His body trembled slightly, and the hands gripping Ye Fan’s kept tightening, causing Ye Fan to feel sharp pain.
Frowning slightly, Ye Fan pushed away Lei Shi’s hands and said lightly, “I need to study it further before I can draw accurate conclusions. However, if we can find that treasure, I have another request.”
He took two steps back, afraid that Old Lei might go mad again.
This old man’s emotions fluctuated too much; he had to be cautious.
“Speak. As long as I can do it, I will never refuse.”
Lei Shi responded excitedly.
As long as Ye Fan could help him find that treasure, nothing else mattered.
Ye Fan’s smile grew more pronounced. “Old Lei can certainly do it. If we find the treasure, I’d like to bring two people along. After all, this treasure was discovered in Jiang City. As members of the Jiang City antique circle, we should personally participate so as not to leave any regrets.”
These words were spoken with great decorum, and Ye Fan had his own thoughts.
Currently, although he didn’t know the scale of this treasure, the fact that it was concealed with such ingenious methods suggested it wouldn’t be simple.
If he didn’t go to see it personally, he might regret it for the rest of his life. Moreover, he might strike it rich there.
He had expected Ye Fan to propose harsh conditions, but he never imagined it would be this. Old Lei immediately laughed, “Not a problem at all. Even if young friend Ye didn’t say it, I wanted to invite you as our consultant. Young friend Ye’s abilities are exactly what we need.”
With Ye Fan around, Lei Shi felt more confident. If any troublesome issues arose, there would be someone to help strategize. Why wouldn’t he agree?
As for whether Ye Fan had other motives, it didn’t matter. This treasure wasn’t his alone; everyone who saw it was entitled to a share.
Furthermore, if Ye Fan hadn't deciphered it, he might never have found it in his lifetime. Even now, after looking for a while, he couldn't figure out how to determine the treasure’s distance.
Receiving Old Lei’s affirmative reply, Ye Fan’s face was filled with joy. “In that case, Old Lei, just wait for my good news.”
...
Returning to Bo Gu Zhai, Ye Fan went directly to the backyard and looked at the piece of meteorite with a pensive expression.
The reason he hadn’t directly revealed the secret of the Buddha statue was because of this meteorite.
Since the treasure was designed so ingeniously, it wouldn’t be easy to open. The key to opening the treasure was likely this meteorite.
In other words, perhaps this meteorite was the key to unlocking the treasure.
The meteorite had extremely high hardness, making it impossible to chip away. Helpless, Ye Fan had to take out sandpaper and polish it bit by bit…
For the next few days, Ye Fan was immersed in polishing the meteorite. By the morning of the fourth day, Lei Shi, unable to contain his impatience, finally arrived.
“Young friend Ye, what are you doing?”
Seeing the thick layer of powder on the ground and Ye Fan covered in dust, Lei Lao asked curiously.
“Making a handicraft.”
Seeing Lei Lao’s puzzled gaze, Ye Fan chuckled.
“Handicraft?”
Lei Lao frowned and circled the meteorite, which had already been polished smooth, losing its sharp edges. What kind of handicraft needed to be so rounded?
Shaking his head, Lei Lao smiled, “I didn’t expect that young friend Ye not only has outstanding talent in antique appraisal but also possesses such craftsmanship. You truly impress me.”
“However….”
Lei Lao leaned closer to Ye Fan and lowered his voice, “Regarding the treasure, how is your research coming along, young friend? We are all eagerly anticipating it.”
Knowing that the opportunity to get rich was right in front of them but having to wait, the feeling was unbearable.
Ye Fan smiled mysteriously. “It will still take some time. Old Lei, there’s no need to rush.”
How could he not be in a hurry? He was enduring hardship here solely for the treasure. Otherwise, he would have returned to Jiangnan long ago.
Why would he suffer here? And have to endure your boy’s temper?
However, these words could only be thought, never spoken. From his interactions with Ye Fan these past few times, he understood that if he angered Ye Fan, let alone the treasure, he probably wouldn’t even get a speck of dust.
He could only plaster a smile on his face. “Young friend speaks the truth. We can wait. Since there’s nothing else to do, and I see the air here is fresh and the land is spiritually rich, why don’t I stay here and research with young friend? I hope young friend will not refuse.”
Since you’re not working hard, boy, I’ll stay and remind you every day. I don’t believe you can stand it.
Ye Fan continued to polish the meteorite with his head down, paying no attention to Lei Lao’s suggestion.
“If Old Lei likes it, it’s fine with me. I don’t mind.”
...
In the following days, Ye Fan continued his work, but with the garrulous Old Lei by his side.
From morning until sunset, he seemed tireless, talking incessantly.
Even with Ye Fan’s excellent mindset and strong resilience, he could tolerate it for a day or two, but over time, his head began to spin.
Just as he was about to issue an order for Lei Lao to leave, Shen Tianyin and Ji Nanshan arrived.
Seeing Lei Shi there, both of them were stunned.
“Are you looking for me for something?”
Seeing their shocked expressions, Ye Fan chuckled and shook his head.
Without interacting with Old Lei, they naturally regarded him as a reclusive master. But after spending days together, he no longer held any respect for the old man.
This was simply an incorrigible old man!
Shen Tianyin then shifted her gaze. “We received a damaged painting. Old Ji said that if it can be repaired, its value could increase several times over. But we don’t have a skilled restorer on hand, so we can only ask you to take a look.”
Knowing that Ye Fan had been busy with his own matters, Shen Tianyin felt embarrassed to disturb him, but she had no choice. Besides Ye Fan, she couldn’t think of anyone else to ask for help.
“Oh?”
Ye Fan was slightly taken aback. Since Ji Nanshan had evaluated it as a good painting, it must be quite decent.
Putting down his tools, Ye Fan wiped his hands on his clothes and stood up to take the damaged painting from Shen Tianyin.
Slowly opening it, he saw a fist-sized hole burned in the middle of the painting.
In the antique trade, there are unique insights into calligraphy and painting.
“Damage to the edges is not detrimental; mending leaves a blank circle.”
This meant that if the damage was to the edges of a calligraphy or painting, it was easy to repair, and the value would not be significantly affected.
However, if the damage was in the center, the mending would be very troublesome, and the value would naturally be greatly reduced.
The latter half of the saying meant that the best way to repair a damaged spot was to use paper from the blank areas of the painting as material.
This would ensure a perfect match.
At this moment, Old Lei also walked over. He glanced at the damaged painting and his eyes immediately lit up.
“This paper is Chengxin Tang from the reign of Li Houzhu, and the owner of the painting is Li Houzhu himself!”
Below, there was a seal clearly indicating the author’s name.
“What is Chengxin Tang? Is it very valuable?”
Shen Tianyin asked, confused.
Old Lei shook his head with a wry smile. Valuable? This was a treasure, for goodness sake!