Chapter 535 - 535: A Fortune in Tickets! The Era of Mei Lanfang!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Understood, I appreciate your warning, Mr. Luo,” Kawashima Miyuki replied,
a mock sigh hidden in her voice. Then she ended the call.
Ignoring the anguish at the Tokyo Museum, Luo Feng diligently continued his search through the numerous cabinets.
“Counterfeits? That’s impossible! Luo Feng must be mistaken,” the museum’s director asserted confidently, aiming to soothe his panicked staff.
“But didn’t we all witness Mr. Luo’s insightful assessment during the livestream?” Kawashima Miyuki pointed out, amusement tinging her words.
“In that case, let’s verify the authenticity of this relic. We’ll need to perform a carbon-14 dating test, and bring in some experts,” she suggested. “For the ceramics, we should consult experts from China. Our own resources are somewhat lacking in that department.”
“Then, we’ll invite them,” the director agreed. “Arrange it immediately. We will cover all costs.”
A museum’s reputation rests on its authority, with the public trusting that all displayed items are genuine.
Yet, should rumors of counterfeits circulate, that trust could be shattered. No one wished to spend their hard-earned money on frauds.
Naturally, everyone understood that for certain highly valuable relics, reproductions might be displayed for security reasons. In such cases, the public accepted it, knowing the genuine artifact existed and that the replica closely mirrored the original.
However, if a counterfeit was displayed as a genuine artifact, acceptance would crumble.
“Director, I suspect this Luo Feng is trying to discredit our museum,” a staff member opined.
“Really? You think I needed you to point that out?” The director shot back, ire smoldering in his voice.
After his search through the cabinets, Luo Feng discovered a total of thirty-seven artifacts, most of which were ceramics, including bowls, plates, and dishes. Although the collection was not extensive, nor were the items exorbitantly priced, it was a start.
However, the value of these items didn’t even begin to chip away at the 4 billion target. Luo Feng began to wonder if other treasures awaited discovery. Normally, an artifact worth tens of millions was a rare find, while those priced in the hundreds of millions were practically national treasures.
The basement held a maximum of two hundred items, and if Luo Feng’s estimated value of 1+ billion was correct, each artifact had to be worth at least 20 million on average.
“I’ve heard the Tokyo Museum has initiated carbon-14 testing and is inviting experts,” a viewer commented in the live stream chat.
“Yes, I’ve heard that as well. Host, are you absolutely certain? If there’s a misunderstanding, it could be quite embarrassing,” another added.
Many viewers, aware of the developing situation, began to advise Luo Feng to exercise caution, warning him not to make a fool of himself.
However, Luo Feng shrugged off the warnings. “While I can’t vouch for other matters, when it comes to identifying artifacts, I hold my ground. The ceramics they have are undeniably counterfeits! Typically, I wouldn’t bother, but now that I’ve discovered genuine items here, I have to sell them. I need to clarify the truth, or else my latest finds will be treated as fakes.”
It was as simple as that.
If he didn’t find a genuine artifact, Luo Feng would have left the matter alone.
But if one of the items had to be genuine, and the museum claimed theirs was the real deal, then where would that leave Luo Feng’s pieces?
“I trust Old Luo, his expertise is unparalleled!”
“I trust him too!”
“So, all the antiques we’ve been admiring were counterfeits?” “I’ve already bought tickets! I’ll need to seek a refund!”
At this, Luo Feng opened another cabinet, revealing a long iron box.
Upon opening the box, he found a rectangular piece of paper.
Seven large characters were inscribed on the left side of the paper: [ Japanese Theater].
It appeared to be a theater ticket.
As Luo Feng skimmed the paper, a name caught his eye: [ Peking Opera Master Mei Lanfang! l.
The date was listed as May 1, 1919, and the ticket price was 10 yen.
‘Wow, what is this?”
“The owner of this basement must have lived in the last century!”
“This is a ticket to a Master Mei Lanfang performance! And it’s a first-class ticket at that!”
“This is exceptionally rare!”
From the box, Luo Feng produced a stack of ten tickets, announcing, “These are tickets to a 1919 performance by Master Mei Lanfang in the Sakura Empire.”
While not astronomically valuable, these tickets were indeed quite rare. Enthusiasts of Peking Opera, as well as the affluent in Jingcheng, would undoubtedly pay a premium to acquire them.
“Are these from Master Mei Lanfang’s performance in our country?” Lord Fujii asked, visibly taken aback.
“Indeed, they are!” Luo Feng confirmed, nodding.
“May I examine them?”
“Of course.”
Luo Feng handed over the tickets. As Fujii took them, his heart was a tumult of emotions, both regret and envy swirling within him.
Since antiquity, many influential figures from the Dragon Nation, China have profoundly impacted the cultural landscape of the Sakura Empire.
Xu Fu was the earliest, followed by the luminaries of the Tang Dynasty and Yang Guifei.
In the Ming Dynasty, it was Zhu Shunshui.
In more modern times, it was Mei Lanfang..
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel