Where did you get the idea that the museum cut it? All information I could find points to the first scenes being lost at a far earlier date.

[1]In 1914–1915 the scroll was dismantled, and remounted on two long stretchers, one containing the nine scenes of the original painting, and one containing all the other sections, except for the Zou Yigui painting, which was mounted separately as an album leaf. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Admonitions_Scroll

Even if that were the case, I’d argue that it has fared much better in London than it would have in China - most likely it would have been “harmonized” in the 1960s.

so the thieves just argue with "if.., would" and ignore the facts? lol