“Fang Mingsheng certainly has a way with people,” Yu Feibai remarked from below, though without a hint of malice, a slight smile playing on his lips. “Good thing you voted first.

If you’d waited, extricating yourself from that situation later would have been rather tricky.” “Mmm.” Wang Guan nodded faintly. Prompted by Yu Feibai’s nudging, he had cast his vote for himself.

Thinking it over now, if he had voted after Fang Mingsheng and seen the situation unfold, he probably would have switched his vote to Fang Mingsheng as well. This, truly, was human nature.

And it was precisely this quality that highlighted Fang Mingsheng’s magnanimity. Wang Guan could clearly see that Fang Mingsheng was the last person to vote, apart from Elder Qian, Elder Zhou, and Elder Zhang.

He must have taken Wang Guan’s feelings into consideration. Such meticulous thought was likely the hallmark of someone like Fang Mingsheng, a titan who commanded influence in the business world.

After casting his vote, Fang Mingsheng nodded towards Wang Guan before stepping down with a serene smile. Seeing this, Yu Feibai chuckled lightly and guessed, “Wang Guan, I suspect he’s now formulating plans to recruit you into his service.

Imagine his face if he ever found out you were working at Taihe just a month ago.” Wang Guan smiled upon hearing this and quietly motioned him to silence. “Stop talking.

Let’s see how Elder Qian and the others make their final judgment.” “Little Fang, your bearing is impressive; you certainly appeal to this old man.” Just then, Elder Zhang ascended the display platform, dropped the ballot marked 'Eight' into the box, and declared plainly, “That Li Mo piece is exquisite, certainly, but it doesn’t suit my personal taste. Besides, I’ll need to borrow your jade for a few days of research.

Since I owe you one, who else would I support?” “Thank you kindly, Elder Zhang,” Fang Mingsheng replied with a warm, winning smile. The others, including Wang Guan, did not find Elder Zhang’s decision unfair.

After all, the Jade Buddha itself was worthy of a vote. Moreover, among the three judges, it was expected that at least one would favor the Li Mo artifact.

Sure enough, a moment later, after Elder Zhang returned to his seat, Elder Zhou stepped up, placed his paper ballot into the box, and then stated with a faint smile, “I voted for the Li Mo.” The crowd nodded in understanding; Elder Zhou had authenticated the Li Mo himself, so it seemed natural he would back his own finding. Subsequently, all eyes pivoted to Elder Qian.

Now, the ultimate decision rested entirely on his choice. Unexpectedly, upon reaching the stage, Elder Qian did not cast a vote.

Instead, he announced directly, “Let us begin the count now.” “Eh…” The assembly was surprised, failing to grasp why Elder Qian would abstain. Suddenly, a meticulous observer noticed something and quickly spoke up, “There were thirty-five people who voted in total.

If Elder Qian votes now, the total will be an even number. If the votes tie, determining a winner will be impossible.” Understanding dawned on the crowd.

Only a select few knew that Elder Qian was deliberately stepping aside to avoid the appearance of impropriety. After all, he was already aware of Elder Qian’s good relationship with Wang Guan while at Fang Mingsheng’s villa.

Furthermore, since Elder Qian was staying at Fang Mingsheng’s residence, whichever way he voted might be perceived as colored by personal affection; abstaining was the safest course. Soon, the box was opened, and the ballots were displayed.

Since the counting was done on the spot, everyone could see clearly that there were only two numbers on the slips inside: either 'Eight' for the Jade Buddha or 'Ten' for the Li Tinggui Mo. Although there were eight other collectibles, their owners could have theoretically voted for themselves.

However, this gathering was merely an exchange meeting, and the championship selection was just a lighthearted segment, devoid of any profound meaning. Therefore, those collectors saw no reason to risk embarrassment by dishonestly voting for their own items.

Everyone was watching, and the quality of each piece was self-evident. If someone had actually voted for themselves, it would have become fodder for jokes.

Of course, Wang Guan and Fang Mingsheng were different; their entries were the most competitive, so voting for oneself would not have been entirely out of line. Wang Guan, however, hadn’t overthought it, simply voting for himself.

Unlike Fang Mingsheng, who, for reasons known only to him, had generously cast his vote for Wang Guan. “Now, counting the votes—Number Eight, Number Ten…” Under the intense scrutiny of the audience, Elder Qian efficiently called out the results.

It didn't take long. The outcome was both surprising and utterly predictable: out of thirty-five votes cast, the first thirty-four resulted in a dead heat between Wang Guan and Fang Mingsheng.

Thus, the final, thirty-fifth vote—the one that would decide the champion—was still held in Elder Qian’s hand. Under the gazes of the entire room, Elder Qian lowered his head to look at the slip, his expression unreadable, making it impossible to discern who the victor might be.

“The last vote…” Suddenly, Elder Qian looked up and glanced at Fang Mingsheng. In that instant, many felt that Fang Mingsheng must have won; even Fang Mingsheng himself believed it.

However, Elder Qian smiled, murmuring softly, “The final vote is for Number Ten.” As he spoke, he turned the slip over, revealing a large Arabic numeral '10' printed in black ink on white paper for all to see. Yet, that handwriting looked profoundly familiar to Fang Mingsheng’s eyes.

Blinking slowly, Fang Mingsheng’s lips curved into a smile, but it was tinged with bitterness. The number on the slip was his own handwriting.

In essence, by casting his vote for Wang Guan, he had willingly handed the championship away. At this moment, the realization dawned on everyone else, and their gazes towards Fang Mingsheng held three parts curiosity and seven parts amusement.

Meanwhile, Elder Qian, a smile still lingering in his eyes, continued his announcement: “The final result is that Number Ten, the Li Tinggui Mo, wins the championship of this Treasure Showdown.” “Congratulations, congratulations.” Applause erupted once more. Many offered their felicitations to Wang Guan while looking at Fang Mingsheng with barely concealed smiles.

This was not mockery, but genuine appreciation for the ironic turn of events. After all, no one could have predicted that Fang Mingsheng’s single vote would be the reason he lost the title.

No one knew if he was currently consumed by regret. Under the collective gaze of the attendees, Fang Mingsheng applauded with grace, his face beaming.

However, everyone assumed that while he was certainly regretting the outcome, he was simply choosing not to show it. Regardless, with the champion artifact of the Treasure Showdown decided, the main event concluded.

What followed was the banquet. Since it was a private gathering, there were no strict protocols; those with urgent matters could depart early.

If time allowed for leisure, guests were welcome to stay several days longer to exchange experiences and discuss collecting insights. All of this had been meticulously arranged by Fang Mingsheng.

Although he hadn't secured the championship, Fang Mingsheng felt a slight disappointment. But he could distinguish this from a true loss; this was merely a game, and he couldn't possibly take it too seriously.

If he agonized over the victory or defeat in such a contest, he certainly wouldn't have cast his vote for Wang Guan in the first place. Composing himself, Fang Mingsheng stepped forward and announced loudly, “Everyone, the feast is prepared.

I implore you to grant me this small favor and grace us with your presence…” ................. Please remember to collect, vote with recommendation tickets, and support this work.

Thank you. C