Seeing Qi Yuanhao's troubled expression, Ye Fan smiled faintly.
"If Young Master Qi disagrees, you can name your price. As long as it's reasonable, I, Ye, won't bat an eye."
Ye Fan had pushed the matter to this point, leaving Qi Yuanhao with no room to retreat.
He secretly calculated the prices. The estimated value of the items he brought differed from Zhou Youde's by over seventy million. Only if this item could sell for over seventy million could he win against Zhou Youde, but was this item worth over seventy million?
Even for Qi Yuanhao, he couldn't help but worry at this moment.
Even if this was a treasure of the Qi family, its value would be around fifty million at most. Seventy million was truly asking too much.
But now, he couldn't afford to think about it any longer. Qi Yuanhao had no choice but to brace himself and say with a smile, "This item is a supreme treasure of my Qi family, a gilt-inlaid jade and glass silver belt hook. This silver belt hook is an heirloom of my Qi family, with a thousand-year history. If it were on the market, it could easily fetch over a hundred million. However, since Brother Ye likes it today, I, Qi Yuanhao, am not an unfeeling person. How about I let Brother Ye have it for eighty million?"
Despite his inner turmoil, his words were undeniably grand, moving everyone present.
Of course, this was only true for those ignorant bystanders. Those who truly understood sneered upon hearing the price he quoted.
Indeed, this gilt-inlaid jade and glass silver belt hook was a rare masterpiece, but its essence was silver, which naturally greatly reduced its price.
No matter how exquisite the design, if the material used was not valuable, it was all in vain.
It was like a craft made of mud; even if the craftsmanship was superb, it was still made of mud, and its value could not compare to a gold nugget.
This was why gold and jade objects were so popular and highly valued – because of the quality of the material.
Ye Fan paused slightly, but soon a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Young Master Qi's price is not bad. How about we discuss it further in the inner hall later?"
Ye Fan didn't agree immediately, which made Qi Yuanhao's heart sink. He knew that Ye Fan couldn't accept this price.
But since Ye Fan had said so, it was clearly giving him a way to save face.
He smiled slightly, "Since Brother Ye is so gracious, how dare I refuse?"
Ye Fan nodded, then looked at the others, "Everyone, today's appraisal meeting ends here. Please leave in an orderly fashion."
He didn't announce who won or lost, but it was clear to those with insight that Zhou Youde had completely won this competition.
The reason Ye Fan didn't announce it in front of everyone was simply to save Qi Yuanhao's face.
No one was foolish; some things only required a little thought to understand.
Watching everyone leave, Ye Fan beckoned Qi Yuanhao, Zhou Youde, Elder Sun, Elder Ji, and the others directly into the inner hall.
This inner hall was not as spacious as the outside. After a few people were seated, Ye Fan signaled a waiter to serve tea.
"Young Master Qi, is this gilt-inlaid jade and glass silver belt hook truly ancestral? Could it be that some unforeseen event occurred without your knowledge?"
Staring at Qi Yuanhao, Ye Fan asked calmly.
Hearing Ye Fan's question, Qi Yuanhao paused slightly, but his expression immediately turned grim.
"Brother Ye, what do you mean by that?"
His face darkened, and his gaze towards Ye Fan held a hint of anger.
Ye Fan smiled apologetically, not taking offense.
"Elder Sun, you quoted a price of thirty thousand earlier. I believe you must have seen something amiss, so why don't you explain it?"
Ye Fan picked up his teacup and took a sip, tossing the question to Sun Yilang.
The others were stunned and looked at Ye Fan, unsure of his intentions.
Elder Sun smiled slightly, "This item is a fake, a replica."
This statement shocked the others even more.
"Elder Sun, you say it's a fake?"
Elder Ji frowned. He had carefully examined it earlier and hadn't found anything wrong. How could it be a fake?
Qi Yuanhao, on the other hand, suddenly stood up and said angrily, "Mr. Sun, as the owner of Boguzhai, you must take responsibility for your words."
He was filled with anger at this moment, not for any other reason. Even if Elder Sun had said the item wasn't worth eighty million, he could have accepted it, as the item truly wasn't worth that much.
But for him to say it was a fake was not only an insult to him but also an insult to the entire Qi family. How could he tolerate it?
Seeing Qi Yuanhao's anger, Ye Fan quickly waved his hand, signaling Qi Yuanhao to sit down.
"Young Master Qi, there's no need to be angry. Please listen to Elder Sun finish. If there are any issues, we can discuss them later."
Zhou Youde, hearing Elder Sun's words, became even more excited and said proudly, "True gold fears no fire. If Young Master Qi's treasure is genuine, then what anyone else says is unimportant. Why should Young Master Qi be angry?"
At this point, even though Qi Yuanhao was filled with anger, he was helpless and had to sit down, suppressing his rage.
"Elder Sun, I hope you can give me a reasonable explanation, otherwise, I, Qi, will not let this matter rest."
For young masters of such prominent families, family honor was paramount.
Sun Yilang calmly watched Qi Yuanhao, completely unfazed by his threat.
He was a renowned expert in the antique industry in Jiangcheng, with immense popularity in the antique circle. He couldn't be easily manipulated by the Qi family.
Especially for a junior like Qi Yuanhao, it was extremely difficult to deal with him. If it were an elder of the Qi family, he might have shown some consideration.
A smile appeared on his face, and Elder Sun said leisurely, "This silver belt hook is large in form and entirely made of silver. As everyone knows, silver is not very valuable; it's considered a low-grade item in antiques. Fortunately, the item is in good condition, fully gilded, and the belt hook is cast with relief carvings of beasts and long-tailed birds."
Holding the item in his hand, Elder Sun pointed and explained.
"In ancient times, many wild beasts held high status because they symbolized strength and represented martial prowess. Therefore, many generals favored beast heads. As for the long-tailed bird, it was a totem representing a race or tribe. Thus, judging by these relief carvings, this item likely belonged to a general or military officer."
Hearing Elder Sun speak, Elder Ji and the others nodded.
What Elder Sun said was true; generally speaking, in ancient times, objects with beast heads were often bestowed upon military officers to commend their merits in battle.
Seeing everyone nod, Elder Sun smiled.
"Everyone, please look again. These beast heads are positioned at both ends of the silver hook, with ferocious expressions and wide-open mouths, making them particularly fearsome. The long-tailed birds are positioned on either side of the silver hook, with the beast heads as the primary focus and the family as secondary. This indicates that it was cast by an emperor and bestowed upon a subordinate."
Only then would the beast heads be prioritized. If it were privately cast, then the long-tailed birds would be the main focus, as family honor has always been above all else, both in ancient and modern times.