"Hehe, are you saying that this thing of mine is a fake?"
Lin Yi looked at Sun Zhi's dismissive expression and couldn't help but curl his lips, while also feeling a sense of pity for the shop for hiring such a person.
Although the cup he took out was indeed a bit new, it was a product of the system, how could it possibly be fake?
"Hehe, even a newcomer who just entered the industry could see at a glance that yours is a fake. Let me put it this way, this thing is a typical 'obvious fake.' Not to mention that it looks newly produced, it supposedly imitates Yuan blue-and-white porcelain."
At this point, Sun Zhi deliberately paused, and when he saw everyone looking at him, he cleared his throat and continued in a knowledgeable tone:
"Yuan blue-and-white porcelain, you know, right? Well, you probably don't even know how many dynasties blue-and-white porcelain spans.
If I'm not mistaken, this is an imitation of a Yuan blue-and-white chrysanthemum-patterned goblet, but for some unknown reason, the original chrysanthemum pattern was changed to a peony design, which is somewhat inappropriate.
And that Yuan blue-and-white chrysanthemum-patterned goblet was auctioned for 2.71 million in 2009! For that price, you could buy a Porsche Cayenne!
Moreover, Yuan blue-and-white has always been priceless. Let me tell you, even a powerful place like our Xuanrui Studio would treasure a piece of Yuan blue-and-white as a priceless asset of the store!"
Seeing everyone around nodding repeatedly, Sun Zhi felt immensely pleased.
This is exactly what he wanted to see; stepping on Lin Yi, a little brat, didn't really matter. In any case, he was from the same generation as Lin Yi's parents, arguing with him would be beneath him.
The main point was to show off his vast knowledge in front of so many people and his employees, so Sun Zhi maintained an instructive tone meant for the younger generation.
After finishing his monologue, Sun Zhi looked up with a 'you still have a lot to learn' expression at Lin Yi, only to be visibly stunned by Lin Yi's disdainful look.
Listening to Sun Zhi's long-winded lecture, Lin Yi openly showed his contempt, thinking that Sun Zhi was just pretending to be an expert.
However, he didn't rush to leave. If he left after being mocked, how could he face himself? At least he had to retaliate a little.
Besides, the main reason he came to Antique City today was to sell things. If Sun Zhi declared his item fake, it would be difficult to sell it today. People would only think his item was dismissed as a replica by Xuanrui Studio.
"What? You still won't give up? Fine, Xiao Wu, go call Master Wang over so this youngster can lose hope."
He asked someone to call an appraiser because he had exhausted his knowledge and couldn't continue talking.
Additionally, he wanted the appraiser to prove that his judgment was indeed accurate, killing two birds with one stone. Sun Zhi was quite savvy at this game; otherwise, he wouldn't have climbed to his current position.
But after he spoke, seeing Lin Yi shake his head disdainfully triggered a flare of anger in him. How ungrateful could this youngster be? In his current position, being so dismissive was truly hateful.
"Hehe, young people today, they are always so stubborn, not admitting defeat until they hit a wall. I'm not trying to compete with you, Lin Family kid, but if this thing of yours is real, I'll eat it right here in front of everyone."
Lin Yi had remained silent until now, but finally spoke up:
"Eating it is unnecessary, 'Uncle Sun,' after all, you don't have the teeth for it, right? How about this, if my item is authentic, you eat your Cayenne. If it's fake, I'll smash it and eat it myself."
Lin Yi was really irritated by this guy's constant sneers, but due to his mother's face, he refrained from cursing.
"Oh wow, really don't know where your confidence comes from, but let's make it practical, eating isn't realistic. If this item is real, I'll smash my Cayenne in front of everyone. If yours is fake, you'll work for me for a week for free starting today!"
On the surface, there seemed to be no advantage in what he said.
On the contrary, to others, it looked like an elder trying to discipline a younger person.
After all, working for a week for free doesn't have much impact, and he could learn something instead.
However, Lin Yi knew this guy was slyly plotting because working for a week would mean missing his college entrance exams!
Nonetheless, trusting the system, Lin Yi agreed without hesitation.
"Alright, deal, everyone here heard it. I just hope President Sun doesn't renege on the deal. Otherwise, if President Sun backs out after losing, he won't have face in the industry anymore."
Provoked by Lin Yi's words, Sun Zhi patted his chest and declared whoever reneges is a grandchild!
At that moment, the saleswoman in a cheongsam had already brought over a small old man dressed in traditional Chinese attire.
Seeing the arrival, everyone around nodded and greeted the old man, as he held a very reputable position in the antique industry, and items appraised by him seldom made mistakes.
"Elder Wang, sorry to trouble you, my junior has brought a piece of Yuan blue-and-white, could you kindly take a look?"
Seeing the old man arrive, Sun Zhi, who had been arrogant just now, softened his attitude.
Though he was the general manager here, his value to Xuanrui Studio wasn't even half of the old man's.
The old man's eyes lit up at the mention of Yuan blue-and-white, and he eagerly looked in Lin Yi's direction, following Sun Zhi's gesture, and spoke in a somewhat anxious tone:
"Young fellow, is it really Yuan blue-and-white? Quickly let me take a look."
Seeing the old man's eager demeanor, Lin Yi handed over the porcelain cup with a smile.
The old man quickly waved his hands and pointed at the nearby seating area:
"No, no, never hand porcelain directly. Young fellow, just place it on the table."
Hearing the old man's instruction, Lin Yi laughed and agreed, then casually placed the porcelain cup on the table in the seating area.
The old man quickly pulled out a pair of white gloves from his pocket and put them on, then took out a small magnifying glass, and carefully picked up the porcelain cup from the table.
[To be continued...]