"No problem, Mr. Li. Since you've decided on this house, I'll go and process the paperwork for you right away."
The manager respectfully went to assist Li Yang.
While waiting, Li Yang happened to turn his head and saw an elderly man in a suit walking into the company. He looked about the same age as Wu Lei and walked with little strength, his steps shaky. Bodyguards and assistants were always by his side, ready to attend to him.
The moment Li Yang looked at the old man, he instantly noticed something was amiss with him.
"Haha, Old Xu, you're finally here! I've been waiting for you for a long time."
Wu Lei saw Xu Jianwen walk in from outside, stood up, and walked towards him with a smile.
Xu Jianwen also showed a happy smile, gripping Wu Lei's hand tightly and saying, "Old Wu, thank you so much for coming to see me in person today. I thought you'd be too busy to make it."
"How could that be? We have a life-and-death friendship. As long as I have a breath left, I will definitely come to see you."
Wu Lei patted Xu Jianwen's hand with utmost sincerity.
As they chatted, they moved to the nearby seats. Wu Lei curiously asked, "By the way, Old Xu, you asked me to come over, what kind of treasure are we appraising?"
"Haha, guess!"
Xu Jianwen deliberately played coy. After a moment, he turned back and said to his subordinates, "You guys, go to my trunk and bring my things in."
"Yes, Boss."
Two bodyguards in black turned and went outside simultaneously.
Wu Lei was very expectant. This Old Xu always liked to cause trouble. He remembered that last time Xu Jianwen brought back a few items from abroad, they turned out to be fakes, and he had spent forty million yuan to buy a pile of junk.
This time, he had a bad premonition, feeling that Xu Jianwen had brought back another bunch of useless fakes.
Not long after, Xu Jianwen's subordinates brought in three brocade boxes made of rosewood with carved patterns. Xu Jianwen personally took one of the boxes, opened it, and said, "Old Wu, today is the day to test your appraisal skills."
"These items of mine are not like last time. I was fooled. Each of these items this time is extremely precious, rare and top-quality treasures from around the world!"
Xu Jianwen confidently took out the first item.
It was a wooden statue, coated with a layer of wood wax oil on the surface. It was clear that it had been applied recently to prevent the wood from rotting.
This phenomenon did not prove the authenticity of the antique; it was a method of post-preservation for antiques.
What truly needed to be appraised was the carving technique and details of the wood itself.
Wu Lei took the wooden carving in his hand and carefully observed and appraised it. However, his brows furrowed deeply, and he repeatedly shook his head, saying, "No, this item is not right."
"What? Old Wu, don't joke. What's wrong with this thing?"
Xu Jianwen, who had been full of confidence, lost his smile the moment he heard Wu Lei's words. He widened his eyes and asked.
"I don't mean to discourage you. Although the carving looks exquisite and it's purely handcrafted, and there's nothing wrong with the wood itself, it's made of golden nanmu. However, this sculpture lacks a certain charm."
"Lacks charm? What charm?" Xu Jianwen asked in surprise.
"I can't quite explain this feeling. It's because I haven't found any flaws in the carving details, but it just feels like it lacks a sense of lifelikeness. I've seen genuine pieces of this type before, and they give a completely different impression compared to this one."
Wu Lei felt very troubled. There were very few things in this world that he couldn't appraise.
Only a handful of people in the world could discern this special charm.
Even the top appraisers in the country wouldn't be able to definitively call this item fake.
Wu Lei observed and appraised it repeatedly, but he still couldn't pinpoint the problem with the item.
"This handicraft is indeed a high-quality imitation. The charm it's missing lies in the lines of its facial features."
Just as Wu Lei was puzzled, a young voice suddenly came from behind him.
Wu Lei and Xu Jianwen both turned around. They saw Li Yang walking over from a distance. The appraisal result he had just provided was his.
"Who is this..."
Xu Jianwen had never met Li Yang, so he didn't recognize him at all.
Wu Lei then took the initiative to introduce, "This young brother's name is Li Yang. He is my benefactor. If it weren't for him, I would have lost my life long ago and wouldn't be here to see you!"
"Oh? Is this young friend so capable?"
Xu Jianwen looked at Wu Lei and asked in great surprise.
Wu Lei nodded and recounted the thrilling scene to Xu Jianwen. After hearing it, Xu Jianwen became even more impressed with Li Yang's abilities.
He smiled and invited Li Yang, "Since young friend is Old Wu's benefactor, he is also my friend. Please have a seat, young friend, and let's discuss this antique together."
"Mr. Li, you said earlier that the problem with the sculpture was in the facial lines, but I don't see any problem with these lines. How did you see a problem with its facial lines?" Wu Lei asked Li Yang curiously.
"Elder Wu, you focus more on the authenticity of antiques and overlook the author's inner feelings when creating them."
Li Yang explained seriously to the two of them, "Look at this sculpture. Although its expression looks like a smile, every line and curve appears weak and stiff, lacking any sense of ease and freedom."
"Therefore, the author who created this sculpture must have been in a bad mood at the time, and the force of the carving lines was relatively deeper. So, although the carved object depicts joy, the inner heart was filled with sorrow."
"Because of this, the author who imitated the genuine article found it difficult to achieve a hundred percent replication. Although the lines were all imitated with the same force, that unique sense of sorrowful force could not be integrated."
"It's not difficult for you to determine the authenticity of this item. You just need to cover the left side of the face and only look at the remaining part, and the charm will not be lost."
"Really? Let me try!"
Wu Lei, half-believing, half-doubting, followed Li Yang's method and covered half of the statue's face. As a result, the charm that was previously absent in the face now appeared.
"It's actually real! Mr. Li, you are truly amazing!"
Wu Lei was greatly astonished!
He never expected Li Yang's appraisal skills to be so high. Even he, an appraisal divine being, couldn't discern it, but Li Yang could.
Even Xu Jianwen was deeply surprised. At this point, he no longer cared about the authenticity of the item, because even if it were fake, he would only regret it and wouldn't feel heartbroken about the money.
His wealth was enough for his descendants to spend for ten lifetimes.
He looked at Li Yang with astonishment and asked incredulously, "Young friend, your appraisal skills are actually superior to Old Wu's. Truly rare in the world!"
"May I know your name? I, Xu Jianwen, wish to befriend you!"