the staff member started driving them away, and two security guards appeared right on cue, using a commanding tone: "Please leave our office first. If there are any problems, resolve them outside."

Losing the receipt stub, and then leaving the appraisal office — for ordinary people it would become very difficult to solve the problem through official channels — because there would be no evidence.

China's judicial structure values physical evidence over testimony; in this kind of civil case, whether it was Chen Yi or Lu Fan, serving as witnesses wouldn't work. Never mind that the police have always leaned toward public institutions; even if they fought to the final step and won in court, countless lingering problems would still await them. For example, proving the precious metal's source, explaining the channels, proving whether a swap existed... after a whole series of operations, getting the original item back would be considered good; proving the appraisal office's error would be extremely difficult, let alone a so-called swap.

Lu Fan probably understood a thing or two as well; he insisted on not leaving and started shoving with the two security guards, shouting that he would call the police.

The staff member, behind the two guards, persuaded gently: "Don't make trouble unreasonably, okay? If you're unsatisfied with the appraisal result, you can go to another appraisal office and have it appraised again, right?"

"You swapped the item yourselves..." Lu Fan was both angry and anxious.

Chen Yi sighed, patted his shoulder, and said: "Let's go out and talk."

"We gave them the receipt stub too." Lu Fan froze, said it quietly, then was shoved and stumbled.

Even the most even-tempered scholar, shoved like this several times over, would get angry. Helplessly, he was tall but weak; he couldn't fight back even if he wanted to. In his anger he cursed loudly: "Gu Chen, you son of a bitch!"

That classmate of his, also twenty-five or six, had to watch the boss's face just to be a lackey — what use could he be?

Chen Yi chuckled, turned, and walked out. He still believed in the integrity of government institutions — they didn't have the guts to beat people. As for official channels — hard to speak on someone else's turf, so he'd handle it by his own rules.

Under the security guards' hulking frames, Lu Fan followed out, stomach full of pent-up anger.

Behind the semi-transparent frosted glass, Section Chief Pi inside looked a bit nervous, and said quietly: "Chief Hui, did you ask clearly? Don't kick an iron plate."

"No problem." The one called Chief Hui was a slightly older, balding, not-fat middle-aged man. He laughed in a soft, glutinous voice: "I asked. That Lu Fan is a paleontology student or something; he just dug something up from outside two months ago. Maybe he got lucky and found a piece of natural platinum. Don't worry."

The West Continent's conch shells are originally naturally formed; in composition and other aspects they are very close to the "natural platinum" generated by microorganisms. After a simple judgment, Chief Hui, who was responsible for this matter, had an idea.

Chinese law stipulates that all minerals on land belong to the state. In other words, if you're thirsty and tired and pick a watermelon from the roadside to eat, Lu Xun and Runtu might not trouble you, but if you pick up a piece of kaolin from the ground and fire bricks, the government can trouble you.

Chief Hui seized on this point and formed the intention to swap.

Just as Lu Fan guessed, appraisal institutions proactively swapping items, or directly using state authority to forcibly confiscate appraisal items into state ownership — this wasn't the first time seen. Especially confiscation into state ownership — they have legal backing, as legitimate as a bank confiscating counterfeit money. Whatever was dug from the ground, dug by ancestors, picked up roadside — all could become grounds for confiscation. Whether to exercise this right depends on the item's preciousness.

For example, National First-Class Cultural Relics, National Second-Class Cultural Relics — those are never let go if there's any excuse. If a farmer gets lucky but blindly trusts the government's appraisal institution, that's a meat bun thrown at a dog — gone forever.

Natural platinum, the so-called "natural platinum," though not as precious as national-level figures, is still a considerably valuable object. Its value isn't just the platinum itself... artificial platinum extraction only began after the 1930s, and before that "natural platinum" was often so rare as to be seen once in decades, possessing certain collectible value — let alone 99% purity natural platinum.

Of course, in 2001 today, people who have just barely achieved food and clothing security don't pay much attention to collecting yet. Things like dog-head gold, natural platinum — they're still Chief Hui's personal hobby. On the other hand, natural platinum of such high purity has, in modern recorded history, basically only existed in hearsay rumors. Hence Chief Hui still isn't very certain whether it's truly pure natural platinum, especially the impurity categories inside, which make him quite doubtful.

But whatever the case, just swapping from 99% purity to 45% purity yields profits of several tens of thousands. After removing the few thousand yuan split with others, it tops a year's salary for him.

And the few thousand yuan split wasn't wasted either. At the time he thought: "Treat it as paying taxes." Now he feels it was even more worth it — at least Chief Pi has to share the danger with him.

But in his mouth he still persuaded Chief Pi: "It's fine. Even if they know a little, they can't do anything to us, right?"

"That other person, does he know the details..." Chief Pi hesitated.

"The surname Lu grad student doesn't know anyone official. Rest easy." Chief Hui persuaded impatiently. He knew Chief Pi — a man with two guts. When taking money, audacious, thick-faced and black-hearted. But when it came to bearing risk, he was a mouse with a gallbladder the size of a bean — not enough bile secreted to mix a scallion for a cricket.

However, whether the guts are big or not is one thing; whether one can bear responsibility is another.

"That kid is making a call." Chief Pi grew nervous again. The appraisal office's renovation layout had flavor — from the offices of these section chiefs and directors, almost all could see outside.

"I'll make another receipt." The receipt Chief Hui spoke of was the antique appraisal confiscation-into-state-ownership receipt.

Chief Pi knew clearly in his heart that this kind of thing works for routine use, but if something really happened it would be useless. Still, it could fend off small winds and waves — a violation of regulations but not law — so he didn't make a sound.

After a while, Chen Yi finished his call. Two guards still stood at the door, but the front desk girl had already returned to her seat. He walked over, smiled across the guards, and said: "Trouble you to pour me another cup of tea."

The door gods blocked the glass door. As long as he didn't go in, they didn't stop him — quite civilized, really.

The front desk started pretending not to recognize him, asking: "You are?"

Lu Fan flew into a rage: "We just met two minutes ago!"

"Two minutes ago, I was in the deputy director's office. There's surveillance footage." She pointed behind her.

"Then there's surveillance footage here too?" Lu Fan was overjoyed.

"No. So many people come and go at the front desk, I can't remember them all. What use would surveillance be?" The little girl laughed twice and ignored him.

Chen Yi tugged Lu Fan's clothes, perfectly at ease, and smiled: "Then give us two chairs, and pour some water. Can't have us standing at the door, right?"

The front desk girl glanced back, obediently passed out two stools, poured tea and water, and smiled: "What do you two want appraised today?"

Lu Fan rolled his eyelids: "You really pretend not to know us?"

"Really." The little girl cupped her hands to her chest, acting cute — truly making it impossible to get angry.

"We'll sit for a bit." Chen Yi leaned his chair against the wall, not afraid of dirtying his silk shirt.

"Lots of people come every day. If you want to rest your feet, there's a mall and coffee shops nearby..." The front desk worried: Don't tell me it's a sit-in protest. That would really affect the mood.

Lu Fan was so angry he couldn't speak. His hand trembled for a long while. He slumped and drank tea: "Young Master Chen, it's up to you now."

Chen Yi blew on the tea dregs, smiling: "It's up to them. Miss, this tea isn't as good as the one just now. Tastes like tea dregs."

"Don't call me Miss." The front desk started pretending to be angry, and began playing with the computer.

Chen Yi and Lu Fan's composure was too calm. Chief Pi behind the glass grew nervous again: "Won't there be a problem?"

"No."

"Really?"

Section Chief Hui was helpless; he thought, when you took the 3000 yuan, you didn't hesitate at all, you were smiling so beautifully. Before his last bit of patience ran out, he patted the telephone on the desk with his hand and said: "You count; if that kid really can find capable people, in 5 to 10 minutes at most, their secretary will call here. If it's 20 minutes, that means they went around a bend, and it's fine if they just go back; if there's no movement for 30 minutes, either they blew him off, or he's blowing us off."

"That's the logic." Section Chief Pi began staring at the office telephone.

Section Chief Hui stepped back two steps, looking at Section Chief Pi's slightly bowed waist, and actually felt some mercy. Some people, they don't earn the easy, comfortable money, they bring hardship on themselves, for 3000 yuan, truly miserable!

He was still feeling proud when a burst of "ring ring ring" telephone noise started up like a death-summoning talisman.

Section Chief Pi's leg trembled and shook, he sat on half the chair; Section Chief Hui's hand also shook, he steadied his nerves, then smiled and said: "It's the Bureau Chief's office!"

"Good, good. The Bureau Chief is busy with business." Section Chief Pi looked at Section Chief Hui's embarrassed smile; both of them felt a bit uneasy inside.

……(Unfinished, if you want to know what happens after this, please log in to www. qidian. com, more chapters, support author, support genuine reading!)