I Go to the High Seas for Fishing But Get Hunted by an Aircraft Carrier

"Mr. Li, your collection is quite extensive," Ye Chen sighed.

Mr. Li let out a soft sigh, "Ah... as one gets older, they tend to like keeping some mementos around. After all, my spouse passed away early, and this hobby is all I have left."

"By the way, apart from cinnabar stone, I've also collected quite a number of other antiques. Don't get scared later," Mr. Li chuckled.

"Mr. Li, you can count on me," Ye Chen replied.

Soon, the two arrived at the collection room.

Mr. Li closed the door to the room and then opened a drawer next to the wall, taking out a scroll of painting.

Upon unfurling the scroll, it turned out to be a landscape painting from the Spring and Autumn Warring States period.

The overall lines were smooth and exquisite, the mountains robust and majestic, with a simple and brisk brushwork that conveyed a boldness and sharpness akin to the grandeur of mountains towering and spirit overshadowing the world.

At the bottom of the scroll were the words 'Meng Ke'.

"Meng Gong?" Seeing the signature on the painting, Ye Chen showed a look of surprise.

Meng Ke was a famous painter, and his works have been passed down to later generations, becoming treasures that are immensely difficult to acquire.

It's said that the value of this painting is priceless, with a market value of at least eight figures.

"How about it, Ye Chen, is this painting valuable?" Mr. Li asked with a grin.

Ye Chen nodded, saying, "This is a fine painting. If handled properly, it's worth at least fifty to sixty million."

"Ha, Ye Chen, you truly are an expert!" Mr. Li laughed heartily, then said, "Tonight, I've invited a few old friends over for dinner, and I plan to auction this painting. I estimate it could sell for over a hundred million!"

"One hundred million?" Ye Chen was shocked; indeed, the painting was excellent.

But the price seemed rather exaggerated.

"Ye Chen, I know the price sounds exaggerated, but you must understand, this painting is genuinely a fine piece and worth the money," Mr. Li explained with a smile.

Ye Chen took a deep breath and then said, "In that case, I'll accompany Mr. Li for the trip."

"Um," Mr. Li nodded and then led Ye Chen out of the store.

Under Mr. Li's guidance, the two drove to Yunhai Villa.

The scenery here was beautiful, and the architecture luxurious, with a semi-private nature.

"Ye Chen, just wait for me to make a call," Mr. Li said with a smile, and then he dialed a number.

Before long, a group of men dressed in casual attire approached.

Among them, three or four had the character 'Wang' emblazoned on their chests.

Clearly, these men were no ordinary individuals; they exuded a formidable aura and their faces bore an arrogant look.

"Mr. Li, you've finally agreed to meet me, I've missed you," one of the men said respectfully to Mr. Li as they approached.

This group of people were the top figures in Jiangzhou City, led by Wang Peng and Liu Zhi.

"Haha, young Wang, you're looking sharper. This time I've brought a treasure to auction," Mr. Li said, seemingly quite enjoying the feeling of being the center of attention.

"Oh? Mr. Li, you're really willing to part with it?" Wang Peng exclaimed in surprise.

"I enjoy collecting antiques. This item is quite valuable, and I'm looking to exchange it for some cash," Mr. Li said with a smile.

"Then Mr. Li, please hand over the antique to us right away, I'll go and contact the buyers for you," Wang Peng said eagerly, rubbing his palms and eyeing the antique.

Mr. Li smiled and said, "I'll temporarily leave the antique with Ye Chen for safekeeping until I successfully auction it off, then I'll hand it over to you."

Wang Peng's eyes widened with surprise upon hearing this, and he looked at Ye Chen in amazement.

"Mr. Li, I'm not a professional antique appraiser, you aren't tricking me, right?" Wang Peng expressed his concern, fearing that the antique he had spent a fortune on at the auction could be a fake.

Li Fu smiled and reassured him: "Young Wang, you can rest easy. This is absolutely an authentic piece of Yuan blue-and-white porcelain, worth more than a hundred million!"

"Yuan blue-and-white porcelain!" Wang Peng gasped, unable to help swallowing, "Mr. Li, where did you get this Yuan blue-and-white porcelain?"

"Hehe, it's like this, not long ago I came into possession of a damaged scroll. This scroll depicts Meng Ke from the Spring and Autumn period. The mountains and valleys in the painting are incredibly lifelike."

"After careful study, I found that Meng Ke's painting style is unique. He mimics the contours of mountains and rivers with ingenious conception. As a result, the figures in the painting possess an awe-inspiring spirit, which is pretty breathtaking!" Li Fu remarked admiringly.

Ye Chen fell silent. Although he was not adept in painting, he was aware of some anecdotes about Yuan blue-and-white porcelain.

Yuan blue-and-white refers to a type of porcelain made during the Qianlong reign of the Ming Dynasty, initially for use in the imperial palace.

In Yuan blue-and-white porcelain, blue patterns are primary, while white glaze is secondary.

Every piece of Yuan blue-and-white porcelain has a bluish ceramic base, featuring flower and animal designs, with vibrant blue colors, exquisite craftsmanship, clear patterns, and a pure background color of the clay.

Moreover, Yuan blue-and-white porcelain has one major flaw.

It is composed of blue-white porcelain and red-white porcelain, with the blue porcelain being rather thick and sturdy.

Conversely, the red-white porcelain is thin as paper and extremely fragile.

During the manufacturing process, Yuan blue-and-white porcelain went through a lengthy period of failure until it matured during the Qianlong reign.

Li Fu smiled, pointing to the scroll and said, "If you look closely at the scroll, you'll realize that the landscapes and trees painted with Meng Ke on the scroll are actually mountains and rivers. The scenes in the painting also possess a soaring spirit!"

Hearing Li Fu's description, Wang Peng and the others began to gather around to observe the scroll.

"This painting is good, worth the price," Liu Zhi made his judgment after a while, then added, "But it seems to be missing something."

"Missing something?" The people frowned in confusion.

Liu Zhi shook his head, saying, "It's hard to say, let me think about it!"

Li Fu, however, smiled and waved his hand and then led Ye Chen into the living room.

Upon following Li Fu into the living room, Ye Chen looked around.

The living room was spacious, adorned with various sculptures and display pieces, many of which were rarities.

A variety of tea sets were placed on the tea table, emanating a subtle fragrance.

Five or six people were sitting on the sofa, all neatly dressed, young gentlemen exuding extraordinary grace; they were most likely sons of wealthy families.

Beside this group sat a girl.

She appeared to be around twenty years old, with a beautiful face and fair skin, wearing a blue dress that accentuated her noble elegance.

She held a fluffy little dog in her arms, which seemed to have just woken up, lazily opening its eyes and looking around.

"Is this the friend of Mr. Li Fu, Ye Chen? He truly has an impressive appearance, a real talent indeed." Liu Zhi teased with a smile.

A chubby man behind him echoed, "Indeed, Brother Ye is young and promising, we admire you!"

Another person even reached out his hand and said, "Brother Ye, my name is Lin Yang, let's shake hands!"

Ye Chen gave Lin Yang a fleeting glance, nodded slightly, and went through the motions of shaking hands.

Lin Yang was overweight, his frame plump and his cheeks chubby, giving off a greasy feeling.

"Mr. Li, where did you acquire this treasure?" Lin Yang curiously looked at the brocade box in Li Fu's hand, puzzled.