There is a status quo in the antique circle.
In the real circle, everyone is arrogant, thinking they are the best.
Of course, the fake circle like Zeng Wang's is an exception.
This stems from self-confidence. For example, Li Chonglou, with profound knowledge and having seen all the treasures in the world.
But most people are blindly confident or even arrogant, looking down on everyone.
IncludingNing Lang, a notorious hooligan, they didn't even bother to look at him.
The middle-aged man's words immediately stirred the interest of others to watch the show.
"Old Zhu has been holding a grudge since he lost to Ning Lang last time, and he's been wanting revenge."
"He didn't even attend gatherings for the past six months, devoting all his efforts to collecting treasures. He must have a trump card this time."
"Hmph, losing in culture to a social boss from the National Treasure Gang, if he can't win it back, won't he be furious?"
...
It was obvious that the early arrivals were all friends of the middle-aged man called Old Zhu. Although they were whispering, how could Li Chonglou's ears be missed?
Ning Lang didn't hear these discussions, but he dismissed the middle-aged man surnamed Zhu's deliberately provocative words with disdain.
He introduced, "These two are my friends, Li Chonglou and Jin Jing!"
"Li Chonglou?" Someone frowned, "Isn't that the kid who made up the Dragon Subduing Wood at Zeng Wang's appraisal meeting a few days ago?"
"You've become famous. In Yong'an's circle, anyone associated with Zeng Wang..."
"Hahaha..."
Laughter echoed throughout the hall, unbridled.
Zeng Wang was the synonym for the National Treasure Gang, everyone in Yong'an's circle knew that.
Whoever got close to him was part of the National Treasure Gang.
This was why the middle-aged man surnamed Zhu wanted to provoke Ning Lang as soon as he arrived.
At the last gathering, he had lost to Ning Lang, a social boss, and moreover, a member of the National Treasure Gang, in terms of eyesight. The suppressed anger was imaginable.
Coupled with Ning Lang's military background, his magnanimous nature towards ordinary people, and his love and admiration for traditional culture, he was too lazy to bother with them.
So others were even less afraid of him.
As for Li Chonglou's performance at Zeng Wang's appraisal meeting last time, it had already spread throughout Yong'an.
It had become a laughing stock during tea breaks in the circle.
The Dragon Subduing Wood had briefly become another joke for the National Treasure Gang.
Li Chonglou heard this, his expression remained unchanged, and he looked indifferent.
That was a story he had fabricated to deal with Tu Hong. It was normal for people who didn't know the truth to mock him.
He was no longer someone who cared about others' opinions. How others laughed was irrelevant to him.
It wouldn't cost him any meat.
On the other hand, Jin Jing's face turned red. This matter had nothing to do with her, but she felt awkward.
The reason she felt awkward was that she thought Ning Lang and Li Chonglou would be embarrassed, so she felt embarrassed for them.
Seeing Li Chonglou being openly ridiculed by everyone, Ning Lang clearly showed a hint of displeasure. He himself didn't care, but he wouldn't allow his friends to be bullied.
He coldly reprimanded, "A bunch of ignorant people, frogs in a well."
"What's so funny?"
After all, he was from the underworld, known as "Wolf Lord." He was usually quite approachable, but when his face turned cold, he immediately exuded an imposing aura, majestic and dignified.
The people present were not fools either.
They knew that if they truly offended Ning Lang, they might get into trouble.
So, they all stopped laughing.
Only the one surnamed Zhu remained insistent, "Ning Lang, I don't care if you guys are birds of a feather."
"But since you've brought a newcomer today, I have the responsibility to test this newcomer's eyesight."
"What do you say? You're not afraid, are you?"
His words were sharp and aggressive.
This made Ning Lang chuckle, "Zhu Tongren, when haven't you lost to me? And you still have the nerve to stand in front of me and brag."
"You want to test my brother's eyesight? With your skill level, you'd need to train for another few decades."
He never expected that Zhu Tongren would provoke himself, let alone try to provoke Li Chonglou.
Wasn't this like a sow bumping into a tree, looking for death?
In the antique business, Li Chonglou was the most professional he had ever seen, comparable to national-level masters and patriarchs.
The key was that he was still young, and he would surely have a boundless future.
A foolish old man like Zhu Tongren, who was over fifty and still unenlightened, was not even worthy of carrying his shoes.
"Ning Lang, this is the rule. Newcomers should let everyone have a look, otherwise, how do we know if they are just here to mess around." Someone said with dissatisfaction.
Anyone with discerning eyes could see that Zhu Tongren was clearly afraid of Ning Lang, so he shifted his target to Li Chonglou.
He was clearly on Zhu Tongren's side and was already unhappy with Ning Lang.
He took the opportunity to chime in, wanting to see Li Chonglou make a fool of himself.
After all, Li Chonglou was brought by Ning Lang, so if he embarrassed himself, it would be Ning Lang's embarrassment too.
"The eyes of the masses are discerning. You're not scared, are you, kid?" Zhu Tongren's eyes were filled with triumph as he looked Li Chonglou up and down, provocatively.
Zeng Wang invited this kid to be a judge, and with the incident of the Dragon Subduing Wood box.
It had spread throughout most of Yong'an's circle, and everyone knew this kid was a fraud.
If he couldn't beat Ning Lang, he shouldn't be unable to beat this little follower, right?
"Chonglou, ignore him. These people are useless, always thinking too highly of themselves." Ning Lang said to Li Chonglou without courtesy.
His words made Zhu Tongren and his friends turn red in the face.
Yet, no one dared to retort.
After all, they had all been defeated by Ning Lang before.
In terms of appraisal, they had no choice but to accept it.
"It's fine, didn't I come here to learn?" Li Chonglou smiled, then looked at Zhu Tongren and replied, "You want to challenge me, I agree. You decide the method."
Ning Lang thought he came out of boredom, just to pass the time.
But his actual purpose was to shock the entire Yong'an antique circle and then spread it nationwide.
He was already thinking about how to create a topic, and this Zhu Tongren took the initiative to challenge him.
It was exactly what he wanted.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Tongren heard this and treated it as a huge joke, "Ha, little brother, I think you misunderstood."
"I'm not challenging you, I'm testing you."
"At your age, even if you played with antiques since you were in your mother's womb, you're not worthy of my challenge."
"How about this, I won't bully you. Just find the three most valuable items I'm wearing. If you find two, I'll consider you passed."
"If you lose, you'll kowtow to me three times and take me as your master, how about that?"
His tone was condescending and he was relying on his age.
Age, for some, is experience, is knowledge, is wealth.
But for most people, it's just a last resort for showing off, a stubborn refusal to admit defeat.
Clearly, Zhu Tongren was the latter.
He was intimidating people with his age, completely unaware that Li Chonglou's true age was more than enough to be his grandfather.
"You, are you worthy of being my master?" Li Chonglou didn't get angry. He had seen too many people like this. He said calmly, "Since it's a test, there should be some stakes."
"If I guess correctly on three items, then you give me the most valuable thing you have on you."
"Dare you?"
His words made Zhu Tongren's expression freeze, and his eyes flickered.
He actually didn't dare to agree.
Today, he had deliberately worn a treasure on him to show off. It wasn't a jade thumb ring, but something much more valuable than a thumb ring.
He had spent several million, and it was a lucky find.
If this guy guessed correctly, would he really have to give it away?
For a moment, he was torn.
"Old Zhu, are you afraid of a child? Just promise him!"
"That's right, Old Zhu. Ning Lang's little follower, not Ning Lang himself. You absolutely must not back down."
"We'll watch for you, and we guarantee Ning Lang won't be able to pass any secret information."
...
His friends urged him on.
They enjoyed the show, and it had nothing to do with them. Even if he lost, it would be Zhu Tongren's loss.
For a moment, Zhu Tongren was put on the spot and couldn't back down.
He could only force himself to snort, "Will I lose?"
"If I really lose, you can pick anything!"
"No proof, let's write an agreement as evidence." Li Chonglou seized the opportunity, his eyes shining.
When he saw Zhu Tongren, he noticed he was wearing a treasure. If he guessed correctly, it was something he had obtained at a high price.
Judging by his hesitant expression, his guess was correct.
This item was too much of a waste on the man surnamed Zhu; it had to be acquired.
Although Zhu Tongren was displeased, he had already agreed, so he had to ask someone to bring paper and pen.
He wrote down the rules as agreed.
Originally, it was agreed that finding two out of three items would count as a win for Li Chonglou, but involving his own interests, he had to listen to Li Chonglou. He would only give it if all three were correct.
After writing the agreement and signing both names, he comforted himself.
Li Chonglou was just a fake gem from the National Treasure Gang, so he couldn't possibly identify the three treasures he had painstakingly acquired.
He definitely wouldn't lose.
"Brother Ning, will he lose?" Jin Jing whispered to Ning Lang as the atmosphere became tense.
A sly smile appeared on Ning Lang's lips, "Even if I lose, he won't! Just watch the show."
These ragtag people actually wanted to test Li Chonglou.
This foolish Zhu Tongren was deservedly unlucky today.
He was looking forward to the miserable sight of this stupid pig slapping his thighs when the time came.
Jin Jing didn't understand antiques, but hearing Ning Lang say this, her nervousness lessened considerably.
At this time, more and more people were arriving at the villa.
Many fellow enthusiasts arrived one after another, and seeing this scene, they all showed curiosity.
Upon inquiry, they learned that Zhu Tongren was going to test Li Chonglou.
They immediately divided into two factions.
One faction remained neutral, while the other supported Zhu Tongren.
As for why no one supported Li Chonglou, it might have a lot to do with the National Treasure Gang.
"Your first item is the second button on the diagonal placket of the gown." Li Chonglou was indifferent to how many people were present, after observing Zhu Tongren for a few moments.
Everyone followed his finger and cast their gaze.
It was a blood-red, translucent, spherical button, about the same size as a normal button.
But its color was extremely vibrant, drawing people's eyes to it involuntarily.
If everyone's attention hadn't been focused on Ning Lang, this "National Treasure Gang" newcomer, they would have noticed it earlier.
Most people present had some discerning eyes. Upon seeing this button, they all showed expressions of sudden realization.
Only Zhu Tongren's face looked a bit unsightly.
He had thought Li Chonglou's eyesight was poor and he would definitely mention his jade thumb ring first.
But he didn't expect him to mention the button.
But at this point, he couldn't back down. He forced himself to snort, "This thing is indeed eye-catching, but you have to explain its origin and whereabouts, otherwise, it's just a wild guess."
"It doesn't count."
Seeing his deliberate attempt to renege, Li Chonglou said with a calm expression, "This Bảo Sơn Southern Red agate bead, its size should be around 16mm. It is flawless and crack-free throughout, with extremely high color saturation."
"The patina is thick and smooth, and the degree of mineralization is extremely high. It would be considered top-tier in any era."
"Judging by its style, it's undoubtedly a palace-exclusive item from the late Qing Dynasty."
"And in the mid to late Qing Dynasty, there weren't many concubines who liked Southern Red agate. Historically, there is only one, Consort Ji, Lady Wang, of Emperor Wenzong of Qing."
"She was the daughter of a gardener under the Bordered Yellow Banner's subcommand. She was originally a palace maid, later favored by Emperor Xianfeng."
"In the eighth year of Xianfeng, she was enfeoffed as Noble Lady Ji, and later promoted to Consort Ji, becoming one of the 'Four Spring Ladies'."
"This bead was originally a collar bead on her imperial robe!"
Wow...
With one statement, everyone was astonished, and the entire venue erupted in an uproar.
Zhu Tongren's face turned extremely unsightly.