93: Chapter 93 National Treasure

Dr. Zhao smiled and said, "It can be said to be a treasure on the same level as the imperial seal of china. It is the crowning jewel of any Museum in the country."

Although Zhang Wei was extremely sleepy, he was very eager to know what made the buddha head he had worked so hard to save so precious. He quickly grabbed a drink Yu Hongtao had bought from the refrigerator, took a couple of gulps, and listened carefully to Dr. Zhao's explanation.

"There are several theories about which dynasty Buddhism was first introduced to China. However, the most mainstream view is during the Eastern Han Dynasty, the establishment of the White Horse Temple is the best evidence. But at that time, Buddhism was not widely accepted by the world."

Dr. Zhao's throat felt dry as he spoke. He instinctively reached for his thermos, only to realize he wasn't in his office, which made him a little awkward. Zhang Wei hurriedly scurried over and handed him a bottle of green tea, which infuriated Yu Hongtao standing nearby. That kid was truly something else, actually playing the good guy with the drinks he had bought!

Dr. Zhao took a sip and continued, "After the Eastern Han came the Three Kingdoms period. After the Three Kingdoms unified under the Jin Dynasty, Buddhism developed vigorously during the Western Jin Dynasty, and the saying 'Laozi Civilized the Barbarians' began to become popular. This legend claimed that Laozi once passed through Hangu Pass to the Western Regions and transformed into the Buddha Shakyamuni to enlighten the people of Tianzhu. This instantly linked Taoism and Buddhism together. Among the common people, there was a saying that Buddhists were merely registered disciples of Laozi. Thus, the common people began to accept Buddhist culture."

"However, the Western Jin itself was a short-lived dynasty, lasting only 51 years, most of which was spent in various wars and turmoil. Therefore, few Buddhist statues remain. Currently, only one Western Jin celadon seated Buddha is displayed at the Capital Museum. Its total height is only about fifteen centimeters, less than half the size of this buddha head."

The fashion among Western Jin nobles at that time leaned towards extravagance. Most recorded Buddhist statues were made of porcelain, bronze, or gold, and their sizes were generally around 15 centimeters. This buddha head, however, in terms of size, carving detail, and even spiritual essence, was unprecedented. It could be called a major discovery regarding the religious culture of the Western Jin period."

Dr. Zhao gazed at the buddha head obsessively. Under the night light, the buddha head appeared solemn and ancient, its eyes lowered as if calmly observing everything in the world—from the turbulent wars where people were treated like straw, to the era of peace and prosperity and territorial expansion, all the way to the moment it was buried by the devils, awaiting its reappearance. The world had changed, seas turned into mulberry fields. It immersed one in a profound and mysterious artistic conception.

Only the carefree Liu Haorui beside him asked, "Then how much is this buddha head actually worth?"

Everyone glared at Liu Haorui for ruining the atmosphere.

"Money, money, money. This kid really ruins the mood."

Zhang Wei laughed and cursed. There was no way this buddha head could be sold for money; it didn't belong to him in the first place. Displaying it in a Museum for the world to appreciate was its best destination.

Dr. Zhao smiled: "As for the price, no one in this world can state it clearly because there is no precedent. But in my opinion, it is definitely a priceless treasure."

Yu Hongtao suddenly thought of something and walked up to Zuo Hemei, smiling obsequiously: "Captain Zuo, do you know how you plan to handle this buddha head? Professional matters should be handled by professional organizations. I suggest it be preserved in our Museum, how about that?"

Zhang Wei watched Yu Hongtao standing there, grinning foolishly like a child begging for candy. He almost spat out the drink in his mouth. Uncle Yu’s expression changed too quickly; it was a pity he wasn't an actor.

Yu Hongtao couldn't help but be nervous. This was a genuine national treasure! Although it was an artifact dug up from City Name X, the buddha head was now intercepted in Shenghai from the little japanese. After all, it wasn't a glorious matter for City Name X, and a lot could be made out of this. If an artifact of this level were publicly exhibited, it would absolutely be huge national news. The Shenghai Museum’s backbone would become completely strong.

Zuo Hemei thought for a moment: "This case is still under investigation, and this buddha head is evidence. However, considering the nature of the cultural relic, it requires professional units for proper maintenance and custody. I will submit a report when I return; it shouldn't be a problem."

Yu Hongtao was overjoyed upon hearing this and grabbed Zuo Hemei's hand to express his thanks profusely. If he didn't know Old Yu wasn't that kind of person, he would have thought he was taking advantage of Captain Zuo.

"Alright, everything is settled. With decisive evidence, those little japanese won't be able to make any waves anymore. I'm going to sleep now." Zhang Wei figured the officers would need quite some time to move the buddha head, and he was already exhausted and couldn't wait any longer. He excused himself and went back to his room to crash. With several police officers in the living room, what was there to worry about regarding security?

Time jumped to nine o'clock in the morning.

"Did you see a ghost last night?" Mitsui Masao looked at Nakamura, who was on duty, with a puzzled expression.

To avoid any further complications, he had spent a long time contacting people after returning last night and finally arranged a flight to transport the buddha head back to Nippon today. After all, the Shenghai police were already targeting them.

Mitsui Masao tossed and turned restlessly last night, terrified that something might happen to the buddha head.

This morning, he didn't even eat his beloved natto and rushed to the company. He found the on-duty Nakamura looking pale and weakly slumped over the front desk. He looked as if he had been repeatedly assaulted by a dozen big men.

Nakamura saw Minister Mitsui and remembered the late-night snack the Minister had given him. He couldn't manage to say thank you.

Sixteen times! He had suffered sixteen bouts of diarrhea last night; his intestines felt like they were about to fall out. Now, he just wanted to see a doctor quickly, or he might die abroad.

Mitsui Masao, preoccupied with the buddha head, paid no attention to Nakamura's mournful gaze and went straight to his office to open the safe.

Seeing the buddha head standing intact in its box, Mitsui Masao couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He quickly called his secretary, Oda: "Hurry up and arrange a vehicle. I will personally send the buddha head to the airport. Also, arrange for a car to leave ten minutes earlier for the cruise terminal to divert the attention of the Shenghai police." He speculated that the police might be closely monitoring them, so caution was best.

"Yes!" Oda agreed and hurried off to make the arrangements.

Soon, a black Honda SUV departed from the building's basement and sped towards the cruise terminal. Ten minutes later, a low-profile black sedan started heading towards Shenghai International Airport. Today, a group for diplomatic and cultural exchange from Nippon was returning home, and they could use the special status of the diplomatic group to smuggle the buddha head back to their country.

To think they were using the guise of friendly exchange to secretly transport China's important cultural relics—the little japanese had carried shamelessness to the extreme.

Historically, the little japanese had done many such things. Not to mention the recent issue with seawater. To satisfy their desire for food, the japanese treated whale sashimi as a delicacy and hunted whales in large numbers. After international environmental organizations explicitly banned hunting whales for food, they continued their wicked deeds under the pretext of scientific research on marine life. When exposed, they feigned ignorance and refused to admit it. Their despicable behavior was nauseating.

Mitsui Masao arrived safely at the airport and breathed a sigh of relief only after completing the handover with the leader of the Nippon exchange group. It seemed his promotion to the high position of Chief Representative for China in Sanlin was just around the corner.