Chapter 16:
Master Jia
“By the way, how long until the auction begins?”
Remembering the event, Ye Feng turned to the appraiser and asked.
He also wanted to see whether he might be lucky enough to come across a magical artifact at the auction.
The appraiser glanced at his watch and replied,
“It starts at 6:30. It’s 6:27 now, so there are three minutes left.”
“And where is it being held?”
Ye Feng asked again.
“Mr. Ye, it’s in the third-floor hall. It can accommodate about three hundred guests. Since the auction hasn’t started yet, it shouldn’t be full. If you’re interested, you can head over and have a look. You might even find a treasure you like.”
Hearing this, Ye Feng nodded.
That was exactly what he had planned.
If he happened to find another magical artifact, then the trip would definitely be worthwhile.
The appraiser then continued,
“Mr. Ye, please provide your bank card number so that we can transfer the payment to you.”
After Ye Feng gave him the number, the appraiser completed the transaction in less than five minutes.
Soon, a notification arrived on Ye Feng’s phone confirming the deposit.
When Lin Wan’er saw the amount, she froze for a moment.
It all felt so unreal that she needed a little time to process it.
“I’ll go to the restroom.”
After she left the room, Ye Feng lazily leaned back on the sofa. As his gaze wandered around the office, it suddenly stopped on several display pieces placed inside a cabinet.
One of them was a jade porcelain vase about the size of a palm. It looked rather beautiful, with a smooth and glossy finish.
However, with a single glance, he could tell it was fake.
He scanned the other jade items as well.
They were all counterfeits.
He frowned.
If they were all fake, why were they being displayed here?
Could they actually be intended for the auction?
After thinking for a moment, he pointed toward the cabinet and asked the appraiser,
“Are those items all going to be auctioned off?”
The appraiser looked over and nodded.
“That’s right. They’re auction lots we’re temporarily storing here. They’ll be sent to the auction hall shortly.”
“Then I’d advise you not to auction them.”
Ye Feng shook his head.
“They’re all fake.”
“All fake?”
The appraiser’s expression changed slightly. He quickly made a gesture for silence and walked over in a low voice.
“Mr. Ye, you can’t say things like that carelessly.”
“These antiques were personally authenticated by Master Yang. There’s no way they’re fake.”
Of course, he didn’t believe that Ye Feng could identify them as fakes with just one look.
Not only was Ye Feng not even an appraiser, but even he himself, a certified First-Class Appraiser, would never dare casually declare those items fake.
After all, they had all been authenticated personally by Master Yang.
If even Master Yang had determined them to be genuine, who would dare question him?
Unless those words came from an appraisal grandmaster of an even higher level, no one would dare challenge that judgment.
Fortunately, there were only the two of them in the office.
If anyone else had overheard Ye Feng’s words, he would certainly have been bombarded with criticism.
No one could tolerate someone questioning a master’s appraisal.
“Fine. If you say they’re not fake, then they’re not fake.”
Ye Feng didn’t want to meddle further, though inwardly he couldn’t help muttering to himself,
So this famous Master Yang is only so-so.
He can’t even distinguish genuine from fake, yet he calls himself a master.
How laughable.
Before long, Lin Wan’er returned, and Ye Feng took her toward the auction hall.
He was hoping to try his luck and see whether he could discover another magical artifact.
The iron bracelet he had obtained earlier was indeed a valuable treasure, but having only one was far from enough.
He wanted to acquire more.
At the same time, as Ye Feng and Lin Wan’er headed toward the auction venue, three other people entered the room.
Leading them was an elderly man dressed in black.
His expression was cold, his hands clasped behind his back, and an occasional hidden sneer curled at the corners of his mouth.
Walking beside him were a young man and a young woman.
The moment the appraiser saw the old man, his face immediately filled with respect. He hurried forward and cupped his hands.
“Master Jia, welcome to Jubao Pavilion. Please, have a seat.”
The old man, known as Master Jia, gave a slight nod and sat down on the sofa with the two proud-looking youths.
The appraiser quickly prepared three cups of tea and respectfully served them.
Master Jia’s full name was Jia Lianshan.
He was also a renowned antique master, standing on roughly equal footing with Master Yang.
In fact, because he was based in the magical city of Shanghai, his reputation exceeded Master Yang’s by more than a level, and he had countless disciples under his wing.
In the antique world, his words carried enormous weight.
While the appraiser prepared the tea, Jia Lianshan remained silent the entire time.
He sat perfectly upright, his eyes closed indifferently, seemingly resting.
Meanwhile, the young man and woman beside him noticed the single-star badge pinned to the appraiser’s chest and couldn’t hide the disdain in their eyes.
Though they themselves were also only First-Class Appraisers, they had one major advantage—
They were much younger.
And more importantly…
They had Master Jia as their teacher.
With such a powerful master backing them, how could they possibly regard ordinary appraisers as equals?
Naturally, they couldn’t.
Unless someone was at the master level, they couldn’t even be bothered to spare them a glance.
The appraiser, Liu Xuan, naturally noticed their contemptuous looks.
Though somewhat unhappy, he said nothing.
He was thirty-seven years old and had only reached the rank of First-Class Appraiser.
Compared with these two young appraisers, who looked to be only twenty-five or twenty-six, he indeed had little to boast about.
“Where is Yang Miao?”
Jia Lianshan suddenly opened his eyes and asked.
Yang Miao was Master Yang’s real name.
Their abilities were nearly identical, but their personalities had never gotten along.
Neither was willing to admit defeat.
In their careers, they had always been rivals, constantly competing both openly and behind the scenes.
This time, Jia Lianshan had secretly received information that a batch of late Yuan Dynasty antiques authenticated by Yang Miao were actually high-grade counterfeits.
If that proved true, Yang Miao’s reputation and status would plummet, and a permanent stain would be left on his professional career.
It would undoubtedly deal him a devastating blow.
Just imagining Yang Miao becoming the target of public criticism filled Jia Lianshan with secret delight.
Yang Miao… Yang Miao…
This time, I’ll make sure you’re utterly ruined.
A cold smile appeared on Jia Lianshan’s face.
“Master Jia, Master Yang is currently resting in his office,”
Liu Xuan immediately replied.
“I heard he personally authenticated a batch of royal antiques from the late Yuan Dynasty recently, and they’re about to be auctioned. Is that true?”
Jia Lianshan asked.
Liu Xuan nodded.
“That’s correct. Master Yang personally authenticated a batch of late Yuan Dynasty royal antiques yesterday.”
As he spoke, he walked over to the display cabinet and pointed at several porcelain pieces.
“These antiques have been preserved in nearly perfect condition. They’re the finest examples I’ve seen in all my years.”
“Heh.”
Jia Lianshan immediately sneered.
“Of course they’re in perfect condition.”
“Because every single one of them is fake.”
The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell into complete silence.
It was as though the air itself had frozen.
Not only Liu Xuan, but even the two proud young disciples were stunned.
“F-Fake?”
Liu Xuan was momentarily speechless before forcing out a laugh.
“Master Jia, surely you’re joking.”
“What?”
Jia Lianshan’s voice turned cold.
“Do I look like I’m joking with you?”
“Uh…”
Liu Xuan froze.
Then it suddenly dawned on him.
Master Jia and Master Yang were both antique masters. A man of his standing would never make such a claim lightly.
His heart skipped a beat.
Could these antiques really be fake?
If that were true…
Master Yang’s reputation would suffer a tremendous blow.
At that moment, Liu Xuan suddenly remembered what Ye Feng had said earlier.
He had also said these antiques were fake.
But how did he know?
Could that young man also be an appraiser?
Impossible…
He looked far too young.
How could someone his age see through something that even Master Yang had failed to detect?
