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Xin Hao, sitting at the table next door, almost spat out a mouthful of blood...
Randomly raising a paddle just for fun? Dammit! This is too cruel...
"Eighteen million! First call! Second call! Third call!" The auctioneer decisively struck his gavel. "Sold! Congratulations to Young Master Xin for purchasing this extrely rare Han Dynasty Jade Pendant for eighteen million!"
Spending 18 million to buy an unknown jade pendant, Xin Hao felt as though he’d swallowed a fly. His face turned pig-liver purple, furious to the point that he looked like he was about to bleed.
After that, a series of rare antiques ca up, pushing the auction to its climactic stage. However, Yan Xiaobao decided not to "play with the paddle" again.
When the auction concluded, Tang Wenjun had only purchased that pair of famous wines at the very beginning. Other than that, he was completely empty-handed, not having spent a single cent. This left him rather disappointed; he hadn’t expected such a highly-rated auction to not include even a single magic artifact.
Dong Yuqing thoughtfully comforted him, "Fengshui artifacts rely on fate. You can’t force it, nor should you rush it."
Yan Xiaobao imdiately chid in agreent, "Exactly, exactly. Looking for Fengshui artifacts is just like finding a wife. Fengshui artifacts rely on fate. You can’t force it, and there’s no need to rush. Wife Qingqing, don’t worry, I won’t force it, nor will I rush. Besides, you’ll beco my wife sooner or later."
Dong Yuqing turned sideways, choosing silence and direct indifference, treating Yan Xiaobao like he was air.
After the auction ended, the guests didn’t disperse right away. More than half stayed behind, forming small groups to mingle and network.
The liveliest group was centered around Cheng Fengxian and Daoist Xuanzhen, attracting twenty or thirty people and creating a bustling atmosphere.
A woman in her thirties, wearing a purple evening gown, held a gilded Buddha statue as she stepped forward to ask Cheng Fengxian for an appraisal.
Small individual gilded Buddha statues and stone-carved Buddha figures are highly prized by collectors due to their historical age, exquisite craftsmanship, and significant artistic value. Particularly, Ming and Qing palace golden bronze Buddha statues can fetch millions, with the priciest ones reaching billions.
"Gilded Buddha statues crafted during the Yongle Period are regarded as the pinnacle of Buddhist art, celebrated worldwide for their seamless casting techniques and exceptional gilding craftsmanship."
After carefully examining the statue, Cheng Fengxian spoke gently, "This Buddha statue is one of the Yongle gilded bronze Buddhas marked with the Yongle reign. If it’s authentic, its value could exceed a billion."
The middle-aged woman’s face fell instantly. Cheng Fengxian’s words clearly implied it was a forgery.
Still clinging to a sliver of hope, the woman tested further, "But surely... surely this Buddha statue is worth *sothing*, right?"
Cheng Fengxian smiled and said, "Although this imitation Yongle gilded bronze Buddha is a fake, its craftsmanship is impressive, and it does hold so artistic value. It could easily sell for three to five hundred thousand."
"Three to five hundred thousand..." The middle-aged woman remained visibly disappointed.
Given that all the attendees were wealthy, three to five hundred thousand was little more than pocket change. Clearly, this woman had lost a lot of money buying this forgery from sowhere.
"Fifty thousand! Anyone want it?" The middle-aged woman imdiately tried selling it on the spot. "I’ve already lost everything; might as well toss it aside for so peace of mind!"
But no one responded.
Knowing it was a fake, who would want to buy it?
The guests were all affluent and distinguished individuals—none of them would buy a forgery to set up as décor, especially when everyone present was aware of its nature. That would simply be too humiliating.
"Thirty thousand!" The middle-aged woman gritted her teeth and resorted to a fire sale. "If no one buys it, I’ll smash it!"
At this mont, Dong Yuqing stepped forward to greet Daoist Xuanzhen, followed by Tang Wenjun and Yan Xiaobao. They arrived just in ti to see the middle-aged woman lifting the forged bronze Buddha, ready to smash it on the spot.
"I’ll buy it."
Hearing soone offer to buy it, the middle-aged woman lowered the bronze Buddha.
Even a lesser amount of money was still money—thirty thousand could buy a few bags or pairs of shoes after all.
Tang Wenjun didn’t say a word, wrote out a check, and acquired the forged bronze Buddha.
He had fully surrendered to Yan Xiaobao’s enigmatic ways. No matter how bizarre Yan Xiaobao’s actions seed, he refrained from questioning them. After all, Yan Xiaobao always had his reasons.
While those around them were puzzled as to why Young Master Tang had bought such a fake antique, courtesy prevented them from voicing any wild speculations.
Only Xin Hao, simring with resentnt, sauntered over and seized the opportunity to mock: "So, Young Master Tang isn’t competing with for that Han Dynasty jade anymore. Turns out... heh-heh-heh! What’s the matter? Is Young Master Tang feeling short on cash? If you’re strapped, just say the word—I wouldn’t mind tossing you eighteen million. Why else would Young Master Tang buy a fake to decorate his ho and embarrass himself?"
Tang Wenjun, struck by Xin Hao’s verbal jab, felt awkward and couldn’t retort, his expression turning sowhat uneasy.
Yan Xiaobao didn’t bother acknowledging Xin Hao. Instead, he took the bronze Buddha from the middle-aged woman’s hands and promptly slapped it hard.
"Bang! Crack!"
The bronze Buddha shattered instantly, shocking everyone and leaving them bewildered.
This imitation Yongle gilded bronze Buddha might have been counterfeit, but it cost thirty thousand real dollars. And now, barely a minute after its purchase, it was destroyed—was this so kind of frivolous waste of money?
Moreover, although the Buddha statue wasn’t genuine, it was solidly made of bronze. Yet this clean-cut young man shattered it with a single slap. The sheer force was terrifying...
Xin Hao, who had been preparing to continue mocking Tang Wenjun, was also stunned into silence.
What if Yan Xiaobao decided to slap him instead? That wouldn’t just be humiliating—it’d be utterly catastrophic...
Under the crowd’s perplexed gazes, Yan Xiaobao peeled away the fragnts of the bronze Buddha, revealing a brilliant golden light in his hands.
Was there treasure hidden inside this fake Buddha?
The onlookers were amazed once more and stared intently.
The objects glittering in Yan Xiaobao’s hands turned out to be a pile of shiny, newly-minted copper coins.
"Hah! I thought it’d be sothing valuable, but it’s just so copper coins." Xin Hao sneered sarcastically, "That bronze Buddha was worth at least tens of thousands, but these coins look fresh out of the mint. Would they even fetch a few bucks? Smashing the Buddha to retrieve copper coins—what a classic case of losing a waterlon to pick up a sesa seed."
The expressions of curiosity on the faces of the onlookers quickly faded and they returned to normal.
Among archaeological finds, copper coins are so of the most commonly unearthed items. Many ancient tombs contain piles of them as burial offerings.
Thus, in the world of antiques, copper coins tend to be among the least valuable. Truly valuable copper coins are exceedingly rare and would never appear in such large quantities.
Yan Xiaobao’s handful of copper coins numbered around sixty or seventy pieces. Their shiny new appearance made it clear they weren’t valuable antiques. Combined, they were even less valuable than the fake bronze Buddha they ca from.
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