Chinese civilization, with its five thousand years of history, has passed down numerous treasures.
Yet, none can compare to this bronze dragon.
As Ye Fan said, this bronze dragon is a unique existence that inspires covetousness in all who see it.
Old Wu frowned, finding it difficult to name a price. If the price was too high, Xiao Ran Pavilion, with its capabilities, simply couldn't afford it.
But if the price was too low, Ye Fan might not agree to the sale. Ye Fan was no fool, nor was he engaged in charity.
While caught in a dilemma, Third Master sidled over and whispered to Old Wu, "Master, in my opinion, no price is suitable for this bronze dragon. Why don't we trade for it? Let Ye Fan choose a few items from our treasure vault. This way, Ye Fan will be satisfied, and we can acquire this treasure."
Upon hearing Third Master's words, Old Wu paused, then pondered for a moment. This method was indeed feasible.
He nodded and looked at Ye Fan.
"Mr. Ye, to be frank, we have never encountered such a treasure before, so it's difficult to set a price. How about this: we will trade with antique artifacts to acquire this bronze dragon. What do you think?"
Ye Fan waved his hand before Old Wu could finish.
"Old Wu, if I didn't want money, I wouldn't be selling this item. Besides, what kind of artifact do you think can match my bronze dragon?"
His words left Old Wu speechless. Indeed, this bronze dragon could be considered the national treasure of national treasures; no artifact could possibly match it.
Old Wu frowned again.
Was this rare treasure truly going to slip through his fingers?
For an appraiser, watching a treasure vanish before their eyes was the most cruel thing imaginable.
Seeing that the time was right, Ye Fan smiled faintly.
"However, regarding the exchange you just mentioned, Old Wu, I do have an idea. To be honest, I haven't found a place to stay since coming to Jiangnan. I can't stay in a hotel forever. Furthermore, if I want to develop my antique business in Jiangnan, I need a place to settle. If you are willing to exchange Xiao Ran Pavilion for it, I might consider it."
Xiao Ran Pavilion?
Old Wu and Third Master exchanged glances.
Although Xiao Ran Pavilion wasn't the top antique shop in Jiangnan, it still had a certain reputation and stable daily income. Otherwise, Feng Xiao wouldn't have assigned a senior appraiser like Old Wu to manage it.
Trading Xiao Ran Pavilion for this bronze dragon was indeed difficult.
Measured purely by money, even ten or eight Xiao Ran Pavilions couldn't match the bronze dragon.
But Xiao Ran Pavilion could still generate income, with no upper limit. Considering this, it was a difficult transaction for him.
Helplessly, Old Wu sighed, "I cannot make this decision. I need to report to my superiors. Mr. Ye, please wait."
This matter required reporting to Feng Xiao. Only with Feng Xiao's approval could he proceed.
Ye Fan nodded, signaling Old Wu to take his time.
Old Wu quickly left the room to call Feng Xiao outside.
About ten minutes later, Old Wu returned, his face beaming with excitement.
"We can sign the contract right away."
Before he could even sit down, he said excitedly.
Seeing Old Wu's excited expression, Ye Fan smiled wryly. It seemed this old man had gone to great lengths to obtain this bronze dragon.
Ye Fan was a hundred percent sure that he had not revealed his identity to Feng Xiao during their phone call.
Otherwise, given Feng Xiao's animosity towards him, she wouldn't have agreed to the transaction, no matter how valuable the treasure he brought.
"Old Wu is indeed a straightforward person. Since that's the case, let's draft the contract. I'm also impatient, as not having a place to stay is quite uncomfortable."
Old Wu was quick. Ten minutes later, the contract was drafted. After discussing the details with Ye Fan and finding no issues, both parties signed their names, and the contract officially took effect.
Thus, Ye Fan finally had his first property in Jiangnan City.
Although, this property had been acquired somewhat unscrupulously...
After taking a batch of treasures from Xiao Ran Pavilion, Old Wu left with all the employees.
After all, Xiao Ran Pavilion was traded, but these employees were not part of the transaction.
Moreover, these were all employees meticulously selected by Old Wu. How could he leave them to Ye Fan?
Watching Old Wu leave, Ye Fan finally let out a long sigh and slumped onto the sofa, his back drenched in cold sweat.
Chang Jun looked at Ye Fan with confusion.
"Mr. Ye, since that item is so precious, why did you sell it to Feng Xiao? Isn't that giving her a gift?"
Ye Fan chuckled foolishly, then slowly stood up. "Brother Chang, go open the trunk of the car and bring in what's inside."
Seeing the mischievous smile on Ye Fan's face, Chang Jun was momentarily stunned, not understanding, but he obediently did as Ye Fan asked.
Soon, Chang Jun entered carrying a box. The box was very heavy; even with Chang Jun's physique, it was somewhat strenuous.
Placing the box on the coffee table, Chang Jun was out of breath.
"Mr. Ye, what's inside? Why is it so heavy?"
Ye Fan had regained his composure. He raised his hand and slowly opened the box, revealing over a dozen bronze dragons.
Seeing this, Chang Jun was dumbfounded.
"This, this is a set?"
Ye Fan shook his head. "It's a batch."
"What do you mean?"
Clearly, Chang Jun still didn't understand what was going on.
Ye Fan was not in a hurry. He gestured for Chang Jun to sit down, personally poured two cups of tea, took a sip, and then began to explain.
"These are all fakes. I had them specially made. I had a batch made earlier, over a dozen pieces. Today, I only gave them one, and I didn't expect it to be successful. I can only say that Old Wu's discernment is poor, and he was too quick to jump to conclusions."
The more intelligent a person is, the more prone they are to making mistakes.
Because once they discover certain details that others don't know, they will believe they have uncovered a shocking secret, and this thought will then influence their judgment, causing them to lose reason.
Chang Jun suddenly understood and his mouth gaped in shock.
"In other words, these are all fakes? And you used fakes to acquire Xiao Ran Pavilion?"
His shock was beyond words.
He had always known that the antique business was a highly profitable industry that could make people rich overnight.
But he never imagined that one could operate like Ye Fan.
What was this? This was outright deception.
"This is how the antique business works. Everything depends on discernment. As long as your discernment is strong enough, you will never be deceived. Conversely, if your discernment is poor, then being deceived is your own fault. Therefore, without sufficient discernment, it's best not to venture into this industry. It can easily ruin one's life."
Ye Fan sighed, thinking that if it weren't for his exceptional eyesight and superb appraisal skills, he would have been eliminated long ago.