Upgrade

Zhao Qirui hurriedly asked when he saw this, "What's wrong? Is there really a problem?"

"Hehe, Manager Zhao, don't rush. Could you let me take a look first?"

After Zhao Qirui agreed, Chu Chen put on his gloves and took the bowl out of the gift box. The moment it reached his hands, his heart began to roil. It wasn't because the bowl was especially precious, but because something completely unexpected had happened.

As soon as the bowl reached Chu Chen's hands, his supernatural ability began to stir. Chu Chen didn't pay much attention to that; it merely meant the bowl was an antique. But what happened next left him stunned. His supernatural ability completely ignored his control and began absorbing the bowl's spiritual energy.

Although it lasted only a little over a second, Chu Chen's heart was thrown into turmoil. He had clearly already used up his spiritual-energy absorption for the day, so why could he still absorb it now? And why was his supernatural ability no longer under his control? Could something have gone wrong?

Most of Chu Chen's achievements today could be attributed to obtaining his supernatural ability. How could this situation not terrify him? Fortunately, nothing strange happened afterward, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Little Chu, Little Chu, what's wrong? Is there a problem?" Zhao Qirui asked when he saw the change in Chu Chen's expression.

Hearing the voice beside him, Chu Chen quickly came back to himself, rallied his spirits, and said, "It's nothing. I was just a little surprised by this bowl."

"Oh? Is there some story behind it?" Zhao Qirui asked with interest.

Chu Chen didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked a question first:

"Manager Zhao, I assume that person used Yue ware celadon to settle his debt with you. You've been involved with antiques for some time now. Didn't you initially feel that the bowl's color was off?"

"That's right. From its patina, clay body, craftsmanship, and so on, I felt that this bowl was a fine example of Yue ware celadon. But its color really was off, and afterward I couldn't figure out whether it was genuine or not," Zhao Qirui said doubtfully.

Chu Chen smiled faintly and asked another question: "Manager Zhao, have you ever heard of secret-color porcelain?"

"Little Chu, are you talking about the secret-color porcelain described in the Tang poet Lu Guimeng's poem Secret-Color Yue Ware?" Lu Changshun asked from the side.

Seeing Chu Chen nod, Zhao Qirui asked in surprise, "Little Chu, are you saying this bowl is secret-color porcelain?"

Chu Chen nodded with a smile. "That's right. This is a piece of secret-color porcelain. Before discussing it, let me first explain its origins."

"Secret-color porcelain was actually an improved version of ancient Yue ware. It was a type of specially made porcelain that ancient Yue kilns offered as tribute to the imperial court. It was said that commoners were forbidden to use it at the time, and both its formula and manufacturing process were strictly kept secret. Thus, 'secret-color porcelain' referred to porcelain whose glaze formula was kept secret."

"What color exactly was 'secret-color'? This question has been debated endlessly in the ceramics world for a long time."

"It wasn't until 1987, when thirteen pieces of Yue ware celadon were excavated from Famen Temple, that people gained a deeper understanding of secret-color porcelain. In the inventory recording the royal offerings at Famen Temple, these pieces were indeed listed as 'secret-color porcelain.' This also solved the age-old mystery and explained many things that had previously been impossible to account for."

"Secret-color porcelain has a relatively thin body, a smooth surface, regular forms, and an even glaze. All these features can be seen in this bowl. Looking at the glaze, the bowl is green with a hint of yellow, moist and lustrous, and semi-translucent. Judging from its patina and other characteristics, it should be a secret-color porcelain bowl from the early Five Dynasties."

The moment he finished speaking, Zhao Qirui hurriedly asked, "Then how much is this bowl worth?"

Chu Chen answered hesitantly, "I've only had the good fortune to see secret-color porcelain once, with Uncle Wu. That person also happened to find it by chance, and I don't think any of the major auction houses in the country have ever auctioned one. So it's really difficult to set a price, but it should still be worth six or seven hundred thousand."

After Chu Chen said this, Zhao Qirui stared blankly at the secret-color porcelain bowl. Then he suddenly said delightedly, "Does this count as finding a bargain?"

All three people present smiled knowingly. Lu Changshun immediately flattered him, "Manager Zhao, you can find a bargain without even leaving home. You truly have fortune shining upon you."

After hearing that, Manager Zhao burst out laughing and pointed at him. "Old Lu, I never realized you were so good at flattery. I like what I'm hearing. Little Chu, what do you think? Should I make up the price difference for that person?"

After thinking for a moment, Chu Chen said, "Manager Zhao, in our line of work, we make a living by our judgment. I've never heard of anyone returning something after finding a bargain. At most, they take better care of the other party in future business. But you aren't in the antiques trade, Manager Zhao. If you truly feel bad about it, there's nothing wrong with offering some compensation."

Zhao Qirui shook his head. "I don't feel a damn bit of sympathy for that person. I just think his family is rather pitiful."

Lu Changshun laughed when he heard that. "Manager Zhao, you certainly feel deeply for his family." He placed particular emphasis on the words "feel deeply."

"Ha, you old Lu, your mind is always full of tricks. I just think the mother and daughter are pitiful. They've been having a hard time, so I want to help them."

Hearing this, Chu Chen couldn't help thinking, So he's planning to take both mother and daughter? Who would've thought Manager Zhao had that side to him.

Zhao Qirui saw their "You're a man, you understand" expressions and cursed with a laugh, "You two, your minds are filthy. Talking to you is like playing music to a cow."

He immediately changed the subject and asked Chu Chen, "Little Chu, I have to thank you this time. How do you calculate your appraisal fee?"

Chu Chen waved his hands repeatedly. "You already went to the trouble of treating me today, Manager Zhao. It wouldn't feel right to charge an appraisal fee as well."

"All right, I understand."

Zhao Qirui waved his hand, then called over the manager of the main hall. "In a moment, help this gentleman apply for a gold card."

The moment Chu Chen heard this, he repeatedly declined. This private restaurant naturally had various membership cards. The ones he knew of included diamond, gold, silver, and ordinary membership cards. But even the ordinary membership card required one to spend at least one hundred thousand yuan to apply, and it only gave a five percent discount. The gold card offered a fifty percent discount. How could he accept it without feeling uneasy?

"Little Chu, accept it without worry. I'll still have to trouble you whenever there's something about antiques I don't understand."

Lu Changshun also persuaded him from the side. "Little Chu, just accept it. I have one of these cards too. Actually, look at it another way: this is also our contribution to Manager Zhao's wallet."

Zhao Qirui cursed with a laugh, "I say, Old Lu, why does it sound as though you're calling me a profiteer? Could I really make that much money even with a fifty percent discount?"

"You see? Since Manager Zhao put it that way, he's definitely making money. The only question is how much," Lu Changshun said with a hearty laugh.

Everyone laughed when they heard that. After Chu Chen gave his personal information to the manager, he asked Zhao Qirui curiously, "Manager Zhao, don't you often seek out Old Master Dong?"

The moment Zhao Qirui heard Old Master Dong's name, his expression darkened. He replied, "He's climbed onto a better branch, hasn't he? Someone like us, a minor nobody, doesn't deserve his attention."

Hearing this, Chu Chen knew that the two of them must have had some sort of falling-out, and that Zhao Qirui had a very poor opinion of him. But Chu Chen wasn't familiar with Old Master Dong either, so he didn't say much. He nodded and said:

"All right. As long as you don't mind me being young and rash, Manager Zhao, just call me whenever there's anything I can help you with."

"Good."

Zhao Qirui said happily, "In that case, don't keep calling me Manager Zhao. If you're willing, just call me Brother Zhao."

Chu Chen was naturally very pleased by this request. But he couldn't agree immediately, as that would seem immature. So he first appeared somewhat hesitant before finally nodding.

Lu Changshun, who was standing nearby, felt extremely envious when he saw this. He had known Zhao Qirui for quite some time, yet they had never addressed each other so familiarly. He hadn't expected Chu Chen, who had clearly known Zhao Qirui for a much shorter time, to be treated this way. It seemed that Zhao Qirui truly liked Chu Chen.

Lu Changshun secretly took note of this. After returning, he would instruct his people that if Chu Chen came to the shop to gamble on stones again, they had to offer him a discount whether he was selling or buying. Perhaps Chu Chen would become an even closer bridge between him and Zhao Qirui.

Afterward, everyone chatted for a while longer. Chu Chen had an eidetic memory, and he had memorized various news reports and other information he had seen online. As a result, he could join in on almost any ordinary topic of conversation, which made Zhao Qirui and the others look at him with new respect.

This all-purpose performance made Zhao Qirui admire him even more. He couldn't help sighing inwardly. If Chu Chen hadn't already achieved something in the antiques world, he would definitely have recruited him into his company. By then, Chu Chen would surely have become another trusted right-hand man.

After the manager returned with the gold card, Zhao Qirui checked the time and said to everyone:

"All right, let's call it a day. The bank should be open by now. Let's go complete the transaction."

******************************************

After saying goodbye to Manager Zhao and the others, Chu Chen went straight home. The thing troubling him most right now was what had just happened to his supernatural ability.

Once he got home, Chu Chen dropped heavily onto the sofa and began reading the information that had suddenly appeared in his mind after his supernatural ability changed. Since he had been with Zhao Qirui and the others earlier, he hadn't even looked at it, lest it add to his worries—or, worse, arouse their suspicions because of his strange behavior.

Only after carefully reading the information did Chu Chen understand what had happened to him.

As it turned out, the earlier accident had merely occurred because his supernatural ability had reached the critical point for an upgrade, resulting in a natural phenomenon.