"Mr. Lin, where do you work?"
Qian Xiangrong shook hands enthusiastically with Lin Fan, probing for his background.
"I run a medical clinic, and I'm also a bit familiar with the study of feng shui," Lin Fan said with a smile.
He then added, "Sister Zhou insisted I come, but I don't actually know much about antiques."
"It doesn't matter if you don't know, I trust you," Zhou Yi said, her eyes shining with admiration. "If you say it's worth it, then I think it's worth it, and I'm happy to spend any amount."
Qian Xiangrong was incredibly envious. His profession was catering to the wealthy.
However, wealthy people weren't fools. When they were about to spend millions, they would be cautious and guarded against being cheated.
Sometimes, no matter how eloquently he spoke, he would only receive a response like, "What you said makes sense, but I just don't like the look of it, it doesn't feel authentic."
What could he do?
He hoped this Lin Fan would be a reasonable person and not as willful as Zhou Yi.
"President Zhou, and Mr. Lin, please come in with me."
Qian Xiangrong led the two into the hotel, gave the room number to the front desk, and then began to boast about how reliable his friends were, assuring them that there were no concerns about the provenance of the antiques.
Lin Fan followed along absentmindedly, arriving at a room door on the third floor.
Knock, knock, knock!
Qian Xiangrong knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
A hoarse voice came from inside the room, sounding a little nervous.
"It's me, Old Qian," Qian Xiangrong replied, standing by the peephole to let the other person look.
After a moment, the door opened.
"Why... Oh, it's President Zhou, welcome."
The person who opened the door was a man with a long, thin face, around fifty years old.
There were also two young men inside the room, with fierce expressions, not looking like they were up to any good.
"Boss Liu is quite cautious, isn't he?" Zhou Yi said haughtily, entering the room with Lin Fan's arm linked in hers.
Liu Fa secretly clicked his tongue.
Although Zhou Yi wasn't young anymore, she still retained her charm. He hadn't expected her to bring a pretty boy with her.
"Why didn't she fancy me?" Liu Fa was full of jealousy.
Qian Xiangrong gave him a look and then closed the door.
"Please, have a seat, have a seat."
Liu Fa warmly invited the three to sit down. "President Zhou, what brings you here today? Have you changed your mind?"
He smiled obsequiously. "I won't hide it from you, I've had many people coming to me these past two days, and several items have already been sold. If you want to pick something else, there won't be as many choices."
"Alright, alright," Zhou Yi said impatiently, waving her hand. "Enough with the small talk. Bring out all the good stuff. As long as Xiao Fan says to buy it, I'll pay the money immediately."
Liu Fa looked at Lin Fan, who was composed and calm, with surprise.
This kid is too favored!
Could he have some special skills?
"Little brother, I'll be relying on you to look after my business today," Liu Fa said, cupping his hands and lowering his posture considerably.
"Mm," Lin Fan nodded perfunctorily.
Liu Fa didn't delay. He clapped his hands, and a head slowly poked out from the inner room. After exchanging a look, it retreated.
Then, the sound of rummaging through boxes and cabinets came from the inner room.
"Old Liu, you said you've sold a lot of goods these past few days, do you still have the condensed water pearls?" Zhou Yi asked with some concern.
Liu Fa's eyes darted. It seemed this wealthy lady's greatest concern was the condensed water pearls.
"President Zhou, I won't hide it from you, I haven't sold them, but someone has already made an offer. I felt it was a bit low, so I didn't sell them."
"Old Liu, how much did they offer?"
Zhou Yi looked at Liu Fa askance with a suspicious gaze.
"Not much, five million five hundred thousand."
Liu Fa held up both his hands and said with utmost seriousness, "My psychological price is actually ten million. I can accept a little less, but cutting it by half at once is simply too much."
Zhou Yi chuckled, "Oh, so if you sell it to me for five million, I'd be getting a great deal?"
"You are Mr. Qian's friend, so you are my friend. If it were someone else, I wouldn't even bother to negotiate at that price," Liu Fa said with a confident air, indicating that his goods were in high demand.
Zhou Yi pouted and said nothing.
After a short while, the two young men from the inner room emerged carrying items wrapped in newspapers and placed them on the coffee table one by one.
"There's still quite a bit."
They went back and brought out a pile of small trinkets.
Qian Xiangrong said with a smile, "Mr. Lin is visiting for the first time, Old Liu, quickly bring out all your treasures for him to examine."
Liu Fa's spirits lifted. He picked up a small paper packet.
As the newspaper was unwrapped layer by layer, a bronze vessel was revealed to everyone.
Lin Fan looked at it with curiosity. It resembled a large cup, but with a funnel-shaped top and supported by three legs.
Exquisite patterns were painted on the surface, giving it a noble aura.
"Little brother, take a look," Liu Fa said, placing the bronze vessel on a layer of newspaper and handing it to Lin Fan. "A wine vessel from the pre-Qin period, not commonly seen on the market!"
Lin Fan carefully took the wine vessel. The weighty feel of it and the palpable aura of age made him dare not be careless.
Zhou Yi calmly held her teacup and watched Lin Fan examine the wine vessel. "Xiao Fan, how is it?"
"One moment," Lin Fan activated his Purple Pole Spirit Eyes, a faint purple light glowing in the depths of his pupils.
In the next second, the intricate details of the bronze vessel appeared before him with exquisite clarity.
Liu Fa and Qian Xiangrong exchanged glances, both unable to gauge Lin Fan's abilities.
If he didn't understand antiques, his serious expression and meticulous attitude didn't seem like pretense.
If he did understand, then he didn't know the basic principles of appraisal.
Just looking intently, what could he figure out?
At this moment, Lin Fan was examining the structure of the bronze vessel layer by layer.
Under magnification, the bronze patina, formed over time due to changes in temperature and humidity, showed distinct stratification.
As his gaze went deeper, Lin Fan could also see details that others couldn't reach, namely the internal structure of the bronze vessel.
Ancient craftsmanship was primitive, and it was inevitable that small bubbles would form during the manufacturing process.
Those that didn't affect the appearance or use were considered finished products.
The failures were naturally melted down and remade.
This wine vessel in front of Lin Fan had some small bubbles inside, but they were tiny and invisible from the outside, making it a case of minor flaws that didn't detract from its overall excellence.
"It's genuine," Lin Fan said after meticulously examining every detail of the bronze vessel.
"Good eye! Little brother has a good eye!" Liu Fa gave him a thumbs-up.
Zhou Yi took the wine vessel and examined it herself for a while, nodding with satisfaction. "Xiao Fan, I'll buy it and give it to you."
"What would I want it for? I don't know anything about antiques," Lin Fan politely declined.
After all, it was an item from two thousand years ago; it couldn't possibly be cheap.
"Buy it for fun. Genuine items are becoming fewer and fewer," Zhou Yi said.
Liu Fa smiled obsequiously. "President Zhou, you couldn't be more right!"