Chapter 24

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In the Qingzhu Hotel's Qing Song private room.

As the most famous and high-end hotel in Qinglin City, Qingzhu not only serves excellent food but also decorates its rooms with great care. Each private room is uniquely designed according to its name. For example, this room named Qing Song is themed around the green pine tree.

A painting of a crane and a pine tree hangs on the wall, a delicate green pine bonsai is placed in the corner, and the clear and pleasant sound of a zither fills the air. Sitting here, even the most troubled person would quickly calm down. This kind of enjoyment is incomparable to the main hall.

If you're not in Qingzhu, no matter how rich you are, you won't have the chance to entertain guests in these private rooms without a matching status and position.

"Brother, do you want to order a few more dishes?" Li Letian smiled and casually said after inviting Su Mu to sit down.

"No, this is fine. I've already eaten, and I came in just to have a few drinks with you," Su Mu smiled, showing no sign of panic, even though he knew that the person sitting in front of him was the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of Qinglin City. He maintained a respectful but not overly humble demeanor.

"Exactly, that's the spirit!" Li Letian laughed and stood up. "Brother, there were too many people earlier, so now I'll introduce you properly! This is my elder brother, Li Leming, the current Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of Qinglin City. If you have any problems you can't solve, just ask him for help.

This is Zheng Dou Dou, Sister Dou Dou. I came here today because I wanted you to help her appraise a few items! Elder Brother, Sister Dou Dou, this is Su Mu, the deputy mayor of Heishan Town in Xingtang County, who helped me out and found a genuine seal in Xingtang County."

"Brother Li, I'll offer you a toast. I'll drink it all, you drink as you please!" Su Mu said, raising his glass and finishing it in one gulp.

Brother Li? When Li Leming heard Su Mu's words, he couldn't help but be slightly moved. This young man looked young but spoke and acted with confidence. If it were someone else, they would definitely call him Secretary Li, but Su Mu directly called him Brother Li. This meant that Su Mu didn't see him as the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee but purely as Li Letian's elder brother.

In that case, he had to give him face.

"Letian told me about what happened in Xingtang County a few days ago. Thanks to you, otherwise, he would have not only lost face but also wasted money. I'll drink to that!" Li Leming didn't hesitate, smiling as he finished his drink. Those who knew him understood that this was a significant gesture.

"That was a small matter. Anyone would have helped," Su Mu said with a smile.

"How did you know that the seal was genuine? And how could you be sure it was a set of two? If it had been fake, it would have been a big loss for Little Li. He just took it back based on your word," Zheng Dou Dou, her gaze intense, played with her glass and asked.

"I said it was genuine, and I'm absolutely sure!" Su Mu said confidently. The existence of the Official List was his greatest asset, and he trusted it more than anyone. As for Zheng Dou Dou's comment about Li Letian not having it appraised, he just listened. For such a big deal, would he not have it appraised?

"You're quite confident!" Zheng Dou Dou said with a smile.

"I can't say much about other things, but when it comes to appraising antiques, I have this confidence," Su Mu said naturally.

Sometimes, it's okay to be low-key, but it doesn't mean you should always be low-key. Being overly low-key is what mediocre people do. Su Mu wanted to win Li Leming's favor with absolute confidence. If he could do this, it would be worth the dinner.

"Sister Dou Dou, I'm not exaggerating, Su Mu really knows about antiques. Why don't you take out the items you brought and let him appraise them?" Li Letian said excitedly.

"Is that okay?" Zheng Dou Dou asked playfully.

"If Brother Li has no objections, I can appraise them now!" Su Mu said calmly.

"I have no objections. I'd like to see it too. There's no one else here today, Su Mu, show us what you've got!" Li Leming smiled.

To be honest, Li Leming was really curious. The seal Li Letian brought back had made the old man very happy. As the one who facilitated this, Li Leming had long wanted to see how young Su Mu was and how knowledgeable he was about antiques.

"I want to see if you really know antiques!" Zheng Dou Dou said, walking to a corner and carefully opening a suitcase, taking out the items and placing them on a nearby table.

"There are four items: a jade, a bottle, a painting, and a bronze statue. Tell me if they are genuine or fake. If they are genuine, what are they? If you can get it right, I'll be convinced."

"I'll give it a try!"

Su Mu stood up and walked to the table, his confident expression never changing. Fortunately, he hadn't used up his appraisals for the day. With five chances and only four items, he could definitely appraise them.

"Kid, do you really think he can do it?" Li Leming said casually.

"Brother, to be honest, I don't know, but I trust him. It's just a gut feeling. The confidence he showed in Xingtang County's antique street is the same as now. Brother, with your years of experience in government, do you trust him?" Li Letian whispered.

Li Leming stared at Su Mu, who hadn't shown any signs of panic since entering the room. What kind of experiences had he had to be so calm in front of him? After all, as a deputy section-level official, he could easily ruin a lot of people with just a few words.

However, if he were to guess, he would also trust Su Mu. Not to mention anything else, just his calm, confident demeanor made people believe in him.

"Su Mu, this is your chance. If you can handle this well, you might get a great opportunity. After all, the Zheng family behind Zheng Dou Dou is a big player," Li Leming thought to himself.

If it weren't for Zheng Dou Dou's background and the good relationship between the Li and Zheng families, Li Leming wouldn't have lowered himself to accompany a hall-level official.

To be honest, how many people could make the Li family's direct line do such a thing unless Li Leming was willing?

Su Mu casually ran his finger over the jade, which looked quite good. The Official List immediately appeared, but apart from the energy inside the jade being absorbed and warming the list, no words appeared on it.

"This jade is of good quality and looks great, but unfortunately, it's not an ancient jade. It's a modern man-made product. So, this jade is a fake!"

As Su Mu put the jade down, Li Leming and Li Letian looked at Zheng Dou Dou. Since she brought the items, she must have had them appraised before coming. No one would bring items without any prior appraisal and ask for help.

In the capital, the center of power, there are many experts in antiques. If she couldn't handle such a simple matter, it would be a challenge to the Zheng family and an insult to Zheng Dou Dou's intelligence.

"That's right, it's a fake. Keep going!" Zheng Dou Dou said calmly, showing no excitement at Su Mu's correct identification of the jade.

This was just the lowest-level test among the four items. The real challenge was yet to come. If Su Mu could appraise them all correctly, that would be truly impressive.

Keep going, then. You want to test me? No chance. With the Official List, I'm invincible.

"This bottle is fake! Despite its good shape and craftsmanship, it's still a fake. If you don't believe me, just smash it."

"This painting is also fake! But even as a fake, the craftsmanship is top-notch. If it were sold on its own, it would fetch a good price."

After identifying three fakes in a row, Zheng Dou Dou's expression finally changed. She had indeed had the items appraised before coming, as she knew nothing about antiques.

Each of the three items Su Mu identified was accurate. They were indeed fakes. But the expert had said that not everyone could tell. Only a veteran with decades of experience could do that. How could such a young man like Su Mu know? Was the expert lying to her?

"Ha, what do you think? I told you my brother is amazing, and you didn't believe me. Now you know I wasn't lying!" Li Letian said excitedly.

"Brother, quickly look at the last item. I'm so excited, I have an impulse to start a company with you. We could specialize in antiques. Not only would it be profitable, but it would also be prestigious. Best of all, if we find a bargain, we'd be thrilled! Ha!"

Taking this opportunity, Li Letian casually mentioned the purpose of his visit. Without sufficient profit, a young man from a prestigious family like Li Letian wouldn't have come all the way from the capital to Qinglin City. With a shortage of money, Li Letian had identified Su Mu as a valuable asset and wanted to make a fortune through him.

Li Leming's eyes flashed with a sharp light, but he didn't say much. He leisurely picked up his teacup and sipped it slowly, his half-closed eyes giving him a mysterious look.

Su Mu's mind raced. Was this the reason Li Letian came? If so, it wasn't impossible to work with him.

However, there was no need to deal with antiques anymore. With Ye Xi handling them, it was enough. He could let Li Letian have some shares and think of something else.

This was indeed a feasible plan, but now wasn't the time to discuss it. He needed to focus on the fourth item.

Buzz!

As Su Mu's finger touched the fourth item, the silent Official List suddenly displayed a few lines of text.

Category: Ancient Sculpture

Name: Gilded Bronze Statue of Shakyamuni Buddha

Authenticity: Exquisite craftsmanship, unique design, 29.8 cm tall, 23 cm wide * 18.5 cm deep, weighing 6.7 kg, a genuine late Ming Dynasty statue.

"So, is the fourth item also a fake?" Zheng Dou Dou challenged.

"Wrong!" Su Mu smiled and shook his head. "Miss Zheng, let's be straightforward. Only the fourth item is genuine. This gilded bronze statue of Shakyamuni Buddha is a late Ming Dynasty work. A conservative estimate would be around 100,000 yuan. Is that correct?"

"You really know antiques!" Zheng Dou Dou said in surprise. The facts were clear. Even if she didn't want to believe it, she had to admit that Su Mu truly knew antiques. Not only did he know, but he was also very skilled. He could make such a confident judgment without any instruments. Such expertise was rare.

"I said I know a bit!" Su Mu smiled, pushing the four items to the side and placing the Buddha statue next to Zheng Dou Dou, accidentally touching her fingers. This brief touch shocked Su Mu. He never expected that Zheng Dou Dou was...

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