Chapter 78: Turning Misfortune into Fortune, Finding Good in Bad

So-called "Wash Goods" is the same nature as money laundering: whitening stolen goods until they reach a level where they can circulate normally and be traded at will.

Take this copper furnace for example: just looking at the soil rust on the bright side, one knows it was unearthed no more than ten years ago—it is definitely a stolen Cultural Relic.

Never mind trading it; if caught, not only is the item confiscated, but the buyer gets seven years or more, and the digger gets double that.

But if one wants to sell it, and wants to get rich even more, what to do?

Wash it.

First, find a way to transport the item out of the country, then change hands a few times, while simultaneously forging collection records and transaction logs.

Then, put it up for auction, or perhaps bring it back into the country and put it up for auction again.

Once there is an entry record, this item becomes an "overseas returned Cultural Relic"... even if it was just dug up, it is still a "overseas returned Cultural Relic" that was just dug up.

Regarding this type, the relevant departments actually hold a tacit attitude.

So, after washing it back and forth like this, the stolen goods openly become authentic items that can be traded at will.

But there is one difficulty: how to transport the stolen goods out of the country?

The best method is this one: first make the real look fake, then find a way to make it into a case-related stolen item, and have it appraised by an authoritative institution.

Then, once the case is judged, find a way to get the item, and simultaneously get the report.

Don't disbelieve it; this step is not difficult, and it won't violate any laws or regulations: just think about today's judicial auctions!

By then, once they see the appraisal reports from the Municipal Bureau and the Provincial Department, do you think Customs would even be bothered to run it through the machines?

Haha, the logic is a perfect closed loop!

In an instant, Guan Xingmin was so excited he wanted to shiver, and every pore on his body wanted to laugh:

The item is indeed real, and the fraud case must indeed be reopened.

But compared to this, what is a fraud case worth?

How bold must one be to dare to set up a scheme using provincial and municipal public security agencies?

Did these people go to such great lengths and use so much brainpower just for this one copper furnace?

If things go well, one could unearth a large criminal syndicate that is tightly organized, clearly divided in labor, and involves collusion between domestic digging gangs, forgery gangs, and overseas Smuggling gangs.

What is called "after bitterness comes sweetness," or "ice and fire in two worlds"?

In a trance, Guan Xingmin seemed to see honors, banners, and even a greater burden beckoning to him.

Subconsciously, the corners of his mouth curled up.

Lin Sicheng shook his head helplessly: eyes not even closed, and he's started daydreaming again?

He tapped the table with his finger: "Section Chief Guan, don't laugh yet!"

This rascal, this phrase again?

Guan Xingmin suddenly straightened his face: "Nonsense, how was I happy?"

Not happy yet? Those corners of his mouth are harder to suppress than an AK.

Lin Sicheng sighed: "Section Chief Guan, I estimate this case won't be easy to investigate!"

Guan Xingmin, of course, knew it wouldn't be easy to investigate.

Since the mice dared to use the cat to set a trap, and the layout was so tight, it is conceivable that potential sudden situations and necessary precautions had long been considered.

For example, the middleman locked in the detention center as a "fraud suspect" probably doesn't even know the seller's true identity.

No need to guess, the seller is definitely an international friend holding a foreign passport; there's no way to investigate.

The victim, that is, the antique company that bought the copper furnace for four million, is merely suffering from an unprovoked disaster: they were intentionally lured onto the hook by the seller.

An item worth six million sold for only four million—who wouldn't take the bait?

It amounts to having basically no clues other than this copper furnace; how can you investigate?

But whether it is easy to investigate is one thing, and whether to investigate is another.

As the saying goes, when a wild goose passes, it leaves a cry; when the Wind passes, it leaves a trace...

Guan Xingmin let out a sharp breath, his eyes sweeping past Lin Sicheng and fixing on Wang Qi Zhi's face: "Secretary Wang, please help!"

Wang Qi Zhi immediately laughed: "The one putting in the effort is Lin Sicheng, Section Chief Guan, why ask me?"

Guan Xingmin smiled: "You are his teacher, aren't you?"

Hey, the way this is put... why do I love hearing it so much?

He nodded while chuckling: "Section Chief Guan, I won't lie to you, if Lin Sicheng hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have thought this was a 'Wash Goods' technique. As for how to appraise it further, you still have to ask him..."

Lin Sicheng didn't hold back either, picking up the copper furnace again to peer into the inner chamber: "The rust layer transplanted into the inner chamber is not thin, and it's stuck so firmly, just for fear of being discovered by the buyer or appraisal institutions... therefore, there must be something else inside...

Furthermore, since it is a Yajing Furnace, yet not half a scripture is visible inside or outside the furnace. So I suspect that, nine times out of ten, what is carved under the rust layer in the chamber is a Buddhist scripture... as long as this can be verified, it can further prove that the forger's purpose of using the real to create the fake was indeed for 'Wash Goods'..."

Guan Xingmin was of the same mind: after all, relying only on visual appraisal and deduction, the reasoning isn't quite solid enough; there must be evidence.

But he didn't know, how to find the evidence?

Hearing "there is something else inside," Guan Xingmin's spirit lifted: "Then how do we do it?"

"Very simple, heat it!" Lin Sicheng peered again with the Magnifying Glass, "The adhesive for the rust layer in the inner chamber should be a mixture of Epoxy Resin and rosin; in an oxygenated environment, when the temperature reaches 180℃, it can cause the resin molecules to undergo oxidative dissolution..."

Guan Xingmin was also an expert and understood immediately: at 180 degrees, let alone damaging the copper furnace itself, it wouldn't even hurt the copper rust.

By then, once the transplanted floating rust falls off, the fake will naturally become the real.

Grafting flowers onto a tree, deceiving the heavens to cross the sea—it's simply perfect...

He let out a sharp breath: "Section Chief, preheat the furnace!"

The Section Chief put down the Folder and hurriedly turned on the machine.

180 degrees would be ready soon; the Section Chief used tongs to put the copper furnace inside.

There was an observation port facing outward, and five heads gathered around it in unison.

But the window was only so big, and it was unusually crowded; the female officer's ear was pressed against his face. Lin Sicheng retreated helplessly.

Just as he took two steps back, Guan Xingmin let out a cry of surprise: "Lin Sicheng, come look quickly..."

There was no other way, so Lin Sicheng leaned in again, and then his pupils constricted:

The verdigris fell off in chunks, revealing intaglio Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures.

Looking at the content of the scriptures again: the Esoteric Buddhism Rebirth Mantra, and engraved so completely?

This scripture originated in India, its full name is the "Cundi Dharani Sutra," also known as the Dharani Sutra. It has only one characteristic: deliverance and rebirth.

Therefore, any object engraved with this scripture must be a funerary object of the Yuan or Qing dynasties, or of Tibetan or Mongolian nobility.

And there are strict hierarchical restrictions: the length of the scripture differs according to status, and the decorative patterns interspersed between the scriptures differ even more.

Lin Sicheng was certain that this was the complete scripture. Looking at the patterns again: in the center of the bottom of the censer is a pagoda, with the thirteen-level top wheel, canopy, crescent moon jewel, and lotus pagoda spire from top to bottom, not a single one missing.

The border is decorated with vajras, ten in total. Surrounding them are the Eight Treasures: Shanhulu, rhinoceros horn, lozenge, pearl, ruyi, ancient coin, gold ingot, and silver ingot!

Seeing this, Lin Sicheng could not help but gasp: it means, it is only missing one Buddha statue?

From this, it can be known that it is definitely not the Emperor.

But as for the rest, is nothing missing?

Therefore, if it were a man, he would be either the Crown Prince or a Prince. If it were a woman, she would be either the Empress or an Imperial Concubine.

Based on this deduction, this censer is only four million? Doubling that would be more than enough!

Lin Sicheng gave a rough explanation, and all four of them were frozen as if they had been iced over.

What is meant by "when things reach an extreme, they can only move in the opposite direction," or "a blessing in disguise"?