Chapter 105: The Master's Arrival

“Heh heh... You just heard Mr. Wu’s words. This Song Dynasty double-eared vase is worth this price. Of course, considering that this particular vase from the Qingyuan family was a gift from the prime minister at the time, its significance is much greater. How about this? As close brothers, let’s settle on a fixed price: fifteen million!” Chen Xiong couldn’t help but laugh, feeling quite pleased with himself.

“Fifteen... million? *cough*... *cough*...” Chen Jianguo suddenly started coughing violently, his face turning pale, cold sweat trickling down his forehead.

“You must be crazy! This broken vase is nothing but a fake, at best a finely crafted counterfeit. Its real value won’t exceed three hundred thousand!” At that moment, Su Zheng spoke up again. He had been observing the double-eared vase all along, pressing his ear against it to sense it himself. Hearing Chen Xiong’s offer, he raised his head with a look of disdain and sneered at him.

“Shut up! With Mr. Wu here, you don’t have the right to speak...” Chen Xiong’s face darkened with anger, but before he could continue, Wu Rongsheng waved his hand to stop him.

“I originally had no intention of paying attention to a petty rogue like you, but since you repeatedly question me, what exactly is your intention?” Wu Rongsheng’s expression turned serious, a hint of pride in his eyes as he looked at Su Zheng. “In the antiques world, experience and discernment are everything. I have appraised more collections than you have ever seen in your entire life, and I have never been wrong. If you continue to make baseless accusations, I will sue you for defamation!”

“Here’s what I propose: bow to me and apologize, and I might consider forgiving your ignorance!” Wu Rongsheng sneered coldly.

Su Zheng shook his head. “I’m just stating the facts. This is a fake. Why don’t we ask a professional appraisal agency? In such a big place as Qingyang, there must be someone who can tell the genuine from the counterfeit.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted once more, many showing disdain toward Su Zheng. They thought he was deliberately stalling, just like Mr. Wu said—a nuisance causing trouble!

However, a few curious onlookers whispered among themselves before quickly moving away. This antique street often attracted big names in the industry; it was not short of experts after all.

“Su Zheng, maybe you should say less,” Chen Muxue whispered softly. Even she didn’t believe Su Zheng was more professional than Wu Rongsheng. After all, the antiques world was complex and deep; an ordinary person without decades of immersion couldn’t even be considered a novice, let alone someone passionate about it.

And Su Zheng had never shown any interest or research in this field before! To Chen Muxue, this was even harder to believe than Su Zheng being skilled in medicine. Although she kept telling herself to trust Su Zheng unconditionally, the facts were right in front of her, and she couldn’t convince herself otherwise.

“Muxue, you have to believe me. This is a fake. Your uncle is holding counterfeit goods to swindle money. If we don’t sue him for defamation, that’s already lenient!” Su Zheng smiled gently at Chen Muxue, just as he was about to explain his reasoning, when several people hurriedly pushed their way inside.

Leading them was an elderly man with graying hair and a rosy complexion, who entered with a cheerful smile and said, “I heard there’s a Song Dynasty double-eared vase here. I’m quite interested. Where is it?”

At once, all eyes turned toward him. Seeing the newcomer, Wu Rongsheng’s expression shifted slightly, and he quickly put on a polite smile, saying, “Ah, Elder He, what a surprise! Haha... please, please come in!”

As his words fell, many showed skeptical expressions. Anyone treated so respectfully by Wu Rongsheng must be a prominent figure in the antiques world.

“Elder He? Could it be...?” “Yes, how could I not have thought of it? Is that Elder He Ruijing?” “Amazing! To see two big figures from the antiques world in one day—this trip is well worth it, haha...” “Right, Elder He Ruijing just happened to come to our shop today to offer some guidance. When he heard about the double-eared vase, he came right over.” “Make way for Elder He, let him take a closer look!”

The crowd grew even more excited, showing respect and clearing a path so He Ruijing could approach the counter and examine the Song Dynasty double-eared vase carefully.

He Ruijing was a true heavyweight in Qingyang’s antiques circle. Even Wu Rongsheng was somewhat humbled before him. He Ruijing was a frequent star on television appraisal shows—well-learned, never mistaken in his judgments, humble, and famous for his memorable quips. He was as popular as any internet celebrity.

“Elder He, this young man is causing trouble, insisting that the pieces I’ve appraised are fake. Since you’re here, why not help us settle this? I’m sure your decision will silence some people,” Wu Rongsheng glanced sideways at Su Zheng and smiled as he invited He Ruijing.

“I came merely to broaden my horizons. We are all enthusiasts here; it’s better not to cause discord, haha...” He Ruijing’s face showed reluctance. Clearly, he did not wish to get involved in the dispute.

“You’d only cause discord by not appraising, haha. Hello, Elder He. Here’s what happened...” Chen Xiong saw He Ruijing’s hesitation and promptly explained the situation, hoping the elder would arbitrate.

“Alright then... but let’s be clear: we’re focusing on the item, not the people. We’re here to assess the collection’s value, agreed?” He Ruijing said, smiling warmly as he looked at Su Zheng, who had already been briefed.

“Yes, I want Elder He to evaluate this piece and tell us if it’s worth over fifteen million,” Su Zheng smiled calmly, showing no sign of panic, nodding slightly.

“Well then, I shall make a fool of myself!” He Ruijing said, preparing to examine the vase on the counter.

“Elder He, please wait!” Chen Xiong politely stopped him, then turned to Su Zheng and said, “Hmph! Young man, when you say the wrong things, you must pay the price. You severely damaged Mr. Wu Rongsheng’s reputation just now. If Elder He confirms this vase is authentic, I expect you not only to bow and apologize to Mr. Wu but also to offer something concrete. I hear you have a ‘Ten-Thousand Gold Token’ on you—no one knows where you stole it from. If you lose, that token belongs to us. Do you dare agree?”

Chen Xiong had already confirmed with Feng Qingyuan that the vase was genuine. He wanted to seize this opportunity to get Su Zheng’s token.

“You want my token? That’s possible. But if your vase turns out to be fake, what will you give me?” Su Zheng looked at Chen Xiong leisurely and said calmly.