Chapter 179 Hundreds of Millions in Losses
Xia Lili learned from the information in the hallucination image that the girl's name was Bai Qiuyi.
The old man she called Teacher Mo was named Mo Cheng, a well-known art connoisseur and collector in Longguo, who had collected many priceless antiques.
In the hallucination scene, Bai Qiuyi and Mo Cheng were in the underground parking lot.
Bai Qiuyi was saying goodbye to Mo Cheng, who was sitting in the car: "Teacher Mo, see you at the opening ceremony of the intangible cultural heritage exhibition tomorrow."
"Thank you for your hard work in setting up the exhibition during this period." Mo Cheng nodded. Just as he was about to close the car door, his cell phone suddenly rang and he received a call.
After Mo Cheng finished the call, his expression immediately became serious. He said to Bai Qiuyi:
"Maintenance personnel moved the display while cleaning and inspecting the product and forgot to put it back."
"I have to go back and check the layout myself."
The artworks in the exhibition hall are not placed randomly. They are placed with great care. If they are placed in the wrong position, it will invisibly affect everyone's experience of the exhibition.
Mo Cheng hurriedly got out of the back seat of the SUV, but after getting out, he suddenly covered his waist with a painful look on his face.
Bai Qiuyi quickly stepped forward to support him: "Teacher, what's wrong with you?"
Mo Cheng's face turned pale. "I came down too quickly and sprained my waist."
"I'm really old."
Bai Qiuyi volunteered, "Teacher Mo, how about I go back to the exhibition hall to check? The exhibits were arranged by my teachers and apprentices together, so I know exactly where to put them."
"Now that things have come to this, this is the only way." Mo Cheng nodded.
The hallucination then shifts to the second act, a replica of an antique exhibition hall. Silk scrolls hang from the walls, brocade covers the wooden exhibition tables, and exhibits include paper paintings, lacquerware, and fabric screens. A faint scent of sandalwood wafts through the air, filling the space with an antique elegance.
Bai Qiuyi was bending over to adjust the angle of an embroidery piece when she suddenly stopped—a burnt smell entered her nose.
She sat up abruptly, her eyes darting to the corner. She saw a wisp of black smoke rising from the shade of an antique palace lantern. The wick's flame had somehow ignited the silk lampshade, sending tongues of flame soaring up that they instantly licked the fabric painting hanging nearby.
"Fire!"
She rushed to the fire alarm button on the wall and slammed it. The alarm blared sharply, but the fire sprinkler above her head did not respond!
In just a few seconds, the fire was out of control.
Silk curtains ignited, paper paintings curled and blackened in the heat, and wooden exhibition stands crackled. In an instant, the entire exhibition hall was filled with smoke and a wave of heat.
Bai Qiuyi covered her mouth and nose and rushed to the exit, but was blocked by the collapsed screen. She turned around to find another exit, but found that the fire wall had blocked all escape routes.
"Help--!"
Her cries for help turned into screams of terror and pain, drowned out by the roar of the flames.
The last scene of the hallucination is a news report.
"A fire broke out on the eve of the opening of the 'Millennium Artifacts' antique exhibition, hosted by renowned artist Professor Mo Cheng, destroying 34 precious national treasures."
"Professor Mo Cheng's student Bai Qiuyi unfortunately passed away in this fire."
"Professor Mo Cheng suffered a loss of over 100 million yuan in this fire, and he suffered a severe blow. Professor Mo is suspected of having mental problems..."
The illusion ends here.
Xia Lili's blurred vision gradually became clearer.
Bai Qiuyi's face appeared in front of her.
Bai Qiuyi looked at her doubtfully, with a look of concern in her eyes: "Little sister, what's wrong with you?"
Xia Lili's mind suddenly flashed back to the scene of Bai Qiuyi becoming a burning man in the sea of fire, and her heart trembled.
She shook her head and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito: "It's okay, I'm looking for the bathroom. I'm not familiar with this place."
Bai Qiuyi enthusiastically showed her the way.
"Thanks!"
Xia Lili hurried to the bathroom.
When she came out of the bathroom, she splashed cold water on her face.
Xia Lili took out her cell phone and searched for the "Millennium Artifacts" antique exhibition.
This cultural exhibition was held in Mo Cheng's private exhibition hall, showcasing antiques with Dragon Kingdom cultural characteristics.
I heard that many foreign investors and even diplomats will come. The purpose of holding the exhibition is to showcase the treasures of the Dragon Country to overseas and promote brand licensing and collaboration. It has high cultural and commercial value.
Xia Lili looked at the pictures of the exhibits in the news reports: gold inlaid with jade, enamel, gilt craftsmanship, and unique pieces of lost craftsmanship...
At first glance, it's all about money and art.
When Xia Lili thought about these antiques being burned in the fire, she felt as if her heart was being tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and she felt extremely sad.
Moreover, Mo Cheng also publicly promised to the media that after his death, his antique collection would be donated to the country.
Xia Lili remembered very clearly that during the hallucination, the fire sprinkler did not respond at all.
Such an important exhibition, with so many valuable antiques, should have paid close attention to fire prevention measures. How could such a low-level mistake occur?
More importantly, the “Millennium Equipment Agreement” will take place tomorrow!
This means that the fire will break out tonight!
Xia Lili's hands trembled as she called Li Qihan, "Hello, Captain Li, something big is going to happen tonight..."
After listening to Xia Lili's report on the latest hallucinations, Li Qihan looked very solemn.
Xia Lili glanced at the time. It was 19:46. The news report showed the fire started at 00:23. There was not much time left for them to investigate.
Xia Lili said anxiously, "Captain Li, how about I go and inform Mo Cheng and Bai Qiuyi right now?"
"Wait a minute, let me think about it." Li Qihan pondered for a while.
"Aside from fire prevention measures."
"I think we have to find out who made the call to Professor Mo Cheng."
"That phone call was like bait to lure Professor Mo Cheng back to the exhibition hall."
Xia Lili was stunned. It was true, but Mo Cheng got out of the car too quickly and sprained his waist, so the person who returned to the exhibition hall was Bai Qiuyi.
But this is just too much of a coincidence.
An idea suddenly popped up in Xia Lili's mind: "This is impossible. Is Professor Mo Cheng faking his back pain? Is he the one who planned all this?"
Li Qihan pondered for a moment: "It is indeed possible."
"For exhibitions of this scale, organizers usually insure the exhibits. If a fire occurs, the insurance company will indeed pay a huge insurance premium."
"But there's a problem—his antique treasures are priceless and rare. Even if he gets the insurance money, he might not be able to buy collections of equal value. How could he bear to part with them?"
Xia Lili was stumped by this question.
"That's true."
Li Qihan could hear the sound of keyboard tapping, and then he said to Xia Lili, "I've contacted the firefighters from the Haicheng Fire Brigade and asked them to secretly deploy fire trucks around Mo Cheng's private venue."
"Wait a moment, I'll arrange an identity for you to approach Bai Qiuyi and Mo Cheng."
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