Reborn As Super Heiress

Capítulo 1484: Chapter 1458: What Are Your Terms?

To introduce his collection, Windsor Reed took Huo Sining on a tour of the various treasures in the gallery, finally dragging out a box in a small attic inside the gallery.

The items in this box were Western objects that Windsor Reed had acquired from the Netherlands.

Although Huo Sining wasn’t very familiar with the Netherlands, she had the Heavenly Eye Cheating Device. Along with her recent crash course in European ancient artifacts, she haphazardly absorbed a lot of books on this subject. Using this half-baked Western knowledge and her made-up comments about supposed flaws or defects, she managed to thoroughly impress Windsor Reed, who became increasingly convinced as he listened.

Windsor Reed’s eyes lit up, and in just over ten minutes, he almost idolized Huo Sining, greatly admiring her.

“Miss Huo, although you performed excellently at the International Treasure Appraisal Conference, seeing it through a television screen, you can’t help but think the media might have exaggerated. I didn’t think you were that incredible until today when I realized you are a true master!”

“To be honest, I invited several Western antique experts to examine these items I bought, but none could describe them as accurately and comprehensively as you did. It’s truly admirable that someone as young as Miss Huo possesses such profound knowledge!”

Windsor Reed’s praise came from the heart, but Huo Sining felt somewhat guilty.

She was just relying on the Heavenly Eye device, piecing together a heap of professional knowledge to back up her fibs, never expecting Windsor Reed to believe it all and regard her as a master.

Huo Sining couldn’t help but shake her head secretly and sighed heavily. If Windsor Reed were as proficient as Adrian in both Huaxia and Western European antiques, she probably wouldn’t have deceived him so easily today.

Windsor Reed, this old man, although a collector fanatic, really wasn’t that skilled in antique appraisal. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let his servant throw away the items in that cardboard box; it’s truly…

Huo Sining didn’t know how to describe it, but the fact that this old man’s level was lacking was beneficial for her. At least, if the items in that box had been in Adrian’s hands, it wouldn’t have concerned Huo Sining at all.

“I heard from Caesar that Miss Huo also participated in the WGC this time?”

As Huo Sining’s thoughts were wandering, Windsor Reed suddenly asked her a question.

The topic shifted so quickly that Huo Sining was momentarily taken aback, instinctively looking up and asking, “Huh?”

A flash of cunning appeared in Windsor Reed’s eyes: “I heard Miss Huo is skilled at gambling. How about we and Miss Huo play a round?”

Huo Sining was puzzled, not knowing what trick this old man had up his sleeve: “Mr. Windsor, what do you mean by this?”

Windsor Reed smiled as he pulled a compartment from a wall in the gallery, not at all avoiding Huo Sining, and directly pulled out a small safe from the compartment.

Nobody knew where this old man got a diamond-shaped crystal key, which he inserted into the safe.

Huo Sining heard a click, and the lid of the safe opened quickly, revealing an agarwood box inside, faintly emanating a rich fragrance of agarwood.

This was an exquisitely carved agarwood box, and just looking at the grain of the box, one could tell that this piece of agarwood was at least a hundred years old.

Huo Sining looked at the agarwood box strangely, her heartbeat quickening, as the text carved on the box made her somewhat incredulous.

Bahetaihe, together with the Yuanmingyuan seal, was regarded as one of the two official seals of Yuanmingyuan. They were lost along with numerous artifacts from Yuanmingyuan during the Allied Forces’ invasion of China.

In 1905, Kang Youwei had seen an exhibition of those two jade seals in the Chinese gallery of the Paris Museum. Shortly afterward, the two jade seals, along with “Mona Lisa’s Smile” in the Louvre, were stolen.

Although the two jade seals were later retrieved by the museum, many collectors in the field expressed skepticism, believing that the jade seals later placed in the museum were replicas and not the true Yuanmingyuan jade seals.

However, this theory was never confirmed by the Paris Museum and eventually faded away.

Seeing Huo Sining’s eyes fixed on the wooden box in her hand, a flash of cunning appeared in Windsor Reed’s eyes:

“It seems Miss Huo has already recognized the item inside this box. You must be curious why this object ended up in my hands.”

“It was quite a coincidence, really. Ten years ago, while visiting Paris with friends, I picked this up on a riverbank. At the time, I only found it somewhat familiar. After bringing it back and having it appraised, I discovered it was quite significant.”

“Mr. Windsor, you are truly fortunate.”

Huo Sining’s words were laced with bitterness, as she didn’t believe Windsor Reed’s story for a second.

Who would believe such nonsense, as if Windsor Reed thought she were a three-year-old? Who picks up official seals on a riverbank? Whoever believes that must be out of their mind.

How could such a priceless and government-produced jade seal be casually discarded on a riverbank? It’s not as if the thief who painstakingly stole the seal from the museum was an idiot!

“This object isn’t of much importance to me, but to you, Miss Huo, it must hold great significance.”

As Windsor Reed spoke, he gently opened the box, and an azure jade seal appeared before Huo Sining’s eyes, faintly glowing under the dim light of the gallery.

“The path of heaven alters, making things orderly and harmonious.” (Inscription on the seal)

The Bahetaihe jade seal was originally Kangxi’s imperial greenstone jade seal. The jade seal is in the shape of a mythical beast square. The seal face is merely two centimeters wide and long, and it stands 3.3 centimeters tall, but it’s made with the finest Hetian Jade.

On top of the jade seal, there are bright red blood-soaked spots. The red and green perfectly blend together, giving the jade seal an air of nobility and harmony, completely matching the four characters “Bahetaihe” (meaning preservation, harmony, and fertility).

With just one glance, without even touching it, Huo Sining could already be completely sure that this jade seal was definitely the lost Yuanmingyuan Official Seal Bahetaihe.

This jade seal, if compared to the He’s Bi National Seal, is indeed different leagues. But the National Seal is a legendary item, while the Bahetaihe jade seal has been seen by many people in modern times as a genuine artifact.

Moreover, this jade seal’s background is extraordinary. If brought back to China, it would absolutely astound countless experts, scholars, and even collectors.

“Mr. Windsor, I won’t beat around the bush. Since you took out this seal to show me, it must not be just to let me have a look.”

“And I won’t hide my intentions from you. I am indeed very interested in this jade seal, but I’m curious to know what conditions you might have.”