Chapter 77
Wu Yu nodded, put down the book in his hand, took out a pair of unopened white gloves from the drawer and put them on. He first adjusted the angle of the arm lamp, then looked up at them. The whole process was neither hurried nor slow.
Chen Cheng took a step forward and placed the things and the wooden box on the square table.
Wu Yu held the celadon flower bowl in both hands, took it out steadily and placed it under the light of the desk lamp. Turning on the light, he took the handheld magnifying glass beside him and slowly moved it almost close to the glaze of the porcelain bowl. The light passed through the magnifying glass, and a dazzling bright ring was cast on the wall of the bowl. Through the gloves, his hands were extremely gentle, almost rubbing the bottom and inside of the bowl, feeling the trend and undulation of each line on it. Then, he turned the bowl over again. The signature on the bottom of the bowl and the traces of previous touching were clearly visible under the magnifying glass. Wu Yu did not say anything, but just looked at the pattern on it carefully again and again, neither saying it was good nor bad. In fact, since they entered the room, he had not even asked about the origin and age of this thing.
Chen Ming stood aside, his eyes filled with unspeakable anxiety and nervousness, a thin layer of sweat oozing from the tip of his nose, and his heart beating rapidly. He couldn't tell if it was the high temperature in the room or his own excessive anxiety, but Chen Ming felt his hands were sticky and couldn't wipe them off even after wiping them onto his clothes. Seeing Wu Yu's movements, he wanted to speak several times, but just as he was about to speak, he glanced and saw Wu Yu change his posture again. Chen Ming hurriedly lowered his head, suppressing his eagerness, afraid that speaking would interrupt the other person's train of thought.
In comparison, Chen Cheng was much more stable. There was no impatience in his eyes, nor was he as panicked as Chen Ming. He just stood there, but his heavy breathing through his nose was particularly clear in the quiet room. His eyes were fixed on the bowl under the lamp.
The long silence lasted for about ten minutes. Wu Yu looked up and gently placed the bowl on the table. He glanced at Manager Wang first, then at the two brothers in front of him, and said calmly, "This celadon flower bowl, judging by the glaze and shape, does look like an old man. However, if you judge it by the naked eye and touch, there will inevitably be a big difference."
He gently turned the porcelain bowl and pointed to an inconspicuous spot on the bottom. He said, "The modification here is too regular. The cracks on the glaze and the distribution of some bubbles are too even."
"So what do you mean?" Chen Ming was anxious.
Wu Yu continued to explain in his steady voice, "What I'm talking about now is just my naked eye observation. I need to send it to the laboratory in the back for testing with specialized instruments. Only when the data comes out can I give an accurate identification conclusion. You two can sit in the rest area outside for a while and have a cup of tea. The preliminary examination results will be available in about half an hour."
"Half an hour?" Chen Cheng asked quickly, his tone tinged with nervousness he didn't even notice. He wasn't suspicious; after all, it was right there, just a few doors away. But without the bowl beside him, he felt like something was missing, and it made him feel particularly uneasy.
"Yes, this is also the basic process of identification," Manager Wang said to the two of them affirmatively while keeping smiling.
Chen Cheng glanced at the laboratory Wu Yu had just entered and asked, "They're doing the identification inside. Can't we go in and take a look?"
"I'm really sorry, sir. The laboratory is equipped with high-precision imported instruments, and has strict standards for the cleanliness of the environment, temperature and humidity, and operating procedures. In order to ensure that the testing process is not disturbed in any way and the data produced can be absolutely accurate, the company stipulates that no one except special testing teachers can enter. Please understand that the results will be out soon. You two can wait in the lounge outside now." Manager Wang raised his hand.
The two of them had no choice but to return to the lounge area and sit down on the sofa. The sofa in the lounge area was the popular lazy style, soft and low in height. The undulating curves in the middle were originally designed to make people sit comfortably, but Chen Cheng and Chen Ming felt uncomfortable all over and uneasy when they sat there.
His eyes seemed uncontrollable, repeatedly glancing at the closed door. Time seemed frozen, each minute passing incredibly slowly and excruciatingly. Chen Ming couldn't sit still. He would stand up every once in a while, either pulling his phone from his pocket or walking to the door, back and forth.
Chen Cheng was holding the empty disposable paper cup, a hole in the middle of which he had dug with his fingernail. He looked at Chen Ming, who had already walked to the door, cleared his throat and said, "Don't move. Walking back and forth like this makes me even more confused."
Having said that, his eyes never left the door.
"If I don't do this, I'll feel even worse," Chen Ming said. He walked over and whispered to Chen Cheng, "Do you think this is fake again? What the appraisal teacher said just now seems a little off."
"Isn't that what they always say?" Chen Cheng continued. "First, tell us the bad things, then the good things. That way, we can lower the price."
"Is that so?" Chen Ming was doubtful.
The two of them sat there restlessly, and after almost an hour on the wall clock, the door was finally opened from the inside. Wu Yu came out with their things, his face still serious.
The two of them heard the sound of the door opening almost at the same time, and hurried over. Chen Ming looked at the thing in his hand, and his voice was full of nervousness that could not be concealed, "How, how is it, is this thing of ours real?"
Wu Yu saw the two people walking towards him. He pushed up his glasses and slowly scanned their faces. He nodded and said, "You two are doing good things. I've looked at this bowl carefully and it's really real."
As Wu Yu was speaking, Manager Wang came out of the office area next door and nodded at Wu Yu.
"Judging from the shape, this piece of yours is a very typical style from the late mid-to-late Qing Dynasty. The glaze color is smooth, and the brushwork and lines of the painting are natural, which is in line with the craftsmanship characteristics of the time. The body is fine. I just used specialized instruments to test the composition and aging of the body and glaze. The data shows that there is no doubt about the authenticity of this porcelain. It is a genuine product from the folk kilns of the late mid-to-late Qing Dynasty."
"Really... is it true, the Qing Dynasty?" Chen Ming's voice was a little trembling, and his breathing became fast and slow.
Chen Cheng pinched his palm hard, barely suppressing the turmoil in his heart, but his other hand, hanging by his side, had already begun to tremble uncontrollably. He felt cold from head to toe, and his mind was unable to think. He wanted to go over and take a closer look at the bowl, but his feet were stuck and he couldn't move. He could only blink his almost dry eyes, "Then, how much is this thing worth?"
Wu Yu glanced at them and gave his own judgment, "According to the current market conditions, a well-preserved, high-quality porcelain from the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty like this would cost around 100,000 yuan. If it were taken to a regular auction house and met a collector of this type of porcelain, the price would increase to between 120,000 and 150,000 yuan."
"One hundred thousand?!" The two brothers shouted almost at the same time, their voices distorted by extreme shock and excitement. Both of them opened their eyes wide and looked at each other. They saw in each other's eyes the kind of ecstasy and excitement that was almost overflowing after being hit by a huge surprise.
Chen Ming stood there and felt a sudden heat rushing from his chest to the top of his head. His head buzzed and he was so excited that his legs went weak and his body swayed uncontrollably from side to side. He grabbed Chen Ming beside him and managed to stand.
"Is this true? Worth one hundred thousand?" Chen Ming was both happy and a little uncertain. His voice was still shaking and he spoke incoherently. "I thought it was just a few thousand yuan. One hundred thousand, boss, one hundred thousand..."
His voice became louder and louder, and fearing that he had misheard, he kept repeating it to Chen Cheng.
Chen Cheng grinned, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were squeezed together. He rubbed his hands back and forth in front of him subconsciously, and stared at the wooden box in Wu Yu's hand, as if he wanted to see flowers in it.
The assistant delivered the freshly printed preliminary report. Manager Wang took it first, checked the appraiser's name and information, and handed it to Chen Cheng. "Mr. Chen, this is the preliminary appraisal results. It also includes a detailed valuation report and specific analysis. Please wait three business days to pick it up."
Chen Cheng took the report with both hands, and Chen Ming also came over impatiently. They read the contents of the appraisal word by word many times, especially the results column, repeatedly checking and confirming the word "authentic" stamped on it. They couldn't get enough of it.
It was intense, with emotions surging like the tide crashing wildly in their chests. The boiling and exuberant feeling of joy seemed like an invisible barrier that made them almost forget everything around them.
"Oh, Mr. Chen," Manager Wang suddenly thought. He looked at the two people who were already in a state of ecstasy, "Your thing needs to stay in our agency for the time being."
"Why?" Chen Cheng, who was originally immersed in great joy, was stunned by his sudden words, and the smile on his face froze instantly.
"Don't get me wrong, it's like this." Manager Wang's smile remained unchanged, his tone as calm and natural as ever. He explained to the two, "Because the specific valuation report needs to be written in combination with the specific characteristics and information of your item, just like the bottom inscription, glaze structure, year data, etc. that our teachers will look at during the initial inspection, all of these need to be photographed and sampled with a professional camera. We just did a simple analysis and evaluation, and haven't done the more detailed breakdown yet. You can rest assured that your items are kept with us. We have a special safe and a dedicated person to look after them. It's absolutely safe. When you leave later, I will give you a temporary storage certificate. If any problems occur during the storage period, our company will also be fully responsible."
Chen Ming was actually relieved when he heard this. He nudged Chen Cheng with his arm and advised him in a relaxed tone, "Didn't we give that thing out last time and got nothing after a week? Now this is a legitimate agency, much more reliable than the one Mom went to last time. Besides, they've already given us the order. Oh, by the way, you're not going to trick us by saying the thing is real now, and then when we come to pick it up in a couple of days, you say it's fake. What should we do then?"
Manager Wang's smile faltered for a moment, but quickly returned to normal. "The preliminary identification results already represent the final results. We will only provide additional clarification on some matters. There will be no problem with the authenticity, so you can rest assured."
"That's fine then." Chen Ming nodded, and his face was filled with that warm and flattering smile again. "Manager, let's do as you said just now."
"Please come over here and we will handle the handover process and specific information."
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