To Su Lin's surprise, upon entering Cangbaozhai, there was no system prompt, meaning neither a female lead nor a protagonist was present to trigger any plotline. They were led by an attendant to the third floor.
âMr. Su, Miss Lin, Miss Zhao, the third floor is dedicated to porcelain appraisal. Please wait a moment; the expert will be here shortly.â
âOkay, we'll wait here.â
The attendant nodded and then left.
Su Lin casually observed the surroundings, impressed. The items displayed in the cabinets were all authentic, and although they were not blue-and-white or imperial porcelains, they were genuine official kiln products.
Each of these could sell for tens to hundreds of thousands. The wall alone was probably worth millions. These were just the items on display; what about the hidden treasures?
Su Lin had always known that antique dealing was lucrative but had not realized it was this profitable. After a few minutes, a white-bearded old man emerged, carrying a small box and a barely-there smile.
âWho among you is here for the antique appraisal?â
Su Lin took the blue and white porcelain from Lin Xiaowan's hand, âI want it appraised for certification.â
âHeh! Getting a certificate from our Treasure Trove Pavilion isn't easy. The treasure must not only be genuine, but its provenance must also be legitimate.â
Su Lin nodded, âOf course.â
The old man's gaze finally landed on the blue and white porcelain in Su Lin's hand, and his brows quickly furrowed, âYoung man, you want this appraised?â
Su Lin casually handed it over, âYes, this one.â
Zhao Yanyan expressed her concern to Lin Xiaowan, âI feel something off about the old man's expression. Could it be that Su Lin's piece is actually a fake?â
Given the strict rules here, if Su Linâs blue and white porcelain was fake and got smashed downstairs, it would be quite a spectacle.
âI donât know, but letâs see. I trust Su Lin,â Lin Xiaowan replied with a smile.
Zhao Yanyan nodded and joined Lin Xiaowan to get a closer look.
The old man turned to Su Lin, frowning, âYouâre just holding this blue and white porcelain like that?â
Su Lin shrugged, âHow else?â
âThis is outrageous! Such blue and white porcelain must be stored in a professional box to prevent oxidation, and hands should not touch it directly. But, explaining this to you is pointless~.â
After venting, the old man opened his box, took out a magnifying glass, and white gloves. He put on the gloves and carefully examined the blue and white porcelain.
âBeautiful, truly beautiful.â
âSuch a large tall-necked vase is really rare. Not many were produced in the entire Yuan Dynasty, and this is a typical shadow blue glaze, an early product. But how could there be such a large tall-necked vase? Strange indeed.â
âReally beautiful. The pattern is exquisite without any flaws, no signs of oxidation on the body, the bottom mark is complete, tall neck, thin collar. I havenât seen such beautiful blue and white porcelain in many years.â
âYoung man, where did you get this tall-necked blue and white porcelain from? I dare say there are no more than ten in the entire Yuan Dynasty. Itâs truly beautiful.â
Su Lin chuckled, âUncle, are you saying this blue and white porcelain is genuine?â
âA genuine piece, absolutely genuine. If people knew about this blue and white porcelain, it would set the antique world ablaze. Young man, the provenance of this blue and white porcelainâŠâ
Su Lin laughed, âJust got it from an antique street a few days ago, paid three thousand for it.â
âThree thousand~!!!â The old man was dumbfounded. Three thousand for a blue and white porcelain, was this not a fantasy?
Su Lin nodded and pointed at Lin Xiaowan, âThis is my girlfriend. She was there when I bought it, witnessed the whole process of me buying this vase.â
Lin Xiaowan responded, âWhen Su Lin said this blue and white porcelain was real, I was somewhat skeptical.â
âSnapâŠâ
âHiss~!â
Su Lin was somewhat amused watching the old man slap his thigh and gasp in disbelief. These antique dealers were always like this â indifferent if unaware of a bargain, but reacting as if a tragedy had struck upon discovering one.
âSo, such a fine blue and white porcelain was picked up from a junk street, and I thoughtâŠâ
âYou okay, uncle?â
âIâm fine, just canât handle the shock at my age,â the old man managed to catch his breath. He picked up the blue and white porcelain again for a closer look, âYoung man, are you selling this? I can offer you a good price.â
Su Lin shook his head, âNo thanks.â
âIâm serious. How about one hundred million? Just nod, and the money will be in your account right away.â
Su Lin shook his head again, âReally, no need. I donât lack money, I plan to use this vase for holding flowers at home.â
âUsing such a fine vase for flowers?â The old man roared in outrage.
âWhat else then? Should I buy some incense and worship it every day?â
âYouâre wasting it, wasting it~!! This is a treasure~!! How about one hundred fifty million? Just nod, and Iâll buy it right away, money transferred in minutes.â
âI really donât need the money.â
âTwo hundred million~!! I offer two hundred million.â
Su Lin held the blue and white porcelain in one hand and turned to Lin Xiaowan, âXiaowan, we should leave.â
Lin Xiaowan and Zhao Yanyan, still stunned, took a moment to react to Su Linâs words.
âAh~! OkayâŠâ
âLetâs go. This vase is genuine, right?â Su Lin raised an eyebrow.
âYeah, Su Lin, how did you know?â
âItâs simple. Come to my room tonight, Iâll tell you.â Su Lin chuckled.
Lin Xiaowan rolled her eyes at him, having fallen for it once, she wouldnât again.
As Su Lin was about to leave, the old man stopped him, handed him a business card, and said to contact him anytime if he decided to sell.
Su Lin accepted the card with a smile, feeling that the Cangbaozhai was too mysterious and might be a frequent point of contact in the future, so it was good to build a rapport.
Only after leaving the did Zhao Yanyan suddenly exclaim, âTwo hundred million, two hundred million!!!â
âWhatâs with her?â Su Lin asked, puzzled.
âUh⊠probably just processing it now,â Lin Xiaowan answered.
As if confirming Lin Xiaowanâs words, Zhao Yanyan grabbed her, exclaiming, âXiaowan, two hundred million! Itâs⊠itâs⊠real and so valuable.â
Lin Xiaowan laughed, âNow you believe me, right? Su Lin wouldnât say itâs real without reason. I donât know his basis, but it doesnât stop me from believing in him.â
âAmazing, bought for three thousand and could sell for two hundred million. Su Lin, with such keen eyesight, why even bother running a supermarket? Just treasure hunting would do.â
Su Lin responded, somewhat speechless, âZhao Yanyan, what are you talking about? Do you think finding bargains is like picking cabbages, available everywhere? Opportunities like this come maybe once in several years, or even decades. I just got lucky.â
Lucky? Zhao Yanyan didnât think it was just luck.
Su Linâs firm belief that it was genuine showed his discernment, a sign of his strength.
Why did it end up with Su Lin, discovered among countless fakes? Zhao Yanyan tried to calm her emotions, stealing glances at Su Lin, who was casually chatting with Lin Xiaowan.
Holding an item worth two hundred million and not batting an eyelid, such composure was indeed rare.