Reborn As Super Heiress

The people on the stage were carefully examining the Bronze Pot, with a few even carrying high-powered magnifying glasses, murmuring as they scrutinized, ”The form, era, and even the decorative features are very clear...”

Someone wearing white gloves directly picked up the Bronze Pot, weighed it, and nodded, ”The quality is fine too.”

Next to them, Zhuang Xiangyang took off his reading glasses and couldn’t help but exclaim, ”The patina and finish are perfect, no flaws at all.”

After examining the item, the people on stage gradually dispersed. It was then that Zhou Shitao smiled at Shi Qingyun and said, ”Professor Shi, let’s go up and take a look at this Bronze Pot that everyone is praising, shall we?”

Shi Qingyun nodded, and the four of them, master and disciples, all went up to the stage.

Seeing Zhou Shitao coming up, Liang Ruicheng’s eyes flickered. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, his gaze fell on Huo Sining, a dark cloud swirling within.

Huo Sining pretended not to recognize Liang Ruicheng, following Zhou Shitao to the front of the Bronze Pot. At this point, Liang Ruicheng couldn’t help but interject, ”Elder Zhou, this kind of Bronze Pot is a classic. There aren’t many such items on the market today.”

Zhou Shitao nodded, put on gloves, and bent down for a closer look.

Huo Sining followed Zhou Shitao, moving closer. She had previously used the Heavenly Eye Skill, not paying much attention to this Bronze Pot. Now facing it up close, she examined the Bronze Pot thoroughly once more.

After examining the Bronze Pot, Huo Sining gained a deeper understanding of Zhong Fang, which was a feeling of shock and deep admiration.

This person behind the antique aging Zhong Fang is truly a master of unparalleled craftsmanship. Such talent is unrivaled. Regardless of whether this person took the wrong path, his skill in high-quality forgeries can be said to be unparalleled throughout history. If this person chose the right path, he might already have become a grandmaster.

The Bronze Pot in front of Huo Sining, when viewed with the naked eye, showed a perfectly judged patina and finish with no discernible flaws.

If Huo Sining didn’t possess the Heavenly Eye Skill, which revealed the engraved Zhong Fang character on the inside wall of the Bronze Pot and the absence of purple aura on the pot body, she might have been deceived by this Bronze Pot.

Huo Sining couldn’t help but sigh deeply, thinking that perhaps it’s because Zhong Fang’s exquisite crafting is so realistic that Zhou Shitao places such importance on him, spending years investigating Zhong Fang’s origins and insisting on uncovering the person behind these forgeries.

After all, such items appearing on the market make it impossible for people to guard against them. Who knows how many people in the antique circle have been deceived by Zhong Fang? Some exquisite antiques are no longer just about the appraisers’ eyesight. Unless scientifically authenticated, they can’t be detected. Zhou Shitao aims to prevent Zhong Fang from damaging the appraisers’ credibility and ruining the reputation of antique appraisers, as well as maintaining balance in the antique market to prevent chaos.

Maybe it was because Huo Sining was staring at the Bronze Pot with furrowed brows that her unusual behavior quickly caught Zhou Shitao’s attention, prompting him to softly inquire, ”Huo girl, what’s the matter? You seem absent-minded.”

Huo Sining shook her head and replied with a smile, ”Nothing, just got lost in thought.”

Zhou Shitao, a clever person who has been around the antique circle for many years, naturally wouldn’t take words at face value. Seeing Huo Sining’s response, he was stirred, glancing again at the Bronze Pot.

Originally, he was optimistic about this Bronze Pot. While sitting below, he had been continuously observing it. Now, after a close inspection, he felt it was a piece that could be deemed perfect, with nothing to criticize.

However, Huo Sining’s high level of appraisal skill often left her teacher, Zhou Shitao, in awe. Seeing her react unusually now, he couldn’t help but wonder if he, too, had overlooked something.

Still puzzled, Liang Ruicheng, who was becoming a bit restless, couldn’t help but ask:

”Elder Zhou, what do you think of this Bronze Pot?”

Seeing Zhou Shitao staring at the Bronze Pot in silence for a long time, Liang Ruicheng’s previously confident demeanor suddenly faltered, feeling slightly anxious, and hurriedly asked.

Zhou Shitao looked at Huo Sining, then lowered his head to examine the Bronze Pot again. After a moment of thought, he shook his head and said:

”The piece appears complete from surface to patina, and its finish is flawless. However, in our identification of antiques, we have a principle: the completeness of a piece. For a Western Zhou object to retain 90% integrity is already considered beyond our appraisal expectations. Your Bronze Pot has no damage, not a single surface flaw, so perfect that I can’t be sure.”

Zhou Shitao’s remarks left Liang Ruicheng stunned, and surprised everyone present.

Being too perfect and, therefore, uncertain, might sound absurd, but in the antique circle, there’s indeed a saying that unusual incidents often indicate anomalies, so it’s not that Zhou Shitao was deliberately nitpicking.

Zhou Shitao is a respected authority in antique appraisal. Had he not expressed doubt, everyone might have accepted it as genuine. But now, with him expressing uncertainty, those who earlier admired the Bronze Pot fell silent.

Upon reconsidering Zhou Shitao’s words carefully, they began to understand the implication, and their gaze toward the Bronze Pot transformed into one of peculiar contemplation.

This outcome gave Liang Ruicheng a rising sense of unease.

He was inwardly vexed. He intended to promptly ask Zhou Shitao’s opinion on the Bronze Pot in hopes of garnering praise, thereby gaining limelight at the venue and finding a way to associate Zhou Shitao with the Bronze Pot to raise its price.

However, he didn’t anticipate that this esteemed figure would provide an ambiguous assessment instead of a definitive judgment, which far exceeded Liang Ruicheng’s expectations and control.

In the antique circle, ”uncertain” can generally be interpreted in two ways: one as being indecisive, the other indicating that the item may have issues, being either fake or semi-authentic.

Zhou Shitao’s ambiguous words shifted everyone’s perspective from appreciation to suspicion, disrupting Liang Ruicheng’s well-laid plans. How could Liang Ruicheng accept this?