Chapter 91 The Battle Is About to Begin

The autumn sun slanted through the car window, reflecting the sycamore trees in the rearview mirror. Golden leaves fluttered down, twirled in the wind, and landed on the throttle cover.

Hao Jun gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes vacant, and his forehead slowly reddened.

The Imperial Collection of the Qing Dynasty!

The emperor’s imperial guide!

In that case, would that calligraphy still be considered an anonymous work?

And, the Emperor's Imperial Seal...

Hao Jun has been in the business for nearly twenty years, working at the renowned Rongbaozhai, a shop specializing in the Four Treasures of the Study. He has seen seals of leisure, private seals, and even official seals.

But when have I ever seen the Imperial Treasure?

Thinking about the origins of those two items, Hao Jun felt that God had played a cruel joke on him.

With a "pop," a flame appeared in the rearview mirror. Then, a wisp of blue smoke drifted from the back seat.

Hao Jun leaned back in his seat, twisting his stiff neck at a ninety-degree angle: "Senior brother, are you sure you're looking correctly?"

Wu Jun exhaled a puff of smoke and glanced sideways at me: "Is this the first day we've met?"

Hao Jun was momentarily speechless.

Wu Jun's statement about his teacher being Ji Xianlin was not made lightly. He was indeed a disciple of Mr. Ji, and only then a student at Peking University.

Why did Wu Jun's eyes light up when Lin Sicheng mentioned that he had studied Mr. Ji's translation of the Ramayana?

Because that ancient Sanskrit epic was translated by him and Mr. Ji.

With thirty years of experience and keen eye in the industry, those two seals and that stamp were child's play to Wu Jun.

But for Hao Jun, it was like a mountain that he could never get around in this lifetime.

It feels like I've gone blind?

Wu Jun flicked his cigarette ash and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke: "Who hasn't made a mistake? Besides, didn't you say it yourself: it's not like you're the only one who made a mistake?"

Hao Jun was stunned for a moment: "Heh!"

But I have to say, I did feel a little better.

Those in the know understand that the calligraphy and seal in question have been in Ma Lan's possession for almost eight years, yet she hasn't been able to sell them. They're frequently brought up as a negative example, repeatedly criticized and ridiculed.

Ma Lan is shameless; the more you talk to her, the more enthusiastic she gets. She takes things out and stuffs them into your arms, then holds you down and tries to rummage through your pockets.

So, which expert with a name and reputation hasn't seen those two things?

Before Ding Liang and Lin Changqing fell out, he even brought Ma Lan and Dong Xi to consult him. Guan Xingmin was so annoyed by Ma Lan that he would turn and run away at the mere sight of that woman.

But from beginning to end, everyone's opinion was surprisingly consistent: the Ming dynasty imitation of the anonymous Heart Sutra, even with the outer mounting removed, was worth more than the entire scroll. As for the painting in the middle, it was only worth a few hundred yuan.

The value of the seal is slightly higher, but only by a limited amount, at most a hundred thousand or two hundred thousand.

But what was the result?

The painting, worth several hundred yuan, became part of the Qing court's collection and was appreciated by the emperor.

A seal worth at most one or two hundred thousand became the emperor's jade seal, the treasure of Emperor Qianlong.

So, he wasn't the only one who was blind; we even have to include Lin Sicheng's own grandfather...

Hmm, thinking about it this way makes me feel much better?

"Give me one too!"

Hao Jun leaned back, grabbed the cigarette and lighter, and lit them with a "snap".

The smoke drifted around the sparks, only to be dispersed by the evening breeze.

He suddenly frowned, the cigarette tip stopping at his lips: "Senior brother, in your opinion, was Lin Sicheng's ability to identify those two items, especially the seal, more due to his calligraphy skills or his Sanskrit skills?"

"It's definitely the latter!" Wu Jun stubbed out his cigarette, his tone exceptionally certain. "As long as the inscription can be deciphered, we don't need to look at the material, patterns, religion, ethnicity, etc."

Hao Jun paused for a moment, then agreed wholeheartedly: Just like Wu Jun, could it be that he has a very high level of skill in calligraphy and antique collecting?

Of course not, but he only took about ten minutes to identify the seal, which was largely due to his profound knowledge of Sanskrit.

The same principle applies to Lin Sicheng.

Suddenly, the melancholy vanished, and Hao Jun let out a long sigh of relief.

Wu Jun couldn't help but chuckle: "Are you really that serious?"

Hao Jun didn't speak.

How could it not be that someone twice the age is worse than others in every way?

He was quite self-important, but every time he saw Lin Sicheng, he felt like he had wasted the first forty years of his life.

While he may not be as good as him, Lin Sicheng's only advantage was in Sanskrit, not in calligraphy, which made him easier to accept.

After thinking for a moment, Hao Jun took out his phone again.

What are you doing?

Hao Jun chuckled and said, "Let me share!"

You should know that besides that seal, there's also a piece of calligraphy that even more people have seen.

This is so painful, I can't just suffer alone. We're all brothers here, nobody's going to have an easy time...

Wu Jun glanced at it: "When did you become so loose-lipped?"

"Don't worry, it's just this one: he's a close friend of Lin Sicheng's grandfather, and also a close friend of Lin Sicheng. He's a policeman, so even if I don't tell him, Lin Sicheng will have to..."

The reason, of course, is because of that teacher, Ms. Ma: This woman is too difficult to deal with, so we must prepare some deterrents for Lin Sicheng.

Wu Jun remained silent. Hao Jun casually dialed Guan Xingmin's number.

His tone held a hint of schadenfreude: "Old Guan, I have something to tell you..."

...

"Snoring~ Snoring..."

The chubby boy had a great appetite; in the blink of an eye, a bowl of noodles with soybean paste was gone.

Wang Qizhi held his chopsticks, stirring the noodles unconsciously. Occasionally, he would pick up a shredded cucumber and put it in his mouth.

The eyes are fixed straight ahead, but there is no focus.

"Hey...hey...Wang Qizhi?" Shan Wangshu waved her chopsticks in front of his face twice. "Eat your food, what are you daydreaming about?"

Wang Qizhi seemed to wake from a dream, said "Oh," and began to eat his noodles in large mouthfuls.

After their son finished eating, he obediently washed his bowl and sat on the sofa to watch TV, leaving only the couple in the dining room.

Shan Wangshu frowned: "What's wrong? You look like you've lost your soul?"

Wang Qizhi paused for a moment, unsure of where to begin.

He twirled a mouthful of noodles with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly: "Today, Lin Sicheng bought a calligraphy piece and a jar of iron seals!"

"Huh?" Shan Wangshu immediately understood. "Lin Sicheng got another lucky break?"

If you do the math, it's been less than a month since Wang Qizhi reported to his workplace, how many times has Lin Sicheng's name appeared in his home?

After Wang Qizhi finished talking, Ye Anning started talking, and after Ye Anning finished talking, it was Wang Qizhi's turn to talk. What they talked about most was what Lin Sicheng bought yesterday, what Lin Sicheng bought today, and how much he made.

Shan Wangshu was already numb with shock.

But hearing it again still intrigued her.

How much can we earn this time?

Wang Qizhi calculated: "It's probably around ten million!"

"How many?"

The chopsticks pierced the bottom of the bowl, splashing out a few drops of sauce.

Shan Wangshu's eyes widened.

She was born beautiful, had broad knowledge, and married even better.

Even the wealthiest family, and the one who doesn't crave money excessively, knows what tens of millions means.

Ten million yuan can buy a small courtyard house near Shichahai in Beijing.

Then consider the timeline: it feels like Lin Sicheng is making money faster than robbing a bank...

As if lost in thought, she murmured to herself, "Ten million, ten million?"

Wang Qizhi pushed the bowl aside and wiped his hands: "And that's at least!"

If it is merely a copy of Dong Qichang's early work, and is a fragment, the price would be around one million.

With Xiang Molin's personal seal, the price has increased by about half, to 1.5 million. Add the seal of the Imperial Library and Emperor Qianlong's seal, and it will at least double, to 3 million.

However, if this calligraphy came from the Shenyang Imperial Palace, and it came out together with the Qianlong imperial seal that was stamped on the calligraphy, then there is no doubt that the calligraphy alone is worth at least four million.

If he loses even a penny, Wang Qizhi will call him "Dad".

If Lin Sicheng were to lose his mind and sell the remaining seal for six million, there would be a frenzy of bidding.

Imagine this: the emperor's imperial treasure—which man wouldn't have his eyes light up at the sight of it? To be able to buy it with money is like being incredibly lucky...

Upon hearing "Imperial Seal" and "Imperial Treasure," Shan Wangshu's eyes widened: how many of these had she seen in all her years working at the Forbidden City?

Suddenly, Wang Qizhi told her that his student had just bought a unit.

Buy? You can actually buy something like this with money?

Remembering Wang Qizhi's mention of ten million, Shan Wangshu frowned: "Lin Sicheng wants to sell?"

"I was just using an example!" Wang Qizhi shook his head. "Has Lin Sicheng lost his mind?"

Even if Lin Sicheng ever makes a mistake and tries to sell the seal, Wang Qizhi will slap him twice to wake him up from his daze.

You're short of money, huh? Well then, just ask! Do you think I won't lend you some?

"Yes! Just call me when the time comes, and I'll give him a piece of my mind!"

Shan Wangshu nodded vigorously, her face full of disbelief. "Where did you buy it from, Zhongshan Gate?"

"Where would you find this at a street stall?" Wang Qizhi shook his head. "Baoli!"

The chopsticks slipped, and the noodles overflowed the bowl.

I can't eat this meal today.

Shan Wangshu simply pushed the bowl aside: "Baoli, how could that be?"

If it were before, Wang Qizhi would have thought it impossible. But recalling today's experience, he wanted to sneer:

Even if it's just an office, it shouldn't be this unprofessional.

Well, now they've tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice instead, and ended up shooting themselves in the foot.

After giving a brief explanation, Shan Wangshu listened in stunned silence.

It's not so unbelievable that a company as big as Polytechnic would do these things.

And then there's Ye Anning, who used to be so well-behaved, but suddenly... she just... she just... she just... after all that, Shan Wangshu couldn't find a suitable adjective?

Anyway, the feeling she had was even more unbearable than when Lin Sicheng spent 700,000 yuan to buy an imperial seal: how could a person's personality change so easily?

"No... I've raised her for so many years, and she was such a silly and obedient girl when she was little... How did she suddenly become so smart?"

Hehe, Ye Anning is such a silly girl?

That's because your aunt likes silly and obedient children, that's why she acts silly and obedient.

Wang Qizhi sneered, "Don't you even know who gave birth to him?"

The thought of her sister-in-law silenced Shan Wangshu.

In the words of Grandpa (Wang Qizhi's grandfather): "Even if the heads of the three boys were tied together (Wang Qizhi and his two brothers), they couldn't compare to the alertness of the tips of the girl's hair when she was asleep."

Let's look at the names that Grandpa gave to his grandchildren: the three brothers are Qi Hua, Qi Ming, and Qi Zhi, and when it comes to the eldest sister-in-law, she becomes Qi Guang.

What does that mean? The sun and moon shine brightly in the sky, Zhao!

After a moment's thought, Shan Wangshu sighed again: "Lin Sicheng isn't bad either!"

Difference?

Wang Qizhi smiled but remained silent.

The thought of Teacher Ma being led around by Lin Sicheng from beginning to end without noticing anything amiss, and instead being smug and self-satisfied, made Wang Qizhi want to cheer.

It felt like Lin Sicheng had taken the phrases "sell someone out and they still help you count the money" and "bury someone alive and they still thank you" to the extreme, and demonstrated them to him once again.

Because of Lin Sicheng's guidance, Teacher Ma firmly believed from beginning to end that she had vision and wisdom far beyond that of ordinary people.

It's amazing, and it happens silently and without leaving a trace.

Like spring rain falling at night, gentle and silent.

Compared to that, Ye Anning was somewhat inferior.

He sighed inwardly, then suddenly remembered: "Remember to go to the bank tomorrow and transfer 400,000 yuan to Lin Sicheng!"

Dan Wangshu was puzzled: "Does he want to borrow money? Why is it 400,000?"

"It wasn't a loan, it was money for buying that calligraphy. Lin Sicheng said he and Ye Anning would split it 50/50! He even said Ye Anning wouldn't have to pay anything, just the information fee for the seal. I said it wasn't necessary, but after trying for a long time, I couldn't convince her, so in the end I just asked Ye Anning to pay half too..."

"Huh?" Shan Wangshu was stunned. "What era are those rules from? Why does he still care about this?"

It used to be called "huohuo": one person provided information, and the other was responsible for vetting the goods. After the goods were sold, the two of them split the profits equally.

But nowadays, who still follows those rules? It's considered good enough if they don't steal your customers or take your jobs.

But on the other hand: even half of that calligraphy piece would cost at least two million, Lin Sicheng was really willing to spend that much.

"Or can you say I'm pretty good at judging people?" Wang Qizhi boasted, then picked up his phone again: "I'll tell Ye Anning."

...

The setting sun cast an amber glow, and the evening breeze lifted the gauze curtains.

Ye Anning stood by the window, her pretty face reflected in the pale brown glass. Her phone was slightly warm, leaving a faint red mark on her palm.

My uncle's words echoed in my mind: "Lin Sicheng said, half for each of us."

Does that mean I inexplicably earned two million?

Ye Anning smiled, thought for a moment, and then found Lin Sicheng's phone number.

The phone rang twice before being answered. A gentle yet clear voice said, "Sister Anning!"

Ye Anning hummed in agreement, her voice very soft: "Lin Sicheng, I'm not doing this for the money!"

"I know!"

If Ye Anning were after money, she would have already bought the calligraphy, instead of asking me to authenticate it again.

But Lin Sicheng had his own understanding: some rules, though conservative, have existed for so many years, so there must be a reason for their existence.

Even setting that aside, let's talk about the most realistic and simplest principle: First comes, then comes. If it weren't for Ye Anning, where would Teacher Ma be, and where would the Qianlong Imperial Treasure come from?

A steady stream can flow forever.

Lin Sicheng spoke calmly and slowly, while Ye Anning listened attentively, a slow smile creeping onto her lips.

"Lin Sicheng, no matter what, I still want to thank you today!"

“Sister Anning, you really don’t need to be so polite. You should think of it this way: rounding up, it’s like I got an imperial seal for free. Have I not thanked you?”

Ye Anning laughed again: "Okay, I'll treat you to dinner another day!"

"good!"

The call was brief and to the point.

But Ye Anning could sense that there seemed to be an invisible tacit understanding between the two of them.

Just like today, with just a glance, Lin Sicheng could accurately judge what she wanted to express, what kind of behavior she would exhibit, and even her ultimate intention.

I just thought he was so smart. And that feeling was quite wonderful.

Just then, the sound of a door opening came from the corridor, and a colleague poked their head out: "Ye Anning, the meeting is starting!"

"good!"

She nodded, put away her phone, and took a deep breath: The battle is about to begin!