At this moment, Old Zhou gestured, his face beaming with satisfaction.

"No problem."

Mr. Anderson nodded readily; it wasn't his property anyway, so he certainly wouldn't be sentimental about it. Furthermore, even if it were his, he would willingly trade it for a sacred artifact of Judaism.

Simply put, this was a matter of core values. No matter how much of an expert Mr. Anderson was on China, he could never view things from the perspective of traditional Chinese culture. Conversely, steeped in Jewish culture since childhood, his convictions were deeply rooted; thus, in his view, not a single character on a Jewish holy relic could compare to numerous ancient paintings and scrolls.

Everyone understood this tacitly; Mr. Anderson was straightforward, and Wang Guan and the others felt completely at ease. Value, ultimately, was simply a scale weighed in the heart; as long as one felt it was worth it, then it truly was.

"Let's see if there are any other treasures."

At the same time, after discovering the two rare treasures, Old Zhou and his team felt a growing ambition. However, perhaps their luck had run out, as no treasures of the same caliber were found in the subsequent appraisals.

Wang Guan felt a pang of regret, but Old Zhou and the others maintained their composure. This was the result of experience; having weathered storms, they better understood that true treasures are encountered only by chance.

"Moreover, although these items may not qualify as 'treasures,' calling them 'exquisite items' is certainly not an overstatement," Old Zhou consoled. "Besides, we've only looked at one safe so far; there are several others yet to examine."

As he spoke, Old Zhou and the others looked toward Mr. Anderson, this being less a hint and more a direct urging.

"Without beating around the bush, I know the Sketch of Precious Birds is definitely stored here," Old Zhou stated frankly. "A significant reason we came today was specifically for that painting."

"The Sketch of Precious Birds?"

Hearing this, Wang Guan also felt a touch of surprise. "Huang Quan's Sketch of Precious Birds?"

Huang Quan was a court painter of the Five Dynasties period, serving successively under Former Shu and Later Shu, before finally entering the Song Imperial Painting Academy. He excelled in painting flowers and birds, renowned for his gongbi (meticulous) style. His depictions of birds were accurate in form, possessing both structure and flesh, appearing full-bodied, richly colored, and meticulously outlined, with almost no visible brushstrokes, giving the impression of being lightly shaded—this was his xièshēng (life sketching) method.

Huang Quan's greatest strength lay in using the outlining technique, employing fine, pale ink lines to sketch the contours of the flowers and birds before filling in the colors, creating an effect of splendor and exquisite craftsmanship. Simultaneously, he favored rare and exotic flora and precious birds and beasts, implying meanings of wealth and auspiciousness. After serving in the court upon joining the Song dynasty, his style became the standard for judging quality within the early Northern Song Imperial Painting Academy, known as the 'Academy Style,' exerting immense influence.

If it were truly Huang Quan's Sketch of Precious Birds, its value would undoubtedly be extraordinary, but...

"But isn't Huang Quan's Sketch of Precious Birds in the Palace Museum?"

At the same time, Wang Guan frowned. "I've seen that work too. It depicts twenty-four insects, birds, and turtles on a modestly sized piece of silk. The animals are accurately and rigorously formed, their characteristics distinct, the brushwork meticulous, and the coloration soft and harmonious, revealing profoundly deep sketching skill."

"No, it's not Huang Quan's Sketch of Precious Birds."

At this, Old Zhou shook his head with a smile. "It's Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji's, Sketch of Precious Birds."

"Oh?"

Wang Guan paused for a moment, then reacted. "The Sketch of Precious Birds auctioned in the Spring 2002 Jiade sale for a staggering twenty-three million? I seem to recall that price setting a record high in the history of Chinese calligraphy and painting auctions at the time, causing quite a sensation..."

"That was over a decade ago, and you still remember it; that's impressive," Old Zhou chuckled, tacitly confirming Wang Guan's statement.

"I saw it when researching auction catalogs from previous years."

As he spoke, Wang Guan mused, "After the painting was sold, there was no news. Could it have been taken by an overseas collector and traveled across the ocean to end up here?"

"More or less," Old Zhou nodded lightly. "After the item was purchased, we immediately contacted that person, but regrettably, they were merely an agent and absolutely refused to disclose the buyer's information. However, through years of attention, we finally confirmed the item is here. Mr. Anderson, am I correct?"

"Mr. Zhou, you shouldn't be asking me about that matter."

At that moment, Mr. Anderson smiled and shook his head. "If it's in the safe, then it's there. If it's not, I can't do anything about it."

As he spoke, Mr. Anderson opened the other safes, revealing their contents completely. The other safes held a much more miscellaneous collection: not only scrolls of calligraphy and paintings but also objects made of gold, silver, bronze, jade, ivory, horn, and carved wood.

"Everyone, please pay attention and see if you can find the Sketch of Precious Birds."

At Old Zhou's summons, the group quickly moved over, picking up scrolls and paintings one by one to examine them. Wang Guan was lucky; he picked up a longer scroll, and upon opening it, found it was a work by a master, though not the Sketch of Precious Birds.

"It's here."

At that moment, Expert Chen called out, a mixture of joy and surprise in his voice. He carefully placed the painting on the table before inviting everyone over to view it.

As is widely known, Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji, was an incompetent ruler, but his mastery of calligraphy and painting made him a world-renowned great artist. In the entire five thousand years of Chinese history, if he claimed first place among emperors in calligraphy and painting, perhaps no one would dare step forward to dispute it. Even Li Yu, the last ruler of Southern Tang, might have surpassed him in poetry, but in painting and calligraphy, he would have to concede inferiority.

Zhao Ji was skilled in both calligraphy and painting. In calligraphy, he invented the Slender Gold script (Shoujin Ti). In painting, whether landscapes or figures, he was exquisitely capable, especially proficient in flowers and birds. However, due to the fall of his dynasty and the nation's ruin, many of his works were destroyed in the ravages of war. Posthumous research suggests that few of his works survive—perhaps around twenty pieces.

Among these twenty-odd pieces, some were collaborations done by court painters on his behalf; the number of works executed solely by Zhao Ji's own hand is countable on one's fingers, and the Sketch of Precious Birds is one of those rare, genuine paintings. Understanding this point makes it clear how precious this Sketch of Precious Birds is.

Twenty million plus a decade ago—placing it now, perhaps even two hundred million would be a price someone would dare to pay. One only needs to consider that even surviving works from the Ming and Qing imperial workshops are highly sought after today; moreover, Zhao Ji possessed high artistic cultivation, and his works inherently possess immense aesthetic value. At only two hundred million, some might consider it undervalued.

Of course, this is a digression. At this moment, no one was pondering the painting's exact worth; instead, they were studying it closely. The painting was revealed to be an ink-on-paper handscroll, a paradigm of Emperor Huizong's realistic flower-and-bird paintings.

A close inspection revealed that the scroll was divided into twelve sections, with Emperor Huizong's Double Chi seal impressed at the joint of each section, totaling eleven seals. These included his Zhenghe, Xuanhe, and the Double Chi Seals, impressed on the seam of each section, with a small fragment of another seal remaining on the paper edge. These small details provided crucial evidence for authentication.

Then there was the painting itself: twelve sections of flowers and birds, uncolored, rendered only in ink washes to depict different perching birds. The variation in the ink density created rich layers and texture, showcasing the rigorous realism of Song dynasty Chinese painting alongside an elegant aesthetic sensibility.

In the depiction of the birds' plumage, light ink was used for the initial shape, followed by a heavier wash, and then darker ink dots applied to focus areas like the head, tail, and feather tips. This layering reflected the soft texture, rich depth, and variegated color of the feathers.

In summary, these flowers and birds, in both form and spirit, were exquisitely rendered, leaving an indelible impression.

"Yes, this is the painting,"

At this moment, one expert sighed softly. "I appraised this piece back then, but regretfully let it slip away. After twelve years, encountering it again, I cannot miss it."

"Quite right," the others agreed wholeheartedly.

Hearing this, Wang Guan realized it was time for him to step in and immediately said, "Good, make a note of it."

"No rush."

At this, Old Zhou was more cautious. "Let's look it over first, then decide."

"Yes, we really need to examine it closely..." The others did not disagree. Their caution stemmed from the fact that this painting was subject to some controversy within the industry.

In fact, it is rare for ancient paintings to be entirely free of dispute. This is mainly because each appraiser possesses their own standard for authentication. If they discover details that deviate from their understanding, they naturally suspect the piece might be incorrect.

The same was true for this Sketch of Precious Birds: some people believed the birds were accurately modeled and expressed diverse, vivid spirits, while others felt the painting largely consisted of mediocre brushwork with numerous flaws, lacking truly brilliant passages. Whether it possessed both form and spirit or suffered from sluggish and coarse application—opinions varied widely, and due to differing aesthetic tastes, unity was impossible to achieve.

However, judging by the seals, in addition to Emperor Huizong's own, it was only during the Qianlong era of the Qing dynasty that he fully indulged, affixing twenty-one imperial seals and inscribing twelve phrases within the painting itself.

Research conducted by scholars suggests that Emperor Qianlong's seals and inscriptions are likely authentic. Nevertheless, considering Qianlong's own reliability in appraising objects was somewhat questionable, some speculated that the painting might be a Yuan or Ming dynasty imitation.

Yet, during its circulation, major Republican-era collectors like Zhang Congyu, contemporary appraisal master Qi Gong, and numerous top-tier experts in ancient calligraphy and painting had all confirmed this painting as a genuine work by Emperor Huizong. This meant that the majority believed the scroll to be authentic, with only a small minority harboring doubts.

The minority yielding to the majority meant that everyone generally agreed it should be genuine; otherwise, it could not have commanded the high price of twenty-three million in the Spring 2002 auction. But that small dissenting group remained unconvinced, believing that truth is often held by the few. Thus, discerning the true from the false was genuinely difficult.

However, after a moment of intense study, one expert was the first to speak: "I firmly believe it is genuine. Setting aside the paper quality and the seals, the style alone is identical to Song Huizong's other genuine work, the Four Birds Painting. Especially the rendering of the birds' feather eyes—they are incredibly expressive..."