"This porcelain cup is quite strange..."
The moment the old man picked up the cup, he immediately frowned and began to mutter to himself.
Upon hearing this, Sun Zhi, who had been quietly observing from the sidelines, suddenly felt delighted.
It seems the old man thinks the item is most likely fake!
This gave him a sense of relief. He had rashly made a bet with that little brat from the Lin Family; if what he brought was genuine, wouldn't he have to smash his own car?
Smashing the car wouldn't be much of a loss, since it only cost around forty thousand yuan to buy, and it's a gas guzzler with many problems. He wouldn't still be driving it if it weren't for the sake of face.
But if it was authenticated as genuine, it would imply his own level of knowledge was lacking, and he'd lose face.
However, now it seemed like all his worries were unnecessary.
Given the kid's background, how could he possibly possess an authentic Yuan dynasty blue-and-white piece?
But just as he was feeling smug, Elder Wang's words suddenly left him dumbfounded.
"A miracle! It's truly a miracle! Who would have thought such a well-preserved Yuan dynasty blue-and-white piece would survive! This is a national treasure!"
Elder Wang, who had been scrutinizing the porcelain cup for a good ten minutes, suddenly exclaimed with excitement, his face flushed with emotion.
"Young man, your item is truly top-notch. I won't lie; as an old man, this is the first time I've seen a Yuan dynasty blue-and-white stem cup with peony patterns so well preserved!"
Lin Yi was not too surprised by the elder's conclusion. After all, it's a product of the system.
Seeing the elder's excitement, Lin Yi chuckled and recounted what he had read online the night before:
"Hehe, to be honest, the first time I saw this item, I too was astonished. At first, I even thought it was a contemporary imitation because it was just so perfectly preserved. But upon closer observation, the craftsmanship, the porcelain surface, the glaze, and the inscriptions all clearly indicated it was the real deal."
Hearing Lin Yi's words, Elder Wang nodded repeatedly, looking at Lin Yi with admiration.
Observing the young man's calm demeanor and hearing his words, Elder Wang thought, this young man's appraisal skill is impressive.
"Indeed, the younger generation surpasses the old; you've got a good eye, young man. Initially, I too was deceived by the object's appearance. Without a careful inspection, I might have made a mistake, haha."
As they were talking, the sound of a door opening was heard. A middle-aged man, dressed in a well-tailored suit and gold-rimmed glasses, walked in with an air of scholarly refinement.
Noticing a group gathered in the lounge area, he frowned slightly:
"What's going on here? What happened? Oh, haha, it's Uncle Wang here! No wonder there's such a crowd."
The crowd parted, revealing the elderly man speaking with Lin Yi, prompting the newcomer to replace his frown with a smile.
The staff around quickly and anxiously greeted him:
"Hello, Chairman Zhuang."
"Hello, Chairman Zhuang."
The middle-aged man smiled and nodded at everyone before focusing back on the elderly man in the center.
Just then, a voice full of disbelief came from behind him:
"What? Elder Wang, you say this Yuan dynasty blue-and-white is genuine??? That's impossible! Absolutely impossible! How could the Lin Family have such a treasure! Elder Wang, please double-check. Don't be fooled by this kid!"
Sun Zhi, just regaining his composure from the shock, looked at the porcelain cup in Elder Wang's hands in disbelief and exclaimed.
But upon hearing Sun Zhi's words, the elder who was about to rise and greet the chairman immediately looked displeased, casting an annoyed glance at Sun Zhi:
"Are you questioning my appraisal skills?"
With these words, Sun Zhi immediately realized he had misspoken, yet he couldn't believe Lin Yi could produce a genuine Yuan dynasty blue-and-white.
After all, such an item is immensely valuable, possibly worth his entire life's savings.
Moreover, if the Lin Family indeed possessed a Yuan dynasty blue-and-white, how could his wife ever show off in front of Ye Xiaoer?
The sense of superiority he had painstakingly established in front of the Lin Family would vanish, wouldn't it?
In that moment, Sun Zhi's mind raced with thoughts.
But reality is often harsh.
As he attempted to explain, the refined middle-aged man frowned and addressed Sun Zhi:
"Manager Sun, don't speak nonsense. Uncle Wang has been appraising for years and has never been mistaken. Please apologize to Uncle Wang immediately."
Hearing his boss say this, even though he was unwilling, Sun Zhi had no choice but to comply, as he depended on them for his livelihood.
Yet before he could speak, Elder Wang waved him off with a stern face:
"Humph, no need for apologies. Use that time to brush up on some basic knowledge."
These words left Sun Zhi blushing with embarrassment, while those around couldn't help but chuckle.
Not long ago, Sun Zhi had uttered the same words to Lin Yi, and now they were directed at him. How ironic!
Afterward, Elder Wang turned to Lin Yi with a warm smile:
"I hope you weren't offended, young brother. Let me introduce you; this is Boss Zhuang of Xuanrui Studio. If you're considering selling this treasure, I'm sure Boss Zhuang would offer a fair price."
Hearing the introduction, the refined middle-aged man nodded politely at Lin Yi and extended his hand:
"Hehe, no need for formalities. You can call me Brother Zhuang if you like. Uncle Wang is right; if you're willing to sell, our Xuanrui Studio will offer you a satisfactory price."
Although he hadn't been there earlier, through the conversation, and seeing the blue-and-white cup in Elder Wang's hands, Boss Zhuang quickly understood the situation.
Lin Yi extended his hand to shake his, smiling politely:
"Haha, then I'll take the liberty of calling you Brother Zhuang. Honestly, I came here intending to sell this item, but there was a small episode in between. I've made a bet with your President Sun in front of everyone, so please wait a moment, Brother Zhuang. Let me resolve that first, then we can discuss the price, alright?"
[To be continued...]