Yang Rong was somewhat surprised by the young man's reaction. As owners of an antique shop, they frequently received high-quality items, and Yang Fan, their part-time appraiser, was usually cautious—inspecting, questioning, and then haggling. He had never been this eager before.
*This kid. Why is he acting so strange today?*
"Boy, I suppose you have a keen eye, being able to recognize the good stuff in my Baobao Pavilion!" Zhou Shenping’s expression remained calm, but inside, he was bursting with laughter. Would he not know whether the item he brought was real or fake? *Heh, once Brocade Pavilion buys it, it won't matter if they misjudged the item; the real blow will be the ruin of their reputation and the loss of their standing!*
"Miss Yang, we’re all in the business. We’ll be seeing each other around, so if you’re sincere about wanting it, how about I sell it to you for three hundred thousand?"
Yang Rong might not be an expert in appraising, but she understood business. If this Ming Dynasty jade-inlaid brush pot was genuine, it could sell for five hundred thousand on the market. Buying it for three hundred thousand was an absolute steal!
"...Fine! I'll buy it!"
Trusting Yang Fan and bolstered by his recent successes in appraisal, Yang Rong steeled herself, pulled out her phone, and prepared to pay.
"Wait a moment," Yang Fan said. Fearing that the father-son duo might renege on the deal, he quickly drew up a contract and handed it over with a grin. "Boss Zhou, three hundred thousand isn't a small amount. Let’s sign a contract first!"
"You're quite particular, kid!" Zhou Shenping gave a cold laugh, signed the contract readily, and presented the payment QR code to Yang Rong.
*Ding!*
"Alipay received, three hundred thousand!"
As the notification chimed, Zhou Shenping felt his scheme had succeeded and laughed with malicious glee. "Hahahaha! I thought Brocade Pavilion was something special, but it turns out you’re just as mediocre as the rest!"
With that, he picked up the jade brush pot and handed it to Yang Rong with a mocking expression. "Miss Yang, you’d better take good care of this treasure. After all, you spent three hundred thousand on it—it’s very expensive!"
The sarcasm dripping from his words made Yang Rong feel a wave of panic. If she really had misjudged it, how would she answer to her boss?
"Yang Fan, are you sure this brush pot is real?" Yang Rong asked, holding onto a glimmer of hope.
However, his next words caused her heart to plummet.
"Third Sister, this brush pot is a manufactured antique. It’s not genuine."
Yang Fan’s expression remained unchanged as he took the brush pot from her hands and, right in front of everyone, began tapping on the jade exterior. With each crisp sound, the smile in his eyes deepened.
"This brush pot is hollow inside. The real treasure is hidden in the inner layer!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the Zhou father and son exchanged a look of pure mockery before bursting into hysterical laughter.
*Hidden mystery?* It was obvious the kid had realized his mistake and was concocting a clumsy excuse to save face!
"Kid, don't think I don't know what you're up to!" Zhou Lin sneered, his expression provocative. "Don't tell me you actually think you found a treasure? Let me tell you the truth: this is just a cheap, aged piece of junk worth eighty-one! Only an idiot like you would spend three hundred thousand on it!"
He then turned his gaze toward Yang Rong, his disdain deepening. "Hey, Miss Yang, this little expert of yours isn't much, is he? 'Hidden mystery,' 'treasure'... Pfft! Stop putting on such a show!"
*Thud!*
Yang Rong's head swam, and her face turned deathly pale. At this moment, not just her, but all the staff at Brocade Pavilion were stunned. No one had expected the Zhou father and son to be so underhanded, deliberately deceiving them with a fake.
"Hahahaha, a bunch of fools!" Zhou Shenping roared with laughter, making no effort to hide his contempt. "If you can fall for such an obvious fake, I don't think there's any need for Brocade Pavilion to stay open. Just shut it down!"
*CRACK!*
Just as the two were jeering, Yang Fan suddenly grabbed the brush pot and smashed it against the floor!
"Holy crap, you actually smashed it? You already threw away three hundred thousand, and now you don't even want the eighty-one?" Zhou Lin thought Yang Fan had snapped in anger, and he was nearly dying of laughter. He let his lecherous gaze wander over Yang Rong and chuckled darkly, "Miss Yang, since you're just an employee, instead of going down with Brocade Pavilion, why not come to my Baobao Pavilion? Given your figure and looks, I guarantee..."
"Wait! Look! There really is something inside the brush pot!"
Suddenly, a staff member's cry drew everyone's attention.
They looked over to see Yang Fan crouching down, carefully pulling away the shards of the outer casing to reveal a rolled-up scroll hidden in the interlayer. He unfolded it carefully and laid it flat on the table.
He focused intensely, silently activating his X-ray Vision.
[Jade Creek Map, Authentic, Northern Song Dynasty. Collection value exceeds market price. Market value: 3.7 million.]
Yang Fan felt a rush of excitement—he almost jumped for joy! Over three million? He had hit the jackpot!
"Hey! It's a painting!"
"Good heavens, Yang Fan was actually right!"
"Brother Fan, how did you know there was a painting hidden inside? That’s incredible!"
The veteran staff members of Brocade Pavilion had seen plenty of Master Wang’s appraisals and were no strangers to the industry, but they had never witnessed anything this bizarre. They were ecstatic, some giving Yang Fan a thumbs-up while others crowded around to get a look at the hidden treasure.
The Zhou father and son were secretly shocked. They hadn't expected the kid to actually be right—a fake item containing a painting!
Their expressions soured immediately. Selling a piece of antique for three hundred thousand and throwing in a treasure—if word of this got out, Baobao Pavilion would be a laughingstock. Moreover, even without an appraiser, with their years in the business, they knew the unwritten rule: *When a new object hides an old one, the old one is bound to be extraordinary.*
Zhou Shenping glanced at the painting, unable to suppress a swallow of greed. But he couldn't show weakness now; he forced an arrogant posture. "Heh, I thought you’d find some treasure, but it’s just a fake painting!"
"Hahahaha, a bunch of hicks. Are you really getting excited over a piece of trash?" Zhou Lin chimed in, spitting on the floor with even greater disdain.
At these words, everyone felt like a deflated balloon. They had hoped the find would make up for their loss, but it seemed to be just one fake hiding another.
Yang Fan, however, remained unbothered by their smears. He smiled faintly and said, "Boss Zhou, you didn't bring an appraiser today, so perhaps you can't see the mystery in this painting. This work is from the Northern Song Dynasty, an early piece by Zhang Zeduan, worth 3.7 million. Thank you, Boss Zhou, for letting us pick up such a massive bargain. As for whether it’s real or fake, don’t trouble yourself any further."
*Northern Song? Zhang Zeduan?* That was the master who painted the *Along the River During the Qingming Festival*!
Zhou Shenping’s face cycled through shades of green and white. He hadn't expected this kid to be so lucky! No, he couldn't let them have this painting for a pittance!