Chapter 7

Update Time: November 3, 2012

Wang Ke's gaze was firmly locked on the three genuine antiques, his energy and spirit fully focused. However, to his disappointment, the three genuine antiques were not magical artifacts, as no white threads of qi appeared on them.

The use of his supernatural eye was time-limited, and he could feel that this newly acquired supernatural eye could only be used a few times a day. Each use lasted about seven or eight seconds at most, and at least five seconds at the least, after which his true qi would be cut off.

He had only a couple of seconds left before he had to cut off the use of the supernatural eye.

Wang Ke, adhering to the principle of thrift, decided that since these three antiques were not magical artifacts, there was no need to waste his true qi and the usage time of the supernatural eye.

A needle-like pain hit him as he cut off his true qi. The world went dark before his eyes, and he quickly covered them with his hands. After the pain subsided somewhat, he slowly released his hands and glanced at Sun Ming with bloodshot eyes.

These three antiques were what he considered the most likely to be magical artifacts. After the supernatural eye revealed they were not, he sighed inwardly and decided not to try any other antiques. He turned and walked toward the entrance of the Treasure Hall.

"Where is everyone? Where is Boss Zhou? I've got a great treasure here, get Boss Zhou to come out and take a look quickly!"

A loud voice came from outside the door, and the person followed the voice, striding into the Treasure Hall a moment later. The man was middle-aged, wearing a floral shirt and faded jeans. Wang Ke recognized him as Li Daquan, a slick old hand who spent his days on this street, always dreaming of finding a bargain and willing to do anything to get it.

He held a small object wrapped in black cloth, no larger than two fists.

Wang Ke stopped in his tracks. He now had a strong interest in antiques, as this was destined to be a path to wealth.

Even though he despised Li Daquan's character, he still wanted to see what the man had brought.

Sun Ming had been wary of Wang Ke, but now that someone had arrived, his anxious heart finally calmed down. He didn't think Wang Ke would dare to beat him in front of a stranger!

Putting down his phone, he quickly glanced at Wang Ke and then put on a servile smile, approaching Li Daquan with a friendly face. "Oh, welcome, sir! What do you have? I'm the new helper, the previous one... no, the previous helper quit, and I'm replacing him. If you have something good, just bring it out, and I'll take a look."

Li Daquan frowned, his large, round eyes glaring. "Who do you think you are? Can you run this shop? Get Boss Zhou out here quickly, I have a big deal for him."

A lowlife.

Sun Ming was furious inside, but he didn't dare offend the customer. Comforting himself with the idea that the customer is always right, he smiled and nodded, and in no time, he had called Zhou Bapi down from upstairs.

Zhou Bapi was currently feeling the pain of loss!

He had thought the magical artifact he had bought at a high price was genuine, but it turned out to be fake, causing him a huge loss. It felt like he had swallowed hundreds of disgusting green flies, leaving him feeling thoroughly disgusted.

When he came downstairs and saw Li Daquan, he felt even more unlucky, knowing the man's true nature.

However, as a businessman, he couldn't turn away customers, and Li Daquan was a notorious troublemaker. If he didn't look at what the man had brought, he would surely pester him endlessly.

Forcing a smile, he said, "I didn't expect you, Brother Li, to visit our shop today. What great treasure do you have for me to see?"

Li Daquan was delighted, thinking he had found a bargain. He had acquired this item for very little money.

Eager to know if it was genuine, he didn't bother with pleasantries and got straight to the point. "Boss Zhou, you're a respected and capable person on this antique street. I've indeed found a treasure. Take a good look and tell me how much you'll pay for it."

A bronze Buddha statue was revealed when Li Daquan unwrapped the black cloth.

He handed the statue to Zhou Bapi, his eyes filled with intense longing, hoping to hear what he wanted to hear.

Zhou Bapi took the bronze Buddha statue. Before he could examine it closely, he noticed someone else in the shop. He looked up, and his body shuddered, his face turning green.

How did this little brat come back?

Is he here for revenge?

He quickly glanced at Sun Ming, his face showing a hint of inquiry.

Sun Ming cautiously looked at Wang Ke, understanding his boss's meaning. He held his fist to his lips and coughed, then said, "Boss, Wang Ke... Mr. Wang says he's also a customer, here to buy some antiques."

Not here to cause trouble?

Zhou Bapi felt relieved. He was somewhat afraid of his former helper, as he saw Wang Ke as a hidden expert who could punch a large indentation into a locust wood counter—something an ordinary person couldn't do.

His gaze finally fell on the bronze Buddha statue in his hands.

"This bronze Buddha statue is a fake!"

After a thorough examination, Zhou Bapi said indifferently.

"Fake? Impossible! The color, quality, and craftsmanship are all ancient. How can it be fake?" Li Daquan's voice rose a few decibels, and his face showed anger.

Zhou Bapi held the bronze Buddha statue up to Li Daquan and said calmly, "This is indeed a fake. Since you mentioned color, quality, and craftsmanship, let me explain."

"Color: Ancient Buddha statues, placed on altars and exposed to incense and time, have a dull surface that reflects light softly. New or artificially aged bronze Buddha statues reflect light more harshly. Let's go outside and see for yourself."

With that, Zhou Bapi led Li Daquan outside the Treasure Hall, holding the bronze Buddha statue up in the sunlight.

Wang Ke, curious, followed them out.

In the soft sunlight, the bronze Buddha statue indeed reflected light harshly.

Li Daquan's face turned grim, and he stared at the statue in silence.

Zhou Bapi smiled coldly and continued, "Now, let's talk about quality: Ancient Buddha statues are made of pure copper, heavy and thick. This imitation is made of impure copper, light, and clearly alloyed."

"Craftsmanship: Due to ancient production techniques, ancient bronze Buddha statues require detailed sculpting, with clear traces of work on the face, clothing, and base. This bronze Buddha statue has very regular marks, clearly from machine polishing."

After saying this, he looked at Li Daquan, whose face was grim and silent, and a mocking smile appeared on his lips. He added, "There's another way to tell: smell. Ancient bronze Buddha statues, after long-term worship and incense exposure, have a distinct incense smell. If buried for a long time, they have a musty, decayed smell. Smell this bronze Buddha statue; it has a light but clear chemical corrosion smell."

"So, this bronze Buddha statue is a fake!"

Li Daquan's face turned pale, and he finally looked dejected. He moved his lips and asked helplessly, "Boss Zhou, how much is this bronze Buddha statue worth?"

"Nothing, it's only worth scrap metal."

Wang Ke, standing next to Li Daquan and Zhou Bapi, had a strange look in his eyes. He had a peculiar feeling that, although Zhou Bapi's explanation seemed logical, this bronze Buddha statue should be an antique.

He had heard a story before: A young man who had been faking antiques for a long time, unable to distinguish a genuine antique, cleverly processed it to make it look fake. By chance, an expert in the collecting world discovered it and got a great deal.

He had a similar feeling now. No matter how he looked at it, he felt this bronze Buddha statue was not simple.

Glancing at the disappointed Li Daquan, he hesitated for a moment and said, "Don't worry, I've had a string of bad luck, and even my boss fired me. I want to buy a bronze Buddha statue to worship at home. Brother Li, can I take a look at your statue? If I like it, I might buy it!"

Li Daquan didn't hesitate, handing the bronze Buddha statue to Wang Ke with a hint of eagerness. "Take a look, take a look. Even if it's a fake, sincerity can make it work. If you buy it, it will surely bring you good luck!"

Wang Ke smiled coldly, took the bronze Buddha statue, and began to examine it carefully.

Zhou Bapi, who had intended to get rid of Li Daquan quickly, heard Wang Ke's words and his face showed disdain. However, he suddenly remembered that Wang Ke was no longer his employee and had shown impressive skills before. His disdain vanished instantly, and he dared not show it, only sneering inwardly and stepping back to watch Wang Ke's embarrassment.

Due to his recent breakthrough, Wang Ke was very sensitive to his surroundings. He easily caught the brief disdain on Zhou Bapi's face, perhaps feeling a threat from him. Although Zhou Bapi quickly concealed it, his posture of watching the show was still noticeable.

Wang Ke glanced coldly at Zhou Bapi, ignored him, and focused on the bronze Buddha statue.

Perhaps because he had just used his supernatural eye, he felt an indescribable unease, as if his heart was being clawed. He felt the bronze Buddha statue was genuine, and his slightly painful eyes noticed a small spot on the base, a trace left by the forger.

The supernatural eye should still be usable for a few seconds. He decided to try again. Even if it was fake, he wouldn't be too disappointed.

With that in mind, he controlled his true qi to flow to his eyes.

The needle-like pain lasted only a second or two, and then his gaze fell on the bronze Buddha statue.

[Thank you, Gouchen Dijun, for your support. Thank you, Fu Qilin, Shenong, Long Dongqiang, and readers 2012xy, Zhugan Bizhi, Shizhi, Xiaofan, Camello, Tian Di Zhi Tong, and Ha P for your support. Thanks, everyone, for the new book period, this book relies on all of you.]

{Piaotian Literature www.PiaoTian.com Thanks to all the readers for your support. Your support is our greatest motivation.}

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