Chapter 2

Ning Yuan could also tell that this Mr. Jiang seemed not very enthusiastic about him, but he didn’t mind. His words just now were purely polite, a kind of casual response. It was their first meeting, and he hadn’t eagerly gone up to read Mr. Jiang’s face.

In fact, Ning Yuan had never been very fond of feng shui and mysticism. He always thought that this stuff wasn’t very useful in modern society. Although he knew quite a bit and had found some valuable aspects, he mainly focused on medicine. What he liked most was treating and saving lives. He wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about feng shui, geomancy, fortune-telling, or physiognomy.

To be honest, Ning Yuan was only twenty years old. He was a young and vibrant guy who didn’t want to be seen as a charlatan or a quack. This time, he came to Shangjiang City just to find a stable job, partly for a steady income and partly to broaden his horizons.

Jiang Shihao naturally didn’t know Ning Yuan’s thoughts. Seeing that Ning Yuan was just a young man, he immediately lost interest. However, out of respect for Gu Fenglin, he didn’t leave on the spot. He invited Ning Yuan into the car and instructed the driver to find a restaurant for a meal.

The driver could tell that his boss was a bit disappointed, so when looking for a restaurant, he didn’t go to the reserved place but found one at random, parking the car in front of the restaurant.

Given Jiang Shihao’s status, even though he just picked a random restaurant, it wasn’t of low quality. It was a three-star hotel in Shangjiang City, with a very wide parking lot and a gilded and splendid facade.

Gu Fenglin had long noticed that Jiang Shihao was somewhat put off by his young uncle’s age, and later showed a cold attitude. He was naturally unhappy because he knew his uncle’s abilities. Despite his young age, his uncle was actually the last disciple of their ancestral master, who passed away at the beginning of the year. He had inherited the lineage and was the legitimate head of their sect. Even his master would stand behind him in formal settings.

Although modern society doesn’t care much about seniority and formalities, in the medical and martial arts circles, these rules are still very important, especially in some ancient sects and families, where they are taken very seriously.

Gu Fenglin had studied in the sect for over a decade, although he only learned the basics. However, he knew that their sect was quite influential in the martial arts world. Their master, who passed away at the beginning of the year, had a high seniority in the martial arts world and had connections with the Hongmen and Qingbang. He lived to be 108 years old, born at the end of the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, his young uncle was considered a senior figure in the current martial arts world.

There’s an old saying in the martial arts world: "Old master, young disciple, the ancestor who hasn’t left the door." This refers to people like his young uncle, who, despite being young, have a very high seniority. Even some 70-80-year-old veterans might call him a senior.

Jiang Shihao’s coldness towards Ning Yuan naturally made Gu Fenglin somewhat displeased. As they were about to enter the restaurant, he deliberately asked Ning Yuan with a smile, "Young Uncle, what do you think of the layout of this restaurant?"

In today’s society, anyone with money believes in fate and feng shui. Even those who don’t believe are willing to spend money for peace of mind. Jiang Shihao was a feng shui enthusiast and knew some basics, though not deeply. He could tell if someone was knowledgeable. Gu Fenglin’s question was meant to impress Jiang Shihao and prevent him from looking down on Ning Yuan.

However, Ning Yuan had no such intention. He casually glanced around and chuckled, "Not bad, a feng shui treasure spot. The front is bustling with traffic, a place for accumulating wealth. I wonder how the food is, I’m really hungry."

When Gu Fenglin asked Ning Yuan, Jiang Shihao, who was standing nearby, pretended to be indifferent but was actually listening intently. He was a bit skeptical that Gu Fenglin’s uncle knew nothing about feng shui, but he still had a glimmer of hope. However, after hearing Ning Yuan’s words, he was thoroughly disappointed. Anyone with a functioning brain could say what Ning Yuan said, showing no real knowledge.

At that moment, Jiang Shihao categorized Ning Yuan as a connection, thinking that Ning Yuan’s high seniority might just be due to a relationship with Gu Fenglin’s elders, possibly even an illegitimate child or a legitimate one.

With this thought, he lost interest and entered the restaurant first. The restaurant manager greeted him, "Mr. Jiang, welcome."

Jiang Shihao casually waved his hand, "Alright, no need for formalities. Just find us a private room; we’re hungry."

"Mr. Jiang, please." The manager, not daring to be negligent, hurriedly made a gesture to lead the way, guiding Jiang Shihao, Gu Fenglin, and Ning Yuan to a private room upstairs.

The restaurant had a somewhat old-fashioned style, reminiscent of the Republican era. It had three floors with no elevator. The main hall had a wooden staircase leading up, with a square skylight extending to the ceiling. Standing on the first floor, one could see the large chandelier on the ceiling, and from the second and third floors, one could see the marble floor on the first floor.

Near the staircase, there were two porcelain vases, about 46 centimeters tall with a narrow opening. As Ning Yuan was about to go upstairs, he exclaimed, "Hmm," then shook his head and continued walking.

Although this action was brief, it was noticed by the others, especially the soft "Hmm," which everyone heard. The restaurant manager, seeing this, politely asked, "Sir, did you notice something?"

"No, I just thought these vases looked like Ming Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they turned out to be fakes. However, the imitation is quite skillful, probably from the Republican era," Ning Yuan said casually.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shihao and the restaurant manager, except for Gu Fenglin, widened their eyes, especially Jiang Shihao, who looked at Ning Yuan as if seeing him for the first time, full of surprise.

These imitations of blue-and-white porcelain are fakes, which anyone with basic knowledge could tell. However, such large blue-and-white porcelain pieces are extremely rare, found only in the Palace Museum. The fact that Ning Yuan could immediately identify them as Republican-era imitations was no small feat.

Jiang Shihao had eaten at this restaurant before and knew the history of these vases. Although they weren’t genuine, they were highly realistic and from the Republican era, making them worth over a million.

Because he knew this, he was very surprised when Ning Yuan identified them. Identifying the imitation era is as difficult as distinguishing the genuine from the fake, and without deep knowledge, it’s impossible to tell.

These vases were imitations of Ming Dynasty Xuande period blue-and-white porcelain, which was a golden age for blue-and-white porcelain. The blue-and-white porcelain of that period was the mainstream, using imported cobalt, known as "Suni Boqing," and the production process was very meticulous.

The imitations used the same materials, and the person who made them was a skilled ceramist of the time. When they were made, they fooled many experts, almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

If not for their large size, which was rare even in the Ming Dynasty, they could have passed as genuine. From a professional perspective, they were very difficult to identify.

Jiang Shihao realized he had misjudged Ning Yuan and quickly asked with a smile, "Mr. Ning, are you interested in antiques?"

Jiang Shihao knew Ning Yuan was Gu Fenglin’s uncle and, due to his age, had initially looked down on him. Now, he didn’t dare to do so. Regardless of other things, Ning Yuan’s ability to identify the vases was impressive.

"Sure, I like to study these things in my free time. Actually, I’m not very knowledgeable about porcelain; I prefer jade," Ning Yuan said with a faint smile.

"Ha, I also like jade. Perhaps we can discuss it another day," Jiang Shihao chuckled, changing his attitude from earlier and said politely, "Mr. Ning, please. Let’s have dinner first, and then I’ll show you my new company, where there are many antiques."

"Sure, I do have an interest in antiques," Ning Yuan nodded and walked alongside Jiang Shihao. The group went upstairs to a small, elegant private room.

Just as they were about to enter, the door of a nearby private room opened, and a young man in his thirties staggered out, laughing loudly. His laughter was very loud, as if he had encountered something very amusing.

At first, no one paid much attention, but the young man’s laughter didn’t stop. Two other young men of similar age rushed out of the room, concerned, and asked, "Young Master Qin, are you okay?"

"I... hahaha... I’m happy... hahaha," the young man said, struggling to speak between laughs, "hahaha, I... I... hahaha..."

Jiang Shihao looked at the young man, frowned, and said, "Isn’t this the second son of the Qin family? What’s wrong with him?"

Ning Yuan, standing next to Jiang Shihao, had been watching the young man. He suddenly frowned and sighed, "This is a case of extreme joy leading to a mental breakdown. If not controlled, his life will be in danger."

Jiang Shihao was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Mr. Ning, you also know medicine?"

Ning Yuan smiled and nodded, "I’m actually a doctor. Treating patients is my profession."

"Doctor!" Jiang Shihao was speechless. This was too much. A doctor who could identify the authenticity of blue-and-white porcelain and knew so much, and he was only in his early twenties. It was truly...

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