The shop assistant, seeing Elder Chen’s anger, could only smile obsequiously and dared not retort.
With his vanity satisfied, Elder Chen’s anger gradually subsided. He turned to Ye Fan, "Bring the item over. Let me see what rare treasure it is."
His words were full of sarcasm.
Ye Fan sneered, "Whether it's a rare treasure or not, I don't know. But Tian Yin Pavilion offered ten million. If your Bogu Zhai doesn't offer at least ten percent more, I'm afraid its reputation will be damaged."
These words were clearly aimed at Elder Chen, as the price entirely depended on his appraisal.
If Bogu Zhai's reputation was indeed damaged due to this, leading to financial losses, Elder Chen could not bear the consequences.
Frowning, he looked at Ye Fan with icy eyes, "My actions are not for you to dictate."
He snorted, then took the box and slowly opened it.
Inside lay a porcelain vase with a short neck, double ears, and a bulging belly.
It was painted with peony twines, exquisitely and lifelike.
The vase looked very delicate and immediately caught the eye.
However, this was merely a high-quality imitation of the Northern Song Jun ware, made with modern materials and clay.
Yet, discerning this was not easy; without sufficient keenness and experience, it was impossible to tell.
Elder Chen took out a magnifying glass and examined it carefully, not missing a single pattern on the vase, even scrutinizing the base and mouth.
Beside him, Ye Fan calmly watched Elder Chen's movements, his attitude quite pleasant, though his discerning eye remained to be seen.
More than ten minutes later, Elder Chen put down the vase and said in a deep voice, "It's quite a good item. It should be from the Song Dynasty, and its condition is quite good, likely well-preserved. However, the price of ten million is a bit high."
He looked up at Ye Fan, "If Tian Yin Pavilion offered ten million, you might as well sell it to them."
His gaze was fixed on Ye Fan, as if trying to see through him.
This was a test for Ye Fan, to see if he was lying.
Ye Fan was all too familiar with such tactics. In his past life, he had met all sorts of people, and even those who revealed no emotion at all, he could easily handle.
He smiled faintly, "Elder Chen, are you sure? Do you dare to take responsibility for your words? If Elder Chen agrees, I'll take the vase and leave immediately."
This was a battle of courage. In critical moments, it depended on who was bolder and more meticulous.
Indeed, upon hearing Ye Fan's challenge, Elder Chen's expression changed slightly, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes.
"As an appraiser of Bogu Zhai, I naturally have this authority."
His words sounded rather guilty.
He was indeed an appraiser for Bogu Zhai, but Sun Yi Lang himself was a top appraiser, and he had strict rules for his subordinates. Any item of considerable value had to be approved by him before it could be bought or sold.
This was especially true for vases like this.
"Elder Chen, there's no need to put on a show again. You and I both know if you can make the decision. I'll just give you a heads-up: I'll wait for you for ten minutes. If I don't get the money after ten minutes, I'll leave immediately, and I fear Elder Chen will be in trouble then..."
Ye Fan's expression was calm and natural as he sat down, his relaxed demeanor making Elder Chen even more apprehensive.
He had intended to manipulate Ye Fan, but unexpectedly, Ye Fan ended up manipulating him.
"You're ruthless, kid. Just you wait."
Seeing that five minutes had passed, Elder Chen snorted in anger, got up, and quickly left.
...
In the time it took to yawn, the door was pushed open again, and Sun Yi Lang, with his bulging belly, walked in.
His gaze was instantly drawn to the vase on the table.
"Eleven million. Pay up immediately."
With just one glance, he was deeply captivated by the vase.
Its exquisite condition and substantial texture convinced him that it was genuine.
Upon hearing Sun Yi Lang's words, Elder Chen was stunned but immediately flattered, "I'll go and arrange it right away."
At this moment, Sun Yi Lang's gaze finally fell upon Ye Fan.
"Brother, for such exquisite items, if you have more, my Bogu Zhai will purchase them all, and the price will surely satisfy you."
Knowing that someone who could produce such a quality vase was likely not an ordinary person, Sun Yi Lang did his best to foster a relationship with Ye Fan.
Ye Fan smiled slightly and shook his head, "Who would keep many such treasures at home? This is the only one. However, Boss Sun is quite straightforward. Perhaps I can introduce some friends to Boss Sun."
Ye Fan had already devised a plan. To deal with Sun Yi Lang, he had to strike decisively and give him no chance to recover.
Hearing Ye Fan's words, Sun Yi Lang's face immediately lit up with excitement, and he stepped forward to grab Ye Fan's hand.
"Brother, as long as there are good items like this, your big brother will buy them all and give you a commission."
...
When Ye Fan left Bogu Zhai, he was now carrying eleven million.
...
"How was it?"
Seeing Ye Fan walk in slowly, Shen Tian Yin and Ji Nan Shan quickly got up and asked.
Ye Fan removed his sunglasses, hat, and mask, sneering as he placed the bank card on the coffee table.
"Picking up a rock only to drop it on one's own foot – that likely describes Sun Yi Lang."
The vase he had presented was one Ye Fan had gone to great lengths to select from Tian Yin Pavilion. At the time, even Ji Nan Shan had misjudged it.
And at Bogu Zhai, with Ye Fan's urging, it was only natural for Sun Yi Lang and Elder Chen to misjudge it.
Looking at the bank card, Shen Tian Yin's face finally broke into a smile.
"He brought it upon himself. If you want to trick us, you must be prepared to be tricked yourself."
Finally having a moment of triumph, Shen Tian Yin was in high spirits.
Ji Nan Shan also gave a thumbs-up, "Brilliant, truly brilliant. But what should we do next? We can't keep deceiving Sun Yi Lang with fakes one after another, can we?"
After all, finding suitable fakes was not an easy task. Looking throughout Tian Yin Pavilion, there was probably only that one.
Ye Fan smiled faintly, "Elder Ji, have you forgotten the items we acquired previously? If we simply process those items, they can be made to look brand new. It's still the same trick, just with a different facade, to fool Sun Yi Lang."
When it came to playing tricks, Ye Fan was by no means ordinary.
Having lived two lives, his schemes and methods were top-notch.
Upon hearing Ye Fan's suggestion, Elder Ji paused, but then burst into laughter, "Good, let's do that. If we're going to trick him, let's trick Sun Yi Lang to death."
...
Over the next two days, Ji Nan Shan and Ye Fan worked together, polishing all dozen or so items. Compared to the original items, they were already transformed. Even if Sun Yi Lang were exceptionally sharp, it would be difficult for him to detect them as fakes.
Subsequently, Shen Tian Yin specifically hired over a dozen people. Every other day, one person was sent to Bogu Zhai with an item.
The reason for sending people on alternate days was to avoid arousing Sun Yi Lang's suspicion.
After all, if several people went on the same day, even the most obtuse Sun Yi Lang would notice something was amiss.