Chapter 88

This customer lives on the top floor.

It's a duplex on the top floor.

It is indeed a luxury residence. However, now that Feng Yi has mentioned the house, all he can think about are the laboratory and the swimming pool.

So, seeing these, even if he can't say he is completely calm, there isn't much of a stir in his mind.

The customer's surname is Zou, and he looks to be in his early 40s. Perhaps due to illness, he is somewhat thin, but his spirit is still good.

He had an accident not long ago and was recently discharged from the hospital. He is still using a wheelchair at home, a smart one.

After the initial pleasantries, Feng Yi walked into the house and changed into the slippers offered by the other party.

Feng Yi came out today to earn his living. Due to the nature of his work, he didn't dress very formally, wearing a set of casual clothes and carrying a backpack, looking more like a college student.

Zou Fan sized up this "appraisal master." If it weren't for Lu Yue's recommendation, he would never have sought out someone like this.

Although Lu Yue had shown him Feng Yi's photo and he had already prepared himself mentally, he was still surprised when he saw Feng Yi in person.

This appearance, coming to be an appraiser, always felt like a skill point was misallocated.

Moreover, this young man is handsome, but his smile always makes people feel a chill down their spine.

However, since he can collaborate with Qianli Group, this young man must be capable.

As for whether to trust him, Zou Fan has his own judgment.

"The collection room is upstairs, follow me."

Zou Fan controlled the smart wheelchair and led Feng Yi to one side.

Feng Yi was thinking about whether to help him go upstairs, but then he saw the other party enter an indoor elevator.

Feng Yi: "......"

Alright.

After going upstairs, Feng Yi saw some photos hanging on the wall.

They should be photos of Mr. Zou and his elders, and a erhu appears frequently in them.

This must be the collected one.

"My grandfather was an erhu performer," Mr. Zou told Feng Yi the story of this erhu.

The old photos in the frames on the wall show the old man holding this erhu.

"Before the climate anomaly period, he was very famous, though not everyone outside the circle might know him. He won many important awards and nominations. This erhu has always been his companion.

"This erhu was custom-made by him for over 100,000 yuan. At that time, there were no various restrictions, and there was no strict protection law. The materials used for the wood and python skin were of very high quality."

Feng Yi understood that this erhu was once a high-end professional performance instrument, but now it has become an art collection.

After learning about this customer's information from Lu Yue yesterday, he did some research online and gained some understanding.

Mr. Zou's grandfather was indeed very famous back then. Now, the old man has passed away, and this erhu, which has become a collection item, has gained additional value.

When Feng Yi searched for information yesterday, he also looked into the current market for erhu collections.

It is said that some high-end erhus made from wild python skin have been hyped up to 10 million yuan on the black market.

"My grandfather handed this erhu to me before he passed away, hoping I could take good care of it.

"Although I am very busy with business, I still give it several maintenance sessions each month, and I do it myself if I have time," Mr. Zou said.

Now, this erhu can no longer be played. As a collection item, it must be carefully maintained, and attention must be paid to changes in the weather.

Mr. Zou continued, "Two months ago, I had an accident and was in the hospital for two months. I came back not long ago.

"But when I saw it again, I felt that this erhu was not the same as before, even though it looks exactly the same as in the photos."

Mr. Zou said this and led Feng Yi to his collection room, pushing the door open.

All he saw were erhus.

"This is my collection!"

Zou Fan did not immediately ask Feng Yi to start the appraisal.

"There are no two identical erhus. Even two erhus made by the same master will be different.

"In the past, the skin used to make erhus was python or snake skin. The condition of the python when it was alive and the process of making the skin would affect the sound of the erhu."

Mr. Zou gestured, "A large piece of python skin can only make one or two top-tier erhus, and the remaining skin can only be used for lower-quality ones."

Feng Yi looked at the erhus placed here.

"But most of them here use eco-friendly skin."

The erhus in front of him looked new, and some might have been intentionally aged. Feng Yi didn't know much about this, but he could tell the difference in the skin at a glance.

With such strict regulations now, various types of skin are developed each year, and many are used in musical instruments.

After the seventh-generation Medusa skin material came out, instrument manufacturers definitely customized a batch.

One of the erhus in front of him used the seventh-generation Medusa skin material.

However, no matter whether the erhus were new or old, and what kind of skin material was used, the maintenance must have been done very well.

"Mr. Zou is also a lover of erhus," Feng Yi said.

Mr. Zou smiled.

"My grandfather was a famous erhu performer, and I only inherited a little of his talent and interest.

"When I am under a lot of pressure, I play the erhu in the music room, which is also a way for me to relieve stress."

Speaking of this, Mr. Zou's eyes seemed to sparkle, clearly showing his genuine love, not just treating them as decorations.

Feng Yi could understand. After all, he is the descendant of an artist. Even if he didn't follow this path, the blood in his veins would still create some connection.

"Different materials produce different sounds."

Mr. Zou picked up an erhu.

"Mr. Feng, can you tell what kind of skin is used on this erhu?"

Feng Yi was about to speak when Mr. Zou added, "Let me pick five erhus and play each one for you to listen to. You can listen to their sounds and then judge the material of the skin, and you can also tell me the price order."

Feng Yi watched as Mr. Zou picked out five erhus from the collection.

Among these five erhus, there were seventh-generation Medusa skin, sixth-generation Medusa skin, and other skin materials he hadn't seen before.

Having appraised so many skin materials, his database in his mind had been updated.

The sixth-generation Medusa skin was once popular in the market before the seventh generation came out, but its price dropped after the seventh generation was released.

Of course, Feng Yi understood that this was a test for him. If he couldn't pass this test, the deal would be off, and he might just be given some money to send him away.

Zou Fan indeed meant this. Although Feng Yi was recommended by Lu Yue, he trusted his own judgment more.

If Feng Yi could identify the skin material used on the erhus here, he would pass the test.

Zou Fan picked up the erhu, got into position, and began to play, looking completely absorbed.

Creak

It was so harsh it made one doubt life.

His ears wanted to quit.

Feng Yi: "......"

He silently lifted his feet off the ground.

Feng Yi listened to the entire piece in a daze.

Mr. Zou smiled apologetically, "The sound of this erhu is not very good, so it sounds a bit harsh."

Feng Yi: "......"

No, I don't think it's a matter of good or bad sound!