133 Jade Treasure Hall

"Oh, you certainly have a sharp eye. In this entire shop, this jade bowl is the most valuable piece," Boss Zhou said, giving a thumbs-up.

"Boss, what kind of jade is this?" the female customer asked.

"Hotan jade."

"Is it a pebble-skin material?"

"If I say yes, would you believe me?" Boss Zhou countered.

The male customer pondered for a moment. "No. A jade bowl of this size, if it were truly top-quality Hotan pebble-skin material, would be absolutely priceless. I doubt you would be willing to just leave it sitting here."

"You’re an expert." Boss Zhou offered a compliment and smiled. "This is a mountain-mined material. While it doesn't compare to pebble-skin, the texture is quite good."

"Boss, how much for this jade bowl?" the male customer asked.

Boss Zhou held up his thumb and index finger, making an 'eight' gesture. "This much."

"Eight hundred?" the female customer guessed.

"You're joking, aren't you?" Boss Zhou pointed at the jade bowl and said with a straight face, "Look at the color, the texture, and the carving on this bowl—it’s all top-tier. If it were eight thousand, I’d take as many as you could give me."

"Boss, just give us a straight price. How much?"

"This jade bowl is truly a fine piece. If it weren't for the fact that I'm transferring the shop, I really wouldn't be willing to sell it," Boss Zhou sighed.

"How about this, is 6,000 acceptable?" the woman suggested.

"In the past, this bowl would have sold for at least ten thousand. But since I'm transferring the shop, I'm looking for a bit of luck—8,888. If you want it, take it. If you feel that's not right, feel free to look at other antiques."

The young couple walked aside to whisper among themselves.

A moment later, they returned and said, "We'll take the jade bowl. We’d like a bit of luck too; how about 6,666?"

"If I sold it to you at that price, I'd be smashing my own rice bowl. If you really want it, 8,666 is my final offer. I can't sell it for a penny less," Boss Zhou bargained.

The couple muttered to each other, and the man said, "Boss, we can see you're a straightforward person. 8,666—we'll take the bowl."

"Alright, I'll wrap it up for you right now." Boss Zhou smiled, then turned to Han Bin and Wang Qingsheng. "You two, please wait a moment; I'll be right back."

"Take your time," Wang Qingsheng nodded.

Boss Zhou took the jade bowl and led the two customers to the back of the shop to pack it. Aside from the intrinsic value of antiques, packaging is also crucial; an exquisite, high-end presentation is what truly highlights their worth.

Han Bin and Wang Qingsheng walked to the shop entrance and began to whisper.

"Uncle, were those customers real or fake?" Han Bin asked.

"Oh? You’ve got a sharp eye. What did you notice?" Wang Qingsheng seemed surprised.

"Nothing specific. It’s just that we’ve barely arrived, and there’s already a customer buying an 8,666 jade bowl. If business is this good, why is the boss transferring the shop?" Han Bin analyzed.

"Good point. I also think those two were plants," Wang Qingsheng said.

"How did you figure that out?"

Wang Qingsheng frowned, thought for a long time, and said, "Intuition."

"If they really are plants, their acting is quite good," Han Bin laughed.

Most people who lie exhibit small, habitual movements—touching their nose, rubbing their neck, repeating questions, and so on—but this couple seemed very natural.

"Don't underestimate these plants. They make a living through acting, and it's a live performance. If they mess up, not only do they get no money, but they might even get a beating. You can't survive in this line of work without good acting skills," Wang Qingsheng scoffed.

"Tsk tsk, each one of them has the potential to be a Best Actor," Han Bin laughed.

"Not quite. They just cycle through those few routines; they've rehearsed them many times. If you asked them to perform a new script, they wouldn't be able to pull it off," Wang Qingsheng whispered.

"So, are we still taking the shop?" Han Bin pressed.

"Of course, why wouldn't we?" Wang Qingsheng said dismissively. "These days, who doesn't use plants? People even hire others to stand in line just to eat. It’s even more common in the antique trade. Even good wine fears a deep alley; as long as the shop itself is fine, it doesn't matter if there are plants or not."

Han Bin finally understood his uncle's stance. He smiled and said, "So, you're saying that before the boss hired the plants, he probably realized they might be exposed, but in the interest of professional spirit, he went ahead and did it anyway?"

"The antique business relies on a sharp eye. If you can see through it, that's your skill. If you get fooled, consider it tuition fees," Wang Qingsheng laughed.

"You must have paid quite a lot in tuition fees yourself," Han Bin winked.

"That's true, otherwise I wouldn't always be getting needled by your mother." Wang Qingsheng sighed. "Fortunately, I made it through. Once you've paid enough tuition and gained the experience, there's still a lot of potential in this trade."

"Then you'd better work hard from now on. You can't let those tuition fees go to waste," Han Bin said.

"That's for sure. Just you wait and see," Wang Qingsheng said with a determined tone, a look of longing on his face.

As they spoke, the young couple who bought the bowl walked out of Yubao Hall, holding the wrapped gift box with joyful expressions.

Boss Zhou also stepped out, looking apologetic. "I'm really sorry to have kept you waiting."

"It's no problem," Wang Qingsheng replied with a smile. "Your business is quite good; you've already closed a deal on a jade piece early this morning."

"The arrival of two distinguished guests has brought great honor to my humble shop; I’ve even caught a bit of your financial luck," Boss Zhou said politely.

Han Bin rubbed his chin, thinking to himself that Boss Zhou was indeed a natural businessman. Even though he knew he was spouting nonsense, it still felt pleasant to listen to.

"Gentlemen, please step into the side room to rest. The water is boiled, and we can brew tea immediately." Boss Zhou made a gesture of invitation.

The side room was furnished with wooden tables and chairs in an antique style, which suited the atmosphere of the shop perfectly.

A moment later, Boss Zhou brought over hot water and personally brewed tea for them on a tea tray.

"I apologize for the neglect. I'm the only one here right now, and having two groups of guests come at once, I simply couldn't keep up."

"We understand."

Boss Zhou finished brewing the tea and poured a cup each for Wang Qingsheng, Han Bin, and himself. "Boss Wang, you've been here for a while now. What do you think of my shop?"

Wang Qingsheng took a sip of tea, knowing it was time to get down to business. "The size of your shop is fine, but..."

"Please, feel free to speak plainly."

"I had someone look at it yesterday. The Feng Shui here is average, and the financial luck isn't prosperous—it comes and goes quickly, unable to hold onto people," Wang Qingsheng sighed.

"Brother Wang, what era is this? Who still believes in the old superstitions of Feng Shui? How many of those masters actually have real skills? They're all just swindling money," Boss Zhou said with disdain, waving his hand toward his shop. "Besides, you just saw it yourself—isn't my business doing quite well?"

Han Bin smiled and asked, "Boss Zhou, if I may be so bold—since your business is doing so well, why are you transferring the shop?"