Kissed and Seduced By the Most Rough Man in the Village-Chapter 118: Both of Them Were Taken to the Police Station
The man’s face twitched, but before he could say anything, the shop assistant didn’t wait and rushed inside to make a phone call. Protecting the national treasures of China was more important than offending a foreigner.
"Troublesome," Mr. Wales muttered irritably as he shot Su Xiaoxiao a glare. He then whispered to the man beside him in English, "Regardless of the situation, you must get this painting for me today."
"Mr. Wales, you can rest assured. Since you’ve offered me such a high reward, I’ll make sure you get what you want," the man quickly replied in his broken English.
Although their voices were not exactly quiet, they ensured the shop assistant wouldn’t overhear. As for Su Xiaoxiao and Jiang Yexun, they were entirely disregarded.
In Chinese high schools, English was not as emphasized, and the other was not much of a rube. If they could understand English, it would indeed be a miracle.
After a while, the shop assistant returned from the back office and apologized as he smiled, "I’m sorry, our manager said he’ll be right over."
The man’s chest heaved visibly but then snorted impatiently.
Not even several senior experts had been able to discern the authenticity of this painting. Could a manager who dealt with sales every day see through it?
The man grunted and walked over to Mr. Wales. After a brief exchange, Mr. Wales angrily spoke a string of English words.
The man tried to placate him with feigned understanding before casting a glance at Su Xiaoxiao and the shop assistant.
"Mr. Wales says that if it’s determined that this painting is fake, you all must apologize. Your actions not only show a lack of professionalism but also disrespect for Mr. Wales and disdain for Y Country."
"We were simply following our usual procedures," the shop assistant replied formally, showing no signs of backing down.
Su Xiaoxiao appeared even more pleased and took some satisfaction in the man’s situation. She had dared to stand up for a reason: she had absolute proof to make the inspector believe that this painting was genuine.
Seeing Su Xiaoxiao’s confident demeanor, the man suddenly felt a pang of anxiety, which quickly turned into panic. This inexplicable unease made him question if he was about to face dire consequences.
The following fifteen minutes were filled with an eerie silence inside the store. The man’s growing apprehension and fear were gradually amplified.
In the end, he could only muster the courage to walk up to Mr. Wales and softly suggest, "Mr. Wales, maybe we should leave now. I’ll find you an even better painting next time."
Mr. Wales glared at him fiercely, his eyes filled with malice. "Don’t forget, you’ve taken my money, and it’s for this time; as for the next time, we’ll see until then. "
The man had no choice but to retreat to the side.
After nearly twenty minutes, a middle-aged man in his forties rushed in.
His gaze swept over everyone in the room and settled on Su Xiaoxiao. "Young friend, thank you so much for today. Now, let me examine this painting."
The man next to him scoffed, "You’re only in your forties. How can you be as skilled as those old experts in their sixties or seventies?"
The manager remained calm and replied, "My surname is Qian."
"So what if your surname is Qian?" the man mockingly retorted.
However, his expression quickly turned ugly, even filled with dread, as he stared at Manager Qian.
Manager Qian, sensing the man’s reaction, smiled and continued, "My ancestors were part of the Qian family, which used to run a renowned antique shop in this area for six generations. I practically grew up among these antiques when I was a child."
The man’s legs went weak, and he slumped to the ground. He trembled, reaching for Mr. Wales’s arm, trying to get him to leave quickly.
Mr. Wales, despite his darkening expression, maintained an air of superiority. With a tone of disdain, he looked at the man beside him. "Pathetic! Get your hand off me!"
"Let’s leave while the situation isn’t out of control," the man suggested sheepishly.
But even though Mr. Wales’s expression darkened, he still carried himself with an air of confidence. Identifying antiques were ultimately based on personal feelings, which had nothing to do with surnames like Qian or the antique shops . If he didn’t recognize it, who could prove that the painting was genuine?
Manager Qian placed the magnifying glass on the table and turned to Su Xiaoxiao with an increasingly grateful and warm look. "Young friend, your judgment was absolutely correct. This painting is indeed an authentic work by Yan Liben from the Tang Dynasty. I am so thankful for your words; you’ve helped us preserve this valuable piece."
"It’s nothing; I just didn’t want to see one of our national treasures end up overseas," Su Xiaoxiao replied with a hint of embarrassment, her lips curling into a light smile.
"This is a significant matter! I must express my gratitude properly. But for now, please excuse me; I need to deal with these two," Manager Qian apologized and then cast a stern gaze at the two individuals.
"Excuse me, you two, given the circumstances earlier, you will have to go to the police station for questioning," his voice was cold and authoritative, leaving no room for resistance.
"Do you dare to take Mr. Wales to the police station? He’s from Y Country!" the man challenged, feigning courage.
However, Manager Qian remained unfazed. "Regardless of one’s nationality, as long as you are on Chinese soil, you must abide by Chinese law."
"And what proof do you have that this painting is genuine? Are there specific rules or laws written down somewhere?" Mr. Wales responded defiantly, raising doubts. His words were clearly an act of stubbornness, and it made Manager Qian and Su Xiaoxiao both frown in irritation.
"This paper is painted on ’hard yellow paper,’ a type highly praised by scholars from the Tang Dynasty. It is a kind of paper that was waxed evenly to make it lustrous and exquisite. People called it ’hard yellow paper.’ Later, the cost of production became too high, and it ceased being made, even to the point of disappearing. Who would think of using this paper to make forgeries?" Manager Qian explained reasonably.
But Mr. Wales continued to resist, accusing, "Just because it used to be produced, who can guarantee it won’t be made again in the future? You’re just flip-flopping, obviously because you look down on me as someone from America. This is discrimination and a form of exclusion! I’ll report you to the embassy."
Mr. Wales thought that the situation on this painting was futile. By elevating the matter a few levels, he aimed to make China fear causing an international incident, and the ambassador would be willing to protect him. The man, who had already been frightened, gained some confidence upon hearing this.
Mr. Wales was an American; even if they were to prove that they intended to maliciously deal with China’s national treasures, what could be done about it? Would the Chinese authorities dare to apprehend and prosecute them?
Thinking this, the man stood tall, holding his chin up high. It was as if being with Mr. Wales, an American, elevated his status above the Chinese.
Manager Qian frowned, unsure of what to say to these unreasonable individuals.
Suddenly, Su Xiaoxiao spoke up from the side, "Actually, I know a secret that can determine the authenticity of this painting."
"What is it?" Everyone was shocked and looked at her.
"I read in an antique book that Emperor Ji Xi of the Song Dynasty had a fondness for calligraphy and painting. He briefly collected this painting, but because he was so fond of it, he didn’t inscribe his private seal on the painting. If you lift the lower corner of the inscription on the left side, you can see his private seal."
"This emperor, among more than a hundred princesses in the Song Dynasty, was not that special, so going to such lengths for this doesn’t add any value to the painting," Su Xiaoxiao added nonchalantly.
This discovery was also a pleasant surprise years after the auction. Decades later, with machines capable of verifying the age of certain items, a scan had revealed the presence of a hidden seal that had remained concealed for over seven hundred years.
"Let me see," Manager Qian said, somewhat bewildered, and quickly approached the painting again.
Returning to his desk, he retrieved various tools and carefully lifted the artwork, the seal appearing underneath. Wales and the man immediately turned ashen and took a few steps back, thoroughly frightened.
However, despite their chills, they forced themselves to remain calm. Mr. Wales squinted his eyes and righteously countered, "You made a mistake in judging the authenticity of this painting yourselves. I’m not the only one who misjudged it. Why do you have the right to arrest me?"
"If it were just our mistake, you wouldn’t know the details and there wouldn’t be much of an issue. However, since you are well aware of our laws, which clearly forbid the sale and export of valuable national treasures like this painting, and yet you conspired to deceive and acquire our national treasure, you naturally will have to face legal consequences." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
It was obvious that Mr. Wales understood Chinese, he chose not to speak in Chinese when communicating with the Chinese. Now, as the situation escalated, he lost patience, and with his anger, he shouted, "I’m from Y Country! You have no authority to restrain me."
"Mr. Wales, we are simply requesting your cooperation in an investigation. If you resist like this, it’s difficult for me not to suspect that you have privately acquired many of Chinese national treasures during your stay in China. We will carry out a thorough investigation into your activities during your visit to China and inspect your belongings."
Manager Qian squinted and changed from a suspicious to a confident expression.
Mr. Wales suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
Without thinking further, he abruptly turned and tried to run away. Manager Qian and the shop assistant immediately chased after him. Although they were a bit slower, they quickly closed in on Mr. Wales. Just when they were about to apprehend him, he reached out and tried to grab Su Xiaoxiao.
