Chapter 89

Feng Yi had just thought that the person playing the erhu like a chicken being slaughtered was deliberately messing with him.

However, by analyzing the emotional information molecules emitted by the person, Feng Yi discovered:

This person was truly immersed in the music, almost lost in his own world while playing the erhu.

The joy was also genuine, a heartfelt happiness enveloping his entire body.

But in this room, Feng Yi, as the audience, only felt tortured!

This Mr. Zou probably had a sound modifier in his ears, automatically perfecting the sound of his erhu playing, which is why he had no idea about the quality of his skills!

Feng Yi sat on the wooden stool, his expression somewhat dazed, pondering how to express his thoughts more tactfully. Just then, he saw Mr. Zou in the wheelchair already switching to another erhu, preparing to start.

Feng Yi, agitated, swayed, and the wooden stool made a "crack" sound.

Feng Yi quickly stood up.

Mr. Zou also heard the crack of the wooden stool and, when his gaze turned, saw the crack on the stool.

Mr. Zou was stunned, never expecting his wooden stool to be so fragile. Could it be that it had reached its lifespan?

"Maybe it's been used for too long and isn't sturdy enough. There's another stool over there you can bring over; I bought it last year," Mr. Zou said.

Feng Yi glanced at the stool Mr. Zou pointed to but didn't go to get it.

He, of course, knew what had happened to the stool he had just broken.

With his feet dangling in the air, his entire weight was on the wooden stool, which couldn't bear the weight of over 300 pounds. It was fine while sitting still, but a slight sway was enough to break it.

Having already broken one stool, Feng Yi didn't want to break another. Moreover, if the second one also broke, Mr. Zou would definitely suspect him.

But he couldn't just stand there. With the client in a wheelchair, standing and looking down would be disrespectful.

Feng Yi's gaze swept around the room and landed on an object in the corner.

"Can I sit on that?" Feng Yi asked, pointing to the corner.

Mr. Zou turned his wheelchair to look and saw a wooden stool in the corner.

This wooden stool was quite old, passed down from his grandfather.

Now, with strict regulations on logging, such wooden stools were hard to find, but they weren't as strictly controlled as python skin. His grandfather had bought this wooden stool for only about 200 yuan, and the wood wasn't of high quality, so its collectible value wasn't great.

But since it was left by his grandfather, Mr. Zou kept it and maintained it.

This wooden stool, like the erhu in his hands, was both a collectible and practical.

However...

This wooden stool was wide and thick but too short. He usually used it to place things, as a display stand.

"The wooden stool is too short, isn't it?" Mr. Zou said.

"It's fine, I'll sit on this. I really like this wooden stool," Feng Yi said.

It's sturdy!

It can bear the weight of over 300 pounds!

Sitting on it, his feet can dangle, and he can sway freely!

Feng Yi carried the wooden stool over and sat down.

Since Feng Yi said so, Mr. Zou didn't insist further. But seeing Feng Yi sit down, it looked like an adult sitting on a children's stool. Wouldn't his legs get tired?

Regardless of Feng Yi's appraisal skills, treating a guest this way was too impolite.

It seemed like bullying.

He wouldn't treat a stranger this way, let alone someone introduced by Lu Yue.

Mr. Zou wouldn't let a guest have no place to sit.

"Should I call my assistant to bring up another stool? He's in the study downstairs," Mr. Zou said.

"No need, let's continue," Feng Yi said.

He needed to finish the appraisal quickly and get back to swimming. He had rented a swimming pool for a month and needed to train.

Seeing that Feng Yi didn't seem forced, Mr. Zou refocused, holding his second erhu and preparing to start.

It was clear that Mr. Zou was still very enthusiastic, but Feng Yi, after some hesitation, interrupted before Mr. Zou started playing.

Another round of torture?

Listening a few more times might even cause his ears to mutate!

"Mr. Zou, please wait. To save your time, I can tell you my appraisal results now."

Under Mr. Zou's surprised gaze, Feng Yi continued, "I'm different from you, Mr. Zou. My talent is limited, and I don't understand music, so I can't distinguish the quality. You can rely on your ears, but I rely on appraising the skin.

"I can only identify the skin, and I don't understand the wood or other details. So I can only identify the skin and can't accurately determine its value."

Mr. Zou nodded slowly, agreeing with Feng Yi's statement, "Indeed, laymen can't distinguish the quality from the sound.

Reluctantly putting down the erhu, Mr. Zou said, "Alright, tell me about the differences in the skin of these five erhus."

Feng Yi's expression turned serious: "From left to right, the skins of these five erhus are Medusa 7th generation, 6th generation, 6th generation, unknown material, and... sheepskin."

Mr. Zou looked at the five erhus, then at Feng Yi, and laughed, his eyes filled with surprise.

"You really are as Lu Yue said, able to identify the skin at a glance!"

Although Feng Yi had no certification from authoritative institutions, his ability to appraise skin was unmatched, at least among the people Mr. Zou had met. Feng Yi was the best.

He deserved the high fee!

Since that was the case...

"Follow me."

Mr. Zou controlled his wheelchair to a small, inconspicuous door in the collection room.

After opening it, Feng Yi saw the collection inside.

The ones outside were for public viewing, while those in the hidden room were generally not shown to outsiders, containing important items.

Mr. Zou took out a long box from inside, put on gloves, opened it, and took out the erhu inside.

"This is it."

Feng Yi looked at the erhu.

He couldn't identify the wood or determine its age from the details, but the skin on the erhu told him a lot.

Thinking of Lu Yue's reminder, Feng Yi pondered how to phrase his words more tactfully.

Mr. Zou glanced at Feng Yi, seemingly understanding his thoughts, and smiled faintly, "Just say it."

Feng Yi took a deep breath, "The skin on this erhu doesn't seem genuine."

After saying this, Feng Yi observed Mr. Zou's expression, finding that the big shot's face didn't change, and he nodded calmly.

Feng Yi used his ultra-sensitive sense of smell to analyze the emotional changes in the air.

No change.

This person was as calm inside as he appeared, with no significant emotional波动.

Feng Yi raised an eyebrow.

This was different from what Lu Yue had said!

Either Mr. Zou didn't value the erhu as much as he claimed, or the situation was under his control, so he wasn't anxious.

From Mr. Zou's enthusiasm when talking about the erhu and his immersion while playing, the former was unlikely. He truly loved the erhu, so he must care about it.

If it was the latter, why did he hire Feng Yi for the appraisal?

Feng Yi had doubts but didn't ask. He just needed to do his job and get paid, no need to be overly curious.

"What is the skin?" Mr. Zou asked.

"Medusa 7th generation," Feng Yi replied.

"7th generation skin means it's a recent imitation."

Mr. Zou called his assistant downstairs and handed him the erhu.

"Send it for appraisal, expedited, and accept damage. Report to the police once the results are out."

"Understood."

The assistant didn't ask any extra questions or show any extra expressions, took the erhu, put it in the box, and left.

Feng Yi wondered if his task for the day was complete, if the client was satisfied, and if he should be paid.

Just as he was about to remind Mr. Zou, he heard, "I heard from Lu Yue that you recently spent two months in the forest with an expedition team?"

Feng Yi didn't understand why Mr. Zou asked this but replied, "Yes, I spent two months in the Nanchong Reserve."

There was no need to hide this; it could be verified.

"Was the main focus of your expedition snakes?"

"Yes. Are you interested in this, Mr. Zou?"

"I've been following news in this area. I saw the news about the Nanchong Reserve expedition. Your team found more snakes this time."

"It was just good luck. Overall, the number of snakes in the Nanchong Reserve is still low," Feng Yi replied.

This time, because Feng Yi was with the expedition team, he could identify the scent of snakes, increasing the chances of finding them.

Without Feng Yi, the number of snakes found by Team 6 would be similar to the past few years, possibly missing the Burmese python and king cobra.

Mr. Zou asked, "Do you think the strictest protection law might be relaxed in the short term?"

"How short?" Feng Yi asked.

Mr. Zou seemed to be estimating something, pondered for a moment, and said, "40 years. Is it possible to relax within 40 years?"

Feng Yi recalled the conversations among the professors during the expedition in the Nanchong Reserve.

"Difficult," Feng Yi said.

Mr. Zou's face showed clear disappointment.

Feng Yi, seeing this, thought about Mr. Zou's previous behavior and had a guess.

The room became silent.

After a while, Mr. Zou sighed deeply, as if speaking to Feng Yi or to himself:

"When I was a child, I heard my grandfather play the erhu. He said the erhu is a spiritual instrument, a masterpiece of heaven and earth, with the essence of plants and animals. Every small change affects its sound..."

To Mr. Zou, imitation skin was just that—imitation. It couldn't replace real skin!

Even if the sound was extremely similar, it lacked the essence!

Feng Yi also understood that Mr. Zou had a deep-seated desire, hoping for the strictest protection law to be revoked or relaxed so he could make his own python skin erhu!

But now, wild pythons were too rare, and the strictest protection law was like a sword hanging over the warning line, ready to strike anyone who dared to cross it.

The United Conservation Bureau was also vigilant, continuously investigating poaching and smuggling cases.

As an ambitious and successful businessman, Mr. Zou couldn't afford such a black mark.

Just like Lu Yue, who, upon discovering he had been deceived and that his watch and wallet were made of real snake skin, didn't dare let others know and had to secretly dispose of them.

In this environment, no matter what you think, you can't have such a black mark!

A wild python skin erhu, once lost, is gone forever.

The future is uncertain, but in the current stage, it's impossible to have a wild python skin erhu in the short term. Even if there were, it wouldn't be on the surface and wouldn't have any official records.

Because of this, those decades-old, no longer practical, and only collectible wild python skin erhus were highly valued in the black market. Besides the difficulty in replicating the wood and skin, they also had additional value, such as being used by famous artists, which would increase their value even more.

So, the erhu left by Mr. Zou's grandfather, if put on the black market, would be very expensive.

However, seeing Mr. Zou's calmness, it was clear he already knew the whereabouts of the erhu. Calling Feng Yi might just be a formality, to show others. The erhu was unlikely to end up on the black market.

Seeing Mr. Zou quickly adjust his emotions, Feng Yi was quite impressed.

"You have a great mindset," Feng Yi said.

Mr. Zou smiled faintly, "After 20 years of entrepreneurship, I've experienced ups and downs. Life isn't perfect; there are joys and regrets. It's all about perspective. And playing the erhu can cultivate one's character and peace of mind."

Feng Yi, who hadn't reached this state when learning the erhu from his teacher, was very impressed by those who could cultivate their character through music.

Mr. Zou had the aura of a big shot, remaining calm in the face of adversity and resolving issues with ease.

Of course, his erhu skills were another matter.

Ignoring his skills, Mr. Zou still had the aura of a big shot. Lu Yue had underestimated him.

"Feng Yi, what's the largest wild python you've seen?" Mr. Zou asked.

"In the wild?"

"Yes, not the ones in zoos."

"In the wild, it was the Burmese python we caught in the Nanchong Reserve this year, about five meters long," Feng Yi said.

"Five meters..."

Mr. Zou, speaking, opened his hidden room again and took something from a safe.

"This was left by my grandfather. He once said he would make me an erhu, and the python skin was prepared. Unfortunately, the strictest protection law was enacted just before it was made, and the craftsman was too afraid to take the job, so it was put on hold."

Mr. Zou unfolded the python skin.

"It's also about five meters long, but it stretches a bit after processing. The live python was probably not as large as the one you mentioned. What do you think of this skin? How does it compare to modern python skin?"

Looking at the unfolded python skin, Mr. Zou's eyes were filled with nostalgia.

Feng Yi's face froze.

"This..."

Mr. Zou, coming to his senses, smiled faintly, "Don't misunderstand, this python skin was obtained before the strictest protection law was enacted, and I have the necessary documentation. I won't use it for transactions."

Feng Yi still didn't speak.

Mr.