However, he was still a little skeptical. Chen Sanyan was a veteran in the antique business, having been in it for decades. His eye for quality, skills, and experience were unmatched by ordinary people. He couldn't believe Zhou Xuan's bluntness.
In today's society, people only care about their own interests. Even close brothers have to keep clear accounts, let alone complete strangers. What Zhou Xuan said seemed to him like a trap. The higher the value of the item, the deeper the trap.
Chen Sanyan also admired Zhou Xuan. He hadn't boasted; with just a few words, he had won Chen Sanyan over. If Zhou Xuan had truly ensnared him, Chen Sanyan would have to admit defeat. Zhou Xuan had mastered deception to its highest level—simple yet incredibly effective.
The person Chen Guang invited arrived about six or seven minutes later. After entering Jing Shi Zhai's shop, Zhou Xuan recognized him at a glance; he knew the person too.
The person Chen Sanyan hired was indeed an expert. The first time Zhou Xuan met Wei Haihong was at Wei Haihong's villa. After the auction by two friends who were tomb raiders from Henan, he took out the gold coin, and it was this person who was looking at it.
This man, surnamed Yang, is in his fifties and specializes in buying and selling cultural relics in the international market. He has a deep understanding of antiques and cultural relics from both China and abroad. He worked in the antique business in China when he was young, and after turning twenty, he moved to London with his relatives and started working in antique auctions.
When Mr. Yang arrived, Chen Sanyan quickly got up to greet him. Mr. Yang had returned to China the previous year and traveled back and forth between the south and Hong Kong, specializing in the trade of antiques.
As soon as Mr. Yang sat down, he asked, "I heard you have something you want me to see. Then don't hold back anymore. You're always eating and drinking, but if you have something good, I won't be in the mood for eating, drinking, and having fun, haha."
Chen San smiled and handed him the gold coin. Mr. Yang took it, held it in his hand, and carefully examined both sides. After a while, his eyes lit up with excitement. After looking at it more closely, he was certain.
"Old Chen, where did you find these gold coins? To be honest, I've been here for so long and haven't seen a single thing of real value. I never expected to find them here."
Chen Sanyan and Uncle Liu both trembled. Could Zhou Xuan be telling the truth? Are there really such honest people these days? Besides, if he knew the real value was four million, why did he only ask for three million?
These are all things that inevitably raise suspicion. Besides, who among us isn't deceiving and scheming these days?
Chen Sanyan hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Mr. Yang, this gold coin is genuine gold, that goes without saying. The patina is also genuine, I can recognize that. It's just that these are foreign items, and Chinese and Western cultures are different, so I can't really do anything about it..."
Before he could finish speaking, Mr. Yang waved his hand and said, "I know what you mean. Let me put it this way: this thing is definitely genuine. It was minted by King Cohenwolf, one of the seven kingdoms of England during the Middle Ages. The mintage was extremely small. The obverse of the coin features Cohenwolf's portrait, and the reverse features his English name. As far as I know, only one of these coins exists in the world today, and it came from the London Stock Exchange. That's why the coin is engraved with the words 'London Stock Exchange.' Later, the British Museum bought it back for a staggering £350,000. There are very few artifacts of this kind in England to begin with, and the British Museum considers it a national treasure..."
After saying that, he glanced at Chen San again and said, "This gold coin of yours is definitely not the one in the London Museum, because it doesn't have the words 'from the London Stock Exchange,' so it's a newly discovered gold coin, and it's definitely a Cohen-Wolf gold coin, there's no doubt about that."
Chen San stared blankly for a moment, then looked at Zhou Xuan and asked, "Then... what is the value of this gold coin...?"
Mr. Yang tilted his head and thought for a moment, then said to Chen Sanyan, "Old Chen, we've known each other for many years. To be honest, the highest real value of this gold coin is no more than five million. The normal trading price is between four and five million. However, it might be a little lower in China. If it were auctioned in the UK, this gold coin might fetch more than five million. Old Chen, are you interested in selling it to me?"
Mr. Yang stared at Chen Sanyan expectantly, holding up one finger to indicate, "I'll give you five million, that's the highest price. If I take it to England and make a fuss about it, I'll make a little more. But I don't want to sell it. It's something that the British Museum considers a national treasure. It's something I'm very proud of to own privately. Five million isn't difficult for me. What do you think, Mr. Chen?"
Chen San glanced at Zhou Xuan, his mouth slightly open but no words spoken. What this young man said was completely true, yet he couldn't believe it.
After thinking for a moment and hesitating, Chen Sanyan said with a wry smile, "Brother Yang, to be honest with you, these gold coins don't belong to me, they belong to this person..."
Chen Sanyan pointed at Zhou Xuan and said, "The gold coins belong to this gentleman. I don't even know his name. If Brother Yang is interested, he can talk to him directly. I won't interfere."
Zhou Xuan gave Chen Sanyan a deep look. This old Chen, although a shrewd businessman, had one redeeming quality: he was honest and straightforward. It was a good thing he hadn't made a bad friend of Chen Sanyan before.
Without hesitation, Zhou Xuan said, "Mr. Yang, let me introduce myself. My name is Zhou Xuan, and I'm just a country bumpkin. You don't need to ask me about my background or anything. I'll be frank: I've already spoken to Mr. Chen about selling this gold coin for three million. If Mr. Yang wants it, no matter how much you're willing to pay, please negotiate with Mr. Chen."
Zhou Xuan's words surprised both Chen Sanyan and Mr. Yang.
Zhou Xuan was clearly there to sell this gold coin. Logically, he wanted money, but he could have gotten an extra two million and sold it for five million. So why did Zhou Xuan insist on giving it to Chen Sanyan? Why give him two million for free?
Chen Sanyan was utterly baffled. Who would refuse money offered for free? Why would someone offer him two million less? Besides, this wasn't just two hundred yuan, it was a full two million! For an ordinary person, that's enough for a lifetime. Why wouldn't he take it?
Chen Sanyan recalled what Zhou Xuan had just told him, and realized he was being honest. This young man really did have a special quality.
Even Mr. Yang thought Zhou Xuan was very interesting and special.
Chen Sanyan found it hard to understand. At the beginning, Zhou Xuan had made it clear that he wanted to exchange money, and he had guessed what kind of person Zhou Xuan was, but now it had been completely overturned.
“Well… I think it’s better for Mr. Zhou to talk to Mr. Yang himself. I really won’t interfere.” Chen Sanyan tried his best to stop himself from doing so and once again persuaded Zhou Xuan to make a deal with Mr. Yang.
Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "Mr. Chen, I really enjoy being friends with you. If you consider me a friend, let's just say this is a collaboration between us."
Chen Sanyan stroked his chin and realized that he was starting to like this young man named Zhou Xuan. It wasn't because he insisted on giving him the money, but because he liked Zhou Xuan's persistence and straightforwardness, and even more so because of his honesty.
Mr. Yang smiled and said, "Alright, I'll settle this. Zhou Xuan may be young, but he's very individualistic and steady. My price of five million will remain the same, and Old Chen will only take one million as a referral fee. What do you think, Mr. Zhou?"
Zhou Xuan chuckled and said, "Mr. Chen, what is Mr. Yang's opinion?"
Seeing that Zhou Xuan was genuine and not faking it, Chen San smiled wryly and said, "Mr. Zhou, to be honest, I've never met a young man like you before. Which businessman doesn't like money? Hehe, since Mr. Zhou is so persistent, then I'll humbly accept your offer."
“Alright, I’ll strike while the iron is hot,” Mr. Yang said with a smile. “Let’s get the deal done.” After saying that, he took out his checkbook from his pocket and signed a check for four million and a check for one million.
Mr. Yang pushed the check in front of Chen Sanyan and Zhou Xuan and said, "The check can be cashed within 24 hours, so I'll leave this gold coin with Old Chen. I'll take it back after the check is cashed tomorrow. Is that alright, Mr. Zhou?"
Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "No need. Mr. Yang is free to take the gold coins. I have complete faith in Mr. Yang."
In the previous experience, Mr. Yang was a friend of Wei Haihong. In business, he might try to lower prices, but he would never make empty promises to ruin his reputation. That was certain. Besides, he was no longer the naive country boy Zhou Xuan he used to be.
Seeing Mr. Yang's smile, Zhou Xuan suddenly had a thought, remembering something. However, he hesitated for a moment before asking tentatively, "Mr. Yang, I know you have extensive experience in the collecting industry and a deep understanding of antique cultures from various countries. I've seen a lot, so... I'd like to ask you something, but I don't know..."
Mr. Yang immediately smiled and said, "Mr. Zhou, although you are much younger than me, I certainly don't treat you like a child. Just ask me any questions you have, and I'll tell you as long as I can answer them and know the answer."
Zhou Xuan glanced at Wei Xiaoyu beside him before opening his backpack and taking out the Nine Dragon Cauldron. This thing was too strange. He could understand things like the Golden Stone, which were objects from outer space, but the Nine Dragon Cauldron was definitely not just an object from outer space or a piece of advanced technology from Earth. This thing could not have been generated automatically; it must have been manufactured. However, his ice energy could not detect it, and he did not know what other functions it might have.
Zhou Xuan placed the Nine Dragons Cauldron on the coffee table, bit his lip, and then said, "I would like to ask you all to take a look at this thing. What is the origin of this Nine Dragons Cauldron? Do you recognize it?"
Uncle Liu first took it in his hands and examined it closely, turning it over and over to look at it. He pondered for a moment and said, "This cauldron... its shape is very strange. It's not like any other cauldron in shape. Moreover, the patterns and craftsmanship make it unlikely to be an antique. The material is also very strange. It doesn't resemble any metal, but it's not plastic or wood either. It's really strange. If you say it's metal, it doesn't have the weight of metal. However, I guess it might be a modern craft item."
Chen Sanyan's expertise in appraising antiques was slightly superior to Uncle Liu's, but only in certain areas, such as bronzes. He carefully examined the Nine Dragon Cauldron, analyzing its weight and patterns, but ultimately shook his head, pondering, "Uncle Liu said this thing looks like a modern artifact, but I find it strange. It's just a strange feeling, I can't quite put my finger on why. To be honest, I can't really appraise this thing."
After saying that, he handed the Nine Dragons Cauldron to Mr. Yang, shaking his head as he did so.
Mr. Yang had already been paying attention to it while Chen Sanyan and Uncle Liu were looking at it. Now that he had it in his own hands, his expression became even more serious. He frowned as he looked at it, but the more he looked, the more surprised he became. In the end, even his hands began to tremble.
After a long while of surprise and doubt, Mr. Yang finally asked Zhou Xuan, "Young Mr. Zhou, how...how did you obtain this small cauldron?"
When Mr. Yang asked this question, his face looked very abnormal and his voice was trembling.
Chen Sanyan and Uncle Liu both felt that Mr. Yang's expression was abnormal, while Zhou Xuan and Wei Xiaoyu were even more surprised. Could it be that Mr. Yang actually recognized the Nine Dragon Cauldron?