The unparalleled talent of the country started from Harbin Institute of Technology

Chapter 437 Acting First and Reporting Later, Travel Plan

January 2, 1994, Washington, D.C., inside the White House office.

"Let's all have a chat. The European Economic Area has already been established, and we can't stop it. So how should we deal with the competition from Europe?"

George Herbert said expressionlessly.

This morning's meeting was simply a continuation of what happened a few days ago.

They already knew about the establishment of the European Economic Area long before.

Yesterday's news was 'old news' being announced to the world, not news.

There's nothing new under the sun; the news every day is basically the same old stuff.

Flipping through history books, you can always find striking similarities.

There are quite a few people attending today's meeting, including the number three figure, Navie Albert, as well as Duknigan, Algore, Danquil, Todd Turner, Vincent Carlos, Beckbarnes, Brian Ward, and others.

Logically, the CIA director and the FBI director shouldn't be here.

But the topics to come are related to them, so they have to be there.

"I believe we should stick to the previous strategy, focusing on containment. It's impossible for us to stop it now; this is an inevitable trend."

"Treasurer Vincent Carlos said in a deep voice."

The establishment of the European Economic Area had an obvious impact on the US economy.

The world economy can be likened to a large cake, with the United States taking the largest slice and other countries sharing the remainder.

Suddenly, Europe, which had been a fragmented entity, was about to be united into a whole.

While increased economic and cultural exchanges within Europe will significantly boost global economic growth, Europe will also take a much larger slice of the pie.

The critical issue today is that the wave of economic globalization is unstoppable, and the same applies to the process of European integration.

At this point, the United States actually has very few options available.

Although nearly half a century has passed since World War II, no one would dare to start Season 3 now; no one would dare to do that.

American capitalists prefer profit to war.

Peacetime is actually more favorable to capitalists, since it allows the financial talents they have cultivated over the years to find a place to use their skills.

The previous polar bears did not fall through warfare.

Therefore, George Herbert and his colleagues were extremely arrogant and did not believe that the EU could do anything significant.

Moreover, the EU's current goal is simply to develop its economy and become wealthier; that's all.

Their main methods include US military bases scattered throughout Europe, as well as agencies such as the Bureau of Investigation and Intelligence stationed in various parts of Europe.

"Yes, I agree with Vincent."

Danquil spoke, nodding as he spoke.

As he began to speak, Todd Turner and others followed suit.

After a while, the EU issue was temporarily put to rest.

The next topic is about the Federal Reserve, specifically the super dollar case.

"Some time ago, we uncovered a massive US dollar transaction in Rio de Janeiro, South America. However, those people were too cunning and even sent the Hobbit mercenary group to intercept us, causing our efforts to fail at the last minute."

"Beckbarnes said in a deep voice."

Although he wished he could grind Larryton, who was in charge of the case at the time, to dust, they eventually brought back 50,000 ounces of gold and some clues.

Perhaps they can follow this clue to find the location of the real super-large US dollar factory.

"In addition, we discovered another major US dollar fraud gang in Hong Kong. This time it's the same group from the Korean Peninsula."

"We can be fairly certain that their Office No. 39 on the Korean Peninsula is still operational and has not been eradicated."

"Therefore, it can be concluded that there are two organizations globally that are printing super-sized US dollars. Office 39 was probably the first one, and the other organization that followed was very likely a group that rebelled and left Office 39."

George Herbert and the others were speechless upon hearing Beckbarnes' words.

The Super Dollar incident has been going on for many years now, why hasn't it been resolved yet?
No wonder the Federal Reserve executives are all anxious and stressed, and they've had several chairmen come and go.

This demonstrates the immense influence that the super dollar has on the Federal Reserve.

Actually, you can't blame the Federal Reserve for this. It's just that those who printed super dollars were too rampant and unscrupulous.

Martinez and his group print at least $50 billion in super dollars every year.

The problem became even more rampant in 1993, and according to Wang Duoyu's rough estimate, it had already exceeded 80 billion US dollars.

The surge in the total amount of US dollar base money has not yet caused a major shock.

Because the Federal Reserve and George Herbert worked together to suppress those minor fluctuations.

On the other hand, the super dollars printed by Exa Farms were mostly shipped to other places such as South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

While North America has its share, overall it is certainly far less than other continents.

However, these massive amounts of US dollars circulating all over the world will eventually flow back to North America.

This is simply because the United States is currently the world's only superpower and the most economically developed country.

After the massive influx of US dollars back to the Federal Reserve, the Fed naturally came into contact with those massive amounts of cash, and then it had a splitting headache.

In just two or three years, the super dollar factory has added at least 200 billion US dollars of base money.

When top officials at the Federal Reserve learned of this, they were naturally uneasy.

"So now the Federal Reserve has given us the final deadline, and they've also given us a suggestion: that we promote European economic integration and let those people go and mess with Egypt!"

The EU's current currency is the Ecuador, but it is actually a bond used to determine the fixed exchange rate and fluctuation range between the currencies of European member states; it is not a real currency.

Therefore, if the counterfeit money gangs of the super-dollars want to exploit European currencies, they must first create their own currencies as soon as possible.

Beckbarnes' words silenced everyone.

This is truly a fantastical story.

The Federal Reserve has run out of options, and the CIA is also under pressure; all they can do is resort to such underhanded tactics.

Brian Ward remained silent, trying to minimize his presence.

Unfortunately, the office is only so big. Everyone else spoke up, but he remained silent, which definitely wouldn't do.

At Harbin Institute of Technology in the Ice City, on the island in the middle of the lake, is Wang Duoyu's home.

Inside the study, the two sisters, Wang Meili and Wang Meihe, returned from the mountains today.

The two sisters went back to their husbands' rural hometowns for New Year's Day and only returned today.

"Ninth Brother, Huayi Brothers has been established. It seems they're imitating Hollywood giant Warner Bros."

Wang Meili chattered on and on:

"If you ask me, let's do what Bao Yin and Jian Chao are saying and start a film company. It's bound to make money anyway."

Wang Duoyu, sitting opposite her, suddenly felt a headache coming on.

"Alright, you two can talk amongst yourselves. Anyway, we've already acquired Paramount and MGM. You can set up film and television businesses in China if you want, but be careful to localize."

After giving a few words of advice, Wang Duoyu skipped the topic, not giving them any chance to elaborate.

Then Wang Duoyu mentioned again that this year's year-end summary meeting will be held on the 18th of this month, and it will be held in Shanghai.

"Huh? Ninth Brother, why go to Shanghai? Can't we stay in Harbin?"

Everyone was taken aback. Even if it wasn't held in Harbin, Guangzhou would have been fine. Why did they suddenly go to Shanghai?
"Why so many whys?"

Wang Duoyu shrugged and said:
"Just listen to me, you can't go wrong."

He had already arranged things in Shanghai in advance, so there's no doubt about it.

Compared to Harbin, Shanghai has a more advantageous geographical location.

Even if the economy of Northeast China develops in the future, Harbin can attract population from the entire Northeast urban cluster, and even talent from all over the country and the world.

But Shanghai can do the same.

After all, during the Republic of China era, Shanghai was equivalent to half of China, which is no joke.

The Shanghai concessions alone had a population of several million, and their economies accounted for half of the country's total.

While this was largely due to the social conditions at the time, it is undeniable that Shanghai's status and historical heritage are unmatched by other cities.

This is not the reason why Wang Duoyu wanted to hold a summary meeting in Shanghai.

Instead, for the past few years, meetings have been held either in Guangzhou or Harbin.

If foreigners aren't stupid, they're likely to notice something.

That's why Wang Duoyu made a feint, leaving his informants completely bewildered.

"When you go to Shanghai, you need to keep a low profile and try not to let the outside world know. The team that picks you up should be as discreet as possible. Do you understand?"

Zheng Baoyin and the others nodded repeatedly, but Wang Meili frowned and asked first:

"Ninth Brother, has something happened?"

Wang Duoyu shook his head and said:

"Nothing happened; it was just a precaution."

Two weeks later, Wang Yifei and her classmates started their winter vacation and went to their father with their winter vacation notice.

"Dad, this is the holiday notice. We have a holiday now. Can we go to Shanghai for fun today?"

Looking at Wang Yifei and the other children, Wang Duoyu smiled and nodded, saying:
"Yes, if you want to go, you can come together. But I'll only be in Shanghai for one night and then I'll be back, so don't overthink it."

According to Wang Yifei and her friends' plan, they would definitely spend several days in Shanghai.

There are still many places to visit in Shanghai, such as the Bund, Waibaidu Bridge, and Yuyuan Road.

These places have many historical buildings from the Republican era, making them quite interesting to visit.

"Yay, we can go play now!"

They weren't dissatisfied; on the contrary, they were very happy.

If I can go out and have fun, then there's no problem.

However, Liu Xiaoli will not go to Shanghai because she has just finished her postpartum confinement period and it is inconvenient for her to travel by plane.

Besides, Wang Chuyue is only a month old, so it's really not suitable for her to go out.

The next day, Wang Duoyu took Wang Yifei and the other children straight to Shanghai.

After arriving in Shanghai, I wandered around aimlessly; the year-end summary meeting was on the second day.

This year's summary meeting was held at a golf course club in the suburbs of Pudong, Shanghai.

Of course, it's January now, and the temperature in Shanghai is below freezing, plus it's snowing outside.

Therefore, you can't see anyone outside the golf course, but you can see quite a few people at the indoor driving range.

Wang Yifei and her friends weren't interested in these sports; instead, they strolled around the city center.

"Welcome, colleagues, to this annual summary meeting. I now declare the meeting officially open."

Applause erupted as Xue Lisheng spoke.

This year's conference host is Xue Lisheng.

The rotation will continue every year thereafter.

After the conference began, everyone started to report on their respective situations.

The revenues of Want Want Group's subsidiaries, such as Hibel women's wear, Muscle Shark sportswear, Red Star Group, Brabus watch factory, Magic Toys, Leap Sports, Facebook, Amazon, Yuma Apparel, Pandora, Walsin Technology, and Hakimi Hamburgers, are not much different from those in 1992.

Some companies saw an increase in revenue, while others experienced a sharp decline.

Overall, however, the revenue of all the parent companies increased by 12 percent compared to 1992.

Not too much, not too little, barely passable.

Audi, Daimler-Benz, BMW, Comcast, McDonald's, Paramount, MGM, Marvel, Target, Varian Medical Systems, Canon, and other companies acquired from outside the company as "adopted sons".

Revenue growth was actually more rapid.

It increased by 25 percent compared to the same period in 1992.

It was incredibly sudden and chaotic.

Apart from that, there were also some new companies like Huachen Mobile, which had only been established for less than a year, mentioned only briefly.

However, the Pioneer Technology Manufacturing Plant, which was acquired by Wang Duoyu, did not appear in today's discussion at all.

The existence of the Dragon Roar stealth fighter is highly classified, and there's no need to let everyone know about it.

"By the way, we recently established a film company called Shengshi Culture, and Want Want Group has also invested in it."

Zheng Baoyin suddenly asked:
"Uncle, can we put this company together from now on?"

Wang Duoyu glared at him and said irritably:

"You guys are really something, acting first and asking questions later?"

Alright, judging from Wang Duoyu's expression, Zheng Baoyin and the others know that this is feasible.

That concludes the reports from all the manufacturing companies. The remaining four sectors—financial companies, research institutions, arms dealers, and super-dollar factories—will be discussed in the afternoon.

After lunch, the debriefing meeting continued at 1:30 pm.

First, there are financial companies, which are quite numerous. In the United States, there are wholly owned companies such as Gardner Bank, Bank of Boston, Boston Commercial Bank, New Brown Bank, and Alaska National Bank.

And Wall Street financial giants such as Maple Tree Capital, Raptor Fund, and Sun Capital.

Maple Leaf Holdings' banks vary in size, with the largest being Boston Bank, which has branches throughout the United States. The other banks are relatively ordinary.

The banking industry's profitability is relatively average; the higher profits are found in financial giants such as Summit Global, Maple Tree Capital, and Raptor Fund.

These financial giants are located in financial cities such as New York, Chicago, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, London, and Frankfurt.

Compared to 1992, the total profit of financial enterprises in 1993 was US$336 million, an increase of US$2.4 billion.

Secondly, there are research institutions.

In 1992, Maple Leaf Holdings had a total of 23 overseas research institutions, including the Magic Institute, Lawrence Laboratory, Cambridge Institute for Advanced Study, Quantum Centre, Future Technology Laboratory, and Hobbes Supercomputing Centre.

The number of patented technologies also broke through the 300 mark, reaching 302, a full 36 more than in 1992.

Revenue was $3.8 billion and profit was $690 million.

The arms trade followed immediately.

Total profits from this item have fallen significantly compared to 1992, amounting to only US$12.8 billion.

It's worth noting that in 1992, the profits from the arms trade reached a staggering $27.3 billion.

This is enough to show that the arms market is already quite saturated, and at the same time, there are indeed very few battlefields.

No wonder the North American military-industrial complex always likes to instigate American leaders to start wars everywhere.

The last item is the super dollar factory, which printed a total of 95 billion US dollars.

Costs have skyrocketed, mainly due to the destruction of several disguised factories and the disruption of numerous transactions.

Therefore, the profit was $80.9 billion.

Even so, it is still the highest in history.

Most of the profits were converted into gold, minerals, oil, and food, because these are the real hard currencies.

So this afternoon, the total profit from these four sectors—finance, arms sales, research institutions, and super-dollar factories—was $127.99 billion.

Compared with the same period in 1992, the profit was no less than that.

The most dramatic growth is seen in the Super Dollar Factory sector, which is accounting for an increasingly larger share of the market.

clap clap clap!
The entire conference room erupted in thunderous applause; everyone was extremely excited.

The morning meeting concluded that the total revenue of all manufacturing companies was $103 billion, and the profit was $192 billion.

The total profit of the entire Want Want Group in 1993 was US$1471.9 billion.

This profit is truly unbelievable, but considering that Want Want Group operates businesses that are illegal and subject to criminal penalties, such as arms dealing, finance, and counterfeiting, it is understandable.

"You all seem quite happy. Aren't you very proud?"

As the applause subsided, Wang Duoyu's expression suddenly darkened, and he said in a deep voice:

"I really don't know where your sense of superiority comes from. The profit margin of the Super Dollar Factory is now so high, it has exceeded 60%."

"No wonder we suffered so many setbacks and so many deaths before. It seems you haven't learned a single lesson." "Martin, after the start of this year, you need to be more clear-headed and conduct multiple internal reorganizations to ensure that the super dollar factory doesn't run into trouble. At the same time, you also need to set up several more super dollar factories in South America, Africa, and other places."

"If things come to light, I need to make sure you don't get caught and that you can still mislead those major U.S. agencies."

"Bao-yin, Jian-chao, starting next year, I'm setting a target of $160 billion in total revenue and over $22 billion in total profit for all manufacturing companies within the Want Want Group. You must strive as hard as possible towards these goals."

"And regarding arms sales, you all need to be vigilant. Yeltsin has almost finished reorganizing the internal situation, the KGB has begun to mobilize, and the CIA, MI6, and the General Directorate for External Security are also keeping a close eye on things."

As Wang Duoyu spoke, the smiles on the faces of all the executives vanished, replaced by solemn expressions.

Because what Wang Duoyu said makes a lot of sense.

The super dollar factory is currently the most important part of all business segments. Judging from the profits it accounts for, $80.9 billion is simply too much.

Therefore, no matter how cautious you are, it's never too much.

Therefore, Wang Duoyu's stern admonition is understandable.

The arms trade has indeed attracted the attention of Western agencies such as the KGB, the CIA, the Foreign Directorate General, and MI6.

For example, a few months ago, Matthew Barron shipped a complete set of parts for a strategic bomber from Moscow.

At the time, Matthew Barron was unaware that the KGB had already been eyeing this thing and using it as bait to find out who was behind him.

If it weren't for the Want Want Group's formidable weaponry and its willingness to spend money to recruit mercenaries from nearby areas, they wouldn't have been able to repel the KGB in one fell swoop.

Otherwise, Matthew Barron would probably be in a Moscow prison right now, suffering inhuman treatment.

Of course, the strategic bomber was never brought back, a fact that Matthew Barron has always regretted.

Strategic bombers are such powerful instruments; even in our country today, we don't have such a national treasure.

At that time in China, the War God H-6 bomber would not be able to enter service until 2007; it had not yet been developed.

Therefore, Wang Duoyu also agreed to let the arms trading team bring back the strategic bombers from Moscow.

Unfortunately, this thing was already under very close surveillance. Not only did the KGB not allow it to leave, but also all the agencies along the route kept a close eye on it during the transportation process.

Given the size of a strategic bomber, whether transported as a whole or disassembled into parts, it is a very large target.

Therefore, it is not so easy to transport it away.

"I've said everything I needed to say. Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Baoyin spoke:

"Uncle, colleagues, we previously invested in Hideb in the Somali peninsula."

"Given the current level of technological development and the possibility that our satellites could detect us in the future, I think we should address this risk in advance?"

As time goes by, the cameras carried by satellites in space will inevitably be able to see what's happening on the Earth's surface.

In the desert region of the Somali peninsula, the sudden appearance of an airport runway, an oasis, and a solar power plant in the center is bound to be discovered.

Therefore, if this problem is not resolved, the Hidab project will be difficult to continue.

It's impossible to completely hide, because it's a desert area.

O'Brien, Fuller Carson, Lee Evra, and others offered their suggestions.

The Hidab project is something that many people don't quite understand. Why is Wang Duoyu making such a fuss on the Somali peninsula?

When it comes to tinkering with this kind of thing, aren't there plenty of deserts around the world?

Wang Duoyu suddenly said:

"Then let's cultivate a Somali warlord puppet. We can use this puppet as a facade to block out outside voices."

"But we absolutely cannot allow this warlord to directly unify the entire Somali peninsula. We should cultivate warlords like Aidid, Mahdi, and Gambella, if possible."

"The population of the Somali peninsula is indeed too small right now, less than seven million, but that's okay. We will relocate some people from China to increase the population."

In China today, the total population is approaching 1.2 billion.

It is undoubtedly the world's most populous country.

Even if only a small fraction of immigrants are moved to the Somali peninsula, it will not have any impact.

clap clap clap!
Upon hearing this, Zheng Baoyin and the others were overjoyed, thinking that this matter could be discussed.

If the number of Chinese people on the Somali peninsula increases, it will naturally be excellent for the entire Hidab project.

And so this question ends here.

After the meeting ended, Wang Duoyu took a plane back to Harbin that evening.

Wang Yifei and the other kids stayed behind, because Wang Meili and Wang Meihe weren't in a hurry to go back.

In the blink of an eye, the Spring Festival will be here soon.

This year's Lunar New Year's Eve is February 9th. Wang Duoyu and his family did not return to their hometown for the Spring Festival because Liu Xiaoli had indeed finished her postpartum confinement, but Wang Duoyu did not want her to travel around and suffer.

His refusal to return to his hometown also meant that his eight sisters, Wang Meili and Wang Meihe, did not go back either.

They all stayed in Harbin to spend the holiday with Wang Duoyu.

The Spring Festival passed quickly, and 1994 strode towards Wang Duoyu.

He has been in this world for almost sixteen years now; time has flown by far too fast.

On the island in the middle of the lake, in the living room, Wang Duoyu said to Liu Xiaoli:
"How about we tentatively plan our trip this year?"

Last year, she was on maternity leave, so she didn't go out much.

To make it up to her, Wang Duoyu planned to travel this year and even made travel plans.

The whole plan definitely needs to take into account the situation of little Wang Chuyue, since she is only two or three months old. If we want to go out for a trip, we will definitely need to consider how to take care of the little one.

However, Wang Duoyu's travel plans start from May 1st, then during the summer vacation, and then in September, roughly like this.

"I have no problem, I'll do whatever you say."

After reviewing the plan, Liu Xiaoli nodded in satisfaction.

She was naturally satisfied, having given birth to four children for him, and he did not disappoint her, always staying by her side.

Now she's even willing to give up part of her work to take her on trips.

So is there anything else she needs to add?
"Okay, I've thought it all through. Let's do it this way then."

Wang Duoyu nodded, and then the travel plan was finalized.

Although there is an International Congress of Mathematicians this year, it has nothing to do with Wang Duoyu because he will not be attending.

Since it wasn't held domestically, he naturally couldn't participate.

A few days passed in the blink of an eye, and someone leaked Wang Duoyu's travel plans for the year. Suddenly, Liu Deben came knocking on his door.

"Duoyu, why do you have so much vacation time this year? Isn't the International Congress of Mathematicians going to be held this year? Aren't you going to attend?"

Liu Deben was a little worried that Wang Duoyu was delaying the scientific research task.

This year is a very crucial year.

Because the Longxiao stealth fighter jet has already started production, and the domestic passenger aircraft project is also progressing steadily. These are all visible scientific research projects, and they are very important.

The International Congress of Mathematicians is about to be held. Wang Duoyu has published so many papers, so he will definitely need to give a presentation at the congress.

If he abandons his responsibilities, then we'll be in big trouble.

"How much? Not much!"

Wang Duoyu didn't explain much and dismissed Lao Liu with just a few words.

But soon, Shing-Tung Yau and his team came to visit.

"Wang, you should attend this year's conference. I will join others in signing a petition to ensure that nothing happens to you during the conference."

John Milnor earnestly advised him.

This year's International Congress of Mathematicians is being held in Zurich, in Europe.

In the original timeline, the year 90 was in Kyoto, Japan, but this timeline was taken over by the Ice City.

Logically, it should have been given to Kyoto in 1994, but it wasn't.

But whether it's Kyoto or Zurich in Japan, Wang Duoyu is unwilling to take the risk.

Life abroad is indeed miserable, and he doesn't want to go abroad to attend a conference that won't benefit him much, thus putting himself in danger.

That's stupid!
Although George Herbert is currently in charge in the United States, and he is very friendly to us, Wang Duoyu is still unwilling to take the risk.

Non-my family, its heart must be different!

These are sayings passed down from our ancestors, so there must be some truth to them.

"John, I know you all want me to go, but it's not necessary!"

Wang Duoyu shook his head and said:

"And I bet not many people will attend this year's conference."

"Around October, I will hold a lecture at Harbin Institute of Technology. I will invite everyone to come and get together, and we can discuss how to deduce and solve the remaining problems of the Riemann Hypothesis."

Mentioning this issue immediately puts Yau Shing-Tung and his team out of their drowsiness.

Inside a secret airport warehouse on the outskirts of Moscow, hundreds of aircraft technicians have already begun their work.

"Gentlemen, this strategic bomber must be completely disassembled and loaded into cargo within three days, and then transported away in batches."

"I said with a serious expression."

"We must learn from our past mistakes and succeed this time!"

Strategic bombers are vital national assets, and their importance cannot be determined by their price.

Currently, only the United States and Russia possess a triad of nuclear strike capabilities.

The triad refers to three nuclear strike methods: land-based, sea-based, and air-based. The air-based nuclear force consists of strategic bombers or air-launched cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

Currently, we do not have such strategic bombers in our country.

This is Wang Duoyu's only chance.

To be honest, it would be a bit difficult for him to develop it 100% successfully.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have arranged for Matthew Baron, Brumick, and others to become members of the international black market.

Moscow is still in a state of chaos, but it's not as chaotic as it used to be.

Even though Moscow is in a very chaotic state, their national strategic assets have always been firmly under their control.

From Gorbachev to Yeltsin, their power transitioned peacefully, without any major upheaval or uncontrollable situation.

Therefore, under such circumstances, it would be tantamount for Wang Duoyu to attempt to acquire strategic bombers or their technology.

Although Wang Duoyu did not give up on developing his own technology, it would ultimately take a lot of time. If there was a shortcut, he would naturally not give it up.

"Yes!" Everyone nodded in unison, speaking solemnly.

Brumik was overjoyed, then looked at the others.

Orlando is on high alert as part of the escort team that is transporting strategic bomber parts from Moscow to Hong Kong.

He didn't know why he was nervous, but he just couldn't help it.

The current situation is so bizarre that it's beyond his control.

While Moscow was busy dismantling strategic bombers, an antique trade was taking place in the suburbs of Paris, France.

Inside the castle, there were mountains of antiques, some of which were already moldy.

But the castle owner didn't care.

The old Chinese saying, "The son sells his father's land without a care," is very true.

The castle owner is very happy now because he is about to leave France and plans to sell the castle and all the antiques inside.

The asking price is $800 million.

Surprisingly, the American buyer, Kruby, did not object; instead, he indicated that he was willing to take a look.

Krube brought in several local French lawyers, accountants, and Chinese antique experts to ensure the smooth completion of the transaction.

"Please look, everyone. This is an antique my grandfather brought back from that large country in the Far East. It was from the Eight-Nation Alliance."

The castle owner, wanting to show off, pointed to the window used to decorate the castle stairs and smiled slightly.

This window has a large open space where you can put things, because the walls of European castles are very thick, so there is naturally more space in the window area.

Moreover, since this was a decorative window, a porcelain piece was naturally placed there.

There are many more exquisite porcelain pieces like these inside the castle.

This great country in the Far East is famous for its porcelain, but each piece of porcelain has its own unique meaning.

Some porcelain pieces are not worth regretting even if they break, but some porcelain pieces have very important historical significance because they have a lot of carvings and even text on them.

In China's archaeological community, the status of any kind of cultural relic, whether it is bronze or porcelain, whether it has writing or not, is worlds apart.

Antiques and cultural relics, as witnesses to history, carry rich cultural information and historical value.

Inscriptions, as a form of written or symbolic record on cultural relics, are of great significance for the identification, research, and value assessment of cultural relics.

Unfortunately, the castle owner did not understand these things.

Krugby, the American businessman, knew a little, but not very clearly.

After all, I'm not an expert!
After much searching and spending more than half a month, the team arranged by Kruby finally finished inventorying all the antiques in the castle.

"There are a total of 1,682 antiques, of which 1,390 are from a major country in the Far East, and the rest are from other countries."

"We valued these antiques at approximately five hundred million US dollars."

Both Krubi and the castle owner were somewhat bewildered by the voice of the chief expert of the Krubi team.

The castle owner shouted:

"No, no, how could it only be worth five hundred million US dollars? Most of these antiques come from a major Eastern country, and their value is extremely high now. Many international buyers are willing to pay high prices for them."

One thousand three hundred and ninety antiques from a major country in the Far East—that's a truly staggering number.

Moreover, two of them are the twelve zodiac animal heads, which are all national treasures.

In 1994, many Chinese people around the world have become successful, and most of the world is now at peace with no wars.

The saying "antiques are valued in prosperous times, gold in chaotic times" is something many people understand.

For nearly fifty years after World War II, no large-scale war broke out worldwide.

Whether it's the Korean Peninsula, Tsushima Island, the Vietnam War, the Sino-Vietnamese War, or the Gulf War, these wars are all local disputes and did not escalate into wars involving most countries on a global scale, like World War I or World War II.

Therefore, many people believe that we are now in a stable period of peace and development.

As a result, antique prices have risen sharply at many auctions, with auction prices being pushed up repeatedly.

At this time, these antiques from a certain major country in the Far East, which were originally considered 'trash' that no one appreciated, have now become highly sought-after items.

The castle owner had also attended auctions and paid close attention to related news, so he was naturally well aware of the prices of these antiques.

"No, no, no, if you're willing to put all these antiques up for auction and wait a few years, they might fetch a billion, or even more."

Kruby wasn't stupid; he shook his head and said:

"And I'm buying this castle and these antiques from you outright. I'm just doing this for you, albeit reluctantly. If you don't want to sell the antiques, then you can pay to have them transported away, and remember to pay me a service fee for tidying them up!"

"You may be a fake antique dealer with only a superficial understanding of antiques. In fact, antiques are priceless in the eyes of those who know their value, but to the average person, they are just pretty but useless things."

"If you want to sell it for a high price, then send it to an auction. I'm not going to be a sucker."

Upon hearing Kruby's words, the castle owner's face turned ashen.

After thinking about it for a few days, he decided to sell all of these things.

Seeing that the other party was so agreeable, Krubi did not make things difficult for him any further.

In fact, it was the castle owner who was making things difficult for Kruby. Now that both sides have reached an agreement, the deal can proceed smoothly.

After completing the transaction, Kruby immediately sold the castle, took the antiques with him, and disappeared.

After Cruyff left, all traces of his life in Paris were completely erased; he vanished without a trace and could not be found at all.

A month later, in New York City, the castle owner used the money to buy a 20,000-acre farm in the suburbs and a villa near Central Park in the city.

But at this time, he was also targeted by FBI agents.

(End of this chapter)