Chapter 176 - Chapter 176: Chapter 148: Three Years in Prison, Astronomical Compensation! (Subscribe Please)_2 (2/2)

The police, the Cultural Relics Bureau, the museum, and other relevant officials all rushed over immediately.

The cultural relic that had just been handed over suddenly encountered such an incident, and especially this Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase, a national treasure-level relic, cracked open a large fissure, and could almost certainly be considered a total loss.

This was already beyond an issue within the antiques circle.

Everyone from the Cultural Relics Bureau to the museum, as well as Lin Chuan, Youyou, and others, would be involved.

The magnitude of the loss, the impact, was unimaginable.

The responsibility was too great for anyone to bear.

Chen Hui was nearby, and he arrived the fastest, looking at Lin Chuan with a complex expression, “What happened here?”

Before Lin Chuan could answer, Gao Qinglin, the museum’s chief expert, dressed in a long robe, quickly walked up, looking at the cracked thin-walled jade vase with a face full of regret, and then angrily and in a deep voice said, “Who damaged this national treasure-level cultural relic?”

The security personnel all fell silent, no one answered.

And everyone’s eyes silently turned towards Lin Chuan and Youyou.

Gao Qinglin narrowed his eyes at Lin Chuan, his gaze sharp, and said solemnly, “You must give an explanation for this relic!”

Lin Chuan paused, remaining very calm, “Before the incident is thoroughly investigated, I’m not yet the primary person responsible.”

Moreover, a fake relic just needs to be recreated.

“If you are not the primary person responsible for this accident, who is?”

Gao Qinglin was already displeased with Lin Chuan for disagreeing with him over the Taotie pattern bronze ware, and now seeing Lin Chuan ‘damage’ this national treasure-level cultural relic, he felt his anger surge!

“Determining who is responsible is not for you to decide,” Lin Chuan responded indifferently.

“Hmph!”

Gao Qinglin, the museum’s chief expert, snorted coldly, “It may not be for me to decide, but you damaged a national treasure-level cultural relic, do you know what the consequences are? This Qing dynasty Chinese tangled branch pattern thin-walled jade vase is worth a fortune, and it would not be surprising even if it fetched a billion at auction!”

His words were true.

Just the prime jade material used to carve a thin-walled jade vase was worth at least several million at the lowest, and combined with the extremely demanding carving techniques and very low success rate, the value would multiply several times over.

Furthermore, if it really originated from the Qing dynasty and had endured hundreds of years of weathering and accumulation, its value was immeasurable.

Gao Qinglin looked at Lin Chuan with a cold eye, then said in a cold voice, “Even if you didn’t intentionally damage it, accidental damage is still punishable by law, with up to three years in prison!”

There is a charge in the criminal law, called “negligent damage to cultural relics.”

——Negligent damage to precious cultural relics protected by the state, or those identified as key cultural relics protected at the national or provincial level, causing serious consequences, shall result in a prison sentence of up to three years or criminal detention.

Upon hearing this, the people around immediately erupted in commotion!

Three years in prison, astronomical compensation!

This would be a fatal blow to anyone it fell upon!

Even Chen Hui, the legal-minded police officer, couldn’t help but give Lin Chuan a few more glances, a hint of pity and sympathy flashing in his mind.

Next to him, Youyou swallowed, her lips trembling, her pupils dilated, and her eyes reddening.

Clearly, she had considered the consequences to be severe, but the words ‘three-year sentence, astronomical compensation’ almost broke through her psychological defenses.

However, Lin Chuan’s face showed not a trace of panic, his expression serene and composed; he even turned to pat the back of Youyou’s hand that was clutching his, reassuringly saying, “Don’t listen to his nonsense, in this matter, I have more experience than him.”

Youyou glanced at Lin Chuan’s somewhat confident expression, and her heart settled a little, but the panic remained.

At the same time.

Her heart was full of self-reproach.

If she hadn’t called for Lin Chuan, he wouldn’t have gotten involved.

Seeing Youyou still feeling some guilt and self-blame, Lin Chuan turned his head, and whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry, this is a fake, we are going to accomplish something big.”

Youyou’s reddening eyes suddenly paused, her face showing thick surprise.

A fake?

Accomplish something big?

For a moment, she couldn’t make sense of the logic, but seeing Lin Chuan’s ever-composed expression, she believed him a little more, and the chaos in her heart decreased significantly.

“Officer Chen, take us away, we are willing to cooperate with the investigation,” Lin Chuan said as he looked at Chen Hui in his dark blue police uniform, voluntarily offering to cooperate.

Chen Hui looked at Lin Chuan in surprise.

He couldn’t quite understand why there wasn’t a trace of panic on Lin Chuan’s face but rather an increasing sense of calm, even a hint of eagerness?

Yes, eagerness!

Did Lin Chuan actually want to go back to the police station with me?