Chapter 7

Encounter

The room was just this big, and the two people’s dispute was naturally heard absolutely clearly. He walked over as if nothing were happening, asking with a face entirely calm, “May I ask if you’ve set your heart on something?”

Old Wang pointed to the seal and said, “Boss, can we take down this seal to have a look? Can we have a chance to stamp it?”

Nan Shi carefully took out the seal from up front and smiled, saying, “This is something I only managed to obtain by chance, so I wish to keep its integrity. Therefore, I can’t stamp it. Looking at it is alright, so please be careful.”

He didn’t immediately hand it over to the two of them; instead, he guided them to a nearby reception table where they sat down. From under the table, he took out a piece of felt and gloves, then handed them to the other party. The two of them received the gloves and hastily put them on, watching Nan Shi’s seal with eyes blinking not once.

Nan Shi put on the glove himself first, picked up the seal, and showed them its perfect condition. He promptly placed it on the felt and made a gesture of request, indicating that they could pick it up and look at it.

This was also an unwritten rule in the antiques trade. Due to antiques’ high value, some unscrupulous sellers would purposefully hand over damaged items to the buyer. At the moment of exchange, they would intentionally let go, causing it to fall and break. Then they would turn and say the buyer didn’t catch it properly, leading to disputes. The opposite could also happen.

Some unscrupulous sellers even fabricated authenticity, claiming it was genuine after the item was damaged, then refusing to let the buyer leave, insisting on repayment at the price of a fake authenticity.

Thus, knowing buyers and sellers would generally choose this method for the handover.

Old Xia, urgent yet not losing composure, lifted the seal.

Nan Shi had picked it out to impress, naturally choosing the most ornate one available. This seal featured an old plum tree encircling the central image, its branches spiraling from the root all the way up to the highest point, extending outward in rugged splendor. In terms of craftsmanship, it wasn’t actually very intricate—the ancient plum bore neither flowers nor leaves. However, those serpentine, willful branches seemed to reach straight into the viewer’s heart, stirring a subtle yet profound resonance.

“Ah, exquisite!” Old Xia clicked his tongue appreciatively. He turned the seal over, finding the author’s name hidden at the base of the old plum. The words ‘Xuan Wei’—two small characters—immediately caught his eye, bringing relief to his heart like coal delivered amidst snow, or drinking ice on a hot summer day. His nostrils flared slightly. “As expected, it’s Master Xuanwei’s work! Old Wang, you’ve lost to me this time, haven’t you?!”

Old Wang looked unblinkingly at the seal in his hand. His mouth, however, refused to concede defeat: “Just because two words were carved, you believe it’s authentic? If I carved ‘Xuan Wei’ on my sputum cup, would the value of my sputum cup increase tenfold?”

“Bullshit! If you don’t believe me, take a look yourself!” Old Xia put down the seal and gestured for Old Wang to come look. He lifted his eyes to look at Nan Shi, and saw this young boss looking at them with a smile, his face neither pleased nor angry, calm like water, as if the matter they were arguing about had nothing to do with him. He couldn’t help but ask: “What does the boss think?”

Nan Shi had already taken off his gloves and was leisurely preparing a cup of tea for himself. After rushing around for a while, it was time for a sip of hot water.

He looked over at the sound of the question and explained in a leisurely manner: “This item was given to me by a friend, I don’t care whether it’s real or fake, as long as the sentiment is sufficient.”

Sufficient sentiment, my ass! It sure was sufficient enough for him to give it away for thirty pieces of silver!

Hearing this, Old Xia questioned himself, Can I do this? No.

He couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of respect. No wonder this young man could become the boss of an antique store at such a tender age, a young success! Listen to this philosophy! Listen to this realm of thought! How many people could they surpass even with flattery!

Old Wang carefully examined the seal. This brushwork, this composition, this artistic conception—it was undoubtedly the handiwork of Master Xuan Wei! But he couldn’t shake off an indescribable feeling of unease…

He suddenly took off his gloves and gently rubbed the tips of his fingers, his face revealing an expression that was both like regret and like confirmation. “I just said… Old Xia, come here and take a sniff!”

“Hm?” Old Xia reached out and touched it, then rubbed his finger, his face instantly becoming complex as well. He then let out a long sigh.

Both of them became dispirited.

Nan Shi was somewhat astonished, unsure of what they had discovered. He was just pondering whether he should ask for details when he heard them begin to analyze:

“This is your friend’s recent work, isn’t it? Or perhaps it should be said that it’s the original author’s recent work?”

Old Wang nodded. “What a pity… I just said something wasn’t right. It looks a bit new, the flavor isn’t quite there yet. If a few more years pass and it acquires a patina, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to recognize it anymore.”

The so-called ‘looks new’ meant that the item wasn’t up to age—it was a modern counterfeit.

Mr. Chen Xuanwei was a renowned sculptor of the Republican era. He was not the type who only became famous after death, but rather had risen like a new star in the industry from the moment he entered it. After turning thirty, he could even be said to have reached a level that surpassed nature’s artistry, with none among his peers matching his skill.

And now, it had been over sixty years since Mr. Xuanwei passed away. Even if this seal had been locked in a box for the past sixty years, unseen by sunlight, it still wouldn’t possess such a ‘new’ smell.

Nan Shi recalled Old Chen’s words and nodded, saying: “Perhaps, I have heard my friend mention something like this.”

Seeing Nan Shi speak frankly, the two men’s fondness for him increased greatly.

Old Wang was a quintessential fanboy of Mr. Xuanwei. Unfortunately, most of Mr. Xuanwei’s works had either been lost or destroyed during the subsequent war. The remaining few were either enshrined in the National Museum or hidden away by wealthy private collectors, with not a single piece in his own possession.

The Old Plum seal before his eyes he indeed liked. Although it was a replica, it still had its own charm. Purchasing it to satisfy his longing gaze at home wouldn’t be bad either. He considered for a moment before saying: “Boss, do you sell this seal? This new piece is indeed new, but in terms of brushwork and artistic conception, it can truly be considered quite good. How much do you want? If it’s suitable, I’ll give it to you?”

Old Wang was pondering what price this young boss before him would quote when he saw Nan Shi give a refined smile, then shake his head and say: “Sorry, this one is not for sale.”

Old Xia tugged on Old Wang’s arm: “What are you thinking?! They’ve already said it’s a gift from a friend, how could they possibly sell it!”

“True.” Old Wang grinned, then asked again: “Well, I won’t force you… but could I ask, where did your friend get this from?”

“That I’m not sure about.” Nan Shi said. At this point, his heart stirred, but he managed to suppress it.

The two asked a few other questions before finally leaving with regret, having had to forgo the chance at two strings of Five Emperors Coins. Nan Shi put the Old Plum Seal back in its original place and contemplated briefly—truthfully, he had been slightly tempted to sell it just then. But then he recalled that this was one of Old Chen’s later works, and what if it carried some sinister or demonic aura or something along those lines…

He wasn’t afraid with his Senior Brother around, but he couldn’t mistreat the buyer either, could he?

Business, you know? It’s said that without a black heart, you can’t make big money. But it’s also not right to endanger someone’s life just for a little profit, isn’t it?

Turn back home to ask Chi You again.

With this thought, Nan Shi placed the old plum into its original brocade box, planning to take it home after work.

After these two guests left, it seemed there were no more customers. Nan Shi noticed the time was getting late, so he quickly continued studying, and along the way took advantage of his break time to settle the accounts from the recent period at the shop, checking the profit and loss.

He didn’t know how it happened, perhaps it was because settling the accounts required checking the goods, Nan Shi unconsciously opened Taobao, looking at the recent hit models of ornaments. When he finished placing the order for new goods and lifted his head again, the sky outside had already darkened.

He hurriedly gathered his things, planning to go home, but just as he was walking through the pedestrian street, lightning flashed in the sky. Following the deafening thunder, torrential rain fell suddenly, drenching Nan Shi.

The swift and dense rain struck the ground, easily filling the uneven pits on the limestone pavement. The stone slabs, ground smooth and glossy by long years of people’s foot traffic, faintly reflected a reddish glow. With the swaying of the lanterns, they shone brightly at times, fading at others.

Nan Shi was still considered quick at hiding; he had avoided the rain after only a few steps by taking shelter under the eaves of a nearby shop. However, his clothes were now half wet and half dry. He had already walked half of this pedestrian street, and just half of the distance remained to reach the parking lot… Forget it, since his clothes were already wet, there was no need to return to the shop for an umbrella.

He gritted his teeth, just as he was about to rush into the curtain of rain, a distant copper bell suddenly rang out from afar.

Nan Shi froze, a slightly ominous feeling surging in his heart. He instinctively wanted to avoid it, but in the span of his vision, two blue lamps had already appeared.

Two blue figures slowly approached behind the blue lamps, followed by a patch of pitch-black silhouette, also slowly coming.

Their speed looked very slow, yet in the blink of an eye, they had already reached a dozen meters ahead of Nan Shi.

Due to the curtain of rain, Nan Shi couldn’t see too clearly, only that it was a pitch-black carriage from head to toe. In front, two blue-clad people held blue lamps, and two more blue-clad people were carrying something. Behind the carriage, there seemed to be more shadows, but exactly how many, he didn’t know.

His scalp instantly went numb. Even now, trying to avoid it was too late. He thought of Chi You’s previous care: if he encountered some ‘people’ on the road and truly couldn’t avoid them, it would be better to simply close his eyes and not look. As long as they weren’t aiming for him, once they passed it would be fine.

Nan Shi closed his eyes, his body pressed tightly against the shop’s large door behind him. That chilling atmosphere was coming closer and closer, the sound of copper bells also becoming clearer and clearer.

Once a person loses their vision, their other senses will become more sensitive.

Nan Shi heard the copper bell sound arrive at his right ear, from far away to closer, a gentle breeze blowing by, as if passing before him.

But he heard no bell sound come from the left.

Perhaps they are examining him?

Nan Shi didn’t dare open his eyes, and his breathing unconsciously lightened. If possible, he even wanted to cover his own mouth and nose with his hands.

But it would be best to avoid moving.

It’s unknown how long has passed, the rain is still falling continuously, hitting the ground, hitting the eaves of the shops on both sides, hitting the rain boards, hitting the lanterns… Apart from this, there are no other sounds.

Has it passed?

No, let’s wait a little longer.

Nan Shi waited for a while longer, suddenly his cell phone rang. Nan Shi didn’t stop it, but instead continued waiting.

The ring sounded once, then stopped.

Nothing happened… perhaps they left long ago.

…Tsk, just wasting time standing here.

Nan Shi sighed, at this moment, his cell phone rang again, he naturally reached out to pull out the phone, opened his eyes…

Two blue lights appeared in his field of vision.

Suddenly, he saw only darkness, the next second, the world lit up again.

A hand stretched out and flicked him on the forehead.

Chi You, holding a cup of wine in one hand, looked askance at him. “What are you doing, stupidly standing here? Don’t even know to come up? Don’t recognize your own family’s car?”

Nan Shi: …You mother.

Don’t stop me! I’m going to rebel against my teacher today!