The system only arrives when you're old? Then let's create a super-rich family!

Shangjing, the core area of ​​Xicheng District.

An old-fashioned courtyard house with blue bricks and gray tiles is hidden among the bustling buildings, isolating itself from the noise and hustle and bustle of the outside world.

Ancient trees tower in the courtyard, and the stone path is covered with moss from the years. The main study at the innermost part is simple and dignified, with sandalwood windows half open, and the room is filled with the old fragrance of ink and a faint musty smell of ancient books.

More than twenty sealed, waterproof solid wood express boxes are stacked on both sides of the wall. The boxes are printed with a special mark for the escort of high-end cultural relics, and the seals are well reinforced.

Two figures, a man and a woman, were carefully unpacking the box, bending over gently to avoid damaging the contents.

The young girl was slender, with a high ponytail, and bright, delicate features. She skillfully removed the clasp seal.

The moment the box was opened, a dazzling array of jewels and precious stones burst forth.

Inside is a Song Dynasty official kiln celadon glazed sunflower-shaped porcelain plate. The glaze is warm and thick, with naturally formed crackle patterns, and the official kiln mark on the bottom of the plate is clear and complete.

The girl examined the form for a long time, then took out a wooden plaque and wrote down "Song Dynasty Official Kiln Sky Blue Glazed Sunflower-Shaped Porcelain Plate" and the time, before storing it in the safe.

Then another box was opened, inside which lay a pair of Qing Dynasty Hetian jade dragon-shaped double-eared vases. The jade was translucent and free of impurities, and had a warm, smooth feel to the touch.

In the corner, there is also a Warring States period bronze wine vessel with animal mask design. The bronze is rusted and natural, and the vessel is well-proportioned and grand.

These solid wood boxes are filled with top-quality antique treasures that are extremely rare and priceless on the market.

"Be careful, the edges of the bronze vessel are thin and easily chipped."

The middle-aged man beside him whispered a reminder. He was dressed in a simple casual suit, with a refined and elegant demeanor, and the cuffs were embroidered with a tiny logo of the Archaeological Association.

The two worked together seamlessly, taking out the antiques one by one and storing them in the custom-made bulletproof solid wood cabinet against the wall, categorizing them by type.

This batch of goods consists of appraisal items sent by top institutions across the country and wealthy families in Beijing. Any one of them could cause a frenzy of bidding in the antique market.

It took the two of them two and a half hours to organize all the antiques and put them into storage, then they closed the bulletproof glass door of the cabinet.

When the two finished getting ready and turned around, they both paused at the same time.

In front of the rosewood desk at the innermost part of the study, an old figure sat motionless in his original position.

The old man was dressed in a well-fitting dark Zhongshan suit, his gray hair was neatly combed, and his back was straight.

On the table, on the left and right sides, there are two stacks of ancient books, rare editions, general histories of archaeology, and unofficial histories of ancient times, as high as small mountains. The pages are wrinkled from being read so many times.

In his palm, he quietly held a palm-sized, grayish-white jade pendant shaped like a dragon.

Lu Zhen's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze fixed on the patterns on the surface of the jade pendant. His aura was calm and still, and he sat upright and motionless, like a perfectly sculpted stone statue.

From yesterday evening until now, for a full thirty-two hours, he has maintained almost the same posture. Apart from occasionally raising his hand to turn the pages of a book and eating a few bites of food brought by the servants, he has not left the chair he was sitting on, and he has not even touched the tea prepared on the table.

He would occasionally flip through the thick ancient books at hand, quickly comparing them with historical records and illustrations. After flipping through a few pages, he would shake his head slightly, then look down at the jade pendant in his palm and fall into deep thought.

The ponytail-wearing girl, Lü Qing, pouted and walked forward in her soft-soled cloth shoes. Her tone carried a hint of resentment and helplessness, but her voice was not loud, so as not to disturb the old man's thoughts.

"Grandpa, it's just a jade pendant. Is it really worth staring at it for a whole day and night?"

She raised her hand and pointed to a cabinet full of antiques that had been put into storage behind her.

"The cabinets are already full of antiques submitted for testing this week. If you don't release the appraisal results soon, the next batch of goods to be transported will arrive at the hospital, and we won't even have room to store them."

The middle-aged man, Lü Bo, also quickly stepped forward and echoed his words of advice, his brows furrowed and his face full of worry.

"Dad, it's just a piece of natural jade. There's no need to nitpick like this. If you really can't tell where it came from, just send it to a high-end jewelry store for provenance and valuation."

Lü Bo himself is a PhD in archaeology from a top university in China. He has a solid academic background and his basic skills are undeniably strong.

The items were just delivered yesterday, and he immediately examined the dragon-shaped jade pendant.

The commission information was very simple: the owner's surname was Qin, and the jade pendant was an accessory from their ancestor.

He searched through databases, official historical records, biographies of famous people, unofficial ancient histories, and illustrated catalogs of royal jade artifacts from various dynasties. Not a single record matched the shape and pattern of this jade pendant.

From his professional perspective, this is just an ordinary piece of nephrite of decent quality, with no value for collection or archaeology.

At first, he thought it was because he was inexperienced and lacked expertise that he couldn't identify the hidden treasures.

After observing his father for a full day and night, even this industry giant had no clue, which made him even more certain of his judgment.

It should be noted that his father, Lü Zhen, was a lifelong academician of the Chinese Academy of Archaeology and a pillar of the national antique appraisal industry.

He studied under Yu Cong, a living fossil in the antique circle, and has been immersed in the industry of antique appraisal and cultural relic restoration for more than 50 years, examining national treasures in museums at home and abroad and important folk artifacts passed down through generations.

From royal ritual objects of the Shang and Zhou dynasties to miscellaneous items from the Ming and Qing dynasties, he can determine authenticity, age, and origin with just a glance. There are almost no items in the industry that he cannot identify.

Lu Bo placed the inventory ledger in his hand on the corner of the table and gently offered his advice.

"Dad, I've done a preliminary screening of the collection in the cabinet that was submitted for authentication. Most of them have clear dates and provenances, so the authentication results should be easy to obtain. There are just three obscure and miscellaneous items whose provenance I'm unsure about. Could you take a look when you have time to see if there are any problems? I'll then arrange a special car to send them back to the important person and the partner institution."

The consignment ledger on the table was filled with the signatures of top-tier wealthy families and official cultural institutions in Beijing, indicating their extraordinary status and making it impossible to delay delivery.

Lu Zhen remained staring at the jade pendant in her palm, without turning her head, her voice hoarse and dry from sitting in silence for so long.

"This jade pendant is definitely not an ordinary piece of jade. It must have a history, otherwise it wouldn't have prompted a reclusive family of that caliber to send it for examination."

Lu Bo's eyes narrowed, and he instinctively leaned forward: "What family?"

There are very few families in the entire capital that would treat his academician father with such solemnity.

Lu Zhen remained silent about her family's name, keeping it a deep secret, and simply waved her hand.

"No need to ask any more questions. It's the rule in this circle; I can't say too much. Just take care of your other antiques."

"Keep these goods for now, no rush. I'll take a look at them when I have a spare moment, and you can send them back tonight."

His tone was calm, as if appraising a room full of priceless antiques was just a trivial matter.

His tone was relaxed, as if he were certain that the matter of antiques was something he could easily determine the origin and provenance of at a glance.

Indeed, when Lü Zhen was young, she participated in a national public welfare treasure appraisal live challenge, which required her to identify ten mixed antiques on the spot within ten minutes.

He not only selected all the genuine articles, but also knew the provenance of all the antiques.

He became famous overnight.

After that, many people sought his expertise for identification.

Over his decades-long career in appraisal, he has appraised at least 80,000 to 100,000 antiques and treasures.

Today, their vision, experience, and discernment have long since reached the pinnacle of the industry.

But today, he is completely trapped by this jade pendant.

Lü Zhen repeatedly rubbed the dragon pattern grooves on the edge of the jade pendant with his thumb, his sharp eyes analyzing the details.

This jade pendant has a warm and understated texture, and does not belong to any known category of precious jade on the market; the dragon pattern on the surface has simple and stiff lines, and the edges of the texture are rough, lacking the regular curves of modern CNC machine tool carving.

The traces are very obvious; they were painstakingly crafted by hand, painstakingly polished and carved by ancient people, with a primitive and rough craftsmanship.

The strangest thing is that this dragon pattern cannot be found in any records of famous people with the surname Qin throughout history, or even some minor figures.

The prosecution was handled by the Bai family, and he knew what kind of family the Bai family was.

If it could stump such a family, how could this jade pendant be an ordinary object?

The strange, unrecorded ancient patterns on the jade pendant, combined with the Bai family's special circumstances, were the reason he devoted himself to studying it day and night.

Seeing his father's determined look, Lü Bo became increasingly anxious and couldn't help but try to persuade him.

"Dad, since you haven't been able to find the source, why don't you go and ask Old Master Yu? Your master has lived for nearly a hundred years and has seen all kinds of rare treasures. Maybe he can see through it at a glance. In my opinion, this thing is most likely just an ordinary piece of jade. It's not worth ruining your health and wasting your time."

He was genuinely worried.

Lu Zhen is nearly seventy years old, and her body cannot withstand such prolonged sitting without sleep.

Staring at the jade pendant for a whole day and night without eating or drinking will definitely cause health problems.

Lu Qing, standing to the side, also offered his advice:

"Grandpa, I also think it's just ordinary jade. Please listen to our advice this time and don't investigate it."

Lu Zhen blinked slowly, relaxing her sore eyes, and waved her hand gently after a few seconds of silence.

"I'll study it some more. If I still have no clue, I'll go ask my teacher again."

One sentence shut down all their attempts to persuade them.

Lu Bo and Lu Qing exchanged a glance and both sighed helplessly.

When elderly people get older, once they set their minds on something, they become so stubborn that not even ten oxen could pull them back.

Moreover, this is especially true for a figure like Lü Zhen, who has had a smooth and successful life and has never suffered a defeat in the industry.

He has never made a mistake in appraising cultural relics in his half-life. He can always determine the origin at a glance. No antique can limit his vision.

Now stuck on an unknown jade pendant, his competitive spirit and professional instincts make it impossible for him to give up easily.

But in the eyes of the father and daughter, it was just an inconspicuous piece of jade, at most a little more expensive.

How could it possibly have any other significant origin?