"Actions speak louder than mere intentions," and having set his sights on a target, Wang Guan casually picked up a similar-looking teacup from a nearby display and immediately signaled for the shopkeeper.

"How much for this?"

The shopkeeper approached, and without preamble, Wang Guan got straight to the price inquiry. As he asked, his left hand made a subtle contracting motion, drawing attention to the teacup held in his right.

The shopkeeper, sharp-eyed, naturally noticed the gesture and instinctively suspected Wang Guan was using a feint—that the object in his right hand was merely a probe, while the true prize was the one in his left.

With this thought in mind, the shopkeeper smiled faintly. "This is a Jian ware cup, a very rare piece..."

"It is rare, which is why your shop is filled with them," Wang Guan interrupted impolitely. Though his face held a smile, his tone carried a clear hint of mockery.

The shopkeeper was unperturbed. It was business; one had to have thick skin. If a few sharp words made you crumble, you shouldn't be in trade.

So, the shopkeeper felt no awkwardness, instead adopting an air of justified confidence. "Young man, that assessment is flawed. The value of an item isn't determined by quantity, but by quality..."

"Boss, stop beating around the bush. Just name a price so I can start haggling," Wang Guan said frankly, coming across as an uncultured youth clueless about social graces.

Still, he was young, which was understandable. The shopkeeper mused to himself, then smiled. "Fifty thousand."

"Fifty!" Wang Guan shot back instantly, starting his counter-offer from the very bottom.

"That price is too low, young man. You have no sincerity." The shopkeeper appeared to be complaining, yet there was no genuine anger in his voice.

In his mind, Wang Guan, though young, was clearly someone with discernment, not easily fooled. Fifty thousand was certainly an outrageous opening bid, one he never expected to stick. Furthermore, the shopkeeper had not forgotten the item in Wang Guan’s left hand, subtly raising his guard.

"You want sincerity, then I'll show you sincerity. Let's multiply that by ten: five hundred yuan."

At that moment, Wang Guan extended his left hand as well and stated, "But I want two..."

As expected, a flash of shrewd intelligence crossed the shopkeeper's eyes, and he broke into a broad grin. "Young man, that won't do. Two for five hundred yuan averages out to two hundred and fifty each. If I agree, I’ll truly become a two-fifty (idiot)."

"Then what price do you propose?" Wang Guan said with forced impatience. "I definitely won't agree to fifty thousand."

If fifty thousand was out, then perhaps one or two thousand might be acceptable.

The shopkeeper secretly chuckled but maintained a slow, deliberate pace externally. "Young man, I’m afraid this won't work. Everything in my shop is sold individually; there is no custom of bundling extras. If you are genuinely serious, I can sell you the teacup in your right hand for five hundred yuan. As for the other one, we will need to negotiate a separate price."

"You mean this one for five hundred?" Wang Guan frowned, raising the cup in his right hand.

"Yes." The shopkeeper nodded, already calculating the appropriate price for the second cup. One or two thousand was too cheap; perhaps three or four thousand could seal the deal.

"Fine, I'll take this one!"

Just then, Wang Guan smoothly put down the cup in his left hand, pulled out five hundred yuan, and handed it to the shopkeeper. For a fleeting moment, the shopkeeper felt confused, then instinctively took the money, finalizing the transaction.

A moment later, after watching Wang Guan walk out of the shop with Gao Dequan and Hao Baolai, the shopkeeper snapped back to full awareness.

"Damn it, I've been tricked!" The shopkeeper slapped his thigh with a cry of dismay. "This kid played a false move, using a shell game of true and false, the maneuvers of illusion and reality..."

Meanwhile, on the outer street, Gao Dequan smiled approvingly. "Wang Guan, your haggling skills are becoming more exquisite. If it hadn't been for the final move, I wouldn't have known your target was this teacup; I truly thought it was the other one."

"I learned it from the old masters," Wang Guan chuckled. "When I was in the capital, some elderly gentlemen loved playing this game. They’d lay out two or three items—not just traps within traps, but linked traps—making it impossible for anyone to guess what they truly desired."

"Heh, it seems experience truly sharpens the knife," Gao Dequan sighed, though he was also curious. "Wang Guan, that Jian ware cup isn't that exceptional, why did you..."

"A'De!"

Just as Gao Dequan was about to ask Wang Guan's reason for purchasing the Jian ware cup, a clear, robust voice called out.

"Hmm?"

Feeling as though he was being addressed, Gao Dequan quickly looked in the direction of the sound. Upon clearly seeing the scene across the street, his face lit up with joy, and he hastily replied, "Old Yan!"

Wang Guan followed his gaze. On the opposite side of the street was a shop, and in front of it stood a large, lush tree with stone tables and stools set out beneath it for resting patrons.

Several people were gathered around a stone table, seemingly enjoying tea leisurely. The one who had called out to Gao Dequan was an elderly man with a silver beard and gray hair, wearing an elegant black silk robe and leaning on a dragon-headed cane—resembling the patriarch of a grand family from a television drama, possessing an undeniably extraordinary bearing.

As they crossed the street towards the group, Wang Guan quietly inquired, "Uncle De, who is that elder gentleman?"

"Old Yan, the foremost collector in Shanghai," Gao Dequan explained in a low voice. "He used to be the director of the Shanghai Museum; his standing in the community is immensely high..."

During the explanation, the three approached. Not only did Gao Dequan greet him respectfully, but Hao Baolai shed any airs of a big boss, showing instead a degree of deference.

However, Old Yan ignored Hao Baolai, smiling only at Gao Dequan. "A'De, it is truly you. I thought my old eyes were playing tricks on me."

"Old Yan’s eyesight is sharp, sharper than any young man's; how could you mistake us?" Gao Dequan replied smoothly.

"Always knowing how to say the right thing," Old Yan chuckled, and without needing a gesture, someone from his group quickly brought three stools from the shop for Gao Dequan and his companions to sit.

The shop dealt in tea sets and tea leaves. The proprietor was a rather stout middle-aged man, somewhat taciturn, but he served tea and water with a constant, sincere smile, immediately winning favor.

Perhaps this was why Old Yan preferred this spot over high-end teahouses.

Besides the shop owner, there were three or four others present—all proprietors of nearby antique shops. Knowing Old Yan's status, upon seeing the elder dignitary arrive, they ceased tending their own businesses and hurried over to join the tea session.

Of course, they weren't truly abandoning business; Old Yan's visit implied he intended to purchase something. While others' commerce could pause, Old Yan’s transactions could not be neglected.

"What is Old Yan looking to buy?" Gao Dequan naturally asked out of curiosity.

"The Hundred Longevity Scroll," Old Yan admitted without hiding anything, then shook his head. "Unfortunately, none of them possess one of sufficient quality."

The surrounding shopkeepers managed awkward smiles, unable or unwilling to contradict Old Yan.

At this point, Wang Guan’s gaze shifted, landing on the scrolls resting on the stone table. One scroll was fully unfurled, displaying a single, large red character for 'Shou' (Longevity). Within the body of the large character, countless smaller 'Shou' characters, each in a different style, were intricately woven.

Simply put, the Bai Shou Tu, or Hundred Longevity Scroll, was an image constructed from one hundred distinct forms of the character 'Shou'. These forms varied—circular, square, or rectangular—and often involved inscribing smaller characters within a larger one.

Though the shapes differed, the essence remained the same. The Hundred Longevity Scroll, composed of various stylized 'Shou' characters, often created a unique artistic effect, imparting a feeling of opulence and profound meaning.

Historically, the Bai Shou Tu originated in the Southern Song Dynasty, where the hundred characters were each unique in style, script, and form—no two alike. Beyond the basic standard scripts like Regular, Clerical, Seal, Running, and Cursive, there existed esoteric forms such as Oracle Bone script, Bronze Inscription script, Tadpole script, Star script, Tree script, Dragon script, Phoenix script, and Treasure Gathering script, among myriad others.

A hundred different scripts combining into one hundred unique 'Shou' characters, all unified into a single piece, made it naturally precious. Thus, since the Southern Song era, whether it was court nobility, scholarly families, or even common folk, the Hundred Longevity Scroll was revered as a symbol capable of protecting family peace and ensuring a long life. Naturally, it remained a premier gift for birthday celebrations, a tradition that endures even today.

"It seems Old Yan is also troubled about a birthday gift for Old Su," Gao Dequan commented with a smile.

"What, you are too?"

Old Yan stroked his beard. "My requirements aren't that high. I don't need a Song Dynasty scroll; I just wanted a Bai Shou Tu block-printed in cinnabar from the Ming or Qing dynasties. Yet, they try to fob me off with something from the Republic of China era."

"Old Yan, how dare we try to fool you," one shopkeeper cried out defensively. "It’s just that the items you describe are genuinely hard to find; we simply have no stock."

"Indeed, Old Yan," another shopkeeper quickly chimed in. "If you had given us ten days or half a month's notice, we could certainly have managed to source one for you. But you need it so urgently now; there’s nothing we can do instantly."

The others heartily agreed; no stock meant no item could materialize out of thin air.

"Ah, I know it’s not your fault."

Old Yan sighed. "Actually, yesterday I still had a Ming Dynasty cinnabar-printed Hundred Longevity Scroll at home, but my great-grandson managed to wet it with his urine while I was playing with him. My daughter-in-law was even more clueless; she quickly grabbed a towel to wipe it, which only made things worse..."

The group suddenly understood why Old Yan was only selecting a gift today when Old Master Su’s birthday banquet was tomorrow—there was a reason for the delay.

Naturally, the shrewd individuals present would not blame Old Yan's great-grandson; instead, they envied his good fortune in having four generations living together...

As expected, a faint smile returned to Old Yan’s face, and he said lightly, "Forget it. Regret now is useless. I'll just have to make do; I trust Ruisheng won't fault me over this."

While speaking, Old Yan pointed to the Hundred Longevity Scroll held by the first shopkeeper who had expressed sympathy. "I'll take this one. Have someone package it in a presentation box and send it to my home later..."

"Don't worry, Old Yan, it’s on me," the shopkeeper said, visibly thrilled, thumping his chest emphatically amidst the envious and jealous gazes of the other proprietors.

At the same time, Old Yan turned his head. "A'De, are you also searching for a birthday gift?"