Qi Tongwei: Sign-in relationship started during student days

Chapter 968 Tian Fengyi's Trouble

Just then, the phone rang.

Tian Fengyi shuddered like a startled bird, picked up the phone and asked, "Who is it?"

“Mr. Mayor, it’s me, Raymond.”

Tian Fengyi felt a chill run down his spine. "Mr. Raymond, what is it?"

"I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

Raymond's tone was cold, which made Tian Fengyi shiver involuntarily.

"Wh...when?"

"Now."

"Now!" Tian Fengyi felt uneasy and stammered, "Mr. Raymond, I have an important meeting and really can't leave."

Raymond said coldly, "Mr. Mayor, you need to understand that I am not discussing this with you."

Tian Fengyi dodged the question, saying, "Mr. Raymond, I really can't leave. Let's talk on the phone."

"Whether you come or not is up to you. I'm warning you, you'll bear the consequences." Raymond didn't press the matter, leaving with those words before hanging up.

Tian Fengyi slammed the phone on the table and began to curse loudly, denouncing the German's shamelessness.

If this were in Wenshan, he would definitely let the other party experience the methods of China's public security, procuratorate, and judiciary.

Suddenly, a few crisp knocks came from the door.

"Who is it?!" Tian Fengyi could barely contain his anger.

"It's me, Qi Tongwei."

Tian Fengyi panicked immediately, "Oh...oh, Tongwei, what's wrong?"

"I'd like to talk to you about something related to work."

Tian Fengyi was about to explode. Damn it, how did they all end up together like this!

"Tongwei, I'm not feeling well today and want to rest early. Can we talk about it tomorrow?"

"Are you feeling unwell? Should I call a doctor for you?"

"No, I just need to rest for a while."

"Comrade Fengyi, please open the door. I've heard some very unpleasant things recently, and as the leader of the Party group, I'd like to talk to you about it."

Once this reputation was established, Tian Fengyi had no choice but to accept it.

If we continue to resist, it will only arouse more suspicion, and it wouldn't look good if Qi Tongwei ordered someone to break down the door.

Besides, Qi Tongwei isn't one to suffer a loss easily; if you really let him take it seriously, you'll be the one who suffers in the end.

Tian Fengyi opened the door, let Qi Tongwei in, and quickly closed the door behind him.

"Feng Yi, what happened to the injury on your face?"

Tian Fengyi smiled awkwardly, "I fell by accident."

Qi Tongwei said with a stern face, "Comrade Feng Yi, I may be young, but I'm not stupid. Have you forgotten my background?"

"Officer! Do you think I can't tell if you've fallen and injured yourself?"

Seeing that he could no longer hide it, Tian Fengyi had no choice but to admit that he had been beaten.

"Who is it? How dare they be so audacious!"

Tian Fengyi said, "It was...it was a wealthy businessman who tried to take that antique from me. He lost, so...he had someone ambush me."

As a mayor, quick thinking and resourcefulness are fundamental skills.

"This is outrageous! Don't worry, I will definitely get justice for you. I will go to Mr. Ude tomorrow and ask him to investigate this matter thoroughly!"

Tian Fengyi sighed and said, "Tongwei, thank you, brother."

But this is a foreign land, and it's not something to be proud of. If things really escalate, I'll lose face. So let's just forget about it."

"You really won't pursue this?"

"Okay, let's not pursue it further."

"Alright then." Qi Tongwei nodded and sat down on the small sofa.

"Oh, Comrade Fengyi, there's something else. I heard you've been going around the regiment trying to borrow money? What's going on?"

Tian Fengyi explained, "I told you last time that I had my eye on an antique, but the buyer suddenly raised the price, and 15,000 yuan wasn't enough. Since the increase wasn't much, I didn't want to bother Shengtian Group anymore, so I borrowed some money from my colleagues."

"Don't worry, this is absolutely not soliciting a bribe. I'll definitely return it when I get back."

Qi Tongwei nodded. "I see." He then pointed to the injury on Tian Fengyi's face. "I'm not usually interested in antiques, but seeing you like this, I'm really curious. What treasure did you buy? Can I take a look?"

“Of course.” Tian Fengyi was prepared and took out a painting from his suitcase. “Come and take a look. This is a proper painting by Tang Yin, Tang Bohu, on appreciating flowers.”

Qi Tongwei took it, opened it, and took a look.

He doesn't have much expertise in appreciating antiques, and after looking at them for a long time, he still couldn't tell what era they were from or whether they were genuine.

However, he guessed that it was most likely not an authentic work.

This era coincided with the rise of antiques, which in turn led to a surge in counterfeiting.

Panjiayuan in Kyoto can now offer a huge collection of calligraphy and paintings, all aimed at swindling those who are planning to jump on the bandwagon and enter this industry, as well as foreigners visiting Kyoto.

If Tian Fengyi were in the country, it wouldn't be impossible for him to obtain an authentic copy by leveraging the other party's power.

Abroad, he didn't believe that a professor from an unrelated field could find such a bargain.

"So this is Tang Yin's painting. This is the first time I've ever seen one. It's a pity I'm a rough man. I'm good at talking about politics and law and catching bad guys, but I'm not very good at appreciating masterpieces like this. You professors know so much more."

He paused, then said with great sorrow, "I don't know either. So many of our ancestors' treasures have ended up overseas."

Tian Fengyi chimed in, "Yes, all things considered, I've made a contribution to the country. I'll bring back whatever I can."

Qi Tongwei pretended to be enlightened, "Hey, Comrade Feng Yi, you're so insightful! How come I didn't think of that?"

Don't you often say we don't have many activities? I think this is a very meaningful activity.

We've just finished our work these past few days and are about to leave. How about this: we make a plan and encourage everyone to learn from you and organize an event to visit a local private museum?

If it's suitable, everyone should buy two pieces, and I'll buy a few to take back and donate to our Beishan Museum.

Tian Fengyi: "..."

Can he say that he bought it from a counterfeit store run by Chinese people?

"Um, Comrade Tongwei, this... I just saw it at an old man's stall on the street. I got a bargain. It wasn't bought from some private museum."

Besides, this thing is quite expensive, and not many people can afford it. I'm afraid I'll just be wasting everyone's time.

Qi Tongwei said, "How can you call it a waste of time? Don't forget, ideology is also an important part of our work."

Whether we buy anything or not is secondary; the most important thing is to let everyone know what our country suffered in the past and what we should do today.

The lessons of history are painful, and we should keep them in mind and forge ahead!

As for private museums, I believe that since you can find such a painting by Tang Yin, you can certainly find several private museums with rich collections.

"Alright, it's settled then." Qi Tongwei returned the painting to Tian Fengyi, patted the sofa armrest, and stood up. "Since you're injured, I won't bother you anymore. You should get some rest." He then pointed to the other's face. "Tomorrow, you should plan things out in your room and take care of your injury, okay?"