"My pleasure, my pleasure," Sun Ming'en agreed without hesitation. "No matter where you wish to visit, even my mother's bedroom, I'll personally guide you."
His words, spoken so freely, drew laughter from the crowd.
Tao Xiaoyan watched from the side, unable to resist stealing a few more glances at Sun Ming'en.
This notorious figure in the antique world, known for being foolish and rich, wasn't truly foolish.
After all, he was a scion of a prominent family, educated from a young age with elite schooling, and immersed in the world of business. He wasn't as incompetent as he seemed.
Chen Fan nodded, his gaze shifting to a painting. "Young Master Sun, look at this painting, Dong Qichang's 'Autumn Shadows at Fengting'."
Everyone followed Chen Fan's gaze to a scroll painting hanging on the wall, an ink wash with a distant artistic conception and exquisite brushwork.
"No way, I've had top experts examine this painting," Sun Ming'en said, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
Others nodded in agreement, with a few possessing some discerning ability also believing it to be genuine.
"I didn't say it was a fake," Chen Fan stated calmly. "But Young Master Sun can ask the experts to look closely. This painting was created using the 'unveiling' technique. The ink and colors are a bit faint, and the painting's heart is quite thin."
Tao Xiaoyan gasped, "The unveiling technique? A skill that can reveal two or even more paintings from an original?"
"Precisely," Chen Fan nodded.
The unveiling technique, while simple to describe, was an incredibly difficult skill. One wrong move could damage the original painting.
Tao Xiaoyan examined it closely and said, "Now that you mention it, it really is like that. The colors on this painting are indeed a bit too pale."
Sun Ming'en's expression flickered. "So, it's still genuine then?"
"Yes, but its value isn't as high as you might have imagined."
As Chen Fan spoke, he walked forward a couple of steps and pointed to a porcelain artifact. "This Dehua porcelain from the mid-Qing Dynasty is a replica. However, it has some history; it's likely a replica from the Republican era. The craftsman's skill is quite good!"
Before Sun Ming'en could react, Chen Fan continued to move, pointing out fakes or high-quality imitations one by one.
He identified seven or eight such pieces in one go.
Compared to the three to five hundred items in the collection, the proportion of fakes or high-quality imitations was quite low.
After all, Sun Ming'en wasn't entirely foolish. While his own appraisal skills weren't high, he was wealthy and had naturally hired people to help authenticate his collection.
Even so, Chen Fan's ability to spot the fakes at a glance left many in awe.
Sun Ming'en's gaze towards Chen Fan intensified.
Gu Zi'an's expression grew increasingly complex. He also collected some antiques, but his eyesight could only be considered above average.
He needed to examine an artifact for a long time to determine its authenticity, far inferior to Chen Fan.
Moreover, upon careful observation, he confirmed that Chen Fan had not made a single mistake in his identifications.
Those who had been jealous of Chen Fan put aside their thoughts of suspicion, instead offering praise and flattery.
This person clearly possessed genuine skill, so it was natural for him to gain the favor of the Young Master. What grounds did they have to compete?
In any case, their primary goal was to curry favor with Sun Ming'en, and this change in approach wouldn't significantly alter the outcome.
"Mr. Chen, what about these few pieces!"
Sun Ming'en gestured to several porcelain pieces within the central display. "These are a few I recently acquired, and I invited friends here today to admire them. Please give us your expert opinion!"
Chen Fan looked in the direction Sun Ming'en pointed.
This was precisely the area where everyone had been gathered earlier.
The most prominent item was a blue and white porcelain plum vase, about thirty centimeters tall, its exterior adorned with scrolling floral and fruit patterns.
The blue and white plum vase looked incredibly beautiful, its elegant form pleasing to the eye.
It could be described as flawless, exquisite, and peerless.
Chen Fan looked at it for a few more moments and then asked with a smile, "Young Master Sun, how much did you pay for this blue and white plum vase?"
"Twelve million!"
Sun Ming'en replied.
Chen Fan opened the display cabinet and picked it up to examine the base.
It bore the mark of the Yongle period. If it were genuine, this price would make it a bargain for Sun Ming'en.
"It's a fake!"
Chen Fan declared.
Sun Ming'en frowned. "Please enlighten me, Mr. Chen."
This blue and white plum vase was among the most expensive items in his entire collection. If it were fake, his act of inviting friends to admire and show off would be rather embarrassing.
"The faker's skill is very high, capable of creating a near-perfect imitation," Chen Fan said. "But it is indeed fake."
"What's your reasoning?" Tao Xiaoyan also leaned in, asking, "I know your appraisal skills are very high, but you can't just declare something fake and have it be so, can you?"
Her eyes darted, filled with curiosity.
She had been able to discern most of the fakes and replicas Chen Fan had pointed out earlier.
However, with this blue and white porcelain, she truly couldn't see any flaws and was extremely curious, eager to hear Chen Fan's explanation.
"The reason is simple: it's too perfect. Its excessive perfection makes it unreal!" Chen Fan said leisurely.
"Hmph, what kind of reason is that?" Tao Xiaoyan was stunned for a moment and scoffed.
Sun Ming'en was also astonished. "Mr. Chen, that seems a bit far-fetched, doesn't it?"
The others also began to murmur, completely unconvinced by Chen Fan's reasoning.
Chen Fan continued, "A fake cannot truly endure. But this faker's skill is indeed remarkable, and I cannot pinpoint the exact flaw. However, there are ways to prove it."
"How can you prove it?" Tao Xiaoyan was the most animated, immediately asking.
"That depends on whether Young Master Sun is willing to part with it."
Chen Fan smiled. "When falsehood is taken as truth, truth itself becomes falsehood. Although this item is still fake, it can perfectly mimic the genuine article and still fetch a high price on the market."
Sun Ming'en hesitated for a moment. "It's only twelve million yuan. I'm not unwilling to part with it. Mr. Chen, how do you plan to prove it?"
"Break it."
Chen Fan stated calmly. "If after breaking it, it's proven not to be fake, I will compensate you with a blue and white porcelain of equal or greater value. If it is proven fake, then those twelve million yuan will be wasted!"
The crowd erupted in astonishment.
Twelve million yuan, just to smash it and hear the sound?
According to Chen Fan, even if the item was fake, it could be sold as genuine.
They wouldn't be willing to do that.
All eyes turned to Sun Ming'en.
Gu Zi'an also found it somewhat thrilling. Twelve million yuan wasn't a significant sum for him.
But to smash something just to hear it break was indeed quite stimulating.
This was the allure of the antique trade, where the element of gambling was immense.
"Since Mr. Chen has said so, then let's smash it!"
Sun Ming'en hesitated for only a few seconds before steeling himself. "Even if it turns out to be genuine, there's no need for Mr. Chen to compensate me. I will bear any losses myself. However," he added, "you are never to appear before me again!"
Chen Fan looked at Sun Ming'en with renewed appreciation and picked up the porcelain vase, throwing it to the ground.
CRASH.
The plum vase, worth over ten million yuan, shattered into pieces.
The sound of breaking echoed in the hearts of many. For the guests who had little money and were merely there to flatter Sun Ming'en, their hearts twinged painfully.
The broken shards revealed a stark white interior.
Chen Fan's gaze swept over them. He picked up a shard and handed it to Sun Ming'en, saying, "Young Master Sun, please look. What is this?"