"That item is very large and cannot be moved, so we can only ask Mr. Li to appraise it on-site," Bao Baoli said, shaking her head.
"Mr. Li, please rest assured, you absolutely will not be asked to do anything other than appraise the item," Lu Fang said immediately.
"Otherwise, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death."
"Mr. Lu, there's no need to say that. Since we are friends, we naturally trust you," Li Yang said with a smile. "There's no time to lose. If it's convenient, shall we go now?"
"It's very convenient for me," Bao Baoli nodded.
Outside, her personal driver arrived in a Porsche. "Chairwoman."
"Yes, Mr. Li, Boss Lu, please get in," Bao Baoli nodded slightly and said to the two of them.
The two got into the car and sat in the back, while she sat in the front. She reached out and handed a set of photos to Li Yang, saying, "Mr. Li, this is the Ming Dynasty Nine Dragon Jade Bi that my family lost. My great-grandfather bought it at a great price, and it has been treasured by our Bao family ever since."
"However, a few years ago, there was a fire at home, and the situation became very chaotic. Someone took advantage of the confusion to steal this Nine Dragon Jade Bi, along with some of our Bao family's treasures."
"And now it has appeared in the Qianqiu Private Museum."
"I understand what you mean, Miss Bao," Li Yang nodded and picked up the photos to look at them. "I will compare them carefully on-site to see if these two items are consistent."
"Thank you, Mr. Li," Bao Baoli said gratefully. This was exactly what she wanted.
The reason she asked Li Yang to step in was that she and Lu Fang had visited once the previous night. Lu Fang had noticed that something was different from the photos, but he wasn't sure if it was intentionally added later to deceive them.
The car immediately drove onto the street and soon arrived at the entrance of a private museum.
As they walked in, a middle-aged man leading a group of people approached them. He stared at Bao Baoli, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. With a stern face, he sneered, "Miss Bao, you are truly persistent. I've told you many times that the jade bi was not stolen from your family, but you still don't understand, and you still come here."
"Director Qi, I'm very sorry, but if possible, I'd still like to see the jade bi again," Bao Baoli said, looking at him.
Director Qi gave a cold laugh. "You've already seen it many times!"
"This is the last time. I hope you will agree," Bao Baoli said. "Otherwise, I will have to report it to the police."
"I don't think Director Qi wants to attract such trouble. Whether the jade bi is real or fake, it will bring you trouble."
"You!" Director Qi's face turned somewhat gloomy. He stared at her and said, "Very well, Miss Bao. You truly are one of the rare strong women in the world. To take over the family business at such a young age and make a name for yourself in the industry is indeed a testament to your ability and methods."
"Then what is your meaning, Director Qi?" Bao Baoli asked.
"This is the only time, Miss Bao. If you cannot find strong evidence to prove that this is the jade bi lost by your Bao family, please do not come again," Director Qi said coldly.
Bao Baoli nodded. "I will!"
As an insider, it was natural to follow industry rules. In matters like this, resolving it oneself would surely earn more respect than involving the police.
If possible, Bao Baoli truly did not want to report it to the police and initiate an investigation. Moreover, even if she did, it might not lead to the recovery of the lost item.
In the end, she would be mocked by her industry peers.
Director Qi sneered, "In that case, you may come. I remind you that I have to go out in an hour, so you can only look for forty minutes at most."
"If you can't figure anything out within forty minutes, please leave immediately."
"This," Bao Baoli's expression changed.
Li Yang said, "It's alright, Miss Bao. Forty minutes is more than enough to look at an item."
"Okay, Mr. Li," Bao Baoli looked at him, nodded slightly, and then walked forward.
After walking for a while, Director Qi stopped in front of a massive jade bi, about four meters high and twelve meters long.
This jade bi was different from the jade bi that one could hold in their hand to play with or place on a table for admiration. It was simply too large.
It could almost be described as a giant jade screen.
Its actual use was indeed as a screen.
"Hmph, look for yourself," Director Qi grunted and immediately had someone start the timer.
Bao Baoli looked at the jade bi, her eyes filled with deep emotion. "Mr. Li, please help me."
"Don't be so polite, Miss Bao," Li Yang smiled and glanced at the jade bi. A large amount of information immediately appeared before his eyes.
The material of this jade bi was extremely rare top-grade Hetian jade, which was worth hundreds of millions on its own. And in ancient times, those who dared to use objects with dragons were definitely extraordinary individuals.
The owner of this jade bi was either a member of the royal family or a powerful figure who could influence court affairs and the imperial family, thus daring to use dragon motifs.
Li Yang compared the jade bi on-site with the photos he had, and his brow furrowed slightly.
"Mr. Li, how does it look?" Bao Baoli asked.
Li Yang said, "Compared to the photos, each dragon has one or two more claws."
"Mr. Li has sharp eyes."
Lu Fang immediately said, "When I came here to look last night, I also noticed this."
"Besides that, there is another difference: the auspicious clouds on the jade bi are one more than in the photos."
"Ah?" Lu Fang was surprised. This was something he had not noticed.
But he had spent more than two hours here last night and was confident that he had not missed any differences. How could there be one more cloud? "Where is the extra cloud?"
"Here," Li Yang pointed to the very top left corner of the jade bi.
That area appeared somewhat dim under the light, and most people would not be able to see a cloud there.
Moreover, that auspicious cloud was exceptionally small, and even if placed in the most conspicuous spot, it would not be easily visible.
Lu Fang's eyes widened. After great effort, he managed to see the cloud, and his expression immediately changed. "There really is an extra auspicious cloud."
"Does this mean that this jade bi is not the one stolen from my family?" Bao Baoli's face turned pale, and she showed a bitter expression. She sighed and turned to leave.
However, Li Yang suddenly said, "No, on the contrary, this jade bi is one hundred percent the one from your family."
"Ah? Mr. Li, what do you mean by that?" Bao Baoli turned to look at him in surprise.
With so many differences, how could it still be her family's item?
Li Yang said four words: "The composition is wrong!"