Rebuilding?
Liu Piaoxu frowned. He had never considered shattering the Liu family to rebuild it.
After all, it was a place where he had lived for over twenty years. No matter how deep his schemes, he was still a woman at heart.
"To achieve great things, one must be ruthless. If you lack the resolve, how long can you possibly lead the Liu family, even if it were handed over to you?"
It wasn't that Ye Fan looked down on him, but this was the reality.
Great families possessed profound foundations not just due to their formidable strength, but also due to the intricate distribution of their personnel.
Under the leadership of the Liu family patriarch, many people were loyal to him.
This was also why the Liu family had developed to its current state and had not fallen into decline.
Upon hearing Ye Fan's words, Liu Piaoxu, though inwardly conflicted, ultimately did not refute him.
Ye Fan was right. If he didn't break and rebuild the Liu family, he would likely be unable to lead them.
But how could he break and rebuild? With the Liu family's deep-rooted influence, it wouldn't be easy to deal with.
Liu Piaoxu could only smile wryly and shake his head. Ye Fan naturally understood Liu Piaoxu's thoughts but didn't say anything more. Things would fall into place when the time came; a solution would present itself.
Time passed quickly. As night fell, the charity auction officially began.
The so-called charity auction was merely a facade for Zheng Zhilong to make money.
Under the guise of charity, he compelled the major powers of Jiangcheng to purchase items.
Based on past experiences, items of significant value were never found at such auctions.
Zheng Zhilong took the stage and passionately delivered a speech about the immense significance of the charity auction.
However, Ye Fan felt nothing but boredom regarding this.
As Zheng Zhilong announced the commencement of the auction, a middle-aged man slowly walked onto the stage.
This man was from the Jiangcheng Antique Association. Ye Fan had seen him before; he was part of Old Qin's faction.
Unexpectedly, after Qin Zhonghe was eliminated, this man had submitted to Zheng Zhilong.
A dozen or so auction items were quickly brought out, all enclosed in boxes, making it impossible to see their contents.
The middle-aged man, with a faint smile on his face, said, "Ladies and gentlemen, for this charity auction, the Jiangcheng Antique Association and President Zheng have made thorough preparations. The items selected are all exquisite."
With a wave of his hand, the first auction item was brought forth.
Ye Fan didn't even lift his eyes and shook his head, "With Zheng Zhilong's discernment, what valuable items could he possibly select?"
When the box was opened, everyone present at the auction gasped in unison.
Even Ye Fan was stunned and straightened up suddenly.
As the box was revealed, it contained a tray, and upon the tray rested a jade cicada.
The jade of the cicada was of excellent quality, entirely green, with significant translucency and a bright luster. The jade cicada, carved from a single piece of jade, was lifelike, its wings spread as if ready to take flight.
"Why is there something like this here?"
Liu Piaoxu frowned and asked in a low voice.
"A burial artifact. I didn't expect Zheng Zhilong to be so audacious as to auction off a burial artifact."
This jade cicada was used by ancient people to be placed in the mouth of the deceased to press the tongue.
Ancient people valued jade culture, regarding it as a symbol of purity and nobility. They believed that by holding a jade cicada in their mouths, the deceased could be resurrected.
Such jade objects are known as burial jades.
Although Ye Fan's voice was not loud, it was clearly heard by several people around him. They looked at Ye Fan with confusion.
"How can you tell it's a burial jade cicada?"
A man whispered into Ye Fan's ear.
Clearly, he did not fully believe Ye Fan's words. Even though he had witnessed Ye Fan's formidable skills at the appraisal convention that day, they were still unwilling to believe that someone so young possessed such exceptional eyesight.
Ye Fan glanced indifferently at the man and remained silent.
He wasn't speaking to these people, nor was he obligated to explain.
An auction was a matter of willing participation, so why should he interject?
Seeing Ye Fan's silence, the man became enraged, gritting his teeth. "You publicly appraised this item, and it has already affected us buyers. If you cannot provide evidence, you will not be allowed to leave peacefully today."
A hint of cold malice flickered in the depths of the man's eyes.
Ye Fan's brow furrowed further. At this point, he naturally understood that this man had been placed beside him specifically to monitor and target him.
He just hadn't expected this man to make a move so quickly.
The commotion here naturally alerted others, and the middle-aged man hosting the auction on stage also looked towards Ye Fan with a grim expression.
"Mr. Ye, this is a charity auction. If you have any issues with this auction item, you should keep them to yourself. Why do you need to make such a fuss and affect other bidders? Also, how did you determine that this jade cicada is a burial artifact?"
Upon hearing the middle-aged man's question, others nodded in agreement and looked at Ye Fan.
Suddenly, Ye Fan became the target of everyone's attention, with everyone staring at him. It was clear that if he did not provide them with a satisfactory explanation, they would not let the matter rest.
Liu Piaoxu, standing nearby, also frowned deeply, looking at the people around him and saying coldly, "Is Mr. Ye not even allowed to talk to himself? You say he affected your bidding; that's ridiculous. Who is stopping you?"
Liu Piaoxu was extremely annoyed by their aggressive behavior.
With her fiery temper, she would certainly not concede easily.
"What does Miss Liu mean by that? Are you implying that we are making unreasonable demands?"
Wu Liuding snorted coldly and sneered at Liu Piaoxu.
"There are rules in the antique trade. In an auction venue, one must not do anything that affects other bidders. Ye Fan's actions have clearly influenced others' judgment. Shouldn't he give us an explanation?"
"Of course, if Mr. Ye can acquire this item at a high price, then we will have nothing to say."
Wu Liuding said with disdain, a constant sneer on his face, completely unfazed by Liu Piaoxu's anger.
"Young Master Wu makes a valid point. If Mr. Ye can indeed secure this item, then we will have no objections. Otherwise, he must provide us with an explanation."
The middle-aged man on stage seized the opportunity to say.
Liu Piaoxu was about to say something more but was stopped by Ye Fan.
Ye Fan's face held a faint smile, the corners of his mouth slowly curling up, his eyes full of playful mockery.
"In that case, I really must appraise it. However, according to everyone's logic, can I appraise every item from now on?"
Ignoring their gloomy expressions, Ye Fan pointed at the jade cicada and said, "Since the Western Zhou Dynasty, the cicada has been a symbol of purity and nobility. People would wear polished jade cicadas as ornaments to express their noble character. As for the deceased, they would hold jade cicadas in their mouths, symbolizing the hope of resurrection and ascension after death. These are all recorded in ancient texts and are not fabricated by myself."