Chapter 248 Should I Donate Some More Money?

Words : 1033 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

``` "That's..." Zhang Menglong said somewhat embarrassedly, "I came back in such a hurry that all the things were piled up together without labels, and I don't know which ones are from Huaxia." "No problem, let's just treat it like opening a blind box!" Chen Xin recovered from his astonishment, and the prospect of unlocking the crates of cultural relics was far more thrilling than any blind box. He couldn't wait to find out what surprises Zhang Menglong had brought him. The first box contained a long, golden staff, almost entirely cast from gold, with a large red diamond embedded at its top. Enigmatic script was etched along its length, and the staff was a little over one meter long, quite substantial in weight. "This! This seems to be..." As if he had discovered a new continent, Professor Chen Xin almost excitedly reached out for the golden staff, but his professional instincts immediately reined him in. With meticulous care, he pulled out a pair of gloves and a magnifying glass from his pocket and began to examine it closely. "This seems to be the Scepter of an Egyptian Pharaoh!" Zhang Menglong could feel Chen Xin fiercely suppressing his excitement. In ancient Egypt, the scepter was a symbol of status and power. Whether it was the scepter of a king or a god, it represented supreme dignity and authority, but the most precious of all was the "Pharaoh's Scepter." The Egyptians believed it to be a divine relic bestowed upon humans. However, the Pharaoh's Scepter had been lost for many years, and despite the discovery of numerous pyramids and Pharaohs' tombs by Egyptologists, the scepter's whereabouts had never been traced. As one of the four great ancient civilizations alongside Huaxia, the value of this scepter was no less than that of the Imperial Jade Seal, both holding a similar stature in history. "Yes, Professor Chen, this is the Pharaoh's Scepter," said Zhang Menglong, "In fact, before the Pharaoh's pyramid was excavated, tomb raiders had already entered the burial chamber and stolen a batch of treasures, including this scepter." "According to legend, the Pharaoh's curse left within his pyramid struck the tomb raiders not long after they fled, leading to their untimely deaths, and the Scepter of the Pharaoh subsequently vanished without a trace," these details were narrated to Zhang Menglong by Emma. "It's amazing, a treasure lost for a thousand years has reappeared today," exclaimed Professor Chen, unable to contain his admiration. "I can't believe someone managed to find it. What's the auction estimate, a stratospheric figure?" "Not expensive, just 1.2 billion euros." "1.2 billion..." Both elderly professors nearly coughed up blood. 1.2 billion euros, not expensive? Who talks like that? The first "blind box" gave Chen Xin an incredible surprise, and it made him even more eager about the contents of the other crates. "This is... a Crystal Skull of the Mayans!" Chen Xin exclaimed. The Mayan Civilization is one of the world's most mysterious civilizations. Although not one of the four great civilizations, the jungle civilization had long achieved great accomplishments in astronomy, mathematics, and other fields during the Neolithic Age. "Professor Chen, what do you mean? These were just small efforts," Zhang Menglong replied hastily, "I originally went to the auction just to broaden my horizons, and it just so happened that I saw these items and bought them on a whim. You don't need to be so formal!" "Bought them on a whim?" Chen Xin was amused by Zhang Menglong's words. Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire Any one of these items, if taken out, would be worth over a billion, and just the combined value of these Huaxia relics probably amounted to dozens of billion Euros. Is that what you call buying on a whim? "Menglong, how many items were sold at that auction?" Professor Han asked curiously, since Zhang Menglong brought back more than eighty treasures by himself, the total must be quite staggering, right? "A hundred and something, I guess," Zhang Menglong said, "I just bought whichever items looked nice, seemed practical, or had some significance." "Are you sure that you went to attend an auction?" Chen Xin and Han Jinyu exchanged glances. Not to mention that Zhang Menglong purchased nearly ninety items out of a hundred something by himself, this was an auction where everyone was well-prepared, specifically targeting certain auctioned items. And for Zhang Menglong, it seemed he just bought whatever caught his eye, like shopping at a market. Even at a market, people can haggle over prices, could he haggle at an auction too? "Menglong, why do I feel like your trip abroad wasn't so much to attend an auction as it was to go grocery shopping? You just bought whatever you saw." Han Jinyu said, exasperated. Zhang Menglong pondered for a moment and then nodded, "Actually, it's quite similar to grocery shopping." ... Zhang Menglong called a few of the household servants to tidy up these things, and then carefully repackaged the eight relics belonging to Huaxia and set them aside. "Menglong, I will report this to the National Cultural Relics Bureau as soon as possible," Chen Xin said, "However, these items are quite substantial and require a very special venue, and I'm afraid the Historical Cultural Museum in Jiangnan City might not have the space to store them. I may need to apply to have them sent to the museum in the capital." "Ah? Sent to the capital?" Zhang Menglong was somewhat reluctant. Although there was no difference, as it was still within Huaxia, these items were, after all, procured by himself, and he would prefer them to stay in Jiangnan City. Actually, Chen Xin very much hoped that these items could stay in Jiangnan City too, but if that were to really happen, it would mean petitioning for funding to expand the venue, which wasn't an easy matter. Chen Xin shared the difficulties with Zhang Menglong. Zhang Menglong smiled slightly, "So it's just a matter of funding, is it? How about I make another donation?" ...

Chapter 248 Should I Donate Some More Money?

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