138 – Friendly

“Hm… So you’re saying that the calligraphy is fake?” asked Tang Jiang looking at the report. He was one of the board of directors for the Imperial Imperial Museum.

Aside from the Tang family, there were also the Chen and Song family members who had a say in the board. However, only Tang Jiang and Chen Gan from the younger generation had any real talent in antiquities.

During the meeting, Mr. Luo announced his plan to cancel the exhibit. Instead, they would replace it with a porcelain exhibit from the Song and Ming dynasty.

“Have you gathered more experts to confirm the findings?” asked Tang Jiang.

Mr. Luo was sweating, was his decision a bit hasty? “Mr. Tang, Ms. Rui and Elder Fu Yaoshi have both changed their initial opinions. They both believe that it is a fake.”

“Oh?” Tang Jiang’s eyebrow raised in curiosity. “What made them change their mind?”

“A young treasure hunter that Elder Fu Yaoshi invited was able to point out a mistake in one of the characters. Although it looked like a simple mistake, an expert of calligraphy will say that it is very uncommon, especially with the low regular script. It seems very intentional.”

“A young treasure hunter?” asked Chen Gan who was initially bored by the conversation.  “Does treasure hunting really exist nowadays? What are his qualifications?”

“He’s a calligraphy master…” Mr. Luo should have really asked him for additional details, but he assumed having Fu Yaoshi and Ms. Rui's support would be enough. “His name is Li Yun.”

Anyone on the board who was aware of the rumors all recognized the name.

It was Tang Jiang who bursted out laughing first. “Mr. Luo, are you not aware that Mr. Li is a surgeon?”

Mr. Luo was obviously not aware. “He is?”

“Is he still here?”

Mr. Luo nodded.

Li Yun had been going to the museum from morning until closing time. Every morning, the refreshed looking young man entered the museum. With his special pass to examine the paintings, the guards allowed him to touch the edge of the paintings. By the third day, they were aware of the strange young man who was touring the museum.

The reason was, by the end of the day, he was often escorted out by the guards. The guards were seen carrying the exhausted looking young man to the museum’s office.

There were more than one million pieces in the National Museum. Even after three days of expending all his energy, he would not make a dent in the collection. At most, he could only look through 200 pieces a day. Li Yun focused on different artists, especially during the more ancient times, and on famous artists and writers.

“Mr. Li, I mean Doctor Li is a rather intense person,” Mr. Luo commented as he escorted Tang Jiang and Chen Gan to the museum. “He carries a notebook around, and he writes notes on all the pieces he has inspected like a student writing a dissertation on antiquities. I would never have guessed he is a surgeon just looking at how dedicated he is to studying antiquities.”

“Doctor Li is a rather gifted individual,” Tang Jiang stated as he looked ahead and into the gallery housing antiques from the Zhou dynasty.

They saw a tall young man standing next to a sculpture, jotting down something in his notebook with a brush tip pen.

“Mr. Li, do you have a moment?” asked Mr. Luo.

Li Yun stopped his movement, and looked at the two guests next to Mr. Luo. They were both above average height, although not as tall as him. Their clothes were semi-casual, but very expensive looking, and their watches cost more than his car.

It wasn’t just their clothing, but their face carried a dignified look, like someone from the royal family. People from wealthy families had different auras from regular people. Li Yun thought only Bufu and Xuxu had comparable auras to them.

Mr. Luo introduced them as two of the members on the board of directors. After a round of handshakes, it was Tang Jiang who expressed his gratitude to Li Yun for finding a flaw in the calligraphy.

“You save our museum from a potential embarrassment,” Tang Jiang stated.

Li Yun wasn’t sure about that. If he hadn’t spoken up, it was possible that it would eventually be seen as a real artifact. In fact, there were a dozen counterfeit items on display in the museum. He thought it was best to keep his mouth shut.

“It’s simply just another way to make money, so I need to keep my eyes open for counterfeit,” Li Yun replied. He had a feeling the two of them knew him.

“Mr. Li is quite humble,” Tang Jiang replied.

“And Mr. Tang is quite a capable person, I have heard about you from Mr. Song.”

Tang Jiang smirked. “But I don’t think I am as remarkable as you Mr. Li, or do you prefer Dr. Li?”

“I’m not working at the moment, so you can simply call me Mr. Li.”

“I heard you’re working on a medicinal product right now?”

“Mr. Tang is well informed. It’s still in the works.”

“I heard Xia Industry is pushing for stricter regulations in the pharmaceutical and drug market. You might want to be more careful.”

“Thank you for warning.”

Chen Gan felt a bit out of place. “You two sound rather well acquainted.”

“Not acquainted at all, but Mr. Li has a rather outstanding reputation in the medical field,” Tang Jiang wrapped his arm around Chen Gan and tugged him close. “This guy Chen Gan is the general office chief for the State Administration Office. Word on the street, you might be absorbing the Drug and Food Administration soon?”

Chen Gan glared at Tang Jiang, he wasn’t supposed to be revealing information out to the public. Although Chen Gan looked annoyed,  he wasn't angry.

“I’m newly appointed, so I am not privy to all the information from the top,” Chen Gan replied. Chen Gan wasn’t as wealthy, but he had a lot more political connections. “I heard that Mr. Li might be joining our ranks soon. We have a gathering later today, are you interested in going?”

“Unfortunately, I’m going to have another round in the museum. The thought of being surrounded by such beautiful artworks is overstimulating my body, so I drain out rather easily. I do not think I will have any energy left to join you. I also have plans, so I will have to decline.”

“That is rather a pity. I know many people who would like to meet you.”

Li Yun bet that was true, but he didn’t have time to deal with all of them. He had better things to do.

“Are you attending the Imperial Protector Auction tomorrow?” asked Tang Jiang.

“I have plans to check out the inventory, but I don’t plan to stay for the auction, is Mr. Tang also attending?” asked Li Yun.

“As one of the best auction houses in the country, it is always a lively event for spectators,” said Tang Jiang. “How about Gan and I take you there tomorrow in the morning?”

"How about I meet with you there at the entrance?” Li Yun had a driver provided by Xia Guying.

He had little reason to decline the invitation. By going together, it created a less combative nature. There was an unspoken pleasantry and exchange. Whether you were friends or foes, there was a basic courtesy to follow, especially people who valued face.

"All right, we'll see you there." Tang Jiang and Chen Gan left shortly after.

Li Yun looked at the time, there were other auction houses he needed to visit before heading to the Protector Auction tomorrow.