Lu Zheng rubbed his chin. “I just said something felt off. Finally realised what it was.”
“What felt off?” Lin Wan could not help narrowing her eyes and asking.
“That child who said goodbye to us just now called me uncle, but called you two…”
Lin Wan could not help laughing. “Sister!”
“Too much!” Lu Zheng narrowed his eyes, staring at the child in the distance who was concentrating on viewing the exhibits. “This is definitely revenge!”
Revenge for Lu Zheng teasing him earlier.
“Come on, you are actually fussing over a title with a little child!” Lin Wan laughed, then quietly leaned close to Lu Zheng. “And did he not praise you just now?”
Praising the cultural relic thieves was praising Lu Zheng, was it not?
Lu Zheng hummed proudly. “I will not stoop to his level!”
…
The “Animal Head Bronze Statues Special Exhibition” and the “Fifty Years of Repatriated Cultural Relics Exhibition” were divided into two halls.
The special exhibition was relatively small. The main physical exhibits were the ten animal head bronze statues, but the hall had twelve display stands. The snake head and sheep head were temporarily empty, though this was actually a statement in itself.
Apart from the animal head bronze statues, the rest were mainly various old photographs and corresponding textual materials, primarily introducing the achievements of the Old Summer Palace and the history of that time.
There was also a large-scale restoration model of the Old Summer Palace, very beautiful.
Next to it was a model of the current ruins. The contrast between the two could not help making people sigh with regret and stirring patriotic enthusiasm among the visiting tourists.
Compared to the special exhibition, the repatriated cultural relics exhibition was much larger. After all, it covered a wide range and there were many items. It was said that not everything was exhibited this time. Only hundreds of the highest-value and most representative collections were selected for the public to view.
Lu Zheng swept with his divine sense and found that not all the items he had sent were displayed. Of course, there were also many in the hall that he had not sent.
Porcelain, calligraphy and painting, jade, sculptures…
From the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties to the Yuan, Ming, and Qing.
From safety buckles to large stone carvings.
“So many of our things ended up scattered abroad…”
“And several pieces can truly be called national treasures!”
“Tsk tsk, this is Yan Liben’s painting of Tang palace ladies. Absolutely a treasure.”
“I wonder when we will see the Admonitions Scroll at home.”
“Wow, Mi Fu’s calligraphy copybook!”
“Such beautiful Yuan blue-and-white porcelain!”
“This is a Dunhuang mural. It was cut out in whole pieces and taken away before.”
Tourists discussed as they viewed along the way, looking at the introductions to these collections.
Lu Zheng and Lin Wan also strolled and looked. When they came across items they had sent, they could not help exchanging glances and smiling tacitly.
…
They spent two hours in the exhibition hall, appreciating the repatriated cultural relics, before heading out from the exit.
When passing the “Animal Head Bronze Statues Special Exhibition”, they found tourists still streaming in continuously to view.
“Everyone is very enthusiastic!” Lin Wan laughed. She saw many people gathered around the bronze statues, and some explaining to their children why two stands were empty.
“Eh? Still missing the snake head and sheep head!”
As the three passed by, they heard two middle-aged men standing in front of the empty stand where the snake head should have been, chatting.
“Yes. Originally there were seven. Recently, with all the uproar, three more came back. Now there are ten in total. Still missing two.”
“Did not expect even such a powerful organisation could not find the remaining two.”
The speaker had a southern accent and was well-dressed. He looked at the other animal heads, then at the restoration diagram of the Old Summer Palace fountain posted behind the stands, blinked, and seemed hesitant.
“This snake head… I think I have seen it somewhere…”
“No way. The snake head has never appeared. You probably saw it in some promotional booklet.”
“No, I have been in the Lighthouse Country all these years. Where would I see such booklets.”
“Then in Jackie Chan’s movie?”
“No, no. I definitely glimpsed it somewhere, but did not pay attention.” The man blinked, trying hard to recall.
Lu Zheng and Lin Wan naturally heard their conversation and could not help stopping.
Seeing the two stop, Zhang Weili also stopped with them. Hearing the man speak, she could not help chiming in. “You did not see a fake in some shop in Chinatown, did you?”
“That definitely was not. Fakes would be all twelve together, right?” the man replied. “It was just a single snake head.”
Since Zhang Weili had spoken first, Lu Zheng and Lin Wan joined in casually, as if helping the man recall.
“These animal head bronze statues were found from the castles and manors of several collectors in Europe, right? You did not visit someone’s home and accidentally see it, did you?” Lin Wan asked.
She had previously only investigated some families in the Eagle Country and Gaul Country. She had not yet gone to the Lighthouse Country to investigate.
In her view, if someone could not make it in their own country and went to the Lighthouse Country to cash in, they would definitely auction the animal heads, just like the previous ones that appeared through auctions.
There were quite a few people in the hall at this time. Some heard their conversation, but most did not believe the man’s words. After all, the snake head had been missing for over one hundred and fifty years. How could just anyone discover it?
So, whether it was the two men’s discussion or the intervention of Lu Zheng’s group, everyone just watched for fun. As strangers, they politely kept distance and did not join in.
“Nor that. I have not seen the real thing. It should have been a photo…”
“Seeing a photo in someone’s home, and the photo had the snake head?” Zhang Weili continued.
“Yes! That’s it!” The man’s eyes lit up. He slapped his fist into his palm.
“Uh…” Zhang Weili was speechless. “Really like that? No way. You did not remember wrong? Who would put this thing out in the open?”
Lu Zheng’s eyes flashed. “In whose home did you see this photo?”
A slight mental fluctuation carried in his voice, directly entering the man’s spirit.
“Jensen Cole.” The man answered subconsciously. “That guy is a religious fanatic. At the time, he wanted to pull me into his whatever Eden Church. Scared me into running away quickly.”
“Religion?” Lu Zheng and Lin Wan could not help looking at each other. How did it involve religion?
“Eden Church? Never heard of it.”
Zhang Weili blinked. “I heard there are countless religions in the Lighthouse Country. Your friend did not join a cult, did he?”
“Definitely a church!” the man nodded. “That sect actually worships the snake that tempted Eve to eat the apple…”
At this point, everyone could not help feeling startled.
Snake!
“So…”
“The snake head bronze statue, could it have been treated as a holy relic by their sect?” Lin Wan said speechlessly.
“I think you can report this information to the museum people. If you really want to expand influence, you can also contact the media.” A trace of guidance carried in Lu Zheng’s voice.
