Hearing Yu Feibai’s shout, thick with his provincial accent, Wang Guan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

The state had poured immense manpower, material, and financial resources into promoting Putonghua, yet it couldn't compete with two sentences shouted by Uncle Zhao during the Spring Festival Gala. Of course, in a way, that also contributed to the preservation of local dialects.

"The more I think about it, the more indignant I get. You’ve made a bundle today, treat me to a drink," Yu Feibai said, tinged with envy.

"Drinking in the middle of the day?" Wang Guan smiled. "How about coffee instead?"

They were both discerning enough to know that Gao Dequan and Su Wenyi were in discussion right now, and it would be rude to interrupt them.

"No thanks. Two men going for coffee? That’s just asking for misunderstandings," Yu Feibai quickly shook his head. After a moment's thought, he suggested, "There should be an antique market somewhere in the city. Let's browse."

"That works too."

Wang Guan nodded, also hoping to take the opportunity to cash his check at the bank.

With a decision made, the two didn't linger. They stepped out quickly. After finding out the location of the antique street, they hailed a taxi straight to the tourist shopping district downtown.

Not long after, the taxi stopped. They got out and surveyed the area carefully. This shopping street was indeed prosperous and bustling, but the antique market seemed small, with perhaps only a dozen shops.

"Forget it, we'll make do," Yu Feibai frowned slightly and shook his head. Then, he preemptively instructed, "By the way, Wang Guan, when I’m looking at things later, no matter whether I’m right or wrong, you absolutely must not say anything. Only tell me the answer after I ask. This way, I can build up my experience."

"I understand," Wang Guan nodded.

"Good, let’s go in then. Starting from the first shop, there probably won't be anything good anyway," Yu Feibai muttered, leading the way into an antique store.

Wang Guan followed, casually looking around. He found the situation inside was much as Yu Feibai had described. In the space of about twenty square meters, numerous vases, jade pieces, and coins were displayed from high to low.

However, for many items, Wang Guan didn't even need to use his special ability; he could tell they were fake just by looking.

The shop owner, a man in his fifties, was engrossed in flipping through a roll of book he held, sitting in a rocking chair. Seeing customers enter, he was about to rise and greet them. But after taking a look at the two young men, he probably assumed they were just browsing out of curiosity. Thus, the owner didn't get up, merely giving a slight nod before returning to his reading.

Having no one attending to them was better, allowing them to look around undisturbed.

After a complete circuit, however, Yu Feibai shook his head at Wang Guan and pointed toward the exit, signaling they should leave.

Wang Guan understood immediately and walked toward the door. But just as he turned back for a final glance at the threshold, he activated his special ability and swept the entire shop. Several sparse glimmers of white and silver light immediately surfaced in his vision.

Seeing this, Wang Guan had no reason to linger and walked out with finality.

Once outside, Yu Feibai complained, "Those things were too fake! You could tell they were crudely made junk from the street stalls without even touching them, yet he dares to display them in a shop."

"Nine out of ten were fake," Wang Guan agreed. "He’s probably only fooling tourists who know nothing."

They both shook their heads and continued browsing. After checking several more shops without finding anything worthwhile, they agreed to head straight for the largest antique store. If the situation remained the same there, they would just leave.

"No point wasting everyone's time," Yu Feibai stated.

Wang Guan heartily agreed. Having grown accustomed to the vast and lively antique markets of Cipeng (Porcelain Capital), the small scale of this place felt decidedly unsatisfying.

It wasn't that there were no good antiques here, only that they were quite rare, leaving very little choice. The owners of the previous few shops had even presented their so-called 'shop treasures,' items that weren't bad, but neither of them was impressed.

However, when they stepped into the largest antique store, they both felt a distinct sense of brightness. At the very least, the entire shop's decor was deeply antique, giving one the feeling of being transported back to ancient times.

Wang Guan glanced around and quickly observed that this store primarily dealt in ancient jade ware. Various jade pendants, bangles, and carved ornaments were displayed in the glass counters. Under the lights, these jade pieces emitted a crystalline, moist, and luminous sheen, appearing exquisitely noble and soft.

"Didn't you say you were the most knowledgeable about jade?"

At this point, Wang Guan softly chuckled. "See what you think of these jade pieces?"

"Mediocre. Just scraps from good jade, but at least they're real," Yu Feibai murmured, his eyes flashing as he seemed to spot something worthwhile, and he hurried over.

Wang Guan, curious, followed his gaze. He saw Yu Feibai leaning close to the counter, intently examining a white jade Shanzi (mountain piece). Wang Guan approached for a closer look. This white jade Shanzi was pure white like snow, with faint specks of yellowish color subtly blended into the white, creating a very harmonious look.

Shanzi, also known as mountain jade, mountain material, or Baogai Yu, refers to the native jade ore mined from mountains.

The characteristic of mountain material is that its blocks vary in size, they are angular, and the quality is often inferior to that of river jade (Ziyu). There are mountain materials of different jade types, such as white jade mountain material, celadon mountain material, and so on.

However, a craftsman with superb skill could utilize the uneven nature of the mountain material to carve the Shanzi into a miniature landscape resembling a rockery, turning a flaw into an artistic feature and achieving a unique aesthetic beauty.

The white jade Shanzi before them was precisely this—the piece of jade was not large, fitting easily within the span of one palm. There were many fine fissures in the jade, but the jade carver, with ingenious craftsmanship, had carved small trees resembling pines and cypresses clinging to the towering mountain, making the piece feel vibrant and exuding an aura of tenacious vitality.

"This piece seems good."

Wang Guan observed it for a moment and felt an indescribable warmth and delicacy emanating from the white jade Shanzi.

"What can I get for the two gentlemen?"

Just then, the shop owner approached and greeted them warmly.

Although Wang Guan’s attire was unremarkable, Yu Feibai was dressed in designer brands. The owner's sharp eyes immediately spotted the Vacheron Constantin watch on his wrist, worth hundreds of thousands. Therefore, the owner didn't doubt whether the two could afford the shop’s valuable jade; instead, he was busy figuring out how to promote the items enthusiastically and close a big deal.

"Take it out so we can look," Yu Feibai said calmly. He wasn't like Wang Guan, who could judge the quality of a white jade Shanzi with his eyes alone.

Meanwhile, Wang Guan also refrained from using his special ability, watching with keen interest as the owner brought the piece out for Yu Feibai to examine physically.

A short while later, Wang Guan carefully noticed that Yu Feibai's initial enthusiasm slowly faded after examining the white jade Shanzi for a moment, his look turning listless.

................... Today is a day worth remembering. Nanjing... let us take a moment of silence. C