Chapter 188 Luck

Lin Sicheng took out a magnifying glass: "Can you handle it?"

The woman nodded: "Of course!"

Lin Sicheng stood up, and Zhao Xiuneng, his spirits lifted, also stood up.

The vessel is quite large, with a height of 60 centimeters and a belly diameter of about 24 or 25 centimeters.

It's not that heavy, but just in case, you need to tilt it to check the bottom. When you've checked it thoroughly, it's best to help hold it in place.

Zhao Xiuneng held the jar open, and Lin Sicheng examined it inch by inch.

When examining porcelain, one should first look at the body: All official kilns of the Qing Dynasty used a binary mixture of kaolin and porcelain stone. The mixture was first sieved, then absorbed (to remove iron), and then aged (to deteriorate). The resulting porcelain body was extremely white, smooth, and lustrous.

Therefore, after the Kangxi era, the base of Qing dynasty official kiln porcelain rarely showed a bright iron-red color; at most, it was white with a hint of gray, or at most pale yellow.

Moreover, the rounded and smooth shape resembles the outline of a loach's back, hence the common name "loach back".

Just like this one.

Next, let's look at the glaze: This piece has a white glaze base, which at first glance appears as smooth and lustrous as jade. Upon closer inspection, however, it reveals a faint bluish hue, resembling white jade.

This effect was created after the addition of turquoise glaze during the Qianlong period; faint fine lines, resembling porridge skin, will appear on the rim and bottom.

Then look at the base color: the phoenix tail pattern formed by the unique glazing technique after the Yongzheng period is faintly visible under the glaze. The lines are complicated yet precise, like adding flowers to brocade, making it magnificent.

Then, painted colors are added, using techniques of consecration and sculpting, and incorporating the rendering and dotting techniques of traditional Chinese painting. The colors are vivid, the folds of the figures' clothing are distinct, and the transition between light and shadow is harmonious and natural.

Look at the painting last:

The entire painting is laid out along the central axis of the imperial kiln site, with Zhushan Mountain and Wenchang Palace depicted in the neck section, and houses and workshops used as partitions in the middle section, forming nine groups of scenes.

The painting depicts the processes of quarrying, washing clay, turning the clay, painting the blank, blowing glaze, filling the kiln, firing the kiln, and firing the painted ware. There are as many as fifty figures depicted, including craftsmen and officials, each with their own duties and tasks.

What is most amazing is that this is the only artifact that has survived to this day that truly reproduces the prosperous scene of the imperial kilns in the mid-Qing Dynasty, perfectly and clearly confirming the relevant historical records of the imperial kilns' establishment, division of labor, and production.

That's why it's rare, that's why it's expensive.

Upon seeing this, 99% of experts would be absolutely certain that this is a genuine piece: a genuine Jiaqing imperial kiln famille rose porcelain vase made by kiln workers at the Imperial Kiln.

It is indeed genuine, but even if it is genuine, even if they are twins, they are at least 99% similar. Just because of that 1% difference, the price is drastically different...

After a moment's thought, Lin Sicheng instructed Zhao Xiuneng to turn the porcelain bottle upside down, and then turned on his flashlight.

In an instant, that familiar feeling tinged with a hint of nostalgia surged up again, and he frowned once more.

Zhao Xiuneng also looked at it, even more intently, but the more intently he looked, the more convinced he became that it was genuine. His brows furrowed even more deeply than Lin Sicheng's.

He couldn't even tell the difference between this one and the one in Shanxi.

But what if it's a ghost? Everyone at the Shanxi Museum, from the director to the curator, swore that it was the only one of its kind in the world.

Where did this come from?

Fang Jingxian had seen it several times. He knew that compared to Lin Sicheng, or even Zhao Xiuneng, her eyesight was much worse, so he remained quiet and silent.

And so, he stood there for a long time, almost half an hour, before Lin Sicheng finally straightened up.

Fang Jingxian stared at him expectantly.

Including today, this is her fourth time here, with a clear purpose: to choose between a Guangxu-era ten-cash porcelain vase or a Jiaqing-era famille rose imperial kiln porcelain vase.

She would be content with just one of them, no matter which one. But Lin Sicheng had already decided against paying for the furnace, so what about this one?

She was eager to ask for details when Zhao Xiuneng gave her a wink and whispered, "Teacher Lin, I've seen the same one before!"

Wow, Mr. Zhao has some connections!

Lin Sicheng's eyes lit up: "The Forbidden City or Jiangxi?"

"Huh?" Zhao Xiuneng was taken aback by the question. "Shanxi!"

Shanxi...

"Haha..." Lin Sicheng thought for a moment, then laughed again, "That was five or six years ago!"

Zhao Xiuneng nodded vigorously, "Yes, seven years ago!"

At that time, the old lady was still in good health and was asked to repair a few pieces of famille rose porcelain and also to take a look at that plum vase.

However, due to poor maintenance, the porcelain vase showed signs of glaze loss, and the mother and son spent more than a month making some minor repairs.

Since then, that thing has been preserved in a vacuum and has never been seen again... That's why Zhao Xiuneng was surprised: Isn't it the only one in the world?

Lin Sicheng shook his head: "The claim of being the only one in the world is a bit of an exaggeration, but it is indeed rare: the Palace Museum has one, and Shanxi also has one, but it was borrowed by Jiangxi five years ago... that is, the one you and the old lady saw. It's a pity that Liu Bei borrowed Jingzhou and never returned it..."

"According to Jiangxi, the imperial kiln was located in Jingdezhen, so this item was of greater significance to them... After that, the two sides went back and forth, exchanging words for three or four years, until two years ago when Jiangxi returned a Han Dynasty bronze vessel to Shanxi, which finally resolved the matter..."

After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng thought for a moment and said, "There should be some in private collections as well, and even more abroad, and not just one!"

To his knowledge, several of these bottles had been lost during the Opium Wars. Two of them were purchased by the wealthy British businessman Alfred Morrison and stored at his family estate, the Mountain Lodge, and were known as the Mountain Lodge Bottles.

One of the bottles later ended up in Japan and is now in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum, while the other entered the market. Around 2010, it was auctioned at Christie's Hong Kong and bought back by a "mysterious Asian businessman" for the equivalent of more than seven million RMB, who then donated it to the Shanxi Museum.

However, Lin Sicheng suspected that Shanxi, unwilling to accept being tricked by Jiangxi, commissioned an institution under the State Administration of Cultural Heritage to purchase the artifacts.

Since then, whenever Jiangxi holds an "Imperial Porcelain Exhibition," Shanxi inevitably follows suit. Regardless of whether their collections are as rich or as high-quality as the other's, the first item on the list is always that Jiaqing famille rose porcelain vase.

Then, they'll intentionally or unintentionally bring up Jiangxi's past misdeeds again. Naturally, Jiangxi will be dragged out and vilified once more. As a result, Jiangxi later dared not even mention that bottle, let alone exhibit it…

Lin Sicheng only told the first half of the story, treating it as a mere tale. Zhao Xiuneng's eyelids twitched slightly as he listened: "Teacher Lin, is this... truly a Jiaqing imperial kiln famille rose porcelain?"

If we're only talking about the origin... then this is definitely an official kiln famille rose porcelain.

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Yes!"

Suddenly, Fang Jingxian's eyes lit up: According to Lin Cheng, Jiangxi would exchange Han Ding for Shanxi... even if we take a smaller amount, wouldn't that still be around ten or eight million?

But the other party asked for only four million... less than the cost of Guangxu's furnace opening! So, with a single resale, they'd make at least double their money...

Suddenly, Fang Jingxian's mind started racing, but before she could even open her mouth to speak, Lin Sicheng poured cold ice on her: "But Ms. Fang, if you want to buy it, forget it!"

What?

Zhao Xiuneng was stunned for a moment, and Fang Jingxian was also stunned for a moment.

The secretary Gao, who was sitting next to Fang Jingxian, had an even more exaggerated expression: the smile that had just appeared seemed to be frozen on her face.

Her eyes were fixed on Lin Sicheng, her lips moved slightly, and she cursed inwardly: No... why is this person so annoying?

Fang Jingxian has come several times, each time bringing people to see the place. Aren't they all well-known collectors and appraisers in the industry?

But people tend to be fair: It looks pretty good, and it seems quite old. The body, glaze, pattern, and color all seem to be fine. It should be quite valuable...

Oh, four million?

Mr. Fang, I'm not entirely sure about this price, but it shouldn't be a loss...

This guy, whom I've never even heard of, is incredibly young, and his words are enough to drive you crazy: "The stuff is real, but I'll just forget about buying it... What does that mean?"

And the initial investment in the furnace: it was still worth it, even at around a million...

Even the appraisers at major auction houses wouldn't dare to be so confident, setting the value of an item within a fixed range with just a few words...

She muttered to herself, then stared at Lin Sicheng a few more times: "Teacher Lin, right? What you said is true, but what do you mean by 'it's not worth buying'?"

Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "Just the literal meaning!"

"Is the price too high, or is the product wrong?" the woman pouted. "Teacher Lin, it's alright, you can be more direct, don't be so tactful!"

Wait, am I being tactful?

Lin Sicheng immediately laughed: "Secretary Gao, is that how you put it? Fine, I'll be more direct!"

As he spoke, he picked up the porcelain vase again: "Secretary Gao, you should be knowledgeable about this, so I'll just say one thing: why do two items from the same era, made of the same material, of the same quality, and even made by the same artist, have such vastly different prices?"

"Let me give you another example: Last month, a silk hanging scroll titled 'Visiting the Wu Family Manor' by Wen Zhengming, formerly in the Xiang family collection, was auctioned in Nanjing... It bears the collection seals of Xiang Dehong (the fifth son of Xiang Yuanbian) and Bi Yuan (a scholar, collector, and governor-general of Huguang during the Qing Dynasty).

There were also seals belonging to Gong Ben'ang (a Qing Dynasty collector and epigrapher), Wu Zhiying (a Republican-era female calligrapher and collector), and Lü Xueduan (a Republican-era painter, collector, and later a researcher at the Shanghai Museum of Literature and History after the founding of the People's Republic of China)... More than ten seals in total, some with clear provenance but not so clear, yet it only sold for 1.2 million?

"But if we move back a month, to November, Shaoxing Hanyuetang auctioned in Hangzhou a painting by Wen Zhengming, also a hanging scroll on silk, with a similar size, titled 'Autumn Wind in the Suburbs,' which had only seven or eight collector's seals on it, yet it sold for more than 24 million yuan?"

"Since they're roughly the same, and in my opinion the latter painting isn't even as good as the former, why is there a difference of twenty times, or even more than twenty million? Because the latter painting has a seal that reads 'Shiqu Baoji' (a collection seal of the Qing Dynasty's Imperial Household Department)..."

The group listened quietly, and after listening to most of it, they were still wondering: How could the same work have a difference of more than 20 million?

But upon hearing "Shiqu Baoji," the group suddenly realized: the former was a private collection, while the latter was a secret collection of the Qing court; a difference of 20 million was considered small.

But what does this bottle have to do with the two paintings Lin Sicheng mentioned?

Instinctively, Zhao Xiuneng and Fang Jingxian both froze, then exchanged a glance. Secretary Gao's eyelids twitched uncontrollably, and a bad premonition arose in her heart.

She seemed to be able to guess what Lin Sicheng was going to say next.

Sure enough, Lin Sicheng laid the porcelain vase flat: "Let's talk about this vase: That's right, it's a Qing Dynasty official kiln vase, Jiaqing famille rose... The body matches, the glaze matches, the painting matches, and the colors match too..."

It's even more likely that it came from the same kiln as the two vases in the Palace Museum and Jiangxi, or even more likely, that the same potter sculpted the body, the same painter applied the colors, and the same craftsman applied the glaze... So Mr. Zhao asked me if it was a Jiaqing imperial kiln famille rose ware. I said yes...

However, just like the two paintings I mentioned, even if they are both Jiaqing imperial kiln famille rose porcelains, even if they are twin porcelains, their prices will be vastly different due to their different provenance and the different identities of the collectors..."

Lin Sicheng tapped the bottom, making a "thud" sound. "Besides, this one isn't even right!"

Zhao Xiuneng listened very attentively. At first, he didn't realize it, but when Lin Sicheng suddenly said that the inscription was wrong, he suddenly realized that the "Made in the Jiaqing Reign of the Great Qing Dynasty" on it was not the original inscription.

Upon further reflection: the sound of Lin Sicheng's tap just now seemed... a bit deep?

His eyes lit up instantly, as if struck by lightning. Zhao Xiuneng stood up and, imitating him, reached out and started knocking: thump thump... thump thump...

The voice was indeed a bit deep, and seemed... a little muffled?

Zhao Xiuneng's eyes widened instantly, and he tapped the bottom twice more: "The bottom seems really thick... Haha... Teacher Lin, it looks like it was added later?..."

Fang Jingxian belatedly realized: "This is a repaired remnant?"

Lin Sicheng paused for a moment: Actually, the base wasn't thick, nor was it a damaged piece. Rather, it was for the purpose of redesigning the piece that half of the original base was ground off, and then a new base was fired using the old porcelain powder that was ground off, and then glued on.

Because there is a layer of adhesive separating the two parts, they are not a single piece, so there will be gaps when the sound is transmitted, and the sound is not as crisp as the original sole when tapped.

But the repair was so good that it was almost invisible to the naked eye. If it weren't for how rare this thing is, how easily it's recognizable, and how familiar the technique of adding the base was, even Lin Sicheng might have been fooled...

In a flash, Lin Sicheng sighed: "Export porcelain!"

Zhao Xiuneng and Fang Jingxian suddenly realized.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the imperial kilns exported porcelain, including blue and white porcelain, wucai (five-color) porcelain, famille rose porcelain, enamel porcelain, and so on.

Using the same materials, the same craftsmanship, the same procedures, and even the same group of artisans and the same kiln, the products fired will naturally be exactly the same.

The only difference is that it doesn't use official inscriptions, such as "Made in the reign of Emperor X". Instead, it uses inscriptions on the center of the seal, auspicious phrases, letters, or even a blank space.

However, just because of the different inscriptions on the bottom, their values ​​are worlds apart, even more exaggerated than the two paintings and calligraphy works by Wen Zhengming mentioned earlier.

The logic is simple: the former was genuine tribute porcelain, imperial ware, intended for the emperor's use. The latter, however, was exported overseas to a group of foreigners, some of whom were not even known to whom it was used.

This gave antique dealers an opportunity: to grind off the old inscriptions, change them to the emperor's reign inscriptions, and then slightly age them.

A single item often costs hundreds of thousands or even tens of millions of dollars, so of course, it needs to be handled with utmost care, employing the most skilled professionals available. Therefore, it's incredibly easy to fool experts.

Like Zhao Xiuneng, who has repaired porcelain for half his life, he is still clueless: he only knows that the bottom was repaired later, but he can't find any trace of it.

So after just one glance, Lin Sicheng frowned: the more he looked at the craftsmanship, the more it resembled the technique of a certain master craftsman from the Forbidden City…

This is completely outrageous!

Lin Sicheng sighed inwardly and remained silent.

It's a pity. If it hadn't been counterfeited, even with the foreign lettering, this bottle would still be worth over a million. But the addition of foreign lettering turned it into a damaged piece, at most worth two or three hundred thousand.

But selling it to Fang Jingxian for four million is really greedy...

Fang Jingxian stared at Secretary Gao, unsure whether to scold or complain: You know my appreciation skills are only average, but you can't rip me off like this!

As if sensing what she was thinking, Secretary Gao quickly smiled apologetically, "President Fang, I really didn't know!"

She slept with that old man every day, how could you not know? You didn't know?

But then again, that's just how this industry is: if you can find a bargain, that's your skill, your ability. If you don't have a good eye, losing money and jumping off a building is your own fault...

She gritted her teeth, snorted again, and pointed to the item next to her: "This one can't be problematic too!"

Before Secretary Gao could say anything, Lin Sicheng shook his head: "President Fang, this is really no problem!"

As he spoke, he picked it up again: "Jizhou kiln appliqué porcelain: created in the Tang Dynasty, that is, after the porcelain is glazed, paper cutouts are pasted on it. After it is put into the kiln, the paper flowers oxidize, leaving only the white lines."

"During the Song Dynasty, the craft evolved. First, a layer of black glaze with a high iron content was applied to the body, then the paper-cut was pasted on it, followed by a layer of glaze with a low iron content. Finally, the paper-cut was peeled off and fired in a kiln."

In this way, the surface of the fired porcelain will exhibit a kiln-transformation color with pale yellow spots, and the areas where paper-cut designs are applied will also show dark brown paper-cut outlines, just like this piece in front of us: brown glaze, yellow spots, black patterns... Therefore, strictly speaking, this is a piece of Song Dynasty Jizhou kiln paper-cut kiln-transformation porcelain that can be artificially controlled..."

"The advantage is that it showcases practical folk aesthetics, making it a type of folk cultural artifact. The disadvantages are that the body is coarse, the clay is rough, and the glaze is too thick..."

Lin Sicheng touched the porcelain bottle with its frosted texture. "Secretary Gao, name your price!"

Gao Mishou was stunned. Although he was still dissatisfied, he dared not be negligent: "This piece was originally intended as a bonus for the pink porcelain vase. If Teacher Lin wants it, it's worth 200,000!"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "President Fang, two hundred thousand is about right!"

Fang Jingxian, however, didn't really want it.

Don't assume that all Song Dynasty porcelain is valuable. Only Guan, Ru, Ge, and Jun wares are valuable. Even Ding ware is much less valuable, let alone the even less valuable Jizhou ware.

It doesn't seem like it would be easy to sell; I'd only make about 100,000 or 200,000, and I'd still owe people favors...

Lin Sicheng knew exactly what she was thinking at a glance, and put the bottle on the table: "Secretary Gao, please wrap this up for me!"

He was truly terrified of poverty. Forget about 100,000 or 200,000; even earning 10,000 or 2,000 would be enough. He wouldn't have to owe anyone favors: if he sold it to Hao Jun or Guan Xingmin for 250,000, they would not only have to say thank you, but also treat him to a feast.

That's the difference between having connections and not having connections...

The woman nodded and asked the man next to her to bring the box, which he quickly wrapped up.

Lin Sicheng swiped his card and said half-jokingly, "Finally, I've found something real!"

Zhao Xiuneng and Fang Jingxian were both taken aback: Isn't that right?

If it weren't for Lin Sicheng, anyone who came today would have been a fool...

Secretary Gao looked resentful, wanting to glare at him but not daring to.

First, Lin Sicheng is too professional. So professional that just looking at his face can give people a slightly "terrifying" feeling.

Secondly, Fang Jingxian's attitude towards him was one of complete obedience and deference, with a hint of awe in her respect.

Having spent half his life in this industry and amassed a fortune of tens of millions, why would Fang Jingxian be so respectful to a mere kid if he didn't have some kind of reputation?

After a moment's thought, Secretary Gao looked the items up and down again: "Collect, collect. Even the Palace Museum has fakes, let alone those in private hands. There must be genuine pieces. Would you like to see a few more, Teacher Lin?"

“That makes sense…” Lin Sicheng laughed again, “But Secretary Gao, don’t provoke me. Of course I dare to look, but I really don’t have much money.”

I'd never believe you.

Secretary Gao didn't speak, but looked at Zhao Xiuneng and then at the string of beads he was playing with.

Lin Sicheng paused for a moment, then exclaimed, "Ha!": Does he think President Zhao is his lackey?

Zhao Xiuneng noticed it too, but didn't care at all.

During the month or so that he and his two sons were searching for the grave, weren't they all acting as Lin Sicheng's lackeys?

Even before they came to Xi'an from the capital, their mother had given them this instruction: if you want to learn a skill, you must first respect your teacher. So the three of them acted as his followers with a clear conscience and without any qualms.

The two exchanged a glance, their unspoken understanding unspoken.

After making tea and resting for a while, Secretary Gao instructed his subordinates to continue fetching items from outside.

It seems they genuinely believe Lin Sicheng is a wealthy man and think he's the real person today, so instead of releasing information piecemeal, they've brought out a larger amount this time.

I made several trips back and forth, and the tea table, tea stand, and stools were filled to the brim.

Long boxes, square boxes, round boxes, square boxes—more than twenty items were taken out at once.

Lin Sicheng held his teacup and glanced at it a few times.

Regardless of how much those two items were worth, it at least shows that the boss behind Secretary Gao is definitely not an ordinary person.

Ordinary people cannot find export-grade Jiaqing famille rose porcelain, nor can they possibly hire a master restorer from the Palace Museum to repair the bottom cover.

Therefore, there must be some genuine items among the collection. Secretary Gao had just witnessed Lin Sicheng's methods, so it was impossible for him to bring out common or obviously fake items to embarrass himself. Therefore, these items are most likely genuine and even rare.

But then another question arises: how desperate for money would someone have to be to release so many items all at once in the name of collecting?

It can't be that they committed a crime and are trying to run away, can it?

While pondering this, Gao Mishou opened one of the square boxes, revealing two dental artifacts.

The front is a square box with landscape and figures. The lid is divided into upper and lower openings. The upper opening is decorated with relief carvings of bamboo, flowers, strange rocks and colorful butterflies.

The lower part of the relief features a village boy herding sheep, with rocks, pine trees, plum trees, and a mountain cottage interspersed in the distance.

The lines are clear, and the composition is harmonious and natural. Bamboo is bamboo, trees are trees, flowers are flowers, houses are houses... Typical ivory carving craftsmanship of Beijing during the Qing Dynasty can be summarized in two words: intricate and precise.

The brush holder depicts a scholar under pine trees: an old man carrying a staff stands on a bridge, while a child carrying a zither stands on the bank, looking towards the sound... The mountain pines serve as boundaries, yet every step reveals a new scene. The craftsmanship is skillful and refined, with even the ground (where there are no patterns) being polished smooth and round.

Both are ivory carvings from the Qing Dynasty, but this one is a landscape and flower-and-bird carving from Suzhou. It has both a wild and elegant spirit, and a clear and bright style.

However, the material is generally uniform: white with a milky sheen, without blemishes or cracks. The color is lustrous and even, and the texture is smooth and fine.

Top-grade ivory: Mammoth ivory tip, powdered ivory (from natural death), and ice material (highest grade).

After looking at it twice, Lin Sicheng secretly sighed: "He said he'd bring the real thing, and he brought the real thing?"

A million might be a little short, but each of these two items should be worth around 800,000 to 900,000.

He quickly changed his mind and looked at Zhao Xiuneng again. Mr. Zhao paused for a moment, then gave an awkward smile: "Teacher Lin, I don't know much about dental instruments!"

Oh right, I forgot that this kind of thing only gradually became popular after the Ming Dynasty, and not many were produced in the Qin Chuan region. Besides, everyone has their own expertise; Zhao Xiu can specialize in porcelain, and he hasn't really put much effort into studying other things.

After setting down the teacup, Lin Sicheng checked it again to make sure it was in order before finally putting it down.

"Secretary Gao, what's the price?"

"Two items for 1.2 million, one item for 750,000!"

This price is really not high.

Lin Sicheng put down his pen holder: "The Beijing and Suzhou craftsmen from around the Qing Dynasty produced quite a few pieces!"

Fang Jingxian knew that Lin Sicheng meant the item was fine and the price was right, so she could accept it. But she was still a little hesitant.

Because tooth mittens are too niche, they are difficult to sell.

But suddenly, Zhao Xiuneng's eyes lit up: This thing is unpopular in Shaanxi, but it's not unpopular in the capital.

And since Lin Sicheng said it was pretty good, there must be some profit to be made...

Seeing this, Lin Sicheng smiled and said, "Then Mr. Zhao will accept it!"

Without saying a word, Zhao Xiuneng took out his card. Fang Jingxian felt relieved and secretly cheered herself up: Lin Sicheng had already helped her look at two items, and she hadn't accepted them. If she didn't accept the third one, it would be a bit unreasonable.

But then, seeing Secretary Gao open another box, her eyes widened again: it was ivory again, and so big, and there were two bottles.

No... Gao Jing, did you do this on purpose?

But Lin Sicheng and Zhao Xiuneng were both taken aback.

What stunned Zhao Xiuneng was the shape of the piece: it was thirty-five or thirty-six centimeters tall, clearly a single ivory carving. Even someone as ignorant as him knew: small items sell well, large items are hard to sell. Therefore, complete ivory carvings were extremely rare…

Lin Sicheng was stunned by the material and the workmanship: the white was translucent with milky color and the color was reddish. This was an African blood tooth (taken from live tusks) of a higher grade than the previous two pieces.

The carving appears to be of excellent quality, with lifelike figures, flowing skirt folds, graceful postures, and beautiful lines, but it is actually a machine-carved piece.

Crucially, the statue is faintly translucent, indicating that the moisture has not completely evaporated, and further suggesting that the two tusks were removed no more than two years ago.

It took two years to transport it from Africa to China, and after it was carved, it was transported to Xi'an. Who knows how long it sat in the basement of this villa...

Looking at the seven or eight long boxes placed to the side, Lin Sicheng had a vague guess: "Orthodontic treatment?"

"Teacher Lin has a good eye!" Gao Jing smiled. "They're all braces!"

Lin Sicheng sighed, finally realizing who her boss was: Miao Taiyue, one of the major tomb raiders' henchmen in Shaanxi Province, known in the underworld as Uncle Shan.

He has collaborated with Yang Bin, Lü Fuping (who was convicted of tomb raiding in Lantian and Empress Dou of Emperor Wen of Han, and sentenced to death in 2006), Yu Dahai, and Zhang Haofeng, who specializes in raiding the Qin Eastern Tombs.

His method of selling stolen goods was quite unique: he set up a small appliance export company, hid the cultural relics inside the appliances and shipped them to Africa, and then sold the appliances and the cultural relics to Europe and America.

His arrest was even more dramatic, not because of a cultural relics case, but because of ivory smuggling: he collaborated with Chen Jianzhong, a Guangzhou native known as the "Ivory King," who was involved in the seizure of nearly ten tons of ivory in a single operation.

Chen Jianzhong helped him transport cultural relics out, while Miao Taiyue helped Chen Jianzhong transport ivory in... In 2009, both were arrested.

It's unclear when the investigation started, but it's obvious they got wind of it and were preparing to ship the goods and run away.

He was also quite certain that Miao Taiyue was behind Secretary Gao: Ivory was an extremely rare and niche collectible in Shaanxi Province, and Miao Taiyue, who was using it as a cover, would not have collected so many ivory products...

Lin Sicheng pondered for a moment, then looked up again: "Secretary Gao, do you have any tickets?"

Secretary Gao was taken aback for a moment: "Of course there are!"

Lin Sicheng nodded: That's good...

Just then, in May of this year, national policies tightened, requiring ivory products to have three certificates: that is, the ivory carvings sold must have a legal purchase certificate, a government-authorized operating certificate, and a collection certificate issued by the relevant authorities.

From then on, the price of ivory products skyrocketed.

The two items Zhao Xiuneng just acquired will be worth at least three million in six months, more than double the original price.

Even more coincidentally, four months before the policy was issued, he ran into an ivory dealer who was preparing to abscond.

Those with invoices are obviously from legitimate channels and are used as brand-name goods, so of course you should buy them.

Of course, I won't touch anything without a ticket. I won't even touch anything with the slightest doubt.

Just like these two Guanyin statues in front of me.

Thinking to himself, Lin Sicheng took a deep breath: When luck comes, there's no stopping it...