10: Chapter 10 Interesting People

Old Zhou was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head with a laugh. Pointing at the coin charm, he said, "That fatty really has no eye for talent! This is a 'Peace Under Heaven' lucky coin charm from the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty, and it features the four-character inscription 'Fortune, Prosperity, Longevity, and Happiness.' It is a rare masterpiece among Kangxi coin charms."

Old Zhou paused, his fingers gently stroking the warm, natural patina on the surface of the charm, and continued: "What's even rarer is that this charm must have been heavily rusted, and perhaps even damaged, but it has been restored perfectly by the time you brought it here. The patina is naturally oily and smooth, the patterns are as clear as a painting, and there are absolutely no traces of restoration. Such technique is something even old experts in the industry might not be able to achieve."

At this, Old Zhou looked up at Hu Tian, his gaze profound: "Little Hu, how do you plan to handle these items?"

"I want to sell them, which is why I came to find you, Old Zhou."

Hu Tian did not beat around the bush and was straightforward.

Old Zhou pondered for a moment, then held up two fingers, his tone firm: "The coin charm, 200,000. I'll take it. As for the other three items, 40,000 in total, I'll take those too."

Upon hearing this, Hu Tian quickly made a mental calculation.

The Treasure Hunting Radar's estimated price for the coin charm was 130,000 to 160,000, but Old Zhou offered 200,000 straight away, which was far beyond the upper limit!

This price was not just fair; it was extremely generous, clearly Old Zhou intentionally looking out for him.

As for the other items, the total price of 40,000 was also slightly higher than the market average, clearly a bonus Old Zhou threw in.

"Deal!"

Hu Tian extended his hand, nodding decisively.

Old Zhou showed an appreciative smile and shook Hu Tian's hand firmly: "Straightforward! I love dealing with talent like you, my young friend."

Immediately, he beckoned to the young woman: "Waner, bring the POS machine over."

"Okay, Grandfather."

Zhou Waner replied, her voice crisp and pleasant.

She quickly retrieved the POS machine from the counter. As she passed by Hu Tian, she couldn't help but steal a glance at him, her eyes full of curiosity.

Swipe the card, enter the amount, sign.

Hu Tian took out his phone and glanced at the screen.

With a "ding," the notification of arrival appeared, the number precise to the cent: 240,000.00 yuan.

After confirming it was correct, the weight in Hu Tian's heart lifted, and he nodded in thanks: "Old Zhou, I won't disturb you any further."

"Take care. Come find me anytime you have good items."

Old Zhou waved with a smile, watching Hu Tian leave.

Once Hu Tian's figure disappeared outside the door, Zhou Waner, who had been standing by the side, finally couldn't help but ask, her tone containing a hint of confusion: "Grandfather, wasn't 200,000 a bit too high? I heard you say that the coin charm was a masterpiece, but was it necessary to give that much? The market price is at most 160,000."

Old Zhou shook his head, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said meaningfully: "Waner, you are still young; there are many things you cannot see through yet."

"What do you mean?"

Zhou Waner blinked curiously.

"This young man, Hu Tian, is hiding his true capabilities."

Old Zhou put down his teacup, a gleam flashing in his eyes: "Look at the coin charm he brought this time; the condition is surprisingly good, the patina is natural, and the patterns are clear—it doesn't look like something just dug out of the dirt at an Antique Street."

"More importantly, this coin charm should have been covered in rust and even had that fatal scratch, but by the time he brought it, it had been restored to perfection. This shows that he not only understands appraisal but also restoration, and his technique is quite professional—he might even have some secret family inheritance."

Zhou Waner was thoughtful, her brows slightly furrowed: "Are you saying he is intentionally hiding his strength?"

"Not intentionally hiding, but acting low-key—great wisdom often appears as stupidity."

Old Zhou corrected: "Such a person has a steady temperament and a unique vision; he will surely achieve great things in the future and is definitely not someone who will remain in obscurity."

"I gave him a few extra ten thousand yuan, firstly because I value the item itself, and secondly, I want to build a good relationship. The antique industry is all about connections and vision. Having more friends means more paths, especially with a potential stock like him."

A hint of intense curiosity flashed in Zhou Waner's eyes as she looked toward the door and muttered to herself: "Then what exactly does he do? To know restoration at such a young age, and to be able to pick up treasures in the Antique Street repeatedly? Just now, seeing him so nervous he didn't dare to look up in front of me, I thought he was a novice."

"That, I don't know."

Old Zhou smiled and shook his head, his eyes full of appreciation: "However, I can tell that this young man is definitely not an ordinary person. If you run into him in the shop later, remember to be polite; he might be able to help us with something big in the future."

Zhou Waner nodded, but her curiosity grew even stronger. Her mind kept replaying Hu Tian's amusing, "pretending to be foolish with a straight face" expression from just now, and the corners of her lips curled up involuntarily: "Hu Tian... he really is an interesting person."

Hu Tian walked out of Jubao Pavilion, in an exceptionally good mood.

240,000 had arrived; for him right now, this money was no longer just a string of numbers, but a huge sum capable of changing his destiny.

Added to the previous 160,000, in just a few short days, he had gone from a poor guy who had been laid off and couldn't even scrape together next quarter's rent to a "little rich man" holding 400,000 in cash.

More importantly, this experience had allowed him to completely verify the reliability and terrifying potential of the system.

As long as he followed the radar, combined with the magical restoration function, and added his soon-to-be-maxed "Restoration Master" skill, he could swim like a fish in the complex antique industry and firmly establish himself.

The road ahead was becoming wider and brighter beneath his feet.

Throughout the day, Hu Tian had become completely addicted to the pleasure of treasure hunting and picking up bargains.

The sense of achievement from discovering treasures in ruins and turning stones into gold where no one else paid attention was far more fascinating than the dull nine-to-five job.

The Treasure Hunting Radar was indeed his cheat code to defy heaven and change his fate, the greatest opportunity bestowed upon him by the heavens.

Hu Tian stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of his apartment, watching the sunset gradually sink outside, a flash of unprecedented determination and sharpness in his eyes.

He muttered to himself, his voice soft yet every word resonant: "Since that's the case, treasure hunting and picking up bargains starts today—it is no longer just a side job; this is my life's work!"

Outside the window, the sun set in the west, and the afterglow spilled from the balcony into the apartment living room, gilding this brand-new apartment in a layer of warm golden light, as if crowning his new journey.

The road to treasure hunting officially began from this moment.

Early the next morning, just as the sky was barely brightening, Hu Tian left the residential complex.

This time, he didn't go to those flea markets filled with cheap street goods, nor did he go to the crowded Antique Street; instead, he headed straight for the largest Xinhua Bookstore in the city center.

On Haijing East Road, the morning rush hour traffic was like a long, congested dragon.

The taxi moved slowly through the traffic, the sounds of engines and horns weaving into a noisy background.

Hu Tian sat in the right rear seat, turning his head to look at the dense traffic outside the window and the hurried, anxious-looking office workers on the sidewalk.

"Sigh, it's jammed like this again today."

The middle-aged driver complained through the rearview mirror, his tone full of helplessness: "It's like this every morning, it's been nearly an hour, and my perfect attendance bonus is going to be ruined again."

Hu Tian replied indifferently, but his gaze fell deeply upon those hurried figures outside the car window.

Men in suits frowned while looking at their watches; women in professional attire jogged while gnawing on bread; everyone's face carried the fatigue of early rising and anxiety about life.

They were anxious to get to work to clock in, afraid of being late and having their meager wages deducted, afraid of being scolded by the boss, afraid of being abandoned by this fast-paced city.

Just a few days ago, he was one of them.

Every day, he was squeezed into a photo in the morning rush hour buses and subways, struggling to move forward amidst the pushing crowds; after finally arriving at the office, he had to endure the boss's mood, doing dull, repetitive work with no creative value, taking a salary that was barely enough to survive, and trembling for a few hundred yuan perfect attendance bonus.

But now, it was different.

Everything had changed.

Hu Tian looked down at his smooth right hand, the corners of his lips curling into a confident and composed smile.

The Treasure Hunting Radar had completely changed the trajectory of his life.

He didn't have to rush around for a few thousand yuan salary anymore, he didn't have to live by anyone else's mood, and he certainly didn't have to sell his time and dignity for a living.

From now on, his life was under his own control, and his destiny was written by himself.

"Driver, is that building ahead the Xinhua Bookstore?"

Hu Tian pulled back his thoughts and asked.

"Yes, it's in that building right ahead."

The middle-aged driver pointed to a skyscraper with a glass curtain wall ahead: "That's the most prosperous business district in the city center, surrounded by office buildings and high-end malls. Anyone who can open a shop there is no simple character."

The taxi moved slowly for another ten minutes and finally stopped in front of the building.

Hu Tian scanned the code to pay the fare and pushed the door open to get out.

The Xinhua Bookstore in front of him occupied the first to third floors of the building, covering a huge area and looking grand.

Through the huge floor-to-ceiling glass windows, one could vaguely see the spacious and bright space inside the bookstore, with rows of natural wood-colored bookshelves arranged neatly, like a temple of knowledge.

Hu Tian walked into the bookstore, and a faint scent of books mixed with the mellow aroma of freshly ground coffee wafted over, instantly calming the mind.

The bookstore's decoration was very stylish, with warm-toned lights softly spilling into every corner, paired with high-quality wooden bookshelves, creating a quiet and elegant atmosphere.

Several reading areas were specially set up next to the bookshelves, furnished with comfortable leather sofas and exquisite coffee tables, for people to rest and read.

This was not just a place to read and sell books, but a high-end social venue, a pure land in the city.

It was a weekday morning, and the foot traffic in the bookstore was not too heavy, but those coming and going were all people with distinguished temperaments.

There were business people in tailored suits holding bone china coffee cups, stopping to browse in front of the management bookshelves with focused eyes; there were also exquisitely dressed, well-groomed white-collar women in high heels, chatting softly in the literature and art section with elegant manners; occasionally, one could see a few successful middle-aged men wearing gold-rimmed glasses, seriously selecting books in the history and biography section with solemn expressions.

Hu Tian's gaze swept over these people calmly, his heart undisturbed.

His goal was clear: the humanities and social sciences section was on the third floor, where there were special bookshelves for professional books on antique appreciation.

Hu Tian followed the directions to the third floor.

Standing in front of the huge bookshelves, Hu Tian's gaze quickly scanned the rows of book spines: "Appraisal of Ancient Chinese Porcelain," "Appreciation of Ming and Qing Furniture," "Introduction to Bronze Appraisal," "Identification of Jade Authenticity," "Records of Antique Market Trends"...

He didn't hesitate at all, picking out the five most basic and authoritative appraisal books, and taking two reference books on antique market trends.

Holding a few thick books, Hu Tian found an empty table by the window on the third floor and sat down.

The view here was open, and through the huge floor-to-ceiling window, one could see the bustling streets below, as if watching the busyness of another world.

Beside him was a lush green plant partition, which ensured privacy without being too enclosed, and the lighting was sufficient and quiet.

He placed the books neatly on the table, pulled out a chair to sit, took a deep breath, and opened the top book, "Appraisal of Ancient Chinese Porcelain."

Just as the pages were opened, that familiar, crisp electronic notification sound suddenly rang in his mind.

Hu Tian was taken aback for a moment, then his heart filled with joy: The Treasure Hunting Radar had issued a new mission!