However, Lei Lei's words made Liu Chuan roll his eyes. It wasn't enough that she betrayed her buddy like that; she also wanted to send him to the police station. This woman was even more ruthless than him.
“They were together. It was that woman who instructed that man to hit me. I can testify to that…”
A voice came from the crowd. Wang Kun took a few steps forward. He originally wanted to point at Liu Chuan and speak, but in the end, he was still a little scared and leaned closer to Deputy Director Zhao.
When Deputy Director Zhao saw Wang Kun step forward, he breathed a sigh of relief. With the person in charge present, things would be much easier for him.
"Wang Yigun, this girl is quite the feisty one, are you sure you can handle her?"
However, things did not develop as he expected. Just as Wang Kun stepped forward, the crowd began to discuss it. There were many local Nanjing jewelers in the exhibition hall, and everyone knew the name Wang Yigun. Even jewelers from other places had heard of him. Someone shouted the sentence above, which immediately caused a burst of laughter.
Liu Chuan overheard the murmurs behind him and realized what kind of person this guy was. Enraged, he stepped forward and slapped Wang Kun across the face, yelling, "You bastard, harassing women!"
Liu Chuan wasn't stupid. By uttering those words, he had already defined Wang Kun's behavior. However, Wang Kun felt truly wronged. He had done his fair share of harassing women, but this time he had only made a suggestive glance and was beaten by this unreasonable brute. He felt even more wronged than Dou E. At this moment, Wang Kun had already categorized himself as a civilized person.
Xu Wei, hiding in the crowd, shuddered as he looked at the five bright red finger marks on Wang Kun's face. He secretly rejoiced that he had shifted the blame, otherwise he would have been the one to get slapped.
"What's going on? Why are you all gathered here?"
A voice came from outside the crowd, and then a group of people walked in. The person in the middle was none other than the old man who had met Zhuang Rui and the others yesterday.
Chapter 131 Family Friendship (Part 1)
"It's old, nothing serious. A customer complained, I'll handle it."
When Deputy Director Zhao saw Gu Lao and his group approaching, he quickly went to greet them.
"Hey, Xiao Zhuang, what are you doing here? Others say they'll leave but don't come in, but you've already come in and haven't even come to see this old man. It's really making this old man angry."
Old Master Gu nodded to Deputy Director Zhao and immediately noticed the two young men standing in the middle of the crowd. They were the same two he had met yesterday. He was particularly impressed by Zhuang Rui. Someone who could make the famous "money-grubbing" lose face was enough for him to take seriously.
In the antique trade, seniority and lineage are important, but what's even more important is having genuine talent and expertise. Zhuang Rui's performance in the ceramic appraisal yesterday was something even I, an old man, felt ashamed of.
Seeing Gu Lao speak warmly to Zhuang Rui and even pat him on the shoulder—an attitude that seemed to treat him as an equal—everyone around was utterly astonished. Deputy Director Zhao's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, unable to believe what he was seeing.
In the domestic jewelry appraisal circle, Gu Lao is unparalleled. Jewelry that has been appraised by him has seen its value increase significantly. His disciples and grand-disciples are all over the world, and his reputation in the jewelry industry is unmatched. However, he is old and has a name registered with the Jade Association. Although he is not in charge of specific matters, his handwritten appraisal conclusions are more authoritative than the appraisal results of any jade appraisal institution in China.
"Sir, my friend is an exhibitor at this exhibition, and I came to help out."
Zhuang Rui felt a little embarrassed by Gu Lao's enthusiasm. He had seen Gu Lao sitting on the temporary stage outside when the trade fair opened, but he felt that he had only met Gu Lao once and did not go up to chat with him.
"Hmm, Xiao Zhuang, so these two young girls are the exhibitors who got the complaints? Deputy Director Zhao, what's going on?"
Gu Lao glanced at the crowd around him, then looked at Zhuang Rui and the others who were surrounded in the middle. He immediately understood what was going on and asked the person next to him.
"It's nothing, it's nothing. It's probably all a misunderstanding. Alright, alright, everyone, let's all go. There's nothing to see here."
Seeing how familiar Gu Lao and Zhuang Rui looked, Deputy Director Zhao didn't dare to cause any more trouble. He wasn't afraid of leaving the temporary organizing committee, but he was afraid of Gu Lao. If Gu Lao said anything in the jewelry appraisal industry, he could immediately destroy his livelihood.
"A misunderstanding? This guy harassed a woman and then falsely accused us. Your organizing committee didn't even investigate before shutting down our booth. You call this a misunderstanding? Deputy Director Zhao, can you explain this?"
Lei Lei was not having it. She had been so self-righteous when she was causing trouble, but now she was claiming it was a misunderstanding. It was too late!
"What exactly happened? Xiao Liu, come here for a moment."
Old Gu frowned. He wasn't familiar with this Director Zhao, so he pointed to someone he knew in the crowd and went over to ask him what was going on.
"Nonsense, pure nonsense! Just because someone only has two girls exhibiting, you think you can manipulate them like that? What is your organizing committee doing? Closing someone's booth without even investigating properly? How do you do your job?"
This man dared not hide anything from Gu Lao, so he described how Wang Kun had come to the organizing committee. Director Zhao's bias towards Wang Kun was also evident. He was just a staff member, and he naturally followed along when his superiors gave him instructions. However, this man also disliked Wang Kun very much, and in his words, he revealed Wang Kun's nickname and background.
Upon hearing the nickname "Wang Yigun," Gu Lao immediately understood what was going on and began to loudly reprimand Deputy Director Zhao. As for scum like Wang Kun, he simply couldn't be bothered to pay him any attention.
"Old Gu, this...this is all a misunderstanding. I will definitely investigate the matter when I get back and give you all an explanation."
Deputy Director Zhao was now sweating profusely. He hadn't expected that Old Gu would get so angry over these young people, showing him no mercy in front of everyone. It seemed he had underestimated the relationship between that young man and Old Gu.
“Old man, they started the fight. I didn’t do anything. It’s not fair of you to say that, old man.”
Wang Kun was indignant at this moment. He had just been slapped by Liu Chuan, which made him furious. In addition, although he had heard of Gu Lao’s reputation, he did not know much about him. Now, seeing Gu Lao acting like an old man and Deputy Director Zhao nodding like a chicken pecking at rice, he couldn’t help but shout that he was wronged.
"Whose kid are you?"
The old man gave Wang Kun a look of disgust and asked casually.
“The Jinling Royal Jewelry belongs to our family, and I am also an exhibitor at this exhibition. They beat me up for no reason. You can’t show favoritism, sir.”
Wang Kun puffed out his chest and announced his family's name. In his mind, Wang's Jewelry was a major player in Jinling, and he figured the old man would give him some face. Little did he know that because of his self-disclosure, Wang's Jewelry subsequently lost partnerships with many jade suppliers, struggling for a long time afterward. Only after figuring out what had happened did they manage to find a way to get help from Old Master Gu. But that's another story.
“Since you’re an exhibitor, there’s no question of you assaulting a customer. Besides, that guy wasn’t from this booth. You can call the police; don’t just stand around here. Director Zhao, will you only take him away if there are more onlookers?”
The old man's face was already quite pale. Upon hearing this, Deputy Director Zhao quickly led the organizing committee staff away. Wang Kun struggled to speak, but Deputy Director Zhao also pulled him away. He knew the old man's power; a single word from him could put Wang Kun's company in a supply shortage. If Wang Kun didn't know his place, he would inevitably bring trouble to his family.
Only Liu Chuan was very unhappy. Why was this old man just like Lei Lei? He was always trying to send people to the police station. Although he grew up there, he didn't like spending the night there.
"Alright, you guys go ahead and get busy. I'll stay here for a bit."
The old man spoke to the person accompanying him, leaving only the middle-aged man whom Zhuang Rui had met yesterday by his side.
“Young lady, the jewelry styles you have here don’t sell very well. Although these diamonds and jade are of a high quality, they are not the best. Most people can’t afford them, and those who really need them can’t get them. This won’t do.”
After dismissing everyone around him, Gu Lao carefully looked around Qin Xuanbing's booth, then sat down inside and shared his thoughts.
Qin Xuanbing brought a glass of water to Gu Lao and the middle-aged man behind him. Naturally, they didn't have the Da Hong Pao tea from Qian Yao Si's shop here. Then she said, "Gu Lao, our preparations for this exhibition were rather rushed, and many exhibits weren't ready. We do have top-quality jadeite and diamond jewelry in our Hong Kong shop, but we didn't have enough time. By the way, Gu Lao, I have a newly unearthed jadeite here. Could you give it a critique?"
When Zhuang Rui heard Qin Xuanbing's words, he was about to stop her when Qin Xuanbing took the glass-type jadeite out of her pocket. Ever since Zhuang Rui gave it to her, Qin Xuanbing had always carried it with her.
Over the years, Gu Lao has rarely appraised jewelry for merchants, for fear that his reputation would be stolen by some people. However, seeing that Qin Xuanbing had already taken out the jadeite while speaking, he couldn't refuse. After reaching out to borrow it, the middle-aged man behind him handed him a pair of reading glasses and an extremely exquisite small flashlight. After slowly putting on the glasses, the old man took the jadeite in his palm and looked at it.
"This jadeite has good quality, huh?"
Old Gu was initially somewhat nonchalant, casually making comments, but when he focused his attention on the jade, he immediately stopped talking, turned on the small flashlight emitting a strong light, and after about five or six minutes, he handed the jade back to Qin Xuanbing and asked, "Girl, which jewelry company does your family own in Hong Kong?"
Upon hearing that it was Qin's Jewelry from Hong Kong, a knowing look flashed in his eyes.
"Hehe, so you're the granddaughter of an old friend. I know your grandfather; he's a generation older than me. This piece of jadeite you have is of glassy quality, entirely green—it's an extremely rare imperial green. Your grandfather is quite comfortable letting you carry it with you like this?"
Qin Xuanbing glanced at Zhuang Rui and honestly replied, "This was given to me by Zhuang Rui. I didn't take it from home. Besides, all the jadeite of this quality at home has already been polished into finished products. We don't even have rough stones like this at home."
Qin Xuanbing's words revealed a hint of joy, indicating her extreme satisfaction with Zhuang Rui's gift.
Liu Chuan didn't understand the value of jadeite and didn't react much after hearing Qin Xuanbing's words. However, Lei Lei was different. Although the jadeite wasn't large, its value was at least five million. She didn't expect Zhuang Rui to be so generous and looked at Zhuang Rui in surprise.
"Not only is Brother Zhuang an expert in ceramics appraisal, but it seems he is also quite knowledgeable about jade."
When the old man heard that the jade was a gift from Zhuang Rui to Qin Xuanbing, he was quite surprised. He could tell that the jade had just been taken out of the stone not long ago and hadn't been polished much. It was obviously cut by Zhuang Rui himself, and the ability to cut the jade without damaging its surface was something that not everyone could do.
Chapter 132 Family Friendship (Part 2)
"Grandpa is joking. I don't know much about jade. The rough stone from which the jadeite was found was left to me by my grandfather. I cut it out by accident and that's when I discovered this piece of jadeite inside."
Zhuang Rui smiled bitterly. He could only bring up his deceased grandfather as an excuse. This feeling was really not good. He couldn't help but recount the story of his grandfather's diary again.
"So Mr. Zhuang was the young man's grandfather! When I was young, I once listened to his lectures on the theory of 'The Relationship Between Intense Hydrothermal Activity in Crustal Movement and Natural Jadeite,' which greatly inspired my later research on jadeite. In a way, I could be considered Mr. Zhuang's disciple. So many years have passed, and I didn't even know that my teacher had passed away..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui mention his grandfather's name, Grandpa Gu was taken aback and quickly stood up to show his respect for his teacher. From Grandpa Gu, Zhuang Rui learned that his grandfather was indeed a student of the great geologist Li Siguang. It turned out that the way Li Siguang was addressed in those letters wasn't merely out of respect, but rather reflected a genuine teacher-student relationship between them.
"Professor Zhuang's lectures are humorous and engaging. He has in-depth knowledge of the geology and landforms of Yunnan in my country, as well as Myanmar and Laos. It was after listening to Professor Zhuang's lectures that I first learned that beautiful jadeite is mined from stones. You could say that Professor Zhuang was my guide into the jade industry. Young Master Zhuang is truly remarkable. Just from his diary, he could discern the direction of the raw stone's texture and cut this piece of jadeite so perfectly. As expected, like father, like son. Professor Zhuang has a worthy successor."
Upon hearing news of his teacher from decades ago, Gu Lao was quite excited, and his words became somewhat incoherent. However, Qin Xuanbing and the others could see the deep respect Gu Lao held for Zhuang Rui's grandfather from his face.
"I didn't see the patterns or the ancient texture of the raw stone. I just cut it randomly, and it just happened to be cut along the edge of this jadeite. Then I polished it little by little with a grinding wheel. Please don't laugh at me."
Zhuang Rui said with a wry smile, "So this stone-cutting has made me a grandson of a military family." However, he dared not take credit for it. When it came to knowledge of antiques, he knew the least about jade. If he admitted it, he would probably reveal his ignorance after just a few words.
"By Teacher Zhuang's standards, we're practically family friends. I should call you nephew. Don't underestimate luck. Whether it's antiques or jade, in the process of treasure hunting, a discerning eye accounts for 20%, while luck accounts for 80%. Think about it, these objects that have been passed down for thousands of years, are they still sitting there waiting for you to find a bargain? Can you do it without good luck? Especially with jade, you should all know about gambling on stones. This stuff does require some experience, but experience only accounts for 20%. The remaining 80% depends on luck. A rough stone full of pine flower and python patterns might turn out to be a piece of garbage, while a stone that doesn't look impressive might turn out to be a top-quality piece with glassy texture. Plus, there's the string of dzi beads that the Living Buddha bestowed upon you. So, Nephew Zhuang, never underestimate the power of luck!"
Old Gu was very happy today and became very talkative, chatting with the group. What he said was all based on his experience. As for jade, jade that has already been mined can of course be analyzed and concluded based on experience or instruments. However, for jadeite rough, there is no instrument in the world that can detect whether there is jadeite inside without damaging its surface. It all depends on luck.
"Damn, you piece of junk, it's actually worth millions? You're so unreliable, you didn't even tell your buddies about something like this. I'm telling you, you really put in the effort to pick up girls."
Liu Chuan, after hearing the old man's exaggerated words, pulled Lei Lei aside and only then realized the true value of the jade. This slow-witted guy couldn't help but shout, making Zhuang Rui's face turn red and white in embarrassment.
"Liu Chuan, you good-for-nothing! Zhuang Rui can give away jade worth millions, what have you ever given me? I always pay for everything when we go to the supermarket, so what gives you the right to criticize Zhuang Rui?"
Before Zhuang Rui could answer, Liu Chuan's own backyard was already in turmoil, with Lei Lei roaring like a shrew. Liu Chuan repeatedly apologized, the shameless fellow patting his chest and insisting on offering himself up, which made everyone burst into laughter.
"If I had known that this tiny piece of broken rock could be worth millions, whether I would have given it to Qin Xuanbing or not is another matter."
Zhuang Rui was grumbling inwardly, but seeing Qin Xuanbing's touched expression, he knew he couldn't say it out loud. Zhuang Rui now understood that those stories of heroes rescuing beauties or spending lavishly on a beautiful woman were probably similar to his own—he was simply forced into it.
Looking at Qin Xuanbing, whose face was smiling and whose eyes were full of affection, Zhuang Rui suddenly remembered something and said to Old Master Gu, "Grandpa, I have another favor to ask of you..."
"Don't call me 'old man,' I can't accept that. Just call me 'uncle-master.' I've met your father before; he was a learned man, what a pity... Well, just tell me what you need, and I'll help you if I can."
Before Zhuang Rui could finish speaking, Gu Lao waved his hand to interrupt him. He could accept being called "Old Master" by others, but Zhuang Rui was only one generation younger than him. Although "Old Master" was an acceptable title, Gu Lao wanted to show respect for his teacher and asked Zhuang Rui to change his form of address.
"Uh, Uncle Gu... it's like this, I'm going back to Zhonghai in a little while. Judging from the look of that person, he's probably a local tyrant. I'm worried that after Da Chuan and I leave, Xuan Bing and the other girl will suffer. Uncle Gu, could you please keep an eye on them? With you here, I'm sure those petty scoundrels won't dare to cause trouble."
Zhuang Rui's words startled Gu Lao at first, then made him furious. He turned around and said to the middle-aged man behind him, "Go and investigate that kid's background. If he's also in the jade business, cut off their supply. Tell those jade merchants that I said not to supply this jewelry company."
At this moment, Gu Gu's authority as a superior was unmistakable, and he suddenly seemed unfamiliar to Zhuang Rui and the others, as if he had suddenly become a different person.
What they didn't know was that Gu Lao was not only highly skilled in jade appraisal, but also one of the specially appointed researchers of the Palace Museum. Every year, he would set aside time to classify some national treasure-level ancient jade and imperial seals from past dynasties. Moreover, he was also an expert in jade carving. Many high-ranking officials and nobles found Gu Lao's works extremely rare and he had made many connections with important figures.
The middle-aged man agreed and turned to leave. Poor Wang Kun's family company suffered a great blow for a long time, not knowing who they had offended. Afterwards, when they found out that it was Wang Yigun who had done this, Wang Kun's father almost broke Wang Kun's third leg.
"Alright, they won't dare to cause any more trouble. However, little girl from the Qin family, your jewelry exhibits are neither high-end nor low-end, and it will be difficult to sell them at this exhibition. How about this, I'll help you to the end and introduce you to a few clients so you can buy all your goods this time. As for the future, you'll have to rely on yourselves, and you're not allowed to use my name."
Although Gu Lao was confident that no one would cause trouble for this booth, Qin Xuanbing and her group had no connections and there was no point in them staying at the exhibition. Out of respect for Zhuang Rui, Gu Lao decided to help them out. After thinking for a moment, Gu Lao continued, "The exhibition lasts for ten days. Today is only the first day. After you have sold all your jewelry, you can transfer the booth. This will save you a lot of money."
Qin Xuanbing and Lei Lei were overjoyed upon hearing this. The two women had been thinking that they would definitely lose a lot of money at this trade fair. Although they didn't care about the money they spent on the exhibition, they were still somewhat frustrated that their first attempt at planning such a project had ended in failure. Now, Old Master Gu's words were like sending charcoal in snowy weather.
Old Gu waved his hand, indicating that the group didn't need to thank him. Then he stood up and said to them, "Take these pieces of jewelry with you and come with me. I'll introduce you to some clients, but remember, you're not allowed to use my name again."
Old Gu had a smile on his face as he spoke. Since he could introduce clients to Qin Xuanbing and the others, he naturally didn't care that they wouldn't need to use his name when contacting these clients in the future. Those people would still give him some face.
"Uncle-Master, I won't go with you. I still have to drive back to Zhonghai. When you have time to visit Zhonghai, I will definitely treat you well. Xuanbing, Leilei, see you in Zhonghai in a few days."
Zhuang Rui glanced at the time; it was already past 1 p.m. He was driving towards Zhonghai, and it would probably be dark by the time he arrived. Seeing that things had been resolved satisfactorily, he decided to take his leave.
"No rush. It only takes four or five hours to drive from Nanjing to Zhonghai. Why don't you come along? There are some Chaozhou customers at this exhibition who brought some raw jadeite from Myanmar. You're really lucky. Come and take a look; maybe you can give us a surprise."
The ancient saying stirred Zhuang Rui's heart. This was a rare opportunity. He had heard about gambling on stones many times, and today he was finally fortunate enough to see it for himself. Zhuang Rui immediately abandoned the idea of leaving.
The total value of the jewelry that Qin Xuanbing and her group exhibited this time was over ten million. After hearing Gu Lao's words, they put it into a safe, which was then carried by Liu Chuan and followed Gu Lao to a corner in the southeast of the exhibition hall.
This jade and jewelry exhibition is divided into four exhibition halls: A, B, C, and D. The area is very large. Qin Xuanbing's company's booth is in Hall A. Zhuang Rui and Liu Chuan have been extremely busy since yesterday and have no time to stroll around. It wasn't until they followed Gu Lao to Hall D that they realized there was more to it than met the eye.