As soon as King Kong arrived, the two little ones immediately became restless in Zhuang Rui's arms, twisting their bodies and stretching out their little hands to let King Kong hold them.
"I'm telling you, who exactly is your father here...?"
Zhuang Rui handed Fangfang and Yuanyuan to Jin Gang with a wry smile. The two little ones were having a great time tugging at the fur around Jin Gang's neck, which made Zhuang Rui extremely jealous.
Two Tibetan mastiffs circled around King Kong, grabbing his clothes with their paws and trying to climb up. However, it turned out that dogs really don't have the talent for climbing trees, and they all fell down halfway up, which made Zhuang Rui laugh.
"Gah... Gah gah!"
The golden feathers that had been circling in the sky also flew down and rubbed their sharp beaks against the faces of the two little ones. If outsiders saw this, they would definitely be terrified, but Zhuang Rui's family had already gotten used to it.
Ouyang Wan stared at her two grandchildren and asked Zhuang Rui, "Xiao Rui, shouldn't Xuanbing be back by now?"
"I'll be back tomorrow, Mom. You've asked me that more than ten times already..."
Qin Xuanbing started working last month, responsible for Qin Ruilin's jewelry design. She usually works from home, but she went to Hong Kong a few days ago. This year, the Qin family plans to come to Beijing for the Chinese New Year.
"Alright, I'll watch over things here. Go help Aunt Li and the others, see if the rooms are ready..."
With her in-laws coming, Ouyang Wan naturally had to give them ample attention, preparing all the habitable rooms in the manor and keeping busy with these matters for the past few days.
Zhuang Rui smiled and said, "I know, Mom. Don't worry, the rooms here are even better than those in a five-star hotel..."
"By the way, where's Peng Fei? He's been gone for almost half a month, hasn't he? Why hasn't he come back yet? Xiaoqian has asked him several times..."
Just as Zhuang Rui was about to turn and leave, Ouyang Wan called out from behind.
"Mom, Peng Fei will be here in the next few days..."
Just as Zhuang Rui was speaking, his cell phone rang in his pocket. He took it out and looked at it, then said with a smile, "Here, it's your godson calling. He calls every day, what are you worried about?"
"You brats, I'm just worried you might get into some danger again and make your mother worry..."
Ouyang Wan glared at her son.
"Okay, I'll take this call first..."
Zhuang Rui walked to the side and pressed the answer button.
"Brother Zhuang, everything's taken care of. I'm flying back to Beijing the day after tomorrow..."
Peng Fei's voice came through the microphone. There seemed to be quite a few people around him, making it a bit noisy, and none of them were speaking Chinese.
"Nobody's paying attention to you, right? Be careful, Zhang Qian's been talking about you a lot lately, go give her a call..."
Zhang Qian is also more than two months pregnant. If Peng Fei hadn't been able to speak Japanese and was quick-witted, Zhuang Rui really wouldn't have let him go out this time.
The story of Peng Fei's trip to Japan dates back to more than a month ago.
At the beginning of 2007, news suddenly broke in the Japanese archaeological community that they had discovered an ancient kiln site with a history of a thousand years and unearthed two complete porcelain pieces from it.
After research and verification by several Japanese ceramic experts and historians, these two porcelain pieces were indeed artifacts from a thousand years ago. They then declared to the world that Japan had surpassed China in ceramic firing technology a thousand years ago.
At the same time, they put forward another theory: that Cizhou ware porcelain, which has been circulating in China for a long time, was originally introduced to China from Japan.
This distorted news caused a huge uproar after it reached China. Several Chinese ceramic experts went to Japan to verify the authenticity of these two pieces of porcelain that were supposedly "surpassing" China in terms of technology.
What's somewhat frustrating is that even the experts couldn't determine the authenticity of these two porcelain pieces.
The carbon-14 dating of the porcelain pieces, made from porcelain powder scraped from the porcelain base, confirms that these two porcelain pieces are indeed artifacts from over a thousand years ago, and all the evidence is unfavorable to the Chinese side.
Just then, people suddenly remembered last year's auction, but it wasn't a formal auction and there was no video evidence, so even if some people spoke up, it wouldn't make any difference.
Li Dali has been extremely anxious lately, receiving a constant stream of abusive phone calls from all over the country. If it weren't for the fact that he used to be involved in organized crime, someone would probably have already come knocking on his door.
Zhuang Rui was also reprimanded by the old man, who asked him to come up with a solution. That's why Zhuang Rui sent Peng Fei secretly to Japan; he had anticipated the Japanese might cause trouble and had already prepared a backup plan. ...
"Dad, you take a rest, give Fangfang to me, this child is too naughty..."
At noon, Zhuang Rui and Hao Long drove two cars to pick up Grandpa Qin's family. Of course, this only included Zhuang Rui's parents-in-law and Grandpa Qin; his two uncles stayed in Hong Kong.
Qin Haoran adores his two grandsons and has been holding them tightly ever since they arrived home. Right now, Fangfang is reaching out to pull at his grandfather's glasses.
"Not tired, not tired at all. Didn't you see? Even the old man isn't tired, how could I be?"
Qin Haoran was referring to his father, who was sitting on the sofa with a little figure wrapped around him, laughing heartily.
"Dear viewers, we are now broadcasting live from a press conference held in Tokyo by Chinese ceramic experts. As you all know, Japan recently announced the discovery of ancient porcelain dating back a thousand years, which has attracted widespread attention. However, the Chinese side claims that they have sufficient evidence to prove that the porcelain in the hands of the Japanese is fake. As you can see, the president of Yamaki Co., Ltd. of Japan has entered the press conference with two pieces of porcelain..."
Phoenix TV, which was playing, suddenly interrupted with a program that caught the attention of the men in the living room.
"These Japanese, they clearly have no history, yet they insist on stirring up trouble. It's also because some people in our country are so useless that they sold our national treasures to them, which gave the Japanese their opportunity. They are truly despicable descendants!" Watching the scene on TV, Old Master Qin was heartbroken, while Zhuang Rui, sitting opposite him, was red-faced. He was the one who sold the items, wasn't this like cursing a monk in front of a monk?
“Dad, that thing might not be real. Our country’s ceramic experts said they have evidence.” Qin Haoran’s perspective was quite objective. After saying this, he looked at Zhuang Rui and said, “Xiao Rui, you’re an antique collector. What do you think about these two pieces of porcelain?”
"I?"
Zhuang Rui was taken aback, not expecting his father-in-law to ask him a question. Just as he was about to answer, he suddenly saw a familiar figure on the TV and quickly said, "Dad, you'll know when you watch TV. The results will be out soon..."
The person appearing on television was Tian Fan, a researcher at the Palace Museum. He had gone to Japan as a ceramics expert and was the one who requested this press conference.
"Friends from the media, it's a pleasure to have you all attend this press conference..."
Researcher Tian, who Zhuang Rui had always perceived as somewhat dull, surprisingly displayed a remarkable air of sophistication. After a brief speech, he continued, "Regarding the porcelain unearthed from the so-called ancient kiln site by the Japanese side, I would like to clarify that they are two fakes, modern handicrafts." Tian Fan's words were like a bomb dropped into the crowd, causing everyone, from television viewers to reporters at the press conference, to stand up.
Chapter 873 Turmoil (Part 2)
"We have sufficient evidence to prove that both of these porcelain pieces are the work of a master ceramicist in my country. He successfully replicated the porcelain that was presented as tribute to the imperial court based on fragments of porcelain unearthed from the ancient Cizhou kiln in China more than a thousand years ago... In other words, the two porcelain pieces possessed by the Japanese ceramics industry are merely the work of this master. The claim that Chinese porcelain was inherited by Japan is a huge joke."
Professor Tian ignored the commotion from the audience and delivered his speech in an orderly manner. After the on-site interpreter translated his words into English and Japanese, the venue became even more chaotic.
All the reporters at the scene raised their arms, hoping to get a chance to ask questions. In today's information age, this was simply explosive news, and could even be described as a scandal in the Japanese ceramics industry.
Using modern artifacts from other countries to pass off as antiques unearthed in one's own country is not only a scandal, but also a joke. If this were true, the Japanese academic community would likely face contempt from scholars worldwide.
"Yehe-kun, are you sure these two porcelain pieces are from a thousand years ago?"
Sitting in the last row of the press conference, Yamaki was also feeling very uneasy.
If this thing is fake, it will be a disaster for Yamaki. He will be ridiculed by the whole world, and Yamaki Corporation will probably fall apart.
"Mr. Yamaki, you have to trust science. We've verified it with carbon-14 dating. These two porcelain pieces are definitely from a thousand years ago. Those Chinese people were just saying that to save face..."
Nogai glanced at Yamaki with dissatisfaction, not believing his own eyesight. Could even the instruments be fake? So far, Nogai's carbon-14 dating of ceramic ware had not revealed any flaws.
Yamaki paused abruptly, then said to Nogai, "I'm sorry, Nogai-kun, it was my fault. I shouldn't have doubted you..."
It's worth noting that the news of Japan's discovery of a thousand-year-old kiln site was released by Yamaki Corporation. Since then, the Yamaki family's company has experienced unprecedented growth, and many Japanese people choose Yamaki Corporation's products as their first choice when purchasing porcelain.
With the added encouragement from Yehe in some public occasions, in just over a month, the Yamaki family's previously somewhat shrunken ceramic market has now surged, not only recovering lost ground but also occupying half of the entire Japanese ceramic market.
Therefore, Yamaki dared not offend Yehe. Even if he believed the two porcelain pieces were genuine, he was now in a difficult situation and had no choice but to continue down this path.
"Mr. Tian, as a renowned scholar, isn't it extremely irresponsible of you to say such a thing?"
Seeing the crowd's agitated state, Yamaki could no longer hold back. If he aroused public suspicion, it would have a very negative impact on his company.
"Are you Mr. Yamaki, the one who announced the discovery of the ancient kiln site?"
Although Professor Tian was over fifty years old, he had excellent eyesight. Even through seven or eight rows of chairs, he recognized the man as the owner of the "antique porcelain".
“That’s right, these two pieces of porcelain are a legacy of our great Japanese culture and civilization, and you cannot slander them like this.” Yamaki’s words drew cheers from the Japanese reporters present. This was their home turf, and for a moment they appeared imposing and righteous.
"Mr. Yamaki, are you really sure these two pieces of porcelain were unearthed from the ground?"
Professor Tian stood up, looked at Shanmu, and loudly questioned him, his imposing manner showing no sign of weakness. His slightly thin frame appeared remarkably tall at that moment. ...
"Old Tian, well done!" Zhuang Rui couldn't help but slap his thigh when he heard Tian Fan's question from his own manor in Beijing.
Since the treasure appraisal event in Jinan, Zhuang Rui and Professor Tian had met several times and were quite familiar with each other. He never expected that Professor Tian, who was usually not very talkative, would be so tough at heart.
"Xiao Rui, do you know this Teacher Tian?"
Qin Haoran, who was sitting next to Zhuang Rui, was also watching with great excitement. After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, he suddenly turned his head.
"Uh... I know him. We're both in the antiques circle, and we've been in contact quite a bit. I didn't expect it was him who went to Japan this time..."
Zhuang Rui chuckled. It was more than just knowing each other. Professor Tian had instructed him to hold this press conference, and what Old Master Qin had just said about disdaining his descendants seemed to be related to him as well.
"This Professor Tian is quite good; he possesses the integrity of a Chinese scholar. Xiao Rui, please introduce me to him sometime..."
Qin Haoran was a scholar with a deep understanding of Chinese culture, but he was too busy with his family business to do research.
"Okay, okay, Dad, let's watch TV first..."
Zhuang Rui nodded in agreement, and at the press conference, the tension between the two sides intensified.
Under Professor Da's questioning, Yamaki became slightly impatient. Noga gently tugged at him and whispered a few words in his ear.
"If Professor Tian cannot provide evidence, I will sue you for defaming our academic research. This would be a great insult to my personal integrity..."
After receiving instructions from Yehe, Yamaki's words became sharp, and the scene turned into a war of words between the Chinese and Japanese sides, leaving the reporters caught in the middle somewhat at a loss.
However, the standoff between the two sides was a great news story in itself, and Yamaki's question was exactly what these reporters wanted to ask.
Therefore, no reporter would be so tactless as to interrupt them; instead, they all dutifully transcribed the information into text and sent it back to the relevant news organizations using their personal communication tools.
As for the cameramen, they pointed their cameras at the two of them, capturing every detail of their facial expressions and not missing a single small movement.
Many viewers from China, Japan, and even more countries who had just turned on their televisions were captivated by this "press conference" from Tokyo, Japan, while Phoenix TV's ratings soared.
Neither Zhuang Rui, in Beijing, nor Professor Tian, on stage, anticipated the repercussions of this controversy would extend far beyond the academic community itself.
"Mr. Yamaki, is that the box you're carrying the 'ancient porcelain' you're talking about that you unearthed?"
When Yamaki asked about the evidence, Professor Tian suddenly changed the subject and brought up the porcelain itself.
"That's right, Professor Tian, you said this porcelain piece is fake, but what is your evidence? Archaeology is a very rigorous process, not just empty talk..."
Yamaki strode to the table at the press conference, and under the protection of several bodyguards, took the porcelain from a specially made leather case and placed it on the table.
Yamaki's move was also at Yehe's behest; he wanted to slap the Chinese academic community hard in front of television viewers all over the world.
Because Yehe believed that the two porcelain pieces were genuine, that no one could find any flaws, and that Yamaki also had a carbon-14 dating report.
"I also have two pieces of porcelain here, and I would like to ask Mr. Yamaki to appraise them to see if they were also unearthed from your ancient Japanese kiln sites?"
Professor Tian smiled, took out a cardboard box from under the table, and pulled out two pieces of porcelain.
Wow, the same one?
"Yes, exactly the same..."
"My God, how is this possible? These four pieces of porcelain are so similar?"