... Republic of China, Hong Kong Island...

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm the president of the German Heavy Industries Group in Asia, you can call me Wilson."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Dalton, from Deutsche Bank, Hong Kong Island office."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Kendibu, from the German Volkswagen Group, based in Hong Kong Island Automobile Company."

Sitting in the hotel on Hong Kong Island, Wang Xu met three foreigners, who had different identities, but each of them had a lot of background.

In order to invite these people, Wang Xu took great pains to get through the route of the current governor of Hong Kong, so that he had the current scene.

"I'm Wang Xu, I'm glad to meet you, and thank you for coming to my invitation." Wang Xu shook hands with the three of them one by one, signaling that everyone could sit on the sofa and talk.

Dalton of Deutsche Bank was the first to show his attitude, and after sitting down, he said: "Mr. Wang Xu, we are very short of time, although I don't know why you are looking for us, but we can only give you ten minutes of time, and there will be no more." ”

The three Germans in suits and leather shoes all looked at Wang Xu with their eyes, as if they said that if there was nothing to talk about, everyone didn't need to continue.

Wang Xu nodded slightly, took out a bottle of red wine from the wooden barrel filled with ice, and said as he opened it: "I asked the three of you to come here because I am very interested in foreign antiques, and I am willing to pay a lot of money for these collections." I have heard that your soldiers have taken possession of the Palace of Versailles and are planning to bring home the treasures inside, and I would like to ask you if you have any other ideas, such as exchanging these worthless antiques for the gold you desperately need. ”

"Are you kidding?" Wilson is a senior executive at the German Heavy Industries Group, which is currently working at full speed to produce cannons for the mustache.

Hearing Wang Xu's words, Wilson was a little ridiculous, just thinking that Wang Xu was talking nonsense.

Wang Xu didn't think so, shook his head very seriously, and whispered: "No, dear Mr. Wilson, I think I made it clear enough. I am willing to exchange gold for treasures that you do not need now, not only in France, but also in Europe. For this purpose, I have prepared five tons of gold, which is currently deposited in Citibank, and you don't need to worry about my integrity. ”

It was already May 1941, only four years before the defeat of Germany.

The German Empire at this time was like a wind-up war machine, so its resources were tilted like the military.

What are antiques, playthings in prosperous times, not worth mentioning in troubled times.

Wang Xu believed in his proposal, and the three Wilson couldn't refuse because they needed gold so much.

"Citibank, why doesn't there be Deutsche Bank, our Deutsche Bank is the safest and most secure bank!" Dalton's face was incredulous, obviously shocked by the news.

Wang Xu shook his head slightly, took out a deposit slip from his arms, and motioned to Dalton to read it for himself.

Dalton took the deposit slip and looked at it, and with unbelievable surprise, he said to his two companions, "The deposit slip is real!" ”

"Does he really have five tons of gold?" Wilson and Kendib couldn't sit still this time.

Five tons of gold, converted into today's dollars, is enough to exchange for three million US dollars.

At this stage in 1941, the BF-109, the main fighter of the United States imperialism, only needed 23,000 US knives, and 3 million was enough to exchange for more than 100 planes to form a large aircraft combat formation and start a small-scale air battle.

The eyes of the three Germans present turned red when they heard this number.

They do business all over the world, not to make the empire have more planes and cannons.

In the face of the business of hundreds of planes, the treasures in the palace of Versailles, to hell with them, the soldiers could not carry oil paintings to war.

Wang Xu looked at the eyes of the three people, took back the bank deposit receipt, and said: "Gentlemen, I want oil paintings, or jewelry that inherits meaning, and also Renaissance handicrafts." As long as you have these things, I will give you a lot of gold, a constant supply of gold. By the way, do you know Van Gogh, for every Van Gogh painting, I pay 10,000 US dollars, which is the price of an M-24 light tank, what are you waiting for? ”

"You want a painting of Van Gogh?"

With a look of suspicion, Kendibu said to his two companions: "My cousin, who is in the army stationed in Paris, where he is the quartermaster. A few months ago he wrote to me that he had dozens of Van Gogh paintings in his possession, and asked me if they were worth anything and wanted to sell a few of them secretly. At that time, I wrote back that Van Gogh's paintings were not worth much, that he painted too much, and that no one would like his paintings. ”

According to the statistics of later generations, Van Gogh painted nearly 2,000 paintings in his lifetime, a veritable prolific painter.

After the baptism of two world wars, only more than 700 paintings have survived to later generations, mainly concentrated in the Van Gogh Museum and the major museums in Paris.

Van Gogh's paintings became valuable after World War II, when the economy re-emerged.

In 1987, Van Gogh's irises shocked the world when they were sold for a sky-high price of $53.9 million, and his paintings have only reached their peak.

And at this stage in 1941, because of the war, everything was depreciating except for gold, which was appreciating.

Van Gogh's paintings, because they had not yet been burned by the Germans when they were evacuated from France.

In Paris alone, there are more than 600 of his paintings, which can only be placed in the corridors of museums, and they do not even have their own exhibition halls.

"Sir, are you sure you want Van Gogh's paintings?" Kendibu affirmed it for the second time, for fear that Wang Xu would regret it.

Of course, Wang Xu will not regret it, in modern times, there is no Van Gogh's works that cost less than 50 million US dollars, and there is no market.

Because most of his works were collected in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam during 1973, and the rest were divided among museums all over the world, and no one sold them to you if you wanted to.

"I'm sure you get me three hundred Van Gogh paintings, and those five tons of gold are yours."

Wang Xu waved the banknote, with affirmation on his face, and said: "Gentlemen, what are you waiting for, go and act." ”

The three of them looked at each other, stopped drinking red wine, and walked outside.

That night, Kendib called and said that he could get him 240 paintings of Van Gogh's works.

On the phone, Kendib asked again if the deal was valid.

Wang Xu told him with certainty that even if he added another 240 paintings, there would be no problems on his side.

In addition to Kendibu, Wilson and Dalton also called him to greet him.

The two did not have Van Gogh's paintings, but they were able to get a lot of Renaissance artifacts that were unappreciated because of the war.

Wang Xu did not refuse this, Renaissance handicrafts are highly sought after in Italy, and European and American collectors do not hesitate to spend a lot of money.

Especially in the Arabic-speaking world, the poor and the rich, who have only money left, are keen to bring home two collectibles to show off their taste.

As for the price, the local tyrants who sit on the oil don't care about the price, and those who want the price are poor ghosts in their eyes.

"Yes, the bust of Zeus from the Renaissance, I can give you the price of two tanks, yes, no more."

"What, frescoes or not, what frescoes, crucifixes in churches? No problem, chisel it for me in its entirety and I'll give you the price of an airplane, what plane you ask, Bf109E, guaranteed you'll like it. ”

"African ivory, Rommel came back with half a military column of ivory, okay, this can also be had, five MP40 submachine guns per tusk, let the soldiers take it to kill elephants."

Hanging up the phone, Wang Xu, who had a dry mouth, took a sip of cold red wine and whispered: "These crazy Germans, I love them to death..."