Huang Chengjiu's eyes were filled with disbelief.
If his earlier assessment that Li Zhonglou was too young was merely polite deference to his position at Xingzhi Group, then this statement made him realize Li Zhonglou was no ordinary person.
"What is Vice President Li's basis for that?"
The implication was, how could Li Zhonglou know without the item even being revealed?
"Wuyang yi liang is a Warring States period coin. It was already sky-high in the 80s and 90s when bronze coins were incredibly popular," Li Zhonglou replied. "Those who dug them up would scour the earth for treasures."
"Wuyang coins with a clear provenance across the country have mostly found their way into museums and the hands of major private collectors."
"A few years ago, one coin sold for over five million yuan, making it unaffordable for ordinary people."
"Shuyu County has a long history and no shortage of ancient tombs from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Although it was part of the Chu territory during the Warring States, trade with Zhao meant it wasn't unusual for Wuliang coins to be brought here."
"However, this is just my speculation. I need to see the actual item to be sure."
In reality, Li Zhonglou was scoffing inwardly.
Xingzhi Group was in the business of trading cultural relics, and their closest associates were tomb robbers. Huang Chengjiu, having a connection with Xingzhi Group, naturally interacted frequently with tomb robbers, and the items he possessed were most likely unearthed.
"I'm impressed, truly impressed. I didn't expect Vice President Li to be so young and promising, with such sharp eyes," Huang Chengjiu said with a smile, flattering him. "However, my Wuyang coin is different from the ordinary ones in circulation."
"Would Vice President Li care to take a look?"
Having been upstaged by Li Zhonglou's words, he felt a surge of desire to demonstrate his own capabilities, essentially showing off to satisfy his vanity.
This move, however, played right into Li Zhonglou's hands.
His eyes lit up. "Certainly!"
He had come here specifically for treasure hunting. Now that he had confirmed Huang Chengjiu possessed a treasure, and not just an ordinary one, it was exactly what he wanted.
"Please wait a moment, Vice President Li. I'll be right back," Huang Chengjiu said, rubbing his hands together as he stood up to leave.
Li Zhonglou wasn't in a hurry. He waited while sipping his tea. About ten minutes later, Huang Chengjiu returned quickly, holding a lead box.
He placed the lead box on the table, opened it gently, and revealed the treasure. "My apologies for keeping you waiting, Vice President Li. Please, take a look."
Inside the lead box was a small felt cushion.
On the cushion lay a three-holed spade coin, its size perfectly matching the interior of the box.
The inscription was clear, with the characters "Wuyang" written vertically.
On the right edge was a patch of red soil patina, and the coin's surface was exquisite and intact.
"It's a misprinted coin!" Li Zhonglou's heart leaped when he saw the coin, his eyes shining brightly.
Huang Chengjiu was right; this Wuyang yi liang coin was extraordinary.
He had seen genuine Wuyang yi liang coins before, excavated from the Changshan region. In those, the character "Yang" in Wuyang was split into two halves.
Below the character "Wu," it formed a tripod-like structure.
Above the top perforation on the reverse, the character "Shiwu" was cast, and the characters "yi liang" on the back were slightly slanted.
Only about thirty such three-holed coins had been discovered worldwide, demonstrating their rarity.
Furthermore, a significant characteristic was that they were crafted entirely by hand, not mass-produced currency.
Therefore, each inscription had slight variations.
However, in Huang Chengjiu's coin, the character "Yang" in Wuyang, and the right side of the more complex "Yi," had an extra stroke.
This made a completely different meaning!
Although such unearthed artifacts could not be auctioned officially, they were priceless in the black market and incredibly difficult to obtain.
Ordinary Wuyang yi liang coins could fetch high prices, and misprinted ones like this were of immeasurable value.
Huang Chengjiu's coin could undoubtedly be considered a treasure.
"Vice President Li, to identify it as a misprint at a glance is truly admirable," Huang Chengjiu said, his admiration growing, silently praising Li Zhonglou's terrifying insight.
At the same time, his smugness intensified, and he chuckled, "It's just that these coins are not easy to counterfeit, and even if they were, the public wouldn't accept them, so I've kept it for myself."
"On the other hand, common currency like Kaiyuan Tongbao is very popular. Isn't that strange?"
"These farmers are short-sighted and unlearned. They believe whatever they hear, lacking their own judgment, making them the easiest to fool."
"Conversely, they treat these treasures like trash, oblivious to their value even when they're right in front of them."
His words revealed a deep-seated contempt for farmers.
Businessmen like him, not even true merchants, earned money that crossed lines and engaged in illegal activities. They reveled in exploiting ordinary people.
Moreover, they attributed all of this to their own superior understanding and foresight.
Li Zhonglou observed this, feeling a wave of disgust, but his expression remained unchanged.
He subtly remarked, "The antiques trade indeed requires systematic study. It's normal for ordinary people not to recognize genuine items."
"The more fake an item is, the fresher and more dazzling it appears, often deceiving the eye."
"I never expected Mr. Huang to possess such a fine piece. It could even rank highly at our Xingzhi Group headquarters."
"This three-holed spade coin is truly precious. I wonder if Mr. Huang has any intention of parting with it?"
Upon hearing this, Huang Chengjiu's smile immediately faded. He waved his hand dismissively. "Vice President Li, gentlemen have always respected each other's desires. I am keeping this coin for my own enjoyment."
He began to regret his decision. If he hadn't shown it, Li Zhonglou wouldn't have coveted it. He was truly surprised by Li Zhonglou's brazenness in asking directly. He was reluctant to let it go and had no choice but to refuse outright. He was unsure if this would offend Xingzhi Group.
Hearing this, Li Zhonglou deliberately scowled and snorted, "Mr. Huang won't even give me this small courtesy?"
"You speak of gentlemen, but are we gentlemen?"
"Vice President Li, please forgive me, forgive me," Huang Chengjiu said, looking askance as he hastily tried to appease Li Zhonglou when he saw him getting angry. "You've misunderstood. If there's anything else you fancy, I'll give it to you for free."
"But this coin was not easily obtained, and the market, you see..."
"If I were to ask for your coin, it would be an insult to you, but..."
He deliberately spoke haltingly.
Li Zhonglou understood him perfectly. The man was trying to dissuade his greed with money. If he were truly a high-ranking official of Xingzhi Group, he might have endured it for the sake of long-term interests.
But Li Zhonglou was here for this very item and was determined to acquire it. How could he feel embarrassed?
Without waiting for Huang Chengjiu to finish, Li Zhonglou snatched the three-holed spade coin with lightning speed and chuckled, "Stop dilly-dallying. I'm taking this coin."
"Name your price!"
He was essentially trying to rob him.
Huang Chengjiu was stunned speechless. "This... this..."
He hadn't expected the Vice President of Xingzhi Group to be so shameless.
With the conversation having reached this point, he was filled with regret. From a young age, he loved to show off. He always wanted to flaunt any good item he possessed, suffering countless setbacks before finally learning a little. Later, when he had money and power, no one dared to act presumptuously in front of him. Slowly, he reverted to his old ways, his memory of past mistakes fading. Today, he wanted to gain some face in front of Li Zhonglou, a distinguished guest from afar, but who would have thought this would happen.
Seeing this, he felt immense heartache but knew it was unrealistic to get it back.
He could only grit his teeth and say, "Vice President Li, this coin is worth at least twenty million in the black market."
"For your sake, if you truly want it, you can have it for ten million."
"Ten million? I'd give you a thousand yuan, that would be closer!" Li Zhonglou chuckled, delivering a shocking statement.