5: Chapter 5, could you perhaps allow this old man to take a look?

For a mere two hundred, he had bought a high-quality late Qing dynasty bronze incense burner worth at least fifty thousand!

In this moment, all his exhaustion, confusion, and the humiliation of being laid off seemed to vanish along with this "steal."

Hu Tian clutched the incense burner to his chest, feeling its heavy, tangible reality, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upward wildly.

So, this is what it feels like to have a system?

So, turning one's life around really only takes one opportunity!

He looked up at the night sky; the once dim city lights now appeared exceptionally dazzling in his eyes.

The moment he turned to leave the stall, the smile on Hu Tian's face could no longer be suppressed; the arc of his grin almost reached his ears.

Two hundred!

He had spent a mere two hundred to secure this late Qing dynasty bronze imitation worth at least fifty thousand!

This was, without a doubt, a massive, massive steal!

Hu Tian carried the incense burner, which was wrapped in layers of old newspaper, his steps so light he felt as if he were about to fly.

The previous heaviness from being laid off, the confusion about the future, and the anxiety about rent had all vanished.

In their place was an unprecedented excitement and sense of confidence.

Behind him, he could faintly hear the middle-aged stall owner's smug boasting, dripping with self-righteous shrewdness: "See that? These greenhorns are the easiest to cheat. Just a few words of sweet talk, and you can sell a piece of junk for two hundred. Tonight, we're having a feast!"

Hu Tian couldn't help but chuckle to himself, his laughter filled with a touch of mockery and the satisfaction of finally vindicating himself.

Who's really cheating whom is still up in the air!

In the end, who actually cheated whom?

He had spent only two hundred and picked up a "massive steal" worth a fortune.

This wasn't buying something; this was practically robbery!

This Treasure Hunting Radar System was practically a cheating artifact tailor-made for a poor guy like him, a heaven-defying existence born for finding treasures!

Just as Hu Tian walked about two meters from the stall, a crisp, pleasant, mechanical synthesized voice suddenly rang out in his mind, like the sound of heaven.

[Beep—Detected that the item held by the host exceeds the mission standard. Novice mission completed. Distributing rewards!]

[Mission Reward: 10 Energy points distributed. Total Treasure Hunting Radar Energy: 10 points.]

[Special Reward: Unlocked Basic Treasure Appraisal function.]

Hu Tian paused, then sped up, but his heart began to race violently, as if it were about to burst through his chest.

Completed?

Just like that?

Before he could fully react, a semi-transparent, light blue light screen suddenly appeared in his mind, displaying lines of detailed text, so clear it was outrageous.

[Basic Treasure Appraisal] [Item Name: Bronze Two-Eared Three-Legged Incense Burner] [Period: Late Qing dynasty (Guangxu era)] [Condition: Below average. The surface is heavily oxidized, forming a thick patina; there are a few minor scratches, but they do not affect the overall structure.]

[Craftsmanship: Cast using the traditional lost-wax method. The body of the burner is decorated with scrolling lotus patterns, with smooth and powerful lines; the bottom bears the six-character regular script mark "Made in the Guangxu Reign of the Great Qing," with neat characters and vigorous strokes.]

[Provenance/Circulation: Originally an incense burner used as a display piece by a fallen official family in the capital, it later entered the public domain after the family's decline. During the Republic of China era, it briefly appeared in the well-known antique shop "Baogu Zhai" in Shanghai, and later passed through the hands of several private collectors. In the 1980s, due to family misfortunes, it was sold as scrap, and after changing hands multiple times, it eventually ended up at a scrap collection station in Binhai City.]

[Valuation: Although this burner is a product of the late Qing dynasty and not an imperial kiln item, its craftsmanship is exquisite, the patterns are clear and auspicious, and the bottom mark is regular, giving it a certain historical, cultural, and artistic appreciation value. The small amount of ash residue remaining on the inner wall of the burner confirms that it was a practical vessel handed down through generations rather than purely for display, making it even more collectible.]

[Market Estimate: 100,000 - 180,000 yuan] [Extra Reward: 50 Energy points, Total Treasure Hunting Radar Energy: 60 points.]

Hu Tian's pupils contracted sharply, and his breathing stopped for a second.

He stared fixedly at the information panel in his mind, fearing he had misread the numbers.

One hundred thousand to one hundred eighty thousand?!

He had thought that if it was worth fifty thousand, his ancestors must have been smoking from their graves, but he hadn't expected that after the system's re-appraisal, the burner would start at one hundred thousand?

And could even go up to one hundred eighty thousand?

And this was just a treasure with "below average" condition!

If he encountered one with perfect condition and a beautiful patina, wouldn't he be flying high?

Hu Tian took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the excitement that was about to explode in his heart.

What shocked him even more was the newly unlocked "Basic Treasure Appraisal" function.

It could not only see the true value of an item at a glance, but also clearly label the item's origin, circulation history, craftsmanship characteristics, and even subtle flaws.

With this function, wouldn't finding treasures in the antique world be as easy as flipping one's hand?

It was simply a dimension-reduction strike!

Hu Tian clutched the incense burner tightly, as if holding a golden baby, and his pace involuntarily quickened.

That middle-aged man thought he was an easily fooled greenhorn and was smugly thinking he had made ten times the profit.

Little did he know, he was the one who was the complete sucker!

He had acquired the "piece of junk" for twenty, sold it for two hundred, and thought he had made a killing.

If this thing actually went to a formal auction house, the starting price would be at least one hundred thousand, and the final transaction price would be immeasurable.

This system was just too good!

It was too insane!

After Hu Tian walked a few hundred meters with the incense burner, he couldn't suppress the excitement in his heart.

The surrounding crowd wasn't dense, so he found a relatively quiet corner, carefully opened a corner of the sweat-soaked newspaper, and revealed the ancient luster of the bronze burner.

In the sunset's afterglow, the scrolling lotus patterns vaguely revealed a greenish-blue oxidation layer; that texture, weathered by time, made Hu Tian happier and more affectionate the more he looked at it.

Just as Hu Tian was immersed in this immense joy, a gentle cough suddenly came from beside him.

"Young friend, pardon the intrusion."

Hu Tian was startled, quickly closed the newspaper, and looked up warily.

He saw an old man standing a few steps away, though he hadn't noticed when he had arrived.

He looked to be about sixty years old, with gray hair that was meticulously groomed, wearing a faded but clean and tidy gray Tang suit and old-fashioned cloth shoes.

He was toying with a smooth purple clay teapot in his hand, a kind and amiable smile on his face, his eyes clear and profound, exuding a strong scholarly air and academic demeanor.

The old man's gaze fell seemingly casually on the bulge wrapped in newspaper in Hu Tian's arms, a flash of imperceptible sharpness crossing his eyes for a moment, but it quickly faded, returning to that calmness.

"Hello."

Hu Tian subconsciously took half a step back, wrapped the newspaper tightly again, and his internal alarm bells immediately went off.

In this day and age, an innocent person might get into trouble just by possessing a treasure; it would be troublesome if he ran into a robber.

The old man wasn't annoyed; he just nodded slightly, pointed to a shop not far behind him, and spoke in a calm and refined tone.

"This old man is the manager of that 'Jubao Pavilion.' I caught a glimpse of the item in your hand just now; it seems to have some age to it, with a rich patina—truly extraordinary."

"I wonder if you could let this old man take a look? If it's convenient, why not come into the shop for a chat and a cup of hot tea? This old man will certainly not force a sale."

Hu Tian looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a shop with simple and elegant decor standing quietly.

Hanging on the lintel was a golden nanmu plaque with the three vigorous and powerful characters "Jubao Pavilion" written on it.

On both sides of the entrance stood tall blue and white porcelain vases and rosewood shelves, exuding a sense of solemnity and grandeur; one look told him it wasn't ordinary street stall merchandise, but a proper antique shop.

Hu Tian hesitated for a moment, then carefully studied the old man in front of him.

This old man had an extraordinary demeanor, his every gesture exuding the refinement of a scholar; he didn't look like the street scammers.

Moreover, his current understanding of this incense burner was limited to the cold information provided by the system. If he could let a true expert take a look, maybe he could learn more about its story, and incidentally verify the system's accuracy. After all, he was just a layman who only knew how to recite from the book.

Of course, it was also because he had no money in his pocket...

Furthermore, the system had said the burner in his hand was worth over one hundred thousand; he wanted to see if this boss of Jubao Pavilion could see the trick behind it.

If he was a true expert, perhaps they could even become friends.

"Then... this young one will impose upon you."

Hu Tian nodded, clutched the package tightly, and followed the old man toward Jubao Pavilion.

Upon entering the shop, Hu Tian discovered that it was a whole new world inside.

The shop was spacious and bright, with all kinds of antique ornaments displayed in an orderly fashion on rosewood shelves.

Bronze ware, porcelain, jade, and calligraphy and paintings were all available, each piece exuding a unique charm.

Soft lighting shone on those objects, revealing a heavy, time-honored charm that made people calm down involuntarily.

Hu Tian's heart stirred, and he quietly activated the detection function of the Treasure Hunting Radar.

In an instant, the entire Jubao Pavilion changed its appearance in his eyes.

The various antiques on the shelves began to glow with auras.

Most items were enveloped in a faint white halo, representing "ordinary quality" authentic goods.

And in a few prominent compartments toward the back, three or four items emitted a faint blue halo, deeper and more charming than the white halos, representing "high-quality" items.

Hu Tian's heart moved, and he focused his gaze on one of the blue-glowing blue and white porcelain vases.

The identification information provided by the system immediately appeared in his mind: [Qing Kangxi Blue and White Scrolling Lotus Pattern Appreciation Vase] Price: 325,000 yuan.

The era is the Qing Kangxi period, the condition is good, and the estimated price is between 280,000 and 350,000.

The characteristics are fine clay, greenish-white glaze, rich and bright blue and white color, and neat scrolling lotus patterns; it is indeed a high-quality imperial kiln piece from the Kangxi era.

Good heavens!

Hu Tian forcibly suppressed his shock and swept his gaze toward another piece of blue-glowing jade pendant.

[ming dynasty Hetian White Jade Guanyin Pendant] Price: 176,000 yuan, era is mid-ming dynasty, condition is average, estimated price is between 150,000 and 200,000.

Characteristics are the use of Xinjiang Hetian mutton-fat white jade, with a warm and moist jade texture and fine carving.

Sure enough, the blue halo represents higher-value authentic goods.

Hu Tian quickly scanned the room and found that of the antiques displayed on the shelves, about seventy percent had white halos, and there were four items with blue halos.

As for higher-level halos like green or yellow, he didn't find any.

What does this mean?

It means this boss of Jubao Pavilion is an honest person!

He didn't casually put those priceless treasures of the shop on display to fool laymen, nor did he use fake goods to pass off as genuine.

What was displayed was mostly genuine, and the prices seemed relatively reasonable, without that kind of exorbitant price-gouging behavior.

Looking at these true evaluations, Hu Tian's originally tense nerves slowly relaxed.

It seems this Old Zhou is an honest merchant worthy of respect, not the kind of profit-seeking unscrupulous trader.

This also made him feel a bit more at ease about the upcoming conversation.

The old man led him through the shop and came to a side room at the back of the loft.

Pushing the door open, it was an extremely elegant tea room.

In the center was a carved rosewood tea table, surrounded by several rosewood chairs; on the walls hung several landscape paintings with profound artistic conception, and the air was filled with the faint scent of tea and sandalwood.

"Young friend, please sit."

The old man signaled for Hu Tian to sit, his movements elegant and calm.

At the same time, he picked up a purple clay teapot from the tea table next to him and skillfully poured a cup of tea for Hu Tian.

The tea soup was clear and bright, with a fragrant aroma.

"Young friend, please have some tea. This is Pu'er that I have collected for many years; give it a try."

The old man personally poured a cup of tea and handed it over, looking at Hu Tian with a smile, his eyes full of expectation and curiosity.

"This old man's surname is Zhou, and my given name is Bo. I've been in this antique business for over thirty years; I suppose I'm a veteran."