The Deal No One Could Stop

Cheng Hai did not even bother letting 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 chubby 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 an item 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 bought them. What a find! Fine antique jade with genuine staining, possibly even blood staining." Cheng Hai cupped the two pieces in his hands.

Zhang Yang stared at the jade. Cheng Hai would never hand it over, and trying to take it would turn into a struggle. The pieces were too fragile for that.

But Zhang Yang could tell at a glance that the jade was fake. The staining was fake too.

"You have an excellent eye, Mr. Cheng. One million two hundred thousand," the chubby shopkeeper said happily.

One million two hundred thousand. Zhang Yang was stunned. The stone itself was fine quality, but it was not antique jade. It was newly mined. As for the staining, the forger had put real effort into it, burying the jade inside a live animal, probably a dog or some other domestic animal.

One million two hundred thousand was the price of antique jade with blood staining. These two pieces were actually worth no more than a few tens of thousands.

"Father-in-law, shouldn't you think it over?" Yang Gang's heart sank when he saw Zhang Yang frown. If he made another mistake this time, Yang Su would not let him off lightly.

"Dad, let someone take 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 too far. Even though Zhang Yang knew the jade was fake, he might still be unable to stop him.

"Have any of you ever dealt in antique jade? These pieces can't be fake," Cheng Hai said confidently.

Cheng Hai had dealt in antique jade before and had even bought genuine pieces, though none had been worth anything close to this much.

"I'd pay eighty thousand for the pair," Zhang Yang said at last, telling the truth.

The chubby shopkeeper's heart skipped a beat. The jade was not worth much, but Zhang Yang's price was fair.

"Zhang Yang, do you know anything about antique jade? If you don't, stop talking nonsense," Cheng Hai said with a sneer.

Zhang Yang felt helpless. He was now certain he could not stop the deal.

The two pieces in Cheng Hai's hands were too large to fit in one palm. Zhang Yang could see that they were unremarkable, crudely carved, with simple lines.

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

"Boss, you know whether they're real or fake. I'm Zhang Yang—the one who appraised the bronze mirror on Antique Street last time and bought the White Jade Hairpin at the Antique Pavilion." Since reasoning with Cheng Hai had failed, Zhang Yang turned his attention to the chubby 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. He just did not care. Even if he cheated Cheng Hai, what could Zhang Yang do to him? There was no way Zhang Yang could stop the deal.

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

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

Whether Cheng Hai actually had a million to spend was another question. But he pulled out a card and paid the full amount on the spot, right in front of everyone.

"Congratulations, Mr. Cheng, on acquiring such a treasure." The chubby 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 he had not even wanted to try.

The chubby shopkeeper was delighted. He saw Cheng Hai out of the shop and, as they left, gave Zhang Yang a pointed glare.

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

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

"Useless fool. You don't know a thing, but you pretend you do. I've dealt in antique jade. I've owned it. Those two pieces are absolutely genuine. Even at the shopkeeper's asking price, I reckon I made two hundred thousand."

Cheng Hai looked thoroughly pleased with himself. Zhang Yang could only shake his head. Some people brought their troubles on themselves. Cheng Hai, with his arrogance and conceit, did not deserve any pity.

"Let's go," Cheng Dongxue said. She had no desire to keep browsing 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 back empty-handed either."

After the four of them left the shop, they browsed the street stalls. Zhang Yang picked up a few items. Everything he handled was genuine, but none of it was worth much. There was room for profit, though very little.

"Let's go 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 passed his scrutiny. 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 of the Antique Pavilion.

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

"Elder 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.

"Elder Wu, you're here today." Zhang Yang was surprised too. Wu Daorong was a busy man with plenty of work to do.

"Since you've come this far, my young friend, why not join me for 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. An elder renowned even in the Capital was treating Zhang Yang with such courtesy.

"You two..." Cheng Hai was stunned. He had never managed to make a connection with Wu Daorong, yet Zhang Yang knew him.

"Please, come in!" 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 of them entered the Antique Pavilion.

Many of the old objects in the antique shop were vulnerable to moisture, so the tea room had to be kept separate from the display area. Zhang Yang and the others were led to the back of the shop.

"Make yourselves comfortable." 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 made it to the Antique Pavilion, you're welcome to look around. I stand behind everything in my shop." Wu Daorong was a respected authority in the antiques trade. He also wanted to drive out its crooks and restore honesty to the business.

That was why buyers could trust the antiques at the Antique Pavilion. Many customers buying antiques as gifts chose to shop there, knowing they would not be cheated.