Unlimited Black Cards! A Mysterious and Wealthy Young Lady!

Jiang Wenxi took her seat first, her posture upright like bamboo, her back straight, her expression calm and composed, showing no stage fright whatsoever, and her aura was in no way inferior to the two people opposite her.

She slowly raised her hand, gesturing for the embassy staff beside her to show the certificate of ownership of the cultural relic. The paper was gently placed on the table, making a soft but clear sound.

She then calmly looked at the two people opposite her, her tone solemn and earnest, her voice clear and strong, clearly stating her identity and purpose: "I am Jiang Wenxi, the public welfare ambassador for the protection of cultural relics in Shanghai. I have been officially entrusted by the Embassy for the Protection of Cultural Relics to come here specifically to communicate with you about a batch of cultural relics that have been lost overseas."

"The documents on the table detail the ownership and historical provenance of the Tang and Song dynasty artifacts that will appear at this auction. Each artifact is a national treasure lost during the turbulent modern period of China, carrying thousands of years of Chinese history and culture, and bearing the imprint of Chinese civilization. They are an inseparable part of the Chinese nation and cultural treasures that we must recover."

She paused, then gestured for the appraiser beside her to produce the prepared cultural relic information and archaeological reports. She lightly touched the images of the artifacts in the documents and continued, "These materials contain detailed historical records, authoritative archaeological appraisal reports, and clear explanations of the circumstances of their loss. Everything is verifiable and based on evidence. We know that these artifacts have passed through the hands of many collectors and weathered many storms. Perhaps you did not possess them maliciously, but as the country of origin of these artifacts, we have an unshirkable responsibility to protect them and an absolute right to reclaim our national treasures."

"On behalf of the Chinese Embassy for the Protection of Cultural Relics, I formally request that you agree to return these cultural relics to China free of charge or at a low price in a reasonable manner. If you are willing to cooperate, we will issue you an official letter of appreciation, which will be recorded in the annals of cultural relic protection. At the same time, we will provide you with appropriate and reasonable compensation in accordance with international regulations, in order to thank you for your understanding and support of cultural relic protection work, and also for your assistance in the inheritance of Chinese culture."

As soon as he finished speaking, the meeting room fell into a brief silence, with only the ticking of the wall clock, clear and slow, amplifying the tension in the air.

The head of the Cohen Auction House slowly raised his hand, picked up the silver teacup on the table, took a small sip, his eyes flickered with hesitation, and his fingers unconsciously rubbed the rim of the cup, clearly weighing the pros and cons.

On one hand, there was the demand from the Chinese embassy; on the other hand, there was the reputation and interests of the auction house. It was a difficult choice.

The representative of the consignor finally slowly raised his eyes. His gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses was cold and sharp, and a mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth. He spoke slowly, his tone firm and unyielding, each word clearly reaching everyone's ears: "Ambassador Jiang, although that is true, in the international art market, 'whoever holds it owns it' is an unspoken ironclad rule."

"These cultural relics were acquired one by one through legal channels at great expense by my commissioner. Every transaction has a complete record and notarization, and fully complies with relevant international regulations. They have nothing to do with the 'loss' you mentioned. As for the ownership you mentioned, the moment my commissioner completed the acquisition and obtained all the legal documents, they no longer belonged to China."

He raised his hand and lightly tapped the ownership certificate on the table with his fingertip. His tone carried an undisguised disdain, even a hint of provocation: "This certificate can only prove that these cultural relics originated in China, can only prove their 'origin,' but it cannot deny my client's current legal ownership, much less become a reason for you to forcibly demand them."

"It is absolutely impossible to recover them for free or at a low price, and my client will not agree to it. Moreover, these cultural relics have already been confirmed to be auctioned at this auction, and have already attracted the attention of many top collectors around the world, including members of royalty and billionaires. My client will not give up the huge profits that are within easy reach just because of your request, nor will he allow himself to suffer losses."

Jiang Wenxi's expression remained unchanged, calm and composed, without a trace of emotion in her eyes. She looked calmly at the middle-aged man, her tone firm and powerful, carrying an undeniable aura, as she slowly retorted: "Sir, the so-called 'whoever holds it, owns it' cannot supersede the sovereignty of the country of origin of the cultural relic, nor can it cover up the historical fact of the loss of cultural relics, nor can it violate the core principles of international conventions on the protection of cultural relics."

"These cultural relics were illegally looted and sold overseas due to the wars and turmoil in modern China. They did not leave through legal export channels. According to the Convention on the Repatriation of Cultural Relics, the country of origin has the absolute right to recover lost cultural relics. Any illegal acquisition, possession, or resale of lost cultural relics is not recognized by the international community and is not in line with the spirit of humanitarianism."

"As for the legal transaction records you mentioned," Jiang Wenxi raised an eyebrow slightly, a sharp glint in her eyes. She gestured for the appraiser to take out a thick document and gently placed it on the table. The sound of the stacked papers was particularly clear in the quiet meeting room.

"This document contains the evidence of the initial loss of these cultural relics, which we found through extensive investigation and cross-border evidence collection. It also shows the transaction history of several collectors over the past century. Many of these transactions did not comply with international regulations on the trade of cultural relics and showed obvious signs of illegal resale and black market transactions. Some of the transactions even involved smuggling crimes."

"If we submit this evidence to international cultural heritage organizations and relevant law enforcement agencies in Switzerland, you will likely face huge fines, the auction house's reputation will be severely damaged, and the collector will probably face legal sanctions. This would not benefit either of us."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man's expression finally changed noticeably. A sinister glint flashed across his cold face, his eyes grew increasingly sharp, as if tempered with ice, and his tone became increasingly forceful, even carrying a hint of anger: "Ambassador Jiang, are you threatening us? Let me be frank, these cultural relics will either be auctioned off and fall into the hands of the highest bidder, or I will entrust someone to continue collecting them and passing them down through generations. There is absolutely no way you can force us to return them through threats or pressure! Moreover, you should all be aware of the security and transaction procedures of the Cohen Auction House, which are comparable to an international summit. Trying to stop the auction or forcibly recover them is futile and will only make you look foolish."

The head of the Cohen Auction House also spoke up at the opportune moment, his tone tinged with helplessness but also with an undeniable insistence: "Ambassador Jiang, we are very sorry, but our auction house was only entrusted by the client to conduct this auction in accordance with the law. All procedures strictly followed international regulations and local Swiss laws, and were open, fair and just."