Chapter 404 – Making a scene
Before noon.
Tokyo National Museum, Asian Gallery.
To avoid suspicions and being recorded by the CCTV for too long, Dong Xuebing took a short glance at the Tianlong Sandstone Buddha statue and move on to other artifacts on display. After that, he made his way to the entrance while remembering the shortest route out of the museum.
Ok!
Everything is ready.
Just when Dong Xuebing was about to go and have lunch and think about the minor details of his plan, he heard a commotion. Someone is shouting in j.a.panese, and a middle-aged man is pointing his camera at that Buddha statue. A Museum staff had gone up to stop him from taking pictures, and they started arguing.
Huh? What’s going on?
Dong Xuebing paused and watched from a distance.
Li Li shouted. “Where is the museum’s Curator? I want to speak to him! This is our country’s cultural relic! It was smuggled out of China! Who gave you all the rights to display it?!”
The j.a.panese staff coldly replied. “Who are you to question us? How dare you come and create trouble here?”
Li Li took out an ID and flashed it. “I am Xin Hua News Agency’s reporter! I want to speak to your Curator!”
Although Dong Xuebing cannot understand what they are saying, he understood what was going on when he saw the reporter’s ID. This reporter is sent by Xie Jing!
The museum staff shouted angrily. “Are you all mad? Since yesterday, you all had been creating a scene here! The emba.s.sy staff and Xin Hua News Agency, and you all are back again today?! Our Curator had said this Buddha Statue is donated to us by a j.a.panese! It is legal! Smuggled out of China?! It’s all your words! Get lost! Our Curator is not accepting any interviews!”
This commotion had attracted a crowd.
After a while, a middle-aged man in a suit and a group of security guards walks over. He is the Museum’s Curator, Tojo s.h.i.+nji. He overheard his staff shouting, and stopped him, and asked him to step aside. He is very concerned about this statue, as he received lots of calls yesterday regarding it. Xin Hua News Agency and China’s Emba.s.sy had sent many people over to meet him. This concerns the diplomatic relations between both nations.
Li Li saw the Curator and immediately question him. “Mr. Tojo, I am a reporter with Xin Hua News Agency. I demand an explanation on why this smuggled Buddha statue is displayed in your museum!” He took out a recording pen and started recording.
The museum staff cleared an area for them, and Dong Xuebing remained in the crowd to watch them.
Tojo s.h.i.+nji smiled. “I had answered this question to Xin Hua News Agency yesterday. This relic is donated by a j.a.panese and has all the paperwork and had shown them to your Emba.s.sy staff. As for why are we displaying it? Haha… This is our Museum’s property, why can’t we display it? Do we need to seek permission to display it?”
Li Li frowned. “From what I know, this Buddha statue is a stolen property! It is…”
Tojo s.h.i.+nji interrupted. “I don’t know about this, and it is not within my power to question this. You can check with other departments, but for our side, we got all the legal doc.u.ments.”
Li Li retorted. “This donation is not legal in the first place! The doc.u.ments are also…”
“You should go to other departments as this is not part of our Museum’s procedures.” Tojo s.h.i.+nji started to push the responsibility to others.
“If it’s not your museum, which department is responsible for it?!”
Tojo s.h.i.+nji did not reply and walks away.
Many of the visitors in the Asian Gallery are Chinese overseas students and tourists. Many of them understand j.a.panese. When they heard this statue was smuggled to j.a.pan from China, and the Museum refused to return it, some Chinese youth started scolding!
“b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! These j.a.panese dogs!”
“You all had stolen this relic and yet refuse to return it?! What upbring do you all have? Ah?!”
The security guards immediately went over to those scolding visitors and point to the exit while shouting at them.
An old Chinese woman pointed at Tojo s.h.i.+nji and cursed him!
The few security guards immediately grabbed the few Chinese youths and an older woman by their arms. They were about to ‘invite’ them out!
Tojo s.h.i.+nji ignored them and went upstairs with a few staff. Although this matter is sensitive, it is also a small issue. Many Chinese relics had been smuggled to j.a.pan these few years, but how many of them were returned? Although he did not say this in front of the reporter, he knew that it belongs to j.a.pan once the relic entered j.a.pan. How can it be returned?! Even if he agrees to return it, the higher-ups will not agree. He knows the Chinese will use the media to pressure him, but people will soon forget it. That’s why this statue will not be returned, and there’s nothing China can do about it.
It was chaotic.
Dong Xuebing saw a man that looks Chinese and asked. “Bro, sorry to disturb you.”
That young man looks at Dong Xuebing. “What is it?” He replied with a Shandong accent.
“You are from Shandong? Can you tell me what they were saying earlier?”
The young man looked at him and told him about the reporter and the Museum Curator’s conversation.
Dong Xuebing took a deep breath and nodded. Although he knows the Museum will be firm, seeing it with his own eyes felt different. He has a bad temper and is about to blow up after knowing the Museum’s stand. Fine! You all are asking for it! If I don’t make you all suffer, I will change my surname! F**k!
Dong Xuebing had wanted to steal the Buddha statue back, but he changed his mind now!
I shall teach you all a lesson this time!
Dong Xuebing saw the Chinese Old lady being carried away by the security guards forcefully, and he rushed forward. “F**k off!”
The two Museum Security guards look at Dong Xuebing coldly.
Dong Xuebing shouted. “Stop staring! Do you all want to be knocked out?!” He pushes the guards’ arms around the old lady away!
The Museum also don’t want to have any conflicts with their visitors, and the person-in-charge mumbled something to the guards, and they let go of the old lady. They said some threats and warnings in j.a.panese to Dong Xuebing and stepped aside.
The old lady is furious.
Dong Xuebing helped the old lady up. “Are you ok?”
“I’m fine. Thank you.” The old lady is panting. “These j.a.panese are too much! That Buddha statue is a second-tier cultural relic! It has high historical value!” The old lady is a Buddhist, and that’s why she is so agitated. She does not want her country’s treasure to fall into the hands of the j.a.panese. If it is during wartimes, it might be fine, but the war had ended for so long, and it’s peacetime now. How can they… The old lady is furious!
Dong Xuebing took one last look at the Buddha statue in the corner before helping the old lady out.
When they are out of the Museum, the old lady thanked Dong Xuebing again before returning to her tour group.
Other Chinese tourists and overseas students also made their way out of the Museum. After knowing what happened, they had no mood to tour the Museum.
Ring… ring… ring… Dong Xuebing’s phone rang.
Dong Xuebing reached for his phone. It’s Xie Huilan.
“Xiao Bing, where are you? Why is it so hard to call you?”
“Oh, I am busy outside. How’s your mother?”
Xie Huilan calmly replied. “She was discharged this morning and is fine now. We had just returned to the City Party Committee Family Quarters, and Xiao Hao and Xiao Jing are here. I am calling to let you know she is discharged, and you don’t need to return to the hospital later. Also, my Mum’s birthday… she insists on celebrating this evening, and we can’t stop her. If you are back, just come over.”
Dong Xuebing acknowledged. “Alright. I will try to return earlier.”
“Everyone in the family will be here. Try to be earlier, ok?”
“Ok.”
After hanging up, Dong Xuebing looks at his watch and knows he doesn’t have much time. He made a call to Beijing State Security Western District Bureau’s Sixth Division Deputy Chief Old Qian. “h.e.l.lo, Old Qian. It’s me. Can I trouble you to let Chief Xu know that I want to take the 2 pm flight back to Beijing? Help me amend my ticket. If it is not possible, help me use my ID to book an electronic ticket. It is inconvenient for me to book the ticket here as I can’t speak j.a.panese.”
Old Qian is surprised. “So early?”
“Yes. My task is almost done.”
“Alright. I will let Chief xu know. Once we got the tickets, I will call you again to let you know the flight details.”
“Ok. Thank you.”
After keeping his phone, Dong Xuebing took a taxi to his hotel to check out before getting lunch at a nearby restaurant. He looks at his watch. It’s 12 pm. Taking the check-in, boarding, and traveling time, he has less than an hour. After settling the bill, Dong Xuebing looks at the National Museum in the distance. He replayed his plan in his head and started walking towards the Museum.
It is not propriety not to give out but to receive, or vice versa!
Dong Xuebing is going to create havoc at the Museum!