Seeing Wang Guan remain silent, Yu Feibai didn't mind, focusing on driving. Soon, they arrived at the Ji Gu Zhai.

Yu Feibai was the first out of the car, calling out loudly, "Uncle De, we're back."

At this moment, Wang Guan snapped back to awareness, quickly grabbing his bag and alighting. He then hauled the crate from the back of the car.

"Let me help you." Seeing this, Yu Feibai stepped forward to take hold, immediately feeling a solid weight on his wrist. He asked with some curiosity, "What is this? Why is it so heavy?"

"You'll know soon enough," Wang Guan replied with a knowing smile.

After a few steps, the two entered the Ji Gu Zhai. In the reception room, Gao Dequan sat in a rattan chair, currently preparing tea. Seeing them arrive, he immediately smiled, "Come, sit down. Try this Biluochun I just bought."

"Perfect timing, I'm parched," Yu Feibai said without ceremony, walking over to sit next to Gao Dequan and lifting the teacup straight to his lips.

"Watch out, don't scald yourself..."

Gao Dequan offered a brief warning, then turned his gaze to Wang Guan, smiling as he spoke, "Wang Guan, I only asked you to buy an inkstone, why did you lug a whole crate over here?"

"The crate holds my treasures; the inkstone you wanted is right here," Wang Guan chuckled, opening his duffel bag and placing a small box on the tea table in front of Gao Dequan.

"Let me see first!"

Yu Feibai, unafraid of the heat, took a sip of tea, set the cup down, and reached for the box. As he flipped open the lid, an exquisite, palm-sized inkstone was immediately revealed.

Of course, what captivated the eye most were the naturally formed patterns on the stone. Vein by vein, the markings, shaped by nature itself, depicted the image of Kui Xing (the deity of examinations). From the posture and the folds of the robes, down to the expression, it was incredibly vivid and lifelike.

"What a treasure." The moment Yu Feibai saw it, his eyes lit up. He gently lifted the inkstone into his palm, caressing the stone grain. The smooth, fine texture elicited unending praise from him.

After admiring it for a long time, Yu Feibai reluctantly set it down, allowing Gao Dequan to examine it.

Gao Dequan picked up the inkstone, observed it for a moment, and then asked with a smile, "You both say it's good, but exactly what makes it good?"

"It’s the grain pattern, naturally," Yu Feibai replied, adding, "And the stone quality seems quite good too. I wonder if it's one of the Four Famous Inkstones."

In ancient times, the materials chosen for making inkstones were highly varied: ceramics, metals, wood, crystal, jade... and so on, with a great diversity of types. However, the most common and practical inkstones were those made of pottery (Tao Yan) or stone (Shi Yan), with the latter yielding the most renowned examples.

The Four Famous Inkstones refer to the Duan Inkstone from Duanxi, the She Inkstone from Shexian, the Tao Inkstone from the Northwest, and the Chengnizhi Inkstone from Luoyang.

However, Wang Guan didn't believe this Kui Liang Ying (Massive Shadow) Inkstone could be one of the Four Famous Inkstones. After all, although the stone quality was decent, there was still a noticeable gap when compared to the truly famous ones.

"Wang Guan, what are your thoughts?" Gao Dequan looked up and inquired.

Wang Guan paused for a moment before speaking, "While I don't know much about inkstones, I feel this one is good, but perhaps it doesn't quite reach the level of the Four Famous Inkstones."

"Your intuition is correct."

Gao Dequan laughed, "Generally speaking, an inkstone that is smooth, has a fine surface, and grinds ink quickly can be called a good inkstone. But that's all—just a 'good' one. It's not on the same level as a 'famous' one."

"You two might not have seen a genuinely famous inkstone. A true Ming Yan should possess stone that is hard yet lustrous, feeling like skin to the touch, sharp when ground, capable of holding the brush without slipping, smooth enough not to resist the ink, ink that dries easily, and cleans instantly when washed."

Gao Dequan sighed, "The stone quality of a famous inkstone is warm and lustrous like jade, tender yet not slick, as fine and smooth as an infant's skin. This inkstone feels fine when touched, but if you feel closely, you notice a slight abrasiveness against the hand. From this alone, one can simply judge that this inkstone is not among the famous ones."

"Then is buying it for 450,000 worth it?" Wang Guan felt a bit nervous.

"Definitely worth it," Yu Feibai chuckled. "Look at the stone quality, the pattern, the exquisite craftsmanship. Just for the pattern on the stone, regardless of whether this is an ancient inkstone or not, I’m sure many people would be willing to pay for it."

"The pattern on the stone..." Wang Guan vaguely began to understand something.

"Kui Xing Pointing at the Dipper (Kui Xing Dian Dou) carries an extraordinary symbolism."

Gao Dequan smiled in agreement, "Kui Xing is the legendary god in charge of official fortune. Any ordinary object carved with Kui Xing sees its price multiply several times over, let alone this being a naturally formed image of Kui Xing. This is a very strong selling point. If we find the right person, forget 450,000; someone might even pay 900,000."

"Feibai, call your father and ask if he wants this thing."

Suddenly, Gao Dequan joked, "He's in a crucial period right now; perhaps having this item could boost his luck."

"Fine, you name the price."

Yu Feibai, however, agreed readily, "Luck and fortune are superstition; my dad probably doesn't believe in it. But just look at my name—he will definitely want this thing. Sometimes, I truly can't figure out why a rough man like him is interested in such refined objects."

"You talk about your dad, but didn't you develop an interest in antiques because of his influence? Besides, your father is merely interested, not obsessed, whereas you have completely fallen into it," Gao Dequan laughed. "As for the price, you decide."

"Got it."

Yu Feibai nodded, taking out a checkbook and a pen. Under the character for 'ten thousand' (Wan), he wrote a 'six,' followed by a string of zeros.

Wang Guan watched closely from the side, inwardly astonished.

This inkstone had only cost 450,000 to purchase, and Yu Feibai was fully aware of that price, yet when he took possession of it, he quoted a price of 600,000.

Wang Guan wasn't suspecting Yu Feibai of trying to funnel money to Gao Dequan; rather, he realized the inkstone was genuinely worth that much.

In one transaction, there was a net profit of 150,000.

By established rules, this deal was credited to Wang Guan's account, making him eligible for a 2% commission, which amounted to twelve thousand yuan. A single transaction earned him several times his monthly salary.

It seemed like a small sum now, but this was only a few hundred thousand yuan deal. If it were millions or tens of millions in antiques, how much commission would he earn if the deal went through?

Calculated this way, the commission seemed more worthwhile than finding an unexpected bargain.

Of course, Wang Guan knew this was merely theoretical. In reality, there was a tradition in the antique business: three years without a sale, one sale feeds for three years; major transactions were rare, something to be encountered only by chance.

The transaction complete, there was no need for any transfer agreement. Yu Feibai admired the inkstone for a moment, then suddenly remembered something, looking up, "Oh right, Wang Guan, you said there were treasures in that crate. What are they? Don't tell me you managed to snag another bargain."

Originally, Yu Feibai was just joking.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Wang Guan exclaimed in surprise, "How did you know?"

"What, you really found a bargain?"

Instantly, both Yu Feibai and Gao Dequan were stunned into stillness.

Then, neither could remain seated, rising with curiosity toward the crate.

"Haha, just kidding," Wang Guan said at that moment. "I bought this box of stuff for just over 80,000. I should be able to recoup the cost and make a small profit, so it doesn't count as a bargain."

.................. Third update, please save, vote with recommendation tickets, and give much support.