Chapter 429: Imagine That (Two-in-One, Bonus Chapter 1/4 for Tuan Tuan the Alliance Leader)

Who are Dong Sheng and Ceng Sheng?

The former is the previous incumbent, and the latter is the current one.

It is often said that Hong Kong business tycoons look down on the Mainland, and there are many who are more powerful and wealthier than these two families. But go ask these families—who among them doesn't envy these two until their eyes turn red and their hearts are filled with sour resentment?

It can be said like this: this is a height that all Chinese merchants dream of, a height that takes generations of a family's strength to reach, yet remains something one can look upon but never attain.

What if it concerns the sons of these two?

Chen Weihua's heart couldn't stop skipping a beat.

He had guessed before that Lin Sicheng's background might not be simple, but he never thought it would be this sensitive.

But the problem is, they only met this afternoon, and the two hit it off immediately and had a pleasant conversation. Moreover, because of that matter, he had been open and honest, and had solemnly apologized to Lin Sicheng.

Given that person's magnanimity and stature, he wouldn't bring up old matters, much less turn his back on someone after just meeting.

So, something must have gone wrong somewhere—

Chen Weihua frowned and racked his brains, but suddenly, with a "screech," the car came to a sharp stop.

Thinking they had encountered some situation, Chen Weihua and the Group Leader subconsciously looked up.

But everything looked fine: the road was wide open, and there wasn't even an extra car in sight.

Then, the two became thoughtful: in the rearview mirror, He Yingjun was staring straight at them, a flash of terror in his eyes, his face turning pale bit by bit.

Chen Weihua suddenly realized: "A Jun, what did you do?"

"I just—just asked those Police friends to check through internal connections—"

The Group Leader shook his head decisively: Impossible.

If it were only that, it wouldn't have prompted the mobilization of high-level officials who specifically handle international criminal affairs. These two even spoke to him for so long, almost as if they were reprimanding him.

If it were only that, the final Branch Captain Yan wouldn't have made a special trip to speak those words of warning to Chen Weihua in a private capacity—

He shook his head, and Chen Weihua suddenly understood: "A Jun, tell the truth!"

"Chen—Mr. Chen, afterwards, I—I had someone follow Mr. Lin—"

"Who?" Chen Weihua's pupils shrank rapidly, "Those thugs?"

He Yingjun's lips trembled: "Yes, Mr. Chen—but they couldn't keep up; they said Mr. Lin's car was too good, and they lost him halfway—"

Chen Weihua's face turned deathly pale, and a surge of blood rushed to his head.

"A Jun, what did I tell you? This is someone else's territory, we shouldn't create extra complications: we can try to ask around, but we can't be too direct, which is why I told you to go find General Manager Niu and Dean Yang for help—"

"Mr. Chen, I tried, but they said they couldn't find anything—"

Chen Weihua was completely stunned: So, you took it upon yourself to send thugs to tail him?

No wonder Branch Captain Yan's wording was so severe.

And no wonder, even though he asked A Jun to handle the arrangements, the plainclothes officers broke into the private room just as they had sat down and arrested everyone.

A Jun only thought he was just investigating that person's background, but in the eyes of the other party, this was clearly collusion between internal and external forces, and since it was a simultaneous action, it had seriously threatened their personal safety.

Believe it or not: if they were in Hong Kong, He Yingjun and those few thugs would be sunk to the bottom of the sea to feed the fish before dawn.

The Chen Clan's background isn't very deep, but it has some weight. He might not die immediately, but the family business would definitely not be spared; it would all be hit. Within a month, Chen Weihua would be forced by the elders in his family to take a boat and run.

But where could he run? Taiwan, Nanyang, Thailand, Vietnam?

He wouldn't be able to escape anywhere—

The more he thought, the more afraid he became. Chen Weihua's eyes were splitting with rage: if he had a gun in his hand, he wouldn't have hesitated for a second to shoot the driver on the spot—

The Group Leader had an expression of disbelief, looking at He Yingjun as if he were a moron.

He had been wondering before, even if his guess was right and that person's identity was very sensitive, it shouldn't have required the mobilization of high-level officials who handle international affairs, and at such a high rank?

So, the answer was here?

Today they dare to send thugs to tail someone, tomorrow they might dare to send thugs to kidnap someone, or even kill the hostage—hasn't that happened in Hong Kong before?

The Group Leader sighed deeply: "Mr. Chen, contact that Mr. Lin immediately: apologize, host a banquet, and humble yourself!"

Chen Weihua nodded hurriedly.

If he had still had some doubts about Lin Sicheng's identity before—for instance, that it wasn't as high as he imagined—he dared not harbor any more delusions now.

Not to mention those thugs, just look at the police A Jun invited: these were not the uniformed officers that street thugs in movies dare to provoke, but mid-level officials equivalent to Hong Kong's Senior Inspectors and Superintendents.

This is not Hong Kong, where one can do whatever they want just by having money and power; big shots can make police officers lose their jobs whenever they want.

And they only asked for a small favor, just checking Lin Sicheng's background through internal connections, and they were all arrested?

Do Dong Sheng and Ceng Sheng in Hong Kong have this ability?

They probably do, but it would absolutely not be this fast.

Therefore, if today's matter is not handled well, he won't be able to close a single business deal in the Mainland in the future. It's even a question of whether he can return to Hong Kong—

The more he thought, the more afraid and panicked he became. Chen Weihua took out his phone: "Mr. Liang, I will contact him right now!"

"Good!"

The Group Leader sighed and opened the car door to step out.

The driver, realizing what was happening, hurriedly followed.

Chen Weihua organized his words, took a few deep breaths, and dialed Lin Sicheng's number.

It rang several times before being answered. Chen Weihua got straight to the point: "Mr. Lin, I am sorry!"

The term "Mr. Lin" actually left Lin Sicheng bewildered. The key was this apology, which truly left him confused:

Everything is fine, what are you apologizing for?

It couldn't be that this old Hong Konger is going back on his word and doesn't want to sell the broken Brush Washer to him anymore?

Looking at the porcelain shards in the hands of Lv Chenglong and Zhao Xiuneng, Lin Sicheng frowned: "General Manager Chen, please speak slowly!"

"Mr. Lin, it is my fault. I shouldn't have let the Public Security Bureau investigate you. And I shouldn't have asked Dean Yang for help to inquire about your background—"

Lin Sicheng was completely baffled: What is there to apologize for in that?

Chen Weihua is not Wang Chun; strictly speaking, he is a relatively law-abiding antique merchant with relatively clean methods, whose business is basically on the right track, and who can basically be called a proper antique dealer.

And in the antique trade, if you don't even figure out the background of the seller or the buyer, you dare to accept goods, or even ship them? This isn't carelessness; this is a screw loose in the brain.

Not to mention the items Chen Weihua usually buys and sells, for which he tries his best to ensure a legitimate source. Even when Zhao Shixiong buys black-market goods, he wouldn't do it like this. If you don't believe it, ask him now: back when Zhao Shixiong was dealing in Raw Pit Goods, if he hadn't verified the background of the buyer and seller, would he have dared to do business?

To put it bluntly: the special nature of the merchandise and the special market conditions naturally give rise to special unspoken rules in the industry.

The items don't have to be proper, but the background of the people must be crystal clear and plain as day, otherwise, you are playing with your life.

Not to mention the serious stuff, let's take the lightest example: for the same piece of restricted Cultural Relics, if an Appraiser provides an appraisal and valuation for an ordinary and unknowing collector, at most they will be given a verbal warning by the Police. But if the other party is into Grave Robbing, then congratulations: starting at one year—

Besides, this matter was discussed this afternoon, hasn't it already been turned over?

Lin Sicheng looked suspicious, yet listened patiently, and then, the more he listened, the stranger it felt, the more he listened, the stranger it felt.

Chen Weihua's driver acted on his own initiative and asked the Police to investigate him—this should be possible.

Moreover, it involved a gang of swindlers, and even had a blood feud with Chen Weihua. If it were Lin Sicheng, he would not only investigate, but would spare no cost and use every means to investigate.

But that driver, hiring local thugs to tail him—isn't that nonsense?

After seeing Chen Weihua off, he hadn't even stepped out of the door of Bai Shan Zhai. Lv Chenglong and Zhao Shixiong hadn't stepped out either; the three of them had been researching the broken Brush Washer, and even dinner was ordered by Zhao Da from next door.

Even Zhao Da and Zhao Er hadn't gone out, and Zhao Shixiong's three cars had been parked at the shop entrance the whole time, never moving at all. So, who was it that Chen Weihua said had several thugs following his car, only to lose them halfway?

The two looked at each other, and Zhao Xiuneng curled his lips, revealing a sneer: This old Hong Konger—oh no, this old Hong Konger's driver was played for a fool by that gang of thugs.

Those who hang out in society might be reckless, but they are definitely not stupid. Those who wander around Panjiayuan have the word "shrewd" written on their foreheads.

With fake goods everywhere, swindlers everywhere, and schemes and traps everywhere, if you aren't shrewd, you'll be fleeced until nothing is left. Go ask around: are there any markets in Beijing that don't have people collecting protection money? Is there any in Panjiayuan?

You might look at a stall owner and think he looks like an old farmer—honest, simple, and timid. But it's hard to say if there isn't a grave robber in his family who has buried a "living pile," or a Grave Robbing expert, maybe even more than one.

You might bully him during the day, and before you even get home at night, you'll have several wounds on your body from a Luoyang Shovel.

If ordinary stall vendors are like this, let alone such a large storefront?

Furthermore, Zhao Shixiong's identity isn't exactly a secret, is it? Who in the Beijing antique trade doesn't know that the boss of Bai Shan Zhai, Zhao Xiuxian, has an older brother who is a famous big-time operator in the Northwest?

Tai Mausoleum? Why don't you try Tai Mausoleum one? Forget about Tai Mausoleum, they wouldn't even dare to come to the entrance of Bai Shan Zhai.

This gang of thugs was just seeing that Chen Weihua was an old Hong Konger, unfamiliar with the place, and figured they might as well swindle him for some pocket money. If you don't believe it, go to the General Team and ask about the thugs they caught; tonight, they definitely haven't even stepped out of their doors.

As for the few Police officers who were caught, they must have just happened to be there: the Wang Chun case was at a critical juncture, and his own identity was extremely sensitive. Moreover, the way Chen Weihua sent gifts and handled things this time was exactly the same as what Wang Chun did: involving overseas, collusion inside and out, and tipping off—

It was equivalent to a tiny spark that just happened to land on the fuse of a cannon. No one dared to guarantee how big a mine was hidden behind the fuse, so naturally, it was treated with extraordinary measures.

It's no exaggeration at all; the General Team and those Branch Captains were definitely scared to death. It's just that this period has been too busy and they couldn't spare the time, otherwise, the person receiving that Hong Kong Affairs Office Group Leader wouldn't just be two Police Superintendents, but at least at the level of a Police Commissioner.

Although it was finally clarified that it was just a misunderstanding, if they didn't make an example of a few people to warn the others, who knows if a second Wang Chun would be created?

But to catch a thief, you need the stolen goods; to catch an adulterer, you need the pair. Just checking some Information on the internal network would at most result in an internal circular. Therefore, someone deliberately let the line out a bit longer, waiting for Chen Weihua's driver to give these people some money—

Of course, this is just Lin Sicheng guessing wildly here; the leaders might not be that devious.

But the point isn't this; the point is: Chen Weihua knows nothing.

He doesn't know anything about the Wang Chun case, and hasn't even heard of this person named Wang. He doesn't even know what kind of role he played in it, and even less does he know how good his relationship with the Police is now.

He only knows: it was just a tiny misunderstanding, not even counting as a public security case, yet it was handled personally by two high-level officials at the rank of Hong Kong Chief Superintendent (equivalent to a Department-level/Deputy Bureau-level official on the mainland).

Even when leaving, a Senior Superintendent (equivalent to a Deputy Bureau-level official on the mainland) warned him in the sternest terms: "Don't think that just because you are from Hong Kong, I can't do anything to you. If you want to do business, do it properly. If you don't want to do it properly, I have plenty of ways to deal with you."

What he couldn't figure out even more was: he only helped check a little bit of Information related to himself, and a Senior Superintendent (Deputy Bureau-level), two Superintendents (Section-level), and several Senior Inspectors (Deputy Section-level) were caught on the spot?

Don't say this is the mainland, where procedures are strict and long-winded. Even in Hong Kong, even before the 1997 handover, even if you offended the Governor, would the speed be this fast?

No need to guess, Lin Sicheng is one hundred percent certain: the current Chen Weihua has already imagined his identity to an extremely terrifying, extremely exaggerated degree.

That's why he is so panicked, and that's why his tone is so humble—

Lin Sicheng sighed: "General Manager Chen, don't be nervous, it's really not what you think—calm down and look at my hands: if I were as powerful as you think, how could I possibly be in this line of work?"

But just as he finished speaking, a "pfft" sound.

Lin Sicheng subconsciously looked up: Zhao Xiuneng was pouting, his face full of mockery.

And it wasn't just him; there was also Lv Chenglong, staring straight at him, as if saying: Lin Sicheng, when you lie, do you really not even blink?

Lin Sicheng was a bit confused: No—is what I said wrong?

Which young master would have a swollen brain and work in this line?

Wouldn't it be better to flip some approval documents or get into energy?

Like Jing Zeyang, the most unreliable and least professional one, even he knows to get into the Ministry to get some credentials first—

While complaining inwardly, Lin Sicheng suddenly froze: Huh, no, it seems there really is one?

His teacher, Wang Qi Zhi, isn't he in this line of work?

And he is "red" from the roots, the kind that couldn't be redder.

And there's Ye Anning, who might be even redder, but the trade she's in is more or less the same—what about these two?

While he was stunned, Chen Weihua's voice came over the phone: "Mr. Lin, identity and hobbies do not conflict: during the Northern Dynasty, Gao Wei liked to dress as a beggar. During the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Youxiao liked carpentry, but that didn't stop them from being emperors—"

Zhao Xiuneng was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud. Lin Sicheng was speechless: That makes so much sense?

Can't explain it clearly?

Besides, there's no need to explain it that clearly.

Having a bit of deterrent power is fine, so this General Manager Chen won't feel resentful because of the Brush Washer incident and cause trouble for Feng Laosan and Hu Hai in the future.

But he can't be scared too badly: after all, later on, if he goes to Hong Kong, Malaysia, or Singapore, he might need this General Manager Chen's help.

If he gets scared and doesn't dare to come to the mainland, or even worse, gets scared into quitting this line of work, how could he ask for his help?

Lin Sicheng thought very seriously: "General Manager Chen, compensation is unnecessary, and there's no need to carry a rod on your back to apologize—I'm not saying the opposite—of course, dinner is definitely fine, you set a time—tomorrow, or the night after? That works—"

After some polite words, he hung up the phone, and Lin Sicheng sighed: What is this all about?

"A twist of fate, a lucky strike."

"Not a lucky strike!" Lv Chenglong nodded seriously, "If you don't believe me, ask General Manager Zhao!"

Zhao Xiuneng was dismissive: "If I were you, when I go the day after tomorrow, I would definitely call Professor Wang and Director Ji, and it would be best to bring Assistant Ye along—and then, let the old Hong Konger go and inquire again—"

Lin Sicheng was stunned: he wouldn't say he was scared to death, but it definitely broke him out in a cold sweat.

But the feeling —————— was like he was a kept man?

Seeing exactly what he was thinking, Zhao Xiuneng gave a "heh": "Others want to be kept, but can't even get the chance!"

Lin Sicheng gritted his teeth: Senior Brother Zhao, you really can, why bring up the one thing that shouldn't be mentioned?

If you were even twenty years younger, I would definitely have a fight with you today ————

After a few jokes, he checked his watch again: "It's almost eleven, let's go, grab some late-night snacks!"

Lv Chenglong was somewhat reluctant, staring at the porcelain shards in his hand: "Let me look a bit more!"

"Let's go ————" Lin Sicheng pulled him up firmly, "If you want to look, I'll send them to the Palace Museum tomorrow!"

Lv Chenglong was suddenly delighted: "Really?"

"Of course, I'll go with my teacher!"

"That's good ———— that's good ————" Lv Chenglong took off his gloves, "Don't be too late, come in for work ————"

"Don't worry!"

Watching Lin Sicheng pat his chest with a "thump-thump" sound, Zhao Xiuneng rolled his eyes: Junior Brother Lin, trying to borrow a hen to lay eggs again?

For example, the metal artifact anti-rust technology currently being jointly researched with the Cultural Relics Research Institute, which has already achieved phased progress.

Or for instance, the "Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain" and "Ming Dynasty Thin-body Porcelain" projects that have already reached an agreement with the Palace Museum and are about to be jointly initiated.

And this time the project is even bigger: it involves the export of ancient Chinese science and technology, and involves the origins of foreign industry; let alone the center that the two junior brothers are running, it is estimated that even Xida couldn't handle it.

Wouldn't one have to find a partner with first-class technology, top-tier qualifications, who is easy to deal with, and preferably has a foundation for cooperation?

The Palace Museum Porcelain Research Institute is just right ————

With these thoughts, the group left Baishan Studio. Lv Chenglong peered at the pitch-black night sky and the empty streets: "Little Lin, is there really no one following you?"

Lin Sicheng shook his head decisively: "Impossible!"

Who would have nothing better to do?

Don't look at how Senior Brother Zhao usually keeps a low profile; that's because the social circles he currently interacts with are different: down to socialites like Hao Jun and Chen Yanyang, middle to high-level police officers like Guan Xingmin and Yan Wenjing, and up to "red descendants" like his teacher.

He has no opportunity to show off, nor does he dare to.

If he encountered figures from the underworld, even if he didn't clash, he would still give them a wide berth. Just like Wang Chun: powerful enough, right? The cases she pulled off were big enough, right? Ruthless enough, right? But back then, even after she knew about Senior Brother Zhao, she never said she sent people to follow herself.

"That's not what I meant ————" Lv Chenglong looked around wildly, "I'm talking about the police!"

Lin Sicheng looked helpless: "Director Lv, the Hong Kong businessmen believe this because they don't understand, and even more because they have the wrong idea. Do you have the wrong idea too?"

"I don't have the wrong idea, I just know a little bit more ————" Lv Chenglong lowered his voice, "Last week, commissioned by the Ministry, I was invited to appraise, and I went to the General Team ———— Tsk, so many good things, all dug out from the Qing Dongling. But the strange thing is, whether it's the era, the material, or even the purpose, they were all labeled clearly ————"

"I asked General Team Leader Li who retrieved them and who appraised them, he didn't say ———— then I thought: after you got injured, you took the Cultural Relics Bureau and went to the Dongling ————"

Lin Sicheng and Zhao Xiuneng were both stunned: Holy crap?

You can even connect these together?

What Lv Chenglong was talking about was when Lin Sicheng took experts from the Cultural Relics Bureau and the Archaeology Team to survey the Mu Mausoleum of the Daoguang Emperor, and ended up digging up five corpses under a cow pen.

Lv Chenglong knew at most about this one case, and only knew the surface of it. He didn't even know who Wang Chun or Ma Shan were, and was just guessing wildly.

But he guessed accurately ————

Lin Sicheng certainly wouldn't admit it, just shaking his head: "Director Lv, you really have an imagination!"

"It's fine, I'm just curious: if there weren't police following you, why was it that the Hong Kong businessman's driver sent people to follow you, and then was rounded up right after?"

Huh, that's actually hard to say?

If it were just to deal with those moles, catching the moles would be enough; why catch the thugs?

The thugs didn't really follow him; they just swindled some money from the Hong Kong businessman, and it wasn't even certain if they succeeded. Even if they did, it was only the boss who did the swindling. But Chen Weihua said that the gang the driver contacted had every single person caught, from the boss to the members ————

Lin Sicheng was thoughtful, looking left and right: there shouldn't be a need, right?

It's not that the scale isn't enough; if it weren't enough, Sun Liancheng wouldn't have brought Yu Guang and Han Xin specifically for a trip. It's that Wang's lackeys were basically all caught, and not a single person in the know was missed; it's not as dangerous as imagined.

Besides, if they had done that, even if there were regulations from above, Yan Wenjing should have given him a secret heads-up.

But then again: what if even Yan Wenjing didn't know?

Suddenly, Lin Sicheng became suspicious again, looking around wildly just like Lv Chenglong.

After looking for a while, he put on an indifferent expression: "Director Lv, you're overthinking it, there's no such thing ———— Let's go, let's eat ————"

""

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and Zhao Da drove the car over.

The restaurant wasn't far, and the Benz slowly drove onto the road.

Opposite, inside the Iveco, the squad leader gripped the walkie-talkie: "Captain Tu, Teacher Lin seems to be suspicious?"

"It's fine, do your job well!"

"What if we run into each other?"

"We are protecting him, it's fine if we run into each other."

"Oh ————"

After hanging up the phone, Tu Jun cursed Chen Weihua again: "Damn old Hong Konger ————"

It really had nothing to do with the Wang Chun case, but by a twist of fate, it triggered the police's early warning mechanism: whether there is danger isn't something you can just say with your mouth; you have to investigate.

Before the suspicion is cleared, the person must be protected well.

Therefore, they had already been following for several days ————

Winter dawns late; just as the sun poked its head out, Lin Sicheng called Wang Qi Zhi up.

Yesterday, Wang Qi Zhi also went to the Wenbo Building for a meeting and gave a speech, and drank a bit in the evening.

Being in high spirits, he drank until twelve.

At this moment, he hadn't fully sobered up from the alcohol, feeling dizzy in his head.

Lin Sicheng coaxed and pleaded, pushed and shoved, before he finally got him downstairs.

"It's not like you haven't been to the Forbidden City, or don't know the way?" Sitting in the car, Wang Qi Zhi yawned repeatedly. "Besides, it's not much use if I go."

"Who says?" Lin Sicheng started the car. "We'll probably have to discuss matters of follow-up cooperation; it might even lead to joint research. These are all your strengths, Teacher—"

"You're talking about Shadow Blue Porcelain?" Wang Qi Zhi paused. "Wasn't that already settled?"

"Not that!" Lin Sicheng pointed to the trunk. "I'm talking about those few pieces of imitation Ru Porcelain I acquired yesterday!"

What on earth, imitation Ru Porcelain?

Since when did the Forbidden City need to research such things?

Genuine Ru Porcelain would be one thing—

"From what era?"

"Late sixteenth century, early seventeenth century!"

Isn't that the late Ming, early Qing?

Wang Qi Zhi stopped: he felt it was even less worth the trouble. Because there are plenty of such things in the Forbidden City—

Just as he was about to ask, with a "beep," a small car sped past the front of their vehicle, and Lin Sicheng slammed on the brakes.

"It's early in the morning, are you in such a rush to be reincarnated—"

Wang Qi Zhi cursed in anger, not daring to distract Lin Sicheng again.

It was the morning rush hour, and there were too many cars on the road. Lin Sicheng was afraid that if he started talking, he wouldn't be able to stop, so he didn't say anything more.

After about an hour, the teacher and student arrived at Xisansuo.

Xisansuo is the internal name; to the outside world, this place is called the "Cining Palace Rear Garden of the Forbidden City's Western Outer Route." During the Ming Dynasty, this was the Huanyi Bureau. Low-ranking palace maids, or Concubines who had committed major offenses and weren't qualified to enter the Cold Palace, were basically all sent here to wash clothes.

During the Qing Dynasty, this was the Court of Dowager Concubines; apart from the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager, all the concubines of the late emperors and the late-late emperors lived in this area, commonly known as the "Widows' Court."

Legend has it that this place has an extremely heavy yin energy, so after the Palace Museum was established, any Cultural Relics without an exhibition plan were basically stored here.

In reality, it is far from that: first, it is quiet here, suitable for research. Second, the space is vast, allowing for expansion or even the construction of underground Treasury facilities without needing to destroy too much of the original architecture.

Therefore, ninety percent of the research and Artifact Restoration institutes under the Palace Museum are here; it is a "Cultural Relics hospital" in the truest sense.

Basically, every category is represented, and a lot of money has been spent; to say nothing of the rest, the optical equipment alone cost as much as 2.3 billion.

Compared to this, Lin Sicheng's Center is like a single hair on an ox—

Having made the appointment yesterday, Lv Chenglong had long since sent someone to wait outside Xisansuo. Fearing a delay, he had even thoughtfully helped him get a temporary access card.

It had to be done; in the underground Treasury here, there are at least a million pieces of Cultural Relics, and both inside and out, there are Armed Police on guard.

But not knowing that Wang Qi Zhi would also come, the card was only processed for Lin Sicheng, so it was delayed for quite a while.

By the time they reached the Porcelain Research Institute, it was almost ten o'clock.

"Why so slow?" Lv Chenglong grumbled, but upon seeing Wang Qi Zhi behind him, he suddenly froze. "Wait—what are you here for?"

"Hey, why don't I like the sound of that?" Wang Qi Zhi was one hundred percent reluctant. "Is the Forbidden City owned by your family?"

"Of course it's not owned by my family." Having known each other for many years, Lv Chenglong didn't indulge him at all. "But you won't understand it when you see it, so why are you meddling?"

"You surnamed Lv, don't bully people!" Wang Qi Zhi squinted. "My technique might be a little worse than yours, but what is there for me not to understand about a few Ming Imitation and Qing Imitation pieces?"

Ming Imitation—Qing Imitation?

Lv Chenglong widened his eyes. "Little Lin, you didn't tell him?"

"I didn't get a chance!"

He had returned home after one o'clock last night, and Wang Qi Zhi had just fallen asleep. This morning, before the alcohol had even worn off, he had been dragged out of bed, not even getting a chance to eat breakfast.

The road was crowded, and Lin Sicheng was afraid of being distracted.

As he took the items out, he explained: "Teacher, the pieces we brought today are indeed imitation Ru Porcelain, but they aren't Official Kiln imitations; they are Japanese imitations—"

Unlike the people from yesterday who only valued appraisal and ignored academics, Wang Qi Zhi was a serious Cultural Relics research Expert, and also a professor at a famous domestic university; historical knowledge was his basic skill.

As soon as Japanese imitation was mentioned, he recalled: in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, Japan had only just begun to learn how to fire porcelain; where would they get the technology to imitate Ru Porcelain?

Lin Sicheng explained: "One of them should be a trial piece from the early Edo period (early seventeenth century) by Sakaida Kakiemon and his father, Yuanxi."

"There are two others that are even earlier; they should be imitations from the Keicho Era (the Emperor's era name, late sixteenth century) when Li Canping first arrived in Japan—"

Wang Qi Zhi blinked: "Lin Sicheng, wait a moment—who did you say?"

"Yuanxi, and Sakaida Kakiemon!"

"No—and the person after that?"

"The Joseon potter, Li Canping."

Wang Qi Zhi was suddenly stunned.

Sakaida Kakiemon—this is the Porcelain Saint of Japan.

Li Canping—this is the ancestor of Japanese porcelain—

It has been clearly verified that there are only a few pieces of porcelain from the hands of these two in existence, even in Japan; it probably doesn't exceed a handful.

And just now, how many pieces did Lin Sicheng say?

One piece by Sakaida Kakiemon or his father, and two pieces by Li Canping—

Wang Qi Zhi gave a start, his sobriety returning for the most part: "Where did you dig these up?"

"From a group of swindlers; they acquired them from abroad!"

"What the hell?"

Looking at Lv Chenglong, who was squinting and preparing to lose his temper at Wang Qi Zhi, Lin Sicheng sighed: "Teacher, it's not something that can be explained in a sentence or two, otherwise Director Lv will throw you out—but rest assured: the provenance is basically fine."

It wasn't dug up domestically, so why should I care if the origin is legitimate or not?

Wang Qi Zhi shook his head violently: "How much did it cost?"

"A lot!" Lin Sicheng held up a finger: "Ten million!"

Wang Qi Zhi gasped, not knowing what to say.

At first glance, it is quite a lot, but it depends on what you are comparing it to.

For example: someone says, "Come, you put up ten million, and I will sell you the Four Sheep Square Vessel and the Simuwu Ding," do you believe Wang Qi Zhi would dare to kneel down to him?

What, too exaggerated?

In the minds of the Japanese, the porcelain personally fired by the porcelain ancestor Li Canping is equivalent to the Four Sheep Square Vessel and the Simuwu Ding in the minds of the Chinese.

It is even more so, if not worse.

Because there are too many Bronze wares from the Shang and Zhou periods; even if there are not hundreds of thousands unearthed, there are tens of thousands. The Four Sheep Square Vessel and the Simuwu Ding are just relatively representative.

But in Japan, the porcelain personally fired by Li Canping that still exists today is in the single digits. To be more precise, it does not even exceed five pieces.

Come, imagine it—