Huang Yongshou's words left Li Chonglou utterly bewildered.
Last year, he was merely the son-in-law of the Jiang family, confined to his home and utterly ignorant of appraisal and collecting. How could a notorious tomb robber be connected to him?
"Aren't you the Donglin antique appraiser? Donglin's former boss, Lin Zhendong, was arrested precisely for this matter," Huang Yongshou stated solemnly.
Hmm?
Li Chonglou's heart skipped a beat. His master had been framed for tomb robbing and imprisoned, but the reason had never been revealed to him. To stumble upon such a secret now was truly a stroke of luck. Could that master tomb robber be an old acquaintance of his master? Or perhaps there was a tomb in Qin Province that held the whereabouts of that Qin Dynasty treasure?
Qin Province?
Qin Dynasty treasure...
Suddenly, Li Chonglou felt as if there was an unseen connection guiding everything.
"Do you know the specific details of what happened?" Li Chonglou suppressed his racing thoughts and asked calmly, "And what was that person's relationship with my master?"
"How would I know that? I'm just an ordinary facilitator..." Huang Yongshou shook his head like a rattle drum.
"If he comes to Qin Province again, inform me immediately." Li Chonglou knew further questioning would be futile.
His master had gone tomb raiding with that person, his master was arrested, but that person walked away unscathed. This entire affair reeked of suspicion. Perhaps finding this individual held the key to clearing his master's name and securing his release from prison.
This matter couldn't be rushed. He would ask his senior sister upon her return, and then visit his master in prison to ask him directly. But before that, perhaps he could visit an old acquaintance.
"Understood, understood," Huang Yongshou said, bowing and beckoning for dishes to be served.
While waiting for the waiter, Li Chonglou took out the chicken-heart pendant and presented it to him. "Take a look at this."
"This..." Huang Yongshou dared not touch the pendant with his hands. He leaned in close, his eyes wide with excitement, and exclaimed with a thumbs-up, "It has potential! This piece is absolutely top-tier!"
"This might even be from the Han Dynasty?"
"The craftsmanship, the patina..."
"Speak plainly!" Xu Lie, being an outsider, couldn't understand any of the jargon.
Huang Yongshou, terrified of Xu Lie, quickly translated in the most straightforward terms. "Brother Xu, please don't be angry. 'Has potential' refers to seeing that something is good. 'Top-tier' signifies a collection of absolutely flawless, high-quality condition."
"As for craftsmanship, it refers to the carving skill of the artisan, typically used for wood, jade, ivory, bamboo, and stone carvings."
"This term isn't used for calligraphy or paintings."
"Boss Li is an expert, which is why I used the specialized terms."
"This chicken-heart pendant is in excellent condition, the carving is unparalleled, and the material appears ancient. It's a fine piece."
Hearing this, Xu Lie smirked coldly. Huang Yongshou's discernment was far inferior to Li Chonglou's.
Li Chonglou remained impassive and stated, "I told you to make money. Find a way to contact someone named Tang Xiuzhu."
"His father is the second-largest shareholder of the Lü Group."
"He has a fondness for collecting, but his eye is mediocre. Sell this chicken-heart pendant to him."
On the way here, he had already devised a plan for the chicken-heart pendant. Knowing it was a replica, he certainly wouldn't sell it to Lü Yunxu. However, the antique trade had always been about discernment. It was common for those with poor vision to be deceived. Tang Xiuzhu had previously set a trap for him at Qin Yun Manor, and a feud had been established. Following that, even though the assassin claimed Zhang Daocheng was responsible for the car accident, Li Chonglou suspected Tang Xiuzhu was involved. If that was the case, why shouldn't he trick him?
"Consider it done, Boss Li. Just name your price." Huang Yongshou's face lit up with excitement. If such a substantial deal went through, he could live comfortably for the entire year. Last time, he hadn't earned a penny helping Jiang Tao sell the jade censer due to the low price. It was truly beneficial to follow Li Chonglou.
As they spoke, a waiter brought tea to the table. Huang Yongshou quickly covered the chicken-heart pendant with one hand. After the waiter left, Li Chonglou slowly said, "Price it according to your appraisal. The commission will be as per the rules." He couldn't set the price himself; doing so would mean knowingly selling a fake, violating the established practices. However, Huang Yongshou was in the clear. If he couldn't discern the truth, he couldn't be accused of intentionally selling a fake. If a true expert eventually recognized it, it would merely result in a failed transaction.
"Understood." Huang Yongshou, as shrewd as a fox, his eyes darting, asked no further questions. He carefully put away the chicken-heart pendant, poured wine for both of them, and served them with utmost respect.
Midway through their drinks, Li Chonglou revealed the purpose of his visit. "Besides Dongshan, do you know of any other opportunities to find hidden gems?"
"None..." Huang Yongshou's face contorted in distress. "In this day and age, with such widespread information, everyone clutches their old items like treasures."
"It's incredibly difficult to find bargain treasures. If not for your patronage, Boss Li, I fear I wouldn't even be able to make ends meet soon."
Li Chonglou nodded without speaking. His words held truth. Finding hidden treasures in the antique world relied on information asymmetry—what I know, you don't. The more developed the information flow, the greater the difficulty. However, this didn't mean opportunities didn't exist, as some people might overlook treasures placed right before them, even dismissing them as junk. This was common even decades later, let alone now.
Since he couldn't inquire about new locations, Li Chonglou decided to browse the antique market with Xu Lie after their meal. He intended to make significant profits, but he wouldn't pass up smaller gains either. As for Huang Yongshou, Li Chonglou dispatched him to run an errand—to find someone.
"Chonglou, with all this colorful clutter, isn't there a single good item?" Xu Lie's eyes grew tired as he browsed. "I want to buy a gift for Qianqian. Could you help me take a look?"
The stalls offered everything, from Neolithic jade and pottery to later calligraphy, paintings, swords, and censers, all appearing aged. Xu Lie understood none of them, while Li Chonglou walked past with his hands clasped behind his back.
"These don't even qualify as fakes; they're merely industrial waste." Li Chonglou pointed towards the curio area further away. "If you want to buy small trinkets, you should head over there and purchase modern wood, jade, or agate items. Although the quality is generally poor, they are at least natural."
"Let's not rush. We'll look around first." With that, he led Xu Lie towards an antique shop named "Hao Qi Zhai." The shop's decor was new and quite modern, with its doors wide open. The display shelves inside were filled with a variety of antiques, their craftsmanship and aura far superior to the stall items. The owner, a middle-aged man wearing glasses, was attending to customers, appearing refined and friendly. The shop already had several visitors browsing, most looking but few buying. Li Chonglou casually glanced around, his gaze settling on a golden and black hairpin adorned with pearls and shaped like mandarin ducks. The hairpin still had dirt on it, indicating it hadn't fully dried, emanating a slight dampness. His eyes narrowed slightly. He reached out and picked up the hairpin, asking, "Boss, how much for this hairpin?"
"Twenty thousand!" The owner, seeing someone calling out, walked over with a smile. "This is a gilded hairpin from the Qing Dynasty; they are quite rare in the market..."
"One thousand," Li Chonglou stated flatly before the owner could finish. This price cut was earth-shattering. The owner's face twitched. In the antique trade, it was customary to ask an exorbitant price and then negotiate. Experts would state their own valuation, regardless of the asking price. This item wasn't even a Qing Dynasty hairpin! The asking price of twenty thousand indicated the owner was ignorant of its true value, making it a minor find.