Chapter 100

Chapter 98: The Wager

In fact, it wasn't surprising that Zhao Defa, a billionaire, felt so nervous. After all, these two small cups were not cheap.

In April 1999, at a Sotheby's auction of Chinese cultural relics in Hong Kong, a well-preserved Ming Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cup was sold for a staggering 29.17 million Hong Kong dollars, setting a record for the highest price ever paid for an ancient Chinese porcelain at auction.

At the current exchange rate, nearly 30 million Hong Kong dollars would be equivalent to about 24 million RMB!

While auction prices might be somewhat inflated, a single Chicken Cup could easily fetch over 20 million RMB. Moreover, what was on display here was not just one but a pair.

In the antiques trade, the value of a pair or a set of antiques is not simply the sum of their individual values, but can be three, four, or even more times higher. This meant that if the pair of Ming Chenghua Chicken Cups were genuine and Zhao Defa wanted to buy them, he would need to pay at least 60 million RMB, or even more.

Such a large sum of money, even with Zhao Defa's current wealth, could not be taken lightly. After all, the nearly 10 billion RMB asset Huatai Group was not his alone.

Therefore, if he couldn't get a definitive answer from Old Li, he naturally wouldn't be willing to spend the money easily.

Seeing the conflicted look on Zhao Defa's face, the cautious Old Li shook his head and said with a complex expression, "Mr. Zhao, although I can't find any faults with these cups, I still feel something is off." He paused and sighed, "Perhaps my appraisal skills are not up to par!"

"Don't say that, or I won't have the face to ask you to appraise things for me in the future!" Zhao Defa quickly said.

At this moment,藤田一郎 (Fujita Ichiro) and the middle-aged man surnamed Wang exchanged a strange look. The latter then stood up and said, "Mr. Zhao, this pair of Chicken Cups is Fujita's family heirloom, an absolute Ming dynasty porcelain treasure. If it weren't for Fujita's business troubles, he would never have put it up for sale. Therefore, we hope Mr. Zhao can make a decision soon. If you don't want to buy these treasures, we won't force you. We believe other Chinese collectors won't miss this opportunity!"

Before Zhao Defa could respond, Li Yuncang, sitting next to Liu Dong, said indignantly, "Don't act so high and mighty! What family heirloom? It's just something you looted from China. And as a Chinese person, you can say such things without blushing? You're disgracing us Chinese!"

Although Li Yuncang's voice wasn't loud, everyone in the room could hear him clearly.

"What did you say, you scoundrel?"

The middle-aged man surnamed Wang turned red with anger and shouted.

At this moment, Liu Dong, who had long been annoyed by them, also stood up and said, "What did he say wrong? Any Chinese person knows this is Chinese. I can't believe you call it a Japanese family heirloom. I'm starting to doubt if you're even Chinese, saying such stupid things!"

Historically, during the Republic of China era, apart from Taiwan and Northeast China, Shandong Province suffered the most from Japanese atrocities, including the Jinan Massacre, the Jinxian Massacre, and the Wuzhai Mountain Massacre, which claimed the lives of thousands of Shandong residents. Although World War II ended half a century ago, this deep-seated hatred still lingers in the hearts of Shandong people. Out of ten Shandong people, nine and a half have no good feelings toward the Japanese, and Liu Dong was no exception.

"Haha, Brother Liu is absolutely right!"

Hearing Li Yuncang's somewhat arrogant laughter, Old Li couldn't help but smile and shake his head, not stopping him. Zhao Defa, who had long been annoyed by the middle-aged man's arrogance, also remained silent. If it weren't for the idea of buying back China's lost treasures from this Japanese man, he would have kicked these arrogant people out long ago.

"You... you...!" The middle-aged man surnamed Wang turned purple with anger, his right index finger trembling as he pointed at Liu Dong, unable to find a way to counter him.

"What are you, still holding onto these broken cups and following your Japanese master? Damn, a Chinese person helping Japanese scoundrels to deceive their own countrymen!" Liu Dong's sharp tongue was no less venomous than anyone else's.

After hearing his words, the middle-aged man's eyes flashed with fear, and he momentarily forgot how to respond.

"Baka! Chinese, you say this pair of Doucai Chicken Cups is fake. What evidence do you have?" At this moment, Fujita Ichiro suddenly spoke in fluent Chinese.

"Wow, you can speak Chinese! You were quite convincing earlier!" Liu Dong sneered.

Hearing his words, Fujita Ichiro's face showed a hint of regret. When he heard Liu Dong say the cups were fake, he panicked and forgot the plan he had with Wang. By the time he realized it, it was too late.

At this moment, Wang's face also showed a hint of panic, though it quickly disappeared, it was still noticed by Liu Dong.

"Mr. Fujita often does business in China, so it's not strange that he speaks Chinese. However, don't try to change the subject. You said Mr. Fujita's Doucai Chicken Cups are fake. What evidence do you have? Don't just talk big!" Wang said mockingly.

Liu Dong coldly laughed and said, "Since I said they are fake, I have my reasons." He paused and scanned the two men with a mocking gaze before continuing, "But I want to make a bet with Mr. Fujita. Do you dare?"

Hearing his words, Fujita Ichiro looked at the young Chinese man with a mix of surprise and doubt. He knew the truth about the cups, "Could he really have figured it out?"

"Xiao Dong, how did you determine that this pair of Chicken Cups is fake?" Old Li, who knew Liu Dong's appraisal skills best, couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, Brother Liu, how did you know these cups are fake?" Zhao Defa also asked, his face full of confusion. He couldn't believe that Liu Dong, a young man, could surpass the experienced Old Li in porcelain appraisal.

To be honest, even Li Yuncang, who supported Liu Dong the most, didn't think he could accurately appraise the Ming Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cups.

"Old Li, Mr. Zhao, let me keep you in suspense for a moment. You'll understand soon!" Liu Dong, who had practiced martial arts since childhood and possessed special abilities, found it easier to spot flaws after determining they were fake.

"Mr. Fujita, take the bet. Your Doucai Chicken Cups are genuine. I don't believe his appraisal skills are that high!" Wang said.

Hearing his words, Fujita Ichiro's eyes lit up. Wang's words reminded him that even an experienced appraiser like Old Li couldn't find any faults with the cups. He didn't believe Liu Dong, a young man, could be that skilled.

"Fine, I'll accept your challenge. How do you want to bet?" Fujita Ichiro said loudly.

Hearing his words, Old Li, standing nearby, said with urgency, "Xiao Dong, don't act rashly!"

Liu Dong smiled and reassured him, "Don't worry, Old Li! I know what I'm doing! I won't act recklessly!"

Seeing the determined look on his face, Li Renfang knew the situation was beyond changing. He sighed and stepped back, regretting bringing Liu Dong here today.

However, compared to Old Li, Li Yuncang, standing behind Liu Dong, had more confidence in him. He had seen Liu Dong win 30 million RMB from Han Lei at the gambling table yesterday.

Now, seeing Liu Dong take the initiative to challenge the Japanese man, he naturally believed Liu Dong would win.

However, Liu Dong didn't know what he was thinking, "I saw a painting in your suitcase. If I can find evidence that these Chicken Cups are fakes, the painting will be mine. If I lose, I'll pay you the market value of the painting in cash. What do you think?"

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