A Deal No One Could Stop

Cheng Hai did not even let Yang Gang inspect the pieces. In a thoroughly unprofessional move, he snatched the two pieces of Antique Jade from Yang Gang's hands.

Even the plump shopkeeper was shocked. In the Antiques and jewelry trade, passing an item directly from hand to hand was taboo, especially when it was fragile.

If it fell during the handoff and was damaged, no one could say who was responsible.

Zhang Yang had come over, but there seemed to be nothing he could do to stop it.

"I've already bought them. What a find! Fine Antique Jade, with authentic staining. It might even be blood staining." Cheng Hai held the two pieces of jade.

Zhang Yang stared at the Antique Jade in Cheng Hai's hands. He could not take it from him; Cheng Hai would never hand it over, and a struggle would put the jade at risk.

But Zhang Yang could tell at a glance that the Antique Jade was fake, and so was the staining.

"Mr. Cheng, you have an excellent eye. One million two hundred thousand." The plump shopkeeper was delighted.

One million two hundred thousand! Zhang Yang was stunned. The jade itself was fine quality, but it was not Antique Jade. It was freshly mined. As for the staining, the forger had clearly put some effort into it, implanting the jade in a living animal, probably a dog or some other domestic animal.

The price of one million two hundred thousand was for Antique Jade with blood staining. In reality, the two pieces were worth no more than a few tens of thousands.

"Father-in-law, shouldn't you think it over?" Yang Gang saw Zhang Yang frown and grew anxious. If he got this wrong again, Yang Su would not let him off lightly.

"Dad, let us have a look." Cheng Dongxue was anxious too. One million two hundred thousand was no small sum, especially when the Cheng Family was in financial trouble.

Cheng Hai had gone mad. Even though Zhang Yang knew it was fake, he might not be able to stop him.

"Have any of you ever handled Antique Jade? There's no way this is fake," Cheng Hai said confidently.

Cheng Hai had handled Antique Jade before and had even bought genuine pieces, but none had been worth anywhere near this much.

"I'd pay eighty thousand for the pair," Zhang Yang said at last, giving his honest assessment.

The plump shopkeeper's heart sank. The jade was not valuable, but Zhang Yang's figure was a fair price.

"Zhang Yang, do you know anything about Antique Jade? If you don't, stop spouting nonsense," Cheng Hai said mockingly.

Zhang Yang could only sigh. He was now certain he could not stop the sale.

The two pieces of Antique Jade in Cheng Hai's hands were too large to close a fist around. Zhang Yang could see that the Antique Jade was unremarkable, crudely carved, with simple lines.

What angered Zhang Yang was that Cheng Hai simply refused to believe him.

"Shopkeeper, you know whether they're real. I'm Zhang Yang—the one who appraised the bronze mirror on Antique Street and bought the White Jade Hairpin at Antique Pavilion." Seeing that he could not persuade Cheng Hai, Zhang Yang turned his attention to the plump shopkeeper.

The man's eyes twitched. He had never met Zhang Yang, but he had heard of the young man on Antique Street.

The shopkeeper believed Zhang Yang. But he did not believe Zhang Yang could do anything to him, even if he cheated Cheng Hai this time. There was no way Zhang Yang could stop the deal.

"Mr. Cheng, if you like them, they're yours. We know each other, so I'll give you a friendly price. One million, and we have a deal." Seeing how much Cheng Hai liked the jade, the plump shopkeeper made his final push.

"One million. Deal!" Cheng Hai replied happily.

Did Cheng Hai even have a million? As it turned out, he pulled out a card and paid the full amount on the spot, in front of everyone.

"Congratulations, Mr. Cheng, on acquiring such a treasure." The plump shopkeeper shook Cheng Hai's hand. The deal was done.

Zhang Yang shook his head and sighed. He should never have spoken up. He had known he could not stop it, and now he did not want to.

The plump shopkeeper happily escorted Cheng Hai out of the shop. As they left, he gave Zhang Yang a pointed glare.

"Zhang Yang, are those two pieces really only worth eighty thousand?" Once they were outside, Yang Gang frowned and asked him again.

Zhang Yang gave a cold laugh. "They might not even find a buyer. They'd probably have more of a market if they'd been left as new jade."

"Useless fool, pretending you know what you're talking about. I've handled Antique Jade. I've owned it. Those two pieces are absolutely genuine. Even at the shopkeeper's asking price, I reckon I've made two hundred thousand."

Cheng Hai looked smug. Zhang Yang was at a loss. Cheng Hai's arrogance made him impossible to pity.

"Let's go!" Cheng Dongxue no longer wanted to browse Antique Street. She was afraid Cheng Hai still had money and would find another way to spend it.

"No. Since we're here, let's keep looking." Zhang Yang glanced at Yang Gang as he spoke, his meaning clear.

Yang Gang nodded. "I came all this way. I don't want to go home empty-handed either."

After leaving the shop, the four of them wandered past the street stalls. Zhang Yang examined a few items. Everything he picked up was genuine, but none was worth much. There was room for profit, just not much.

"Let's head farther in," Zhang Yang said with a grin.

With a thousand years of experience behind him, Zhang Yang was no amateur when it came to Antiques. Few things on Antique Street caught his eye. Much of what was sold there was counterfeit, laid out for buyers who did not know better.

After browsing for some time, the group reached the entrance to Antique Pavilion.

"My young friend! It's been too long. Come inside." Wu Daorong happened to be at Antique Pavilion. When he spotted Zhang Yang passing by, he hurried to the door and called out.

"Mr. Wu..." Wu Daorong's reputation had spread far beyond Antique Street. Cheng Hai, who frequented the area, knew of him, though the two had never met.

Wu Daorong was not someone an ordinary person could simply strike up a conversation with.

"Mr. Wu, you have time to be at the shop today?" Zhang Yang was surprised too. Wu Daorong was a busy man with all manner of work to attend to.

"My young friend, since you've come this far, why not come in for some tea?" Wu Daorong invited him.

Cheng Dongxue had been there last time, so Wu Daorong's warmth did not surprise her. Yang Gang, however, was astonished that a man renowned even in Kyoto would be so courteous to Zhang Yang.

"You two..." Cheng Hai was stunned. He had never managed to make Wu Daorong's acquaintance, yet Zhang Yang knew him.

"Please, come inside!" Wu Daorong said.

"This is my father-in-law, and this is my brother-in-law," Zhang Yang said, briefly introducing Cheng Hai and Yang Gang.

The four entered Antique Pavilion.

Antique Pavilion dealt in Antiques, and many old items were vulnerable to damp, so the tea room had to be kept separate from the shop. Zhang Yang and the others were led to a room at the very back.

"Sit wherever you like." Wu Daorong gestured for them to sit, then sat down and began making tea.

"My young friend, have you come to buy Antiques?" Wu Daorong asked with a smile as they drank.

Zhang Yang nodded.

“Since you've come to Antique Pavilion, feel free to look around. I stand behind everything in my shop.” Wu Daorong was a respected authority in the Antiques trade, and he wanted to root out its dishonest dealers and restore its good name.

That was why the Antiques at Antique Pavilion came with a guarantee of quality. Many customers buying Antiques as gifts chose the shop so they would not be deceived.