Chapter 479: Nothing I Dare Not Do

The sun set in the west, and the evening glow was mottled.

Having walked all day, it would be a lie to say they weren't tired; Ye Anlan counted the famous restaurants in Xiguan on her fingers.

"Anning, where shall we eat tonight?"

Ye Anning thought for a moment: "In any case, we have to pick a decent place!"

Not to mention anything else, Yao Qiming and Gao Wen had followed them for a whole day; they had to express their gratitude somehow.

"They won't go, will they?"

Ye Anning shook her head: whether they go is one thing, whether to invite them is another.

While pondering, she looked ahead: the two were walking in the lead, glancing back from time to time. Their expressions were very complex: suspicion, astonishment, surprise.

Thinking about it, they must be guessing Lin Sicheng's identity.

Let them guess; it wasn't the first time, was it?

Ye Anlan also looked over: "What's wrong with them? They seem a bit afraid of Lin Sicheng?"

Ye Anning nodded: "Believe it or not, they are currently wondering if Lin Sicheng is a Grave Robber."

Ye Anlan's eyes popped: "Heh, how is that possible?"

Of course it was impossible, but those two would definitely suspect it.

Ye Anning was indeed not wrong...

Gao Wen had an expression of disbelief: "Chairman Yao, with such thick rust, how much porcelain has been repaired?"

Yao Qiming didn't speak: was this a question of thickness or quantity?

At first glance, it was colorful and Five Flowers and Eight Gates, with every color imaginable. But only the most expert porcelain painters or Ceramic Repair masters knew: the rust on Lin Sicheng's hands was by no means ordinary Glaze Material.

The blue was Cobalt Material; there couldn't be a second kind, and it was definitely not those synthetic materials found in Canton enamel. There was only one type of porcelain that could use it: blue and white. Next, the purple rust—this was Gaudy Purple. It originated in the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty, and only one type of porcelain used it: doucai.

Finally, the gold-red: at first glance, it looked like the Native Gold and Alum Red in Canton enamel. But Yao Qiming dared to guarantee one hundred percent: this was Agate Gold, used only in Famille Rose.

Blue and white, doucai, Famille Rose... go to the Forbidden City, go to Jingdezhen and ask, how many people are there who can simultaneously repair and dare to repair these three types of porcelain?

Without thirty or forty years of Ceramic Repair craftsmanship, and without being a top master in the industry, who would dare to touch these three types of porcelain?

Looking at the rust on Lin Sicheng's hands again, could it be that he was just bored and took these Glaze Materials to dye his hands for fun, causing such thick rust? If he hadn't repaired thousands of pieces, he had at least repaired hundreds.

But that was secondary; what puzzled Yao Qiming the most was: where did Lin Sicheng get so much soil patina on his hands?

It was no exaggeration: even professional Grave Robbers didn't have as much as he did.

However, there was one thing Yao Qiming was certain of: Lin Sicheng's background was definitely not simple, otherwise he wouldn't be hanging out with Ye Anqi.

Looking at his speech and temperament again, no matter how one looked at it, he seemed like a descendant of a noble family.

Therefore, he was particularly unable to understand: why not do something else instead of playing with this?

While he was pondering, Gao Wen leaned in a little closer: "How should the matter from today be resolved?"

Gao Wen was referring to the incident earlier at Nanmu Wood Wood Studio, where they were treated like beggars.

Yao Qiming thought for a moment: "I don't know!"

If it were anyone else, regardless of their background or status, they would one hundred percent want to vent this frustration.

At the very least, they would have a fight, otherwise they wouldn't be able to sleep for months.

Previously, Ye Anqi and Lin Sicheng seemed to have indeed planned that way. But for some reason, after going in and walking around, saying a few understated words, they actually came out?

Seeing him not speaking, Gao Wen extended a finger and pointed upward.

Yao Qiming understood instantly: would it be handled through channels from above?

If it were handled that way, it would be impossible to only target this one shop, otherwise it would be too specific. So, nine times out of ten, it would be a joint operation.

She meant to ask if they should give a heads-up to colleagues they had good relations with.

Yao Qiming, however, shook his head: it didn't look like it?

If he really wanted to do that, he wouldn't have gone a second time.

Compared to that, Yao Qiming was more curious about what Lin Sicheng said: that eighty percent of the items in Nanmu Wood Wood Studio were imitations?

And, they had been selling them for twenty years... good heavens, the sky would collapse, wouldn't it?

The more he thought about it, the more Yao Qiming admired him: this was called borrowing a knife to kill.

Because Nanmu Wood Wood Studio had always done business this way: only selling authentic goods, only dealing with distinguished guests.

It was just that, in the past, it was all word-of-mouth, but now it was laid out in the open.

Imagine, a chair costing tens of thousands, a coffee table costing over a hundred thousand—how many ordinary people could afford that?

Then who were all those Rosewood pieces from Nanmu Wood Wood Studio sold to in the past?

Regardless of whether it was true or false, as long as this news spread from the mouths of the Ye family, the owner of Nanmu Wood Wood Studio would lose a layer of skin even if they didn't die.

If, just if, someone believed it, sealing the door and closing the shop would be the lightest possible outcome. It might even lead to someone jumping into the Pearl River. Thinking about this, Yao Qiming shuddered: this kid, his methods were too vicious...

If Yao Qiming could figure it out, Ye Anqi could figure it out even better.

It was just that he had a little less experience and had to ponder for a while longer.

But the deeper he thought, the more strange Ye Anqi's gaze became, glancing at Lin Sicheng from time to time.

No wonder he said those things in the shop?

No wonder he wasn't angry at all, and his attitude was better than ever?

This was killing the heart without even showing a blade.

Truly, compared to Lin Sicheng, the methods of revenge he had imagined were like child's play...

Seeing at a glance that he had misunderstood, Lin Sicheng was between laughter and tears: "Second Brother, I was telling the truth; most of the items in that shop are imitations. Most of what they sold in the past were, too."

Ye Anqi didn't make a sound, his eyes dodging for a moment: he didn't quite believe these words.

Not to mention the ones in the shop, just look at the ones already sold: they had been selling for twenty years, if not ten thousand pieces, then at least several thousand, and not a single person had discovered it? Among them were wealthy merchants, high-ranking officials, collectors, and even antique dealers—were all these people blind?

"Of course they have eyes, but having eyes alone is useless!" Lin Sicheng shook his head, "Even Experts get fooled!"

Ye Anqi was startled: Isn't that going a bit too far?

You mean... you are even more capable than an Expert?

He thought for a moment: "Sicheng, then how did you see it?"

Lin Sicheng paused slightly: "Learned it from books!"

Ye Anqi was stunned: "Heh heh~"

"Second Brother, don't disbelieve me!"

Ye Anqi didn't indulge him at all: "I'd believe a ghost before I believe you!"

Lin Sicheng looked helpless.

How else could he say it?

Say that in his past life he had been cheated, misjudged, paid his tuition, and then worked hard, putting in great effort to study for a long time?

Of course he couldn't say that, but he really had studied the craftsmanship of the Jinmen Yang School thoroughly enough.

That was probably when he was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, just after he returned from Dunhuang, preparing to go to the Forbidden City for two more years of advanced study.

Because he hadn't been back for many days, he rested for a period of time. Every day he was either at Panjiayuan or Liulichang.

One day, on a whim, he went to Shibalidian (the old rosewood furniture market in Beijing) and saw people gathered around a rosewood writing desk discussing it, so he took a few extra looks.

At the time, many people said it was Acid Branch Wood from a hundred years ago, and to Lin Sicheng, it also looked like Acid Branch Wood. The key was that the pattern was excellent, and the workmanship was even better. It was a typical Acid Branch Wood Tiger Skin Pattern, typical craftsmanship of the Beijing-style masters from the Imperial Household Department of the Qing Palace.

At that time, Lin Sicheng's eye for antiques was already quite sharp; no matter how he looked at it, it seemed like an old object. So, although the price was not low, he still bought it. Two weeks later, when he went to the Forbidden City, he happened to run into Professor Hu Desheng, a scholar of palace furniture, and asked him for advice.

After a rough explanation, he felt that Professor Hu's expression was off right then and there. The next day, Lin Sicheng brought the writing desk to the Forbidden City.

As it turned out, Professor Hu only needed one look: an imitation by the Jinmen Yang School.

Only then did Lin Sicheng know that he wasn't the only one who had been cheated: Professor Hu had been cheated, Mr. Chen Zengbi had been cheated, and Mr. Wang Shixiang had also been cheated. For this reason, these three had even specifically studied it for a period of time, and even went around in circles to find Yang Chun to ask for advice.

Someone who specialized in Imitating the Ancients would never dare to offend national-treasure-level masters, so naturally, he told them everything he knew without reservation.

Afterwards, they learned that Yang Chun was the Head Craftsman of the Oil Wood Workshop during the Guangxu reign, a descendant of the Beijing-style master Yang Ashui.

He originally wanted to pay compensation, but Mr. Wang didn't let him; he let him stay in the Forbidden City to train several teachers who specialized in miscellaneous items and furniture for half a year. After that, the Yang family's craftsmanship and appraisal theories remained in the Forbidden City.

At that time, Lin Sicheng was young and arrogant; how could he have suffered such a loss? Seeing these things, he naturally had to strive for improvement and grit his teeth to study them. Seeing that he was willing to learn and had good comprehension, Professor Hu taught him many unique techniques.

Since then, Lin Sicheng would occasionally see one or two of the Yang family's imitations. But he only ever appraised their authenticity and never spoke of their origins.

Because, at the end of the day, what he learned was the Yang family's craft. Whether it was Hu Desheng, or Mr. Chen and Mr. Wang, they all owed a favor to Yang Chun. Besides, at the time, everyone thought the Yang family only made them; as for how they were sold after others bought them as imitations, or what was said to the clients, the Yang family couldn't control it and had no way to control it, so it couldn't be blamed on him.

But only today did Lin Sicheng realize: the Yang family was a one-stop shop for imitation and sales.

The logic was simple: without a craftsman to lay out and design, it would be impossible to sell to Nanmu Wood Wood Studio for twenty years without being exposed...

While he was secretly pondering, Ye Anqi leaned over: "How do you plan to do this, tell Wang Sanshu? Or should I do it, or tell Fourth Uncle directly?" Lin Sicheng sighed: "Second Brother, you praised me earlier: for thinking things through!"

Ye Anqi was stunned, and let out an "Eh": That's right?

Earlier he said he wanted to do something ruthless, and Lin Sicheng said it wasn't necessary. He also said he was afraid that Wang Sanshu would act on impulse and cause a big scene.

He himself had thought at the time: This kid isn't very old, but he thinks quite thoroughly.

But now, if it really was as he thought, and Lin Sicheng wanted to borrow a knife to kill, wouldn't the scene be even bigger?

And more importantly: Lin Sicheng's reputation would also be ruined.

Imagine: with such a sinister mind, killing someone the moment he makes a move, who would dare to hang out with him in the future?

The more Ye Anqi thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong, his face full of suspicion: So, Lin Sicheng really thought the shop was full of fakes.

But no matter how he thought about it, it seemed impossible, so there was only one possibility: Lin Sicheng was overconfident and had misjudged.

"Sicheng, then how shall we proceed?"

"We don't need to do anything. Second Brother, trust me, we don't do anything, and it will collapse on its own!"

After a slight pause, Lin Sicheng emphasized, "Three months at the longest, half a month at the shortest!"

Heh heh... Ye Anqi didn't believe a single word.

"Second Brother, I know you don't believe me!" Lin Sicheng smiled, "But imagine, what if what I said is true, and the boss of Nanmu Wood Wood Studio suddenly finds out: everything sold in the past twenty years was fake, what would she do?"

What else could she do?

Ye Anqi thought for a moment: It seems there is only one way left: jump into the river.

What else?

Rosewood is not a common antique; those who play with this are either the new rich or old money. Try not compensating them and see what happens?

But after selling for twenty years, how much must have been sold? Even if she squeezed her bones into oil, she couldn't afford to pay it back.

One or two might have room for maneuver, but ten or eight tied together, the energy would be greater than one could imagine...

Ye Anqi was stunned: Eh... that woman, is she deliberately trying to ruin the business?

No wonder she's acting like she took the wrong medicine, always thinking about how to offend clients.

But his intuition said it was impossible, unless it was really as Lin Sicheng said: they were all imitations.

Then again: among so many senior collectors, which one doesn't have three or five Expert friends; if one couldn't tell, could it be that none of them could tell? Knowing he still didn't believe him, Lin Sicheng didn't speak again.

It was indeed quite hard to understand, no wonder no one believed it.

But Lin Sicheng had at least ninety percent certainty that that General Manager Fu was planning to do exactly that:

First, ruin the shop; even if the bomb goes off, even if you want her to pay, you have to find the responsible entity first.

Secondly, destroy the evidence: handle what can be handled, sell everything that can be sold. You say I sold fakes, where is the evidence?

Finally, find a new backer, a big backer. It is estimated that this shop is her "letter of introduction." But she can't just give it away, so she needs an excuse, which is why it is even more necessary to ruin it.

That Manager Li should be unaware, otherwise he wouldn't have been so angry when he said the shop was full of imitations.

But that General Manager Fu definitely knew it clearly.

Imagine: being pointed at and called a bald donkey in front of a monk, or being called a whore in front of a lady, who could stand it? And that General Manager Fu didn't even argue? Even more: whether it was deliberately ruining the business or handling the furniture, it must be done slowly, otherwise it would arouse suspicion. But he had pointed it out in one sentence, which was like a thunderclap on flat ground, and this General Manager Fu didn't even have a change of expression?

To remain calm even when Mount Tai collapses before one's eyes, she is definitely a character.

Lin Sicheng felt it would be better to offer a reminder.

"Second Brother, if that General Manager Fu looks for you, you had best not see her?"

Ye Anqi did not understand: "Why?"

"When sick and desperate, one seeks any doctor; someone with your status is a life-saving miracle drug to her."

To put it bluntly: once you get stuck to her, you won't be able to shake her off.

Ye Anqi was half-doubting: "Isn't that an exaggeration?"

Lin Sicheng smiled and said nothing more.

People teaching people, they won't learn even to death; circumstances teaching people, they learn in one go.

But there was no need to worry: Ye Anqi was naturally clever, it was just that he had been overly alarmist, shattering his previous perceptions.

Once the matter came knocking, he would believe it.

Taking a step back, if he lacked experience and couldn't handle it, the elders in his family weren't exactly pushovers, were they?

There were plenty of ways...

Ye Anqi was half-doubting: "Then what about this grudge, are we not settling it?"

What is there left to settle?

She is already prepared to commit suicide; what can you do to someone who doesn't even want their own life?

Lin Sicheng shook his head: "Second Brother, trust me, stay away!"

If she finds out Ye Anqi's identity, believe it or not, that General Manager Fu will be crying and begging to the Bodhisattva, hoping Ye Anqi will come to cause trouble for her.

In Guangzhou, what kind of powerful backer could be greater than Ye Anqi?

As the saying goes, using a tiger's skin as a banner; when one's life is almost gone, what is there that she wouldn't dare to do?