Inside the orchard caretaker's hut, Ma the Cripple held the inscribed chime bell we unearthed from the musician's tomb, examining it over and over for a long time before looking at me incredulously: "This thing, is it really a replica you made?"
"This is a custom-made masterpiece. The buyer originally ordered a complete set of chime bells, but we had just finished making one when our hideout was raided. These replicas are time-consuming and labor-intensive, requiring several craftsmen to work together and make several months of modifications to produce one. They also require soil from the original tomb, buried underground for three years, allowing the capillaries of plant roots to grow onto the replica. Mass-produced replicas are much rougher."
I could tell from the look in Ma Quezi's eyes that he was interested.
After all, he had been Su Gouzi's agent for so many years, and his main business was bronze ware. Naturally, he couldn't put down this kind of thing.
"Great stuff, really great stuff, it's amazing how dry pit rust can be made so seamless."
The cripple held the chime bell and looked at it for a long time, clicking his tongue in amazement: "Untie them."
Hearing this, I finally relaxed. I thought to myself, this is a newly unearthed artifact, of course it's a good item. Even if the Heavenly King himself came, he wouldn't be able to tell it's fake.
Ma the Cripple put the chime bells aside and tossed me his cigarette case: "What chemicals do you use to make the rust?"
"The rust produced by chemical solutions lacks hardness, is easy to peel off, and will develop surface cracks over time. It also emits a pungent odor when burned. It's too rough. When we make fakes, we don't use chemical solutions. Instead, we soak the rust in a mixture of human urine and cow dung, then bury it in the soil for half a month to allow the rust to grow naturally. Finally, we use glue prepared by craftsmen to reinforce it. This fake rust is not afraid of heat or high temperatures. We mix it with copper rust that has peeled off from genuine artifacts, and it can even pass the test of a third-generation Charles filter."
I lit a cigarette and took two deep drags to relieve the pain in my body: "In the last two years, our methods have also improved. We will use electrolysis or roasting over a green fire to create a crispy copper texture."
"major!"
Ma Quezi's face lit up with joy, and he gave me a thumbs up: "I didn't realize you were such a talent."
I replied reservedly, "I wouldn't call myself a talent, but I did manage to make a good living in the industry for a few years. It's just that I made a mistake and started going downhill."
"As the saying goes, gold is easy to come by, but a good general is hard to find. Since you can't pay back the five million you owe, I won't force you. With the knowledge you have, I can choose to be your friend and give you some time."
Although Ma the Cripple relented, he didn't completely rule out the possibility: "The basic requirement for entering the antique business isn't a good eye, but the ability to boast! I entered the business at sixteen, and it's been thirty-six years now. I've met countless people in the industry, but I haven't seen many with real skills. However, there are plenty of fake experts and charlatans trying to pass themselves off as experts. How about this, you bring out a batch of goods first, I'll check their quality, and then we can discuss the rest."
Old Song immediately flattered, "No problem! We came to Luoyang this time to get our broken legs set. If you, Master Ma, are willing to cooperate with us, it won't just be a matter of getting our legs set, it'll be like flying!"
Ma the Cripple sneered, "You'll be staying here for the next while. I'll treat you to good food and drink. We'll talk about everything else once the goods arrive."
“Master Ma, I’m afraid that won’t work.” I looked troubled. “As I just said, our livelihood has been taken care of, and we have to go back and set up our stall again. You know, counterfeiting cultural relics is illegal. Our craftsmen, take bronzes for example, simply making the item isn’t illegal, but once they start engraving inscriptions and creating patina, they’ve crossed the line. If we don’t go back and take charge personally, those craftsmen will absolutely not go through this final step.”
Ma the Cripple's face immediately changed, and he looked at me with a gloomy gaze: "You guys already pulled a fast one on me before, are you going to put on another show like the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea?"
"Master Ma, you're really wronging me!" I scratched my head. "Our production line is already under the watchful eyes of the authorities. If the boss doesn't go back and show his face, his family will definitely think we've been arrested by the police and that we're trying to trick them into joining the scheme. If the craftsmen don't even dare to dig the rust pits, how are we supposed to produce anything?"
Ma the Cripple smoked his cigarette and thought for about ten seconds before pointing at me: "Go back and leave your two friends here."
Song Laosan chuckled: "Master Ma, do you think it's alright for me to go back? My two friends are young and usually handle the technical aspects of the business, while I'm in charge of supervising production."
Ma Quezi seemed to see through Song Laosan's shrewdness: "No, it's him. There's no room for discussion."
...
After I reached an agreement with Ma Quezi, I was blindfolded and sent down the mountain. When I took off the blindfold, I was already alone in the outer ring.
We had considered the possibility that Ma Quezi might detain people, but our original plan was to have Song Laosan come out, since he had extensive connections and it would be much easier for him to handle the situation.
But Ma Quezi insisted on detaining Song Laosan, and I had no choice. My plan was to give Ma Quezi the upper hand, and from the moment he chose to cooperate with me, he was already completely trapped.
I circled the streets a few times to make sure no one was following me, then dialed Qinghuai's number: "I'm at the West Overpass intersection. Come pick me up. I want to talk to you."
Qinghuai hadn't received a call from us for several days, and he immediately perked up: "Is there any progress?"
I didn't mention it on the phone: "Let's talk about it when we meet. Remember to come alone; I don't trust the people around you."
...
Half an hour later, Qinghuai picked me up in a Porsche 711. When he saw my battered and bruised appearance, he was stunned: "What happened to you? Did you get attacked by wolves in the suburbs?"
"Let's not talk about that, let's get down to business."
Remembering that Song Laosan and Monkey were still being held captive by Ma Quezi, I cut to the chase and said, "I need you to do two things for me. Within half a month, get me a batch of bronze artifacts, at least ten pieces."
Qinghuai was stunned: "So many? Do you want the real thing?"
I shook my head: "A craft item is fine, but the shape must be the best-looking high-quality replica, and there's no need to make it look old."
Qinghuai felt much more relaxed: "This is easy to handle. Several counties around Luoyang have bases for counterfeiting bronzes, and handicrafts are not illegal. As long as you are willing to spend the money, it's no big deal."
I added, "In addition, I need another batch of high-quality eggs by the time of the Spring Festival. The craftsmanship must be at least at the level that can only be detected by instruments, and absolutely cannot be detected by the naked eye. Moreover, the source of this batch of goods must be investigated. It cannot have come from Su Gouzi's hands. If possible, I hope you can use the Su family's connections to pick up the goods in Hubei, because the counterfeiting methods there are different from those in Henan, and we can bypass Su Gouzi's line."
Hearing what I said, Qinghuai narrowed his eyes: "Have you already made contact with Ma Quezi?"
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