The nights at McKinley Castle are destined to be anything but peaceful.
When the double blow of the empty Eastern antiquities warehouses and the discovery of fakes in the Western antiquities warehouses erupted one after another, chaos spread like a boulder thrown into a lake, ripples quickly spreading throughout the entire European aristocratic and high-society social circles.
The once lively banquet instantly fell apart. The people who were chatting enthusiastically just a moment ago completely severed ties with McKinley after their trust collapsed. Some people immediately called lawyers and insurance companies to request authentication of the artifacts; many others who had paid for the artifacts now only wanted to break their contracts and refused to pay; and quite a few people verbally abused and denigrated the McKinley family, saying they were utterly worthless...
William McKinley struggled to stay afloat, trying to persuade and explain, but no one would listen anymore. Amidst the chaos, the police arrived just in time—
William McKinley and the rest of the McKinley family thought they had finally found their saviors, but reality dealt them a heavy blow—
"Mr. William McKinley, you said you have surveillance cameras in your home with no blind spots? And that the antiquities warehouse has very strict security measures?"
The police officers in uniform moved through the various scenes, but they couldn't find any valuable clues, so they could only shake their heads.
"But in the last two or three hours, your family's security cameras were completely destroyed, and no valuable traces were left at the crime scene..."
"Especially the two antique warehouses that served as crime scenes, dozens of guests came and went after the theft. Even if the suspect left any traces, the scene would have already been compromised..."
William McKinley was desperate; he denied it in a hoarse voice:
“That’s absolutely impossible… These artifacts are invaluable, worth at least several hundred million euros…”
William McKinley pounded his head, trying to clear his head, and then frantically grabbed the policeman's collar:
"No matter what... please find the thief!!"
"Otherwise... otherwise our McKinley family will be finished!"
Faced with William McKinley's madness, the police shook their heads helplessly. They could only take a brief statement from everyone present as William McKinley requested. However, at the time of the incident, almost everyone except William McKinley himself was gathered in the banquet hall and had no time to commit the crime!
Moreover, almost everyone present was a wealthy and influential person, and the police had to be timid and hesitant when questioning them. Many of the VIPs had also suffered the loss of their purchased items or had them turned out to be counterfeit, so their attitude towards the McKinley family was naturally not good, and they were completely unwilling to cooperate with the investigation!
In short, after a long period of effort, neither the police nor the William McKinley family obtained any effective clues or results, and the situation only became more chaotic!
After a long and eventful night, almost all the distinguished guests left McKinley Estate in a huff, full of anger. Lin Jicheng, naturally, also didn't want to stay long, so he quickly left with the few Western artworks he had acquired at auction.
Despite William McKinley's numerous attempts to cover up such a huge scandal, it still made headlines the following day.
"A century-old castle exposed to a shocking scandal!"
"The McKinley Family: An Artistic Family or a Family of Counterfeits?"
"The McKinley family is embroiled in an art fraud case! Their aristocratic reputation collapses overnight!"
The sensational headlines swept across major newspapers and online news. This incident not only bankrupted the McKinley family in aristocratic circles, but also brought them to "social death" worldwide, destroying the family's reputation built up over a century!
However, the nobles who attended the banquet that evening, after leaving McKinley Castle, also took drastic measures—
After the collapse of trust, they resorted to various means, including terminating cooperation, conducting immediate investigations, and even filing legal lawsuits, effectively isolating the McKinley family in terms of business interests. They were unwilling to give up on holding the McKinley family accountable, and these business blows plunged the McKinley family into an even darker abyss…
Meanwhile, Lin Jicheng finally boarded a private jet and returned to his loyal Cangsen Castle—
The dark, extended Lincoln, like a ghost, drove Lin Jicheng through the heavy iron gate. The grandeur and vastness of the Cangsen Castle slowly unfolded before her. Lin Jicheng did not linger outside; she went straight to the depths of the castle, where there was an alloy door that required her to verify her pupils, palm prints, and password.
Opening the door reveals a vast, temperature- and humidity-controlled arched treasure room, a stark contrast to the McKinley family's empty warehouse—a veritable paradise on earth.
As Lin Jicheng stepped inside, soft lights gradually illuminated the countless treasures, like a stage spotlight.
A complete set of bronze ritual vessels is placed in the center of the warehouse. The dark green rust flows under the light, revealing a cultural heritage spanning three thousand years. The animal face patterns carved on them are still sharp, with a ferocious yet captivating beauty. However, this time, they are no longer spoils of war forced to leave their homeland, but have finally returned to the hands of guardians who can understand their bloodline language!
Beside them, there are even more artifacts retrieved from the McKinley family—
Yuan blue-and-white porcelain vases are elegant and graceful, Tang tri-color glazed horses are spirited and unrestrained, Song dynasty official kiln porcelain with its ice-crack patterns is warm and smooth like jade, gilded Buddha statues are solemn and dignified, ink paintings and calligraphy have a profound artistic conception, and white porcelain sculptures are exquisitely crafted...
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
