Seeing this, even Elder Lei couldn't help but sigh, his face filled with shock.
"Brother Ye, aren't you too bold? If the Liu family finds out, I'm afraid our Tianyin Pavilion will be completely finished."
Elder Ji felt a chill down his spine, his face filled with terror.
This was no child's play. He never imagined Ye Fan would be so daring.
Seeing Elder Ji's demeanor, Ye Fan smiled and waved his hand.
"We are already fighting a battle with our backs against the wall; there's no turning back. Instead of choosing ordinary treasures for them to appraise, we might as well go all out. The facts prove we won."
A sly smile curved Ye Fan's lips, leaving Elder Ji and the others speechless with wry smiles.
Sun Yilang added, "This is what you call being too clever for your own good. The two consecrated members of the Liu family have exceptional eyesight. If we had presented ordinary items for their appraisal, they would have seen through them clearly. However, by using this handicraft, it made them ponder, because they themselves would suspect that on such an important occasion, we wouldn't dare to pass off a handicraft as a genuine article. This is where Mr. Ye's brilliance lies."
This was the ultimate manipulation of human psychology, a feat Ye Fan had achieved to the highest degree.
Upon hearing Elder Sun's explanation, everyone else nodded with a sigh, especially Shen Tianyin, whose gaze towards Ye Fan was filled with pleasant surprise.
A crisis had finally concluded perfectly with the victory of Tianyin Pavilion.
The next morning, Shen Bao came to find Ye Fan.
"The City Lord requests your presence."
Looking at Ye Fan, Shen Bao said with a grim expression.
"Lin Yue? What does he want with me?"
Ye Fan looked at Shen Bao in surprise. As Lin Yue's former confidant, Shen Bao knew Lin Yue very well.
However, this time, Shen Bao shook his head. "I don't know. But Zheng Zhiyuan came last night and talked with Lin Yue until midnight before leaving. I suspect it has something to do with antiques."
Ye Fan narrowed his eyes, suspecting this might be a Hongmen banquet…
At the City Lord's mansion, Lin Yue sat in the main seat, with Zheng Zhiyuan by his side.
Upon seeing Ye Fan enter, Lin Yue quickly smiled. "Young friend Ye, this old man has always wanted to invite you over for a chat, but I've never had a suitable opportunity. Today, I asked Shen Bao to invite you over, firstly to discuss the treasure appraisal conference, and secondly, there's something I need your help with."
Lin Yue got straight to the point, a cold smile on his face.
Looking at Lin Yue's cold smile, Ye Fan felt immense disdain in his heart.
However, he still sat down and sneered, "City Lord, you overestimate me. I'm just a humble antique dealer, and yesterday President Zheng already revoked my appraisal rights. I wonder what I could possibly do to help City Lord Lin?"
He picked up his teacup and took a sip.
The barefoot are not afraid of those who wear shoes. Ye Fan was now alone and naturally unafraid of Lin Yue and his schemes.
Moreover, ever since he discovered Lin Yue's ill intentions, Ye Fan had always been on guard against him.
Hearing Ye Fan's words, Zheng Zhiyuan quickly chimed in with a laugh.
"Brother Ye, we had no choice in this matter. You know the position of the Dark Alliance in Jiangcheng's antique industry. Liu Yuan was being aggressive. If we didn't decide to punish you, the Liu family wouldn't have let us, the Antiquarian Association, off the hook. In that case, the entire antique market in Jiangcheng would likely fall into chaos."
Zheng Zhiyuan's face was filled with an expression of helplessness.
Seeing Zheng Zhiyuan putting on a show, Ye Fan didn't expose him, but instead smiled. "President Zheng truly goes to great lengths for Jiangcheng's antique circle."
Knowing Ye Fan harbored resentment, President Zheng gave a helpless, bitter smile.
Lin Yue then spoke with a smile, "Young friend Ye, you don't need to be upset about this matter. I've invited you here today to discuss how to lift your punishment. After all, you are a rare talent in Jiangcheng's antique circle. If such a talent were to be lost, it would be a loss to our Jiangcheng antique circle. I believe President Zheng wouldn't disagree."
As he spoke, he glanced at Zheng Zhiyuan.
Zheng Zhiyuan quickly nodded, "City Lord Lin is right. Mr. Ye holds great significance for our Jiangcheng antique circle."
These two were putting on a synchronized act before Ye Fan.
In response, Ye Fan could only offer a cold smile, showing no other reaction.
Seeing this, Lin Yue looked slightly embarrassed but could only lower his voice. "Yesterday, the provincial and municipal authorities approved a project for antique appraisal, assigning it to Jiangcheng to complete. This matter is of great importance and extremely crucial for Jiangcheng's antique circle. However, among everyone in Jiangcheng's antique circle, only young friend Ye is the most suitable. Therefore, I wish to hire you as an appraisal consultant for my City Lord's mansion, to work with President Zheng and the others to take over this batch of antiques. After appraising their authenticity, they will be transported back to Jiangcheng. As long as young friend Ye completes this task, it will be a great contribution. At that time, I will personally intervene to restore your freedom, how about it?"
This was their primary objective in summoning Ye Fan.
If the task assigned from above could not be completed, it would be Lin Yue's dereliction of duty, so he was being extremely cautious.
Ye Fan frowned, looking at Lin Yue suspiciously.
"City Lord Lin, the Jiangcheng antique industry is dominated by the Dark Alliance. I believe if you were to select a few reliable and capable individuals from the four major families of the Dark Alliance, with the prestige of your City Lord's mansion, it shouldn't be difficult. Why do you need to find an unknown nobody like me?"
Staring intently at Lin Yue, Ye Fan's gaze was stern, and an invisible pressure instantly enveloped Lin Yue.
Hearing Ye Fan's words, Lin Yue sighed.
"To be frank, the Dark Alliance is involved in this matter, but they are not subordinate to us; we have an equal relationship. To put it plainly, they have also accepted the commission and are mutually supervising us. This is why I need to find you. I hope you can bring honor to our City Lord's mansion and not be suppressed by the people of the Dark Alliance."
Lin Yue narrowed his eyes, a flicker of coldness flashing within them.
His expression suggested some unpleasant dealings with the Dark Alliance.
Looking at Lin Yue, Ye Fan frowned slightly, while Zheng Zhiyuan sighed. "Mr. Ye, this matter relies on you. I hope you will not refuse. Our Antiquarian Association will be eternally grateful."
Seeing Zheng Zhiyuan's sincere expression, Ye Fan smiled slightly.
"President Zheng is too kind. Since this is a matter concerning Jiangcheng's antique circle, I, Ye Fan, will naturally not stand by and watch. I accept."
Upon receiving Ye Fan's affirmative reply, Lin Yue and Zheng Zhiyuan exchanged glances, a hint of joy appearing in the depths of their eyes.
"Good, young friend Ye is indeed someone who can accomplish great things. Tonight, I will host a banquet for you at the City Lord's mansion, and we shall not return until we are drunk."
Lin Yue exclaimed excitedly and immediately ordered people to prepare the feast.
That night, under Lin Yue's persistent urging, Ye Fan drank quite a lot and was eventually driven back to his residence by Shen Bao.
Downstairs in the residential complex, seeing Ye Fan looking groggy from drink, Shen Bao couldn't help but sigh.
"Did you really agree to Lin Yue?"
One moment he was sleepy, the next, Ye Fan's gaze became clear.
"Since they've dug a pit, why shouldn't I cooperate and jump in?"