No one noticed the cold glint in Feng Xiao's eyes.
However, unlike the others below, Ye Fan did not dismiss the dressing box with disdain.
Although he didn't know much about Feng Xiao, he knew that this young master Feng was determined to win this competition. Therefore, he would never choose an ordinary item.
If this dressing box were so easily identified, it wouldn't be Feng Xiao's style.
Thus, this dressing box must have a hidden trick.
Ye Fan quietly looked at the dressing box, and a fresh fragrance wafted to his nose. The moment the scent entered his nostrils, Ye Fan felt refreshed.
Ye Fan couldn't help but be stunned, and his brow furrowed instantly.
Seeing Ye Fan's expression, Feng Xiao, sitting below, finally smiled proudly, his face full of disdain.
"Ye Fan, this item is not something a small appraiser like you can handle. You should just surrender and admit defeat to avoid embarrassing yourself here."
His words were full of mockery, not believing for a moment that Ye Fan could see through this dressing box.
Meanwhile, Elder Zheng also nodded with a satisfied smile.
"Indeed, this dressing box has hidden depths and a great origin. Not to mention a small fry like you who has never seen the world, even I have never seen anything like it in my life."
The two of them had already forgotten the embarrassment Ye Fan had caused them earlier.
Elder Lei frowned, "Ye Fan is still appraising. Your interruptions are breaking the rules."
There are many rules in the antique industry. When an appraiser is appraising an item, no one is allowed to speak and interfere. This is basic common sense.
But Feng Xiao and Elder Zheng did it intentionally, which was truly detestable.
However, Elder Zheng was unconcerned. "We are just trying to save time. If he wastes a lot of time and gets nothing in the end, won't that delay everyone?"
Elder Zheng's words were immediately met with agreement from the crowd below.
"If you don't recognize it, admit defeat quickly and don't waste our precious time."
"You can't tell, yet you're still pretending. You have thick skin."
" Hurry back to Jiangcheng, this place is not suitable for you."
The crowd buzzed, and it seemed everyone had already decided that Ye Fan would surely lose this round of the competition.
At this moment, Ye Fan was still immersed in the pervasive fragrance.
Others might not know the significance of this fragrance, but Ye Fan understood it very well.
This was because it was a scent unique to a wood species that had long since disappeared.
In his previous life, Ye Fan had the good fortune to obtain a piece of shadow wood, which carried this fragrance. This wood was called Red Leaf Zitan wood. In his previous life, it was already an endangered species, and now, this species had long since become extinct.
Red Leaf Zitan wood has fine, hard texture, clear and uniform grain, making it a rare wood for making furniture.
In his previous life, there was the saying that an inch of wood was worth an inch of gold. Moreover, now that this wood has become a legend, its value is even higher.
For a dressing box of this size made of Red Leaf Zitan wood, the value would be at least tens of millions.
Furthermore, the fragrance emitted by this Red Leaf Zitan wood has the effect of refreshing the mind and is extremely precious.
Sighing inwardly, Ye Fan couldn't help but lament.
Only then did he notice that the crowd below was already in an uproar.
Frowning, he looked at the crowd below. Seeing Feng Xiao and Elder Zheng with grim expressions and eyes filled with anger, as if they wanted to devour him, Ye Fan was a bit bewildered. What was the meaning of these two? Had he missed something in his intense focus?
At this moment, Elder Lei also had a grim expression as his gaze swept over the crowd.
"This is a competition venue. If anyone is unwilling to wait, they can leave on their own. Our Antique Association will never stop them."
When the old man got angry, he was quite terrifying. His cold words silenced those who were shouting.
Although they were displeased, they did not dare to act recklessly.
Elder Lei's reputation in Jiangnan was certainly well-known. He was a first-class appraiser, the vice president of the Antique Association, and had countless disciples. Many senior appraisers were his students. Therefore, offending this old man was tantamount to offending half of the antique industry.
No one was foolish enough to court trouble at this moment.
Seeing that everyone had quieted down, Elder Lei withdrew his cold gaze.
Just as Ye Fan returned to normal, Elder Lei asked in a low voice, "How is it? Did you find anything?"
It was evident that the old man was showing favoritism towards him.
Ye Fan smiled slightly, "A dressing box made of Red Leaf Zitan wood. Truly a grand gesture."
Red Leaf Zitan wood?
Upon hearing the name, most people frowned with puzzled expressions. Clearly, they had never heard of it.
Feng Xiao and Elder Zheng, however, were stunned, their faces filled with astonishment. They had not expected Ye Fan to recognize this wood.
But despite his astonishment, Feng Xiao was not panicked, because this dressing box was not only made of extremely rare wood, but its maker had also gone to great lengths to hide its preciousness. Otherwise, based on Red Leaf Zitan wood alone, this dressing box would not have ranked among the top three treasures in the Feng family's collection.
"I remember it," Jiang Zhong, who had been frowning in thought, suddenly spoke. "I saw this name in an ancient appraisal book. It is said to be an extremely precious wood with very little yield, and it only occasionally grew in the dense forests of Yunnan Province in our country. Therefore, this wood is extremely valuable, comparable to gold. I did not expect to have the honor of seeing it with my own eyes today."
To be praised so highly by Jiang Zhong, a first-class appraiser, showed the preciousness of Red Leaf Zitan wood.
Ye Fan smiled and nodded, "Mr. Jiang is correct. Red Leaf Zitan wood is indeed precious, and this species has long been extinct. Therefore, the value of this dressing box is even higher. However, if it were only this, this dressing box would not be considered a treasure. Its true value lies within."
What? Inside again?
Elder Lei, Jiang Zhong, and the others exchanged glances, seeing shock in each other's eyes.
Ye Fan nodded, "Exactly, it's the inside. This dressing box, from the outside, has an ordinary shape and nothing precious. But inside, there are hidden depths."
Saying this, Ye Fan slowly walked behind the dressing box and, in front of everyone, gently placed his hands on it.
"Ye Fan, what are you doing? This is a treasure. Can you afford to pay if you break it?"
Seeing Ye Fan's actions, Feng Xiao immediately felt uneasy and quickly stood up and shouted sternly.
He quickly went on stage, intending to stop Ye Fan.
Seeing Feng Xiao's action, Ye Fan was stunned, "What does Young Master Feng mean? Since it is an appraisal, I naturally have to explain clearly to everyone present. Yet, Young Master Feng hinders me like this. Could it be that you don't want me to continue appraising?"
Ye Fan was quite displeased with Feng Xiao's rude behavior.
Elder Lei also looked at him coldly, "If Mr. Feng does not allow Ye Fan to continue appraising, then we can only rule that Ye Fan's appraisal is successful."