Chapter 191 - Chapter 191: Chapter 157 Decisive in Killing! (Subscribe Please) (1/2)
Chapter 191: Chapter 157 Decisive in Killing! (Subscribe Please)
Ancient Moon Museum, third-floor reception room.
Outside the window, the rain grew heavier, cascading from the sky like countless silver threads interweaving into an impenetrable curtain of rain. The leaves in the manor swayed in the rain, water droplets falling along them, creating streams like watery curtains.
The noise of the rain filtered in through the window.
Mr. Hu’s expression became somewhat complex, “What exactly is going on?”
Gao Qinglin took a deep breath and said dazedly, “Mr. Hu, our people have discovered a video on the homepage of QuickShake titled ‘Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase suspected to be a replica,’ and it’s still trending.”
Mr. Hu’s heart skipped a beat, and his brows furrowed deeply, forming the character ‘Chuan’.
Gao Qinglin calmed down.
He promptly retrieved a tablet from within the museum, opened QuickShake, and indeed saw that video on the homepage.
“Found it.”
Gao Qinglin placed the video in front of Mr. Hu.
On the tablet, the video began to play, and the first thing that came into the view of Mr. Hu and Gao was a slightly rudimentary cover image.
In the center of the cover was the thin-walled jade vase.
In the upper right corner were the conspicuous words ‘Bombshell’ ‘Suspected Replica’ ‘Rigorous Analysis’.
Subsequently, the screen shrank, revealing a cartoon image of a little boy who, with a synthesized electronic voice, began to say:
“Recently, a national treasure was accidentally damaged, sparking widespread discussion. Many netizens are focused on aspects such as ‘compensation’ and ‘imprisonment,’ but today, I’m going to show you a different perspective.”
Next, a photo of the ‘Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase’ appeared in the video.
The cartoon boy raised his hand and continued,”Have you ever considered that this ‘Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase’ might not be an authentic artifact?”
“Many people will ask, this is a national treasure from an overseas relic return ceremony, verified by a large number of experts, how could it be fake?”
“Listen while I analyze it one by one!”
“The hardest core artifact verification analysis is about to begin, fasten your seatbelts, we’re taking off!”
“This is the basic information about the ‘Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase,’ standing 31.1cm tall, with a base diameter of 8.2cm, crafted with the Suzhou Jade Carving Craft, its thinnest wall is 1mm, exhibiting excellent translucency.”
“If you only look at the basic information and craftsmanship, it’s not possible to discern its authenticity.”
“Next, I will show you how to use light and shadow to identify this kind of jade vase thin as cicada’s wings!”
“Look here.”
“This is its photo before the overseas reflow exhibit.”
“This is its current photo exhibited at Modu Museum.”
“…”
As the video played on, the method of using light and shadow to identify the ‘Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase’ also reached the ears of Mr. Hu and Gao Qinglin.
Gao Qinglin’s gaze was complex, and his voice trembled a bit, “Mr. Hu, is this method reliable?”
“Light and shadow…”
Mr. Hu leaned on the armrest of his chair, his eyebrows tightly knit, murmuring to himself.
Before Gao Qinglin could speak, he took out the authentic piece from the cabinet, placed it on the tea table, and then took a flashlight, shining it from above.
The ‘Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase’ immediately revealed a warm and moist shadow, with a light green color, varying from bright to dark, forming a gradient layer.
Within it, the shadow’s gradient transition was natural, extraordinarily soft.
On the body of the vase, the tangled branch pattern seemed like sprawling branches, lifelike, exuding a sense of freshness.
“This is real.”
Afterward, Mr. Hu also took out pictures of the previously photographed replica of the thin-walled jade vase and began to compare the two.
The rain outside was falling even harder, tapping and drumming on the eaves, intermingling with the sound of the wind and the rustling leaves, disturbing the tranquility of their minds.
The rainy day brought a slight chill to the air.
Yet on Gao Qinglin’s forehead, fine beads of sweat emerged.
His face turned somber as he watched Mr. Hu’s comparison.
The two men in the third-floor reception room, one a chief expert of Modu Museum and the other the owner of a private museum who also happened to be an absolute authority in antique forgery, were no novices.
And it was precisely because of this that they understood just how astonishing the ‘light and shadow’ mentioned in the video really were.
After a meticulous comparison, Mr. Hu’s face also displayed a hint of shock, “Light and shadow… there really is a subtle difference.”
Mr. Hu then turned his attention back to the video.
By now, the video had finished playing, and as he quickly scrolled down, he could see the yet not too numerous audience comments.
[Can light and shadow really authenticate this treasure?]
[I’ve never heard of this method before, I’ll save it for later, this account is a treasure.]
[The logic is too hardcore, I’m convinced!]
[Ah, if it’s true, doesn’t that mean the one that was damaged is a replica?]
[Did I falsely accuse the web novel writer before?]
[Guys, if the damaged one is a replica, then where is the real ‘Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase’?]
[Yeah, where is the real artifact?]
[Agreed~ Where did the real national treasure go?]
[…]
Mr. Hu’s expression tightened, and he looked up at Gao Qinglin, issuing a command, “Contact QuickShake right away and take down that video!”
Gao Qinglin nodded solemnly and immediately took out his phone, making a call.
They had wide connections; removing videos, pulling search terms, and suppressing trending topics were all routine measures.
“Director Zhang, this is Gao Qinglin. There’s a video that is sensationalizing and seeking attention by slandering our national treasure as a replica. Could you help me take down this video and send me the uploader’s information as well?”
On the phone, Gao Qinglin was brief and to the point, trying to cover as much information as possible in as few words as necessary.
“Teacher Gao, no problem, it’s a small matter. What’s the title of the video, and the nickname of the poster?” Director Zhang from QuickShake responded promptly.
Gao Qinglin glanced at the tablet again, reading aloud as he looked.
Title of the video: Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase suspected to be a replica.
Uploader’s nickname: Fussy Taro Eater.
“Alright, no problem, I’ll immediately take down the video,” assured Director Zhang.
“Good, I’ll await your news.”
Only then did Gao Qinglin reveal a smile.
The call wasn’t over yet; Director Zhang on the other end was executing the take-down order swiftly.
However, two minutes later.
Director Zhang reported back, “Teacher Gao, I’m unable to take down the video.”
Upon hearing this.