Wang Feng’s expression turned grim, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
“Go and discreetly protect those people. If the Feng family threatens them, tell them that the Wang family’s doors are always open to them. If the Feng family dares to lay a hand on them, the Wang family will not stand idly by. Let them do as they please; freedom is something no one can obstruct.”
If Feng Xiao was a brute, then Wang Feng was undoubtedly a cunning strategist, observant, calm, and collected.
He was meticulous in his thinking and even more masterful in his methods.
The Wang and Feng families had been locked in a tacit struggle for years. Although it hadn’t escalated into overt conflict, everyone in Jiangnan City knew about it.
As a result, many factions had chosen sides.
However, not all factions wished to be entangled in the conflict between the two families, leading to the formation of a neutral faction.
Now that they had developed a favorable impression of Ye Fan, the Wang family naturally wouldn’t miss this excellent opportunity.
His subordinate quickly departed.
Wang Feng glanced at Feng Xiao, recognizing that this contest wasn't just between Ye Fan and them, but also between the Wang and Feng families.
At this moment, Elder Lei stepped onto the stage and said with a smile, “Ye Fan’s explanation has been very clear. Therefore, for this third round, only if the remaining seven families pass will they proceed to the fourth round, which is the finals.”
As he spoke, Elder Lei’s lips curved into a smile, and his gaze deepened.
Given Elder Lei’s character, such an expression clearly indicated that he was ready to enjoy a good show.
The antique circle in Jiangnan City had indeed become too complacent; it was time to stir things up.
And the fuse for this upheaval was Ye Fan.
Centered around Ye Fan, the current antique circle would be thrown into complete disarray and then rebuilt.
Those who didn't understand antiques or disrespect them would be excluded entirely, leaving only those who genuinely loved and wished to study antiques.
Breaking down in order to build anew was the most direct method of re-establishing order.
“For the fourth round, everyone can showcase their talents by bringing out their prized possessions. The remaining few will then appraise their authenticity. There will be seven rounds, and the person with the most wins will be the ultimate victor. For this round, in addition to all of you, the Antiquities Association will also have myself and Elder Han as judges to determine authenticity.”
This way, no one would be able to cheat.
Of course, some might think that the judges from the Antiquities Association would inevitably be biased towards the association.
However, such a thing would be absolutely impossible.
Because if Elder Lei and the others were discovered doing this, the reputation of the Antiquities Association would plummet.
No one would risk such a gamble.
“For the fourth round, the order will be determined by drawing lots. Please come forward to draw your numbers.”
Saying this, a staff member brought forward a box.
Inside were seven small balls, marked with seven numbers.
Everyone stepped up one by one to draw their numbers.
Ye Fan drew number seven, meaning he would go last.
With a wry smile, Ye Fan shook his head.
It seemed he would have to let others have their moment of glory first.
However, the order held no significance for Ye Fan.
True powerhouses would never care about the order in which they appeared.
The first to appear was Tianbao Pavilion, and Zhao Dong looked quite troubled.
He had initially thought that by participating in this appraisal fair, he could emerge as the champion.
But now, it seemed that the difficulty of winning was immense.
Not to mention the people from the Antiquities Association and the City Lord’s Mansion who were already pre-selected, just Ye Fan alone, who had provided explanations for all three rounds.
Zhao Dong had witnessed it firsthand, and such strength genuinely made him wary.
The white-bearded old man beside Zhao Dong was now frowning deeply, his gaze constantly sweeping across the faces of Ye Fan and the others.
“Boss, it seems things will be difficult for us this time, but no matter what, since we've come this far, we can only leave it to fate.”
This old man was the chief appraiser of Tianbao Pavilion, positioned between a Level 1 and Level 2 appraiser, with abilities comparable to Elder Wang.
Zhao Dong gave a wry smile, “Mr. Wu, everything depends on you now.”
Zhao Dong had immense trust in Elder Wu, and over the years, Elder Wu had made significant contributions to Tianbao Pavilion.
However, although Mr. Wu was Zhao Dong’s confidant, he was a good person, amiable in temperament, and conducted himself with discretion.
Therefore, whether within Tianbao Pavilion or in the Jiangnan antique circle, Mr. Wu’s reputation was excellent, and he was highly respected.
Hearing Zhao Dong’s words, Mr. Wu nodded, “As long as we can participate, it is already a victory. With so many antique shops in Jiangnan City, for Tianbao Pavilion to get a share is already heaven’s favor. Why should we covet more?”
This equanimity was truly admirable.
“I understand.”
Zhao Dong said lightly.
Although he said it, his heart was filled with disdain.
Tianbao Pavilion was backed by Tianwang Mansion; how could he be content with the status quo?
If he couldn't control the entire Jiangnan antique industry with this powerful backing, then he would be a complete failure.
In essence, Mr. Wu’s words were spoken in vain.
Zhao Dong walked onto the stage, followed by a staff member holding a box.
The box was intricately carved with auspicious cloud patterns on its surface, giving it an air of grandeur.
Seeing the box, Ye Fan shook his head helplessly, “Making a fuss over nothing. These people simply enjoy these flashy displays. If they put half that effort into antique research, they would surely become master appraisers.”
Ye Fan had always disliked being ostentatious. To him, antiques were simply antiques.
While some antiques might be of high value, they were merely playthings.
Spending so much time on a plaything was truly a waste of time.
Jiang Zhong, hearing Ye Fan’s words, nodded in agreement.
“The antique circle is no longer what it used to be. People nowadays, under the guise of loving antiques, engage in unspeakable dealings behind closed doors. In their eyes, only profit is the eternal pursuit, regardless of the quality of the antiques. Even a brick, if packaged by them in a certain way, can become priceless.”
Jiang Zhong had seen such things many times and had long grown accustomed to them.
Regardless of anything else, this was the current situation, and it was not something he could change with his own abilities.
In this environment, he was like a lone boat in the vast ocean, truly powerless.
Ye Fan, however, smiled, “A towering building rises from the ground. Although this matter is difficult, someone must eventually undertake it. If Brother Jiang doesn’t mind, I, Ye Fan, am willing to fight alongside Brother Jiang.”
Ye Fan smiled, his smile kind and sincere.
Looking at Ye Fan’s smile, Jiang Zhong immediately felt a sense of goodwill.
The current Jiangnan City lacked people like Ye Fan who possessed such a sense of responsibility.