QT- I’m Almost Died
Chapter 247. The Case Escalates
If Fan Jialuo hadn’t spoken up, who would have ever thought that the national treasure kept inside the Central Museum could be a fake?
Unbelievable, truly unbelievable! Who would possess the audacity to tamper with cultural relics of such magnitude? To do so is undermining the nation’s heritage, its civilization, and even its very foundations! Should this scheme be exposed, the fate awaiting the perpetrator would undoubtedly be far more gruesome than that of Ma You, who was summarily executed just a short while ago!
It is no exaggeration to say that the person who did such a thing is a sinner against the country and the nation, and deserves to be engraved on the pillar of shame and be infamous for ten thousand years!
“I can’t believe something like this could happen in our museum, I absolutely refuse to believe it!” Director Sun quickly rallied from the devastating blow, stating emphatically, “Those of us in this line of work understand the meaning and value these artifacts represent better than anyone else. We cherish them more than our own lives. Two years ago, there was a fire in the museum, and one of our staff members risked his life to save over a dozen artifacts, but he himself was burned beyond recognition. When we visited him in the hospital afterward, guess what the first thing he asked me was?”
Director Sun, tears streaming down his face, sobbed uncontrollably, “He asked, ‘Director Sun, were those artifacts damaged in the fire?‘”
“I told him, look, you’re practically burning up right now. Drop this whole thing already and go get some sleep.”
“He said he couldn’t just ignore it. The thought of those national treasures being mercilessly destroyed by fire made him want to give his own life in their place. Seeing how worried he was, I told him that all the artifacts were safe and had been rescued. He burst into tears on the spot, not because of his extensive burns and disfigurement, but because he was overjoyed!”
“As long as the cultural relics are safe, he can completely forget the pain he suffered. In his heart, the nation’s heritage, civilization, and treasures are more important than life itself. Every staff member in our museum shares this belief, we care for these cultural relics as if they were our own children. Let me ask you this, how could we possibly abuse our positions to steal from within? How could we take our own children and sell them off? Especially since these two bronze tripod cauldrons are so significant. They stand here like two pillars supporting the sky, stabilizing our country, our continent, and our land. We could never touch them, absolutely not!”
As Director Sun spoke, he wept bitterly. His sincere and heartbroken expression moved many people, bringing tears to their eyes as well.
Fan Jialuo stood silently before the display case, not even glancing at Director Sun. His heart seemed made of stone.
Song Rui adjusted his glasses and said calmly, “It’s not uncommon for parents to sell their own children, in fact, it happens quite often. So nothing is impossible.”
Director Sun, who was weeping bitterly, suddenly found himself unable to continue crying.
Chief Yan was even more ruthless than Song Rui, and waved his hand directly, saying, “Open the display case and send these two tripods to the laboratory for authentication.”
Director Sun didn’t believe Fan Jialuo’s judgment at all, but Chief Yan represented the state and had far more authority than him, he had no choice but to agree. So the huge display case was quickly opened. Elder Liang and Elder Lu had already notified their teams to take over the artifacts, and they strictly forbade the staff of the Central Museum from touching them again.
Before the case was fully investigated, everyone here, including the cleaning staff and the elderly gatekeeper, was taken into custody by the military. Those who had direct contact with the artifacts had to be registered one by one, then summoned to the police station for separate interrogations.
Because the National Museum of China has numerous cultural relic protection institutions and a large number of people who have had direct contact with cultural relics, this investigation is extremely complex and challenging.
While Elder Liang and Elder Lu’s teams were busy devising a plan to move the two tripods, Meng Zhong had already taken the staff to an empty meeting room to take statements.
Fan Jialuo continued to sense the remaining artifacts.
Seeing him move forward, walking from one display case to another, each containing legendary national treasures, Chief Yan broke out in a cold sweat. If the final authentication results showed that Teacher Fan’s judgment was correct, then this case wouldn’t just be a sensational scandal, but it would have shaken up the entire Nine Provinces!
Who exactly is the forger? Why is he so audacious? Is he really Chinese? What Chinese person would do something so ungrateful and utterly immoral?
Chief Yan was lost in thought when Dr. Song whispered in his ear, “Tell me, what did the person who swapped those two tripods were after? Everyone knows these two cultural relics are national treasures. If they were lost abroad, the whole country would do everything in its power to recover them. They can’t sell them, so what, are they just going to display them at home for show?”
“It’s probably some foreign forces trying to create chaos in our country.” Chief Yan shook his head immediately after saying that, “I still don’t believe those two tripods are counterfeits. Who would dare to touch cultural relics of this level? Let’s wait for the authentication results before we talk about it.”
Song Rui said softly, “Escaping reality is useless. You should prepare yourself for the worst.”
Chief Yan: ……
I understand the logic, but could you please stop talking like that? It’s really annoying!
As the two whispered among themselves, Fan Jialuo stood before a bronze cauldron adorned with four mythical beasts, his palm resting on the glass display case. He closed his eyes, sensing the surroundings, and slowly said, “If it’s an ancient artifact, my magnetic field, once released, will flow like a river into the ocean, stirring up a profound echo and surging tides. If it’s a replica, my magnetic field will only sense a cold, silent, lifeless object. This is just a lifeless object.”
Chief Yan’s knees buckled, and he almost knelt down, but fortunately Song Rui caught him quickly.
Director Sun quickly pressed a nitroglycerin pill under his tongue, his voice muffled but his tone resolute, “Impossible!”
Impossible! The origin of this bronze cauldron adorned with four mythical beasts is extremely mysterious. It comes from an ancient kingdom in Sichuan that has long since vanished from history and has no written records whatsoever. Its craftsmanship is superb, and its fantastical and exquisite design is truly a masterpiece of nature. There are even rumors that this mysteriously disappeared ancient kingdom was a civilization from outer space, and these artifacts were gifts from extraterrestrial visitors. This demonstrates the immense heights of their artistic achievement and value!
This bronze cauldron adorned with four mythical beasts is a top-tier cultural relic that is in no way inferior to the Yong tripod and Qing tripod, it is also a national treasure! Who would dare to replace it?
Director Sun waved his hands repeatedly in denial, saying only one thing, “As long as you are a descendant of the Chinese nation, you would never do such a heinous thing!”
Song Rui said coldly, “During the war against Country R, there were countless Chinese descendants who became traitors for Country R. Nothing is impossible.”
Director Sun: ……
Who is this person? Why is he talking so rudely? He’s really going to hit someone!
Chief Yan waved his hand and said, “Open the display case and send this bronze cauldron to the laboratory for authentication. Also, investigate all the laboratory staff. Anyone who has worked at the Central Museum must recuse themselves and be investigated!” His breathing became increasingly rapid, his tone increasingly cold, and his composure was clearly on the verge of collapse. To say this case was “world shattering” was insufficient to describe its severity, someone was attempting to destroy the very foundation of China!
Elder Liang and Elder Lu responded in trembling voices, their hearts clenching uncontrollably. They sensed that a catastrophe was sweeping through the cultural relics world, and also engulfing this great nation with thousands of years of civilization.
Fan Jialuo’s face was as cold as ice in the dead of winter, yet he had to continue walking. He knew that no one could accept reality, and they would rather cover it up as if it had never happened. But others could pretend not to hear, he couldn’t. If even he didn’t speak up for these treasures, then who would be aware of their quiet passing?
Cultural relics are antiques, and antiques equal money, this is a consensus among everyone. They only see their added value, but they are unaware of the true meaning they represent.
They are not inanimate objects, not money, but the crystallization of civilization. Civilization is a country’s most precious yet most intangible wealth, the bond that unites a nation, and it must never be shaken! The most terrifying thing is not the destruction of civilization, but that it destroys its people, its country, its homeland, its roots, and yet remains unaware, even indifferent.
There will always be one or two things in the world that are more important than life itself, and civilization is one of them!
Unusually, tears welled up in Fan Jialuo’s eyes as he stood before the bronze cauldron adorned with four mythical beasts, remaining motionless for a long time.
Song Rui walked to his side, patted him on the shoulder, and whispered, “They have no way to call for help, and you are their only voice. You must persevere.”
Fan Jialuo naturally understood this principle. At this point, he knew Chief Yan must have regretted it, because even someone as powerful as him couldn’t cover up such a shocking case. Suppressing the case was in everyone’s interest, even in the country’s interest. As long as the outside world didn’t know, these fakes could continue to substitute for the genuine articles, after all, they had no practical value, they were just there for people to admire.
But who will continue the traditions that this country has lost? If a nation can turn a blind eye even to its own ancestors and the very roots of its lineage, does it still hold any hope of flourishing once again?
Fan Jialuo also had the blood of the Chinese people flowing in his veins, so he continued to the next display case. Even if everyone else remained silent, he would not.
“This one is fake too.” He spoke in a deep voice after sensing it for only a moment.
Director Sun stared intently, and another sharp pain shot through his heart. This artifact, like the previous bronze cauldron adorned with four mythical beasts, also came from the mysterious ancient kingdom of Ba-Shu. It was an exquisitely crafted golden human mask, with bulging eyes, a high nose, and wide ears, its appearance strikingly different from that of a human. It was discovered in a massive ancient tomb, covering the face of a mummified corpse, whose identity was later confirmed to be the king of that ancient kingdom.
Because it’s unclear whether the mask is exaggerated or realistic, rumors circulate that the ancient kingdom was created by an extraterrestrial civilization. Its artistic and archaeological value is extremely high, making it a national treasure.
Director Sun clutched his chest and collapsed, his face deathly pale and his lips turning blue-purple, unable to bear it any longer.
“Don’t try to scare this old man! This is no joke! If the final appraisal proves that these artifacts are genuine, I will sue you! I will put you in jail!” Director Sun transformed his fear into hatred for Fan Jialuo.
If Fan Jialuo were a timid person, he would have chosen to remain silent upon seeing the bronze tortoise. Therefore, he ignored Director Sun’s threats and continued walking towards the next display case.
“Fake.”
“Fake.”
“Fake.”
……
He walked back and forth through the exhibition hall where the national treasures were kept several times, and pointed out a total of ten counterfeits. Aside from the Yong tripod, the Qing tripod, the bronze cauldron adorned with four mythical beasts, and the golden human mask, the list included an inscribed oracle bone, a golden phoenix ornament, a piece of mythical black jade of Mountains and Seas, an ivory Shakyamuni relic stupa, a scroll of dragons surging across a vast sea, and a tree sculpted entirely from pristine crystal.
Director Sun was so angry he lay down on the stretcher, his arm still attached to an IV drip, but he absolutely refused to be taken to the hospital. He wanted to see what other outrageous things this Fan Jialuo would come out with, stirring up such a massive commotion, yet showing absolutely no fear of being held accountable by the state!
Chief Yan dispatched a fully armed army to escort the national treasures. He originally intended to wait for the authentication results before reporting to his superiors, but the case had now become so serious that he could not act on his own. Moreover, his authority was simply insufficient to cover this matter.
Those two Nine Tripod Cauldrons alone were more important than his General’s title. In that era of war and chaos, tens of thousands of people sacrificed their lives to safely move them to the rear.
The higher-ups were indeed alarmed, and even the highest-ranking leader personally called to inquire.
Chief Yan originally thought they would work together to suppress the case and prevent further investigation, because everyone was not stupid and knew very well that the person behind the scenes who could reach into the Central Museum and replace so many national treasures must have tremendous power.
But the leader told him firmly, “I’m giving you the highest authority. Just investigate and see it through to the end! Anyone who shakes our nation’s civilization and heritage will not be tolerated! Anyone who tries to cover this up is an enemy of our country!”
Chief Yan’s tears immediately fell, and he nodded repeatedly in agreement. However, he also understood that while an investigation was necessary, confidentiality had to be maintained. If the public learned of this news and it spread abroad, their country would truly lose face.
After hanging up the phone, Chief Yan’s tone hardened considerably, and he sternly rebuked, “What are you all standing there for? Take all the cultural relics that Teacher Fan pointed out away! I’ll take responsibility if anything goes wrong!”
The administrator, who had been holding the key to the display case but hesitated to open the door, finally unlocked it with trembling hands.
While everyone else was busy, Fan Jialuo was standing in front of a glass display case, gazing intently at the artifact inside.
Chief Yan was filled with apprehension as he watched him remain motionless and silent.
Director Sun lay on the stretcher, his neck stretched out, and as he made out the items in the display case, his vision blurred. Without a doubt, this was another national treasure, named the Sovereign Sword of the Eight Horizons, the sword of the first emperor in Chinese history to unify the nine provinces. Despite having weathered the vicissitudes of thousands of years, its blade remains resplendent with a cold, gleaming light, capable of slicing through iron without a sound and severing a strand of hair with a mere breath.
Its value is in no way inferior to the two Nine Tripod Cauldrons. With one stabilizing the land and the other stabilizing the state, their sheer importance is undeniably clear.
Seeing that Fan Jialuo’s lips twitched slightly as if he was about to speak, Director Sun hurriedly shouted, “Quickly give me an injection of a heart stimulant, I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold on!”
Knowing the seriousness of the situation, the doctor standing by immediately opened his medical kit, took out a large syringe, and was ready to administer the injection at any time.
Chief Yan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his upper and lower teeth chattering uncontrollably as he spoke, “Teacher Fan, what problem have you spotted this time?”
Fan Jialuo nodded and said, “There is indeed a problem.”
Chief Yan and Director Sun both felt dizzy for a moment.
Fan Jialuo added, “This legendary blade is genuine.”
Chief Yan and Director Sun almost fainted from shock due to his dramatic pause.
Fan Jialuo glanced at them and said solemnly, “It’s precisely because it’s genuine that there’s a problem.”
The Villain Becomes The White Moonlight
Did The Affectionate Love Interest Collapse Today?
I Have A Secret
Leave a Comment