Chapter 26: Using some extraordinary means

“I’ll take care of my shop and come to the association later.”

Lin Moran replied.

“Comrade Lin, we’ll wait for you.”

Such eagerness.

Lin Moran felt wary. She wasn’t that close to Wang Yuanwu.

Later, she asked the board member who called her. The board member said Wang Yuanwu wasn’t the actual chairman; he was an honorary chairman.

“Does Chairman Wang have something important?”

Lin Moran asked.

“Chairman Wang didn’t say, we don’t know.”

The men remained polite.

“Excuse me, I just remembered something. The hospital told me to take my child for a checkup today. Please tell Chairman Wang that I’ll visit him personally after I’m done.”

Lin Moran decided to leave.

She knew, without asking, that Wang Yuanwu’s politeness was about restoring the *Ten Thousand Li River and Mountain Map*.

She later confirmed the painting’s ownership with the board member.  The board member stammered before finally saying it belonged to Wang Yuanwu, but he had said the association could borrow it for free exhibition if they could find someone to restore it.

It turned out the painting wasn’t state-owned; it was Wang Yuanwu’s private collection.

Over a hundred years ago, the Wang family, along with the Long, Cai, and Song families, were all from the same lineage, making their living from grave robbing.

The other three families adhered to the rules of the underworld, valuing trust. Initially, the three families were a collective. 

The Wang family ancestor, having discovered this lucrative profession, approached them, feigning loyalty and offering to do anything for the other families, as long as they were accepted.

Her great-great-grandfather, seeing their sincerity, gradually took them under his wing.

Once, while robbing a tomb, they discovered the largest Nine Dragon Jade Chain in the world.  Seeing this treasure, they were speechless, tacitly understanding that it was the most valuable treasure they had ever seen.

Unexpectedly, the Nine Dragon Jade Chain disappeared. The three families fought fiercely, suspecting each other of stealing it.

The three families had no contact for years.  Only when the Nine Dragon Jade Chain appeared in the imperial palace did they realize that none of them had taken it; it must have been the Wang family.

They confronted the Wang family, but they denied it, claiming they only remembered the chain’s appearance and had a similar one made by a folk artist, which unexpectedly caught the emperor’s eye.

The three families didn’t believe this and tried to use underworld justice against the Wang family, but they were no match for them.

The Wang family presented the Nine Dragon Jade Chain to the court, receiving imperial protection. Before the three families could retaliate, the court accused them of grave robbing, raided their homes, killing the men and sending the women to brothels.

Her great-great-grandfather deeply regretted his momentary weakness in fostering such a wolf, leaving a legacy for his descendants to never befriend or marry into the Wang family.  Her great-grandfather died with regret.

The ungrateful Wang family prospered for a time, becoming wealthy during the late Qianlong period. But such treacherous people would always face retribution.

During the Opium War, the Wang family became addicted to opium, losing their fortune.  Later, during the Eight-Nation Alliance invasion, they became collaborators and were crippled by patriots.

But their luck held.  During the Eight-Nation Alliance’s looting of imperial gardens, they picked up many items, returning to their old profession during the War of Resistance, living surprisingly well.

Later, the state vigorously suppressed the landlord class, and the Wang family was severely punished, falling into decline for a long time.

Unexpectedly, after the reform and opening up, they revived and even obtained the position of honorary chairman in Beijing.

She would restore the painting for the state if needed, but she wouldn’t do it for Wang Yuanwu’s private collection.

“Please leave, I have to go back!”

Lin Moran quickly closed her shop door.

Her mind raced; how could she deal with this?

These ungrateful people needed to be nailed to the pillar of shame to stop them from acting up.

“Oof…”

A sack suddenly came over her head. Before Lin Moran could react, she was lifted into the air.

She sensed danger, and as she was about to scream, the back of her neck was struck, rendering her unconscious.

When she woke up, her neck ached. The sack was gone; she was lying in a small room.

Opening the door, she saw an antique courtyard with various old items bottles, jars, Yuan blue-and-white porcelain, Song Dynasty porcelain, bronze vessels, colorful beads, and jade.

Lin Moran coldly scanned the courtyard. Most of the items were fakes and imitations, mixed with a few genuine pieces.

“Comrade Lin, it wasn’t easy getting you here!”

A cold, chilling voice echoed in the courtyard. Lin Moran looked up and saw Wang Yuanwu walking towards her, hands behind his back.

“Chairman Wang is a respectable person, yet your methods are so underhanded.”

Lin Moran sneered.

“Comrade Lin, I had no choice. To invite you, we had to resort to extreme measures.”

“Inviting you isn’t to make things difficult, but to ask for your help, not for me, but for the country.”

Wang Yuanwu stated directly, “I’ve been upfront; that’s honest enough, isn’t it?”