Yang Fan’s third eldest sister works at an antique shop and occasionally asks him to come by to help appraise items.
It must be said that working in this industry requires natural talent. His sister has been learning from her boss for several years, yet her eye for detail isn't even as sharp as his—and he's just an amateur who skimmed a few books only to impress his father-in-law.
Now, however, he has acquired the power of X-ray Vision. If he were to throw himself into this field, wouldn't he just take off?
His ambition diluted the grief and indignation in his heart. Yang Fan immediately rolled off the bed, ready to rush to Brocade Pavilion.
He glanced at his hospital gown, then gave a bitter smile as he walked to the bedside table. He pulled open the cabinet door and took out the pile of clothes and a pair of leather shoes stored inside. After being hit by a car and struck by lightning, his original clothes were long gone.
These must have been prepared by Wen Wan. They felt high-end to the touch and certainly weren't cheap. The girl might seem boisterous and sharp-tongued on the surface, but she was actually very kind and considerate—she had even included underwear.
Although the Liu Dan family were animals, there were still good people in this world.
The white shirt and silver-gray suit fit perfectly, though the underwear was a bit tight.
Yang Fan went to the mirror, hooked the corners of his mouth with his fingers, and pulled upward forcefully. Then, he turned around and strode out of the hospital room.
Crossing the corridor to the elevator, he bumped into the female doctor who had just examined him.
She had an oval face, with the corners of her eyes and her eyebrows curving slightly upward; when she looked at others, it was easy to mistake her for batting her lashes. The black-rimmed glasses on her face masked her allure well, yet they also added a unique charm to her demeanor.
Seeing her, Yang Fan couldn't help but recall the black silk stockings beneath her white lab coat and those beautiful, shapely legs. Some would call a woman like this a natural siren. Compared to her, Wen Wan, who seemed to have stepped right out of a manga, was like a green, unripened apple.
The doctor looked Yang Fan up and down, curled the corners of her lips, and said, "Are you being discharged?"
Yang Fan nodded. "There's nothing major, so I shouldn't take up a hospital bed."
The doctor chuckled, revealing a row of neat, white teeth beneath her full lips. "You have quite a high level of social consciousness, don't you?"
"Doctor Xu, the patient in Bed 8 needs you to take a look." A nurse called out from not far away.
"I'll be there right away." The doctor replied, then took a small card from her chest pocket and tucked it into Yang Fan’s hand. She made a gesture as if to call, then turned and walked away with a graceful gait.
Are women this easygoing nowadays? Yang Fan couldn't help but mutter to himself, thinking she wanted to ask him out. His own experiences had left him with a deep prejudice against women.
He looked down at the card in his hand, his expression quickly turning to one of shock. The card read: Abnormal Human Research Center...
Fengcheng Airport, Arrival Hall.
Wen Wan paced back and forth with her hands behind her back, checking the exit every now and then, looking rather impatient.
The tall man standing beside her couldn't help but speak up. "Miss, it's not time yet. Why don't you sit down and rest for a while?"
This young lady’s temperament was always so hurried. If she hadn't been urging the driver to speed on the way here, they would have arrived right on time.
Wen Wan shot him a glare, sat down heavily, and took the dzi bead from her collar, turning it over and over to inspect it. Her agitation stemmed from what Yang Fan had said, and she was desperate to verify it with her father. Although she had already had many people appraise it, and they all said she had gotten a bargain, people were often like this: once the seed of doubt was sown, it would quickly take root and sprout unless countered by more powerful evidence.
Her father, Wen Qirong, was quite renowned in the antique world. He was a true titan, and there were times when even the National Museum would invite him to act as an appraiser.
After waiting for another five minutes, a middle-aged man in a trench coat and sunglasses, looking energetic and sharp, walked out of the exit.
Wen Wan’s eyes brightened, and she immediately stood up to welcome him. "Dad, over here!"
Wen Qirong turned his head, took off his sunglasses, and revealed a gentle smile. His hairline was high and his hair thin, but he kept it impeccably groomed. Seeing his daughter rush over, he quickly opened his arms and caught her steadily.
After the embrace, he laughed, "You're so grown up now, why are you still so impatient?"
Wen Wan crinkled her nose, took the luggage from her father, handed it to the tall man behind them, and linked her arm through Wen Qirong's as they walked out of the airport.
"Was the car accident taken care of?" If it hadn't been for that call from Wen Wan, the perpetually busy Wen Qirong wouldn't have rushed to Fengcheng so quickly.
"It's nothing serious, I just finished dealing with it." Wen Wan gave a perfunctory reply, then took the dzi bead from around her neck and held it out to her father. "Dad, please take a look at this for me."
Wen Qirong didn't take it immediately, joking, "Didn't you claim to have the best eye in Fengcheng? Why do you need an old relic like me to appraise it for you?"
"Dad!" Wen Wan shook his arm, acting coquettish.
Wen Qirong couldn't help it; he took the bead and toyed with it for a moment. Then he sighed and said, "The craftsmanship of this dzi bead is very high-end. It has considerable collection value."
Hearing this, Wen Wan’s expression fell. "So, you mean this bead really is fake?"
Wen Qirong nodded slowly, then asked, "Who else saw that this bead was fake? Without high-tech equipment, even I might have been fooled."
Wen Wan’s face was full of frustration. "It was that guy I hit with my car."
But soon, she became excited again. "Yang Fan saw through the fact that this was fake at a glance, which means he is a true expert. If I can get his help, I'll definitely be able to gain a foothold in Fengcheng quickly."
"Yang Fan, the person you hit?" Wen Qirong asked with interest.
Wen Wan nodded emphatically, let go of his arm, and turned to the tall man. "Brother Wu, you take Dad back. I'm going to the hospital to find Yang Fan. I must get him to work for me."
She had checked Yang Fan’s belongings and found only a few coins in his wallet and an old, basic mobile phone. Wen Wan guessed he must be very poor; as long as she offered the right price, she could definitely hire him. Besides, the man seemed to have decent character.
Wen Qirong grabbed Wen Wan, frowning. "When will you ever get rid of this impatient habit of yours? Even if you want to hire him, you have to figure out if he's truly capable first. Maybe he was just spouting nonsense?"
In this industry, the most common thing to find is a fraud.
At this moment, the tall man standing to the side chimed in, "Miss, the master is right. That guy is unreliable. Just earlier at the hospital, he even said I had a problem with my liver."
Hearing this, Wen Qirong’s expression suddenly became serious.