He never dreamed that the two young ladies of the Shen family would actually fight over this Su Hou Pearl.
Even if it was sold at the current price, he could still earn a commission of over ten million yuan, let alone the fact that the price was likely to go even higher.
As expected, Shen Shiyun merely snorted, "Sister, I have never lost to you since childhood. It was true then, and it will be the same in the future."
"One hundred and thirty million."
His gaze grew deeper, but he spoke without hesitation.
"One hundred and fifty million."
Ye Fan gave further instructions.
...
When the price climbed to two hundred million, the venue fell silent.
This had far surpassed the price of the Su Hou Pearl. As a collectible, two hundred million was simply an astronomical figure.
Shen Shiyun's expression turned cold. As she uttered the price, she felt her body tremble.
Even though she was accustomed to being superior to others, such a large sum of money made her feel uneasy.
Even Shen Tianyin was stunned: "She's gone mad, absolutely mad. Although this Su Hou Pearl is priceless, two hundred million would cripple even the Shen family."
It was important to note that while such large families were wealthy, most of their wealth was tied up in fixed assets, with little readily available liquid capital. Two hundred million would likely drain all of the Shen family's liquid funds and still not be enough.
However, at this moment, Ye Fan's lips curved into a cold smile: "Let her have it."
"What did you say?"
Shen Tianyin suddenly turned her head, her eyes filled with disbelief as she looked at Ye Fan.
"We've already competed to this extent, and you want me to give up?"
Frowning slightly, Ye Fan said coldly, "Two hundred million is difficult for Shen Shiyun to produce, let alone you. Furthermore, buying a fake for two hundred million? Is your brain working properly?"
Fake?
As Ye Fan's words fell, Shen Tianyin and Ji Nanshan both trembled and exchanged glances.
"Young friend Ye, you, you speak the truth?"
Ji Nanshan felt his voice trembling. An item worth two hundred million turned out to be a fake? And Ye Fan had previously instructed Shen Tianyin to bid wildly, it was clear to anyone with half a brain that Ye Fan had an agenda.
Ye Fan nodded calmly, "Let's go. There's nothing more to see here."
Saying this, he slowly stood up and walked out without looking back.
Shen Tianyin remained somewhat dazed: "Since my sister likes this Su Hou Pearl, I'll let you have it, to avoid a mere object affecting our sisterly affection."
With that, she quickly followed Ye Fan's footsteps.
Ji Nanshan followed closely behind, his evaluation of Ye Fan rising another notch.
He was truly formidable, be it in his discerning eye, his scheming mind, or his methods; he was undoubtedly a leader among the younger generation.
Today's events not only cost Shen Shiyun an extra hundred million, but once she discovered that the Su Hou Pearl was a fake, she would likely go mad, and the Shen family would undoubtedly hold him accountable.
In the venue, everyone was left looking at each other, except for Shen Shiyun, whose expression was cold and her eyes burning with immense rage.
...
In the inner hall of the Tian Yin Pavilion, Shen Tianyin was filled with worry.
She had intended to buy the Su Hou Pearl to surprise her grandfather, but unexpectedly, Shen Shiyun had interfered first. Now, to learn that it was a fake, she would have to go empty-handed to her grandfather's birthday banquet.
At that time, with Shen Shiyun adding fuel to the fire, she would be unable to escape marrying Zhou Youde.
She sighed sadly, her eyes turning slightly red.
Ji Nanshan also furrowed his brows. He naturally understood why Shen Tianyin was worried, but he was powerless to help.
There were a few items of good quality in the Qin Fang斋. For an ordinary person's birthday, they would be more than sufficient, but what kind of person was the Shen family patriarch?
Giving him those items would likely be beneath his notice!
"I'll lend you this Double-Faced Buddha for now. It would be quite suitable as a gift for your grandfather."
Ye Fan said calmly, placing the Double-Faced Buddha on the coffee table.
Shen Tianyin immediately frowned and said indignantly, "You want to give my grandfather a fake? Ye Fan, are you saying I'm not miserable enough in the Shen family?"
Already brimming with anger, being provoked by Ye Fan like this, it would be strange if she could remain amiable.
But Ye Fan remained unfazed: "Who told you it was a fake?"
These words stunned both of them, and they rose to their feet.
Ji Nanshan was even more surprised: "Brother Ye, you're saying this Double-Faced Buddha..."
At the appraisal fair, it was Ye Fan himself who had authenticated this Double-Faced Buddha as a fake, which had helped him win Jiang Xiaobo's Taoran Pavilion and completely ruined Jiang Xiaobo's reputation, leaving him no chance to recover.
But now, why was Ye Fan saying it wasn't a fake?
Ye Fan slowly picked up the Double-Faced Buddha, fumbled with it for a moment, then bent his three fingers, with two joints high and one low, and pressed them simultaneously onto the base.
The next moment, the Double-Faced Buddha slowly split in the middle.
From the opening, a Shou Xing (Star of Longevity) was revealed, carved with lifelike detail and crafted entirely from Kunlun Jade Marrow. It held a peach of immortality in its hand, symbolizing auspiciousness and immense fortune. I believe your grandfather would be pleased if you presented this to him."
Kunlun Jade, one of the four great jades, was highly valuable. The fact that this Shou Xing was carved from Kunlun Jade Marrow made its value even greater.
As the saying goes, "A hundred layers of jade, half a layer of heart," the heart of the jade is its marrow, which speaks to its preciousness.
"You want to give me this priceless artifact?"
Shen Tianyin was completely bewildered. Moments ago, she felt like she was in hell, and now she was in heaven. This sudden turn of events was hard for her to accept.
Ye Fan smiled and shook his head: "I didn't say I was giving it to you. To obtain this item, you naturally need to pay a price."
He walked slowly to the side and sat down, his dark eyes fixed on Shen Tianyin.
Being stared at like this, Shen Tianyin's heart began to race. What did he want? Could it be...
"I need to think about it. After all, I haven't known you for very long, and before resolving my family matters, I don't want to discuss matters of romance, so..."
Shen Tianyin lowered her head, her face flushed like a rosy cloud, her voice barely audible.
Although she had a good impression of Ye Fan, it involved her lifelong happiness, so she couldn't be careless.
"Miss Shen may have misunderstood. I meant that I can sell this item to you. I have no choice; I urgently need money."
He quickly interrupted Shen Tianyin. If the conversation continued, he might become the scoundrel forcing her.
"Ah!"
Knowing she had misunderstood, Shen Tianyin exclaimed in surprise. Her face burned with heat as she quickly walked up to Ye Fan, kicked him, and then fled in a panic.
Even though she had experienced great storms, when it came to romantic affairs, she was still shy and wished she could disappear into the ground.
Watching Shen Tianyin flee in disarray, Ye Fan couldn't help but frown: "That's strange. I'm helping her, yet she still dares to strike me."
In terms of emotions, Ye Fan was undoubtedly an idiot.
In his previous life as a tomb keeper, he had no time for romance, so...
Ji Nanshan, standing by, stroked his beard and chuckled. Young people indeed had boundless energy. However, thinking about it carefully, the two of them were quite well-matched.
If fate allowed, it wouldn't be impossible for them to end up together.
The involved parties hadn't even formed an opinion, yet this esteemed figure was already fantasizing...