Chapter 408 – Shocking! (1/2)

It’s Sunday, and many people are flying off.

Many people are boarding the flight, and the overhead compartment quickly becomes full. Dong Xuebing was the last batch to board the flight, and he dare not place his cloth bag in the overhead compartment. He went to his seat, which is by the windows, and placed the bag by his lap before fastening his seatbelt.

Suddenly, a man sat down beside him.

The row of seats is narrow, and the cloth bag took up some space on the seat. When that man sat down, his knee accidentally knocked Dong Xuebing’s leg.

Dong Xuebing took a deep breath as he felt the pain.

“Oh, sorry… sorry…” That middle-aged man quickly apologized. “Sorry, young man.”

Dong Xuebing smiled when he heard that man’s Beijing’s accent. “It’s alright. Haha…”

Mu Zhengzhong moved his leg and smiled. “Are you from Beijing? Studying overseas?”

“Studying? I have been working for almost two years. I have come to Japan to attend to some matters.” Dong Xuebing looks at him. “Are you here for holidays? I find you quite familiar.”

Mu Zhengzhong replied. “I’m not here for a holiday. I had come to Japan to buy an antique but didn’t manage to get it.”

“Antique? Haha… I like antiques too.”

This man is in his late forties with thick brows and a squarish face. He is well mannered and modest, which are typical Beijing people’s traits. They are both from Beijing and sitting together, and Dong Xuebing started to chat with him about antiques. After chatting for a while, he is impressed with Mu Zhengzhong’s knowledge of Chinese cultural relics. He can easily name all the famous antiques from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties and know their history.

Dong Xuebing become curious and suddenly remembered a name. He slapped his lap and gasped. “Ah… You are that Mu Zhengzhong?!”

Mu Zhengzhong smiled. “Have we met before?”

“I know who you are, but you don’t know me. I heard of your name a long time ago.”

“It’s nothing.” Mu Zhengzhong smiled and shook his head. “It’s the media who exaggerated and gave me my fame. Don’t be fool by what you saw on TV. Haha…”

“You are too humble.”

Mu Zhengzhong is famous in the antique collector circle. Dong Xuebing had worked at an Antique shop when he was studying and have heard of him. The first private antique museum in Beijing is set up by him. The word ‘Wealthy’ can no longer be used to describe his wealth. If he auctioned off his collection in his museum, he would get an astronomical sum of money. But he had set up a museum to make money and create a cultural environment. Dong Xuebing also heard Mu Zhengzhong is actively participating in charity events, and that’s why he respected him a lot.

This is such a coincidence.

Mu Zhengzhong waved his hand. “I also make mistakes often.”

“You are modest. Are you looking down on me?”

“Haha… no… let’s not talk about learning from me. We will just discuss and exchange pointers.”

“Alright. Then I will ask you now. What do you think of Japanese antiques? How much are they worth?”

Dong Xuebing had thought of donating the to the Palace Museum but felt it’s not a good idea now. If the is a second-tier relic, it’s still alright. But the national treasure tier relic will involve a lot more. There will be diplomatic issues, and private museums seem to be a better choice. At least, it will not escalate to become a national dispute. But Dong Xuebing did not know much about Mu Zhengzhong and had to be wary. He also pretended to be an ordinary young man and did not tell Mu Zhengzhong his name.

Mu Zhengzhong is easy going and modest. Even when flying, he sat in the economy class. No one can tell he is a billionaire. He has good feelings for Dong Xuebing, as they are both from Beijing. That’s why when Dong Xuebing asked him about antiques, he told him what he knows about Japanese antiques. Both chatted happily on the three hours flight.

One hour……

Two hours…

Both chatted happily.

Dong Xuebing felt he has a good judgment for a person’s character. Mu Zhengzhong had left a good impression and didn’t give him the feeling he was putting up an appearance. He is very sincere and is someone worthy to be friends with.

So, Dong Xuebing asked Mu Zhengzhong about .

Mu Zhengzhong smiled. “This is a difficult question. Haha… to be honest, I had only seen the at the museum twice, and I cannot say much about its value. After all, Japan’s culture is different from ours. All I can say is that even our County’s Qi Baishi’s paintings cannot qualify as a second-tier relic, but the is known as one of the top few Japan’s National Treasures. This shows its historical and economic value.”

Dong Xuebing thought for a while and asked. “That painting is so good?!”

“Of course. What’s wrong? Are you very interested in Japan’s antique?”

“Err… no. I was just curious. Is that painting better than Mr. Qi’s painting?”