Zheng Zhilong soon personally took the stage, his face beaming with smiles, the spots where he had been hit now covered with powder.
He appeared radiant and invigorated.
"Esteemed guests, today marks the most grand occasion for the Jiangcheng Antiques Association. The appraisal conference is finally here, and on behalf of the association, I warmly welcome everyone."
A burst of warm applause erupted from below.
Apart from esteemed individuals like Ye Fan and his entourage, representatives from smaller families and factions were seated in the main hall.
To them, Zheng Zhilong was an exalted figure, and thus, they felt compelled to curry favor.
He raised his hand, gesturing for them to cease their excessive politeness.
"Today's appraisal conference is attended not only by antique dealers from Jiangcheng but also by our City Lord, Lin Chengzhu, who has graced us with his presence. Let us give him the warmest applause."
Wow~
The hall once again resounded with thunderous applause, the attendees cooperating perfectly.
Ye Fan let out a sigh of resignation, wondering about the purpose of such tedious opening remarks.
Following this, Zheng Zhilong offered his praises to Lin Yue, and only after more than ten minutes did the appraisal conference officially commence.
"This appraisal conference will be divided into three rounds. In each round, participants will present an item for appraisal and competition. Through a process of elimination, the top ten antique shops in Jiangcheng will be selected. In the second round, these ten shops will each present an item for competition to determine the top three. The final round will involve these three shops appraising each other's treasures, with the top three positions being decided based on this sequence. This is a fair, just, and transparent competition. The shop that claims the championship will be recognized as Jiangcheng's undisputed number one."
"Now, I announce that the first round of the competition officially begins. May all participants please hand over their prepared items to our staff."
Soon, dozens to hundreds of items were placed on the display stage.
For the first round, Ye Fan and his companions felt no pressure.
Whether it was Boguzhai, Tianyin Pavilion, or Bowang Pavilion, all possessed deep heritage, making it not difficult to procure an item of value.
The Antiques Association had specially invited over a dozen appraisers, none of whom were from Jiangcheng.
To ensure the fairness of the appraisal conference, the association had specifically invited master appraisers from outside the city.
Elder Lei was among them.
Upon seeing Elder Lei, Ye Fan couldn't help but pause. He hadn't expected Zheng Zhilong to go to such lengths. It seemed the trap set for him was well in place.
"Master."
Ye Xuanxuan ran over with a smile, greeting Elder Lei.
Although Ye Xuanxuan had only recently become his disciple before Elder Lei returned to Jiangnan, he was very attentive to her as his sole female disciple.
After returning to Jiangnan, he had specially sent people to deliver several treasures, along with his personal appraisal notes compiled over the years.
Elder Lei's attentiveness demonstrated his high regard for Ye Xuanxuan.
He greeted Ye Xuanxuan with a smile and then whispered a few words into her ear, after which Ye Xuanxuan returned with a somber expression.
"What's wrong?"
Ye Fan asked, frowning as he looked at Ye Xuanxuan.
If there were no issues, Ye Xuanxuan, a natural optimist, would never display such an expression.
"Master asked me to tell you that most of the appraisers invited this time are people aligned with Zheng Zhilong, so you must be extra careful."
Ye Fan nodded, appreciating Elder Lei's effort in relaying the message.
Soon, the dozen appraisers, including Elder Lei, began to evaluate the items.
They were all skilled appraisers, having been immersed in this field for decades. Many could discern the quality of an object with just a glance.
Within an hour, dozens of items had already been eliminated.
When Ye Fan's item was brought onto the stage, Elder Lei couldn't help but be taken aback.
The surrounding appraisers also wore expressions of astonishment.
"Hollow gold lid and gold base jade bowl."
Based on the item's shape and characteristics, Elder Lei whispered.
"Judging by its appearance and condition, this should be an item from the mid-Ming Dynasty. The bowl lid is crafted from pure gold, adorned with intricate镂空 (lòukōng) dragon and phoenix patterns. The soaring dragons and unfurling phoenixes are quite majestic and grand. At the top of the lid, a dragon's eye gem is embedded, crafted with skillful hot stamping techniques."
Elder Lei gazed at the hollow gold lid and gold base jade bowl, his voice carrying a hint of tremor.
After examining dozens of items, which were mostly ordinary antiques, a treasure like the one Ye Fan had presented was truly rare.
This item was procured by Ye Fan from the ghost market.
It originated from a tomb dating back to the Ming Dynasty, and the grave robbers had expended immense effort to obtain it.
However, such a treasure could not be openly sold. Regardless of its value, it could only be offered in the ghost market.
As a result, Ye Fan acquired it for ten million.
"Treasures like this are usually unearthed from tombs. How dare Ye Fan be so audacious as to present a burial artifact in an appraisal conference?"
An elder beside them exclaimed indignantly.
Elder Lei also frowned. Clearly, the appearance of this item would cause a massive stir. Why would Ye Fan choose to present such an item at the appraisal conference?
Zheng Zhilong quickly approached and exchanged words with the elder, a cold glint flashing in the depths of his eyes.
"Item number seventy-eight, suspected burial artifact. We request the owner of this item to come forward and provide an explanation."
Hearing Zheng Zhilong's words, Ye Fan's lips curled into a smile. He had anticipated they would use this to their advantage, and he was prepared.
Sun Yilang, holding a file bag, walked over slowly.
"May I know what guidance President Zheng has?"
He looked indifferently at Zheng Zhilong, showing him no regard.
For an outsider appointed as the president of the Antiques Association to establish a foothold in Jiangcheng would not be simple.
Zheng Zhilong also let out a cold snort, "Boss Sun, where did this item originate from?"
Sun Yilang smiled, completely unfazed. "Naturally, it was acquired. Does President Zheng have any objections?"
Before Zheng Zhilong could speak, the elder stood up abruptly and snorted.
"This item belongs to the imperial family and must have been excavated from a tomb. It is undoubtedly a burial artifact. Do you have anything else to argue?"
His angry demeanor suggested he wanted to devour Elder Sun whole.
"Burial artifact? How ludicrous! What evidence do you have to prove my item is a burial artifact?"
Elder Sun scoffed, showing no concern for the elder.
"And what evidence do you have to prove it is not?"
Zheng Zhilong chimed in, adding fuel to the fire.
In response, Elder Sun produced the file bag he was holding and placed it on the table. "This is my acquisition agreement, along with the item's provenance. If you two are interested, feel free to have someone authenticate it."
Zheng Zhilong frowned, picked up the agreement, and examined it closely.
After a good while, he found no loopholes and slammed the agreement onto the table.
This agreement was naturally prepared by Mr. Cao with the help of others. With Mr. Cao's capabilities, forging a purchase agreement and even providing a clear appraisal document for the item was a simple matter.
"The provenance of my item is clear and untainted. Yet, you two so confidently claim it to be a burial artifact. What are your intentions, and why are you targeting Boguzhai at every turn?"
Sun Yilang stared coldly at the two, asking indignantly.