Star Brilliance Auction Company.
"Ms. Shi, after our assessment, your item should be part of a compass!"
In the VIP reception room, several elderly experts exchanged views and finally said, "The material, the main component should be copper, but it seems to have some special metal mixed in. We can't tell unless we break it open."
"As for the inscriptions on it, our skills are limited, and we've only deciphered a few characters."
"For example, this character should be 'Qin', and this one should be 'Xuan'..."
"These are all ancient Jin Ding script, very rare. And since this is only a part of a compass, we can't determine its specific meaning!"
Shi Wenyen couldn't help but frown.
Such a result would likely be difficult to explain to her boss, Miss Chen.
She was Chen Xing'er's assistant, and due to her efficient and decisive work, Chen Xing'er was satisfied and brought only her to Hangzhou.
This mission, which she thought would be relatively simple, now seemed a bit difficult to handle.
Of course, Miss Chen wouldn't be too harsh if she reported this result. But being someone who pursued high efficiency and perfection, she was not satisfied with herself.
"So, what about the age of this thing?" she couldn't help but ask.
"It's hard to say!"
An elderly appraisal expert said, "Look at the dragon patterns on it. Although there are traces of rust, the exquisite craftsmanship is still evident. This is absolutely not something that ordinary casting techniques could achieve."
"If we only look at the traces, this item should be three to five hundred years old. But we don't believe the craftsmanship at that time could reach this level."
"But if it were a modern imitation, let alone the Jin Ding script on it, the ancient marks left by time don't look like they were made."
"We cannot confirm the authenticity of your item, and you don't need to pay the appraisal fee!"
Shi Wenyen shook her head. The appraisal fee was a trivial amount, and even tens of thousands of yuan in appraisal fees would not be a concern.
But this was not the result she wanted.
"I want to know the meaning of every character on it. Can you do it?"
"There's no need for that!" An expert shook his head and said, "This is just a part of that compass. Based on its size, it's estimated that the dragon-patterned metal compass was divided into nine parts, and this is just one of them."
"Even if we decipher every inscription on it, the overall meaning will still be unclear."
"I'm just asking if you can do it?" Shi Wenyen was a little annoyed and said, "I can double the appraisal fee."
"How about this!"
One of the old experts said, "I have a friend who is an expert in Jin Ding script. His level in this area is already very high. I'll take photos and send them to him to decipher the meaning of each character!"
"Also, our company's President Yin has extensive connections in the industry. She can help find someone to ask!"
"Okay!"
Shi Wenyen agreed without much thought.
So, the experts took out high-precision cameras and photographed the part of the dragon-patterned metal compass.
"The rest is to wait for news. Ms. Shi, please leave your contact information. We'll call you once all the inscriptions are deciphered."
"Alright!"
This was all she could do for now. Shi Wenyen took her item and left the auction house.
The appraisers then started discussing.
"It seems like they're not short of money. For just this one item, the appraisal fee is as high as 100,000."
"This kind of item is indeed very rare. I haven't encountered it before."
"Old Wu, you're going to find Professor Chu, aren't you? With his expertise in Jin Ding script, deciphering over a hundred Jin Ding characters shouldn't be a problem."
"I'll call President Yin first. She also knows quite a few professors and experts."
"..."
For the sake of money, these experts acted swiftly.
However, less than half an hour later, they saw Yin Qian hurry into the office.
The mobile phone in her hand displayed a photo of the dragon-patterned metal compass part from earlier.
"Where is the item?"
As soon as she entered, she asked urgently.
"The owner took it back. President Yin, is there a problem?"
Yin Qian didn't answer and asked, "Did you leave a contact number?"
"Yes, it's here."
Taking the form filled out by Shi Wenyen, Yin Qian immediately went to her office and made a call.
"Hello, Ms. Shi. I am Yin Qian, the Chairman of Star Brilliance Auction House."
"The meaning of the inscriptions hasn't been deciphered yet. I have something else to discuss with you!"
"May I ask if you are willing to sell the dragon-patterned metal compass fragment you have? You name the price, and I will definitely make you satisfied!"
"You're not selling? The price is negotiable. How about 500,000?"
"I'm sorry, then please consider it!"
Hanging up the phone, Yin Qian's heart was agitated, but she also frowned.
Half a minute later, she dialed a number she had never dialed before and said, "Mr. Long, someone brought the item you were looking for to the auction house for appraisal. Yes, it's a fragment."
"The person is a woman named Shi Wenyen, and she's unwilling to sell. I didn't dare to offer too high a price for fear of arousing suspicion."
"Okay, I'm on my way!"
She hastily left the company and drove straight to Xiangshan Tanfu.
In a coffee shop outside Xiangshan Tanfu, Chen Fan was already waiting.
"Mr. Long!"
Yin Qian, her heart filled with excitement, walked over and said respectfully.
"Have a seat!"
Chen Fan smiled and said, "You've done a good job!"
"I'm just doing what you asked, Mr. Long," Yin Qian quickly replied. "Unfortunately, I couldn't find out where Ms. Shi's item came from."
"You don't need to worry about that. Tell me the specifics and give me Ms. Shi's contact information."
Chen Fan said.
Yin Qian brought up the photos and recounted the appraisal process.
After Chen Fan looked at them, he tapped his fingers on the table, lost in thought.
Yin Qian dared not disturb him and sat opposite Chen Fan.
Half a minute later, Chen Fan asked, "Has Yuan Liangping settled the auction payment?"
"It was settled yesterday. Now, do you need me to delay the client's auction payment?"
"No, just follow the procedure."
Chen Fan chuckled, "Young Master Yuan and Young Master Xu must have hurt their vitality by taking out so much cash at once!"
Speaking of this, Yin Qian felt a little amused.
She was the Chairman of Star Brilliance Auction House, but what many people didn't know was that she was also one of the nine major shareholders of Shengshi.
And the real owner of Star Brilliance had always been Mr. Long.
Years ago, Mr. Long began to strategically invest in the auction industry. Star Brilliance's rapid development into one of the top three auction houses in the country within a few years was precisely due to the backing of Longteng Group.
Therefore, among the nine major shareholders, she had always been a rather special one.
At the auction, she saw Young Master Yuan and Young Master Xu competing with Mr. Long. Afterwards, she deliberately let the other party know that Longteng Group had acquired Star Brilliance, and she felt an indescribable strangeness.
She was utterly impressed by Mr. Long's actions.
The net profit Star Brilliance made from that single auction alone exceeded 300 million yuan.
Of course, she didn't know that Chen Fan wasn't concerned about any of this.
"Mobilize your network and find more experts to appraise that dragon-patterned metal compass!" Chen Fan said thoughtfully. "After the news spreads, pay attention and see who asks you for related information."
Yin Qian was stunned for a moment and asked, "Are you trying to lure out the remaining dragon-patterned compass pieces?"
"Let's give it a try."
Chen Fan smiled. "Just do as I say and inform me promptly if you get any news. I have another guest here, so I won't keep you for coffee!"
"Okay, okay!"
Yin Qian replied with some excitement, stood up, and left.
In her heart, she was also very curious about what that dragon-patterned compass was.
However, her reason restrained her from casually asking questions that shouldn't be asked.