Chapter 1197
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11.5 million dollars!
A book like this was sold for $11.5 million in the 2010 Christie's sale in New York.
There were so many museums in the United States that they had their own legendary treasures. Needless to say, Birds of America was one of those, so the competition for this book was dominated by museums.
The bidding for Birds of America originally started at a price of $2.2 million, but after a round of higher offers, the price soared and eventually broke the ten million mark.
Li Du looked at the picture on the news. It showed an elegant girl opening a big book, and looking from the picture, that book's condition was inferior compared to the one he now owned.
The book was well preserved, being protected from the cover to the inside pages by a thin coat of wax. In addition, it had been stored in a hollow board without a speck of dust!
The eyes of the treasure hunters glowed, and one man exclaimed, "Ah, this fellow is really fortunate! What a lucky bastard he is!"
"Lucky? I don't think so. Do you know who he is? The newly rising treasure hunter tycoon from southwest China. China Li, that's the fellow," the man who knew Li Du said proudly.
Li Du was quite famous in Arizona and California, but less well known in the northeast.
Some people who had gathered around were stunned. "Is this book so expensive? Millions of dollars? God, it's just a book!"
Someone said, "Ha, you think this is expensive? Do you know when this book was published? In 1838! Do you know what the price was back then? 182 pounds and 14 shillings!"
"That translates to more than a thousand dollars at the time. Man, more than a thousand dollars in 1838, when you could have bought a big farm in Philadelphia with that money!" someone exclaimed.
Li Du did not know this and did not expect the book was actually that expensive.
Even at that price, 120 copies of that book were sold after it was published that year. Audubon was already well-known at the time, and his publications were in high demand.
Li Du looked through the book and saw that Audubon was not only an outstanding naturalist but also an excellent painter.
He gave the book to Brother Wolf, charging him with the mission of protecting the precious volume.
Brother Wolf carefully tucked it under his arm, conscious of the fact that he is holding more than ten million dollars!
Li Du called Hans and asked, "Hello, where are you?"
The voice coming from the phone was accompanied by a noisy background. "Ah, I, ah, I'm busy, man, what's up? The line is a little noisy, and I have a lot of work…"
"Damn it, are you flirting again?" Li Du cut across him.
.
Hans said, "You have no proof!"
"I heard a woman's voice on your side. Women who talk like that, do you think I don't know what they do?" retorted Li Du.
Hans said, "Well, you got the wrong impression."
Li Du said, "I'll just remind you once, behave yourself, don't mess around abroad, do not provoke anyone and keep out of trouble."
Hans laughed in a sneaky way and said, "Who told you I am still abroad?"
Li Du was a little shocked. "You came back? Are you home for Christmas?"
Hans said in a swaggering tone, "Never mind about that. What is the matter? If there is nothing urgent, let's talk later."
Li Du said, "Of course there is. I tell you, if you play around too much and get AIDS no one can save you, and even if you dodge HIV, you might be infected with other diseases, for example rotten…"
"Stop right there! I, Big Fox, am experienced and, of course, know how to protect myself. Anyway, I'm busy here. If there is nothing else, I'll…"
"I'm in Philadelphia, and you must fly over as soon as you can. I've got a book called Birds of America, you can look it up on the Internet. The bottom line is, we can get into the Million Dollar Club."
Then Li Du hung up the phone and turned it off.
After a while, Brother Wolf's mobile phone rang. Hans' voice was loud as he said, "You give me the address! How would I know where to find you?"
Brother Wolf said, "Boss didn't say I can tell you, so I can't talk."
The first thing Hans did when he came back to the States was to go and find a call girl rather than meet his business partner. Li Du was very dissatisfied with this, and he decided to teach the bastard a lesson.
In order to make sure he got the book, he bid on quite a large part of the museum, and it was quite difficult to tidy it all up.
Godzilla and the others were busy moving things out when two police cars suddenly drove up.
Several policemen got out. Dr. Saatchi led the way, found Li Du and pointed at him, saying, "It's him!"
A policeman said to Li Du, "Hello, sir, we have received a report that you, together with other people, sneaked into the museum last night and damaged the building. Please cooperate with our investigation."
Li Du said with a calm smile, "No problem, but I want to know what kind of evidence you have."
The officers looked at Saatchi, who pointed to the masonry, concrete, and flooring that had fallen from the room above and said, "It was definitely smashed. This building has a solid structure. This would not happen on its own."
The police officers walked in cautiously, wearing white gloves, and picked up the broken pieces of concrete, pinching them with their fingers and shaking their heads.
"This is the work of time," Said an older police officer. He took off his gloves and picked up a piece of concrete.
Dr. Saatchi looked worried. "How is that possible? I check the security of the construction every year and did not find any problem…"
"This is the fact. You have to respect the truth. That's not evidence. Do you have any evidence, such as a surveillance camera record?"
Dr. Saatchi shook his head. "No, the surveillance camera doesn't work…"
Li Du pointed to a camera. "How can you say that? You see, the camera's infrared light is still on. The surveillance is working, so let's check the records."
Dr. Saatchi shook his head impatiently. "There's no use. No need to look at it. Damn, I have no more evidence."
Li Du smiled and insisted, "No, I must take a look, I must disperse these unjust accusations."
The police officer also said, "Check the records, the museum is not without power, the surveillance camera record should be saved automatically."
The old man's face changed and he said, "There is no need to do that. I withdraw my charge towards this treasure hunter."
Li Du continued to insist, "No, let's check the record. I don't want any doubts to remain."
The respect and appreciation he felt for the old scholar last night had vanished completely. The man kept creating problems. Does he think I am easy to bully? Very good, Old Li will show his tricks.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
11.5 million dollars!
A book like this was sold for $11.5 million in the 2010 Christie's sale in New York.
There were so many museums in the United States that they had their own legendary treasures. Needless to say, Birds of America was one of those, so the competition for this book was dominated by museums.
The bidding for Birds of America originally started at a price of $2.2 million, but after a round of higher offers, the price soared and eventually broke the ten million mark.
Li Du looked at the picture on the news. It showed an elegant girl opening a big book, and looking from the picture, that book's condition was inferior compared to the one he now owned.
The book was well preserved, being protected from the cover to the inside pages by a thin coat of wax. In addition, it had been stored in a hollow board without a speck of dust!
The eyes of the treasure hunters glowed, and one man exclaimed, "Ah, this fellow is really fortunate! What a lucky bastard he is!"
"Lucky? I don't think so. Do you know who he is? The newly rising treasure hunter tycoon from southwest China. China Li, that's the fellow," the man who knew Li Du said proudly.
Li Du was quite famous in Arizona and California, but less well known in the northeast.
Some people who had gathered around were stunned. "Is this book so expensive? Millions of dollars? God, it's just a book!"
Someone said, "Ha, you think this is expensive? Do you know when this book was published? In 1838! Do you know what the price was back then? 182 pounds and 14 shillings!"
"That translates to more than a thousand dollars at the time. Man, more than a thousand dollars in 1838, when you could have bought a big farm in Philadelphia with that money!" someone exclaimed.
Li Du did not know this and did not expect the book was actually that expensive.
Even at that price, 120 copies of that book were sold after it was published that year. Audubon was already well-known at the time, and his publications were in high demand.
Li Du looked through the book and saw that Audubon was not only an outstanding naturalist but also an excellent painter.
He gave the book to Brother Wolf, charging him with the mission of protecting the precious volume.
Brother Wolf carefully tucked it under his arm, conscious of the fact that he is holding more than ten million dollars!
Li Du called Hans and asked, "Hello, where are you?"
The voice coming from the phone was accompanied by a noisy background. "Ah, I, ah, I'm busy, man, what's up? The line is a little noisy, and I have a lot of work…"
"Damn it, are you flirting again?" Li Du cut across him.
.
Hans said, "You have no proof!"
"I heard a woman's voice on your side. Women who talk like that, do you think I don't know what they do?" retorted Li Du.
Hans said, "Well, you got the wrong impression."
Li Du said, "I'll just remind you once, behave yourself, don't mess around abroad, do not provoke anyone and keep out of trouble."
Hans laughed in a sneaky way and said, "Who told you I am still abroad?"
Li Du was a little shocked. "You came back? Are you home for Christmas?"
Hans said in a swaggering tone, "Never mind about that. What is the matter? If there is nothing urgent, let's talk later."
Li Du said, "Of course there is. I tell you, if you play around too much and get AIDS no one can save you, and even if you dodge HIV, you might be infected with other diseases, for example rotten…"
"Stop right there! I, Big Fox, am experienced and, of course, know how to protect myself. Anyway, I'm busy here. If there is nothing else, I'll…"
"I'm in Philadelphia, and you must fly over as soon as you can. I've got a book called Birds of America, you can look it up on the Internet. The bottom line is, we can get into the Million Dollar Club."
Then Li Du hung up the phone and turned it off.
After a while, Brother Wolf's mobile phone rang. Hans' voice was loud as he said, "You give me the address! How would I know where to find you?"
Brother Wolf said, "Boss didn't say I can tell you, so I can't talk."
The first thing Hans did when he came back to the States was to go and find a call girl rather than meet his business partner. Li Du was very dissatisfied with this, and he decided to teach the bastard a lesson.
In order to make sure he got the book, he bid on quite a large part of the museum, and it was quite difficult to tidy it all up.
Godzilla and the others were busy moving things out when two police cars suddenly drove up.
Several policemen got out. Dr. Saatchi led the way, found Li Du and pointed at him, saying, "It's him!"
A policeman said to Li Du, "Hello, sir, we have received a report that you, together with other people, sneaked into the museum last night and damaged the building. Please cooperate with our investigation."
Li Du said with a calm smile, "No problem, but I want to know what kind of evidence you have."
The officers looked at Saatchi, who pointed to the masonry, concrete, and flooring that had fallen from the room above and said, "It was definitely smashed. This building has a solid structure. This would not happen on its own."
The police officers walked in cautiously, wearing white gloves, and picked up the broken pieces of concrete, pinching them with their fingers and shaking their heads.
"This is the work of time," Said an older police officer. He took off his gloves and picked up a piece of concrete.
Dr. Saatchi looked worried. "How is that possible? I check the security of the construction every year and did not find any problem…"
"This is the fact. You have to respect the truth. That's not evidence. Do you have any evidence, such as a surveillance camera record?"
Dr. Saatchi shook his head. "No, the surveillance camera doesn't work…"
Li Du pointed to a camera. "How can you say that? You see, the camera's infrared light is still on. The surveillance is working, so let's check the records."
Dr. Saatchi shook his head impatiently. "There's no use. No need to look at it. Damn, I have no more evidence."
Li Du smiled and insisted, "No, I must take a look, I must disperse these unjust accusations."
The police officer also said, "Check the records, the museum is not without power, the surveillance camera record should be saved automatically."
The old man's face changed and he said, "There is no need to do that. I withdraw my charge towards this treasure hunter."
Li Du continued to insist, "No, let's check the record. I don't want any doubts to remain."
The respect and appreciation he felt for the old scholar last night had vanished completely. The man kept creating problems. Does he think I am easy to bully? Very good, Old Li will show his tricks.
11.5 million dollars!A book like this was sold for $11.5 million in the 2010 Christie's sale in New York.There were so many museums in the United States that they had their own legendary treasures. Needless to say, Birds of Americawas one of those, so the competition for this book was dominated by museums.The bidding for Birds of Americaoriginally started at a price of $2.2 million, but after a round of higher offers, the price soared and eventually broke the ten million mark.Li Du looked at the picture on the news. It showed an elegant girl opening a big book, and looking from the picture, that book's condition was inferior compared to the one he now owned.The book was well preserved, being protected from the cover to the inside pages by a thin coat of wax. In addition, it had been stored in a hollow board without a speck of dust!The eyes of the treasure hunters glowed, and one man exclaimed, "Ah, this fellow is really fortunate! What a lucky bastard he is!""Lucky? I don't think so. Do you know who he is? The newly rising treasure hunter tycoon from southwest China. China Li, that's the fellow," the man who knew Li Du said proudly.Li Du was quite famous in Arizona and California, but less well known in the northeast.Some people who had gathered around were stunned. "Is this book so expensive? Millions of dollars? God, it's just a book!"Someone said, "Ha, you think this is expensive? Do you know when this book was published? In 1838! Do you know what the price was back then? 182 pounds and 14 shillings!""That translates to more than a thousand dollars at the time. Man, more than a thousand dollars in 1838, when you could have bought a big farm in Philadelphia with that money!" someone exclaimed.Li Du did not know this and did not expect the book was actually that expensive.Even at that price, 120 copies of that book were sold after it was published that year. Audubon was already well-known at the time, and his publications were in high demand.Li Du looked through the book and saw that Audubon was not only an outstanding naturalist but also an excellent painter.He gave the book to Brother Wolf, charging him with the mission of protecting the precious volume.Brother Wolf carefully tucked it under his arm, conscious of the fact that he is holding more than ten million dollars!Li Du called Hans and asked, "Hello, where are you?"The voice coming from the phone was accompanied by a noisy background. "Ah, I, ah, I'm busy, man, what's up? The line is a little noisy, and I have a lot of work""Damn it, are you flirting again?" Li Du cut across him..Hans said, "You have no proof!""I heard a woman's voice on your side. Women who talk like that, do you think I don't know what they do?" retorted Li Du.Hans said, "Well, you got the wrong impression."Li Du said, "I'll just remind you once, behave yourself, don't mess around abroad, do not provoke anyone and keep out of trouble."Hans laughed in a sneaky way and said, "Who told you I am still abroad?"Li Du was a little shocked. "You came back? Are you home for Christmas?"Hans said in a swaggering tone, "Never mind about that. What is the matter? If there is nothing urgent, let's talk later."Li Du said, "Of course there is. I tell you, if you play around too much and get AIDS no one can save you, and even if you dodge HIV, you might be infected with other diseases, for example rotten""Stop right there! I, Big Fox, am experienced and, of course, know how to protect myself. Anyway, I'm busy here. If there is nothing else, I'll""I'm in Philadelphia, and you must fly over as soon as you can. I've got a book called Birds of America, you can look it up on the Internet. The bottom line is, we can get into the Million Dollar Club."Then Li Du hung up the phone and turned it off.After a while, Brother Wolf's mobile phone rang. Hans' voice was loud as he said, "You give me the address! How would I know where to find you?"Brother Wolf said, "Boss didn't say I can tell you, so I can't talk."The first thing Hans did when he came back to the States was to go and find a call girl rather than meet his business partner. Li Du was very dissatisfied with this, and he decided to teach the bastard a lesson.In order to make sure he got the book, he bid on quite a large part of the museum, and it was quite difficult to tidy it all up.Godzilla and the others were busy moving things out when two police cars suddenly drove up.Several policemen got out. Dr. Saatchi led the way, found Li Du and pointed at him, saying, "It's him!"A policeman said to Li Du, "Hello, sir, we have received a report that you, together with other people, sneaked into the museum last night and damaged the building. Please cooperate with our investigation."Li Du said with a calm smile, "No problem, but I want to know what kind of evidence you have."The officers looked at Saatchi, who pointed to the masonry, concrete, and flooring that had fallen from the room above and said, "It was definitely smashed. This building has a solid structure. This would not happen on its own."The police officers walked in cautiously, wearing white gloves, and picked up the broken pieces of concrete, pinching them with their fingers and shaking their heads."This is the work of time," Said an older police officer. He took off his gloves and picked up a piece of concrete.Dr. Saatchi looked worried. "How is that possible? I check the security of the construction every year and did not find any problem""This is the fact. You have to respect the truth. That's not evidence. Do you have any evidence, such as a surveillance camera record?"Dr. Saatchi shook his head. "No, the surveillance camera doesn't work"Li Du pointed to a camera. "How can you say that? You see, the camera's infrared light is still on. The surveillance is working, so let's check the records."Dr. Saatchi shook his head impatiently. "There's no use. No need to look at it. Damn, I have no more evidence."Li Du smiled and insisted, "No, I must take a look, I must disperse these unjust accusations."The police officer also said, "Check the records, the museum is not without power, the surveillance camera record should be saved automatically."The old man's face changed and he said, "There is no need to do that. I withdraw my charge towards this treasure hunter."Li Du continued to insist, "No, let's check the record. I don't want any doubts to remain."The respect and appreciation he felt for the old scholar last night had vanished completely. The man kept creating problems. Does he think I am easy to bully? Very good, Old Li will show his tricks.
