Chapter 9

Shen Hong felt his face losing its composure and decided to ignore the Tibetan Mastiff. He glanced at the tall young man, feeling somewhat dissatisfied. Although the mongrel dog and the cats were overly fierce, this Tibetan Mastiff seemed to give up so easily, probably not a pure breed at all.

Shen Hong looked at the four cats again, his eyes suddenly brightening with surprise. "Is this a Bengal cat?"

Su Jing was taken aback. "What Bengal cat? This is a tabby cat." The three kittens, after being fed with magical beast meat, had indeed changed their fur, becoming much prettier, but they didn't resemble Bengal cats at all.

Shen Hong looked unconvinced and said, "How can this be a tabby cat? Tabby cats can't have such quality. Upon closer inspection, it doesn't seem like a Bengal cat either. Could it be a hybrid of a wild leopard cat and a domestic cat?"

Actually, Bengal cats are not true leopard cats; they are hybrids of wild Asian leopard cats and domestic cats, combining the beautiful patterns of Asian leopard cats with the gentle nature of domestic cats.

However, the kitten in front of him had patterns that were even more wild than most Bengal cats. At first glance, it looked like a wild clouded leopard, but its temperament was gentle and adorable, completely different from wild clouded leopards and leopard cats.

Suddenly, Shen Hong had the idea of buying the mongrel dog and the cats.

But he was worried that if he proposed it suddenly, he might be refused or the price might be deliberately raised. He decided to take it slowly.

After entering the house and sitting down, Su Jing poured tea for them, intentionally leaving out the tall young man's cup. This guy had spoken rudely about his dog and the old house, looking down on him. Why should he pour tea for him? Not kicking him out was already generous enough.

Shen Hong was curious about how Su Jing raised and trained the cats and dogs. After sitting down, he couldn't help but look around, hoping to find some clues. When he saw a corner with some broken stones, ceramic shards, and wood, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Su Jing asked, "What's wrong?"

Shen Hong pointed at the ceramic shards and said, "The material of these ceramic shards is very good, not like ordinary ceramics."

Su Jing remained calm and said, "Do you have expertise in this area, Mr. Shen?"

Shen Hong smiled, a hint of pride in his voice. "I have some knowledge of antiques, especially in ceramics."

Su Jing's heart stirred. He had brought some ceramic shards and wood into the house and studied them for a while but couldn't determine their value. This was a highly specialized field, not something he could figure out in a short time. Since there was an expert present, he might as well let him take a look.

Su Jing said, "Could you help me evaluate these broken stones and ceramic shards? Are they possibly antiques? I heard that even broken antiques, when glued back together, still have some value, though not as much as intact ones."

The tall young man sneered. "A pile of broken stones and ceramic shards? What value could they have? This reminds me of some country folks who always think their ancestral urinals and pickled vegetable jars are antiques, just as ridiculous."

Shen Hong glared at the tall young man. "Xiao Jun, be respectful."

Shen Hong walked over and carefully picked up a ceramic shard, examining it. After observing a dozen shards, he finally shook his head and stopped.

"What's the verdict?" Su Jing saw Shen Hong's expression and already guessed the result, but he still asked, not giving up.

"Firstly, these are not antiques. The patterns and carvings do not match any dynasty, and they look very new. They are likely modern items. If you don't believe me, you can have them carbon-14 dated," Shen Hong said.

"You're right, Mr. Shen. No need for testing." Su Jing's heart sank, and he quickly waved his hand. The patterns and carvings were from the Panlong world, and there was no corresponding dynasty on Earth. As for carbon-14 dating, Su Jing dared not risk it. If it was found that the material was not from Earth, how could he explain it? He might not only lose money but also get into trouble.

"Secondly," Shen Hong paused and continued, "the carvings and patterns are very crude and inferior, not even modern crafts. They are only valuable for their material. Even if they were intact, they would be worth only slightly more than ordinary bowls. Once broken, they are worthless. Young man, I usually don't speak so definitively, but since you're clearly a novice, I'll be clear. I don't know where you got these fragments, but consider it a lesson."

"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Shen." Su Jing felt somewhat disappointed but was much more polite to Shen Hong. After all, the wise are teachers, and Shen Hong was much older than him.

"Be more cautious in the future. Don't act rashly without being sure..." Shen Hong, in his role as an elder, gave Su Jing some advice. However, his voice suddenly stopped, and his gaze fixed on a black, roughly ten-centimeter-diameter piece of wood next to the ceramic shards.

Su Jing followed Shen Hong's gaze and felt somewhat puzzled. This piece of wood could barely be considered a carving, and the carving quality was extremely poor. It looked like a child's abstract drawing. What was so noteworthy about it?

"Ha ha, this carving is quite childlike," Shen Hong's eyes quickly returned to normal. He picked up the wood and tossed it casually, saying, "If my great-grandson saw it, he might like it. Can I have it, old man that I am?"

Su Jing narrowed his eyes. Childlike carving? You're trying to fool me, aren't you?

The respect Su Jing had just developed for the old man instantly vanished. If he hadn't seen the glint in the old fox's eyes, this piece of wood must have some value. The carving quality was absolutely worthless, so the value must be in the wood itself.

But what value could a piece of rotten wood have? Unless...

"Mr. Shen, do you know about sandalwood?" Su Jing asked tentatively.

"Sandalwood? Of course I do." Shen Hong's eyes twitched involuntarily, and he feigned surprise, "Could this be sandalwood?"

Hearing this, the tall young man frowned, and the cold beauty stared at the wood with interest.

"You must have seen it already. Why beat around the bush?" Su Jing laughed, feeling very pleased. It turned out it really was sandalwood. Thinking about it, sandalwood was very precious on Earth, but in the endless forests of the Panlong world, it could probably be cut down freely.

"Ha ha... Not at all, I made a mistake earlier," Shen Hong, being old and thick-skinned, laughed it off and then looked at Su Jing seriously, "Who carved these patterns?"

"I don't know. I found it like this," Su Jing said.

"Truly a waste. If I knew who did this, I wouldn't let them off." Shen Hong scowled, using such inferior techniques to carve on sandalwood was unforgivable.

"Listen, young man, this piece of sandalwood is not ordinary. It's quite valuable, but unfortunately, it's been ruined by the carving. You probably have no use for it. How about I buy it from you for two thousand yuan?" Shen Hong looked at Su Jing and said.