Jiang Zhong's face bore a faint smile; clearly, he was quite pleased to have selected this item to participate in the appraisal fair.
"Someone just asked if there was anything more to this Joyful Buddha, and I can tell you all very clearly that there is indeed another space within. After all, the Joyful Buddha is merely a facade, a symbol to place people's good wishes upon. What truly purifies the soul are the objects within this Joyful Buddha."
As he spoke, Jiang Zhong raised his hand and slowly turned the Buddha's head.
With Jiang Zhong's turn of the Joyful Buddha, a crisp cracking sound emanated from the statue.
Then, following the crack, the body of the Joyful Buddha slowly separated on its own.
As the Joyful Buddha's body opened, the object inside was revealed.
What appeared was a piece of crystal-clear, exquisite jade.
Although this jade was not as comparable as the one nurtured by Mr. Fu with his life, it was still absolutely jade of excellent quality.
To know that the Antiquities Association would present such jade showcased its preciousness.
The crowd below was shocked upon seeing this piece of jade.
Feng Xiao and Fatty Chen, in particular, had faces as dark as pig liver.
Wang Feng, on the other hand, was beaming. Following Ye Fan's advice had indeed been correct; the Wang family would surely hold their heads high this time.
Ye Fan, however, merely smiled indifferently. Everything was within his expectations, and there was nothing worth getting excited about.
Moreover, for Ye Fan, such matters had long been commonplace.
He always managed to impress everyone when others were at a loss.
Although Ye Fan had always been a maverick, having this ability was enough to prove everything.
"As everyone can see, this Joyful Buddha indeed hides a piece of exquisite jade, and of excellent quality at that. This is the most precious part of this Joyful Buddha. Therefore, among you all, only Ye Fan and the Wang family were correct. Congratulations."
This Joyful Buddha could deceive most people, but it was impossible to deceive Ye Fan. Thus, before the start, Jiang Zhong and Elder Lei had already made preparations.
However, this time, due to Ye Fan, the Wang family also rose in status, which truly exceeded everyone's expectations.
Originally, although the Wang family was one of the top families in Jiangnan City, with its numerous businesses, they were only considered upper-tier in the antiquities world, by no means an outstanding one.
But after today's appraisal fair, the Wang family's position in the antique circle would likely soar.
At this moment, Elder Lei's eyes were filled with fervent anticipation. Whoever could foster a good relationship with Ye Fan would be able to walk sideways in the antique world.
After all, Ye Fan's attainments in antiques were by no means comparable to others.
Previously, it was because he had acted with Ye Fan that he discovered the treasure, and subsequently, for his meritorious service, he was promoted to vice-president of the Antiquities Association.
It could be said that all of this was brought about by Ye Fan.
Looking at the Wang family now, it was no wonder Elder Lei felt envious.
However, considering the Wang family's extraordinary relationship with Ye Fan, Elder Lei's heart found its balance after some thought.
As the crowd sighed helplessly, Ye Fan slowly stood up.
"Next, shouldn't it be my turn?"
Everyone else had already taken the stage; only he remained.
Elder Lei nodded with a smile, "Come, let us see what good item you have prepared."
Elder Lei was quite expectant in his heart. What treasure had Ye Fan prepared?
Given Ye Fan's personality, he would definitely go all out. After all, this appraisal fair held significant and exceptional meaning for him. Whether he could gain renown in Jiangnan City would depend on this fair.
In every previous round, Ye Fan had exerted his full effort, so in this final round, there was no reason for him to act carelessly.
Seeing Elder Lei and the others smiling, their eyes filled with fervor, Ye Fan finally offered a faint smile.
"I'm afraid I might disappoint Elder Lei."
With that, he took out a small bronze ding from his pocket, no larger than his palm.
It had an exquisite design, with handles on both sides and four feet below.
What was most astonishing was that this palm-sized small ding had not a trace of patina, and in fact, the entire ding itself was gleaming, as if it had just been fired and forged.
The small ding was a dark brown color, emitting a faint coolness, giving a feeling of being approachable from afar but not to be trifled with.
Upon seeing this small ding, even Elder Lei could not help but be stunned, a hint of doubt on his face.
It wasn't due to a lack of experience, but rather encountering such an item that even he dared not readily offer a conclusion.
After all, this small ding was simply too vibrant.
Generally speaking, bronzeware dated back at least two thousand years. In two thousand years, any object would develop patches of patina.
But this small ding completely defied theoretical understanding and was exquisitely crafted.
Ye Fan's face held a faint smile, and even his brow carried a hint of joy.
Jiang Zhong, however, frowned, "This small ding looks somewhat familiar. Could it be from the Ghost Market?"
With Jiang Zhong's discerning eye, he would not mistake it. This item was certainly not among the common objects found in the market.
And the only possibility was that it came from the Ghost Market.
Ye Fan smiled without speaking. This item indeed came from the Ghost Market. Elder Lei's fifth hand possessed over a dozen items, and the quality of those dozen items was very good, and this small ding was among them.
It should be known that with Ye Fan's eyesight, if it were other items, he likely wouldn't have brought them.
But precisely because he truly liked this small ding, he brought it over.
Seeing Ye Fan's faint smile and his reticence, Jiang Zhong understood.
"Everyone, please look closely and do not miss any detail. You must know that in the field of antique appraisal, any detail can ruin everything."
Ye Fan kindly said with a smile, reminding them.
Upon hearing Ye Fan's words, Jiang Zhong, Wang Feng, and others could only manage wry smiles.
This young man was truly too mischievous, while Elder Lei glared angrily at Ye Fan.
This scoundrel was openly violating the rules, wasn't he making things difficult for him?
"Disturbance is prohibited during the appraisal period."
Elder Lei reprimanded, causing Ye Fan to smile awkwardly.
This old man was clearly holding a personal grudge, intending to make him look bad.
However, to think that these setbacks would be enough to trouble him was simply wishful thinking.
Time trickled by. The crowd below was calculating and observing, but the results were not ideal.
Clearly, they also found it difficult to understand this small ding.
Finally, as Elder Lei announced that time was up, everyone gave their answers.
Except for Jiang Zhong, most others did not provide any detailed introduction.
Feng Xiao, Fatty Chen, and the others had directly declared it a fake.
Looking at the varied answers from the crowd below, Ye Fan shook his head helplessly.
Elder Lei sighed. Although this small ding was indeed difficult to appraise, it shouldn't have reached a point where these people couldn't even discern the slightest clue.