Chapter 62 The First Item: The Dragon Robe!
After getting into the car, Chen Yu explained in detail, “As far as I know, all those so-called imperial treasures are fakes, but that man named Li Changgong is especially superstitious. Ever since he heard about this antique appraisal, he’s been beside himself, saying he’ll get his hands on it no matter the cost.”
Ye Fei rolled down the window.
“You know how these circles of wealthy businessmen are. They adore antiques that claim to harmonize feng shui, ward off misfortune, and boost luck. It’s not just the big bosses of Hang City—even a heavyweight from Sea City has come. After this viewing, who knows whose hands the treasure will end up in.”
“A treasure like that—wouldn’t it take at least tens of millions to compete?” Ye Fei asked curiously.
“Tens of millions is just the beginning. I’ve heard Li Changgong is prepared to sell everything to get it.” Chen Yu smirked. “Now you see why my second uncle and I wanted you to help him. When he sets his mind on something, he stops at nothing.”
“If you examine it and confirm it’s genuine, I suspect he’ll use every trick he has.”
“At that point, we can make our demands and win him over to help us counter the Tenglong Chamber of Commerce. Everything will be perfect.”
Ye Fei shook his head slightly at her words.
These moguls, chasing after so-called luck and fortune, would throw away mountains of gold without hesitation.
It’s hardly surprising. Think of the tycoons across the river in Hong Kong—they all do the same, elevating every feng shui master to the skies.
Raising ghosts, casting spells—they’re not above any means.
But from Chen Yu’s words, it was clear that this Li Changgong had strong backing and impressive wealth. Anyone able to compete with him must be among the top figures in Hang City.
If such a man could assist the Eternal Group, it might not be a bad thing.
Soon, the car arrived at a secluded courtyard in the outskirts. The place was hidden by the lake, appearing ordinary from outside, but upon entering, it transformed into a scene from a southern water town—pavilions, bridges, and flowing water, steeped in ancient Chinese style.
It must have cost a fortune.
Ye Fei and Chen Yu stepped into the main hall. The central courtyard was ringed by two rows of grand armchairs, reminiscent of merchant families from the Republic era. Seated in these chairs were groups of people. As they entered, a middle-aged man in the main seat rose with a smile and said,
“So this is Mr. Ye?”
Ye Fei smiled and nodded. The middle-aged, oily-faced, flabby man before him had to be Li Changgong. Despite the ill-fitting suit, he couldn’t hide his nouveau riche aura.
He was nothing like the imposing charisma Chen Bozhong had shown.
Before Ye Fei could speak, a man seated beside him scoffed, “Li, you brought a young kid to judge authenticity? I thought you’d invite a master from the antique world. Is Hang City so short on connections now?”
Li Changgong’s face darkened. He snorted coldly, “Shi Jin, spare me your nonsense. This isn’t my first time in Hang City, and Mr. Ye is no ordinary man. I used my best connections to bring him here. Watch your tongue!”
“Oh please, he looks barely twenty. What fancy connections? Ridiculous.” The wealthy businessman named Shi Jin sneered. “In this business, experience is everything. You see enough, you develop a sharp eye. What could a kid possibly know?”
“You talk too much!” Li Changgong’s face clouded further. Shi Jin had mocked him before Ye Fei arrived, and now, even with everyone present, he was still at it. Li Changgong slammed the table and glared at Shi Jin.
“All right, enough quarreling.” The elderly man in the first seat on the left row, dressed in a tai chi uniform, frowned. “Li, don’t take it to heart. Shi Jin’s temper is sharp in business and life. Just ignore him.”
“And you, the appraiser, since you’re here, please sit.”
The old man was white-haired, cold in demeanor, exuding the aura of someone used to wielding power. He kept his eyes half-closed, not even opening them as Ye Fei arrived—his attitude was imposing.
Clearly, he was not an ordinary figure.
Li Changgong snorted and sat down without further protest.
Taking advantage of the pause, Chen Yu leaned in to explain to Ye Fei.
Shi Jin, the one who’d just spoken rudely, was a local Hang City tycoon who owned an overseas logistics company. He did shady cross-border business, not a true mover and shaker, but with thousands under his command and a fiery temper, he counted as a half-figure in the city.
Li Changgong’s company specialized in antiques and jade, and naturally did overseas business too, so he often clashed with Shi Jin. Their fishing boats had fought more than once in foreign waters, and their feud was deep. Now, sitting together to compete, it was truly a case of enemies meeting on a narrow path.
The last speaker was Tang Yushu, whom Chen Yu had mentioned in the car—a big shot from Sea City. His assets spanned hotels, construction, hospitals, transportation, supermarkets—almost sixty percent of Sea City’s industry. Even the Tenglong Chamber of Commerce wanted to recruit him and his assets.
But Tang Yushu himself was aloof, disinterested in petty squabbles. He came to Hang City only for the antique appraisal.
Compared to Tang Yushu, Shi Jin and Li Changgong’s assets were insignificant.
“Hmm.”
Ye Fei nodded absentmindedly in response to Chen Yu.
But his gaze suddenly fell on another figure.
He hadn’t noticed him at first.
He sat behind Shi Jin, ghostlike.
An old man, seventy or eighty years old.
Eyes closed in meditation.
His aura was calm.
He looked almost immortal.
He must have been Shi Jin’s appraiser.
Once everyone was seated, Tang Yushu calmly clapped his hands and spoke, “Now that everyone’s here, shall we see the goods, Mr. Zhang?”
As soon as he finished, a fat man emerged from the inner room of the courtyard, holding a string of prayer beads and looking impatient. He frowned, “You’ve all looked at the goods several times now. Are you buying or not? Give me a straight answer. If there’s any more trouble today, don’t come looking for me again.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Zhang, this is the last time. If it’s genuine, we’ll definitely take it.” Shi Jin grinned, thumping his chest.
“You said it! I’ll have them bring it up.”
Mr. Zhang nodded coolly and snapped his fingers.
Moments later, several attendants carried in the first item—a worn imperial robe, every stitch perfectly neat.
As soon as it appeared, every gaze in the room was drawn to it.