My whole family is involved in diplomacy, so you dare to flex your muscles?

The background image of the Niuguo Museum weighed heavily on the hearts of all the representatives from non-Western countries, like a boulder.

Every exhibit there may be soaked in the blood and tears of their ancestors.

"The Destination of Civilization: Who Will Protect Human Heritage?"

Host Mark read out this topic, which was enough to ignite a global powder keg, in his dramatic tone.

As we all know, the treasures of human civilization, like brilliant stars, are scattered all over the world.

But war, poverty, and turmoil constantly threaten these fragile legacies.

This raises a question: should these heritages be preserved in stable, developed, and technologically advanced countries, or should they be returned to their homeland, even if those countries may still face risks?

Mark's rhetoric was very clever. He didn't directly say "robbery," but used the term "protective collection," instantly giving the actions of Western countries a warm and benevolent veil.

"Today, we will debate this central issue. First, let's welcome Mr. Charles, the 'defending champion' from the British Empire, to present his views!"

The spotlight shone on Charles.

Today he was wearing an exquisitely tailored tuxedo, with a silk scarf tucked into his breast pocket, and his golden hair was meticulously combed, making him look like an aristocrat straight out of Downton Abbey.

He stood up gracefully and bowed slightly to the entire room, as if he were not there for a debate but to attend a royal banquet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends," Charles began, his Oxford accent pure and pleasant, "today, we are not discussing a simple question of belonging, but a philosophical question concerning the future of all mankind."

"What is civilization? Civilization is fluid and shared; it should not be bound by narrow national borders."

Just as the Nile flows into the Mediterranean Sea, and just as the wisdom of ancient Greece illuminated all of Europe, the essence of human cultural heritage should belong to all humankind.

His opening remarks immediately set the tone for something very high.

"I acknowledge that our museum houses treasures from all over the world."

There are the Rosetta Stone from Egypt, sculptures from the Parthenon in Greece, and of course, porcelain and paintings from the distant East, specifically from China.

His candid admission surprised some of those who were prepared to see how he would try to justify himself.

"But we never consider this 'possession'," Charles said, his expression turning compassionate. "We see it as 'protection,' a heavy, inescapable responsibility!"

Imagine, many years ago, when a certain country was still in the midst of war and poverty, when warlords were fighting each other and the people were suffering, what would have been the fate of those exquisite porcelains and those fragile silk scrolls if they had been left there?

They are likely to be destroyed in war, sold off in turmoil, or even damaged by ignorant people as ordinary objects!

"It was our ancestors, those visionary explorers and scholars, who brought them back to London."

There, we provided them with temperature- and humidity-controlled display cases, top-of-the-line security systems, and the world's best scholars to study and restore them!

"We have spared them from war and from being covered in dust! We have allowed millions of tourists from all over the world every year, regardless of their country of origin or whether they are rich or poor, to see these crystallizations of human civilization with their own eyes! Isn't what we are doing a truly meritorious deed?"

Charles spread his hands, his expression utterly sincere.

"Therefore, my point is: who can better protect it, who can make it play a greater role?"

Who is its best home?

Who is its true guardian!

After he finished speaking, the audience burst into enthusiastic applause.

It was mainly the representatives of the Western camp and the audience who were applauding.

They thought Charles's words were so beautifully spoken, practically flawless.

They twisted their robbery into a charitable act.

Scott looked at Gu Yun smugly, his eyes conveying a clear message: See? This is the art of debate! In your Chinese parlance, this is called "killing someone by attacking their spirit"!

The live stream room in China was already filled with curses.

I have never seen such a shameless person! How could he have the nerve to say such a thing?

[Robber logic! Utter robber logic! They stole our things and then claimed they were keeping them safe for us? And we're expected to thank them?]

I'm so angry I could explode! What kind of explorers are they? They're just robbers and thieves!

[Brother Gu, stop holding back! Let's get him! Let's drown this hypocritical American bastard in our spittle!]

[This Charles is even more disgusting than Scott. Scott is a true scoundrel; he's a hypocrite! These kinds of people are the hardest to deal with because they always stand on the moral high ground.]

[Won't Brother Gu fall for this fallacy of logic?]

Gu Yun listened quietly, a familiar faint smile still on her lips.

He is waiting.

Wait until the opponent has played all their cards.

Sure enough, after Charles finished speaking, the consultant behind him, a top American lawyer wearing a wig, cleared his throat and added:

"Mr. Charles's view is not only morally sound, but also in accordance with current international law."

As soon as he opened his mouth, he brought the issue to the legal level.

"According to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, its retroactive effect is limited. The Convention does not apply to transfers of cultural property that occurred before the Convention came into effect, that is, before 1970."

"In other words, the ownership of those collections that entered the British Museum more than a hundred years ago has, legally speaking, changed hands and is now a fait accompli, protected by history and law. Any unilateral pursuit of these items would be a challenge to the existing international order."

The lawyer's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over the heads of all the indignant audience.

It turns out they even had the law ready.

A "law" specifically designed to exonerate robbery.

Professor Richard twirled his non-existent beard and slowly began to add fuel to the fire for his side: "Besides the law, we also need to consider the issue of 'cultural adaptability'."

When an artifact is separated from its original environment for too long, it develops intricate connections with its new environment.

Take the Rosetta Stone, for example. Deciphered in London, it has inspired a vast amount of research, becoming a cornerstone of Western Egyptology. To remove it rashly would be tantamount to severing the roots of an entire discipline. This would be a tremendous blow to scholarship.

Good guy!

One talks about morality, one about law, and one about academia.

Three people, from three different perspectives, constructed a perfect logical loop.

They have completely rationalized, legalized, and even sanctified "robbery."

Now, all the pressure is on Gu Yun.

How will he break through this seemingly unbreakable iron cage woven from lies and power?

Under the watchful eyes of the entire world, Gu Yun did not stand up.

I simply leaned back in my chair and adjusted to a comfortable position.

Then, he picked up the microphone and spoke his first words.

"Are you done talking?"

he asks.

The tone was so calm, as if asking, "Have you eaten?"