797: Chapter 792 Small-leaf sandalwood?

She suddenly looked up at her father, then at the calm Shen Yan.

Her voice even changed pitch.

"The Jiajing copy?"

"Is it really the yongle encyclopedia?"

Ghost Eye Seven proudly picked up his teacup and took a loud sip.

"How about that? I told you your old man hasn't gone senile yet."

"Brother Shen was the one who let me have this."

Qi Wan took a deep breath, trying to calm her internal shock.

She knew the weight of this book all too well.

If it was authentic, it was absolutely a national treasure.

Even if it were just a fragment, the starting price at an auction would be at least seven figures.

And yet, the man before her had simply handed it over?

"Mr. Shen."

For the first time, Qi Wan looked directly at the man in the hoodie.

Her tone became more solemn.

"Do you know how much this book is worth?"

Shen Yan picked up his teacup and gently blew on the foam.

"A book like this is a priceless treasure to those who understand it, but just scrap paper to those who don't."

"To me, it's at most something to prop up a table leg."

"But in the hands of the Seventh Master, it can see the light of day again."

"That's enough."

Shen Yan set down his teacup, his gaze clear.

"Besides, I feel that a friend like the Seventh Master is worth more than this book."

Ghost Eye Seven was elated upon hearing this.

He slapped his thigh hard.

"Well said!"

"Splendid!"

"Brother Shen, for that alone, from now on in Jinghai's antique circles, as long as you mention Ghost Eye Seven's name, no one will dare cheat you!"

Shen Yan smiled.

His goal was achieved.

A book obtained through intelligence had secured a promise from Jinghai's underground antique emperor.

The return on investment for this deal would probably leave even the elites of Wall Street stunned.

"However..."

Ghost Eye Seven changed the subject, a hint of craftiness flashing in his shrewd eyes.

"Friends are friends, but business is business."

"Since Brother Shen has such a good eye, why not do me a favor?"

Shen Yan raised an eyebrow.

"Please speak, Seventh Master."

"I have a batch of 'raw goods' I just acquired that I haven't had time to inspect yet."

Ghost Eye Seven pointed to several uncut stones in the corner and a few tightly sealed wooden boxes.

"There's a mix of real and fake inside. My old eyes are failing me, and I'm afraid of making a mistake."

"How about we have a little contest?"

"If you win, you can pick any item from here to take with you."

"If you lose, you have to explain the secrets of your intuition to my daughter."

He was being tested.

Shen Yan glanced at the system interface.

Although today's daily intelligence was used up.

However...

[Ding!]

[Triggered Random Quest: Ghost Eye Seven's Test.]

[Quest Description: Gain Ghost Eye Seven's recognition in a treasure appraisal contest.]

[Quest Reward: Unlock "Advanced Treasure Appraisal Technique" (Elementary) and receive one piece of advanced wealth intelligence.]

The corners of Shen Yan's mouth curled up slightly.

The system wasn't just providing help in a time of need; it was practically spoon-feeding him.

"Since the Seventh Master is interested."

Shen Yan stood up and walked over to the pile of items still covered in dirt.

"Then I shall show my meager skills."

Youyou sat on the chair, swinging her little arms adorned with her new bracelet, watching her father's confident back.

Although she didn't understand what the adults were saying.

She felt that her father now was even cooler than when he was receiving awards on stage.

Just like Superman in the pictures.

He didn't need a cape to shine.

The so-called "raw goods" were haphazardly piled on an Eight Immortals table in the corner.

They looked like junk pulled out from under a bed during a New Year's cleaning.

There were several bronze Buddha statues with broken arms, a pile of mud-covered porcelain bowls, and a few damp, moldy scrolls.

The smell of stale dust in the air grew stronger.

Shen Yan was in no hurry to touch anything.

He stood before the table with his hands in his hoodie pockets, looking as relaxed as if he were browsing a supermarket's discount section.

He didn't rush to look through the mud-caked items.

His gaze, instead, fell on Ghost Eye Seven's face.

"What? Afraid to start?"

Ghost Eye Seven held his purple clay teapot, took a sip from the spout, and looked at him with half-closed eyes and a faint smile.

Qi Wan stood to the side, holding a clean white towel, her expression cold.

She was formally trained, focusing on dating, kilns, patina, and form.

Appraising antiques was about the antiques; what was the point of looking at people?

Shen Yan said nothing.

He suddenly reached out and picked up the brightly colored Famille Rose vase on top.

The peonies on the vase were gaudy, in reds and greens, reeking of nouveau riche taste.

The corner of Qi Wan's mouth twitched imperceptibly.

That was a craft item sold at street stalls for fifty yuan for three, meant to trick amateurs.

If Shen Yan chose that, then his "intuition" was nothing but a joke.

Shen Yan tapped the vase twice with his finger.

Dang, dang.

The sound was brittle and sharp, lacking that dull sense of history.

In that instant.

Shen Yan keenly captured a micro-expression on Ghost Eye Seven's face.

The old man's lips twitched downward—an extremely subtle, disdainful muscle movement.

It wasn't because Shen Yan had picked up a treasure, but because he had picked up trash.

Shen Yan casually set the large vase aside.

His movement was as casual as if he were tossing out trash.

Next, he picked up a bronze Buddha statue.

This time, Ghost Eye Seven's tea-drinking motion paused for half a second.

Just half a second.

But it didn't escape Shen Yan's eyes, which had been trained at business negotiation tables.

When people focus on something they care about, their pupils instinctively constrict and their breathing rate changes.

These are physiological instincts that even the most brilliant acting cannot hide.

This Buddha statue had potential, but it wasn't significant enough.

Shen Yan set down the Buddha statue.

His hand reached for a dark, grimy brush pot buried at the very bottom.

The brush pot was carved from wood and covered in a thick layer of grease and grime; it looked disgusting, like a rolling pin used in a kitchen for ten years.

The moment Shen Yan's fingertips touched the brush pot.

Ghost Eye Seven's knuckles turned white as he gripped the purple clay teapot.

He held his breath for an instant.

Although he immediately coughed to cover it up, that was enough for Shen Yan.

This was the so-called "judging the object by observing the person."

When any profession is mastered to its peak, the underlying logic is the same.

It's all psychological warfare.

Shen Yan pulled out the dark brush pot.

"This is the one."

He pulled a wet wipe from the table and slowly wiped away the grime from the surface of the brush pot.

Qi Wan frowned.

"This thing..."

She was about to say the wood looked like rotten wood and was worthless.

But as Shen Yan wiped, the black grime faded, revealing the purplish-red wood grain underneath.

It was like silk and satin, with a faint shimmer of golden specks.

A faint scent of dalbergia wood wafted out, instantly overpowering the musty smell in the room.

"Lobular Red Sandalwood?"

Qi Wan's voice changed slightly.

And judging by the thickness of the patina, it was at least a piece from the mid-Qing Dynasty.

"And it's carved from a single piece."