As the gazes of the crowd turned towards him, Zhou Youde and Qi Yuanhao’s lips curled into smiles.
“Brother Zhou, since we both hail from Haicheng, why don’t we present our items together this time for everyone to appreciate? What do you say?”
For years, he had been in a competition with Zhou Youde. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t pull away from Zhou Youde. This was precisely why people praised them as the Twin Heroes of Haicheng.
However, in Qi Yuanhao’s heart, he disdained Zhou Youde.
He was merely the son of a nouveau riche, rude, erratic, and utterly devoid of strategic thinking. To be hailed with the same reputation as himself was nothing short of an insult.
Upon hearing Qi Yuanhao’s words, Zhou Youde smiled faintly. “Since Young Master Qi has this idea, I naturally have no objections. However, since the two of us are competing, shouldn’t there be some stakes?”
Qi Yuanhao was taken aback, his eyes narrowing slightly.
He hadn't expected Zhou Youde to make such a bold statement. But then again, this was his character: reckless, impulsive, and never considering the consequences of his actions.
Yet, this time, he seemed to have such confidence. Had Ye Fan advised him?
Qi Yuanhao held a great deal of faith in Ye Fan’s appraisal skills, after all, his reputation was formidable and widely known.
While he hesitated, Zhou Youde grew even more excited.
“What? Does Young Master Qi dare not? Weren’t you just showing off a moment ago? Now you’ve gone limp?”
How could Qi Yuanhao tolerate such taunting from Zhou Youde? He abruptly raised his head, his gaze turning icy.
“Zhou Youde, do you truly think Qi Yuanhao is afraid of you?”
His face immediately flushed with anger as Qi Yuanhao berated him loudly.
“Good, truly worthy of being the young master of the Qi family, possessing such courage. In that case, let us compete today. As for the wager, let’s use the items we’ve brought. What do you think, Young Master Qi?”
Using all the items brought? Was the wager perhaps too substantial?
The onlookers below gasped in unison.
It was known that the items brought by these two were quite substantial, with an estimated value exceeding a hundred million.
Yet, Ye Fan, with a faint smile, did not intervene in their actions at all.
In his view, this was merely a minor skirmish. Whether it was the Zhou family or the Qi family, these items were but a drop in the ocean to them, incapable of inflicting any real damage.
This was the inherent strength of great families, something ordinary people could not comprehend.
“It’s a deal.”
Qi Yuanhao nodded, his expression as cold as ice.
A world-shattering gamble thus began.
Soon, the items brought by both sides were displayed on the stage, totaling over twenty pieces.
The crowd’s eyes were immediately drawn to them, all in stunned admiration. Each of these twenty-odd items could be considered a treasure.
The least valuable item was estimated to be worth at least ten million.
“Truly worthy of a great family, their generosity is astounding.”
“Is this the inherent strength of great families? It’s too terrifying.”
“To have the fortune to witness such a grand gamble, it’s not a wasted life.”
People murmured amongst themselves, but their words were filled with awe.
Zhou Youde and Qi Yuanhao paid them no mind. What they cared about were the gazes of the professional appraisers.
“Since the two of you have such refined taste, Boguzhai will make an exception today and appraise your items. What do you say?”
Ye Fan’s words shocked the crowd below.
It was known that appraisal masters like Ye Fan did not easily offer their services, as high-level appraisers typically charged exorbitant appraisal fees.
Yet, this time, for Zhou Youde and Qi Yuanhao, he had displayed such magnanimity, truly astonishing them.
“Thank you, Brother Ye.”
Zhou Youde and Qi Yuanhao clasped their hands in gratitude towards Ye Fan.
With Ye Fan’s appraisal, it was ensured that these items would be without error.
Soon, Elder Sun, Elder Ji, and others stepped forward. Several Level Two appraisers from Jiangcheng were also invited onto the stage.
A total of seven or eight individuals would appraise these items together.
Each item had to be examined by these appraisers to ensure there were no mistakes.
These appraisers were all experienced and had already achieved fame, thus their appraisal speed was quite swift.
As item after item was appraised, they recorded their estimated values in their notes.
Finally, it was Ye Fan’s turn. Compared to the elder appraisers, Ye Fan was faster, often giving a price after just a glance at many items.
After a full two hours, during which the crowd below remained silent, afraid that even the slightest sound would disturb the appraisers,
Finally, as Ye Fan placed down the last item, the group of appraisers let out a collective sigh of relief, and the anxious hearts of the crowd below finally settled.
“Please wait a moment, everyone. We need to reconcile the prices.”
Ye Fan said with a smile, his gaze particularly fixed on Qi Yuanhao and Zhou Youde.
They both nodded, remaining silent, simply waiting patiently.
Each of them held the appraised value of every item.
Then, starting from the first person, they announced the prices.
The prices were displayed on the large screen for everyone to see.
This way, it was impossible for them to falsify the results; everything was open and transparent. Even if they had intended to cheat, they had no plan, and not even an opportunity for private discussion.
As the prices appeared, the crowd was surprised to find that Ye Fan’s prices were often the average of the prices given by the earlier appraisers.
What is strength? This is strength.
As the prices for each item were revealed, Zhou Youde and Qi Yuanhao began to feel nervous. After all, the stakes this time were too high, and even they couldn’t help but feel tense.
If they won, not only would they bring glory to their families, but they would also severely suppress their opponents. This was their true objective.
Soon, it was time for the last item, but a disagreement arose among the appraisers.
“How can the price difference be so vast? Elder Ji gave a price of thirty million, while Elder Sun gave thirty. Could Elder Sun have made a mistake?”
“The other Level Two appraisers also gave different prices. Does this item have a problem?”
Looking at the prices displayed on the screen, everyone frowned.
It was known that for the previous items, the prices given by the appraisers were quite similar. Therefore, this item must have some issue.
All eyes turned to Ye Fan.
Awaiting his final verdict.
At this moment, Ye Fan’s expression turned serious as he looked at Qi Yuanhao.
“Young Master Qi, I would like to purchase this last item. Let’s use Elder Ji’s price of thirty million as the standard, what do you say?”
Boom~
The people below were instantly stunned. Everyone wore expressions of shock. What did Ye Fan mean by this?
Did it imply that the last item was genuine?
However, Qi Yuanhao frowned. This last item was one of the Qi family’s most prized possessions, and thirty million was far from his ideal price.