Chapter 15: The Antique Master
“What? That kid again? He’s still clinging to Wan’er and refusing to let go?”
On the other end of the phone, Young Master Shen’s voice turned cold and gloomy.
“Didn’t he understand the warning we gave him last time?”
“A toad actually thinks it deserves to eat swan meat!”
“If that’s the case, then don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
“This is your own doing.”
“Send some men. Before midnight tonight, I want that brat tied up and brought to me.”
“And remember—don’t leave any traces behind.”
“Make sure the Jianghai police can’t trace it back to us.”
“Understood, Young Master Shen! We’ll get it done!”
After hanging up, the man in the baseball cap glanced once more toward Ye Feng’s table.
Then he lowered the brim of his hat and quickly left the restaurant.
As for Ye Feng…
After dinner, he found an excuse to send Cheng Xiaoling away before taking Lin Wan’er to a large antique shop nearby.
After all, he had bought so many antiques earlier.
Naturally, he intended to sell them.
As for how much they were worth, even he wasn’t entirely sure.
He knew nothing about antique appraisal.
However, with his divine sense, he could tell at a glance whether an item was genuine or fake.
That was why he preferred selling them through a reputable establishment like this.
At the very least, there would be professionals here.
Of course…
There might also be people who specialized in cheating customers.
But Ye Feng wasn’t worried about being tricked.
The antique store was called Treasure Pavilion.
It occupied a huge area, was lavishly decorated, and enjoyed an outstanding reputation throughout the district.
It was said that the shop even housed a famous Antique Master whose expertise in dating, material analysis, and authenticity verification was unmatched.
Lin Wan’er looked completely puzzled as Ye Feng mysteriously led her into Treasure Pavilion.
“What are we doing here?”
“Don’t tell me you’re planning to buy antiques?”
“You guessed wrong.”
Ye Feng shook his head.
“I’m not here to buy antiques.”
“I’m here to sell them.”
“Sell antiques?”
Lin Wan’er looked him up and down before frowning.
“Then where are your antiques?”
“Relax.”
“I already left them here for appraisal.”
“Once they’ve finished evaluating everything, I can collect the money.”
Ye Feng replied calmly.
“Really?”
“Then… how much are they worth?”
She asked curiously.
“About ten million yuan.”
“W-What?!”
Lin Wan’er’s eyes widened.
“That much?”
“You’re joking, right?”
“When have I ever lied to you?”
Ye Feng smiled before gently taking her hand and leading her inside.
About a minute after Ye Feng and Lin Wan’er entered Treasure Pavilion, another group of seven people walked through the doors.
Leading them was an elderly man dressed in a traditional Chinese robe.
Beside him stood a young woman in a white dress.
The remaining five were tall, muscular bodyguards.
If Ye Feng had seen them, he would have immediately recognized the girl.
She was none other than Tang Yingying.
The elderly man was her grandfather—
Tang Hong, the head of the Tang Family of Jianghai City.
Tang Hong had an immense passion for collecting antiques.
After hearing that Treasure Pavilion was hosting its annual antique auction today, he had come to see whether he might discover something worthy of his collection.
Tang Yingying had simply tagged along to join the excitement.
Ever since she was little, she had often listened to her grandfather explain the history and stories behind various antiques.
Over time, she had become genuinely interested in the subject herself.
Besides, the annual auction only happened once a year.
Since she had nothing better to do, she thought she might as well broaden her horizons.
“Grandpa, I heard Treasure Pavilion has an Antique Master.”
“Do you know him?”
Tang Yingying asked.
Tang Hong smiled as they walked.
“Of course.”
“He’s an old friend of mine.”
“He also loves collecting antiques, so we get along quite well.”
“In the past, whenever I acquired a new piece, I would always ask him to authenticate it to avoid buying fakes.”
“His appraisal skills are truly at the master’s level.”
“In all of Jianghai City, no one can compare to him.”
Tang Yingying looked surprised.
“That amazing?”
“Then, when it comes to appraising antiques, doesn’t that mean nobody can surpass him?”
“Naturally.”
Tang Hong nodded proudly.
“If he calls himself number one in Jianghai, no one would dare claim to be number two.”
“Then I definitely have to see what he’s capable of.”
Tang Yingying became even more curious.
Meanwhile…
Ye Feng and Lin Wan’er entered a spacious and brightly lit room.
A First-Level Appraiser was already waiting there and warmly invited them to sit down.
The profession of antique appraisal was divided into four ranks:
First-Level Appraiser
Second-Level Appraiser
Third-Level Master
Fourth-Level Grandmaster
The leap from the second level to the third was considered a major dividing line.
It required passing official examinations at specialized institutions and could not be faked.
The appraiser receiving Ye Feng wore a rather eye-catching badge on his chest.
It bore the words:
Chinese Appraisal Association
Below the title was a single small star.
One star indicated that he was a First-Level Appraiser.
Such experts could authenticate most ordinary antiques.
More complicated pieces required a Second-Level Appraiser.
Ye Feng had heard a little about this profession before.
The higher an appraiser’s rank, the greater their prestige and status.
Their abilities were judged in several areas.
First was identifying the material of an antique, such as metals, ceramics, or jade.
Second was determining its age, mainly by studying its style and craftsmanship, since ancient and modern techniques differed greatly.
Third—and most importantly—was authenticity verification.
This relied on careful observation of details, often assisted by modern technology.
This was the true test of an appraiser’s skill.
Finally, there was market valuation.
Compared to the other categories, this was relatively straightforward.
Once the material and age had been accurately determined, estimating the market value was usually not too difficult.
As a result, different appraisers generally arrived at very similar prices.
“Mr. Ye, we’ve completed the appraisal of all the antiques you brought in earlier.”
“We’ve also calculated their total value.”
“The combined appraisal comes to 12.6 million yuan.”
The appraiser handed Ye Feng a printed statement with a professional smile.
“I’d just like to confirm one final time.”
“Do you wish to sell all of these items?”
Ye Feng glanced at the invoice and nodded.
“That’s right.”
“I’m selling everything.”
At the same time, he couldn’t help feeling emotional.
Making over ten million yuan in a single day…
If someone had told him that before, he would never have believed it.
The whole experience felt almost like a dream.
It didn’t seem real.
Unlike him, Lin Wan’er was completely stunned.
She leaned closer and whispered into his ear,
“Where did all these antiques come from?”
“How can they be worth so much money?”
“I found them at the antique market.”
“As for why they’re worth this much…”
“I guess I was just lucky.”
Ye Feng replied.
“Lucky?”
Lin Wan’er looked unconvinced.
“How can anyone be that lucky?”
“This is ten million yuan we’re talking about—not one thousand.”
“Don’t worry.”
“I found all of them through my own ability.”
“If you don’t believe me, next time we go to the antique market, I’ll show you a few tricks.”
Ye Feng gently held her hand and lightly patted it, his expression remaining completely calm.
Looking at his composed face, Lin Wan’er could only nod helplessly.
Outwardly, she chose to believe him.
But deep down, she still found it difficult.
It wasn’t that she doubted Ye Feng.
It was simply because she had never seen him display such an incredible ability before.
Anyone would react the same way.
If someone you knew suddenly revealed a talent you had never imagined they possessed, wouldn’t you be shocked?
Especially when you hadn’t seen it with your own eyes.
Even if you wanted to believe them, a small part of your heart would still struggle to accept it.
