Chapter 1979

Chapter 1979

“Why did Professor Chu say that?” Dong Xuebing didn’t understand.

“He probably wanted to help you guys,” Mr. Mu replied.

Dong Xuebing worriedly asked, “But what if we find out later that the main tomb isn’t in our county? What then, if Professor Chu’s analysis is off?”

Professor Meng laughed, “If the tomb belongs to you guys, then the decision is made. Where the main tomb is located doesn’t matter. The final management and protection will still be under your county. The situation can’t just suddenly switch hands. And as for Professor Chu, there’s no need to worry. Archaeology is full of uncertainties. Professor Chu might have analyzed incorrectly if the main tomb isn’t in your county’s direction. No one can argue about that.”

Meanwhile, on the other side…

Professor Chu’s explanation made Yang Gang uncomfortable. He interjected, “It might not necessarily be towards Jiaolin County. The main tomb could be anywhere if it’s a secondary burial.”

Professor Chu directly countered, “Do you know more than me?”

Yang Gang: “…” He was quite disheartened but didn’t know what to say.

Of course, Professor Chu was a leading figure in archaeology. Who would dare to say he didn’t understand? No one dared to argue. If Professor Chu didn’t understand, there weren’t many experts in the country who did.

Professor Chu continued, “I’ve also led many tomb surveys over the years. For example 1995, a large tomb group spanned two cities’ borders. Essentially, there were tombs belonging to the same overall burial structure on both sides of the city boundaries. Ultimately, the tombs were allocated to the counties and cities where the main tombs were located for management and protection. This precedent exists.”

Mayor Qian nodded in agreement.

The provincial cultural department officials also listened intently; they had heard of such cases in history.

Professor Chu glanced at them, “So, I think it would be more appropriate for Jiaolin County to take over the management and protection of this tomb. Besides, that Han Dynasty bronze mirror, the first artifact discovered, was found by the local folks in Jiaolin County, drawing the immediate attention of Jiaolin County leaders, who then reported it. Otherwise, if those tomb robbers saw the news and decided to come and dig, the national loss would be immense, almost unbearable for the archaeological community. In this regard, Secretary Dong County’s management has been almost flawless. He quickly issued a protective order. They are extremely focused on historical culture. Therefore, by all considerations, both in terms of justice and practicality, the ownership of the tomb should be with Jiaolin County.” Saying this, Professor Chu added, “Of course, I’m just offering an academic suggestion.”

And he suggests that?

Is this a suggestion?

The subtext in his words was clear—”If this tomb isn’t assigned to Jiaolin County, it’s a disrespect to archaeology and historical culture.”

The people from Yanbei County looked depressed.

Professor Chu had already walked away.

Mayor Qian thought momentarily and called a few more City leaders together for another round of discussions, fully considering everyone’s opinions before making a final decision.

“What do you think?” Mayor Qian asked.

“Professor Chu makes sense,” a city official said.

“But it’s not necessarily true. What if the main tomb isn’t in Jiaolin County’s direction?”

“Impossible, Professor Chu is an authority in archaeology; he wouldn’t just speak without reason.”

“But if the tomb is under Jiaolin County’s jurisdiction, everyone knows the county Secretary’s work style. I’m worried it might cause problems. This tomb is very significant to our city. Experts have said it’s likely one of the biggest archaeological discoveries in recent years and is a top priority. It would be safer in Yanbei County. Old Yang’s work ability and style are mature and steady; giving it to him is more reassuring than Dong Xuebing.”

He said one sentence, and everyone agreed.

Several city leaders voiced their opinions. Many didn’t have a good impression of the “disobedient” Jiaolin County.

However, there were also supporters of Jiaolin County. After all, Professor Chu was too authoritative, and such cases had historical precedents, making it hard for anyone to argue.

Provincial Cultural Department head, Siao Dongnan, didn’t offer any further opinions but continued to take notes with his department staff on-site. Ultimately, how things were handled was up to Baohong City to decide; he couldn’t intervene. Besides, he had already expressed his opinion earlier, advocating for the tomb to belong to Yanbei County.

This wasn’t a big deal for the city, unlike the disputes over tomb ownership in 1995, which involved two cities. This time, it was about two counties within Baohong City’s jurisdiction. No matter what, the tomb would still be theirs. They weren’t worried about it getting away. But even if the city didn’t care, they needed to settle the tomb’s ownership quickly because the archaeological team was about to arrive with their machinery, equipment, and personnel. The military and police might even be stationed to protect it. If everything went smoothly, the tomb would soon become a nationwide sensation through the media. Deciding on the tomb’s ownership early was crucial to avoid prolonged disputes, which would severely affect work efficiency. Letting Jiaolin and Yanbei counties fight it out over the tomb’s ownership would also harm Baohong City’s reputation and leave them open to ridicule. Especially with Jiaolin County’s county commissioner, Dong Xuebing, being a notorious troublemaker, not settling this matter quickly could result in all sorts of issues. He was like a plague, never a reliable figure.

Meanwhile, on the other side…

“Professor Chu,” Dong Xuebing hastily said, “Thank you.”

Returning, Professor Chu waved his hand, “Why are you thanking me?”

Dong Xuebing replied gratefully, “I heard from Mr. Mu and Mr. Meng that your words just now were a big help to us. Otherwise, the city might not even need to deliberate; they would have directly assigned the tomb to Yanbei County.” Although it’s uncertain what the result will be now, there is still a lot of hope.

The four of them talked in private, away from others’ ears.

Professor Chu smiled, “I wasn’t helping you. I’m just worried about the excavation work on the tomb. If those people from Yanbei County get involved, they’ll smash and grab; the work would be too rough. If the tomb is given under their jurisdiction, I wouldn’t feel reassured, let alone anyone else.” Then he looked at Dong Xuebing, “I feel reassured giving the tomb to your county.”

Dong Xuebing hesitated, “You trust us that much?”

Professor Chu replied, “Not trust you guys, just trust you.”

Dong Xuebing: “Uh…”

“They just met for the first time. Is trust or distrust based on knowing Mr. Mu personally? That shouldn’t be it.”

Dong Xuebing was puzzled, but Professor Chu provided the answer. He said, “Was it you who gave that national treasure from Japan to Mr. Mu back then?”

Dong Xuebing sweated and looked at Mr. Mu.

Mr. Mu was also taken aback, “I never said anything like that, Professor Chu. Where did you hear that?”

Professor Chu replied, “I guessed. Back then, I asked you for a long time. You said a young person gave it to you, but you didn’t say who. When I saw Xiao Dong later, I knew it had to be him. A young person with such capability—not many like that in our country. It wasn’t hard to guess.”

Mr. Meng gaped, “You brought back that national treasure from Japan, and those few artifacts that were lost domestically—that was you who stole them?”

Dong Xuebing stuttered, “Uh…”

Mr. Meng said, “So you’re admitting it. Back then, that was quite a scandal. We all discussed how a god-like person could easily get in and out of such a well-guarded national museum, especially in broad daylight, with alarms ringing and airports blocking. How did you manage that?”

Mr. Mu reminded, “Shh, keep it down.”

Dong Xuebing sighed, “Just did it like that. You guys can’t talk about this outside; few people know about it. Otherwise, I’ll be in trouble.”

Mr. Meng said, “Don’t worry, we don’t know anything about it. At our age, we have a good grasp on our words.”

Mr. Mu said, “So you’re calling me loose-lipped? At that time, I didn’t tell Professor Chu anything. I only mentioned it was a young person; I didn’t expect Xiao Dong to have dealings with us.”

Dong Xuebing said, “It’s okay, Mr. Mu. It’s not a secret; just don’t let the public know.”

Professor Chu laughed cheerfully, “That’s why, someone with the guts to pull off such a thing, I naturally trust them. I’ve always believed that what matters most in archaeology work isn’t culture, quality, or skill; it’s patriotism. If someone doesn’t love their country, what can they care about artifacts, history, or our nation’s thousands-of-years-old culture?”

Dong Xuebing deeply agreed, “Haha, you said it perfectly.”

At that moment, it seemed the city officials had decided as they all turned around.

People from Jiaolin County all turned their attention, as did those from Yanbei County, eagerly waiting for the city to announce.

Mr. Qian Li-tao looked at the two counties with seriousness: “After our discussion and considering the archaeologists’ opinions, this Han Dynasty tomb complex will now be managed by Jiaolin County. Secretary Dong and Mayor Zhang said that future tomb protection, excavation of artifacts, and accommodating archaeological teams should be done under the city’s supervision. Don’t neglect it; if anyone fails, they’ll be held personally responsible.”

Dong Xuebing happily replied, “Understood.”

Mayor Zhang was equally excited, “Yes, Secretary Qian. We guarantee we’ll complete the task.”

Yuan Gang and the leaders from Yanbei County wanted to say something, “Secretary Qian, we—”

“That’s it,” Mr. Qian Li-tao said, cutting them off and waving his hand. Everyone else, get back to work. Mr. Yuan, take your people back to your county.”

Finally secured it.

What a twist.

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