Old Harden, can you handle having your vision-shifting abilities on all the time?

Wang Benquan composed himself and said sincerely, "Next Monday, I will bring my whole family to the Jingyang County Museum to thank you in person. Please be sure to give us this opportunity."

Xu Xing then thought of Lin Wan, the manager of the gold shop. Since he already had one, he wasn't afraid of having another one.

So he nodded and said, "Mr. Wang, you're too kind. I'll wait for you at my workplace on Monday."

Wang Benquan was delighted, then looked at the fishing gear Zhang Ming had brought over and said, "Mr. Xu, are you packing up your fishing?"

"Yes, we're getting ready to go back."

Wang Benquan immediately said, "You saved my granddaughter, so we absolutely have to show our gratitude. We'll be arriving at the restaurant soon, so I'll treat you and your cousin to a simple lunch. Please do us the honor of attending!"

Xu Xing looked at Zhang Ming.

Zhang Ming had a "you decide" look on his face.

Xu Xing waved his hand and said, "This is too much trouble for Mr. Wang."

Wang Benquan laughed and said, "No trouble at all, not at all. I know a farmhouse restaurant nearby with a very good chef. How about we go there?"

Xu Xing stopped refusing and nodded in agreement.

Wang Benquan then turned to his son and said, "Xiao Lei, go get the car. We'll take Mr. Xu and the others there."

Wang Lei responded and left.

A moment later, a black Rolls-Royce Cullinan slowly drove up and stopped by the dirt road.

Zhang Ming's eyes widened. He secretly nudged Xu Xing and whispered, "Brother, this car must cost seven or eight million, right?"

Xu Xing nodded without saying anything.

Wang Benquan opened the car door and greeted him warmly, "Mr. Xu, please!"

Xu Xing waved his hand and said, "No need for that. You guys drive ahead, and my cousin and I will follow."

Wang Benquan didn't press the matter further and carried his granddaughter, who had changed her clothes and calmed down, into the car.

The car started smoothly and drove off the dirt road, with Zhang Ming following behind.

While driving, he said, "Cousin, who is this Mr. Wang? He looks very rich."

Xu Xing explained, "He's a big boss in the art collecting world; he's really rich."

Zhang Ming's eyes lit up, and he said, "Then you're going to be rich, brother, since you saved his granddaughter! And since you're in the collecting business and run a company, it's a perfect match for your expertise."

Xu Xing shook his head and said, "It's not that simple, and such sentiments shouldn't be wasted on such trivial matters."

Zhang Ming nodded and said nothing more.

The farmhouse was a rather elegant courtyard. The owner clearly knew Wang Benquan and greeted him warmly.

After getting off the bus, Xu Xing selected a few large crucian carp from the fish tank with the oxygenator running and handed them to the owner to have them cooked.

Wang Benquan said with a smile, "Today I'm fortunate to be able to eat such fresh wild crucian carp thanks to Mr. Xu."

Xu Xing casually replied, "If Mr. Wang likes them, we can pick out a few more live ones to take back and make soup later."

Wang Benquan didn't stand on ceremony and said, "Then thank you very much, Mr. Xu."

Once inside the private room, everyone took their seats. Wang Benquan sat in the main seat, Xu Xing was to his right, and Zhang Ming was next to Xu Xing.

After drinking the ginger soup, Niu Niu was lively again, sitting next to her mother and curiously looking at Xu Xing.

While waiting for the food to be served, Wang Benquan chatted with Xu Xing. When they talked about antique collecting and restoration, Xu Xing showed a very strong foundation, which made Wang Benquan nod in approval.

This is definitely an expert, not just some armchair theorist.

Not only do they know how to appraise antiques, but they also know a lot about restoration.

The dishes were served quickly.

The farmhouse restaurant served generous portions of food that tasted delicious. Wang Benquan personally poured wine for Xu Xing, who had a good tolerance for alcohol and accepted all drinks. However, Zhang Ming did not drink because he had to drive later.

Wang Benquan raised his glass and said, "Mr. Xu, I can't thank you enough for today; this glass is for you!"

Xu Xing bumped into him and said, "Mr. Wang, you're too kind."

After a drink, the atmosphere became even more harmonious. Wang Benquan and Xu Xing chatted more and more congenially, talking about everything from antique market trends to auction anecdotes, from restoration techniques to their experiences in appraising treasures.

As the conversation got more interesting, Wang Benquan suddenly changed the subject and said, "Mr. Xu, to be honest, I've met many people in all these years of running Chengxinzhai, but there aren't many like you who have both theoretical knowledge and practical insight."

You should know something about Chengxinzhai. Would you be interested in visiting us? Rest assured, your abilities definitely meet our standards.

Our Chengxinzhai Restoration Center's income is primarily based on technical expertise. All antiques requiring restoration are graded according to their original value, ranging from ten to one million for Grade B, one million to ten million for Grade A, and ten million and above for Grade S.

If you successfully repair an antique that was originally worth 50 million but had a residual value of 5 million after being damaged, and its value can be restored to 45 million after repair, you can directly receive 60% of the 40 million difference as commission, which is 24 million.

In addition, our center's restorers are guaranteed an annual salary of 600,000 yuan upon joining, and if your skills are exceptional, the guaranteed annual salary is 1.5 million yuan.

In addition, performance-based income can easily bring in millions, even hundreds of millions, a year.

Zhang Ming, who was standing to the side, trembled upon hearing this and looked over at Xu Xing.

In the past, Xu Xing would have definitely agreed to such treatment, but things are different now.

Moreover, he has been busy for half his life, and now that he can finally breathe a sigh of relief, he doesn't really want to be tied down again.

On the other hand, Chengxinzhai is also a very good platform that allows him to access more resources. The annual salary of 600,000 is indeed not low, and the performance bonus is even more enticing.

So although he didn't agree immediately, he said, "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Wang, but could you allow me some time to consider this matter?"

Wang Benquan laughed heartily and said, "That's only right. Mr. Xu, don't feel any pressure. You can definitely earn tens of millions of yuan a year here. Please consider our Chengxinzhai, we have a position waiting for you."

After saying that, he changed the subject and asked, "Mr. Xu must have been immersed in the collecting business for quite some time. I wonder if you have anything you want to sell? If so, you might consider our Chengxinzhai."

Even if I don't accept it, I can still help you make an appointment.

Xu Xing put down his teacup and said, "To be honest, Mr. Wang, I did receive something recently, but its origin is a bit unusual and I'm not sure myself."

Wang Benquan's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Oh? What is it? Would you mind telling me?"

Xu Xing took out his phone, opened the video he had recorded last night and the close-up photos he had taken, and handed them to Wang Benquan.

"It is a small copper sword, which was taken from the hilt of a peach wood sword from the Republic of China era."

Wang Benquan took the phone and initially just glanced at it casually, but his expression gradually changed when the camera focused on a close-up of the small bronze sword.

He zoomed in on the picture, carefully examining the Dao patterns on the sword, especially the two characters on the hilt.

"Kunyang..."

"The red copper material is characteristic of the early and mid-Ming Dynasty. The Zhenwu Dao pattern is exquisitely engraved, which is by no means the work of an ordinary craftsman. The thick patina naturally indicates that it has been passed down for at least four or five hundred years."

The characters "Kunyang" on the sword hilt are written in an ancient and elegant seal script... Mr. Xu, how did you determine this?

Xu Xing said, "I've done some research and I suspect it might be Zhang Sanfeng's magic sword from the Ming Dynasty."

"It's not a possibility, it's a certainty!"

Wang Benquan said excitedly, "I have a fragment of the 'Xuantian Shangdi Qisheng Lu' from the early Ming Dynasty in my family. It records that in the 25th year of Hongwu, the immortal Zhang Sanfeng met Shen Wansan, who was exiled to Yunnan, at sea."

The two collaborated to forge a batch of red copper magic swords for use in refining the Heavenly Essence Elixir. Extremely few of these swords survived to this day; only one remains in the possession of a private collector in France.

He paused, pointed to the phone screen and said, "And coincidentally, I once handled that magic sword in person, and I believe that yours is one of those magic swords, and it is in excellent condition with clear Dao patterns and complete inscriptions, even better than that one."

Everyone at the table held their breath.

Although Zhang Ming didn't know much about antiques, he still knew names like Zhang Sanfeng and Shen Wansan.

Looking at Wang Benquan's excited expression, even a fool could guess that this small sword was quite valuable.

Wang Benquan looked at Xu Xing and then at his granddaughter Niu Niu, who had regained her liveliness and was eating fish. Suddenly, he stood up and solemnly bowed to Xu Xing.

"Mr. Xu, I have a favor to ask."

Xu Xing quickly stood up: "Mr. Wang, please speak."

Wang Benquan said sincerely, "I would like to ask Mr. Xu to part with this magic sword. Although Niu Niu escaped danger and turned out well after falling into the water today, I still feel uneasy."

Taoist magic swords are believed to ward off evil spirits and protect the home. If I could get this sword back for Niu Niu to carry with her, I would feel more at ease.

Xu Xing remained silent.

Wang Benquan continued, "Mr. Xu, please rest assured about the price. When we were in France, many of our fellow collectors discussed it and believed that the French sword was worth around 400,000 euros."

"Your magic sword is of far superior quality to that one, so I'll offer five million, and I'll cover all transaction taxes and fees."