Hua Xia's cultural relics were severely exported. Everyone in the country knew that in the first half of the 20th century, Hua Xia's old books and antique industries were exported in large quantities.
During the Republic of China, there were no laws or regulations that prohibited cultural relics from leaving the country. There was also a lack of necessary management of the old books and antique industries. As a result, the national treasures were unimpeded from leaving the country.
Today, there were countless Hua Xia's precious cultural relics in museums and private collections in Europe, America, Japan, and other countries. Some were directly taken away during the invasion of Hua Xia, some were taken away in the name of "academic research", some were trafficked in collusion with Chinese and foreign profiteers, and some were bought in large quantities from the antique market.
These losses were really hard to calculate.
Foreign businessmen coveted Hua Xia's cultural relics. They even opened trading companies in Shenjiang and other places where cultural relics were gathered. They specialized in purchasing Hua Xia's cultural relics. Some Hua Xia antique merchants also opened antique shops that specialized in foreign businesses …
These shocking histories were still vivid in his mind.
And today, there were still people doing such business. This really made Wen Xiao very angry. But now was not the time to fall out. He had to endure and continue to endure.
"Big boss, have you heard of a guy called Yue Bin?" Wen Xiao looked at the Buddha head and said faintly, "This Buddha head reminds me of such a person."
"Big antique merchant, Yue Bin. Of course I've heard of him." Yi Wenyang smiled slightly, "Zhang Gezhuang of Hebei Tong County, came from a poor family. In 1910, he was an apprentice in a small antique shop in Shenjiang. In 1917, he started to interact with Wei Wuda, who was the French Minister in China. He helped Wei Wuda buy lacquerware, French flowers, and cloisonné. He asked around for information. The Americans loved to buy bronze and Jun Kiln porcelain. The French loved to buy French flowers, lacquerware, and cloisonné. The Japanese loved to buy ancient jade and Longquan porcelain. The British and Germans loved things with high archaeological value. He remembered all of them. He also paid attention to the newly unearthed items in Hua Xia. "
Wen Xiao was slightly stunned. He did not expect Yi Wenyang to know so much. It was probably because he was proficient in this field. These historical knowledge were really unorthodox.
"At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the East-West Yongbao Antique Shop bought seven Northern Wei stone Buddha heads from Shanxi Datong. In the 1920s, Yue Bin heard that Japanese collectors collected stone carvings and wood carvings, Western archaeologists studied the ancient statues of Hua Xia, and Northern Wei's stone carvings had high artistic value. Thus, he acted immediately upon hearing the news and bought the seven Buddha heads for four hundred gold coins. He first sold a Buddha's head to the Yamanaka Chamber of Commerce in Dongying for 800 RMB. When the foreign antique dealers heard about it, they kept coming to buy it. They kept selling it for more than ten years … Because Yue Bin hired a sculptor to duplicate the stone Buddha's head for him, he also copied and imitated the Northern Wei's stone carvings and the Song Dynasty's wooden carvings. He passed off the fake as the real thing and became rich … "
Speaking of this, Yi Wenyang sighed with emotion. "He's quite a character. He cheated a lot of money from foreigners. Hahaha, Brother Wenxiao, don't you think so?"
"But Yue Bin's stealing and selling of the Dragon Gate Northern Wei's Painting of the Celestial Empress's Worshipping Buddha can be considered the worst crime in his life.
That's enough, "Wen Xiao said expressionlessly.
Yi Wenyang sensed that something was wrong with Wen Xiao. "This isn't considered evil. Things like cultural relics are money in the eyes of many people. As long as they can be exchanged for money, anything is fine."
"That's right. Actually, Big Boss and Yue Bin are the same type of people … "Wen Xiao smiled." In order to obtain the 'Celestial Empress Worshipping Buddha Portrait', Yue Bin bribed the local garrison in Luoyang to chisel the 'Celestial Empress Worshipping Buddha Portrait' into pieces and shipped it back to Yanjing. Then, he hired someone to fix the pieces … It's exactly the same as Big Boss cutting off the Buddha's head today. "
"I can't compare to Yue Bin. He's a legendary antique dealer." Yi Wenyang smiled.
Of course, he didn't want to be mentioned in the same breath as Yue Bin. This was because Yue Bin was found guilty of the 'Celestial Empress Worshipping Buddha Portrait' and was sent to prison! He died in prison!
Yi Wenyang wouldn't be caught, so he didn't admit that he was the same type of person as Yue Bin. However, he was the same type of person as Yue Bin. They were the unscrupulous dealers of the cultural relic world. They were the type of people that all decent antique dealers despised.
Wen Xiao thought to himself, I'm more like a legendary antique criminal! Antique dealer? That guy with the surname Yue is worthy of being called an antique dealer? He's simply a disgrace of the cultural relic world!
"Big boss, where do you want to transport the Buddha head to?" Wen Xiao had been carefully sizing up the Buddha head. This kind of national treasure was cut off just like that. It was really disrespectful and destructive to history. If people like Yi Wenyang weren't caught, it would be a threat to the entire human society!
"The buyer is a Japanese businessman. He has a strong interest in Hua Xia's Buddha head." Yi Wenyang said, "You only need to board the ship at Black Crow's transit station and wait. When the time comes, I will inform the other party to pick you up."
When Yi Wenyang finished speaking, Yi Wenxing handed a phone to Wen Xiao, "Global call … You can keep in touch with us at any time. If there's any situation, inform us immediately."
"If I'm robbed at the transit station, I'm afraid I won't be able to make the call in time, right?" Wen Xiao smiled bitterly, "This phone call is meaningless to me."
Indeed, this phone call was meaningless to Wen Xiao. It must be monitored. Perhaps even if Wen Xiao didn't make the call, there was something in this phone that could monitor Wen Xiao's behavior.
"I think it's still necessary for you to bring a communication device that can be used to contact us." Yi Wenyang said, "If, I'm saying if, there's really any chance, we can also help you as much as possible."
Wen Xiao smiled slightly, "Well, although I really don't believe that you will help me if something happens to me, at least if something happens to me, I can still inform you and let you know that I didn't run away with the thing."
"Hahaha, nothing will happen. Wen Xiao, you just like to joke." Yi Wenguang grinned, "With you doing this, we are 100% assured. We 100% believe that you can solve this problem."
Wen Xiao nodded, "I hope so. However, such an important thing, do I have to spend the night here tonight? Don't let this thing be targeted before it even leaves Hua Xia. Big boss, you do things cleanly, right? I don't want to stumble in Hua Xia. "
"If I can't even do such a small thing, then I might as well not do this business." Yi Wenyang's mood seemed to be a lot more relaxed. Everything seemed to be under his control. He was only one step away from being able to sell this Buddha's head.
Only one step, the last step … Yi Wenyang believed that God was on his side. He believed that he would succeed. His efforts and efforts would not be wasted. As long as he had enough courage, he believed that he would become a more powerful and legendary figure than Yue Bin!
Even if Hua Xia had very clear laws now that stealing and selling national cultural relics was an absolute felony, he was still willing to take the risk because the benefits were too tempting! It could easily reach hundreds of millions. It was much easier to earn than those smuggled cars.
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