Inside the auction hall, the white-bearded old man immediately stood up; he recognized the middle-aged man leading the customs team—
Chief Inspector Fung of the Hong Kong Customs Department was an incorruptible man who hated smuggling the most.
He stood up to greet Inspector Feng, saying with a forced smile—
"Chief Inspector Feng, you're aware of the problems with this auction, aren't you? The seventh young lady of the Ning family and Madam Ning, the president of the socialite club, are smuggling cultural relics lost overseas and are trying to use this opportunity to sell them to us!"
The young man beside him immediately chimed in, "That's right, Chief Inspector Feng, the Ning family might be behind the theft at the French museum."
At this moment, Li, the eldest son of one of the four great families, spoke up calmly: "Old Master Lu is so old and has already retired from the Lu family. There's no need for him to get so excited about bringing his grandson to an auction. The Ning family isn't so short of money that they would resort to robbing a museum."
The implication is that the old man from the Lu family was just making trouble for no reason.
Old Master Lu blushed and stroked his beard angrily, saying, "Everyone knows that the Li family and the Ning family have a good relationship, but no matter how good the relationship is, you may not know their internal financial situation, otherwise why would they sell stolen goods?"
Chief Inspector Feng glanced at them but said nothing. Instead, he turned to the other wealthy men and said politely and calmly, "Please be patient and wait for the investigation to conclude. You will then be allowed to leave."
As he spoke, he led his men to the auction stage, picked up the customs documents, and gestured to the customs officers following him to put on gloves and examine the items.
Ning Yuan remained calm, showing no reaction to the various gazes from those around her.
Those present were all powerful figures from wealthy families or business tycoons. They maintained their composure and remained calm, neither agreeing with nor mocking either side, but observing the situation with detached indifference.
Ning Manfei stood among her entourage at the door, a sinister smile flashing in her eyes.
Fifteen minutes later, the customs officers finished their inspection and whispered a few words in Inspector Feng's ear.
Chief Inspector Feng looked at everyone, raised the customs declaration documents in his hand, and said calmly and seriously, "After verification by the General Administration of Customs, these customs declaration documents are all authentic."
He specifically showed the signature page and the stamped page: "All the items auctioned by the socialite club are legally imported from the mainland and have all been authenticated as genuine."
The crowd erupted in an uproar.
Old Man Lu couldn't believe it and immediately stood up, shouting, "This is impossible! You weren't here to catch the filth, so what are you doing here out of the blue!"
He initially thought these people were hired by Ning Manfei to expose Ning Er's wife and that seventh young lady from the countryside, but the result was...
Chief Inspector Feng said in a deep voice, "We received a tip, so of course we had to come. Arresting smugglers is our duty, and clearing the name of those who have been slandered is also our responsibility!"
Old Man Lu angrily pounded the ground with his cane: "Absurd! Absurd!! You have clearly been bribed by the Ning family..."
Before he could finish speaking, Chief Inspector Feng coldly interrupted him: "Mr. Lu, if you have any objections to the customs' assessment results, you can appeal to the General Administration. However, please watch your words; arbitrarily slandering public officials will be subject to accountability."
Old Man Lu was furious, his face turning ashen, yet he was helpless. He looked pleadingly at his grandson, who was also dumbfounded and stammered, unable to utter a word.
At this moment, Ning Yuan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "I think everyone knows what happened in today's farce. Someone was scheming to frame the Ning family and the socialite club, but unfortunately, they were too clever for their own good."
A mocking smile curved her lips, and her bright yet cold gaze swept over Old Master Lu: "Some people shouldn't be too greedy, otherwise they will only suffer the consequences in the end."
Grandpa Lu froze instantly, gritting his teeth.
He and the Ning family have always been rivals, and he has never been able to beat them over the years, so he can only get scraps.
Finally, someone in the Ning family turned against them, but who knew... it would end like this! He was even tricked!
Ning Yuan turned to Chief Inspector Feng and smiled slightly: "Chief Inspector Feng, thank you so much for your help today. To thank you for your fair enforcement of the law, I have decided to donate this white jade Ananda statue to the Hong Kong Museum, which is my humble contribution to the cultural cause of the Hong Kong government."
These words caused another uproar in the audience—this was a priceless treasure!
Ning Yuan looked around at everyone and said, "I believe that the things placed in the Hong Kong Government Museum will remain on this land forever and will not be stolen away like they were a hundred years ago!"
Chief Inspector Fung was also taken aback for a moment, then nodded approvingly: "Miss Ning is very generous. On behalf of the Hong Kong government, I thank you for your generous donation!"
Applause erupted from the crowd.
This time, the eyes of these business tycoons who have been instrumental in supporting the Hong Kong government looked at Ning Yuan with genuine admiration.
Ning Yuan's actions earned her high regard from everyone present—such a young age, yet she knows how to behave so well.
Of course, this also served as a slap in the face to Ning Manfei.
Ning Manfei was already pale and trembling at the door.
She never imagined that her meticulously planned trap would become Ning Yuan's stepping stone. Gritting her teeth, she turned and left, inwardly cursing these customs bastards who had already been bribed by Ning Yuan!
Ning Yuan looked around at everyone and said calmly, "My esteemed elder brothers and relatives, you must have already guessed the significance of this auction. That's right, these cultural relics are the pride of the Chinese people, and belong only to the Chinese."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the shocked or excited faces in the audience, her tone becoming serious—
"I believe that all of you sitting here have a sincere Chinese heart and uphold the traditional virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness. Otherwise, you would not have been able to achieve your current success and status."
Ning Yuan's words were like a gentle spring breeze, subtly elevating the status of everyone present and making them feel comfortable.
She spoke again, her voice filled with unwavering conviction: "I believe that whoever photographed these items will not allow them to remain overseas for over a hundred years. This is our responsibility as Chinese people, and it is also our honor."
Her words were subtle, yet clear enough—almost an explicit statement—that even if these things came from outside,
The room erupted in another uproar. People exchanged glances, their emotions a complex mix of feelings and excitement.
They finally understood why those who could participate in the auction included both top billionaires and upstarts from emerging industries, rather than all billionaires receiving invitations!
Their common ground is not just wealth, but also—
They either brought back cultural relics belonging to the Chinese from overseas through auctions, or they refused foreigners' high-priced offers to buy items or properties of special significance, always taking pride in their Chinese identity.
Grandpa Lu was stunned, and suddenly his face showed embarrassment and confusion...
He was an expert on antiques and made his fortune in the antiques industry in his early years. He had also refused a British offer to buy his collection of Yuanmingyuan bronze animal heads.
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