107: Major donation

Shanghai, the top floor of the Cloud Pavilion Headquarters building.

The heavy mahogany door of the CEO's office was silently pushed open, and Lu Fan walked in.

Jiang Fang and two Cloud Pavilion staff members carefully pushed three flat carts covered with dust sheets.

Xia Yunting, who was reviewing documents behind a large desk, looked up. Seeing Lu Fan, his face immediately broke into a warm smile.

“Brother Lu, you arrived so fast? Please, have a seat!

You said on the phone you had something good for me to see. I even canceled my afternoon meeting just to wait for you.”

He stood up, his gaze landing curiously on the three carts.

Lu Fan didn't exchange many pleasantries, nodding slightly to signal Jiang Fang to temporarily withdraw.

Seeing that only the two of them remained in the office, he walked to the first cart and lifted the dust sheet.

“Hiss...” The smile on Xia Yunting's face instantly froze, and he gasped sharply.

What met his eyes were not neatly arranged books, but three huge, open, moisture-proof transport boxes.

They were filled with scattered, yellowed, fragile, curled, and even damaged loose sheets of paper!

They looked like historical fragments crumpled by time, messy yet carrying a heart-stopping weight.

The unique old scent of the paper mixed with a faint smell of mold spread through the air.

“This... what is this?” Xia Yunting's voice trembled with disbelief.

He quickly stepped closer, not daring to reach out and touch them. He merely bent down, squinting to carefully identify the ink marks on the paper.

They were traditional characters, printed vertically—a publishing style that had long disappeared into the river of history.

On some pages, clear traces of scorching from warfare or water stains could still be seen.

“These items are from the Eastern Library.” Lu Fan's voice was calm. “Books salvaged when the library was destroyed in 1932.

Three large boxes of loose pages, preliminarily estimated to be sourced from hundreds of different books and periodicals. And there's this.”

He walked to the second cart and lifted the cloth.

“Two thousand volumes of incomplete books, damaged to varying degrees—missing pages, broken, worm-eaten... but the main body remains.”

Before them were stacks of worn-out volumes, with cracked spines and mottled covers.

Xia Yunting felt his heart being fiercely clenched.

As the head of the nation's top institution for ancient texts and document trading, he knew the value of these fragmented pages and volumes all too well!

They weren't antiques; they were the most direct, smoke-scented evidence of history!

He opened his mouth but couldn't speak, only able to unconsciously rub his fingers along the cold edge of the cart.

Lu Fan didn't stop, walking straight to the third cart and lifting the dust sheet.

“These thousand volumes are relatively intact, saved during the rescue operation at the time.”

Seeing the relatively neat volumes with mostly intact covers, the tension in Xia Yunting's nerves eased slightly.

But the shock in his eyes hadn't diminished at all.

A full three thousand volumes—two thousand incomplete and one thousand complete—so many treasures that had endured wandering and displacement were finally returning home.

This was practically an earthquake in the world of document collection; he felt like he needed to hold onto the desk just to stay upright.

However, Lu Fan's next action caused him to completely lose his composure.

From a special metal box he carried, equipped with constant temperature and humidity control,

he carefully took out a thick catalog list and handed it to Xia Yunting: “CEO Xia, take a look at this too.”

Xia Yunting took the list almost mechanically.

When his gaze swept across the words “Ye Jingkui Collection” and the shocking quantity of “three thousand volumes” that followed,

his breathing stopped completely!

Ye Jingkui! The famous bibliophile from the Republic of China Era, whose collection was long believed to have been completely lost during the war!

The reappearance of these three thousand volumes of collected books had cultural value far exceeding the previous ordinary books and periodicals!

He suddenly looked up at Lu Fan, his eyes filled with extreme shock and a need for confirmation.

Lu Fan merely nodded calmly.

Xia Yunting felt his hands trembling; he forced himself to continue reading the list.

When the terms “Far East's First Library,” “Treasure of the Museum,” and “yongle encyclopedia” were grouped together,

and clearly marked with “three volumes.”

Xia Yunting felt a buzzing sound in his brain, and his vision went black for a moment.

He stumbled backward, leaning heavily against the huge floor-to-ceiling window. The cold touch of the glass brought him back to his senses slightly.

“Yong... yongle encyclopedia!” His voice was shrill and distorted, filled with extreme horror and ecstasy.

“There are actually three volumes?! My God! Brother Lu! You... you are the god of Shanghai's cultural circles.”

He rushed to the metal box. Lu Fan carefully opened it, revealing three specialized nanmu book boxes inside.

Xia Yunting almost held his breath, using trembling fingers to gently lift a corner of one of the book boxes.

The familiar size, the unique yellow silk cover, the solemn aura that persisted despite centuries of change... No need to look further, it was undoubtedly genuine!

He quickly closed the book box, as if afraid of disturbing the sleeping national treasure.

He leaned against the box, breathing heavily.

Fine beads of sweat covered his forehead, and his face was a mix of ecstasy, shock, and a feeling of near-exhaustion.

The appearance of these three volumes of the yongle encyclopedia could no longer be described merely as priceless; this was a cultural event worthy of historical record!

Dead silence fell over the office, broken only by Xia Yunting's heavy breathing.

After taking several Quick-Acting Heart-Relief Pills, he managed to calm his emotions somewhat.

He looked at Lu Fan with awe and complexity: “Brother Lu... these items of yours... they're too hot to handle, truly too hot!

Especially the Encyclopedia—this is a genuine national treasure of immense importance! How do you plan... to handle it?”

Lu Fan seemed to have anticipated his reaction and calmly said: “CEO Xia, you want to facilitate the completion of the Modu Cultural Museum.

Are the core parts of the yongle encyclopedia and the Ye Collection weighty enough?”

“Enough~~ Absolutely enough!!” Xia Yunting froze, then his eyes burst with brilliance. Now the Modu Cultural Museum project was a certainty.

“That's good. Once the museum is completed, I will directly loan these books out for a term of 99 years. They will automatically be donated when the term expires.”

Lu Fan's tone was certain, definite, and assured: “Cloud Pavilion will serve as the intermediary guarantor and manager.

The rental fee will only be symbolic; the core goal is to ensure they receive the best possible protection, research, and exhibition.”

Xia Yunting instantly understood Lu Fan's profound meaning and sincerity.

99 years! Automatic donation upon expiration! This was practically equivalent to a permanent donation.

Although nominal ownership was retained, this was entirely to circumvent many potential troubles.

At the same time, it granted Cloud Pavilion immense prestige and the opportunity for resource integration.

This time, Cloud Pavilion had completely hit the jackpot.

The immense surprise scattered the previous shock. Xia Yunting excitedly clapped his hands: “Wonderful! Brother Lu, your righteousness is profound!

Cloud Pavilion is duty-bound to handle this, and we will do an outstanding job!”

He paced back and forth a couple of steps, then suddenly stopped.

Looking at Lu Fan, he said solemnly: “Since you trust me so much, Brother, I cannot fail to show my appreciation.

Regarding those 'hard-to-handle' items in that batch of treasures, leave them to me!

Consider it my personal respect and Cloud Pavilion's respect for your cultural dedication!”

Lu Fan smiled slightly and extended his hand: “Then it's a deal. It's always a pleasure cooperating with you, CEO Xia.”

“A pleasure cooperating!” Xia Yunting firmly shook Lu Fan's hand, his face radiating unprecedented excitement and a sense of mission.