Ye Wenqiang couldn't help but shiver. The feeling of being choked to unconsciousness was not pleasant.
Having his face stepped on by Lin Xiaotian made him feel his dignity was trampled.
Fear and anger intertwined in his heart, and he now wished he could flay Lin Xiaotian alive.
"Let go of me. Don't forget where we are. Do you want everyone to know that your Mingyue Pavilion is bullying customers?"
Lin Xiaotian smiled and said, "Stop spouting nonsense. Are you a guest?"
"Even if you are a guest, you are an unwelcome one."
"Our Mingyue Pavilion is absolutely generous to friends, but for trash like you, we definitely serve a big stick."
As his voice fell, a club was suddenly passed from the back of the crowd.
Lin Xiaotian's lips curved into a smile. He took it casually and then lifted his foot.
"Have you ever played with breaking eggs?"
Seeing Lin Xiaotian's wicked grin, Ye Wenqiang's hair stood on end. He trembled and asked, "What do you want to do?"
"Look at where I'm standing. Doesn't it look like I'm playing golf? Although I haven't played, I can imagine it. For example, if I swing this club hard, do you think it will result in 'chicken flying and eggs breaking'?"
Lin Xiaotian gestured with his hand.
The wooden club was sturdy. If swung with that arc, it would undoubtedly hit Ye Wenqiang between the legs.
Ye Wenqiang instinctively recoiled, hugging his legs, which were trembling slightly. His eyes were filled with immense rage. "Can't you do anything but hit people?"
"Was what I said just now wrong?"
"You said that Old Master Tang couldn't afford that table. It's just an old mechanical table made of century-old沉木 (chenmu - a type of wood). Even if it has technical value, it's worth at most a million."
"I called you arrogant. Where was I wrong?"
Lin Xiaotian smiled and said, "I was waiting for you to jump out from the beginning. Do you know why?"
"You would never admit that this wooden display stand was brought by you, right?"
"What does this have to do with me? I was just watching the excitement, and now I've been beaten severely by you. Your Mingyue Pavilion is really something!" Ye Wenqiang retorted with anger in his eyes, never forgetting to retort.
Lin Xiaotian said with a bright smile, "See? Didn't I say it right? He definitely won't admit that the display stand was given by him."
"And your exhibition organizers won't admit that the display stand is theirs, right?"
The胖子 (pangzi - fat man) supervisor immediately nodded, "This is definitely not our thing. Everything here is a unified display cabinet."
"Someone told us yesterday that this wooden table was to be placed in the center of the first display area, so we just put it there casually without careful inspection."
"This is our oversight and our responsibility."
Lin Xiaotian interrupted him with a smile, "This is not your responsibility. Instead, I want to show everyone the true value of this table."
Everyone looked at Lin Xiaotian with bewilderment.
This item was called a Shuanglong Table. Although rare, it wasn't unheard of, with such things appearing from time to time. The antique world was full of deceptive items.
Ye Wenqiang sneered, "Are you trying to broaden our horizons?"
"Then we'll wait and see what tricks your Mingyue Pavilion can pull off."
"If you're just going to show us a broken table, then I'll truly look down on you."
Lin Xiaotian couldn't be bothered to deal with him, a confident smile already on his face.
Tang Jingde's brow furrowed. He couldn't see anything special about the wooden table.
Chu Nianxue was the same. There was a hint of worry in her eyes.
However, she also trusted Lin Xiaotian a lot, which made her feel conflicted.
On the other hand, Ye Wantong's small face was already filled with anticipation. She directly shouted, "Show it directly and give that guy a good eye-opener. Since no one admits that the table was sent by them, then it belongs to my cousin's company."
"If I say this, no one should have any objections, right?"
No one objected.
Lin Xiaotian scanned the crowd with a smile, "Since there are no issues with ownership, I will let you all open your eyes."
"Open your eyes wide and look carefully."
Everyone looked dismissive.
Lin Xiaotian reached out and gently pried at the underside of the table.
Immediately, the tabletop flipped over.
A raised section, about thirty centimeters in diameter, turned to the tabletop.
There were several holes around it.
Upon seeing this, everyone immediately gathered around, their eyes filled with disbelief.
"This Shuanglong Table actually has a mechanism. Although it's not new, a Shuanglong Table made of century-old沉木 with a second layer of mechanism is extraordinary."
"Look at the eight holes on this mechanism. Doesn't it resemble the Eight Treasures Exquisite Mechanism invented in the Song Dynasty?"
"You're right, it really does look like it!"
Tang Jingde carefully examined it and his face showed disbelief. "Xiaotian, can you open the Eight Treasures Exquisite Mechanism?"
"You might not understand the Eight Treasures Exquisite Mechanism. The eight holes require eight fingers to carefully sense each thread inside. There are a total of one thousand and forty-six strands of golden silkworm thread. If you touch the wrong one, your finger could be severed on the spot."
"If you don't know how to decipher it, don't mess with it. Current technology can barely open it."
"Also, touching the wrong mechanism can easily cause the treasure inside to be damaged. The Eight Treasures Exquisite Mechanism has a self-destruct function."
Lin Xiaotian smiled and said, "Since I could discover this Eight Treasures Exquisite Mechanism, I can definitely unlock it."
"I said I would open everyone's eyes, so I definitely won't disappoint you."
"This is just an appetizer!"
His fingers slowly delved in, and the spiritual energy within him surged. He easily found the core position of the mechanism.
In less than three seconds, his eight fingers had found the correct threads, and with a gentle pull.
"Click..."
It sounded like gears turning.
The mechanism on the table opened.
A small teacup appeared on the tabletop.
"This... this is actually a Tenmoku glaze?"
"And it's from the Tang Dynasty imperial kiln. Did such porcelain already exist at that time?"
"Isn't the earliest history from the Song Dynasty?"
Everyone was in an uproar. If this piece of porcelain was real.
It could potentially change the historical trajectory of Tenmoku glaze.
Tang Jingde rushed forward, his eyes shining brightly. He carefully examined the teacup, and his face gradually showed shock.