798: Chapter 793 Are you trying to humiliate me?

Shen Yan placed the cleaned brush pot onto the table with a dull 'thud'.

The sound was heavy and steady.

"Seventh Master, this thing was hidden quite deep."

Ghost Eye Seven set down his purple clay teapot.

The casual air on his face had vanished.

In its place was a solemnity one feels when encountering an equal.

"How did you see through it?"

"When I first collected this item, even I almost misjudged it and burned it as firewood."

"You didn't even lay a hand on it; how could you pick it out from across a pile of junk?"

Shen Yan smiled.

Naturally, he wouldn't say it was because the old man had been so nervous just now that he nearly crushed his teapot.

"I told you, intuition."

"Some things speak for themselves."

[Ding!]

[The Host has passed the preliminary test through psychological maneuvering and earned the recognition of Ghost Eye Seven.]

[Mission rewards issued: Advanced Treasure Appraisal (Beginner) has been loaded.]

In his mind, the system's cold notification sounded.

Like an electric current flowing through his entire body, Shen Yan felt the world before him suddenly become clear.

A massive stream of information regarding antique knowledge, data, and historical periods flooded into his mind.

If he was a master of psychology relying on observation just a moment ago...

...then now, he was a human-shaped precision scanner.

Shen Yan's gaze swept over the pile of 'junk' once more.

This time, it was no longer a vague guess.

Above every item, a line of data code that only he could see seemed to float.

[Late Qing Dynasty Folk Kiln Blue and White Bowl, defective, value: 5 Yuan.]

[Modern Imitation xuande censer, crude aging process, value: 12 Yuan.]

[Republic of China Calendar Poster Draft, authentic, medium condition, value: 300 Yuan.]

...

In his eyes, the world had become an ocean of data.

This feeling was incredibly exhilarating.

It was like playing Monopoly with a God's-eye view, where every step landed on a scoring point.

"Shall we continue?"

Shen Yan looked up, his eyes now holding a calm dominance.

It was the confidence of having complete control over the situation.

"Continue!"

Ghost Eye Seven's competitive spirit was also ignited.

He pulled three brocade boxes out from the safe beneath the counter.

"That was just an appetizer; this is the main course."

"Among these three boxes, only one contains the real thing."

"If you can pick it out, you can take anything in this Treasure Gathering Studio—except for my daughter!"

Qi Wan's face flushed red as she shot her father a reproachful glare.

But at this moment, no one was paying attention to her.

The three brocade boxes were lined up and opened.

The first was a piece of warm white jade pendant with exquisite carving.

The second was a seal with translucent stone quality.

The third was a string of court beads, each one full and round.

Qi Wan held her breath.

In this round, even for her, it would be difficult to distinguish the real from the fake in a short time without professional instruments.

These three items were all high-quality official imitations from back in the day, enough to pass for the real thing.

Shen Yan didn't move at all.

His gaze simply swept over the three boxes once.

The system's data stream provided the answer instantly.

[Modern Hetian Mountain Jade imitating Seed Jade, high polish, fake.]

[Qing Dynasty Shoushan Stone Seal, later inscription, half-real, half-fake.]

[Qing Dynasty Qianlong Agarwood Court Beads, from the Imperial Household Department, missing one Buddha head bead, value: extremely high.]

Shen Yan reached out directly.

Without any hesitation, without any testing.

He went straight for the string of court beads in the third box.

"This one."

His movement was so fast that Ghost Eye Seven didn't even have time to react.

"You... aren't going to look closer?"

Ghost Eye Seven was a bit dazed.

Even for an expert, or even if an old specialist from the Forbidden City came, they would have to handle it, smell it, and use a magnifying glass to check the drill holes, right?

This kid wasn't even this reckless when buying cabbage.

"No need to look."

Shen Yan held the court beads in his hand and gently rubbed one of them.

A warm sensation came from his fingertips.

"The oiliness of agarwood can be smelled from three meters away."

"And..."

Shen Yan pointed to a small hole on the bead.

"This drilling technique is double-sided entry, leaving a step in the middle—a typical craftsmanship of the Qing Dynasty Imperial Household Department."

"Modern machine drilling goes straight through; it doesn't have such attention to detail."

These words were so professional they were terrifying.

He didn't seem at all like the reckless youth who had just relied on 'intuition' to guess.

Qi Wan's eyes widened.

She walked over quickly, took out a portable magnifying glass, and looked closely at the drill hole Shen Yan had pointed out.

A few seconds later...

She looked up, and the way she looked at Shen Yan had completely changed.

It was as if she were looking at a monster.

"Everything is correct."

"Not a hair off."

The room fell into a dead silence.

Only the crisp clinking of the colored glass beads swaying on her wrist could be heard.

Ghost Eye Seven slumped back into his armchair.

He had lost.

He had lost completely.

From psychological maneuvering to professional knowledge, he had been crushed in every aspect by this young man.

The key was that this kid was too young.

And that nonchalant attitude made it seem as if he hadn't just appraised a priceless antique, but a bunch of scallions at the market.

"The younger generation is to be feared..."

Ghost Eye Seven let out a long sigh, appearing ten years older yet also as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"I lost."

"I accept my defeat."

With a wide sweep of his hand, he pointed to the room full of treasures.

"Pick one."

"Whatever catches your eye, take it."

This was a promise, and it was a heavy amount of wealth.

Any single item here would be enough for an ordinary person to live on for a lifetime.

Qi Wan also watched Shen Yan nervously.

The Yuan Dynasty Blue and White Jar on the highest shelf of the curio cabinet was the treasure of the shop.

If he chose that...

Shen Yan stood up.

His gaze swept over the dazzling array of antiques.

Finally, it stopped on an inconspicuous shelf in the corner.

There sat a wooden puzzle box.

It appeared to be made of wood and had some years on it; it was an ancient luban lock.

"I'll take this one."

Shen Yan walked over and picked up the luban lock.

"It'll make a perfect toy for Youyou."

Ghost Eye Seven was stunned.

Qi Wan was also stunned.

That was a small trinket from the late Qing or early Republic era; though well-crafted, it was only worth a few thousand yuan.

He was passing up a Yuan Blue and White jar worth millions for a toy worth a few thousand?

"Brother Shen, are you trying to shame me?"

Ghost Eye Seven frowned.

"Seventh Master, you must be joking."

Shen Yan weighed the luban lock in his hand and walked over to Youyou.

"Youyou, do you like this?"

"I love it!"

Youyou's eyes sparkled as she took the luban lock, unable to put it down.

Shen Yan turned back to Ghost Eye Seven, his tone calm yet powerful.

"To me, something that can make my daughter happy is the most precious treasure."

"As for those pots and jars..."

"They are Seventh Master's lifeblood. Taking what someone loves is not my style."

"Besides, what I want is the future, not the past."

These words were spoken with resounding force.

Neither humble nor arrogant, showing a grand vision.

Ghost Eye Seven stared at Shen Yan for a full five seconds.

Suddenly, he gave a thumbs up.

"Good!"