Beijing, Leng Mansion.

Inside the main hall, where fish were frolicking, Su Maoyuan had a servant serve tea to me and the monkey. He then explained, "Young Master Duan, Mr. Leng is attending a charity banquet and won't be back until after dinner. He instructed me to make sure you are well taken care of. I've already arranged a car. If you're interested, I can arrange for a driver to take you around the capital."

I just got off the plane this morning and came straight to Mr. Leng's residence. I forced myself to stay awake and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Uncle Mao, but I haven't been feeling well lately and can't take any more travel. If it's convenient, I'd like to wait for Mr. Leng to return at your residence."

"As you wish."

As Mr. Leng's head butler, Uncle Mao has the authority to make decisions on many matters: "There are guest rooms upstairs. I can take you up to rest. If you find it boring, there is a small private exhibition hall on the third floor that Mr. Leng has kept privately. You can go up and take a look."

I was somewhat flattered: "Is this appropriate?"

"There aren't many people who can be noticed by Mr. Leng and become his friends. You are one of them, so there's nothing inconvenient about it."

Su Maoyuan saw through my thoughts and smiled gently: "Please!"

According to Su Maoyuan, the exhibition hall inside this villa is only a small part of Mr. Leng's vast collection, but any piece taken out is a masterpiece.

Although it might be a stretch to put these collections in the National Museum of China, if they were placed in a provincial museum, they would certainly be the kind of items that are prominently displayed, even if they are not the museum's most prized possessions.

The collection consists of only twenty-odd pieces, each one exquisite and ingeniously crafted. I spent a full two hours admiring just one square pot with a coiled dragon pattern and a reclining tiger.

I used to visit museums often, but I could only view the artifacts through glass. Some of the artifacts were even one-to-one replicas, while the originals were locked in the museum's safe.

Besides seeking out antiquities, the most important aspect of collecting antiques is handling and appreciating them.

Although I have some knowledge, I have very little practical experience. I'm afraid that apart from the tomb, only Mr. Leng could have access to these priceless treasures.

I remember when I first came here, I was amazed by Mr. Leng's mansion in the heart of the capital. Now, looking at it again, I'm afraid most of the items in this house are no less valuable than the mansion itself.

As I fiddled with the Crouching Tiger Square Pot in my hand, I suddenly thought of the ancient folk tale that people believed the emperor could eat pancakes three times a day. I suddenly felt like a frog at the bottom of a well.

When Su Maoyuan knocked on the door again to tell me that Mr. Leng had returned, I suddenly realized that I had unknowingly spent more than five hours in this room.

After several months apart, Mr. Leng was much more enthusiastic towards me: "You rascal, you're usually so busy, you didn't even think to come and visit me during the New Year?"

I smiled sheepishly and said, "Not at all, Mr. Leng. You are very busy and your time is precious. How could I, a humble commoner, dare to disturb you?"

Mr. Leng frowned slightly: "Slippery! Forgot is forgot, that's a lame excuse!"

I knew Mr. Leng had a changeable personality, but I didn't expect him to get angry over a joke. I quickly changed the subject: "Mr. Leng, to be honest, I came here today because I have something I want to ask you for help with."

Mr. Leng only mentioned me briefly, without much change in his expression: "Tell me, what do you need me to do?"

I picked up the briefcase at my feet, placed it on the table, and opened the lid: "Please take a look!"

This box contains items that the monkey brought out from the tomb of King Ze, including a phoenix crown woven with gold thread and inlaid with jewels. However, the crown was severely deformed due to being squeezed several times during our escape, and many of the jewels were also lost.

Mr. Leng, who was usually calm and collected, glanced at me and then stood up instinctively, looking at me incredulously: "Where did you get this?"

"Far East, Zewang Tomb"

I did not hide the origin of these things from Mr. Leng: "To be honest, I just returned from the Far East today. This Prince Ze refers to Hu Shahu, a powerful minister of the Jin Dynasty. He murdered the emperor and rebelled. Although he did not become emperor, his ambition was obvious. He built his own tomb into an imperial mausoleum. This phoenix crown and other jewelry were prepared by him for his 'empress'."

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"

Mr. Leng picked up a jade hairpin from the box and exclaimed in amazement: "These things are too rare. Although they are not from the real imperial tomb, the craftsmanship and materials are quite close! Even if they came from a fake imperial tomb, they would still be worthy of the title of rare treasures. They are extremely rare in the world. Although they can't be sold for a very high price, they have historical significance!"

The monkey curled its lip: "Of course, the real imperial tombs of all dynasties have either been excavated long ago, or the rest are protected by the state! There aren't many people like this who have rebellious intentions and still build their own imperial tombs!"

Mr. Leng's attention was entirely focused on the yellow goods in the box, and he didn't even notice the monkey interrupting. He asked me, "Xiao Duan, you just said you wanted my help. What do you need me to do?"

I got straight to the point: "Mr. Leng, you can take any item from this box that you like as a gift from me. As for the other items, I hope you can help me sell them. Apart from the one you take, I want ten million for the remaining seven items."

Although these antiques are quite valuable, I am just a supplier at the source. Without access to end collectors or distribution channels, ten million is a very reasonable price.

Originally, all the items we had were sold through Song Laosan's channels, but now Song Laosan has betrayed me. These items are all counterfeit goods, and if we encounter an unreliable buyer, there will be big problems.

On my way back to China, I considered using Su Jialiang's channels, but he was a counterfeiter by trade, and he made bronzes, so I was afraid it would be difficult for him to find a market.

As for the Qing family, they are a good choice, since they used to be laborers and certainly have plenty of connections. However, they are related to Song Laosan and are equally unreliable.

After much thought, I realized that Mr. Leng was the most suitable candidate.

Firstly, Mr. Leng is a true big player; he can even get his hands on Gongxin Zun, which shows how wide his circle is. Moreover, he has always admired me, so my visit to him was partly a deliberate attempt to get closer to him.

After hearing what I said, Mr. Leng smiled and said, "You come from a humble background, but you're quite generous. Aren't you afraid I'll take the phoenix crown from you?"

I replied directly, "Since I dare to say it, I am naturally not afraid of Mr. Leng choosing. Please choose any item from this box."

Mr. Leng smiled and said, "Alright, you're so young, it's the perfect time for you to start your business. I won't accept this gift. These things of yours have too much of a raw, unpolished feel, they might not sell well. Just give me the whole batch, and I'll give you twenty million directly, how about that?"