One million for appraisal fee is not much for a big shot like Gu Zhongchen, but it is still considered a sincere offer.
Zhou Yang naturally looked down on this million; the rewards for any random task from the system were far more generous.
However, the opportunity to personally teach this previously rude Boss Du a lesson is rare, so this fun is worth it!
His expression remained calm as he nodded slightly: "Mr. Du, you are too kind."
"Since you trust us, we are naturally happy to serve you. Money is secondary; our main goal is to help Mr. Du resolve his troubles and prevent him from being taken advantage of again in the future."
These words sounded polite, but the phrase "suffer losses and be cheated again" pierced Du Minghua's heart like a needle, making his old face turn red.
Gu Zhongchen and the other two nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Du Minghua perked up slightly and forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace, leading everyone toward a hidden door at the back of the study: "Gentlemen, this way please."
Arriving at a heavy alloy door resembling a bank vault, Du Minghua took a deep breath, his expression solemn.
He first pressed his finger on a fingerprint scanner, and with a soft "beep," the green light turned on.
Next, he moved closer to a bright lens to perform an iris scan. After a slight mechanical adjustment sound, there was another "beep".
Finally, he entered a long, complex combination of numbers and letters on a built-in touch-sensitive keypad next to the door.
"Click—rumble—"
With a series of clicking and heavy metallic scraping sounds, the alloy door, strong enough to withstand a small explosion, slowly slid inward.
As soon as the door opened a crack, a subtle aroma, a blend of sandalwood, agarwood, and the unique scent of antiques, wafted out, accompanied by a faint hissing sound of dryness and the characteristic airflow of a constant temperature and humidity system.
Then, when the door was fully opened, what was presented to everyone was a sight that would dazzle any collector!
Inside the vast collection room, soft yet bright shadowless lights were evenly distributed in every corner, making it feel like a small private museum!
Rows of tall, temperature- and humidity-controlled glass display cases, along with specially made antique shelves, stand side by side in a well-organized manner.
From the warm and simple jade artifacts of various colors, to the lustrous porcelain from various dynasties, to the ancient books and paintings still imbued with the fragrance of ink.
From the mysterious dzi beads, the richly colored amber, to the rusty yet priceless ancient coins.
Even bronzes, gold and silver artifacts, miscellaneous items, etc., are all available in a dazzling array of categories!
A quick glance reveals that there are probably hundreds or even thousands of items!
Each piece lies quietly in its designated spot, radiating a subtle or flamboyant "jewel-like" brilliance under the light, along with a unique sense of historical depth.
"Holy crap! Dad, you've collected so many things! Did you spend all the cash flow you've earned over the years into this?"
Even Du Zhe was incredibly shocked when he came in, let alone Zhou Yang and the others.
Zhou Yang was also quite surprised; the Du family was truly wealthy and powerful!
Du Minghua took a deep breath, rolled his eyes at Du Zhe, and bowed to Zhou Yang and the three experts.
"Gentlemen, young friend Zhou, please! I'd like to trouble you all to take a look at my collection!"
If he could find a few truly valuable items, Du Minghua's reputation would be somewhat salvaged!
The three men, Gu Zhongchen and Gu Zhongchen, looked solemn and said little. They dispersed and began to carefully examine the artifacts in the display cases.
The number of treasures in this collection room is truly astonishing; even experts would need considerable effort to examine each one closely.
Zhou Yang, however, strolled through the rows of display cases as if he were in his own backyard, his gaze seemingly casual, his steps unhurried.
Suddenly, he stopped in front of a display case filled with various jade artifacts, his gaze settling on a small, palm-sized jade Buddha head with an ancient and simple design.
He slightly pursed his lips, pointed at the jade Buddha head, and spoke in a low but clear voice that echoed throughout the entire collection room.
“Mr. Du, there is a problem with this so-called ‘Tang Dynasty jade Buddha head’.”
Du Minghua's heart clenched, and he quickly walked over, his voice trembling slightly.
"Young friend Zhou, what...what do you mean by this?"
No way? Not again?! Is the very first item in my collection going to have a problem?
Zhou Yang calmly began, “Tang Dynasty Buddhist statues emphasize a full and plump face, neatly curled hair, a solemn and compassionate expression, and smooth and natural lines in the clothing.”
“Especially the unique charm of ‘Cao Yi emerging from water, Wu Dai swaying in the wind’ is particularly evident. The jade is mostly made of the finest Hetian jade, the carving is smooth and rounded, and the patina is natural. What about yours?”
He paused, as if giving Du Minghua time to process, then changed his tone, adding a touch of mockery.
"The knife work is very rough and the lines are stiff. The jade is also too new and tender. The so-called patina is just superficial and too fiery."
"This thing is at best a modern jade imitation of an antique. It's probably no more than twenty years old from the time it was carved to the present."
"Wh...what?!"
Du Minghua was struck dumb, staggered back a step, pointed at the jade Buddha head, and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"This...this is impossible! This jade Buddha head was bought from a seasoned collector ten years ago for a whopping five million! He claimed it was an heirloom from his family!"
"Pfft!"
A sneer, undisguised, rang out.
Du Zhe was overjoyed and moved closer to Zhou Yang, giving him a thumbs up.
"Master, that's amazing! Absolutely incredible! Dad, did you hear that? A job that's been around for twenty years!"
"So your eyesight wasn't what it used to be ten years ago? I thought you were just getting old and your eyesight was failing, which is why you started mistaking things!"
"Five million for a modern handicraft? You're truly a reincarnation of a 'generous spender,' a living bodhisattva descended to earth, specially bringing warmth to scammers!"
Five million ten years ago is equivalent to fifty million today!
With that money, there were so many things we could have done ten years ago!
"You...you unfilial son!"
Du Minghua was so angry that his chest heaved violently, his finger pointing at Du Zhe trembled, and he almost couldn't catch his breath.
What sins did he commit to give birth to such a thing!
Just then, Gu Zhongchen on the other side also let out a soft sigh.
He was holding a Tang Dynasty tri-colored pottery figurine of a lady, about a foot tall, and shook his head with a complicated expression.
“Mr. Du, this Tang tri-color female figurine is probably not from the correct period.”
Upon hearing this, Du Minghua swayed, as if his last lifeline had been pulled away.
His face was contorted with grief, his voice filled with despair: "Another...another one?! Gu Gu, are you...are you sure?"
Gu Zhongchen looked regretful and pointed to several details of the female figurine.
“Brother Minghua, please take a look. Although the glaze of this figurine is bright, it lacks composure and appears slightly fiery. The body is also too loose, which is inconsistent with the dense and hard clay of the Tang Dynasty.”
"Looking at the crackle pattern, it's fine but lacks naturalness, and the signs of aging are too obvious. In my opinion, this is a modern imitation, just made with a more sophisticated technique than ordinary imitations."
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