Zhou Changke knew perfectly well that someone who could casually pull out a thousand yuan was no ordinary person. Moreover, the fact that this young man and he both liked the same vase showed that his taste was exceptional. Such a person was worth befriending!
Xu Kuo nodded slightly. He was not a petty person, and since the other party had taken the initiative to be friendly, he naturally would not turn them away.
"good."
Xu Kuo paid the money and carefully put the vase away.
The shopkeeper's attitude did a complete 180-degree turn. He smiled broadly and kept flattering Xu Kuo: "Sir, you have excellent taste! This vase is one of our shop's treasures! You are so lucky to have bought it!"
Xu Kuo simply smiled faintly and said nothing more.
"Old Zhou, let's go."
Zhou Changke smiled and nodded, and the two walked out of the antique shop side by side.
Zhou Changke pulled Xu Kuo through a maze of turns until they entered a small restaurant.
"Don't let the small size of this place fool you, the food is absolutely amazing!" Zhou Changke led Xu Kuo into the private room with practiced ease and called the waiter to serve the dishes. He was clearly a regular customer.
One after another, steaming dishes were served: braised pork head with rich soy sauce, glistening roast chicken, and several seasonal stir-fries, filling the table to the brim.
"Come on, have a taste!" Zhou Changke enthusiastically invited, picking up his chopsticks first.
Xu Kuo didn't stand on ceremony, picked up a piece of meat, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it carefully. Mmm, the taste was indeed excellent, cooked to perfection, fatty but not greasy, savory and delicious.
Seeing Xu Kuo's calm and composed demeanor, Xin looked at Xu Kuo with even greater admiration and became even more determined in her decision.
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Zhou Changke put down his chopsticks and stared intently at Xu Kuo: "Young man, where are you from?"
"Me? From a small rural village, you've probably never heard of me," Xu Kuo mumbled, picking at the rice in his bowl.
A glint of shrewdness flashed in Zhou Changke's eyes. A small village in the countryside? This doesn't seem like it! To be able to see the intricacies of that vase at a glance, one needs real skill; how could a country bumpkin have such insight? This kid is definitely hiding his true abilities.
"Hey, what's wrong with a small village? A hero's origins don't matter!" Zhou Changke waved his hand.
"However, I do think that the young man is truly capable."
"Young man, I have a few treasures here. Could you take a look at them for me?" Zhou Changke asked tentatively, his tone pleading.
"This..." Xu Kuo hesitated. It wasn't that he didn't want to help, but the world of antiques was too complicated, and what if he said the wrong thing and got into trouble?
Seeing Xu Kuo hesitate, Zhou Changke assumed he was afraid of taking responsibility, so he quickly patted his chest and assured him, "Just say it, it doesn't matter if you're wrong, I definitely won't blame you!"
Since things had come to this point, Xu Kuo could no longer refuse and could only nod.
Zhou Changke was overjoyed and carefully took out a jade pendant from his pocket and handed it to Xu Kuo.
This jade pendant is entirely emerald green, with a warm and smooth texture and exquisite carving; it is clearly not an ordinary item.
Xu Kuo took the jade pendant; it felt slightly cool to the touch, and a faint spiritual energy wafted towards him.
"System, scan!" Xu Kuo silently commanded in his mind.
[Ding! Scan complete. This jade pendant dates back to the Western Han Dynasty and is worth 800 points.]
Western Han Dynasty! 800 points!
Xu Kuo's heart was in turmoil, but he tried his best to remain calm. This was truly a treasure he had struck gold!
He casually examined the jade pendant, feigning composure, and slowly asked, "This jade pendant is from the Western Han Dynasty, isn't it?"
Zhou Changke was jolted, nearly dropping his wine glass. He stared at Xu Kuo with shock in his eyes.
"How...how did you know?" Zhou Changke's voice trembled slightly.
He had gone to great lengths to acquire this jade pendant. To determine its age, he scoured ancient texts and consulted countless experts before finally managing to pinpoint its origin as a Western Han Dynasty artifact. Yet this young man before him had accurately identified its provenance with just a glance!
This...this is simply divine!
Zhou Changke was deeply shocked, and his gaze towards Xu Kuo became increasingly respectful. He was certain that this young man before him was a hidden master appraiser!
We must befriend such talented people!
Zhou Changke made up his mind and put on a big smile: "Young man, you have a good eye! To be honest, I studied this jade pendant for a long time before I determined that it was from the Western Han Dynasty. You recognized it at a glance, that's really amazing!"
Xu Kuo was secretly pleased with himself, but his face remained calm and composed.
“Um, Elder Zhou, this jade pendant…” Xu Kuo tentatively began, wanting to buy the jade pendant.
"Would you be willing to name a price?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Changke's face lit up with joy. This was a golden opportunity to build a closer relationship!
"Young man, you like this jade pendant? It's yours!" Zhou Changke said generously, waving his hand.
"How can this be?" Xu Kuo quickly declined. "I can't accept something so valuable for nothing."
"Hey, what's so valuable about it? It's just a piece of broken jade!" Zhou Changke feigned displeasure. "If you don't accept it, you're looking down on this old man!"
Zhou Changke shoved the jade pendant directly into Xu Kuo's hand, his attitude firm and leaving no room for refusal.
Xu Kuo looked at the jade pendant in his hand, his heart filled with mixed feelings. This old man was far too enthusiastic! However, this jade pendant was indeed very important to him.
"Old Zhou, this... I owe you a favor." Xu Kuo sighed helplessly.
"Haha, no problem, no problem!" Zhou Changke was overjoyed when he saw Xu Kuo accept the jade pendant. "By the way, I recently acquired an antique and would like you to take a look at it."
"No problem," Xu Kuo readily agreed.
Zhou Changke took out a piece of paper from his pocket, wrote down an address, and handed it to Xu Kuo: "Come find me here tomorrow afternoon."
"Okay." Xu Kuo took the note and carefully put it away.
The two chatted for a while longer before getting up to say goodbye.
Xu Kuo was eager to return home and wished he could immediately exchange the jade pendant and vase for points.
Meanwhile, Zhou Changke leisurely returned home.
As soon as I reached the door, I saw a figure standing there, pacing anxiously.
"Xiao Shi? What brings you here?" Zhou Changke asked, somewhat puzzled.
This man was none other than the deputy secretary, Shi Jixing.
As soon as Shi Jixing saw Zhou Changke, he immediately came up to him with a big smile: "Old Zhou, you're finally back!"
"Come inside and we'll talk," Zhou Changke said, beckoning Shi Jixing into the house.
After the two sat down, Zhou Changke got straight to the point: "Xiao Shi, what's up so late?"
Shi Jixing sighed deeply, his face full of worry: "Old Zhou, you have to help me!" He paused, then lowered his voice, "Recently, a vegetable vendor came to the entrance of the market and has taken away a lot of our business. The vendors in the market are almost out of a living!"
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