Zhu Li has a few cute little freckles on his cheeks, and has clear and fair eyebrows, a typical Xiaojiabiyu appearance. However, You Fang has not developed further with her. His mind is not on this. He is just here to take classes, so he can't
Even the class monitor was lured away. On the other hand, he also felt that he should not delay his studies. Zhu Li was a serious Peking University student.
You Fang didn't do it, but someone did. Isn't one of the main jobs of many people in college is to fall in love? It is said that before the summer vacation in the second semester, Zhu Li was pursued by a boy named Sheng Shilong from the history department. These two people
I am a fellow Sichuan fellow, and by that time I had already traveled
After leaving Peking University, he set up a bureau to kill the crazy fox. Later, You Fang found out that although there were not many people taking classes at the university, he was definitely not the only one. One of the purposes of many people was to find someone, but he
I didn’t think about it because I was too naive at the time!
As for Professor Wu Pingdong, the first formal classroom communication between You Fang and him was more than a month after the school started. Before that, he had hardly said any unnecessary words other than listening to the lectures. Mr. Wu ignored him and he was too embarrassed to take the initiative to come forward.
Strike up a conversation. It was a class discussion. The original topic was about the protection of ancient buildings. The atmosphere in the class was very relaxed. The students chatted and got distracted. I don’t know who started it. They mentioned the recent boom in collecting, especially about the recent past.
News about the crazy speculation in the ancient porcelain market in recent years.
Mr. Wu suddenly asked: "Xiaoyou, can you report a ranking list of the sky-high prices of Chinese porcelain in the international auction market in recent years?"
This was the first time Wu Pingtong called his name in class. You Fang stood up a little flattered, secretly thinking that Mr. Wu really has a good memory. They first met at Panjiayuan Market more than a year ago, and You Fang was very impressed with Wu.
The old man once said: "The most expensive ones being sold nowadays are Yuan blue and white... We have a global auction price list in our store. If you don't believe me, let me show it to you for reference." Unexpectedly, the old man still remembered this.
When Mr. Wu saw him standing up, he made a gesture and said: "Class discussions are not questions. Sit down and talk. Don't be nervous."
The tourist immediately reported a ranking of the most representative high-priced Chinese porcelain auctions in 2005: the first was a Yuan blue and white Guiguzi Descending Mountain vase auctioned by Christie's in London, with a transaction price of RMB 230 million; the second was the Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong.
A Qianlong enamel amphora from the Qing Dynasty was sold for a total of RMB 120 million; there was also a Yuan blue and white Jinxiangting jar auctioned by Christie's in Hong Kong, which was sold for a total of RMB 50 million...
There was an exclamation in the classroom, and Mr. Wu took the opportunity to ask: "Students, please analyze, what are the causes and motivations of this round of hype frenzy?"
The students spoke one after another. The general view was that China’s continuous decades of economic growth has accumulated a large amount of national wealth. A considerable number of people have considerable consumption power and are shifting from pure material consumption needs to investment needs and spiritual needs.
With the transformation of consumer demand, it is reasonable for the art collection market to gradually heat up.
Others mentioned that the Western world has suffered from a comprehensive economic crisis in recent years, while China has become stronger and stronger, and its status in the world has also become higher and higher. The increase in national power is also reflected in the strength of culture, so Chinese cultural relics
The appreciation potential in the international collection market is becoming more and more obvious.
Mr. Wu smiled: "The students seem to be very proud. Indeed, they should be proud." Then he asked a second question: "In that case, what is the situation of American cultural relics in the Chinese market? The national power and cultural strength of the United States.
It should be more obvious.”
But I have never heard of any American cultural relics being hyped in the Chinese collection market. The students laughed and said that the history of the United States is too short and there is not such a rich civilization at all. When it comes to American culture, we can talk about the Mayan civilization.
But it cannot be compared with China’s five thousand years of uninterrupted civilization inheritance and accumulation.
Mr. Wu shook his head slightly: "This understanding is not correct. The concept of cultural relics is similar to every nation. If the original copy of the United States' Declaration of Independence was lost in China and could not be stolen, if we could not steal it back, think about it, would there be any
Are Americans willing to spend a lot of money to buy it back? Of course!" Then he asked the third question: "Why does the international market focus on speculating on porcelain?"
Most of the students answered from a historical perspective. In the mid-Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty, China's national power was unparalleled in the world. The state invested manpower and material resources in firing official kilns. It had the most stringent selection procedures and craftsmanship standards in the world, and gathered the highest standards of that era.
The talented craftsmen have brought Chinese porcelain to an almost unreplicable pinnacle of artistic achievement. It is the most typical representative artifact among historical crafts in the collection world.
Seeing that the topic was almost finished, Mr. Wu finally concluded: "The opinions of the students are all reasonable, but I have one thing to add. Where are the most typical representative artifacts of ancient Chinese handicrafts?"
Without waiting for the students to answer, Mr. Wu introduced another set of data: According to incomplete statistics from UNESCO, more than 200 well-known overseas museums alone have collected 1.64 million pieces of Chinese cultural relics, while private collections account for about 10% of the collection.
times. The most conservative estimate is that there are at least 17 million Chinese cultural relics scattered overseas. This number far exceeds the total number of cultural relics in China's existing collections, and also exceeds the number of private collections of cultural relics in China, among which ancient Chinese porcelain is the largest
The most typical representative!
At this point, You Fang, who was sitting in the first row, suddenly realized what Mr. Wu wanted to say after going around in such a big circle. Although he had been in Panjiayuan, he didn't really understand the figures Mr. Wu was talking about. At this moment
When I learned about it, I suddenly realized that the crazy speculation in the international auction market in recent years, represented by Chinese ancient porcelain, was very simple. It was a scam called "ball rolling".
Seeing You Fang's expression as if he had some understanding, Wu Pingdong called his name for the second time: "Xiao You, tell me, besides what everyone has said, do you have any other opinions?"
You Fang waved his hand quickly: "My opinions are all wild. How can anyone's analysis be so professional?"
Wu Pingtong: "No matter what, you might as well talk and listen. Now is the time for classroom discussion to speak freely, and any opinions can be expressed."
…
The term "ball rolling in the market" is very vivid. "Beads" are things that "holes" value very much and hope to get. And "ball rolling" has two meanings: first, it refers to trying to increase the value of these things;
It can also greatly attract the other party's attention; secondly, it refers to creating a sensational effect by hyping an item, driving up the value of similar items in your hand.
The meaning of "inside the market" means that although these kinds of things are cherished by the "empty" people, they hoard them in their own hands. Therefore, they must first speculate them in their own hands, which is called "rolling", and then go out.
"Fishing for holes" is collectively called the ball in the plate.
Like other Jianghu sects, this technique first pays attention to choosing the target and the time to attack. For example, Li Si will not be too interested in the things belonging to the ancestors of Zhang San's family. He should wait until Zhang San's family is rich, and then make a game to speculate on the treasures of Zhang San's ancestors.
It had to be vigorous. Zhang San would even be secretly happy, because the things belonging to his ancestors were more valuable, and he would be proud of himself! At this time, it was inevitable that someone from Zhang San's family would come to the door, and they would be taken in turns to be killed.
Under normal circumstances, with the growth of China's investment demand and spiritual and cultural consumer demand, it is reasonable for the domestic art collection market to gradually heat up. But it should be a process of steady advancement and should also be dominated by the domestic market.
But in the process, a bizarre wave of hype suddenly appeared, and it was initiated from abroad. Suddenly, a batch of Chinese ancient porcelain was hyped to incredibly high prices, thus driving up the price of Chinese cultural relics scattered overseas. The most important thing is that
, it has attracted great attention from Chinese collectors and wealthy businessmen who have national pride, patriotism and vanity.
Nowadays, every popular post on the Internet has someone behind it. Such astronomical international hype is simply impossible without a series of careful planning behind the scenes. The motivation is self-evident.
"Rolling in the market" is not a one-shot deal, but a continuous process of exploiting loopholes. Christie's London auction house's crazy speculation on Yuanqinghua is just one of the outstanding "rolling". In February 2009, Christie's Paris auction house sold another sky-high price
The auction of bronze animal heads in the Yuanmingyuan Garden was another eye-catching "roll", which exposed the intention very clearly, even a bit naked and impatient.
That auction was spoiled by a Chinese collector named Cai Mingchao (note: for the specific process, please check the "Old Summer Palace Overseas Auction Incident of Animal Heads" online). At that time, You Fang also heard about it in Panjiayuan, and when he saw it
Come on, it was just someone setting up a trap to take advantage of the situation, but Mr. Cai saw through it and took a risk to temporarily break the trap.
But at that time, You Fang only regarded it as an isolated incident. Today, when I listened to Wu Pingtong’s questions in class, I suddenly thought about more things. I connected this series of things together and formed a line in my mind.
A clear context of the "ball rolling" Jianghu situation.
…
Under normal circumstances, You Fang would not explain the martial arts in front of "laymen", but for some reason, he had no selfish thoughts in front of Mr. Wu Pingdong and told what he knew and what he was thinking.
, without using too many code words from the Eight Gates of Jianghu, trying to tell it in a popular way so that the students in the classroom can understand it.
When You Fang was talking, Wu Pingdong listened very seriously, with a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes from time to time. After he finished speaking, no one made a sound in the classroom for a few seconds, and everyone was still digesting and aftertasteing. Many people were nodding secretly. This was the last class in the morning, and it was time to end get out of class.
Wu Pingdong cleared his throat and said: "Class, get out of class is over. Regarding the content of today's class discussion, please go back and write a short paper, which will be used as part of the final assessment... Xiaoyou, please keep it here. .”
The classmates all left, but Wu Pingtong left You Fang alone. You Fang asked uneasily: "Professor Wu, what I just said was too tacky, making it laughable for a scholar like you."
.”
Wu Pingdong shook his head repeatedly: "No, what you said is very good. I have understood some of this kind of thing before, but I can't explain it as thoroughly as you. Insight into worldly affairs is knowledge, and understanding of human feelings is knowledge. You are indeed not simple.
Don't underestimate yourself...Xiaoyou, do you know why I asked those questions in class?"
You Fang: "I can guess a little bit, but it's not very clear. Please tell me clearly."
Wu Pingdong glanced around the empty seats in the classroom: "Most of the students in the class are different from you. They don't understand that the outside world is very complicated. It's more complicated than their current imagination. Many students majoring in archeology now,
They are all affected by the craze of collecting. On the one hand, I find it mysterious and fun, but on the other hand, I always think about appraising treasures and becoming famous and profitable in the future. You will know it by looking at how the class discussion went off topic."
You Fang whispered from the side: "They have never gone out to hang out. It will become clear in the future."
Wu Pingdong asked: "What about now? In universities, teachers should teach more than just professional skills. They still don't understand the real hardships of the cultural relics protection profession and the responsibilities it has to shoulder. They don't understand that cultural relics workers often
The bitterness and helplessness I feel. I'm afraid even you don't understand these. What I wanted to tell the students today is not exactly the worldly ways you mentioned."
You Fang asked in a asking tone: "What did Mr. Wu originally plan to say?"
Wu Pingtong: "I originally wanted to tell them that among the Chinese cultural relics that have been unearthed and handed down to the world, overseas collections are far larger than domestic collections, and the vast majority of domestic collections of cultural relics are not tradable. This hype is actually giving people
Western collections of Chinese cultural relics have brought about a huge revaluation, bringing them to market
The aftermath of the auction is nothing less than a second plunder... It has also intentionally or unintentionally led to the rampant tomb robbing and the smuggling of cultural relics within the country. Many items auctioned abroad are not necessarily lost in history, but have been smuggled by tomb robbers through various channels in recent years.
Those that leave the country are sold back to domestic collectors at high prices through this method."
You Fang apologized: "I took up the class time, and you haven't had time to say anything yet."
Wu Pingdong smiled: "It doesn't matter, I have given them homework. To learn, you must think. And the method you mentioned is also very important, but no matter how clearly you see the various methods in the world, you must also understand the whole
What’s the big background, so I’ll leave you alone to chat for a few words.”
You Fang nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, I just know a little bit about martial arts, so I admire you, Professor Wu, as a truly knowledgeable person!...Look, should I also hand in an assignment?"
Wu Pingdong shook his hand: "You don't have to. You are taking advantage of the free teaching facilities here. I can accept it. If you hand in your homework to the teacher for approval, it will take up teaching resources. I can't encourage it. Okay,
You should go too, don’t miss lunch.”
When You Fang left, Mr. Wu was still standing in front of the podium, looking at the empty classroom with complicated eyes, seeming a little lonely and expecting more.
Wu Pingtong didn't finish speaking in class, so he left homework for the students. He didn't ask You Fang to hand in the homework, but deliberately left him to talk alone. This was the first formal communication between Mr. Wu and Xiao You.
I took this class again the next week. After class, Wu Pingtong asked You Fang to stay for a while, but he didn't say anything more and gave him two things.
A meal card that is common to all major canteens in the teaching area and living area of Peking University, and a reading card that can be swiped into the Peking University library. The "gift" is very light and almost worthless, and the amount of the meal card is also empty, so you need
You Fang has to go to the logistics window of the cafeteria to recharge the money himself, but the symbolic meaning of these two things is very special, which will bring great convenience to the study and life of a foreigner who is taking classes at Peking University.
You Fang was very moved. Thinking back to the two books Mr. Wu gave him more than a month ago, he almost didn't know what to say. He couldn't even say a few words of rejection or polite words. Wu Pingdong didn't want to hear his thanks either.
He said hello and turned around to leave. You Fang felt that he should repay Mr. Wu well, but he couldn't find a suitable opportunity. Apart from listening to the class in the classroom and not causing trouble, Mr. Wu didn't need him to do anything.
But hard work paid off. Only half a month had passed since the incident, and the opportunity actually came.