Chapter 77: Washing the Goods

Lin Sicheng sighed and reached out his hand again: "The appraisal report!"

The Section Chief hurriedly handed it over.

He opened it to take a look:

After performing XRD, the corrosive components in the rust layer were: Copper Oxide, calcium acid, basic copper sulfate, basic copper carbonate... which meant that the oxygen-rich dry Type II and the low-oxygen moist Type III coexisted, with a dating range of about three hundred years for both.

To put it in perspective: it's like lighting a fire underwater and letting it burn for several hundred years... isn't that complete nonsense?

Therefore, the Appraisal Center concluded: the rust layer was artificially transplanted.

They also performed electron microscopy: there were glue residues at the bottom of the rust layer. They also performed an analysis of the glue components: Lacquer Phenol, catechol... there was no doubt it was raw lacquer adhesive.

They also performed ultraviolet fluorescence: both inside and outside the copper furnace, adhesive traces were detected, and it was almost entirely covered.

Therefore, the Shijian and the Provincial Department's appraisal of the copper furnace as a fake was completely flawless.

But as I said before: instrument testing is too targeted; as long as one intends to do so, there are many ways to deceive high-tech testing.

The rust was transplanted, but that does not mean the object itself is fake.

Then what were the middleman who had already been locked up and the Expert hired by the Lawyer relying on to insist that this thing was genuine?

Listening to Guan Xingmin's account, one could tell that the middleman's eye for antiques was indeed a bit lacking: he only felt that everything looked right and only saw that the rust was real, but failed to see that it had been artificially glued on.

The Expert invited from Beijing certainly had a sharp enough eye, but he hadn't seen the actual object and had only appraised it based on photos the Lawyer took while reviewing the case files.

But to be honest: let alone the Expert from Beijing, even the experts at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Shaanxi Institute of Archaeology would not dare to appraise Cultural Relics based on a few photos.

Looking at the appraisal result he provided: it was vague and muddled, using words like "possibly" and "should be"... there wasn't a single substantive thing in it.

It seems Li Guojun (the middleman's Partner) paid enough money, and the Lawyer wanted to use the title of "Beijing Expert" to stall for time, hoping the procuratorate wouldn't prosecute so quickly.

As long as there is no verdict, there is a possibility of finding a glimmer of chance in the impossible... it is nothing more than seeking life in the face of death, fighting for a chance at survival.

And don't you know, he actually managed to fight for it?

Thinking secretly, the master and apprentice fell silent again, then I looked at you, and you looked at me.

Guan Xingmin had worked in public security for half his life; observing facial expressions was just a basic skill.

Seeing Lin Sicheng and Wang Qi Zhi looking at each other, wanting to speak but hesitating, his face was no longer pale, and his heart had completely sunk to the bottom.

Lin Sicheng was right, he had laughed too soon!

Subconsciously, he had already started calculating: how many more days could he serve as Deputy Director?

He didn't want to think about it, but once he did, he felt disheartened; it was as if his bones had been pulled out, and he seemed to have shrunk by several centimeters.

His face was gloomy and miserable, and his eyes revealed deep exhaustion.

Glancing at him, Lin Sicheng picked up the Magnifying Glass again: "Don't be in such a rush!"

Guan Xingmin's eyes lit up: "Did you see it wrong?"

Lin Sicheng shook his head: "It's possible, but the probability is extremely low. What I want to say is, the logic is wrong: since it is a genuine item, why bother forging it into a fake?"

There are plenty of cases that defy logic; Shijian encounters hundreds of them a year.

Sighing despondently, Guan Xingmin still held onto a glimmer of final hope: "Could it be that the forger had a lapse in judgment and didn't realize this was a genuine item..."

But halfway through, he stopped himself: even if that were the case, it wouldn't have much to do with the case. Because if the item were genuine, there would be no such thing as fraud.

Consequently, the case would still have to be overturned, and the responsibility he had to bear would not be reduced by a single bit!

Wang Qi Zhi thought for a moment and also shook his head.

Looking at the technique of applying the rust, it could be called extremely seasoned; it was clearly the work of an expert. Therefore, based on the vessel shape, inscriptions, material, and craftsmanship, one could be seventy or eighty percent certain: the copper furnace was a genuine item.

In any case, it was impossible to have misjudged it.

But as Lin Sicheng said: why would one forge a genuine item into a fake one?

The few of them frowned, racking their brains, but after thinking for a long time, they couldn't figure out the reason.

It couldn't be just for fun, could it?

Unless the person was brain-damaged: this was an item worth several million...

With his mind wandering, Lin Sicheng unconsciously rubbed the copper furnace. With a "rustle" sound, a few specks of green rust fell onto the tablecloth.

Lin Sicheng reached out to the other side and continued to rub, but there was no movement at all.

Because this half was real rust, of course it wouldn't rub off.

His heart stirred; he held the copper furnace in his palm and took a look: the rust layer inside the inner wall was complete, but the color showed blue within the green—a standard Type III.

In short, it was also glued on later.

But the strange thing was, there were no traces of rust falling off. He tried scraping it with his fingernail: tsk, it was stuck on unusually firmly.

Then why was the outside glued so loosely that it fell off at a tap?

It felt like... they were afraid an expert wouldn't recognize it?

Lin Sicheng picked up the Flashlight and Magnifying Glass again and looked carefully; the more he looked, the brighter his eyes became.

After a long while, he straightened his back and pointed to the brighter side, the half he had appraised earlier: "Director Guan, when you performed the appraisal and testing earlier, was this half of the rust layer used as the sample?"

Guan Xingmin answered without hesitation: "Yes!"

"And what about the buyer, how did they discover it?"

Lin Sicheng answered his own question, "Was it that when they bought it back, this bright half was also green rust (Type III)? But after it was left for a while, it started to fall off, and when the buyer saw something was wrong, they called the police?"

Guan Xingmin nodded: "Yes!"

"Let me make another deduction..." Lin Sicheng closed his eyes, then opened them abruptly, "It should have been about ten days after they bought it back, at most no more than half a month, when it started to shed rust?"

Guan Xingmin's expression was somewhat strange: this certainly wouldn't be written in the appraisal report. How did Lin Sicheng guess it, and guess it so accurately?

He didn't answer but asked instead: "Why half a month, and not longer?"

"Because alcohol was added to the raw lacquer, nine times out of ten it was ethanol... mixing it like this reduces the adhesiveness and durability of the raw lacquer, which is why the outer layer of rust fell off so quickly!"

"The rust layer inside the inner wall is also transplanted rust, but it was likely done with chemical glue, so it is extremely firm... if nothing goes wrong, it should contain Epoxy Resin components..."

Lin Sicheng took the test report and let out an "eh": "Why isn't any of this written on here?"

Guan Xingmin was suddenly stunned.

Because this was a machine inspection report; as long as it detected lacquer components in the adhesive, it proved the rust layer on the artifact was artificially transplanted and pasted. If it had to specify every single component, how could a single sheet of paper be enough?

It had indeed detected alcohol and Epoxy Resin, but there was no need to write it down.

The Section Chief and the policewoman beside him were even more exaggerated, their mouths agape, their eyeballs bulging outward: Big Brother, this is a molecular composition test, meant to detect adhesive mixtures and molecular structures, and you're relying on your eyes?

Thinking back to the Paperweight from last time, and the Inverted Pot from the time before that, the Section Chief and the policewoman stared at Lin Sicheng as if they were looking at an immortal.

Wang Qi Zhi was stunned for a moment; he felt as if there was only a thin layer of window paper separating him from the truth: "Then why stick the outside so loosely and the inside so firmly?"

"Because the forger did it on purpose. They wanted to make a real furnace look like a fake one to sell it, then have the buyer discover it was a fake as soon as possible and report it to the Police, which is why they stuck the outside so loosely. But they were also afraid of the truth leaking out and people discovering it was an authentic piece, so they stuck the rust on the inside incredibly firmly..."

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Pondering the shape of the bronze furnace, a sudden flash of inspiration hit Lin Sicheng: a Yajing Furnace—but where were the scriptures?

If there are no scriptures, what are you pressing with the furnace?

Lin Sicheng's eyes shone brightly; he pulled over Wang Qi Zhi's tool bag again and took out a Probe Needle that looked like an awl.

Then he reached into the mouth of the furnace and scraped hard against the inner wall... it didn't fall off?

"Haha~" Lin Sicheng let out a laugh, "This bronze furnace is being used to Wash Goods!"

Hearing the words "Wash Goods," Wang Qi Zhi leaned back sharply: he felt as if there had only been a thin layer of window paper separating him from the truth.

Guan Xingmin was taken aback for a moment, then slapped his forehead hard, making a crisp "Clap!" sound: to think he was a Police officer?

What is meant by "Wash Goods"?

Whatever money laundering is like, "Wash Goods" is exactly the same...