Lin Xiaotian’s face broke into a smile, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Old Man Tang, it's true that our company no longer has a chief appraiser. My wife should have told you this before. If you wish to join our company, you are welcome anytime. You can spend your days here if you please."
Tang Jingde nodded without hesitation, his gaze fixed on the item, completely engrossed. He had no interest in anything else at the moment; all he wanted was to thoroughly study the Kyushu Ding.
"No problem, I accept right now. As long as you're willing to let me stay in the company, you can borrow any antiques I have at any time."
"You can even directly hand over my collection for you to sell. I believe all my possessions combined are not worth even a tenth of this Kyushu Ding."
Just as he had thought, he had lost all interest in ordinary collectibles. What truly captivated him were the treasures left behind by the world.
Take the Kyushu Ding, for instance. Studying it would be akin to pushing history forward by several centuries.
It predated the Shang Dynasty, a period whose history was already uncertain. Now, such a precious artifact had appeared. If he could study it thoroughly and publish his research report, he would undoubtedly gain worldwide recognition.
At his age, he cared less about money and more about his reputation.
Lin Xiaotian had long anticipated their thoughts. A brilliant smile spread across his face as he winked at Chu Nianxue.
Chu Nianxue was about to say something but hesitated, then shook her head.
A look of helplessness appeared in her beautiful eyes, and she gave Lin Xiaotian a charming roll of her eyes before turning to walk out the door.
Lin Xiaotian gave the security captain a look and then, smiling, followed his wife out of the vault.
"Wife, now you know what kind of precious treasure I brought back today, right?"
Chu Nianxue turned, her eyes filled with gratitude, but also evident worry. "Such an unparalleled treasure must have a clear provenance."
"Otherwise, even if our company exhibits it, people will come investigating. They'll ask us where we obtained it. If we say we bought it, they'll demand to find the previous seller. It's not easy to clear one's name with such a magnificent artifact."
"I have a feeling you didn't acquire this item through legitimate means. Especially Zhao Jinpeng. I'm aware of his reputation, and coupled with what you said earlier, if I'm not mistaken, he's definitely a master forger who has produced countless fakes."
Lin Xiaotian said with a smile, "Wife, since you've said he's a master forger, isn't it simple? After we reveal this item, we'll simply tell everyone present that what we've brought out is a replica."
"The replica can be kept within our company. I suggest you find a place to bury it, a location that cannot be easily discovered by others."
"The Kyushu Ding can suppress the luck of the nine provinces. You have no idea how great the opportunities this item can bring."
"Trust me, you won't be wrong."
Chu Nianxue's brows furrowed slightly as she heard this, her eyes filled with doubt. "Are those legendary tales true?"
Lin Xiaotian nodded. He could naturally sense things more clearly than Zhao Jinpeng and Old Man Tang.
Some things were not as simple as they appeared on the surface. This profound, mystical sense was something only he could truly understand, as his strength had long surpassed the legendary realm.
In fact, he had grown countless times stronger than that realm. He had now achieved unity with the Dao.
Even the slightest tremor in the world escaped his perception. If he hadn't spent so much time with his wife, his realm might not have broken through to such a powerful level. Only by reaching a further stage could he break the curses afflicting him and his wife.
He didn't know the origin of these curses, but he knew they had been with him since birth. It could be said that his and his wife's fate was intertwined across three lifetimes, an unbreakable bond.
With his current cultivation, living for several more centuries would be effortless. Breaking through to the next realm would make him a legendary, unprecedented existence.
Yet, he had vaguely sensed that realm was not far off. However, he hadn't revealed these matters, as he knew very well that speaking of them would be of no use to his wife and might even earn him a disdainful look.
Chu Nianxue took several deep breaths, and then a smile appeared in her beautiful eyes. "Now that Old Man Tang and Zhao Jinpeng have become appraisers for our company, we can't let such talent go to waste. What do you think, if I assign them to other appraisal fields, will they resent me?"
Lin Xiaotian shook his head with a smile. "Of course not. If they want to appraise such precious antiques here, and even learn, they naturally have to pay a certain price."
"As for Old Man Tang, let him stay at the head office. As for Zhao Jinpeng, you can send him out."
"This fellow is clearly obsessed with such antiques."
"As long as he's given an opportunity, he will never give it up; he'll practically flock to it. However, he does pose a certain risk, but that's my concern."
"Moreover, I've already discussed it with him. We plan to use him to attract some attention. Wife, you can arrange it as you see fit, and you will definitely reap greater financial rewards in the future."
Lin Xiaotian had already considered the function of the Kyushu Ding. Since it could increase luck, why not use it to boost their company's luck directly?
He was eager to see how much benefit the Kyushu Ding could bring.
Chu Nianxue nodded and said nothing more, quickly walking towards the office. The mischief Lin Xiaotian had played on her earlier was completely forgotten.
Just then, Lin Xiaotian suddenly called out, "Wait a moment!"