Chapter 198: Counterfeit Porcelain
Zhang Zhigang felt the texture of the paper without a word and passed the scroll to the young appraiser beside him. This young man was Han Lei, the apprentice Zhang Zhigang had recently taken on.
"Xiaolei, take a look at this."
Han Lei appraised it carefully for a moment before looking at Qin Tianxiang with an apologetic expression. "Mr. Qin, I’m very sorry, but your scroll is a modern reproduction. The signs of artificial aging are quite obvious. The papermaking techniques of the Song Dynasty were very distinct; they mostly used mulberry bark, paper mulberry bark, and bamboo. If you look closely at the back of the paper, you can faintly see flecks of unpulped bark or bamboo fibers. However, the back of your scroll is completely smooth, with no such residue."
Han Lei’s explanation was logical and easy to follow, and the esteemed guests in the audience nodded in agreement.
The esteemed guest who had just placed a bid looked relieved. ’Thank goodness the first Treasure Holder wasn’t willing to sell!’
’Otherwise, I would’ve been a huge sucker!’
Qin Tianxiang instantly deflated. He was starting to regret it. ’If I’d known, I should have just sold it. I could have walked away with fifty thousand.’
However, Qin Tianxiang clung to a final shred of hope and looked toward Zhang Zhigang. "Teacher Zhang, is it really a fake? This young man is so... young. Is it possible he misjudged?"
Zhang Zhigang replied calmly, "Han Lei has already mastered eighty percent of my teachings. His expertise in calligraphy and painting, in particular, is in no way inferior to my own. This scroll is, without a doubt, a fake. According to the rules of our Yuanxi Auction House, this scroll..."
Qin Tianxiang shook his head with a bitter smile. "Just follow the rules."
With Qin Tianxiang’s consent, the host, Xiong Yu, grabbed the scroll and held it up for the guests. "Watch closely, everyone. Yuanxi will not let a single fake get by!"
With that, Xiong Yu ripped it with all his might!
RIP! RIP!
The scroll was torn to shreds!
Seeing this, all the esteemed guests felt a thrill, a rush of excitement!
Their blood was pumping!
Perhaps it was some primal instinct for destruction?
All sorts of influencers trembled with excitement, aiming their cameras at the shredded scroll.
The Veteran said with a hint of excitement, "This trip was worth it! Looks like Yuanxi is the real deal! Did you all see that? A fake that was bid up to fifty thousand, destroyed right on the spot!"
A sinister smile flashed in the eyes of the man in the duck-billed cap. ’Very good. Yuanxi isn’t just putting on a show; they really destroy fakes on the spot.’
’I’m Treasure Holder number nine. It’ll be my turn soon. When the time comes, I’ll destroy Yuanxi’s reputation!’
The rest of the auction proceeded smoothly. Of the first eight Treasure Holders, only three had fakes; the other five all had genuine articles.
During this time, the bidders remained calm, refraining from making any rash offers until after the appraisal results were announced.
In the end, all five genuine articles sold for relatively high prices.
Xiong Yu announced with a broad smile, "Congratulations to esteemed guest number 63 for winning the item with a bid of 700,000! And now, let’s welcome Treasure Holder number nine, Mr. Zhang!"
Treasure Holder number nine, the man in the duck-billed cap, was a magician from Taiwan who went by the alias Zhang Han.
Lin Xingyu had spent a fortune to hire him.
He had even smashed a piece of Yuan Blue-and-White Porcelain that he himself was very fond of.
He had truly spared no expense.
Zhang Han walked onstage carrying a porcelain vase, placed it gently on the table, and began his introduction. "Hello, everyone. My name is Zhang Han. This porcelain piece was passed down from my grandfather. He told me it’s an authentic piece of Yuan Blue-and-White Porcelain."
Xiong Yu quickly had the image of the vase projected onto the large screen.
It had to be said, Lin Xingyu had really gone to great lengths to ruin Yuanxi’s reputation.
The craftsmanship of this fake vase was exquisite. From the outside, it was as white as jade, as reflective as a mirror, and as thin as paper.
Among the esteemed guests, there were quite a few tycoons with a discerning eye. They could tell instantly that this piece of Yuan Blue-and-White Porcelain was very likely genuine. And even if it were a fake, it was such a high-quality replica that it could still be used for gifting or currying favor.
Buying it would be no loss at all.
Several esteemed guests immediately raised their paddles.
"I bid one hundred thousand!"
"Old Lin, is that a joke? A piece of Yuan blue-and-white in this condition, and you think you can get it for a hundred thousand? That’s highway robbery! I’ll bid three hundred thousand!"
"Five hundred thousand!"
The bidding had reached a high price of five hundred thousand before the appraisal had even begun. The bidders cooled their jets; for an unappraised item, five hundred thousand was already quite high.
Seeing that the bidding had stopped, Xiong Yu smiled at Zhang Han. "Mr. Zhang, five hundred thousand is a good price. Would you like to consider it?"
If this fake had truly been his, he would have gladly accepted. But he was on a mission, so he could only shake his head with a conflicted expression.
"I have a lot of confidence in my item. I request that the appraisers evaluate it."
Xiong Yu didn’t press him, saying calmly, "Please proceed."
Zhang Han nodded to Xiong Yu, then carefully lifted the vase. He walked over to Zhang Zhigang and gently placed it on the table. "Teacher Zhang, I’ll leave it in your hands."
Zhang Zhigang gave a slight nod and began to observe it carefully. This time, he was much more cautious, examining it for a full two minutes before passing the vase to Han Lei.
"Xiaohan, this is an excellent training opportunity. Take a good look."
"Yes, Master."
Han Lei observed it carefully, studying it for a full three minutes before setting the vase down and looking at Zhang Zhigang with a troubled expression.
"This blue-and-white porcelain has an elegant form, a delicate glaze, and exquisite painted details. From what I can tell, it’s most likely genuine. However, I have a strange feeling about it that I can’t quite put my finger on. Please enlighten me, Teacher."
Zhang Zhigang picked up a silver chopstick and gently tapped the blue-and-white porcelain.
The porcelain emitted a slightly muffled sound.
"Xiaohan, remember this: with blue-and-white porcelain, you must follow the principle of ’listen first, look second.’ Visually, this vase’s pattern is complete, uniform, clear, and stable. The decorative gold and silver lines are consistent in thickness, bright, and beautiful. It looks very much like a genuine piece. However, the sound of genuine blue-and-white porcelain should be pleasant and crisp. This piece’s sound is so dull, which indicates that the quality of its clay is inferior. It is, without a doubt, a fake."
Hearing this, everyone in the audience let out a collective sigh of regret.
A genuine piece of Yuan Blue-and-White Porcelain would be worth several million at a minimum. It was a shame that such an exquisite piece turned out to be a fake.
The influencers instantly grew excited, especially the Veteran. "Hahaha, my dear followers, the part you’ve all been waiting for is here! This one’s even more exciting! This is a piece of porcelain that was bid up to five hundred thousand! Time for the big smash!"
The chat comments flew across the screen.
"What a shame, such a shame. This Treasure Holder was too confident! If it were me, I’d have taken the five hundred thousand!"
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this? Does anyone remember that time Wang Gang smashed a genuine antique? Teacher Zhang Zhigang wouldn’t make the same mistake, would he?"
"Dude above, don’t be ridiculous. The appraiser Wang Gang used was some third-rate hack! Teacher Zhang Zhigang is the number one Treasure Appraiser in all of Great Xia. He would never make a mistake!"
...
Zhang Han was ecstatic. ’Master Zhang really lives up to his name. Even a fake this realistic couldn’t fool him. What a shame, though... he still fell right into the trap!’
On his face, however, Zhang Han wore an expression of utter disappointment, looking heartbroken.
Xiong Yu spoke in a tone full of regret. "Mr. Zhang, your item has been appraised as a fake. According to the rules of our Yuanxi Auction House..."
Zhang Han gave a bitter smile. "If my item is really a fake, then go ahead and smash it!"