PS: Seeking monthly votes for the third update; tomorrow is the final day for double monthly votes, please lend your support if you have any.

"Qing Dynasty items?" At this moment, Yu Feibai appraised the label on the large vase. "This is export porcelain specifically made for Turkey."

These porcelain vases were quite grand, placed in a corner, then cordoned off by a surrounding fence, allowing everyone to stand outside and fully appreciate the exquisite beauty of the large vessels.

Of course, the exotic decorative patterns covering the vases were also the primary focus of the onlookers' attention.

The glaze, a shade of blue flashing toward grey, shimmered under the sunlight, adorned with peculiar runes that nobody could quite identify, lending them a high-end appearance.

"But isn't this luminescence a bit too bright?" Yu Feibai scrutinized them for a moment, unable to resist murmuring, "Wang Guan, these large vases have a fierce 'fire' to them, and the glaze is remarkably new and bright. They don't quite look like Qing Dynasty pieces."

"Let's take a closer look."

Wang Guan nodded slightly, suddenly rising onto his toes to peer into the mouth of the vase. The opening was wide, allowing a glimpse of the porcelain body within the belly of the vessel.

Without needing light reflection, a smear of snowy fairness compelled him to shake his head involuntarily.

"A fake."

In an instant, Wang Guan stated casually, "It's not just the glaze exhibiting such intense radiance; more importantly, the mouth faces upwards. If these were genuine antiques from the Qing Dynasty, over the years, no matter how well preserved, the interior would have accumulated some dust, making it impossible for it to show a pure, brilliant white sheen. It should look more like off-white."

"Exactly."

Yu Feibai deeply agreed: "Time only moves forward; there is no rationale for it to go backward. The marks left by years of weathering are distinct and impossible to completely wash away. These large vases lack any signs of time's passage, not even convincing signs of artificial aging. They are clearly fakes at first glance."

"They are intentional copies."

Just then, someone nearby suddenly laughed, "But they shouldn't be called fakes; they can only be termed replicas."

"Replicas?" Right on cue.

Wang Guan and Yu Feibai turned to see that the speaker was a middle-aged man, around forty or fifty.

He had a gentle and refined look, exuding the aura of a scholar intensely focused on research.

"Uncle, how do you know they are replicas?" Yu Feibai asked curiously at that moment. "The label doesn't say so."

"Because I have seen the genuine article."

The man chuckled lightly, "The luster of the true piece is serene and reserved, possessing great charm."

"There's a real one?" Yu Feibai was astonished. "Then why not display it for everyone to admire? Putting out a pair of replicas to make do seems a bit inconsiderate."

"There are too many people here today, and the items are too precious. The owner fears any potential mishaps, so they've put out replicas to fill the space."

The man explained with a smile, "When the museum gets properly on track and officially opens for business, requiring tickets for entry, the genuine vases will naturally be displayed..."

"I see."

Yu Feibai exchanged a look with Wang Guan, then suddenly inquired, "Since you know this much detail, are you perhaps one of the museum's management staff?" They didn't guess he was the curator because they knew the curator was an elderly gentleman, and this man looked only in his early forties. That possibility was ruled out.

"I am not an administrator; I just happen to know the curator and was invited to the opening ceremony."

The man shook his head, then said with a smile, "You two young sirs must be connoisseurs. To possess such sharp eyesight at your age is quite remarkable."

"It's not that we are amazing; it's just that these things are too obviously wrong. It wouldn't just be us; most people with a bit of skill would spot that something is amiss after just a glance."

Yu Feibai said casually, displaying a rare moment of modesty.

"At best, they might only suspect; they might not be able to definitively confirm they are fakes." The man smiled, "After all, they cannot handle them. Suspicion is just suspicion; very few dare to state outright that something is false."

"That's true."

Suddenly, without preamble, Yu Feibai interjected, "Well then, in that case, Uncle, your judgment isn't bad either..."

"How so?" The man looked somewhat puzzled.

"Being able to recognize that we are not ordinary suggests your own eyesight is hardly poor."

Yu Feibai grinned, his self-satisfaction plainly evident.

"Oh dear, here we go again," Wang Guan couldn't help but shake his head, knowing that the earlier modesty was merely a facade. Sure enough, the arrogance resurfaced in less than twenty seconds.

"Uh..." The man paused for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter, "Yes, you are right. My discernment is indeed quite sharp."

"Don't listen to his nonsense."

Meanwhile, Wang Guan began to inquire, "My name is Wang Guan, and this is Yu Feibai; he is a collector of antiques. May I ask what to call you, Uncle? You must also be someone in the field, right?"

"Oh, what a coincidence, my surname is Yu too!" The man sounded delighted, chuckling, "So we are from the same clan."

As he spoke, the man took out a business card and handed it to the two. Yu Feibai glanced down immediately and shook his head: "Wrong. We are not of the same clan. Yours is the 'Yu' from 'Year after year of surplus' (), mine is the 'Yu' from Yu Dayou ()."

"Yu Wei, what a... flavorful name!" Yu Feibai looked up in surprise. "Director of the Overseas Porcelain Research Association?"

"What, never heard of it?" Yu Wei smiled. "A private organization with little influence. The title of Director, frankly speaking, is a position for keeping people occupied—just for a nice-sounding title, without any substantial meaning."

At the same time, the two understood how Yu Wei knew the curator. A person dedicated to researching overseas porcelain might not have great influence, but their connections must be wide-ranging; perhaps they had personnel in every country around the world.

"I genuinely haven't heard much about it."

Yu Feibai frankly nodded at the appropriate moment, curiously asking, "Your organization doesn't seem to promote itself much, does it? Haven't you held any events or anything?" China has quite a few private organizations; generally, as long as they aren't anti-humanity, anti-society, or illegal, they can usually be approved for establishment. However, very few actually possess real influence. Organizations like the Red Cross or the Charity Federation have resounding names, but unfortunately, they also carry a lot of criticism. As for other groups like Greenpeace, welfare associations, or adoption centers, one might have heard of them but doesn't know much detail. And these are nationwide organizations with the shadow of the state behind them. Then there are the smaller groups lacking government support; to expand influence, they must advertise aggressively, constantly launching a series of activities—though the effectiveness remains unknown. However, this Overseas Porcelain Research Association seems to follow an 'elite route,' which explains why its reputation isn't prominent. The so-called elite route implies a high threshold that most people certainly cannot cross, especially with 'research' in the name, which absolutely screens out a large number of people based on cultural requirements.

"We lean more towards academic discussion," Yu Wei also explained with a smile. "It's mainly a gathering of enthusiasts who connected through mutual interest. To exchange information, we simply formed this organization. We don't even have a central headquarters, just liaisons established in various countries. The structure is very loose, and we never intended to advertise."

"Mr. Yu," As Yu Wei was explaining, a young man approached and said softly, "Mr. Yu, Mr. Kong requests your presence; he wishes to introduce you to a few friends."

"Oh..." Yu Wei nodded lightly, then smiled, "My apologies, I have something pressing; I must excuse myself."

Since the other party had business, they naturally couldn't detain him. The two watched Yu Wei depart. Once he disappeared around the corner, Yu Feibai asserted, "This person must also be an overseas Chinese."

"So certain?" Wang Guan asked with a smile. "His Mandarin is quite standard."

"You can tell from the business card—it has both Chinese and English. Who back home does that?" Yu Feibai pouted. "Especially that kind of Westernized flair. They can't hide it no matter what; I don't know where they get their sense of superiority from."

"Surely not that extreme?" Wang Guan looked puzzled. "I didn't sense that at all..."

"That's because you are broad-minded," Yu Feibai said offhandedly. "Never mind him. Let's continue touring the exhibits. I want to see how many pieces here are replicas and how many are genuine."

"It should be easy to tell. Large, valuable items are very likely to be copies. As for the smaller, less expensive ones, there's no need to say more—they should be the real thing," Wang Guan smiled. "So, you should focus on looking at the smaller ones."

"Hmph, cheapskate," Yu Feibai expressed a measure of disdain. "If they intend to display items for public viewing, why go to the unnecessary trouble of creating replicas? Doing this clearly looks down on the visitors—it's a form of subtle discrimination."

"No need to make such sweeping judgments," Wang Guan countered. "This sort of thing is quite common, just like the Terracotta Army; the ones displayed abroad are replicas."

"That's not the same!" Yu Feibai argued. "If the artifacts are so precious, of course, replicas should be made, otherwise, what if they get swapped? But here, they are establishing roots, opening a museum! How can they fool people with copies?"

"It's not all the time, just today," Wang Guan replied.

"You say that, but who knows if it will truly be just once? Maybe it will become habitual. After all, separated by glass, even a high-quality imitation might fool most appraisers." It wasn't that Yu Feibai was being cynical; it was just that such incidents were not rare. Some museum staff commit theft by swapping real items with high-quality copies; unless authenticated by touch, even experts might not detect the discrepancy.

"That's their business; why worry about it?" Wang Guan smiled. "If you have the energy, why not just call Old Qian and ask where he is?"

"Where else would he be but the VIP lounge?" Yu Feibai said casually. "Let's follow where that Yu Wei went; we are guaranteed to see Old Qian if we do."

"In that case..." Wang Guan asked, "Should we stay and continue visiting, or go meet up with Old Qian?"

"Let's go find Old Qian," Yu Feibai thought for a moment and immediately gestured. "Now that I'm thinking about how many replicas are here, I've lost the inclination to admire them further."

Wang Guan nodded and immediately followed Yu Feibai toward the corner. After passing through a long corridor, they could see an elegantly decorated rest area, marked with a sign stating 'No Entry for Non-Personnel' and guarded by two security officers.

"We're looking for someone," the two walked over. Just as the guards moved to stop them, Yu Feibai said composedly, "We are looking for Mr. Kong."

"Please come in." Upon hearing this, the guards immediately stepped aside, respectfully bowing and ushering them in... (To be continued...)