Zhou Yi placed the bronze wine goblet before her. "How much was it again?"
"Six hundred and sixty thousand," Liu Fa gestured with two sixes. "Manager Zhou, this piece is flawless, absolutely worth the price. Sell it later when you're tired of it, and I guarantee you'll make a profit."
"Fifty thousand in one go. If you agree, fine. If not, I'm leaving," Zhou Yi stated decisively.
"This..."
Liu Fa exchanged a look with Qian Xiangrong.
The goods were Liu Fa's, but Qian Xiangrong was the local connection, responsible for introductions.
He received a commission for every item sold.
Qian Xiangrong nodded slightly. The rich woman had a temper, and fifty thousand was already a considerable sum.
Moreover, judging by her demeanor, she intended to buy more than just one item today, potentially a deal worth millions. There was no need to quibble over such a small amount.
"Alright, you're straightforward, and I'll be straightforward too!" Liu Fa slapped his thigh, making his decision.
Zhou Yi wrapped the bronze wine goblet and handed it to Lin Fan. "Xiao Fan, you take it."
Lin Fan waved his hands repeatedly. "Sister Zhou, what would I do with this?"
"Haven't you just built a new house? You can't leave it without something to ward off evil spirits." As she spoke, Zhou Yi directly pushed the item into Lin Fan's hand.
Lin Fan refused for a moment, but seeing her resolute attitude, he accepted it.
After all, he possessed skills and would surely repay her in the future.
"Manager Zhou, please take a look at the others. We have many more good things," Qian Xiangrong said enthusiastically.
"Mr. Lin, please trouble you to help Manager Zhou appraise them," Liu Fa chimed in.
The two of them saw Zhou Yi and Lin Fan as big payers and eagerly began their sales pitch.
"Bring out some good stuff," Zhou Yi commanded.
"Right away!" Liu Fa had been waiting for this.
He had brought out a small item first to make Zhou Yi anxious, thus enabling him to sell the subsequent items at a higher price.
Lin Fan wasn't fooled by this tactic and remained relaxed.
Qian Xiangrong pushed a larger item, shaped like an incense burner, towards them. "Manager Zhou, Mr. Lin, please take a look."
Zhou Yi then pushed the object in front of Lin Fan. "Xiao Fan, you check it."
Lin Fan personally tore open the newspaper and saw a bronze *zun* with three feet and beast-shaped handles.
This bronze *zun* was a ritual vessel in ancient times, combining the shapes of a *ding* and a *gui*. It resembled a globe, a large round sphere.
It had a rusted beast-shaped ornament on top, which likely served as an air vent.
"Manager Zhou, this is a genuine treasure!" Liu Fa beamed with pride. This item was the second most precious treasure he had acquired from grave robbing.
His mental price was three million.
Of course, the floor price could be lowered.
One point five to two million would also be acceptable.
After all, these items had questionable origins and were hot to handle; the sooner they were converted into cash, the better.
As for how much others sold the goods they acquired from him for, that was none of his business.
Liu Fa had always prioritized safety, which was why he had been active in the tomb-robbing industry for over a decade without incident.
Many of his contemporaries were now in jail.
While he couldn't claim to be immensely wealthy, his life was comfortable and carefree.
"Sister Zhou, the item is fake," Lin Fan advised.
"What?"
"That's impossible!"
Liu Fa's eyes widened, and he glared at Lin Fan in shock and anger.
"What are you doing, shouting at Xiao Fan for no reason!"
Before Lin Fan could retort, Zhou Yi spoke up.
*Slap!*
She slammed her hand on the table, her formidable presence suppressing Liu Fa and Qian Xiangrong.
"Manager Zhou, please calm down. Old Liu didn't mean anything by it," Qian Xiangrong quickly pleaded.
Two young men from the back room peeked out. They remained inside, but the movements of their arms suggested they were holding weapons, clearly prepared to act.
Liu Fa frowned and waved his hand, signaling them to retreat.
"Manager Zhou, everything here was unearthed by me personally."
"If something was buried in the ground, how could any of it be fake?"
Liu Fa looked at Lin Fan. "Young man, please explain. Where is this item fake?"
"Xiao Fan, tell him," Zhou Yi snorted and nudged Lin Fan with her elbow.
"Boss Liu, are you sure all the items were unearthed together and have never been touched by anyone else?" Lin Fan asked first.
"This..." Liu Fa's brow furrowed deeply.
Tomb robbing wasn't a solo endeavor and was extremely dangerous.
Someone had to act as a lookout on the surface. In case of collapse or poisoning, at least someone could help save their lives.
Liu Fa had also collaborated with others to open a Qin Dynasty tomb. Judging by the specifications of the burial objects, it should have belonged to a low-ranking military officer.
The condensation beads were an unexpected bonus of this operation. After obtaining them, they argued for over half a month due to disputes over the spoils.
Liu Fa, relying on his seniority and higher status in the trade, claimed the condensation beads for himself, and in return, he received fewer other items.
He recalled that period when the three groups were together, examining the spoils.
One day, his nephew was on the day shift. When Liu Fa came to take over at night, he saw his nephew returning from outside.
Upon inquiry, he said he had gone to relieve himself.
However, Liu Fa distinctly smelled perfume on his nephew. But in front of outsiders, he didn't press the matter.
Now that he thought about it, the problem must have originated from here.
"Look at the crack behind the bronze foot, look closely. Don't you think... how should I put it, the rust formation is very artificial?" Lin Fan pointed out.
Under his Purple Extreme Spiritual Eyes, this bronze artifact was riddled with flaws, both in the formation of the rust and its internal structure.
Let alone ancient, it probably hadn't even been manufactured for a year.
Liu Fa looked at the spot Lin Fan indicated, his expression growing increasingly grim, his face so dark it looked like water could drip from it.
"Liu Fu, get out here!"
He roared angrily, his fierce gaze fixed on the inner room door.
*Creak~*
The door opened.
"Uncle, what is it?"
Cold sweat beaded on Liu Fu's forehead as he stood fearfully at the doorway, afraid to approach.
"Come here," Liu Fa beckoned.
"Uncle..." Liu Fu slowly shuffled over.
*Slap!*
Liu Fa slapped him and kicked him to the ground.
"I told you to watch the items. What were you doing?"
"What use are you!"
"I... I..."
Liu Fa scanned his surroundings, wishing he could find something to beat Liu Fu to death with.
"Uncle, what's wrong?" Liu Fu, clutching his swollen cheek, sat on the ground and feigned ignorance.
"Still pretending! Still pretending!" Liu Fa continued to kick Liu Fu, who rolled on the ground.
"Our items were swapped. Dare you say you didn't know?"
"You damn dog, no wonder you kept pushing me and ended up giving me this piece of junk!"
"You son of a bitch!"
Liu Fa figured out the cause and effect.
He had likely been forceful in taking the condensation beads, and the other two groups, unwilling to accept it, had resorted to underhanded tactics. While Liu Fu was away, they had somehow obtained a fake item and replaced his with it, a classic case of "replacing the cat with a fox."
"Three million!"
"You worthless dog, you're not even worth that much!"
Liu Fa's heart bled with anguish as he raised his fist and struck Liu Fu's face.