The host on the stage, having waited for everything to be ready, didn't dare to waste any more time. After briefly explaining the rules, he announced the start of the competition.
The rules were simple: Li Chonglou and Lu Weishen would each prepare ten treasures for the other to appraise. Whoever achieved a higher accuracy rate would be declared the winner.
Though seemingly straightforward, the competition was of hellish difficulty. Firstly, there were no defined boundaries for the treasures, neither in terms of time period nor category. This required both competitors to possess an immense breadth of knowledge.
While antique enthusiasts generally had wide-ranging knowledge, this was about appraisal accuracy. Everyone in the audience believed they wouldn't dare to accept such a challenge if it were them.
It was precisely for this reason that everyone had gathered here today.
"It's finally starting. I wonder who will present their treasure first, Chairman Lu or Li Chonglou?"
"Who cares who goes first? I came here today with only one purpose: to broaden my horizons and learn."
"That's two purposes already."
...
At this moment, Lu Weishen stood up first. Li Chonglou thought he was going to present a treasure, but instead, he said, "It might be a bit monotonous if we only watch the two of us compete."
What did he mean?
The audience exchanged confused glances, unsure why Lu Weishen was saying this now.
Lu Weishen smiled slightly and continued, "Why don't we all participate? Everyone here today can try to appraise the treasure I present. Of course, your attempts are limited to those in the audience. If any of you can accurately identify it before us, then my treasure will be yours."
Lu Weishen's words immediately caused a stir in the audience.
"Damn, this is a great opportunity! With so many seniors here today, if I can answer even one, wouldn't my future be limitless?"
"And that's not all! The treasures presented on stage today won't be simple, will they? Even one could double my wealth!"
"Chairman Lu is so generous!"
The audience erupted in cheers and praise for Lu Weishen, their enthusiasm reaching a fever pitch.
Undoubtedly, Lu Weishen had once again stolen the spotlight.
After the audience's excitement gradually subsided, Lu Weishen continued, "Of course, with so many people present today, it's unrealistic for everyone to have a chance, so we need to set a small rule. Each treasure will be limited to ten participants, and each person here only gets one opportunity. Therefore, I hope everyone will participate cautiously."
The audience nodded in agreement, finding the method quite reasonable.
Then, Lu Weishen changed the subject and turned to Li Chonglou, saying, "Of course, we must ask for President Li's opinion on this. If President Li has any objections..."
All eyes turned to Li Chonglou. It was clear that Lu Weishen had cornered him. With everyone's emotions so invested, who would dare to object?
However, Li Chonglou was unfazed by Lu Weishen's little trick and immediately stated his position.
"I have no objections."
Li Chonglou looked at Lu Weishen, who returned a meaningful smile before returning to his seat. Then, he turned his gaze towards the row of judges at the front of the audience.
Damn it, they finally remembered our existence.
The judges seated below the competition stage wiped the sweat from their brows. They had arrived earlier than Li Chonglou and waited longer, yet their presence had been almost completely ignored.
It couldn't be helped. Although those seated in the judges' area were considered influential figures, compared to the two on stage today, they were merely supporting actors.
As for Li Chonglou, being a participant, he naturally couldn't interact with the judges before the competition, as it would be seen as an attempt to curry favor.
All these reasons combined made everyone remember the existence of judges only after Lu Weishen shifted his gaze.
After a moment of reflection, the judges understood Lu Weishen's intention. One of them stood up, holding a basin covered with a red cloth, and said to the two contestants, "Inside this basin are two slips of paper of different colors, one on the left and one on the right. Whoever chooses the red slip will go first in the appraisal."
"Then let President Li choose first," Lu Weishen said.
Li Chonglou did not stand on ceremony and casually picked the left one. Lu Weishen naturally chose the right. The judge then lifted the red cloth, revealing that the red slip was indeed on the left.
Li Chonglou nodded and stood up from his seat. Lu Weishen, shedding his false demeanor, coldly uttered a single word: "Please."
A staff member approached the golden cloth on the far right and carefully, slowly unveiled it. Soon, the first treasure was presented to the eyes of all.
This object was about fifty to sixty centimeters in length, width, and height. It had taken several staff members to carry it up, and its appearance immediately captured everyone's attention.
It was square, pale green, stood on four legs, with animal heads carved on the four upper directions. The color was dim, and the overall appearance was tattered and extremely worn.
However, upon its appearance, a man in the audience suddenly paled and exclaimed, "Damn, a Four-Goat Zun?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the man regretted it. Firstly, it was highly unlikely that a Four-Goat Zun would appear here. Secondly, his exclamation was a bit too loud, making him look slightly awkward.
However, this man's words opened up everyone's train of thought, and they began to speculate that this was either a masterpiece from the same era and craftsman, or a forgery by a later renowned master.
After all, such a competition would not present inferior items as easy wins.
This was precisely the difficulty of the competition. With five thousand years of history, one could only rely on personal experience and knowledge to determine the artifact's age, material, and the master craftsman behind it.
Upon seeing the zun, Li Chonglou already had a clue in his mind. He walked slowly towards it, carefully examined it, and quickly reached a conclusion.
"A fragment, made from the same material and in the same furnace as the Four-Goat Zun."
At this time, the audience was still pondering, and even the judges were struggling to analyze. When Li Chonglou's words were spoken, everyone was stunned.
"Uh, has it already been a minute?"
The crowd, with extreme skepticism, looked towards the central figure seated in the judges' area.
The judges on both sides also looked at him.
Because he was the only one present who held the treasure information submitted by both parties.
Under everyone's gaze, the central judge slowly nodded and said, "Correct."
"Wow!"
The venue was instantly filled with exclamations of amazement.
It was incredibly fast. Even the seniors seated as judges hadn't reacted yet, and Li Chonglou had already provided the answer.
If everyone hadn't known the intense rivalry between Li Chonglou and Lu Weishen, they might have suspected the two of them were colluding privately for a staged performance.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk!"
Those who had previously doubted Li Chonglou's abilities secretly clicked their tongues. At this moment, their opinion of Li Chonglou had completely changed.