Seeing that Ye Fan had no objections and agreed, Elder Li nodded with satisfaction. Although he didn't understand Ye Fan, he could tell from Ye Fan's gaze that this young man was by no means ordinary.
That's why he attached so much importance to Ye Fan.
Afterward, Elder Li slowly stood up.
"Let's go. A batch of items just arrived, let's go take a look."
"This is your first time practicing here, so don't be nervous. Treat it all as usual practice. Moreover, no matter who is watching, just pretend they don't exist."
Elder Li constantly cautioned Ye Fan, clearly afraid that Ye Fan might perform poorly. If that happened, the people above might have opinions, and Ye Fan's life could be in danger. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
This time, a hint of determination flashed in Ye Fan's eyes: "Don't worry, Elder Li, I will not disappoint you."
Ye Fan's gaze was firm, and even a hint of fervor flashed in his eyes.
As Ye Fan followed Elder Li to the appraisal stage, there were already several people there.
They were chatting and laughing, and Elder Wang also had a smile on his face.
Clearly, among these few people, there was someone Elder Wang had to show respect to.
After all, given Elder Wang's personality, he wouldn't easily show such an expression.
Seeing Ye Fan and Elder Li arrive, Elder Wang nodded at them.
As for the fat Chen, he quickly walked over with a fawning smile and grabbed Ye Fan.
"Manager Hu, this is our newly hired appraiser... Xiao Qiang."
Fat Chen intended to introduce Ye Fan, but suddenly realized he hadn't asked for his name. Helplessly, he could only casually give him a name.
Since Manager Hu didn't know him anyway, and Ye Fan had recovered so quickly from such severe injuries, showing remarkable vitality, fat Chen gave him this name.
Ye Fan was slightly stunned and looked at fat Chen doubtfully. Seeing fat Chen constantly winking at him, he immediately understood and gave a wry smile.
"Manager Hu, my name is Zhang Qiang, everyone calls me Xiao Qiang. It's a pleasure to meet you."
He extended his hand to shake Manager Hu's hand, but Manager Hu didn't even extend his. He just glanced at Ye Fan indifferently.
"So young, what kind of skills could you possibly have? I say, little fatty, are you becoming less reliable in your work?"
Clearly, he didn't think highly of Ye Fan at all.
Ye Fan was still extending his hand. It was awkward to retract it, and even more awkward to keep it there.
Fortunately, Elder Li walked over at this moment and patted Ye Fan's shoulder.
"Manager Hu, this young man has very good eyesight, even comparable to old Wang and myself. We've just acquired a batch of items today, why don't we have him appraise them in front of you, so you can see his capabilities?"
This was the art of speaking. If Elder Li had showered Ye Fan with praise from the start, not only would it not satisfy Manager Hu, but it might even make him develop an aversion to Ye Fan.
After all, he was the boss here. If Manager Hu didn't agree, no matter how outstanding Ye Fan's abilities were, it would be of no avail.
Hearing Elder Li's words, Manager Hu pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Let him try, but don't waste my time."
Manager Hu's words carried a hint of displeasure.
Clearly, in his opinion, at Ye Fan's age, he couldn't possibly have such strong appraisal skills.
As for what Elder Li and the others said, it was just to save face.
That's why he felt that letting Ye Fan participate was a waste of his time.
Fat Chen looked at Ye Fan, his face slightly grim, his eyes carrying a warning, as if saying to Ye Fan: "If you dare to embarrass me, I'll kill you."
Elder Li, on the other hand, was much more amiable, simply patting Ye Fan: "Relax."
Elder Wang didn't speak, but slightly nodded, considering it his instruction to Ye Fan.
Seeing the three different reactions, Ye Fan gave a bitter smile.
It was just appraisal, let alone such a small scene, he had experienced much larger ones.
Even in front of the first-tier appraisers in Jiangnan, he had never been afraid.
Soon, several assistants carried in a bag and opened it, revealing over a dozen items inside.
Among these items, porcelain was the main category, as their main reproductions were porcelain.
However, besides porcelain, there was also a calligraphy and painting. Due to its age, the painting was slightly tattered, and even the scroll had been eaten by insects, with several holes.
These items had not been processed, they were entirely in their original state, and many were still stained with dirt.
Looking at these items, Ye Fan frowned.
He had expected these people to have some knowledge of preserving antiques, but judging by the current situation, these people were completely amateurs.
Once antiques are acquired, they should be cleaned immediately, as many things can cause damage, corrosion, and pollution to old objects.
The longer these dirt stains remain, the more damage is done to the antiques.
This is also why professional antique shops have dedicated staff for cleaning.
Seeing Ye Fan frown, fat Chen's heart pounded wildly. Had this kid given up already? If that were the case, he would probably be finished too.
He couldn't help but glance back at Elder Wang and Elder Li, only to see that they were also frowning.
Manager Hu, however, didn't even cast his gaze at Ye Fan. In his opinion, this was simply a waste of time.
Then, Ye Fan sighed and said coldly, "Who is responsible for acquiring antiques here? Truly damnable."
His words caused several people to freeze, especially fat Chen, who, while shocked, also showed a look of doubt on his face.
"What do you mean?"
Fat Chen couldn't help but ask.
Ye Fan then picked up a porcelain bowl.
This porcelain bowl was covered in dirt, and there was a chip on the rim.
"See this porcelain bowl? This is typical Song Dynasty porcelain, with entwined peony patterns painted on it. The belly of the bowl is slightly fuller than ordinary porcelain bowls. Although there is damage to the rim, it doesn't affect its value. But do you know what this dirt on it is?"
Ye Fan's expression became increasingly grim, and his tone grew colder.
"This is, damn it, limestone clay, which is highly corrosive. Especially with the damage to the rim, after coming into contact with this limestone clay, the body of the bowl will become fibrous, extremely brittle, and with the slightest carelessness, it will crack. At that point, this porcelain bowl will be completely ruined. And who should be held responsible for this?"
Ye Fan turned his head, his gaze fixed coldly on fat Chen, his expression filled with anger.
He was indeed angry, but this anger was not because fat Chen and the others would suffer losses, but out of his inner love for antiques.
Treating such an antique in this manner was simply a crime.