"Speak!"
Hearing Jiang Tiansheng's words, Chen Fan's expression also brightened.
"Gu Yun Xuan, where I went the day before yesterday, called to say that someone got wind of it and is trying to sell fragments of the Dragon Pattern Compass!"
Chen Fan was taken aback. This seemed to be going smoothly.
"Let's go!"
Without another word, Chen Fan quickly got dressed and left.
Two cars arrived at the Fuzimiao Antique Street forty minutes later.
After getting out of the car, Jiang Tiansheng led Chen Fan straight to Gu Yun Xuan.
Jinling, a millennium-old capital, was a confluence of six dynasties' elegant charm, with numerous antiques and treasures passed down. The antique market here was very lively, with an endless stream of people.
However, Chen Fan and his companion paid no mind to this, and soon arrived outside Gu Yun Xuan.
It was an antique shop with a considerable frontage and what appeared to be a large scale.
"Mr. Jiang, you're here?" The proprietor of Gu Yun Xuan greeted them with a smile. "They've already called from over there, and they'll be here shortly. Please, have some tea inside!"
"This is my friend, Mr. Chen. Mr. Chen, this is Manager Zhu!" Jiang Tiansheng introduced them.
The manager said warmly, "Zhu Shen. Hello, Mr. Chen. Welcome, welcome! Please, come inside!"
Chen Fan nodded and, along with Jiang Tiansheng, walked into the reception room.
Gu Yun Xuan clearly had some standing. The chairs and tea tables in the reception room were antique pieces made of rosewood.
The shop's dazzling array of antique items also included many good pieces, exuding an ancient elegance and charm.
After serving tea to Chen Fan and Jiang Tiansheng, Manager Zhu said, "Mr. Jiang, you came here the day before yesterday and yesterday. I sent the pictures you provided to all my clients, and they all said they hadn't seen anything like it, promising to inquire for you."
"As a result, at past eleven last night, I received a call from someone who claimed to have the item you wanted and asked me to contact you."
"Since it was too late, I contacted Mr. Jiang this morning."
Manager Zhu took out his phone and opened a picture.
Jiang Tiansheng glanced at it, took it, and handed it to Chen Fan.
Chen Fan's pupils contracted.
It was indeed a Dragon Pattern Compass fragment, with the dragon patterns identical, though the inscriptions were slightly different.
"Is this the item you two are looking for?" Manager Zhu asked with a smile.
"Yes." Chen Fan nodded and said, "Please urge that client to come. The commission for acting as an intermediary will definitely not be lacking for you!"
"You flatter me," Manager Zhu said with a smile. "All visitors are guests. Helping clients find good items is the foundation of my century-old shop. Discussing commission would be vulgar. If you feel that Gu Yun Xuan operates reliably, you might as well buy an item back. My prices are definitely fair!"
Chen Fan was in a good mood. He returned the phone to the manager. "No problem. If there are any good calligraphy pieces, I'll take them!"
Manager Zhu's eyes lit up, and he smiled, "Then I'll be indebted to you. Have some tea, have some tea. I'll make the call now."
He went out to make a phone call, and within a few minutes, a young man was brought in by him.
The man was about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, thin, with a buzz cut.
Judging by his attire, demeanor, and bearing, he was very ordinary, with a hint of a casual, sloppy air.
"Is it you two who want this thing?"
As soon as the man was invited to sit by Manager Zhu, he asked loudly.
"Let me introduce you!"
"No need for introductions," the man interrupted Manager Zhu. "It's just buying and selling. Once it's sold, the transaction is complete, and there's no further connection."
He seemed very impolite.
Manager Zhu, being good-natured, was not offended and nodded, remaining silent.
Chen Fan glanced at the man, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
The man immediately added, "Let's talk about the item first. How much can you offer?"
Chen Fan didn't answer. Jiang Tiansheng replied, "What price were you hoping to sell it for?"
"You are the ones seeking to purchase it, so naturally, you should make an offer," the man said. "I don't understand the market price."
Jiang Tiansheng glanced at Chen Fan. "Then what do you think about ten million?"
The man clearly paused for a moment, likely not expecting a compass fragment to fetch such a high price.
Manager Zhu also looked startled.
Jiang Tiansheng had spread the word about his willingness to purchase at a high price in the industry, and it turned out not to be an empty promise; he was genuinely willing to pay an exorbitant sum.
Immediately, greed turned in his eyes, and he shook his head, saying, "The price is too low!"
Human greed made him want to obtain more.
"Then name your price?" Jiang Tiansheng said with a smile.
"Thirty million!"
Hesitantly, with his expression changing a few times, the man stated a price.
"Deal!"
Before Jiang Tiansheng could haggle, Chen Fan agreed directly.
The man's mouth fell open, his face a mixture of surprise and shock, with a hint of unbridled joy, and simultaneously a touch of regret.
He had expected Jiang Tiansheng to bargain, but who knew that they wouldn't care about money at all.
He naturally regretted asking for too little, thinking that they might have agreed even if he had asked for a hundred million.
Manager Zhu gasped, deeply shocked.
Chen Fan said, "If the item is genuine, thirty million is no problem. Bring it out for us to see!"
The man nodded, took out something wrapped in yellow cloth from his pocket, and handed it to Manager Zhu.
He was quite cautious with an item worth thirty million.
Manager Zhu took it, opened it, and placed it on the table.
Chen Fan looked up, and disappointment flickered in his eyes.
However, he still carefully examined the inscriptions on it.
Jiang Tiansheng was a bit nervous. He knew how much Chen Fan valued this item and was unsure if it was real or fake.
Chen Fan reached out, turned it over, and looked at it for a while longer.
He gave Jiang Tiansheng a look and said, "I'm sorry, the item is fake."
The man's gaze flickered. "Then how much are you offering?"
"Not a penny."
Chen Fan said indifferently.
"You..." The man's expression crumpled. Thirty million was within his grasp, only for it to become worthless.
He shamelessly said, "Even if it's fake, it should have some value. How about you offer a little? Ten thousand, just ten thousand yuan!"
The magnitude of the price drop was astonishing.
Chen Fan didn't want to waste any more time. He got up and said, "A fake is useless. Manager Zhu, sorry to have bothered you. Please continue to keep an eye out. We can discuss the reward later!"
He walked towards the exit.
Jiang Tiansheng naturally stood up and followed.
"Don't leave! Give us something, three thousand, three thousand yuan is fine, even one thousand!"
Manager Zhu shook his head and saw them off. "I'm sorry, honored guests. I didn't expect this outcome."
"It's alright. Please continue to help us keep an eye out for news, Manager Zhu!"
Chen Fan said this while signaling Jiang Tiansheng.
Jiang Tiansheng nodded and whispered a few words to his subordinate waiting outside the door.
Manager Zhu saw this but said nothing, only smiled and turned back to the counter.
Chen Fan walked out, heading directly to where the cars were parked, while Jiang Tiansheng stayed behind.
He went to the parking spot and waited in the car.
About ten minutes later, Jiang Tiansheng returned.
"That person's surname is Wang. He's an employee of a pawnshop and interacts with many people from all walks of life. He has no special background," Jiang Tiansheng said in a low voice after getting into the car. "Someone gave him three thousand yuan, gave him the item, and had him contact Manager Zhu to transact with us, promising him that whatever the fake sold for would be his!"
"He neither knows the person who gave him the item nor has any contact information."
"What do you think we should do with that fellow? I've brought back the fake item."