Chapter 102 My Surname is Lin (Bonus Chapter 2/3 for Monthly Tickets)

Yang Zhigao watched very carefully.

Lin Sicheng also looked at it very carefully.

The carving is superb: flat carving combined with round carving creates a strong sense of three-dimensionality, with distinct layers and exquisite detail.

The engravings are so finely polished that the marks are almost invisible to the naked eye. The clothing flows gracefully, with every fold and wrinkle meticulously rendered. Looking at the whole piece: the proportions are balanced, the lines are fluid, and the image of Guanyin is remarkably lifelike.

However, the carving is very new, no more than a month old, and Lin Sicheng can even tell the style: typical Jieyang style carving.

Looking at the jade again, its texture is delicate, its emerald green color overflowing, and when the light shines through it, the green hue flows, as if a pool of spring water is condensed on the wrist.

Not only is it translucent, but it's also moisturizing, with a subtle, waxed and polished texture.

When viewed from the side, the fluff resembles snowflakes or broken pieces of silk floss, spreading out evenly as if starlight were scattered among them.

But very few, negligible, and barely noticeable.

At first glance, it appears to be a standard bright green jadeite with floating patterns, belonging to the second grade in jadeite grading, also known as icy jadeite.

If we further subdivide the types of water, then it is ranked third: after Imperial Green (Emerald) and Glassy (High Ice), it is called Zhengbing, also known as Yangbing.

Its characteristics include a delicate texture, bright colors, and a lustrous, warm feel. The drawback is slightly lower transparency, where some fine crystalline structures can be faintly seen, which are what are known as "floating flowers" or "fluff," as in this piece.

If we value it: given its size and ample water content, it's worth at least three to four million.

But Lin Sicheng felt that something was wrong... It wasn't because he recognized Yang Zhigao and had a preconceived notion, but because he genuinely felt that something was off.

First, the statue is too thin: the Guanyin is 40 centimeters high and nearly 15 centimeters wide, but less than 5 centimeters thick. At first glance, it gives people a feeling of being thin and frail, more ethereal than substantial.

This is rarely seen in large-scale pieces, especially Buddhist statues.

Of course, the raw material might just be that thin, but most craftsmen would design it as a bracelet, with the center of the bracelet carved into a small amulet or pendant. Carving it this way would at least double the price.

Secondly, while it is bright, it is too dazzling: when Mr. Zhao stands behind the light source, a genuine icy jade will not reflect most of the light as it does now; instead, half of the light will penetrate the jade layer.

The key point is that Lin Sicheng felt that this "blinding light" was somewhat familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

With a hint of suspicion in his eyes, Lin Sicheng stood up.

Everyone else was watching closely and no one paid attention, but General Manager Zhao and the boss's wife perked up.

It's no wonder they were wary; the impression Lin Sicheng had left on his parents-in-law when they looked at the Buddha statue was truly profound.

Of course, no one can know everything, whether it's wood or jade. But as the saying goes, "once bitten by a snake, twice shy," this is a natural bodily reaction that they can't control even if they want to.

Then, as if by prior arrangement, the in-laws exchanged a glance, a hint of wariness flashing in their eyes.

Lin Sicheng was taken aback: Huh?

If you have nothing to hide, why are you so nervous?

He was even more certain in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face at all. He pretended to be confused and looked around: "Boss lady, where is the bathroom?"

"here!"

"Okay, thank you!"

Lin Sicheng walked over casually, and even turned back to smile at his mother.

But when he turned around, Lin Sicheng was stunned for a moment.

At this moment, he was standing to the side of the Guanyin statue, without the direct light from Yang Zhigao or the light from behind Zhao Zong. Therefore, he could see it more clearly:

The crystal-clear jade surface reflects an oily luster, as if it has been smeared with lard or coated with wax.

With a slight shift in direction, the emerald green Buddha statue suddenly dimmed. The halo behind Guanyin, the leaf-shaped piece, suddenly emitted an eerie gray hue?

It was fleeting, but Lin Sicheng saw it clearly: it was gray. But this was jade; how could it be grayish?

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Lin Sicheng's mind, and he had a sudden realization.

He finally remembered where that "blindingly bright" familiar feeling came from.

In a Douyin live stream: A female model adorned with jewels shines a powerful flashlight, and the jade ornaments under the halo of the light gleam with a faint green light, looking as clear as glass.

The male anchor shouted hoarsely: "Family members, is it transparent or not? Is it wet or not?"

Of course it's translucent, because the ornament is cut extremely thin, at most half a centimeter. Even if you cut a stone that thin, a few strands of light can still pass through.

Of course, it's water: because the ornaments were padded with tin foil, which is the same principle as Mr. Zhao standing behind Guanyin to provide lighting.

Is it jade?

Of course it is, and it couldn't be more true.

However, it follows the same pattern as Qinghai jade, Russian jade, and Hetian jade: with the same composition and structure, and almost identical texture, the prices of the finished products differ by ten to twenty or thirty times.

The former is Burmese jade, the latter is Guatemalan jade. The former requires deep blasting, and even digging ten tons might not yield a single piece. The latter, however, is mined in the open, practically like picking it up. Therefore, the price difference in the raw stones is much greater: more than fifty times.

However, its recognition in China is extremely low. Even now, in 2007, let alone collectors and consumers, even small jewelers didn't know what dangerous materials were.

It wasn't until 2020, when the first major jade case in China was exposed, that dangerous materials gradually became known to the public.

But before that, if you get scammed, you can only accept your bad luck; once you've made your decision, reporting it to the police won't help.

So, a completely new engraving technique?

And then there was that extremely subtle and strange eye contact between Yang Zhigao and General Manager Zhao.

Add to that Chairman Yang's usual tactics... Haha, this is a trap that Yang Zhigao specifically set up for Fang Jingxian.

The key point is that even if the jade were really like this, the old man would still step on it a second time. If it were Professor Wang, he would probably step on it even faster, let alone Fang Jingxian?

But unfortunately, she ran into him, and there was both old and new grudge. If she could tolerate this, she'd rather go back in time and be a tortoise...

After using the restroom, Lin Sicheng returned to his office and sat down.

Seeing that he remained calm, the parents-in-law's wariness gradually subsided.

The others continued to observe carefully and did not notice.

Several more minutes passed before Yang Zhigao straightened up: "The water is crystal clear, like glass shrouded in mist. The green is just right, vibrant and lush... How many years has it been since I've seen such a fine, pure, ice-green jade with floating flowers?"

As if a boulder had been lifted from her shoulders, Fang Jingxian breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you, Chairman Yang!"

"Mr. Fang, you're too kind!" Yang Zhigao slowly wiped his hands, picked up his teacup, and said, "You can discuss the rest!"

"Okay... Boss Zhao!"

Mr. Zhao was very decisive, crossing his arms and saying, "Five million..."

The word "ten thousand" had barely left his lips when he exclaimed: "Tap tap~"

Several people turned around in unison. Lin Sicheng seemed to realize what was happening belatedly, curling his fingers and saying, "Sorry, I was daydreaming!"

Assuming it was unintentional, Fang Jing smiled and turned back, saying, "Mr. Zhao, it's too high!"

"Four hundred and eighty..."

Before I could even finish saying the number "eight," *tap tap*...

With Guanyin's image constantly on her mind and in her eyes, Fang Jingxian remained unconcerned: "Four million eight hundred thousand is still too high!"

“Mr. Fang, I can’t go any lower… How about this, I’ll lower it a bit more: four hundred…”

This time it was even faster, not even finishing the four hundred-something: "Tap tap~"

Mr. Zhao's eyelids twitched uncontrollably, and Fang Jingxian finally realized what was going on: knocking once could be said to be unintentional, but what about twice or three times?

Moreover, it always happened at the exact moment Mr. Zhao was about to submit his quote…

Suspicion welled up in her heart, and her gaze lowered to Lin Sicheng's face. Then, Fang Jingxian's pupils contracted slightly: You'd better not buy it… that's what he meant.

Yang Zhigao was confused and just found this little bastard annoying.

Based on his understanding, Fang Jingxian was absolutely determined to win today: if Boss Zhao went all out, he might not dare say four million, but he would definitely get three hundred and seventy or eighty million.

But then a little bastard suddenly appeared and completely disrupted the rhythm...

He suppressed his anger: "What are you banging on? If you can't sit still, get out!"

"Okay, I'll go out!"

Lin Sicheng stood up with a smile and casually extended his hand: "Checks!"

A check? He wants a check...

What's the meaning?

If you only appraise a Buddha statue, the appraisal fee is certainly not worth 30,000 yuan, but what if you add a jade ornament worth millions of yuan?

Fang Jingxian suddenly realized what was happening, hurriedly grabbed her bag, took out the check, and handed it over.

Lin Sicheng casually stuffed it into his pocket: "Do you know what that is?"

Fang Jingxian shook her head blankly.

Lin Sicheng smiled again: "It's okay if you don't know. What kind of item do you want?"

Immediately, a blush rose on Fang Jingxian's face: "A birthday gift, I want a birthday gift... I'll pay any price!"

"good!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Sicheng turned around.

Fang Jingxian glanced at Guanyin again, gritted her teeth, and followed.

Yang Zhigao's eyes widened in disbelief, wondering what kind of show this was all about.

But Mr. Zhao knew that this little bastard had ruined two deals of his, worth at least five or six million.

Suddenly, his face turned ashen with anger, and he slammed his hand on the coffee table with a thud: "You little brat!"

"Ha ha?"

Lin Sicheng still smiled and said, "Jinghong guy, say another curse to me?"

Mr. Zhao was stunned for a moment, then suddenly shut his mouth.

Yang Zhigao was even angrier, so angry he felt like his lungs were about to explode, because he was the boss behind the scenes. But he couldn't show it, so he could only stare coldly, secretly seething with rage.

"President Yang, are you very angry? That's good..."

Lin Sicheng turned around and chuckled, "Let me introduce myself. My surname is Lin, the Lin of Lin Changqing..."

Yang Zhigao froze, his scalp tingling: that tone... and that look in his eyes?

Who the hell is this guy?