23: Chapter 23 The Tumultuous World of Home Buying

The three of them returned to Antique Street together.

The setting sun slanted westward, its residual light blood-red as it spilled across the long street, stretching the trio's shadows into long, warm shapes, as if painting a fluid silhouette on the ground.

The crowds on Antique Street gradually thinned, the bustle of the day receding like the tide, revealing a rare sense of peace and tranquility.

The red lanterns on both sides had already lit up, their warm yellow halos layering over the bluestone pavement, casting a nostalgic and cozy filter over the ancient street; in a trance, it felt as if time had flowed back to the prosperous dreams of a century ago.

Hu Tian walked on the bluestone, his steps light. Suddenly remembering something, he turned to Elder Zhou and said, his tone carrying a hint of probing: "Elder Zhou, I picked up a few trinkets at the flea market earlier—a Republic-era copper spoon, a Qing Dynasty folk kiln plate, and a porcelain vase from the early days of the People's Republic. They aren't top-tier items, but they look decent enough."

Upon hearing this, Elder Zhou immediately perked up, his previously tired eyes instantly lighting up as if he had discovered a new world: "Oh? The Republic-era copper spoon is one thing, but if that Qing Dynasty folk kiln plate and the early PRC porcelain vase are truly quality pieces, they are good items with history! Let's go, let's go back to Jubao Pavilion and let me take a good look. Who knows, it might be another big find!"

The three quickened their pace and soon arrived in front of Jubao Pavilion.

The shop's plaque shone brilliantly under the lights, the three characters for "Jubao Pavilion" written in vigorous and forceful strokes, exuding a profound sense of ancient charm and heritage.

Pushing the door open and entering, the interior layout remained the same. Various antiques on the display shelves emitted a faint, mysterious luster under the soft lighting, and the air was filled with the familiar scent of sandalwood, which was soothing to the heart.

Elder Zhou warmly invited Hu Tian to sit and personally brewed a pot of high-quality Longjing tea, the aroma instantly filling the air: "Come, have a cup of tea to moisten your throat first, then take the items out for me to see."

Hu Tian took out the three items one by one from his cloth bag and carefully placed them on the table, his movements gentle, as if treating his own children.

Elder Zhou picked up the Republic-era copper spoon, examining it closely. He gently stroked the patterns on the spoon's surface with his finger, feeling the warm, mellow patina: "This spoon has a unique shape, smooth lines, and a natural, rich patina; it is indeed an object from the Republic era. However, this type of copperware has a large market presence and the value isn't too high. I'll give you an estimate: eight hundred yuan. Do you think that's okay?"

"Done. Elder Zhou, you call the shots. The prices you offer have always been fair."

Hu Tian nodded, his expression calm.

Elder Zhou then picked up the Qing Dynasty folk kiln plate, turned it over to check the bottom mark, and carefully observed the changes in the glaze color against the light, his eyes focused and sharp: "Although this plate is from a folk kiln, the body is fine and dense, the glaze is as lustrous as jade, the blue-and-white color is pure, and the painting is quite good with lively brushstrokes. It is a good item from the mid-Qing period. The condition is perfect, with no chips or cracks. It's worth thirty-five hundred."

"Alright, I'll listen to you."

Hu Tian replied with a smile.

Finally, Elder Zhou held up the porcelain vase from the early PRC period, his expression gradually becoming serious, as if he were not facing an ordinary vase, but a work of art.

He examined it carefully for a good while, took out a magnifying glass to observe the distribution of bubbles on the glaze, and tapped the body of the vase to listen to the sound—it was crisp, pleasant, and had a lingering resonance.

A moment later, a satisfied smile appeared on his face: "This vase is not simple! Although it's from the early PRC period, the craftsmanship is extremely exquisite, the glaze is thick and rich, and the painting is detailed. It must have been a boutique piece specially fired by a state-owned porcelain factory back then, perhaps even from the batch meant for export to earn foreign exchange. Such items are rare in the market now; their collection value is not low, and they have huge potential. I'll give you a fair price: twelve thousand. I won't short you a single cent."

Hu Tian was overjoyed. This price had already exceeded his expectations; Elder Zhou was indeed generous.

The three items together totaled fourteen thousand three hundred yuan.

Elder Zhou readily took out stacks of brand-new banknotes from the counter and neatly piled them on the table. The red hundred-yuan bills looked particularly festive under the light: "Young friend Hu, your eye for antiques is truly remarkable. To be able to find such good goods in a place as mixed as the flea market—the younger generation is truly formidable!"

"It's just luck, I happened to come across them."

Hu Tian smiled and put away the money, saying modestly, "I still have to thank Elder Zhou for giving me a good price and not letting me suffer a loss."

"Not at all, not at all. Honesty to all is the signboard of my Jubao Pavilion, and it is also my bottom line in life."

Elder Zhou stroked his beard, smiling until his eyes narrowed into slits, his face full of kindness: "In the future, if you have good things, feel free to bring them over. I welcome you anytime, and my doors are always open to you."

Hu Tian stood up, carefully put away the money, straightened his clothes, and cupped his hands in a salute: "Then I won't disturb you any further, Elder Zhou. It's getting late, so I'll take my leave."

Elder Zhou and Zhou Waner stood up to see him off, accompanying him all the way to the door.

Elder Zhou patted Hu Tian on the shoulder and said earnestly: "Take care, young friend. Be safe on the road, and come visit often when you have time so we two can chat properly."

Zhou Waner stood to the side, her voice soft, carrying a hint of imperceptible reluctance. Her cheeks were flushed with a faint rosy hue under the glow of the lanterns: "Brother Hu Tian, come visit often when you have time... I, I will save the best tea for you then."

"I certainly will."

Hu Tian turned back and smiled, his gaze gentle: "You should get some rest early too."

After speaking, he pushed the door open and walked into the night, his figure straight and confident.

Elder Zhou watched Hu Tian's figure disappear around the corner of the street, then glanced at his granddaughter's flushed cheeks and her dazed gaze.

He stroked his beard, a flash of knowing amusement in his eyes, but he didn't point it out, merely sighing meaningfully: "A daughter grown up is hard to keep..."

Immediately after, he said calmly, his tone filled with a touch of affection: "Waner, it's time to tidy up and close the shop, it's getting late."

"Oh, okay, Grandpa."

Zhou Waner replied, but the flush on her face deepened, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes, her gaze drifting toward the door from time to time, as if expecting that figure to appear again.

Walking out of Jubao Pavilion, Hu Tian felt the bank card in his pocket.

Inside lay 87.5 million from the plum vase auction, plus the more than 10,000 from the small items just sold, and the over 200,000 he had accumulated before, bringing his total assets to nearly 88 million.

He looked up at the sky above; the city's neon lights were lighting up one by one, dazzling and brilliant, like a galaxy on the ground.

The night breeze was slightly cool, blowing away some of the heat and awakening the desire in his heart.

A sudden thought of buying a house sprouted in Hu Tian's heart, and it was unstoppable.

This city is very big, with thousands of bright lights, and there should be one lamp that belongs to his own nest.

That two-bedroom rental apartment couldn't even store a decent collection, let alone provide a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment; if any treasure were damaged, he wouldn't even have time to cry.

In the future, there will only be more antiques found with the Treasure Hunting Radar; he couldn't just stuff them all into the System Space—that would be too wasteful, and it would lack the tangible feeling of ownership.

Besides, now that he has money, he should at least improve his living conditions, right?

You can't make yourself suffer, no matter who else you make suffer.

So he immediately took out his phone to search for real estate in the city.

He flipped through several pages, compared countless parameters, and finally locked onto "Cloud Top Manor" in the suburbs.

This residential area focuses on detached villas, with perfect supporting facilities and a greening rate as high as 60%, just like a natural oxygen bar.

More importantly, the sales office's introduction specifically mentioned a special "collection storage unit type," equipped with top-tier temperature and humidity control systems and security facilities, designed specifically for collectors—it was practically tailored for him.

The online reviews were also good; many buyers said the environment was quiet, security was tight, and living there was comfortable—it was a true rich neighborhood.

"This is it."

Hu Tian nodded silently in his heart, his eyes shining with anticipation.

The next morning, the sun was bright, and Hu Tian waved down a taxi.

"Driver, go to the Cloud Top Manor sales office."

"Alright! That's a high-end place. Are you going to buy a house, young man?"

The driver was a warm-hearted person and asked with a smile.

"Just going to take a look."

Hu Tian smiled slightly and didn't say much more.

The driver stepped on the gas, and the taxi merged into the traffic, driving toward the suburbs.

Hu Tian leaned back in the passenger seat, watching the street scene flying past the window, his heart full of longing.

From an unemployed loser to a treasure hunter with tens of millions in net worth—the journey over these past few short months felt like it had spanned several years; it felt like a lifetime ago.

Before, he couldn't even pay the rent and would haggle over a few yuan for groceries; now, he could consider buying a villa worth tens of millions.

Before, he could only huddle in a rental room eating instant noodles, looking miserable; now, he could freely enter high-end auctions and spend money like water.

All of this was the change brought about by the Treasure Hunting Radar; it was fate's compensation for his past suffering.

Hu Tian couldn't help but think of that night when he first activated the Treasure Hunting Radar—that dilapidated, drafty rental room, the mysterious power surging from the depths of his mind; the shock of that moment was still unforgettable.

If it weren't for the Treasure Hunting Radar, he would probably still be worrying about making a living, spamming resumes on job websites, getting rejected time after time, and enduring cold shoulders.

Outside the car window, the prosperity of the city gradually faded away, replaced by the open scenery of the suburbs.

Neat street trees were planted on both sides of the road, the green belts were meticulously trimmed, and occasionally a few uniquely shaped buildings could be seen hidden among the green trees, like a fairy tale world.

The taxi turned onto a wide avenue, and a grand complex of buildings appeared ahead. At the main entrance stood a huge golden sign—Cloud Top Manor, shining in the sunlight.

"We're here, young man. This place is really grand!"

The driver exclaimed.

Hu Tian paid the fare, pushed the door open to get out, and took a deep breath of the fresh air.

It was time to find himself a real home.

As soon as Hu Tian walked into the Cloud Top Manor sales office, he was shocked by the luxurious decoration of the lobby.

On the ten-meter-high vaulted ceiling, a huge crystal chandelier flowed with brilliance, refracting colorful light.

The floor was paved with imported marble, the texture as fine as jade, and it was so polished it could reflect a person.

On both sides were displayed various high-end sand table models, each one meticulously carved, with details so realistic that even the shapes of the shrubs in the green belts were clearly distinguishable, making one feel as if they were already in their future home.

Just as he was looking around, a harsh voice suddenly rang out, breaking the tranquility: "Yo, isn't this Hu Tian? What are you doing here? You didn't come to the wrong place, did you?"

Hu Tian looked toward the sound and saw his former company boss, Wang Jianjun, walking over with a heavily made-up woman and a young man with a fawning expression on his face, his face wearing undisguised sarcasm.

Wang Jianjun was notoriously stingy and mean. He was in his forties, pot-bellied like a barrel full of oil, and his small eyes revealed shrewdness and cunning. At this moment, he was sizing up Hu Tian.

It was he who had fired Hu Tian on the grounds of "not meeting performance standards," but in reality, it was just to make room for his future brother-in-law so he could take over Hu Tian's position—his methods were extremely despicable.

That young man was Liu Hao, who currently wore a smug expression, his chin held high, as if he were the master of the world.

The heavily made-up woman beside Wang Jianjun was Liu Mei. She was in her early thirties, with thick foundation on her face, white as if painted with whitewash, eyeshadow as thick as a panda's, and bright red lipstick on her lips, looking like she had just eaten a dead child.

She was wearing a limited-edition Chanel suit, with a diamond bracelet on her wrist. Her gait was full of affectation, and every step looked like she was walking a runway.

She was Liu Hao's sister and Wang Jianjun's girlfriend; the two were in cahoots, birds of a feather.

"Boss Wang, long time no see."