Les trois histoires de fantômes de Jinzhong Deux Tai Sui détruisent la ville

Chapitre 10

"Is this really ivory?" he asked the skinny security guard.

"Let me see it." A shrill voice rang out from beside him.

The fat man's thick eyebrows twitched very slightly; he knew the whole performance was for the sake of the owner of that voice.

"Take a look, please take a look," he said, handing the dragon head to Wen Zhenhe.

As soon as Wen Zhenhe took the item in his hands, he knew it couldn't be fake. After examining the broken edge, he was even more certain. He mentally calculated the value of the two ivory carvings on the carriage and couldn't help but sigh.

Actually, if those two pieces on the vehicle hadn't been removed, the dragon head wouldn't have matched the broken edge at all. As for how to make the ivory dragon head's break look like it had just been broken, Sun Jing, as a first-rate oracle bone forger, certainly had plenty of ways.

"It's true, you're lucky." Wen Zhenhe returned the dragon head to the fat man, marveling at Xu Xu's extravagant spending.

Anyone who witnesses this scene firsthand would probably have no doubt about the financial resources of this investor in the Oracle Bone Museum.

The BMW slowly turned around in front of the museum and drove back. Just as the skinny security guard was about to help them move the movable fence again, the car window rolled down.

Sun Jing peeked at Wen Zhenhe, who was standing next to the fat man, looking as if he recognized her but wasn't sure. When Wen Zhenhe also looked at him, their eyes met, and Sun Jing smiled at him before opening the car door and getting out.

"You must be...Teacher Wen?"

"Hmm. Who are you?" Wen Zhenhe naturally guessed that he was Sun Jing, but since he didn't recognize her immediately, she still had to put on airs.

"This is Sun Jing." Sun Jing paused, noticing the look on Wen Zhen's face that suggested she had heard of him, before continuing, "What a coincidence! I was planning to call you tomorrow. Do you have time now?"

Xu Xu had already gotten out of the car. She took off her sunglasses and gave Wen Zhen a perfect smile.

There is never a perfect smile, nor is there ever a perfect plan. Sometimes flaws can add charm, but more often they can ruin things.

Chapter 05 Everyone's Weakness

"I'll go pour two cups of tea," Wen Zhenhe said warmly to them.

"I really don't like this guy," Xu Xu whispered to Sun Jing.

"Don't judge a book by its cover; I believe you will perform very professionally."

"Of course, I'm the most professional, we are." Xu Xu said to Wen Zhen and Xiao Xiao, who were walking back with two water glasses.

This is Wen Zhenhe's office, with a few sofas and a small coffee table forming a reception area.

"Xiao Chen, is there anything else?" Wen Zhen asked his subordinate two minutes ago. So now only the three of them were left in the office.

"I've heard of you for a long time," Wen Zhenhe said with a chuckle, adopting the air of a senior. In reality, his voice was shrill, and his smile couldn't possibly convey any kindness.

Sun Jing had already taken off his hat, revealing a large bandage on his forehead. Wen Zhenhe had glanced at it several times, making him look somewhat embarrassed. If this were an academic exchange, he would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage from the start. However, in the current situation, he was happy to put Wen Zhenhe in a dominant position; someone who is overly confident is always easier to control.

Sun Jing subtly revealed a slightly flattered expression, turning slightly as if introducing Xu Xu: "Professor Wen is a great scholar of oracle bone script, and he has been very supportive of us younger generations."

Wen Zhenhe laughed twice more, quite pleased with the compliment.

"Actually, I've wanted to visit you for a long time, but I haven't had the chance," Sun Jing said sincerely.

"You guys are so popular right now, what's the point of seeing an old guy like me stuck in a lifeless office?" Xu Xu thought that if he had a goatee, he would definitely be stroking it as he spoke.

Sun Jing had already introduced Xu Xu along the way, but when mentioning his background, he only gave a vague answer, saying that he was a friend who was very interested in oracle bones.

"Actually, I already guessed a little bit. You probably haven't seen tonight's evening paper yet," Wen Zhenhe said, handing Xu Xu the newspaper with the news article.

"Those reporters must really want to get in touch with you, Ms. Xu," he said, looking at Xu Xu.

Maintaining their surprised expressions, the two spent a while reading the fabricated news. It was a smooth start; Wen Zhenhe had already accepted their roles, so there was no need for further probing.

"I really like oracle bone culture and I have great respect for people who study oracle bones." Xu Xu said, looking into Wen Zhenhe's eyes, but actually she was looking at the two sparse and indistinct eyebrows.

"Okay, I'm not professional enough," she thought to herself. "But this old man is really repulsive; I just want to run far away from him." She couldn't pinpoint a exact reason for this feeling; it was probably just his natural demeanor.

"I told her long ago that I'm just a beginner in oracle bone script. Among the three truly knowledgeable people in Shanghai, Wen Zhen from the Shanghai Museum is definitely one of them." Sun Jing said slowly, telling the old man that the beautiful woman's respect for him was off the charts.

"The main problem is that the oracle bone culture circle in Shanghai is small. There are too few people in Shanghai who like oracle bone culture like Ms. Xu. Such a fascinating thing really deserves to be understood by more people," Wen Zhenhe said.

"I was just looking at the oracle bone exhibition at the museum with Sun Jing, and we thought it was very well done. You have truly done a lot in promoting and popularizing oracle bone culture over the years."

"The effort still isn't enough, so I was very happy after reading the report. If Ms. Xu really has this plan, it's a great thing, a really great thing."

Sun Jing and Xu Xu exchanged a glance. If you understand people's thoughts, likes, and dislikes thoroughly and meticulously in the preliminary work, the execution of the plan will be like this: the fat sheep willingly come to be slaughtered.

"I just had this idea, and now I want to learn more, especially to consult with experts like you. After all, you can't build a museum just by having money. You need to have something worthwhile, a good collection model, a good management model, and a medium- to long-term development plan for the next ten or twenty years," Xu Xu said.

"I'm getting old." Wen Zhenhe shook her head, sighed, and took a sip of tea.

"But compared to the oracle bone culture that is over three thousand years old, it's still a young thing. We should help with this." He continued.

"You're so funny." Xu Xu smiled, pursing her lips. She cursed the pretentious old man in her heart.

Given Wen Zhenhe's temperament, he had probably never been so at the absolute center of the conversation. What could be more pleasing than seeing himself magnetically attracting the gaze of beautiful women?

For Wen Zhenhe, Xu Xu was the absolute protagonist, in every way, while Sun Jing was merely an accomplice. Sun Jing also played this role very well, speaking little. Most of the time, he watched Xu Xu's performance with admiration, observing how she steered the conversation, how she laid out foreshadowing, and how she manipulated the other person's emotions with expressions and body language—perfectly balanced, neither too forceful nor too slow. It was absolute talent; she was born to deceive.

Of course, the conversation didn't need to go too deep. This was their first meeting, and it would be inappropriate to discuss in a serious manner the establishment of an oracle bone museum in cooperation with the Shanghai Museum. Besides, Wen Zhenhe was only the director of the oracle bone department, not the curator, and had no decision-making power. Sufficient hints would suffice; nothing is more tempting when there are still endless possibilities.

For example, Wen Zhenhe might represent the Shanghai Museum in the establishment of the Oracle Bone Museum. He would be a respected curator instead of a lowly and unimportant head of the Oracle Bone Department. He might have a high salary and be able to oversee the acquisition of oracle bones and make a fortune from it. He might also win the heart of a young and wealthy beauty, and his respect might turn into affection. Just look at her focused gaze now. Who dares to say that such a thing won't happen?

Having learned about so many possibilities, he was naturally even more motivated to make it a reality. After all, if the cooperation couldn't be finalized, everything would be for naught. There was a lot of work to be done, and most things would naturally proceed gradually, but if he ever needed to rely on Director Wen's expertise, given all these possibilities, how could he not exert his utmost effort?

"To be honest, it's rare to see a young and beautiful girl like you with such a great interest in oracle bone culture. Very rare indeed." Wen Zhen praised Xu Xu, but it was unclear whether he emphasized the first or the second half of the sentence.

"The mysterious is always fascinating." Xu Xu gave Wen Zhen a charming smile. "I think the Shang Dynasty was a transitional period for Chinese civilization, from the mythological era to the historical era. I always imagine how those tribes fought, expanded, and eventually merged under the vast sky for six hundred years. The intense clashes of tribal civilizations gave birth to many incredible results, some of which later evolved into the mainstream of Chinese culture. Oracle bone script is one such result, and of course, bronze script is another. I think this is unique in the world—two scripts coexisting in the same period. Perhaps there is even a third script that we haven't discovered yet; who knows?"

Bronze inscriptions are characters engraved on bronze artifacts, and the Bronze Age and the Oracle Bone Script Age almost overlapped. This does sound rather amazing; within a civilization, what need would there be for two writing systems to be developed and used simultaneously during one period?

Xu Xu once made a fool of herself by mistaking Jinwen script for the script of the Jin Dynasty, which not only proved her nickname "Xu the Cannon" but also completely ruined the situation at the time. Now she has finally remembered this point of knowledge and is putting it to good use here.

But she immediately noticed that Wen Zhenhe and Sun Jing's expressions had become very strange.

Wen Zhenhe narrowed his eyes, shifted his chin as if to say something, but then remained silent. He was surprised.

Sun Jing stared at her, his nostrils flaring and cheeks twitching simultaneously from the pressure between his upper and lower teeth. He was furious.

"Oh, enthusiasts always make ridiculous mistakes, and it looks like I've made one again." Xu smiled calmly, as if it were nothing to be surprised about.

As a last resort, she acted quite calmly, even though she didn't know what she had done wrong.

"Actually," Sun Jing finally managed to loosen his clenched teeth, "it's actually a kind of writing system."

"Huh?" This answer finally made Xu Xu reveal a surprised expression. "Oracle bone script and... bronze script? But the study of bronze script began in ancient times, while oracle bone script..."

What puzzled her was that research on bronze inscriptions had begun in ancient times, and their understanding of this script was quite profound by today. If it were the same script as oracle bone script, how could so many oracle bone inscriptions remain undeciphered? Her question was interrupted by Sun Jing's gaze; Sun Jing didn't want her to make any more of a fool of herself.

"Inscriptions on bronze ware are called bronze inscriptions, and those on oracle bones are called oracle bone inscriptions," Sun Jing said. "Bronze inscriptions are an important tool for deciphering oracle bone inscriptions, but because the types of content they record are different, there are many characters in oracle bone inscriptions that have never appeared in bronze inscriptions. In addition, bronze inscriptions are cast, while oracle bone inscriptions are carved directly with sharp tools. The writing methods are different, so the shape of the same character will also be different. But they are still the same writing system, which is..."

Sun Jing refrained from saying, "This is common sense." Xu Xu had also done a lot of research on oracle bone script, gathering a great deal of information online, but things that were too common sense were often not reflected in the materials. For example, she had never seen anything like "bronze script and oracle bone script are the same writing system."

The problem is that Xu Xu used her collected knowledge of oracle bones quite well in the previous conversation, giving people the impression of being "quite professional." This also fits the role she plays: an investor who is very fond of oracle bone script, has collected a large number of oracle bone artifacts, and has an in-depth understanding of oracle bone culture.

How could someone like that make such a ridiculous mistake?

"There is so much you need to learn from Teacher Wen," Sun Jing said with a shake of his head and a sigh.

"I learned all of this on my own, bit by bit. It would be great if Teacher Wen had time to give me a lesson." Xu Xu quickly followed up.

Wen Zhenhe laughed: "I wouldn't presume to call myself a lecturer. This old man just can't find anyone to chat with; we have plenty of time to talk."

The two of them talked a lot to salvage the mess, but judging from Wen Zhenhe's expression, she didn't seem to care much. Perhaps for the old man, having more opportunities to talk to Xu Xu was more important; that's the key role beauty played.

"For a good museum, besides the quantity of exhibits, I think the quality is even more important. There should always be a few treasures that are the museum's crown jewels, like the wizard's skull at the Shanghai Museum. It's a pity I didn't see it today." Xu Xu began to get to the point.

"I heard that this piece is usually not on display, which is a real pity. I've always wanted to see it but haven't been able to," Sun Jing said.

He gazed at Wen Zhenhe intently and said in a gentle voice, "Teacher Wen, could we perhaps have a chance to go to the storeroom and see this piece for ourselves?"

This request isn't unreasonable. Wen Zhenhe is the director; it's unusual for him to bring a friend or two into the storeroom to look at the collection, though it's an exception. Besides, if they do collaborate on building a museum in the future, whether it's a long-term loan or something else, this piece will always be brought to the new museum along with other oracle bone artifacts. What's wrong with taking a look first?

Sun Jing only needed to take a look. This was a gradual plan, starting with less difficult requests and then delving deeper step by step. It was like soaking your feet in hot water on a winter night; you couldn't add the hot water all at once, you had to gradually increase the temperature.

"This..." Wen Zhenhe smiled, her eyes darting over Xu Xu's face twice, "I'm afraid this won't work."

Xu Xu and Sun Jing were both stunned. They waited for a while, because the old man might be making a surprising statement and then making another twist, just like before.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid that won't work."

What they received, however, was a statement that offered no further explanation or confirmation.

It's unbelievable that we got stuck at the very first step. No one anticipated this when the plan was being made. All the previous steps had gone smoothly, except for that final, slow-fire shot. Logically, this should have been a natural progression, a request that should have been completed without any obstacles.

All those carefully crafted possibilities for Wen Zhenhe couldn't get him over this hurdle? This isn't even a hurdle at all.

Could it be the consequence of Xu Xu's mistake just now? But he doesn't seem to care about it; he hasn't shown it.

Many ideas flashed through their minds, but none of them helped solve the current problem.

"Miss Xu has mentioned skulls to me many times." Sun Jing knew he couldn't let the situation become too tense. Perhaps he needed to add some leverage, or perhaps Wen Zhenhe needed a way out.

"If this item weren't already in the Shanghai Museum's collection, she would definitely buy it at any cost. A new museum desperately needs a treasure of this caliber to anchor its collection. She will prepare a special preservation and display plan for such an item. Professor Wen, as you know, seeing something in person is a very different experience from looking at a picture. Ms. Xu will be very grateful to you. Of course, we shouldn't put Professor Wen in too much of a difficult position."

Sun Jing said "thank you very much" very sincerely. If Wen Zhenhe wanted a way out, then this was it; if he wanted some other benefit, he could also savor the meaning in these four words.

"It's really a difficult situation," Wen Zhenhe sighed. "The museum has regulations on this; the director's signature is required. I don't have the authority to help. I could try to inquire, but there's no guarantee the director would sign off on that."

The two were completely dumbfounded. The tone was an unequivocal rejection, and the last bit of politeness was just a typical Chinese way of speaking.

Of course, the Shanghai Museum may have such rules, but like many other rules, they are not taken seriously. Was Wen Zhenhe such a rigid or principled person? Even faced with so many temptations, did she still adhere to these so-called rules that had been broken countless times by others?

They began to understand why the old man was so disliked, and Han Shang's previous fruitless attempt was therefore understandable.

After that, they naturally lost interest in talking. After saying goodbye to Old Man Wen, they walked up the ramp leading from the Shanghai Museum's underground office area to the ground, both of them remaining silent.

This was a complete and complex plan, seemingly perfect when it was first devised, but it ended before it even began. Some things are unpredictable and inexplicable, like fate.

But was it really without reason? Sun Jing glanced at Xu Xu, who was walking slightly ahead of him.

Perhaps it wasn't that he was so principled, but rather that the gradual release of information aroused his suspicion?

Xu Xu… Xu Dapao, such a basic mistake… Well, she always makes basic mistakes, but is this mistake the same as countless unintentional slips before, or…

As Sun Jing stroked the ring, suspicion involuntarily arose within him.

It was Xu Xu's suggestion to trick the wizard into giving her the skull, and she went to great lengths to convince herself to participate. She should have no reason to do anything that would jeopardize the plan.

But ever since Han Shang's mysterious death, something has started to go wrong.

Why did Han Shang die? Judging from the recordings she left behind, she only did three things before her death: prepare for the play, find herself, and borrow the wizard's skull from the Imperial Palace. If she didn't miss any other information, then her death must have been caused by one of these three things. Sun Jing doesn't believe her death was truly an accident.

A simple process of elimination. If we believe Han Shang died from murder rather than a curse, then the first possibility can be ruled out until other evidence emerges; if Han Shang died because she was looking for us, then we would have been in constant turmoil long ago, so the second possibility can also be ruled out.

All that's left is the wizard's skull.

Xu Xu has a secret. Perhaps it's because of this secret that she changed her attitude towards the wizard's skull after Han Shang's death, and decided not to follow the original plan?