Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 583 Escape from the British Museum (Bonus chapter for Ice Cream Boss)
"Crack!"

"Okay? Let me see!" Xiao Liu flipped through his professional camera's pages, looking quite pleased with himself. "How did you take these photos? Why do my selfies always look so strange?"

She was too embarrassed to say that sometimes she was practically inhuman.

Following their two nights of intimacy, Boss Lu continued to try to instill in his wife things that didn't originally belong to her:

“Find the sense of presence you have as a movie actor. Let’s take this one as an example—” He felt the weight of Xiao Liu hanging on him. “The composition of the blue door on the left is a classic rule of thirds. Your spine curves subtly counteract the door frame, and the S-shaped dynamic created by the center of gravity on your right foot gives the static image a sense of breathing.”

"The key is to blur the focus of the eyes. This makes it seem like you are looking at the camera, but also like you are gazing through the lens at a more distant void. This alienation effect puts the viewer in the position of an 'invited voyeur'."

The washing machine launched into a long explanation: "This touches on psychology; who wouldn't want to be a voyeur?"

"Suspense and immersion are key to engaging the audience. Your posture in opposition to the door frame creates a visual 'unfinished narrative,' as if the story is unfolding and inviting the viewer to fill in the blanks."

"Of course, this refers to the dynamic scenes in the movie, which is a type of extended content."

Liu Yifei had thoroughly studied directing theory since she started writing the script for "Reply 1982" and developed her ambition to direct it herself in the future. (Chapter 547)
However, at this moment, he was completely bewildered, feeling a sense of helplessness that even knowing the correct answer didn't make him understand.

"Why can't I see the key point you're talking about at all?"

“That’s normal. Even Qian Xuesen believed that no matter how stupid a person is, how could they not learn calculus by the age of 14?” Boss Lu said with a proud expression. “People have different talents, not to mention something as ethereal as aesthetics.”

"What are you so smug about?" Xiao Liu rolled her eyes at the scoundrel. "Even if you're smart, you still married me. Hurry up and teach me this, how do I learn it?"

The washing machine smiled and said, "Just practice Yin and Yang cultivation with me more often, and knowledge will enter your body in a flowing form."

"You bastard!" Liu Yifei glared at him sideways. "I wish I could ride that policeman's horse over you!"

"Look at you, you're too cruel," Boss Lu said, shaking his head helplessly.

The young couple turned from Southampton Street onto Great Russell Street, strolling leisurely along the sidewalk, creating a dynamic London street scene with the red double-decker buses and black taxis beside them.

"The scones at that coffee shop were better than the ones at the hotel," Liu Yifei said excitedly, linking arms with Lu Kuan.

At this moment, she is not a mother of two, but just an ordinary Asian girl holding her husband's hand, who loves to eat, sleep, and be slept with.

"You've already eaten two or three meals before noon," the washing machine exclaimed in admiration. "You have a great appetite. Luckily, you've been exercising a lot these past few days."

"You're getting a good deal and still acting innocent!" Little Liu gave the scoundrel a coquettish glare. "You're enjoying yourself now, aren't you?"

"That's what they mean by sowing in spring and reaping in autumn." Boss Lu said proudly, "After years of hands-on teaching, you've finally graduated! You're as fast as a little engine, awesome!"

Liu Yifei laughed and punched him lightly: "You lecherous bastard!"

The two chatted and laughed intimately on the streets of the foreign country. As they approached the British Museum, the crowds grew larger, and soon they were greeted by local students and locals who had been following the Crystal Palace team news in the past two days.

Because the modeling was so authoritative, even though sunglasses and a beige wide-brimmed hat concealed his face well, his tall figure and chestnut-brown hair that curled slightly with his steps still attracted attention.

The main thing is that the man is handsome and the woman is beautiful; they are a young couple and look exceptionally harmonious.
Lu Kuan has a tall and straight posture, with the relaxed and controlled feeling unique to artists. His calm aura is like a solid "frame", while the elegant and lively young Liu Yifei is like a flowing landscape within the frame.

The two walked together, one still and one moving, one restrained and one expansive, creating a perfect visual balance. This sense of balance transcends the difference in skin color and aligns with humanity's instinctive appreciation for harmonious composition.

A group of foreign street photographers were quickly drawn to the couple, and they all took turns shooting at them with their long lenses and short lenses. However, they were all stared at by a cold-faced bodyguard who had graduated from a "King of Soldiers Training Camp".

He didn't bring the "Equalizer of All Beings" with him abroad, but after half a year of training, he could probably suppress any unusual activity at such a short distance instantly.

The British Museum was right in front of him. Xiao Liu took out his phone and glanced at it. "So many people have messaged me asking about the situation at the border. Do I really not need to rush back now?"

"No need." Boss Lu waved his hand: "The arrangements have all been made in the last two days. We'll have to wait until we see what their QQ messages look like before we can discuss specific countermeasures."

"Speaking of which, if we hadn't used WeChat messages to interfere and slow down the pace last time, these two companies would probably have become intertwined by now."

Xiao Liu covered her mouth and chuckled: "It's so strange that you used that word to describe Ma Huateng and Ma Yun!"

Clearly, the Ming Cult leader, who was besieged by the eight major factions, was referring to the alliance between the two major factions, and showed no concern for the statements made by LeTV, Wenhu, and Wanda.

It's not that he looks down on Wanda or LeEco Culture, but rather that if the industry trends and historical currents don't change significantly due to his intervention, the prospects of the strategies announced by these two companies are not very clear.

There's no need to elaborate on LeEco Culture. Although its listing this time may result in a higher valuation due to the more successful Wuyue Plaza than Huayi Brothers, and the early boom in the Chinese film market, as long as these black-gold investors don't solidify their commitment to content creation, the final outcome won't change much.

What will LeEco do with the huge amount of funding it received?
LeEco seized market share by selling TVs and mobile phones at a loss, and used the concept of "ecological synergy" to support one new business after another that required burning money.
The cost of binding star directors is a heavy performance-based wager, forcing LeTV Culture to continuously release high-cost commercial films that pursue short-term box office returns, thus overdrawing the directors' creativity and the brand value of the stars.
When the capital market frenzy subsides and the speed of financing can't keep up with the speed of burning money, the entire massive ecosystem built on quicksand suddenly collapses.

Broken capital chain, suppliers demanding payment, Zhengshang and celebrity shareholders cashing out and leaving... LeEco Culture's rise was as dazzling as a shooting star, and its decline was as classic as a textbook example, ultimately unable to escape the fate of being suffocated by its grand dreams.

As for Wanda, it initiated the acquisition of AMC Theatres more than a year earlier than in the previous life.

Considering that the Chinese film market has been booming for about two years earlier than in the parallel universe, it's not too early to say that, and it's basically in line with the laws of industry and economic development.

Historically, it spent $26 billion to acquire AMC in 12 and $35 billion to acquire Legendary Pictures in 16. Although it initially built AMC into the world's number one cinema chain through a series of mergers and acquisitions, it eventually chose to cut its losses and leave due to huge debts and the impact of the mask industry.

To assess whether Wanda has a chance to "defy fate" in this life from the perspective of Boss Lu, a time traveler, we must confront the reasons for their failure:

Since 2017, the strict regulation of overseas investment by the state has cut off the financial support channels, making it impossible for overseas expansion or even to maintain operations. This is the most direct and fatal blow.
The global popularity of streaming media, led by Netflix, has completely changed the landscape and consumption habits of the film and entertainment industry. Traditional cinemas have been greatly impacted, and their long-term prospects are viewed negatively. This is the general trend of the industry.
And Wang Jianlin's vision of a harmonious synergy of "Chinese capital, American technology, and global market" has not materialized.

AMC has been unable to effectively help Chinese films achieve large-scale distribution in North America, and Legendary Pictures has also failed to consistently produce blockbusters that fit the Chinese market. The failure of "The Great Wall" is a typical example. The businesses in China and the United States are basically "two separate entities" and have failed to form an organic whole.

These can be considered superficial, but what is the most fundamental reason?
The problem lies in Wanda's attempt to operate the global entertainment industry, which requires "cultural genes" and "long-termism," with a "real estate mindset." Ultimately, under the dramatic changes in the macro environment, the side effects of strategic misjudgment and genetic defects were amplified infinitely.

Wang Jianlin is a business tycoon. Although it was Wang Sicong who proposed going overseas, the fundamental reason why he approved of this strategy of "using foreign powers to enhance our own influence and using Chinese methods to control foreigners" was because Boss Lu and Wenjie had done just that, not because he was so arrogant as to believe that "like father, like son".

In this situation, Wanda's only chance of turning things around may depend on when Wang Jianlin realizes that Wenjie has actually made a heavy bet in the streaming media field, whether it's Netflix abroad or Zhijie Video in China.

Including after the rise of mobile internet, can Wanda see the potential in Lukuan's "three-screen integration" strategy?

But knowing and being able to do are two different things.

Wenjie has long since built a complete industrial chain, and is a film and cultural media company with Internet genes from the very beginning;

But what are the genes of Wanda?
A real estate company that relies on government policies for its livelihood.

Even though Wang Jianlin has done a better job than other real estate company bosses in choosing the right policy turning points in the past, just like people, his genes and background cannot be changed.

This is cruel, and it's also a harsh reality.

As Liu Yifei listened to him chat casually along the way, dissecting the situation with the clarity of a skilled butcher, her mood improved considerably.

"So your fans are all worried sick, but the only thing that might cause big trouble for the entertainment industry is the marriage between Penguin and Ali?"

Lu Kuan nodded, his expression slightly solemn: "Yes, this is a protracted tug-of-war. No one will be wiped out easily. The capital and collaboration invested behind the scenes will soon show their power, and we all need to be prepared."

Liu Yifei asked curiously, "Then, like LeEco and Wanda, where is their Achilles' heel?"

"The Achilles' heel, huh?" Boss Lu joked. "The Achilles' heel might be that their union was forced under the pressure of the mortal realm, like a forced union to spite an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend, unlike ours which was a free love."

"The consequences of this are twofold. First, the social data of Tencent and the e-commerce data of Ali are each the most core assets of their respective companies. How much they can integrate and share is a huge question mark."

"Secondly, there's the issue of organizational culture not aligning with local conditions. How can the internet product manager culture of Shenzhen be integrated with the aggressive, wolf-like culture of e-commerce sales representatives in Lin'an?"

"This is a core issue that tests the two entrepreneurs. Let them worry about it themselves, and we will just maintain our strategic focus."

Lu Kuan looked at his wife and smiled, "Are you thinking that if the situation gets more critical, I can fly back with you tomorrow?"

"Who cares!" Liu Yifei raised an eyebrow casually. "You don't know the situation—"

"LeEco Culture is making a lot of noise. They are in the final round of share expansion before listing and have launched a grand 'Celebrity Partner' plan. To put it bluntly, they are giving away a large number of original shares, like candy, to the directors and celebrities they want to partner with, and the terms are very tempting."

Boss Lu understood immediately. This was Jia Yueting's "ecological transformation" beginning to influence people. It was also an attempt to build his own entertainment empire outside the sphere of influence of Wenjie and Wuyue, encompassing a large group of directors and outstanding actors.

(The image above shows Jia Yueting)

"What does that have to do with you? It's not like they're trying to sell it to you, is it?"

Xiao Liu finally seized the opportunity to mock him: "Idiot! Someone will ask me!"

"Firstly, I was afraid that investing in LeEco Culture would offend you. By letting you know through me, I'm just saying hello and sending a message of goodwill."

"Secondly, isn't it because you're a money-making machine that people trust your judgment? Otherwise, if you didn't have a good idea about Wanda's overseas expansion strategy, why would it have caused such a huge backlash?"

This is true.

Boss Lu himself is too high up, so he doesn't know much about the various aspects of this circle and the grassroots ecology. But Yang Siwei and others know it very well, and Liu Yifei will inevitably come into contact with it as long as she has interpersonal relationships.

Just as he used the phrase "I'm not optimistic" to comment on Wanda's overseas policies in front of the camera, it actually caused a lot of hesitation among syndicated loan issuers.

If it weren't for the recent strong support from the general manager of Huaying Film Group, which is on par with China Film Group, and the involvement of leaders from the State Administration of Radio and Television, Wanda would probably have had a long time to successfully raise funds.

Of course, this is also one of the ways Wang Sicong imitated him: making good use of official power to provide endorsement and support for his own path.

Specifically regarding LeEco Culture, the fact that so many people are asking questions through Liu Qiangdong's wife is naturally beneficial to them.

Whether they go or not, whether they buy or not, they've certainly made the right gesture.

After all, Wenjie has so many projects every year, and a single production like "The Book of Peace" requires countless lead and supporting actors. It's not that Wenjie necessarily doesn't need the stars from LeTV Culture or Chengtian.

Referring to the past, Huayi had actors who could collaborate with Wenjie, casting based on creative perspective and role suitability was the top priority.

Lu Kuan asked curiously, "Who asked all of these questions?"

Liu Yifei counted on her fingers, "So many! Hu Jun, An Yixuan, Chen Kun, Lin Zhiying, Liu Tao..."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Oh, right, something happened to Liu Tao's family. Her husband had over-leveraged during the financial crisis these past two years, which resulted in a margin call and a broken cash flow. This is why Liu Tao had to rush back to acting right after giving birth."

"Now LeEco Culture has extended an olive branch to her, but she is hesitant about taking the opportunity."

Mr. Lu rarely heard his wife mention these domestic matters. "You still keep in touch with so many actors you've worked with before?"

"Nonsense, when I had my baby, people gave me a red envelope as a token of their appreciation. We all worked together to make the arrangements, so I returned the favor when she had her baby. You're used to being a hands-off manager and don't care about these things."

Xiao Liu is still very down-to-earth. Although she is only 23 years old this year, since getting married, especially after having children, she has not lost her girlish charm, but has become more composed and dignified as a matriarch.

She now quietly takes care of the greetings and well wishes that should be given to the managers of the group's various subsidiaries, the families of political and business figures, and even some important figures with whom only Lu Kuan herself knows the details and whose relationships are subtle.

Liu Xiaoli actually knows more about these things than her daughter does, but she can't do them for her.

This is because Chinese people value reciprocity and, even more importantly, the concept of "property." It involves considering what to give, how much to give, the pretext for giving, and whether to give it in person or have a subordinate do it on their behalf.

Only Liu Yifei, who knew her husband's every move and understood the closeness and distance of relationships between all parties, could accurately grasp the timing and intensity of this process.

"I know you're a virtuous wife," Lu Kuan said with a smile, then changed the subject: "So how did you reply to them?"

"I don't really want to say, that's why I'm asking you." Xiao Liu was very troubled: "If I tell the truth and say I'm not optimistic, people on the internet and in Hong Kong and Taiwan will say that you're domineering and suppressing your competitors. It's so annoying!"

"But you're saying that someone like Liu Tao, while we might not be the closest of friends, we've at least gotten along well in all aspects."

"She already had a tough time, having to pay off hundreds of millions of dollars in debt for her husband. Now, knowing it's a trap, it's still a bit..."

In his previous life, Liu Tao invested a total of 6000 million yuan in LeEco Pictures and LeEco Sports, which resulted in almost complete losses. Even Chen Sicheng, a young director at LeEco, once directly resorted to legal action to recover the debt.

Although Jia Yueting was later forced to go abroad to manufacture cars and cause trouble for foreigners, he still swindled many celebrities and directors in mainland China. Back then, almost half of the entertainment industry was his shareholder.

As the two chatted, they arrived at the outskirts of the British Museum. Before the magnificent neoclassical facade, huge stone columns and pediment reliefs cast solemn shadows.

"Hmm... how about this?" Boss Lu pondered for a few seconds, "If anyone asks you again, just tell them you don't know anything else, you only know that Zhang Yimou didn't buy it."

That's right, Zhang Yimou also asked him about it. He mentioned it casually yesterday while discussing the ongoing filming of "The Flowers of War".

He was too lazy to say much about other people's affairs; everyone has their own path. But his relationship with Zhang Yimou was what it was, and he couldn't watch him jump into the same fire pit twice in two lifetimes.

Although the eldest daughter, Zhang Mo, is already an adult, there are three children to raise back in her hometown of Wuxi. It's not easy!
"That's a good excuse. Let's not talk about whether you think it's good or not." Xiao Liu said excitedly, "It's said that Director Zhang has been chased around by Jia Yueting for shares for a long time. As long as the news comes out that he didn't buy them, everyone will understand."

The relationship between Zhang Yimou and Lu Kuan, two fellow students at the Beijing Film Academy, is no secret in the industry.

From their initial acquaintance during the fourth entrance exam for the Beijing Film Academy, to their single-minded dedication and full support during the Olympics, and now that Boss Lu has even helped the "The Flowers of War" production team secure Leonardo DiCaprio as the male lead, their personal relationship is well-known.

After finishing their casual conversation, Xiao Liu suddenly realized that they had arrived at the museum entrance.

She looked up at the enormous thing, instinctively gripping the arm of the man beside her, and her first thought that came to mind was simple and direct:
"It felt a bit oppressive, like a huge, cold fortress made of stone."

Lu Kuan sensed her aloofness and smiled as he put his arm around his wife's shoulder. "Welcome to the Robbers Museum. Let's see what goodies they stole."

The British Museum was founded in 1753 and is the world’s first national public museum.

Its foundation is the 70,000-piece collection bequeathed by Sir Hans, but what makes it the behemoth it is today is the history of global plunder that followed the expansion of his British Empire. With a collection of over 8 million items spanning two million years of human history, its collection territory almost overlaps with the territory of the British Empire at its peak.

The two walked through the magnificent colonnade and into the grand atrium covered by a huge glass dome. Sunlight poured down, and the fusion of modern steel structure and ancient museum was breathtaking.

"Have you been here before?" Liu Yifei asked curiously as he skillfully led her toward the Ancient Egyptian Pavilion.

Boss Lu glanced at the map briefly and headed in the direction he remembered: "Yes, I've been here a few times."

However, all of these were during my previous life when I was studying at USC.

For a director and artist, the British Museum is a repository of visual genes and a field of narrative conflict full of contradictions and tensions, where they can traverse and draw upon a visual epic spanning thousands of years.

From the eternal solemnity of Egyptian sculptures to the powerful curves of Greek stone carvings, these are the ultimate visual expressions of human civilization.

At the same time, because of his Chinese identity, he can examine the power narrative behind this "imperial treasure trove" from the perspective of a creator from a civilization that was once plundered.

Every treasure separated from its original environment is itself a silent drama about conquest, loss, and wandering.

Turning left into the Ancient Egypt Pavilion, the crowd was a bit overwhelming. Afei took a good position and followed behind Liu Yifei, listening to Boss Lu's explanation.

He pointed to the ancient artifacts not far away, which were surrounded by tourists: "The famous Rosetta Stone was a trophy of Napoleon's expedition to Egypt, and was later captured by the British Navy. It is the key to deciphering hieroglyphs, but the process of obtaining it was purely a military conquest."

Xiao Liu was already quite tall, even wearing heeled shoes, but the cuneiform characters were so small that they were impossible to see from a distance.

"Forget it, let's not fight them for it, we won't understand it anyway." She took her husband's hand and walked forward, and soon found something that interested her.

"Liu Dongdong! We need to squeeze in a bit, can you take a picture for me?"

Xiao Liu was referring to a black cat in a glass display case, which she thought resembled her pet cat, Dongdong. "This one is a completely different generation from Liu Dongdong," Lu Kuan said, pointing to the English description under the base. "It's a cat fairy, a goddess representing cats, named Best."

"Look at the way it sits with its head held high, doesn't it have a kind of sacred majesty? In ancient Egypt, the goddess Bastet was originally a fierce lion god, symbolizing protection, and later gradually evolved into a cat goddess, representing family, fertility and protection. People believed that she could drive away evil and disasters."

Liu Yifei leaned closer to the glass case, carefully examining the lifelike bronze cat statue that had survived for thousands of years. Her eyes sparkled: "So it's a goddess! No wonder it's so majestic. But I think our Dongdong is cuter."

"And she also wears a nose ring, haha!"

She looked at her group photo and wondered, "So how did this cat goddess get stolen?"

Boss Lu guessed: "It's nothing more than a bunch of British explorers and archaeologists like Flinders Petrie, using the guise of scientific research to plunder and steal."

Along the way, the group passed by the scarab beetle of the sun god Ra and the Sphinx of Amenemhat III. "This one is much smaller than the one in Giza, but it was brought directly from the banks of the Nile to London."

Xiao Liu clicked his tongue: "The Sphinx of Egypt has become the British's watchdog cat. Maybe it misses the sunshine back home? Although it's lifeless, it still looks rather pitiful."

Lu Kuan smiled and said, "It's too early to be sentimental. You'll have more material to draw on for your performance when we visit the China Pavilion."

Passing through the archway from the Egyptian Pavilion leads to the Ancient Greek and Roman Pavilion. Because the exhibits are all quite large, the space feels open and spacious. Sunlight streams through the high windows onto the marble sculptures of the Parthenon, but the atmosphere suddenly becomes solemn.

“I’ve seen this before when I traveled to Greece.” Liu Yifei looked up at the reliefs that were cut directly from the temple walls, still bearing the marks of violent chisels.

“The museum on the Acropolis in Athens has replicas of them. I remember it very clearly. The old Greek guide almost cried when he saw them.”

This is a treasure that Lord Elgin of England took advantage of the fact that Greece was under Ottoman Turkish rule, and forcibly carved out the reliefs from the temple and transported them back with a vaguely worded permission.

It's called protection, but in reality it's no different from robbers tearing down someone else's gatehouse for firewood. Greece has been demanding its return for decades since independence, and the response is always the same: "We take better care of it."

Lu Kuan smiled and didn't say much, because the museum was a huge crime scene. Behind every artifact with a little history was the bitterness of their motherland's decades of arduous pursuit.

Including China.

They didn't linger; they went up to the second floor and specifically sought out the famous Easter Island Moai statues.

The massive basalt statue stood alone in a corner of the exhibition hall, its back to the entrance. Its enormous silhouette cast a long shadow under the spotlights, exuding an indescribable loneliness and sorrow. The information plaque briefly stated that it was brought back for protection by the British Royal Navy's HMS Topas in 1868.

There was no fierce struggle, no complicated treaties, only a silent compromise in the face of powerful ships and cannons.

There are also Benin bronzes from Nigeria. These exquisite bronze reliefs and statues, made between the 13th and 16th centuries, represent the pinnacle of court art in the Kingdom of Benin. In 1897, after the British launched the "Benin Punishment Expedition," they were looted to Britain as naked spoils of war after the city of Benin was captured and burned.
The lion hunting reliefs from the Assyrian Empire, from northern Iraq, are magnificent stone reliefs depicting King Ashurbanipal hunting lions. They are treasures of ancient Mesopotamian art and were excavated and brought back by British archaeologist Austin.

These treasures from different corners of the world together form a picture of "global civilization" written by colonial power. Each piece is marked with the coordinates of its place of origin and also bears the imprint of a memory of being separated from its homeland.

With this increasingly clear sense of history, they finally arrived at the destination of their trip: the China Pavilion.

Liu Yifei stood in front of the door, looking at the bustling crowd inside with a wry smile: "I don't even dare to go in. I feel it would be very depressing to see so many good things being imprisoned here by the British."

"This is what it means to be backward. Let's go, let's have a 'bitter past and sweet present' meal today."

A young man with an Asian face walked by. It was unclear whether he had a different opinion after hearing Xiao Liu's words, but seeing the couple's appearance and the imposing manner of the black-clad thugs beside them, he pursed his lips as if he wanted to say something but then stopped himself.

As the young couple entered the China Pavilion, the air seemed to become more somber than in the other exhibition halls.

From the bronze artifacts of the Shang and Zhou dynasties to the terracotta figurines of the Han dynasty, and then to the Tang tri-color pottery and the porcelain of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the splendor of thousands of years of Chinese civilization converges here, but it appears silent and alienated because it has been removed from its original context.

Liu Yifei stopped in front of a group of Tang Dynasty tri-colored pottery figurines of Central Asian people. The camels and Central Asian figures with deep-set eyes and high noses were lifelike and brightly colored.

"Were these also stolen?" she asked softly.

“Not entirely.” Lu Kuan shook his head and explained calmly, “Many of them flowed out through trade or diplomatic channels. During the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, due to political turmoil and the chaos in the antique market, they were purchased at low prices by collectors and major museums from various countries. But in essence, it was still a loss of cultural treasures during a period of national decline.”

They walked up to the tricolor Luohan statue in Yi County.

The life-size Arhat sits serenely in the display case, his face compassionate and peaceful, the glaze flowing with the luster of a thousand years under the light.

The surrounding area was filled with the noisy footsteps and chatter of tourists from all over the world, creating a strange contrast with the tranquility of the Buddha statue.

Liu Yifei gazed silently into Luohan's seemingly all-seeing eyes, and a thought inexplicably welled up in her mind: "Won't he find it noisy here?"

Next, they saw fragments of murals and silk paintings from the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. Although they were only small in size, the graceful flight of the apsaras and the solemnity of the Buddha were still breathtaking.

The history of the loss of these Dunhuang cultural relics is now widely known in China.

In 1907, during his second Central Asian expedition, British explorer Aurel Stein arrived in Dunhuang. Taking advantage of the Taoist priest Wang, who was guarding the Mogao Caves, who revered the religious value of the scriptures and did not understand the purpose of the Western "exploration", he exchanged a huge number of scriptures, manuscripts and silk paintings from the Library Cave with a donation of about 200 taels of silver, totaling tens of thousands of pieces.

As Lu Kuan had said before, Xiao Liu no longer showed the same excitement and ease he had when looking at the ancient Egyptian cat god. He looked at each item slowly and quietly.

We arrived at the Admonitions Scroll, one of the British Museum's most prized possessions. The painting was carefully placed in a separate, low-light, temperature-controlled display case, requiring us to bend down and look closely to appreciate its exquisite brushstrokes from a thousand years ago.

Liu Yifei held her breath, gazing intently through the glass at the flowing lines like silkworms spinning silk and the elegant, understated colors, hoping to appreciate the Han-style charm of the second season of "The Book of Peace".

Lu Kuan stood beside her, his voice calm: "There is also a less-than-perfect copy in the Palace Museum. I have paid attention to this technique."

“This is called ‘high antiquity flowing silk brushstrokes’,” he said, pointing lightly to guide her gaze. “The brushwork is continuous, even, and long, perfectly expressing the flowing of the garments and the dynamism of the figures. Gu Kaizhi proposed that ‘the essence of portraiture lies in the eyes,’ emphasizing that the eyes are the windows to the soul. If you look closely at the eyes of these ladies, you’ll see that they are restrained yet full of stories; this is true ‘capturing the spirit through form.’”

"All art forms are interconnected. Just like an actor's performance, it is actually a process of painting. How to express form and spirit? This is a glimpse into it."

He paused and continued, “The significance of this painting goes far beyond its artistic skill. It is one of the earliest existing silk figure paintings in China and a foundational work of the scroll painting form. More importantly, it presents the Confucian moral precepts for women in a highly aesthetic and narrative way, influencing Chinese figure painting for more than a thousand years to come.”

“It’s a pity,” Mr. Lu shook his head, his tone slightly regretful, “such a national treasure has not received the care it deserves here. In the early years, in order to facilitate the exhibition in the Western style, the museum actually listened to the advice of Japanese painters, cut it into three pieces, and mounted it on wooden boards.”

"This rough treatment caused permanent damage to the silk. Although efforts were made to restore it later, the cracks and traces of powdering are still visible. This is not only physical damage, but also a disruption to the painting's spirit and complete narrative."

"It's like a perfect movie being haphazardly edited by an amateur; the music, soundtrack, shots, and composition all lose their luster and charm."

Suddenly, a slightly disgruntled voice broke in with fluent English, carrying an air of academic superiority:

"I'm sorry, sir, but the things you and this lady said from the moment you entered the room, if I may be so bold, were rather biased."

The two turned around and saw the young Asian man who had been hesitant to speak at the door, but neither of them had noticed him before.

The latter wore a conspicuous name tag around his neck, and his voice carried a deliberately crafted air of authority, as if he were giving a public lecture.

Tourists in the vicinity, including some Chinese students who excitedly recognized Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei, gathered around curiously, wanting to hear what the museum staff member had to say.

"I am Julian Zhuang," he introduced himself loudly, his gaze sweeping over the gradually gathering crowd with a hint of pride.

“My family runs an art collection and investment business. I myself graduated from the Department of Oriental Studies at Oxford University, where I was a student of the current curator and also work part-time as an assistant curator of Chinese paintings and calligraphy in the Asian Department of the British Museum.”

He didn't feel the need to introduce his family background right away, but instead emphasized his academic background, clearly enjoying the feeling of "setting the record straight" in front of everyone.

However, when his gaze swept over Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei again, he seemed to have noticed something from the excited whispers and raised phones of some Chinese tourists around them. He raised an eyebrow with a hint of surprise and said, "It seems... you two are well-known figures?"

Lu Kuan smiled calmly, not caring whether he genuinely didn't recognize him or was pretending: "Not really, but I'm curious, since you understand Chinese, why do you insist on speaking to us in English? Where are you from?"

Julian Chong paused slightly, a mixture of superiority and aloofness appearing on his acne-covered face, before continuing to answer in English: "I understand Chinese, but I don't speak it very well. I'm from Hong Kong and have British citizenship."

It was almost impossible to conceal that this Oxford graduate's admiration, pride, and sense of satisfaction were overflowing, like body odor.

“This is irrelevant to our topic,” he quickly steered the conversation back on track, his tone hardening once more. “You may be famous in your field, but I must correct your misconceptions about this painting and the museum’s collection philosophy!”

A slight commotion arose among the onlookers; clearly, the debate was starting to heat up.

Julian Zhuang began his argument, which, as before, emphasized the museum's "conservational achievements" and the concept of "shared benefits for all humanity."

However, to Mr. Lu, it sounded more like a cliché defending colonial history.

"Your high-sounding discourse on universal values ​​sounds noble, but it cleverly avoids the most fundamental question: the original sin of power and plunder."

“Please tell every visitor here honestly.” Lu Kuan pointed to the “Admonitions Scroll” and said, “Is the primary reason this painting, and the countless treasures in this exhibition hall from China, Greece, Egypt, and Africa, came here truly the ‘selfless protection’ you claim, or the naked plunder that accompanied guns, treaties, and unequal trade?”

His voice wasn't loud, but every word carried immense weight, instantly silencing the entire area.

Today, there are tourists from different countries present, including a significant proportion of Asian people, and I feel a strong sense of empathy for them.

"You skillfully use Western discourse to glorify this disgraceful history. But I would like to ask, as a Chinese person with Chinese blood flowing in your veins, when you face these treasures that were forced to leave their homeland and carry the memories of the civilization of their motherland, have you ever had even the slightest thought in your heart about their true belonging? Have you ever had even the slightest empathy for the emotional trauma of the people of their country of origin?"

These words were like a dagger, piercing directly at the most contradictory and potentially vulnerable part of Julian Chong's identity.

Julian Zhuang's face flushed instantly. Lu Kuan's question was like a sharp knife, peeling away his carefully maintained academic facade and piercing his most unwanted identity anxiety.

He tried to remain calm and attempted to retaliate with academic language, but his voice trembled slightly.

"I am British...you...you are engaging in narrow-minded nationalism! This is historical nihilism!"

"You only see the so-called looting, but you deliberately ignore a crucial issue!" He raised his voice, trying to gain the approval of the onlookers.

"If these fragile works of art hadn't been taken to a place with professional conservation capabilities like the British Museum, it would be a huge question mark whether they could have survived intact to this day in their original, turbulent, and politically charged environments! How many artifacts in your country have been destroyed by war and... those years that everyone knows!"

He thought he had played a trump card, implying that if these cultural relics remained in China, they might be destroyed in various upheavals. Some unsuspecting Western tourists around him looked thoughtful upon hearing this.

However, Lu Kuan's reaction was faster and sharper than he had anticipated. He didn't get bogged down in hypothetical arguments about "if," but immediately seized on the fatal flaw in the opponent's logic. His voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable air of authority:
"Absurd! Don't you even consider the timeline in which these cultural relics were plundered through trickery and coercion?"

“Like this ‘Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies’ painting, the British Museum bought it for £25 from a British officer who looted the Old Summer Palace in 1860.”

"According to your logic, a robber breaks into someone's house, steals a family heirloom, and then says to the original owner, who is destitute and unable to protect his property, 'Look, if I didn't take it now, this thing would have been smashed to pieces in your house sooner or later!'—Is this what you call 'protection'? Is this the robber's logic of putting cause and effect that you learned at Oxford?"

"Protecting cultural relics in their original locations is the responsibility and right of every country and nation! What you're saying is nothing but self-aggrandizement as a savior! It's a fig leaf to cover up colonial plunder with a mission of civilization, and your intentions are despicable!"

"well said!"

"Traitor! You traitor!"

"If you have any shame, then don't use the surname Zhuang! You foreign-worshipping dog!"

Several clear shouts of anger erupted from the crowd, coming from several Chinese students and tourists.

They were emotional and glared at Julian Zhuang, which resonated with many others. Low accusations rang out in various languages, and the scene became somewhat chaotic for a moment.

Julian Zhuang was somewhat flustered by the scornful looks and curses of the crowd. In his anger and embarrassment, the pimples on his face became even more noticeable.

In reality, he wasn't a Western worshipper at all; he simply lacked a sense of identity with the blood flowing in his veins and tried to save face by using his family background.

No more pretending, I’m showing off my cards!

The Oxford University graduate's tone became sharp and boastful:

"Rude! Vulgar! I am Mr. Li Jiacheng's grand-nephew! Our family has contributed to Hong Kong and to cultural exchange between Britain and China! I received the most orthodox British elite education, and I understand what true civilization and universal values ​​are!"

He turned to Lu Kuan, his expression a mixture of condescending pity and sarcasm: "It's a pity, but also fortunate. With your country's current international influence, your extreme remarks will never be accepted or taken seriously by the mainstream world! Your voice is destined to be nothing more than self-indulgence by a small group of people, and it won't mislead more people!"

Liu Yifei chuckled to herself. Ignorance is bliss, and she hadn't seen such a "confident" young person in front of a washing machine in a long time.

Mr. Lu, however, became interested in him and asked curiously with narrowed eyes, "Is the Li Jiacheng you mentioned the richest man in Hong Kong and Asia, Mr. Li?"

This seemingly casual question instantly brought an uncontrollable smug look to the face of the fake foreigner, whose real name was "Zhuang Chenxuan".

He clearly misunderstood Lu Kuan's intention, thinking that the other party was intimidated by the name "Li Jiacheng," and his tone was almost overflowing with superiority:

“Of course! There’s only one richest Chinese person in the world!” He raised his chin slightly, with an innate air of arrogance and boastfulness. “Let me formally introduce myself. I am Zhuang Chenxuan. My grandfather was Mr. Zhuang Jing’an, Mr. Li’s uncle and father-in-law. By seniority, I call Mr. Li my great-uncle.”

His self-introduction deliberately highlighted the close relationship between his family and Li Ka-shing, revealing the background of a top-tier wealthy family.

I originally intended to crush him with my academic abilities, but I never expected this seemingly well-dressed Chinese man with a beautiful woman by his side to be so unreasonable and full of sophistry!

He even incited a group of troublemakers and ordinary people to hurl insults at him; it's utterly despicable!
It's no wonder that Zhuang Chenxuan didn't recognize this richest man in mainland China. He had lived and studied in the UK since birth and rarely returned to Hong Kong, immersing himself in the study of calligraphy and painting.

It wasn't until I graduated this year that I gradually started managing the family's art investment and collection business, which can be considered as beginning to "see what's happening outside the window." However, I know very little about the poor relatives to the north who I have never thought much of.

As for his grandfather Zhuang Jing'an, who was also the father of Zhuang Mingyue, Li Jiacheng's first wife, who helped him in the early days of Huang Gua's business, he provided him with great assistance.

Lu Kuan and his wife Xiao Liu exchanged a glance and raised their eyebrows with amusement.

Unexpectedly, this fake foreigner has a connection with the "current" richest Chinese person!

Of course, if Rupert Hoogewerf hadn't deliberately omitted some of his businesses from the statistics last year out of fear of being targeted, the title of the richest Chinese person would have changed hands in an instant.

Zhuang Chenxuan looked at Lu Kuan with an almost condescending tolerance and continued, "So, I understand your point of view based on your own perspective. But perhaps it is precisely because you have long been confined to the mainland market that you lack a broader vision of internationally accepted concepts of cultural heritage protection and the complexities of operating transnational museums..."

Liu Yifei found it amusing, thinking to herself that this person was showing off his wealth and status in front of the true Buddha, and even thought he was superior in knowledge.

She glanced at her husband, who still wore that enigmatic, indifferent smile. He neither refuted nor responded, but simply uttered a soft "Oh," as if he had heard something trivial.

This unfathomable calm made Zhuang Chenxuan's carefully cultivated sense of superiority seem like a punch landing on cotton, appearing somewhat ridiculous.

Boss Lu smiled as he looked at Li Huanggua's "large penis": "Your reminder has suddenly given me some inspiration for a movie about a 'robber museum'."

"If it really comes to fruition, I think we should give you a special thank you at the end of the film."

This barbed yet elegant response drew laughter and discussion from the surrounding Chinese students and tourists familiar with the situation.

"Alright, stop pretending." He glanced at the crowd of onlookers who were still looking at him with disdain, and couldn't help but raise his voice: "This gentleman should formally apologize to the British Museum for his remarks just now, otherwise I will ask you to leave."

He seemed completely uninterested in the man before him, his expression growing increasingly grim: "Sir, you've already caused congestion at the China Pavilion. If you don't leave soon, I'll have to call guarantor..."

"Please make way!"

Just then, Neil McGregor, the director of the British Museum, who had rushed over to check the situation due to the crowd gathering, stepped through the crowd.

He spotted the Chinese couple surrounded in the middle at a glance—

Their temperament was so outstanding that the man's calm and steady aura intertwined with the girl's lively and graceful demeanor, like the central figures in a carefully composed classical oil painting.

They had just met at a cocktail party hosted by Fox News.

Neil and Zhuang Chenxuan, who looked puzzled, nodded slightly and quickly stepped forward, extending their hands warmly.

"Lo! Crystal! What a wonderful surprise! Welcome to the British Museum!"

(End of this chapter)