The peculiar request instantly stunned everyone present, leaving them bewildered about Li Chonglou's intentions.
Hu Tu was equally perplexed, but he instinctively sensed something was amiss, primarily because Li Chonglou's reaction surpassed his expectations.
Could things be getting out of his control?
With this thought, Hu Tu couldn't help but ask, "You're not planning to sneak a peek at this opportunity, are you?"
Meeting Hu Tu's suspicious gaze, Li Chonglou calmly replied, "I'm just going to lift them. I never said I'd remove the red cloth. Do I look like I have X-ray vision?"
Too bad, I actually do have X-ray vision.
Of course, he couldn't say this, nor did Li Chonglou intend to rely on it to pass.
Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain afterward how he, someone without even internal energy, could point out which item was a spiritual artifact without seeing it.
As for Liu Rui, the true host of this event, he initially wanted to refuse. However, all the guests present were now looking in their direction. Li Chonglou's request, though bizarre, did not seem to be against the rules.
Refusing would make him appear ungenerous as the host.
Furthermore, a significant amount of time had already been wasted. Liu Rui thought for a moment and directly urged, "Alright, I agree! But you cannot remove the red cloth in any way, or you will be considered to have voluntarily forfeited!"
Upon hearing the word "forfeit," Ah Dong and the other immediately found hope. Their faces lit up with joy, and they signaled frantically to Li Chonglou.
Hurry up and take the easy way out! Admitting defeat to a member of the Shangjing Antique Association is not something to be ashamed of. It's better than pretending and being embarrassed!
However, Li Chonglou completely ignored their reactions. Instead, he nodded and turned around.
The show was finally about to begin!
Although Hu Tu instinctively felt something was wrong, Liu Rui had already agreed. And after much thought, he couldn't figure out how merely lifting a plate would help.
In his opinion, this was just Li Chonglou looking for a good excuse to back down.
But whether he could back down or not still depended on him, right?
Hu Tu chuckled. This time, it was his turn to step forward and personally adjust the positions.
Because the venue had become quiet, Li Chonglou specifically asked for everyone to be called to the side, and the staff's footsteps were made as light as possible.
Two minutes later, Hu Tu completed the personnel adjustments and nodded to Liu Rui.
The latter nodded and said, "Alright, Hua Dong, you can come back."
As previously agreed, Li Chonglou did not immediately select which item was the spiritual artifact. Instead, he walked to the remaining eight staff members and lifted the plates one by one.
"Sir, please be careful."
The beautiful women were somewhat nervous as they handed the plates over. If any mistake occurred at this moment, it wouldn't just be Li Chonglou's problem.
They would definitely be held accountable as well!
Li Chonglou smiled and said, "Don't worry, I care even more than you do."
Thus, Li Chonglou essentially lifted all the remaining eight treasures.
The reason for saying "essentially" was that two of the items were large and could not be lifted by just a few strong men, so Li Chonglou simply ignored them.
The entire process took only a few minutes. When he returned to his position, the entire venue was silent.
Hu Tu looked at Li Chonglou with a hint of disdain. He truly didn't believe that merely lifting the plates could help him find the spiritual artifact.
After several seconds of silence, Li Chonglou finally gave his answer.
He directly pointed to the first beautiful woman holding a plate, or more precisely, to the plate she was holding.
"I choose this one."
At this point, neither Liu Rui nor Hu Tu knew if it was correct. They could only look towards the maid.
The latter was clearly a little surprised, and then nodded to Liu Rui.
Silence.
Then an uproar!
"No way, he could find it like this? Is this guy also a martial artist?"
"You're an idiot. If he were really a martial artist, would he need to find it in such a way?"
"He's just showing off."
The guests exclaimed continuously. At first, everyone thought Li Chonglou was just a clown, but who knew he actually had real skills!
A spiritual artifact, let alone blind identification, even if it were given to them, most people had rarely seen one. Placed before them, they probably couldn't distinguish a spiritual artifact from an ordinary antique!
Liu Rui's expression suddenly changed. His previously confident expression instantly turned grim, and he stared intently at Hu Tu.
Weren't you very confident? Didn't you promise me you would humiliate him in front of Yu Xianxian? What is this now?
Hu Tu was also completely bewildered.
Until a not-so-clear voice sounded from the crowd behind him.
"This isn't a guess, is it? There are only eight treasures left. If you exclude the two large ones, picking one out of the remaining six still has a one in three chance."
As the saying goes, a word awakens a dreamer. Hu Tu instinctively took this as the truth and directly said, "I think you're just guessing! Don't think that good luck means you have real ability!"
Li Chonglou had expected the other party to say this long ago. He smiled and said, "Does this even need guessing? How about I point out the remaining one as well."
After speaking, Li Chonglou directly pointed to the second-to-last beautiful woman, yes, also pointing to the plate she was holding.
The latter also cooperated and nodded.
This time, the crowd was completely ignited.
"Damn, he took much less time than Master Hu! Doesn't that mean his ability is even higher than Master Hu's?"
"This is interesting. An amateur defeats a professional? Who is this guy, amazing."
"Haha, who says amateurs are useless? Perhaps he just hasn't met the right person yet."
"Right person? What do you mean, men can also sell themselves?"
"Boo!"
The trend in the crowd immediately shifted towards Li Chonglou. If he was a clown challenging authority a moment ago, he was now a powerful figure who had defeated authority as an ordinary person!
People always find points of empathy. Compared to someone with an extraordinary background like Hu Tu from the Shangjing Association, Li Chonglou's amateur, grassroots background was more relatable to them!
Ah Dong and Ah Hai also did not expect the turn of events to be so sudden. For a moment, only excitement remained on their faces.
Amazing, Hua Dong! I judged you with a petty mind just now. I apologize to you now!
Elder Fu's brow furrowed slightly, but soon it relaxed as if he had guessed the truth, and he smiled faintly.
Only Yu Xianxian was genuinely happy for Li Chonglou, her face beaming with a brilliant smile.
Liu Rui, noticing this, became even more grim. He stared intently at Hu Tu once again.
This time, his gaze also carried a hint of resentment.
Hu Tu took a step back in shock, but he racked his brains trying to understand where he had lost this time.
Liu Rui's eyes made him realize that his plan for this trip was going to fail, and his mood instantly plummeted to the bottom.