Luolan’s words instantly sent a massive ripple through the crowd, sparking a low murmur of discussion.

On one side, a delicate Ping An buckle; on the other, a long, jade-inked Golden Toad over a foot in length. Comparing the value of the two was truly difficult.

Jadeite, when viewed hanging around someone’s neck or displayed a meter away on a pedestal, often cannot reveal its true quality at a glance. Take the Ping An buckle Si Yuan wore: a casual observer would mistake it for common gold-inlaid jadeite—jadeite merely overlaid with gold for decoration. This technique is often used to conceal flaws or compensate for a lack of material size that restricts design possibilities.

In essence, jadeite that utilizes the gold-inlay technique is almost universally saddled with the label: fundamentally compromised.

But if the "gold" surrounding the jade is not actual gold, but natural yellow jadeite, the difference in value is astronomical. This is what is called "naturally perfected," a rare and exquisite gem that is a matter of fate to encounter—a masterpiece among masterpieces. While large toads carved from dark jade might be common, finding a single Ping An buckle inlaid with golden dragons is impossible, even with a lantern!

This was largely thanks to Wang Zhuo’s X-ray vision playing a decisive role. No matter how fine the rough material a jewelry company possesses, they must cut it open before deciding on the final carving. Wang Zhuo, however, could use his X-ray vision to gain a comprehensive understanding of the entire rough stone before the blade even touched it. He would then mentally cycle through every possible jadeite theme, select the optimal plan, and only then proceed with the cutting.

It might sound like a small difference, but consider this: another company might ruin a potentially massive profit boost with a single cut, or design a piece only to discover midway through carving that the exposed tenon doesn't fit the design. Wang Zhuo avoids both pitfalls, and furthermore, he can employ more complex methods like nesting, complementarity, and layering, maximizing material use while often achieving strokes of genius others cannot replicate!

This coiled-dragon Ping An buckle, which incorporated gold-inlay elements, was a product of his serendipitous discovery. Those yellow jadeite fragments were originally located at the edge of a piece of solid green rough—material that would 100% be chipped away and ruined during the initial cut. But with the analysis and assistance of his X-ray vision, he managed to transform it into a rare bi-color Ping An buckle. Coupled with Qi Fei's design and the carving skill of Shengshi Dynasty’s top artisans, it became the treasure that now astonished everyone.

"Just a little buckle like this can compare to that ink jade Golden Toad?"

"This buckle is incredible; it’s truly naturally perfected, with no sign of artificial design!"

"It’s magnificent, but just a tad small. If it were half a centimeter larger, it would be perfect."

"Easy for you to say when you aren't the one who found it! Do you understand the concept of 'serendipitous discovery'? This is the true essence of jadeite, finding such a perfect balance between the natural and the crafted. Based on this alone, this buckle could be an heirloom."

"Hehe, I just spoke with Boss Li from Guangyi Pharmaceuticals. He was asking about this buckle earlier and if the owner was selling. I say this thing should go to auction—why keep it here?"

"Auction? Miss, take a closer look. That gentleman is Wang Zhuo from Shengshi Dynasty. If he possesses a treasure like this, wouldn't he keep it as their shop’s greatest treasure rather than putting it up for sale?"

The crowd whispered conspiratorially, and in moments, they had completely overshadowed the Hundred Treasures Ink Gold Toad, not even mentioning it again. Clearly, they now deemed the Gold and Jade Confluence Double Dragon Buckle superior.

The young man who had dared Wang Zhuo to display something better than the Hundred Treasures Ink Gold Toad, lest he stop boasting, now felt his cheeks burn crimson with shame. He had never imagined that the very words he used to belittle Wang Zhuo would be so violently thrown back at him. This felt worse than a slap across the face—it was a blatant humiliation!

Just then, a stooped, aged gentleman approached. He smiled politely at Wang Zhuo and asked, "Friend, may I take a look at this piece?"

"Elder Yu! It’s Elder Yu!"

"Is that Mr. Yu Yan? He’s here today too?"

"Even Elder Yu is interested in this buckle?"

"Nonsense, didn’t I just say this buckle has the potential to be an heirloom? If even I can see that, how could Elder Yu miss it?"

"Haha, you might as well just say you and Elder Yu share the same brilliant insight—it amounts to the same thing, polishing your own halo!"

Seeing this elder, Wang Zhuo was also surprised. He quickly instructed Si Yuan to take the buckle off, grasping it with both hands and presenting it to the old man.

"I must hold onto it tight. If I drop it and it shatters, this old man won’t be able to afford compensation," Yu Yan said, clearly pleased with Wang Zhuo's respectful posture. He chuckled and joked with him, holding the Ping An buckle. He gestured toward a nearby dining table and smiled at Wang Zhuo, "Let’s go sit together."

Wang Zhuo quickly agreed, taking Si Yuan’s hand and following the elder toward the table.

Yu Yan was a towering figure in the academic circles of ancient Chinese culture, a master scholar enjoying immense prestige both domestically and internationally. A saying once circulated in collecting circles: In the North, there is Ji Lin; in the South, there is Yu Yan. Ji Lin’s collection leaned heavily towards antique calligraphy and painting, with pieces below the standard of Qi Baishi not even catching his eye, let alone those by Zhang Daqian or Yao Mangfu. Yu Yan’s collection focused primarily on jadeite; it was rumored that a million-dollar Republican-era jadeite cup at his home was merely a feeding bowl for his cats.

If anyone’s collection earned even a single word of praise from Master Yu, it was equivalent to receiving the highest possible honor and certification!

To have this Ping An buckle favored by Yu Yan made Wang Zhuo feel utterly overwhelmed. He even entertained a slightly ignoble thought: what if the old man accidentally dropped and broke the buckle? Given the old man’s character, he would surely compensate him with something even more valuable, making Wang Zhuo immensely rich!

Although this thought was somewhat sinister, it could only be categorized as the impulse of someone from humble origins wishing to redistribute the wealth of the super-rich. This was because Master Yu Yan’s assets were the envy of everyone in the field. Think of the hundreds of antique paintings and calligraphies Ji Lin donated to Peking University—the lowest tier among them was still the work of Qi Baishi. Yet Yu Yan, spoken of in the same breath as Ji Lin, had remained tight-fisted for so many years, suggesting the sheer volume of his accumulated collection and his staggering net worth!

"You must be Wang Zhuo."

After sitting down, Yu Yan handed his cane to a young man about Wang Zhuo’s age and smiled at Wang Zhuo, saying, "Come, come, sit and talk."

Wang Zhuo took the chair next to him. Seeing the crowd gathered around, Si Yuan, mimicking the young man beside Yu Yan, stood behind Wang Zhuo.

"I truly didn't expect Elder Yu to be here today," Wang Zhuo said with a smile. "I had a fleeting acquaintance with Elder Yu at the association gathering last early summer, but we didn't manage to speak."

Yu Yan smiled without speaking, his withered old hand gently turning the Ping An buckle. Without even looking at it, he remained silent for a moment before finally opening his mouth to praise it: "Fine jade. I haven't seen craftsmanship of this level in a very long time."

In Wang Zhuo’s mind, he seemed to hear the chime: Ding dong, +10 points. Receiving a single "Fine Jade" from Yu Yan would easily inflate the buckle’s value by thirty percent!

Envy flickered across the faces of the surrounding onlookers. Yu Yan was notoriously stingy with his praise; it was rumored he hadn't uttered the word "good" in an entire year. Half a year ago at an association meeting, Vice President Jing brought out two of his most prized possessions, trying every means to elicit a word of commendation from the old man. In the end, after a long examination, the elder uttered a single "Good," but before Jing Tianhui could rejoice, the old man added two more words: "Good tea!"

It turned out he was praising the tea brewed meticulously by Jing Tianhui for him! Only before leaving did he casually comment on one of the pieces, the "Mazu Offering Longevity," saying it was "Not bad." That incident thoroughly wounded Jing Tianhui’s pride, resulting in the association avoiding any large gatherings for six months, right up until this banquet hosted by Shengshi Dynasty.

After praising the buckle's carving, the elder slowly reached behind him. The young man holding his cane immediately handed him a magnifying glass made of synthetic resin.

This was not Yu Yan putting on airs. For a man of his advanced years, simply being able to hear and see clearly was impressive, and having a junior assistant attend to him closely was quite normal. Over time, certain habits naturally develop.

Wang Zhuo felt this was similar to how officials inspecting work often have an aide holding an umbrella over them. Being served by subordinates for too long, if one isn't rigorously self-disciplined, will inevitably lead to spoiled habits.

With the magnifying glass in hand, Yu Yan carefully spread the Ping An buckle flat on his palm and began examining it intently. The surrounding crowd watched him in silence, awaiting his next pronouncement.

However, those who knew Yu Yan were aware that the old man's most common behavior after an examination was to say nothing at all, instead diverting the topic, seemingly having forgotten about the jadeite entirely.

Silence on appraisal meant "unacceptable." If a piece was truly poor, he would shake his head after viewing it, signaling his displeasure that someone would waste his time with such junk. Any piece of treasured jadeite that earned a shake of his head would essentially be relegated to second-tier status, failing to qualify for the rank of masterpiece. This demonstrated the deadly accuracy of his judgment and indirectly affirmed his supreme status.

While he examined Wang Zhuo's Double Dragon buckle, the Ink Jade Gold Toad on the main stage was completely neglected. The host recognized the elder and dared not interrupt. He simply switched off his microphone and offered a wry, grimacing shrug toward the owner of the Phoenix-Perching-Branch, who looked utterly crestfallen.

After a long period of appraisal, Yu Yan finally set the magnifying glass down on the table. Cupping the much-discussed Ping An buckle in his hands, he turned to Wang Zhuo and inquired with a smile, "I am very fond of this buckle. How about you transfer it to me?"