General of the Heavens

Chapter 70 The Ultimate Skill of Appraising Treasures [Seeking Recommendations]

"Mr. Xu, there's no need for further words. Please take a look at these treasures of Director Wu and make your judgment."

Ning Chen pointed to more than twenty antiques on one side.

Xu Yicheng raised an eyebrow. Wu Yuwen, that corrupt official, had actually changed his position at the last minute. This was going to be difficult. The excuse he had prepared would definitely be useless.

"Secretary Ning, which matter would you like to begin with?"

Ning Chen pointed to the Gentlemen's Chess set and said, "This is it. The director usually likes to play chess, and this set is his favorite. It's from the Wanli era."

Xu Yicheng laughed and said, "Director Wu is mistaken. In the Ming Dynasty, chess didn't have the character for 'cannon,' it was just written as 'bao.' But this game still has its merits..."

Ning Chen interrupted Xu Yicheng, who was about to launch into a long speech: "If Mr. Xu is referring to the gentlemanly approach of being outwardly flexible but inwardly principled, Director Wu already knows that."

Xu Yicheng: "..." I know you still ask.

Moreover, Xu Yicheng was already feeling uneasy. He seriously suspected that Wu Yuwen had a master guiding him, and that the subtlety of the gentleman's game, which only everyone could see, had been revealed in a single sentence.

The key point is that Wu Yuwen had information about Gentleman's Chess, which Xu Yicheng obtained by bribing Wu Yuwen's subordinates in advance. Now all his efforts have been in vain.

"Since Director Wu already knows about the gentleman's scheme, why is he still being so aggressive? Using the reputation of the Five Families to amass wealth for him—where is the shred of gentlemanly conduct?"

Xu Yicheng rebuked sharply.

"Director Wu is a despicable person," Ning Chen said.

Xu Yicheng was speechless, somewhat incredulous. These days, secretaries dare to scold their superiors? Although everyone knows about this, it just doesn't feel right coming from your mouth.

Ning Chen leisurely picked up a cup of tea and took a sip. "Isn't this what everyone says about Director Wu behind his back?"

"Nonsense, none of the Five Families do."

Ning Chen almost spat out his tea. Shameless!

And Meituan never goes against the grain!

"Mr. Xu, to put it bluntly, Director Wu just wants money. He's already set his sights on the Five Families. You all consider yourselves the titans of the antique world, and your wealth has grown considerably over the years. If he doesn't bully you, who else will he bully?"

Xu Yicheng's lips twitched, and he pointed at Ning Chen's nose, almost uttering a classic line: "I have never seen such a shameless person!"

However, Ning Chen suddenly changed the subject and said, "But since Director Wu has entrusted this matter to me, there is still some room for maneuver."

Xu Yicheng thought to himself, "They're going to ask for an exorbitant amount. I thought King Wu was difficult enough, but I didn't expect even a secretary to be this difficult!"

After waiting for a while, Xu Yicheng still hadn't quoted a price. Xu Yicheng's face was full of doubt. Ning Chen smiled jokingly and said, "You don't think I'm trying to get a kickback, do you?"

"Isn't that right?"

"Of course."

Xu Yicheng: "..."

He couldn't take it anymore. The person in front of him was shameless, so blunt about asking for kickbacks, and his words were utterly incoherent...

"Tell me, how much do you want?"

The task Xu Yicheng was assigned was one he absolutely could not complete: help Wu Yuwen swindle a group of wealthy businessmen and inflate the true value of antiques.

Because if we do that, the reputation that the Five Families have built up over thousands of years will be lost. In comparison, paying money to avoid trouble is the best course of action.

Ning Chen shook his head: "I don't want money."

Xu Yicheng was so angry he almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Damn it, even a clay figure has some temper. If he weren't so mild-mannered, he would have punched Ning Chen long ago.

"Secretary Ning, what exactly do you want?"

Ning Chen chuckled: "Look how scared you are. The people of the Five Families are all obsessed with money. You're not happy that I don't want money?"

"Here's what we'll do. I have another treasure on hand. If you can appraise it accurately for me, I'll give you a chance to resolve things amicably today."

Xu Yicheng raised an eyebrow: "I'd be honored to accept your offer. I wonder if Director Wu has any other rare items he'd like me to appraise?"

"It's not Director Wu's, it's mine!"

Xu Yicheng teased, "You've got some nerve. I wonder what Director Wu will think when he finds out. Secretary Ning, aren't you afraid?"

"I'm so scared! Please get it checked quickly!"

When Xu Yicheng saw Ning Chen take out an exquisite tea bowl, his expression instantly turned ugly. This is a Yao Bian Tian Mu tea bowl!

Wu Yuwen at most wanted to raise the price of antiques and make a quick buck, but Ning Chen was going to kill the sheep and eat the meat directly, which was too much!

"You're not trying to say this is true, are you?"

Indeed, the entire outer layer of the teacup has been reprocessed with a brand new plating, and because it is too bright, an expert can tell at a glance that it is fake.

Only Ning Chen, possessing the Golden Eyes that allow him to see through objects, accidentally discovered that this was a genuine artifact. However, he lacked the advanced skills to remove the coating, and now the Five Veins have come in handy.

"Mr. Xu, you should be careful. Sometimes, what seems real may be fake, and what seems fake may be real. Even in a game of gentleman's chess, things aren't as simple as they appear on the surface."

Xu Yicheng pondered for a moment. If there was truly something ingenious about it, then this might really be a powerful artifact. After thinking for a while, Xu Yicheng said to Ning Chen, "I need tools."

Ning Chen nodded, and soon two young men walked in at the same time. One of them, with a bruised and swollen face, was Huang Kewu.

The other one is Liu Yiming.

"Uncle Xu, this is the Needle at the Bottom of the Sea, please use it!"

Seeing Huang Kewu's bruised and swollen face, Xu Yicheng said with concern, "Kewu, you should cultivate your mind and character more often, and not fight all the time."

Huang Kewu felt extremely wronged.

Ning Chen laughed heartily: "Mr. Xu, please stop. I thought this kid was too arrogant, so I beat him up on behalf of his elders. In the future, don't make a move lightly if you haven't mastered your boxing skills to a certain level. Killing someone can land you in jail."

Huang Kewu stood aside, fuming, without saying a word. Xu Yicheng hadn't expected Ning Chen to be such a master; the Xingyi Quan of the Huang family of the Five Veins was truly skilled.

Xu Yicheng ignored all of that, opened the leather scroll, took out a small hammer, and gently tapped the rim of the teacup, then tapped it inwards, and then tapped the back...

The sound was crisp and clear, with the difference barely perceptible.

However, Xu Yicheng, being experienced, noticed that he might be unsure, so he tapped the hammer several more times before finally putting it down.

"How is it?" Ning Chen asked.

"It really has a clever feature: it has a coating!"

Xu Yicheng exclaimed, "This is the first time I've ever seen such a forgery technique. If nothing unexpected happens, this is a masterpiece. However, we'll need to remove the surface coating to determine its exact quality."

Ning Chen clapped his hands. He couldn't possibly be one of the Five Families. He needed his Golden Eyes to identify him, while Xu Yicheng only needed a small hammer.

"Mr. Xu, could you remove the coating?"

Xu Yicheng shook his head: "I can identify them, but I can't decipher them. The Xu family is in charge of metal and jade artifacts, while porcelain is the specialty of the Yao family. However, I can recommend Yao Shenxing, the next patriarch of the five lineages, to decipher the treasure for Secretary Ning."

Huang Kewu and Liu Yiming were dumbfounded. It was said that the life and death of the Five Families would be decided today, but the two of them seemed to be doing quite well.

Ning Chen patted Xu Yicheng on the shoulder and said, "The Five Families shouldn't let that person with kidney problems become the next clan leader. I think you're more suitable."

Xu Yicheng: "..."

Huang Kewu asked Liu Yiming, "Who has kidney problems?" The latter thought for a moment and said, "He's not talking about my uncle, Yao Shenxing, is he?"

"Pfft!" The two burst into laughter, like pigs squealing...

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(End of this chapter)