Ye Fan's expression remained as calm as ever. He glanced at Zhao Dong, whose face was now grim and whose eyes held malice.
Zhao Dong's gaze towards Ye Fan was like a thousand knives, as if he wanted to carve Ye Fan into a thousand pieces.
With a wry smile, Ye Fan turned and picked up another shard of porcelain.
"We were just discussing the body of the porcelain. Now let's look at the glaze. Chenghua glazes are darker, but the glaze itself is incredibly bright, even reflecting sunlight. Therefore, Chenghua porcelain is also known as the 'sun in the night sky.' Esteemed guests, please look at this shard. On the blue glaze, orchids are painted, the glaze is dull and lacks any brightness. This is far from authentic Chenghua porcelain."
Ye Fan couldn't help but shake his head.
"Now, let's look at the base glaze. It's incredibly bright, even much brighter than the painted patterns. I ask you, if the base glaze is more vibrant than the applied glaze, then what is the point of applying the glaze? Isn't it just superfluous?"
With such stark differences, how could this be considered authentic Chenghua porcelain?
Having spoken, Ye Fan placed the porcelain shards back on the table and looked at Zhao Dong.
"I wonder, Mr. Zhao, what explanation do you have? Or do you have any basis to refute me? As long as Mr. Zhao can convince me and all the guests present, I will concede defeat."
Ye Fan smiled lightly, his smile as gentle as a spring breeze.
Zhao Dong gritted his teeth, wanting to retort, but he had no reason to.
Ye Fan's words were somewhat familiar to him, but he never expected that Chenghua porcelain, after being appraised by so many senior appraisers, would still present problems.
At this point, he was trapped. "Boy, provoking my Tianbao Pavilion will bring you no good. Let me tell you, Tianbao Pavilion is backed by the Heavenly King's Mansion. I don't care who you are, but in Jiangnan City, offending the Heavenly King's Mansion will lead to nothing but death."
Lowering his voice, Zhao Dong coldly threatened Ye Fan.
With things having come to this, he had no other choice but to invoke the Heavenly King's Mansion. As long as Ye Fan was intimidated, he would be given an opportunity to step down, and then everything would be manageable.
However, he had underestimated Ye Fan and did not know his true background.
Let alone the Heavenly King's Mansion, even if the Heavenly King himself appeared, he would take that young shop assistant today.
"A bet is a bet. I never wish to be anyone's enemy, but I have never feared anyone. Whether it's the Heavenly King's Mansion or anyone else, if they try to coerce me, I will fight back. Mr. Zhao, you are a businessman. You should know that among businessmen, there are those who are indifferent to power and have a strong attitude. I am very sorry, but I am that kind of person."
As he spoke, the smile on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by a chilling coldness.
At this moment, Ye Fan was formidable. Even Chang Jun, who stood beside him, felt a chill run down his spine.
Without a doubt, at this moment, Ye Fan was the undisputed king.
"By the way, Mr. Zhao mentioned earlier that if I won, he would compensate me for medical expenses, no matter how much. One hundred thousand yuan. I kindly ask Mr. Zhao to fulfill his promise."
Ye Fan narrowed his eyes and stared intently at Zhao Dong.
Seeing that Ye Fan did not even spare the City Lord's Mansion any face, Zhao Dong's anger burned fiercely.
Yet, Ye Fan's every word had hit the nail on the head, leaving him no room to refute.
Moreover, with so many people watching outside, he could not afford to retort.
Helpless, Zhao Dong snorted coldly and had a shop assistant take out one hundred thousand yuan and throw it at Ye Fan.
"Boy, this Jiangnan City isn't that big, and we'll have opportunities to meet again. We'll see."
After uttering a harsh threat, he turned and walked towards the inner hall without looking back.
Having suffered such humiliation today, how could he possibly stay here?
Watching Zhao Dong's retreating back, Ye Fan sneered, "I await your move, Mr. Zhao."
With that, he signaled Chang Jun to take the young shop assistant to the hospital.
Ye Fan, meanwhile, left Tianbao Pavilion slowly amidst a welcoming crowd.
Today's performance by Ye Fan would undoubtedly spread throughout Jiangnan City.
Single-handedly shaking up Tianbao Pavilion was something many had wished to do but lacked the courage for.
Regardless of Ye Fan's appraisal abilities, his sheer courage was enough to earn admiration.
"Truly a hero in his youth. It seems the heavens of Jiangnan City's antique circle are indeed about to change."
Many watched Ye Fan leave, this thought arising in their minds.
Many present were old foxes and naturally understood the current situation in Jiangnan City. They also knew that Jiangnan City's antique circle had been dominated by a few major players for far too long.
Many wished to break this pattern but dared not act because they were not strong enough to contend with them.
Yet now, this young man dared to challenge Tianbao Pavilion, which was undoubtedly paving the way for others and sending them a signal.
When these people unite, they would become a formidable force.
Ye Fan was naturally unaware of these people's thoughts and had no inclination to consider them. The most important thing now was to meet Elder Lei.
The trip to Tianbao Pavilion today, saving the young shop assistant, was the most crucial objective, and Ye Fan had also made new discoveries.
Tianbao Pavilion actually housed a priceless fake.
Without a doubt, if that porcelain vase were to be purchased, it would be at an exorbitant price. And any appraiser of a certain caliber would be able to discern such an item. But why did the senior appraisers of the Heavenly King's Mansion not notice it?
The reason was self-evident.
Upon arriving at the Antique Association again, since he had been here before, the gatekeeper did not stop him and let him pass directly.
Reaching Elder Lei's office, Ye Fan pushed the door open and entered.
Two people were inside: Elder Lei and Jiang Zhong.
"Mr. Jiang is also here. It seems I don't need to make an extra trip."
Ye Fan greeted them with a smile.
Although he was not familiar with Jiang Zhong, Elder Lei had mentioned before that Jiang Zhong was a righteous person who did not seek wealth or status, so Ye Fan had a good impression of him.
Jiang Zhong nodded, acknowledging Ye Fan's greeting.
Elder Lei looked at Ye Fan with surprise, "You came so urgently, is something the matter?"
He knew Ye Fan well; if there were nothing important, Ye Fan would never be so hasty, not even knocking on the door.
Ye Fan nodded, picked up a nearby teacup, and drank several large gulps.
After spending so long at Tianbao Pavilion without even a sip of water, Ye Fan's mouth and throat were already parched.
"Does Elder Lei know about Tianbao Pavilion?"
Putting down the teacup, Ye Fan asked Elder Lei.
"Tianbao Pavilion, which belongs to the Heavenly King's Mansion?"
Ye Fan nodded.
"Tianbao Pavilion is the Heavenly King's Mansion's first antique shop in Jiangnan. It has been in existence for over a hundred years and is one of the few hundred-year-old shops in Jiangnan City. For many years, it has been the representative of the Heavenly King's Mansion in Jiangnan City. Furthermore, Tianbao Pavilion has gathered many senior appraisers, although these appraisers rarely appear, so I am not very familiar with them. However, Tianbao Pavilion's reputation is quite good. Over the years, I have never heard of them engaging in any predatory or monopolistic practices. Their business conduct has always been quite regular."
Elder Lei provided a brief introduction.