With Mr. Leng's help, I have already achieved my goal for this trip to Beijing.

When Duan Jinyan was in the Ze King's tomb, in order to escape Jiang Man's control, he resolutely blew up the tomb and chose to escape underwater. He also failed to obtain the Ze King's jade seal that he longed for, and he was unaware that I had obtained it. Otherwise, when the leopard rescued me, it would have already taken the item.

The reason I released this information was to let Duan Jinyan know that the imperial seal he was looking for was in my hands.

Even a top-tier player like Mr. Leng was extremely envious when he saw the Ze Wang Jade Seal, which is enough to show how valuable it is. Those foreign devils at Jinbai International must be drooling over it too.

Since Duan Jinyan works for Jinbai International, I believe that if the people behind him hear this news, they will definitely urge him to come and take the things away.

Regardless, Mr. Leng still got the better deal with me this time, and he never hid his admiration for me. After we settled the matter I asked him to do, Mr. Leng changed the subject: "I have already instructed the kitchen to prepare food and wine. You can dine at my residence tonight. It is still early, and I also have something I would like to ask you to help me with."

When I left Song Laosan, I was in a stage where I was eager to make connections, so I was naturally happy to come into contact with someone like Mr. Leng. I said modestly, "Mr. Leng, you are too kind. If you need anything, just let me know."

Mr. Leng didn't stand on ceremony and gestured to Uncle Mao, "Go and get the painting I brought back last week, and let Mr. Duan take a look at it."

When I learned that Mr. Leng's purpose was simply to look at a painting, and not to challenge the likes of Su Jialiang again, I immediately felt relieved. At the same time, I was also a little curious: "Mr. Leng, you are a renowned figure in the country, surrounded by experts. Since you have had this painting for a week, it must have already been appraised by a master, right?"

"Yes, but with so many conflicting opinions, I'm finding it hard to make up my mind."

Mr. Leng picked up his teacup and explained with a smile, "Have you ever heard of private photography?"

I didn't understand why Mr. Leng would test me with such a simple topic: "Of course, as the name suggests, a private auction is a private auction."

"Yes, in recent years, the country has been advocating cultural prosperity, and the value of antiques and collectibles has been rising steadily. However, even in those well-known large auctions, there are still many fakes that are mixed in with genuine ones. Therefore, people in the industry rarely participate in those auctions unless they encounter a treasure they truly love. Firstly, it is very expensive, and secondly, it is too high-profile."

Mr. Leng said casually, "In comparison, private auctions are not so particular. Smaller ones involve sexual encounters, larger ones involve crescent moon lantern festivals, and there are even more niche ones involving live banquets. As you know, I like antiques, so I do a few private auctions with friends in the industry every year. There just happens to be one next month."

The words Mr. Leng used were all jargon. "Bed exchange" refers to a group of antique dealers renting out a hotel or an entire floor of a hotel. After dinner, all the room doors are left open, and everyone places the things they brought on the beds and cabinets. They can freely wander around the rooms and buy or exchange things they like.

The Crescent Moon Lantern Festival is more formal. It is usually held on the third or fifth day of each month in a manor or private club. There are professional auctioneers to handle the bidding, and bidders are required to pay a deposit.

Collectibles acquired at auction houses come with legal proof of provenance and auction records, facilitating future resale. Antiques, when legally sourced, can not only appreciate in value but also be exempt from inheritance tax, which is why they are sought after by the world's wealthy.

With the country now advocating a policy of cultural prosperity, the antique and art market will inevitably become more standardized. Disputes arising from items sold at renowned auction houses are easier to resolve. Items sold at reputable auction houses worldwide, especially those sold at Rothschild auction houses in the UK, can be used as collateral for loans at banks under the Rothschild family, allowing individuals to obtain their items while also addressing unforeseen needs.

The only difference between the Crescent Moon Lantern Festival and a formal auction is that it does not accept public registration, the source of the items is not legitimate, and it is forbidden to investigate further. The organizers take a cut and do not guarantee the quality of the items. In other words, if you are fooled, you can only accept your bad luck.

However, the items sold in such places are much more interesting than those at formal auctions. My grandfather had a friend who bought a mummified monk from over a thousand years ago at the Crescent Moon Lantern Festival. Such items would never dare to be auctioned at a formal auction.

As for the last type of feast, that's much more interesting. It refers to a group of big bosses gathering together, where tomb raiders dig up a grave on the spot, bring up an item, and auction it off on the spot, with the highest bidder winning.

Among the methods mentioned above, the on-site banquet is the most dangerous because this transaction method stipulates that only cash transactions are used, and no one is allowed to inquire about the other party's background or identity. Everyone gathers together and only talks about the bidding.

Therefore, although the circle of "attending a feast on the spot" can provide access to top-notch treasures, it is also a mixed bag. There are all sorts of people, including honey traps, fake tomb raiders who dig fake tombs to defraud people, undercover police officers, police informants, tomb raiders who double-cross each other, ruthless gangsters who are after money, and gangsters from Hong Kong and Macau. In short, there are all kinds of people. Throughout history, countless people who went to "attending a feast on the spot" have been buried in tomb raiders' tunnels.

When Mr. Leng brought up private auctions, I subconsciously asked, "Was the painting you just mentioned acquired through these channels?"

"I bought this at the Crescent Moon Lantern Festival, and I plan to bring it to the tea party next month."

Mr. Leng nodded: "This tea party was organized by me and a few close friends. There were no monetary transactions; we simply bartered. It was all about having a discerning eye and experience. I heard there were some nice bronze artifacts at this year's tea party. As you know, I mainly collect bronzes. The reason I bought this painting at a high price was to exchange it for those items. Since it's a gathering of friends in the circle, I naturally have to make sure that what I bring is genuine, so as not to give others something to gossip about and ruin my reputation."

Just as I was understanding Mr. Leng's intentions, Uncle Mao returned to the scene carrying a brocade box, placed it on the table, and opened it.

I looked at the antique scroll, picked up my white gloves, and stood up: "Mr. Leng, may I ask who painted this?"

Mr. Leng uttered three words: "Wen Zhengming".

I frowned slightly: "Are you referring to Wen Zhengming, who was known as 'Wen Hengshan' in the Ming Dynasty, and who, in the history of painting, is known as one of the 'Four Masters of the Ming Dynasty' along with Shen Zhou, Tang Yin, and Qiu Ying, and in the history of literature, is known as one of the 'Four Talented Scholars of Suzhou' along with Zhu Yunming, Tang Yin, and Xu Zhenqing?"

Mr. Leng nodded: "Exactly!"

After hearing Mr. Leng's answer, I felt completely overwhelmed.

Seeing that my expression was off, Mr. Leng raised an eyebrow slightly: "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

"This is a huge problem!"

I curled my lip: "You don't even need to look at this painting, the paper itself is wrong!"