Having reached this conclusion, Zhuang Rui carefully examined the connection between the bottom and the body of the jar. Sure enough, in a place invisible to the naked eye, there was a gap as thin as a hair. Pure white special glue had connected these two objects separated by hundreds of years.
The white glue had a slight yellowish tint, almost identical in color to the jar. Even with a magnifying glass, it was difficult to distinguish. Zhuang Rui had overlooked it when he used his spiritual energy to examine it, but upon closer inspection, he could discern the difference between the glue and the porcelain.
"Damn, that's brilliant, truly brilliant."
Zhuang Rui felt a strange, inexplicable feeling welling up inside him, like Ge You in the movie "Endless" scaring Fu Biao with a plastic kitchen knife. This thing really could scare people.
It's important to know that when people look at porcelain, they usually look at it from several aspects. The first is the shape, and whether it was fired in a regular manner. The shape can be divided into handmade and machine-made. If the object is machine-made, then there's no need to look any further; it's definitely no more than 100 years old.
Some friends may not understand what machine-made porcelain is. Machine-made porcelain refers to the advanced porcelain-making machines that were introduced from abroad in the late Qing Dynasty. The traditional hand-made porcelain-making process of Jingdezhen craftsmen began to gradually disappear from the stage from that time. To give an example that everyone can understand, the plates, bowls and spoons we use at home now are all machine-made.
Almost all old porcelain pieces, especially those from the former imperial kilns, were made from clay ox-head porcelain, hand-pulled, and then pieced together in eight sections after reaching a height of 45 centimeters before being fired. The process was complex, and experienced porcelain appraisal experts could easily distinguish between handmade and machine-made pieces.
This is quite important. If you can't even see this, then I advise you to stay away from this porcelain.
Of course. There were still many handmade porcelain items during the Republic of China era, but machines were already quite common then. You should know that it only takes 17 minutes to make a porcelain bowl, while in the past, it would take a full 4 days to make the same bowl by hand.
The second thing to look at when making porcelain is the firing process. Modern porcelain firing is divided into two types: firewood and gas. If it is fired with gas, then I'm sorry, the time is generally no later than 1967.
There's a story behind this that most people don't know. Before and after liberation, Jingdezhen used firewood to fire porcelain. It wasn't until 1967, when the State Council issued a strict order, that the method of firing porcelain with firewood, which had been used for thousands of years, was changed to using gas.
How do you tell? That requires experience. Master craftsmen in Jingdezhen can tell whether it's from gas or firewood just by looking at it.
If the object is both handmade and fired over a wood fire, then the next step is to check the mark on the bottom. If the mark is genuine, and combined with the characteristics of the porcelain body, glaze, and other aspects, the authenticity of the porcelain can be preliminarily determined.
However, experts know these authentication methods, and those who manufacture counterfeits are also very familiar with them. So they came up with this idea: I make the shape by hand, fire it with firewood, and put a real base on it. Combining these three things often makes even seasoned experts stumble.
When Uncle De was talking to Zhuang Rui about porcelain, he mentioned that he had been burned by it before. Zhuang Rui didn't expect to see such an item in the black market. However, this blue and white porcelain jar is perfect in every aspect. Even the organizers of the black market probably don't know if it's real or fake.
After setting down the authentic blue and white porcelain jar, Zhuang Rui silently returned to the sofa, sighing inwardly. Seeing is believing; if he hadn't participated in this black market, he would never have witnessed such sophisticated forgery techniques.
As for the two bronze Buddha statues, Zhuang Rui also glanced at them with his spiritual energy. They were utterly worthless, probably made in some craft factory with a bit of copper rust on them, just to fool this bunch of half-baked collectors.
Just as everyone had finished looking at the three items, Ma Qiang was about to call out a price when there was a knock on the door. The people inside immediately tensed up. Although participating in the black market was not illegal, being caught red-handed was never a good look.
Chapter 355 Black Market Auction (4)
A hint of nervousness appeared on Ma Qiang's face. Not many people knew that a black market auction was being held here today. Apart from him and his henchmen, only the boss behind the scenes knew the exact address. Moreover, a "Do Not Disturb" sign had been hung outside the door. According to the service standards of a five-star hotel, it was impossible for a waiter to come knocking on the door.
"Brother Ma, what should we do?"
Squid and the others were also anxious, all looking at Ma Qiang. They knew that if the police raided their place, not only would all their belongings be confiscated, but they would also have to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival in the detention center, watching the moon through the window. They still wanted to eat mooncakes? They could dream about it while they were asleep.
The room was silent, but the knocking on the door stopped. "Are they about to break in?"
The same thought popped into everyone's mind: that's how it's always portrayed on TV.
"A Lin Daiyu fell from the sky..."
Suddenly, a famous Yue Opera excerpt, "A Lin Daiyu Fell From the Sky," rang out in the room, startling everyone present.
"Who? Who left their phone on?"
Ma Qiang's face instantly turned somewhat ferocious. In his mind, the person knocking on the door was most likely a policeman, and the person who leaked the information must be in this room. Ma Qiang's idea was correct; there was indeed a policeman in the room, but Miao Feifei had been very well-behaved today and hadn't done anything.
"Brother Ma, isn't that your ringtone?"
Squid's reminder startled Ma Qiang. He took out his phone and saw that the Lin Daiyu singing voice had indeed come from his phone.
Upon seeing the caller ID on his phone, Ma Qiang's tense expression eased slightly. Without trying to hide it from the crowd, he immediately pressed the answer button and said respectfully, "Boss, this is Ma Qiang. I have something I'd like to report to you..."
Without knowing what the person on the other end of the phone said, Ma Qiang let out a long sigh, mumbled an agreement, and hung up the phone, but the tense look on his face had completely disappeared.
"Friends, I'm so sorry, a distinguished guest has suddenly arrived to attend this auction. I apologize for the inconvenience and ask you to wait a moment..."
Hearing Ma Qiang's words, everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. It was good it wasn't the police. Officer Miao also relaxed; she had initially thought it was some district office malfunction leading to an arrest. After all, Beijing is a big city, and such things weren't uncommon.
The auction of the three items on the table was interrupted briefly as the auctioneer went to open the door. Those who hadn't been able to get a good look earlier took the opportunity to gather around the table again to observe. Two of the owners were already eager to participate, clearly very interested in the three items.
"Boss, what brings you here?"
When Ma Qiang opened the door, he was surprised to find the boss, who never usually came to auctions, standing outside. This surprised him because when he answered the phone earlier, the boss had only told him to open the door and hadn't mentioned that he was there too.
"Yes, the auction has just started, right? I'll accompany Mr. Ouyang to take a look. You don't need to worry about us."
The squid shop owner was probably in his forties, of medium height. He had fair skin, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and looked very refined. If you met him outside, most people would only categorize him as a school teacher, and would never guess that he was the biggest black market boss in the capital.
Standing next to that man were a man and a woman, both in their thirties. The woman was wearing sunglasses that almost covered half of her face, so Ma Qiang couldn't see her face clearly. But judging from her height of over 1.7 meters and her curvaceous figure, she was a stunning beauty.
"Boss, Mr. Ouyang, please come in..."
Ma Qiang turned sideways to let the three of them in, then peeked out from the doorway and locked the door shut.
"Tao Shan, I'm sorry to have troubled you..."
"Mr. Ouyang, what are you saying? This is nothing. If you need anything in the future, just let me know and I'll find it for you..."
Ma Qiang's boss was very polite to Mr. Ouyang beside him, his tone full of flattery, which made Ma Qiang, who was following behind, dumbfounded. He knew that his boss had connections everywhere and that people in both the underworld and the legitimate world in Beijing had to give him some face. In Ma Qiang's eyes, Boss Tao was a top figure. He never expected that he would be so reserved in front of this person.
"Damn. Why is he here?"
Ma Qiang wasn't the only one dumbfounded by the conversation between Tao Shan and the other man. Zhuang Rui and Miao Feifei, who were sitting on the sofa, were also startled because they recognized that the Mr. Ouyang who was speaking was Zhuang Rui's cousin, Ouyang Jun.
Zhuang Rui glanced back and saw not only Ouyang Jun, but also the famous Xu was following behind. He couldn't help but secretly groan. Ouyang Jun used to call Miao Feifei "Little Miao," but lately he often started calling her "Officer Miao." If he said it out loud now, Zhuang Rui would lose all face in Beijing's antique circles.
"Mr. Ouyang, please have a seat here..."
Those who had been observing the objects at the table sat back down. Tao Shan entered the room and saw that only Zhuang Rui's three-seater sofa was empty. He greeted Ouyang Jun.
"Hey, that woman looks familiar?"
"Tch, you don't even know her? She's a big star!"
"Yes, yes, I remember now, they often act in movies and TV series..."
After Xu Qing entered the room, she took off her sunglasses, immediately causing a stir among the people in the hall. The fame of this big star Xu was incomparable to that of the model and star Zhang Qi from before. Their status in the entertainment industry was as far apart as the difference between the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City.
Although the famous Xu Qing was dressed very conservatively, with only her neck, face, and hands exposed, the rest of her body was completely covered by her clothes. However, the charm that Xu Qing exuded as she walked immediately attracted all the males in the room, stealing the spotlight from Miao Feifei and Zhang Qi.
"Fourth Brother. What are you doing here? Sister-in-law, you two really have a lot of free time..."
Seeing that he couldn't avoid it any longer, Zhuang Rui simply stood up and greeted Ouyang Jun, who was walking towards him. He never expected that this couple would not be busy with their wedding preparations but would come here to join in the fun. Speaking of which, it was the Mid-Autumn Festival today, and his uncle was not keeping a close eye on him. Zhuang Rui was full of complaints.
"Wu...Wu'er? Hey, what are you doing here? Oh, and there's Miao too..."
"Fourth Brother, I'm just a collector, why can't I come? I brought Miao Feifei along to show her around. But what are you two doing here?"
When Zhuang Rui saw that Ouyang Jun had seen Miao Feifei, he quickly interrupted him before he could say anything. If Ouyang Jun were to call out "Officer Miao," Zhuang Rui really wouldn't know how to handle the situation.
"Nonsense, I'm here to find a few things, you don't know my new house is empty."
When Ouyang Jun saw Zhuang Rui here, he felt a little embarrassed. He had seen Zhuang Rui's house that day and was very envious of the antique furniture and decorations in the central courtyard. So he had been looking for some ceramics, calligraphy and paintings to put in his new house first. When he had a courtyard house just like Zhuang Rui's, he would put them in the courtyard house.
A few days ago, Tao Shan mentioned that he had a batch of goods and wanted to give them to Ouyang Jun for his opinion. Ouyang Jun understood what Tao Shan meant; he wanted to curry favor with him. However, he didn't want to owe Tao Shan a favor, so he declined.
Originally, Ouyang Jun was going to pick up his second uncle today, but after driving out, he learned that his second uncle was going to arrive with his eldest uncle that evening. He didn't want to go back to Yuquan Mountain to see the old man. So he simply called Tao Shan and asked him to come and check out this black market for antiques. Ouyang Jun didn't expect to run into Zhuang Rui and the Miao girl there.
"Alright, sit down, don't delay the auction."
Zhuang Rui pulled Ouyang Jun to sit next to him, unaware that his action had left the two people next to him staring wide-eyed.
Besides Zhuang Rui and others, Tao Shan was probably the one who knew Ouyang Jun best in this hall. He was a typical third-generation red, and his fathers all held important positions.
Putting everything else aside, even at Ouyang Jun's own club, Tao Shan only holds a platinum card and can only hang out in Building 2. He's not qualified to enter the innermost circle. You know, people in that circle don't need to get a card at all.
Tao Shan once witnessed such an incident at a club. The son of a leader from a sub-provincial city in another province was brought to Ouyang Jun's club. The young man was new to Beijing and a bit arrogant. He not only spoke wildly but also touched the girls there inappropriately.
When the news reached Ouyang Jun's ears, the man was stripped naked by Ouyang Jun's men and kicked out of the club wearing only his shorts. In the dead of winter, the son of an official was forced to run barefoot for more than 20 miles before finally returning to Beijing. From then on, everyone who felt they had any face wanted to visit Ouyang Jun's club, but no one dared to cause trouble there anymore.
So, although Tao Shan had some connections, he always held Ouyang Jun in high esteem. When he saw Zhuang Rui speaking to him so casually and subtly criticizing him for coming to such a place, Tao Shan was dumbfounded.
However, Boss Tao was a seasoned veteran of the underworld, and he immediately understood, saying, "Mr. Ouyang, since you have acquaintances here, please sit down. Ma Qiang, bring some tea!"
Although Tao Shan was very curious about Zhuang Rui's identity, he could only suppress his curiosity for the moment. After instructing Ma Qiang to serve tea, Tao Shan looked around and said to Yang Bo, who was sitting not far from Zhuang Rui, "Sir, could you please move over?"
Chapter 356 Black Market Auction (5)
In principle, all who come are guests. Tao Shan is the owner of this black market, so it's a bit impolite of him to speak like this. However, Yang Bo's position is closest to Ouyang Jun, so he can speak to him. Therefore, Tao Shan wanted the young man to give up his seat.
Yang Bo was somewhat unwilling, and his face was rather unpleasant. However, this was someone else's territory, so he could only endure it. As he stood up, Yang Bo suddenly said to Ouyang Jun, "You...you are the fourth brother of the West Suburbs Club, right?"
"Huh? You know me?"
Ouyang Jun, who was talking to Zhuang Rui, paused for a moment, looked up at the young man in front of him, and realized that he did not recognize him. Ouyang Jun was not interested in finding out who this person was, so he nodded and continued to chat with Zhuang Rui.
Yang Bo, however, didn't care about Ouyang Jun's attitude and excitedly said, "Hey, Fourth Brother, I'm Xiao Bo, who often goes to Building 3. I even greeted you last time..."
"Oh, it's you. Come visit sometime sometime..."
Ouyang Jun said politely, but he was getting a little impatient. Anyone with money could go to Building 3, so how could he possibly remember who he had greeted? As the owner of the club, Ouyang Jun would occasionally wander around the other two buildings, but he had absolutely no recollection of this young man in front of him.
Upon hearing Ouyang Jun's polite words, Yang Bo immediately pulled Zhang Qi to sit down on the sofa. He was incredibly excited. The person his mother, who ran a restaurant, had asked for was this legendary, influential figure, and he never expected to actually meet him here.
"Luckily, I didn't offend that guy surnamed Zhuang."
After sitting down, Yang Bo secretly rejoiced. Judging from the familiar way Teacher Zhuang and Ouyang Jun were acting, even a fool would know that their relationship was very special. If he had said something inappropriate just now, they could have crushed him like an ant with a single finger. Thinking of this, Yang Bo couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
"Damn, Beijing is a deep place. Such an inconspicuous person is actually a big shot."
After having the idea of keeping a low profile, Yang Bo was now thinking about how to befriend Ouyang Jun and Zhuang Rui. The word "befriend" might be a bit inappropriate, as others didn't care about beingfriending him. But it was true that he wanted to make a better impression on those two.
"Brother Yang, who is that person? He's with Xu Qing..."
Zhang Qi was incredibly curious. Before coming, Yang Bo had told her that the person running this black market was a big shot. She hadn't expected that the person who arrived earlier would have this so-called big shot fawning over him, and that the famous actress Xu, who had never had any scandals, was constantly holding that man's arm. Just who was that man?
Zhang Qi is also a relatively new actress and not yet qualified to go to Ouyang Jun's West Suburbs Club, otherwise she wouldn't have asked that question.
"That's a real big shot. There's nothing he can't do in Beijing. I'll take you to the West Suburbs Club later, and you'll see..."
Yang Bo lowered his voice, his excitement barely concealed. If his phone hadn't been turned off, he would have called his mother right now. To be honest, he didn't really understand Ouyang Jun's background; he was just repeating what others said. Even Ouyang Jun didn't know that he had become a legend.
"Old Ma, can we start now? Everyone's busy today, so let's hurry up and get the good stuff out, then we'll be done shooting."
Ouyang Jun's arrival took a while, and the other bosses were getting impatient. So what if he's a black market boss? We're a boss who's preparing for an IPO, and we're just as rich as you. We don't need to put up with your attitude.
"I'm so sorry, everyone. The boss just said that all the items auctioned today will be discounted by 10% from the final price, as an apology to you all."
Zhuang Rui found Ma Qiang's words amusing. This black market was really interesting; they all used the same trick. However, this Boss Tao was clearly more generous than the one in the grassland black market, offering a 5% discount.
After hearing Ma Qiang's words, the expressions of the people in the hall softened. They had felt slighted and embarrassed, but his words had given them both face and substance, so what else was there to say?