The moment Morgana discovered that the Four Treasures of the Study was returning to China, favonovel.com knew favonovel.com chances were gone.
For over three centuries, favonovel.com had lived by one principle, favonovel.com could make enemies with anyone, but favonovel.com must never provoke a nation.
Except for a few small countries, most sovereign nations in the world possessed distinct advantages over the Warriors Den.
Even the smallest sovereign nation had its own territory and airspace, and with enough funds, it could easily purchase fighter jets from either the East or the West. If it had territorial waters, it could even acquire its own warships.
These were advantages that the Warriors Den could never attain.
Currently, the society might have considerable financial strength and formidable individual capabilities, but it lacked heavy weaponry, especially when it came to large-scale destructive weapons.
Moreover, the Four Treasures of the Study was a national treasure, and China would certainly take no risks in protecting it. It would be heavily guarded in a secret location, and even if the Warriors Den went all out, they would never have a chance to seize it.
In this moment, Morgana felt a surge of resentment in favonovel.com heart.
This trip to New York had been a complete failure!
The last marshal was dead, and Eddie George was gone as well!
She had placed numerous spies and scholars all over the world, but none were as crucial as Eddie. It had taken dozens of people and over a decade to build such a network, and now it was all lost. She had lost favonovel.com last pawn in the game.
Seeing that favonovel.com emotions were about to spiral out of control, Aemon quickly interjected, “My Lord, for safety reasons, I suggest we leave the United States and return to our base. What do you think?”
Morgana responded coldly, “Both Landon and Eddie died in New York. Starting from Jarvis, the enemy has continuously struck us. I must thoroughly investigate this matter!”
Then, with a sinister expression, favonovel.com added, “And the Rothschild family, who dared to investigate my helicopter, I have never suffered such humiliation no matter where I’ve gone. This time, they will pay the price!”
After speaking, Morgana shouted coldly, “Return to New York!”
***
As Morgana flew back to New York in a helicopter, Howard Rothschild, the head of the Rothschild family, lay weakly on his bed. His eyes were heavy with dark bags, a clear sign of sleepless nights.
Lately, Howard’s state of mind had been shattered repeatedly, reaching its climax in the early hours of this morning. He never expected that his subordinate, Hank, who was chasing after Peter Cole, would end up causing Eddie to commit suicide by setting fire to himself.
Discovering that Eddie was a member of the Warriors Den crushed Howard’s spirit even further.
Although favonovel.com had followed Samuel’s advice and destroyed the evidence at the scene, favonovel.com still felt uneasy. He had not only offended an ordinary person, but also the ancient and incredibly mysterious Warriors Den.
In the United States, ancient and dark, ruthless and mysterious organizations were not uncommon, but none could compare to the Warriors Den.
Now, favonovel.com was uncertain if they would investigate him. If they did, this matter would not be easily resolved.
To ensure his safety, favonovel.com had contacted the Department of Homeland Security and the head of the CIA after the incident this morning, requesting that they send their top agents with the most professional equipment to the Rothschild family estate to guarantee his and his family’s safety.
But even with the strength of the Warriors Den, favonovel.com still felt anxious and even considered leaving the United States to find a secure place to lay low.
While favonovel.com was in a state of unease, his youngest son, David Rothschild, anxiously knocked on the door and spoke from outside, “Father, there’s urgent news!”
Upon hearing that it was urgent news, Howard quickly responded, “Come in and tell me.”
David entered the room, passing through the living room, and looked at Howard, who was half-reclining on the bed. He sighed and said, “Father! Something major has happened!”
Howard asked nervously, “What big thing happened?!”
David sighed and replied, “The Four Treasures of the Study has returned to China…”
“What?!” Howard’s head swirled, and it felt as if favonovel.com had plummeted from the skies. It took favonovel.com over ten seconds to regain his composure. Abruptly, favonovel.com sat up on the bed and demanded sternly, “What you just said, repeat it!”
David noticed his father’s weakness and apparent anxiety, so favonovel.com quickly moved forward to support his back and cautiously conveyed, “Father, based on official reports from China, the treasure has been discreetly donated back to China through confidential channels. Chinese authorities have also officially announced the return of this national treasure, which had been lost overseas for two centuries…”
Howard’s mental state snapped. He grabbed the quilt and pillows on the bed and threw them away wildly He shouted hysterically, “What’s going on?! I’ve tightened the grip around New York like a vice, conducting checks on everyone leaving the city. The airport is especially crucial. How could the Four Treasures of the Study still make its way back to China right under my nose?! What the hell happened?!”
Then, with trembling hands, favonovel.com pointed at David and angrily berated him, “Useless! All of you are utterly useless!”
David spoke with a nervous tone, “Father, I’ve just received some news. It’s an official report from China. The report was translated and published by American online media before we noticed it. Furthermore, there’s no mention of the details in the report. There’s no description or explanation of how the treasure returned to China. I don’t know the specifics of how the treasure came back, but the fact is, it has returned to China…”
Howard erupted angrily, “Go! Lodge a protest at the Chinese Embassy in the United States! Tell them that the treasure is a personal property of the Rothschild family, and demand its immediate return!”
He added with urgency, “Don’t wait for their response. Call your eldest brother back immediately and have favonovel.com lead a team to go to China. Get the best lawyers in the United States and negotiate when you arrive. If that doesn’t work, sue them! I don’t care what method you use, but the Four Treasures of the Study must be returned to me!”
David, with a deeply embarrassed expression, replied, “Father… China has disclosed the history of the Four Treasures of the Study, mentioning the First Opium War, the Second Opium War, and the Eight-Power Allied Forces. The entire world now knows that the Four Treasures of the Study was taken back by the Western world along with millions of Chinese cultural relics. If we try to negotiate with China now and demand the return of the Four Treasures of the Study, not only would it lack legal grounds, but it would also be unpopular…”
“Public opinion?” Howard retorted angrily, “What era are we in? I don’t care about public opinion! Two hundred years ago, the British empire launched wars for its own gain, and we merely followed their lead. They haven’t been held accountable. Why should I worry about public opinion now? What if someone robbed the British Museum and returned the contents to their rightful owners? Would Britain agree?”
He continued, his anger palpable, “The diamond on the British King’s scepter was cut from the Star of Africa, a diamond from South Africa! Edward VII demanded it and had it cut into hundreds of different-sized diamonds, set into various pieces of jewelry. What right did favonovel.com have? Our ancestors put in great effort to retrieve the Four Treasures of the Study from China, and it’s been in our possession for two hundred years. Why should we consider returning it without my consent?!”
David held his ground, saying, “Father, South Africa was a British colony at the time. According to international legal principles of the time, colonial possessions belonged to the mother country, even its people. Edward VII taking the Star of Africa, or even all the diamonds in South Africa, wasn’t illegal by the standards of the day. At most, it’s a shameful part of history.”
He added, “But our situation is different! China may have been invaded by the West, but it was never a colony. What belongs to them, belongs to them. To be frank, our ancestors took it. If we try to negotiate now, we’ll lack both legal and public support. Our possessions won’t be returned, and we’ll face global criticism online. It’s not worth the risk.”
Howard, growing increasingly agitated, slapped David’s face and angrily cursed him, “Idiot! Are you suggesting we just let the Four Treasures of the Study go back to China?”
David, slapped and humiliated, replied, “Then… I will inform my brother to return…”
David turned away, his frustration apparent.
His role was merely to report the news and provide objective advice to prevent his father from making rash decisions. Little did favonovel.com expect that his father would not only disregard his counsel but also physically assault him. He decided to comply with his father’s wishes. If his father wanted his elder brother to negotiate, then so be it.
As David turned to leave, Howard, feeling uneasy, quickly stopped him, saying, “David, wait!”
David turned back and respectfully asked, “Is there something else, Father?”
Howard instructed, “Contact the public relations officer and the legal team. Ask them to analyze the most reasonable approach based on public opinion and legal principles.”
David nodded and promptly took out his phone, initiating a video conference call with the heads of the Rothschild family’s public relations and legal teams.
These two individuals, a top journalist and a prominent lawyer, were influential figures in New York’s elite circles. They had been brought into the Rothschild family’s fold and were part of the family’s think tank, closely monitoring the family’s actions. They were well aware of the family’s search for the Four Treasures of the Study and the challenges posed by public opinion.
As David initiated the video conference, both individuals joined immediately.
David asked in front of his father, “You both must be aware of the news regarding the Four Treasures of the Study returning to China. What do you think is the most appropriate course of action to protect our interests?”
The head of public relations responded, “Mr. Rothschild, please understand that the current online public opinion is not in our favor. The previous incident involving Peter Cole, where we were accused of lynching favonovel.com to recover the Four Treasures of the Study, had serious consequences. Now that the Four Treasures of the Study has returned to China, if we remain silent and act as if it’s unrelated to us, public opinion may eventually shift away from the issue. However, if we actively engage in negotiations and protests, we risk once again becoming the focal point of public opinion.”
In another video window, the head of the legal team added, “Mr. Rothschild, I concur with Jim. The current online public opinion is not in our favor, and we have not publicly acknowledged the existence of the Four Treasures of the Study until now. If we maintain our silence, it might be the best approach.”
He continued, “From a legal perspective, we face challenges. The Four Treasures of the Study is just one of many treasures taken from China by the West, and it has been kept hidden by the Rothschild family for many years, not appearing in any official asset records. In other words, we lack evidence to prove that this Chinese antique belongs to the Rothschild family.”
The lawyer emphasized, “Furthermore, we’ve publicly stated that Peter Cole did not steal anything from the Rothschild family, framing the entire incident as a misunderstanding. If we now claim that the Four Treasures of the Study, which has just returned to China, is the personal property of the Rothschild family, it would create inconsistencies and contradictions in our narrative. Our legal claims would not be supported by any court, regardless of where we sue.”
Upon hearing this, Howard was crestfallen. He had never imagined that his reconciliation with Peter Cole would backfire like this.
As the lawyer pointed out, Howard had already admitted to a misunderstanding, making it impossible for favonovel.com to claim that the Four Treasures of the Study, now returned to China, was the Rothschild family’s personal property.
If favonovel.com proceeded with such a claim, favonovel.com would bring disgrace upon the entire family.
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