A New Lease on Life

Chu Chen had wanted to buy back this paper hammer vase because he was afraid it might still conceal some clues. After all, his special ability was not omnipotent. For example, it could not detect hidden marks concealed within the patterns.

He smiled and nodded. "I just want to study Zhang Huo Ni's style of craftsmanship, so I won't suffer another loss in this area later. If you're willing to part with it, Old Ji, I'll buy it at your acquisition price."

Upon hearing this, Ji Haoliang waved his hand. "It's only an imitation. There's no question of whether I'm willing to part with it. But I can't take advantage of you. Let's go by the market price instead."

Although Meng Yixian had said that he probably had not lost much, Ji Haoliang understood what he meant. He knew the vase was probably worth less than three thousand yuan. Chu Chen could even invite him to Beijing for a trip, so how could he bring himself to sell it to Chu Chen at the acquisition price?

Chu Chen smiled. "It's fine. When we usually set prices for antiques, personal preference accounts for a large part of it. Besides, the market price is more or less this amount anyway. I won't lose out."

As he spoke, he counted out three thousand yuan from his bag and forcibly stuffed it into Ji Haoliang's hands.

Seeing that Ji Haoliang still wanted to refuse, Meng Yixian said, "Old Ji, stop refusing. Since Little Chu is buying it for research, he won't sell it right away. At the current market rate, I'd say it might be worth more than three thousand yuan in less than half a year. By then, you might even feel that you sold it too cheaply!"

Ji Haoliang chuckled. "That definitely