Bargaining over purchases is entirely natural; how could that possibly offend anyone?" Wang Guan chuckled, "Besides, Uncle De's friend doesn't know who we are.

If you feel awkward, we can even play dumb and just skip the visit." "That's not necessary." Yu Feibai addressed the matter directly: "From what we observed just now, Uncle De's friend is indeed quite accomplished.

A formal visit is not only a matter of propriety but also an opportunity for further consultation and exchange.

It would be quite beneficial for us." "So, we'll visit on the way back then?" Wang Guan nodded and smiled. "Uncle De's friend is surnamed Lei, his name is Lei Yunzhang.

We can just call him Uncle Lei later." "Wait a moment..." Seeing Wang Guan turn to leave, Yu Feibai quickly raised a hand to stop him, looking a little embarrassed. "How about we circle back, buy some gifts in a little while, and then go pay our respects?" "That works too." Wang Guan smiled and nodded, understanding that Yu Feibai was a bit hesitant to save face.

Since it was still early, there was no rush; they could browse the antique market first and perhaps stumble upon something good.

Just then, a man quietly approached them and whispered cautiously, "Gentlemen, I have some old items.

Would you two like to take a look?" "Hm?" The two froze.

In fact, they had already prepared themselves the moment the man stealthily approached.

After all, in such a bustling market, it was inevitable that there would be a mix of people, and some unscrupulous opportunists might try to take advantage by engaging in shady dealings.

Wang Guan was unconcerned, believing it was better to avoid trouble, and was prepared only for defense.

However, Yu Feibai had already clenched his fist, ready to teach the man a harsh lesson if necessary.

As for the consequences? Given Yu Feibai's background, what did he have to fear? A simple reveal of his identity would likely cause quite a stir throughout Shudu.

Fortunately, the man’s words prevented what might have turned into an unwanted disturbance. "So, he's here trying to solicit customers..." Wang Guan and Yu Feibai exchanged a glance and found themselves intrigued.

The antique market was vast, and there were bound to be individuals operating outside established shops, or perhaps dealing in items of dubious provenance that couldn't be displayed openly.

Wang Guan and Yu Feibai had just emerged from an antique shop, carrying purchases.

Those with keen eyes would immediately recognize them as potential customers, hence someone naturally approached to gauge their interest.

After a moment of thought, Wang Guan quietly asked, "Are your old items antiques, or 'fresh finds'?" 'Fresh finds' referred to recently excavated items.

Since they couldn't say it openly in public, they used a more refined term. "Fresh finds? What are those?" The man blinked, confused. "My old things are all antiques, genuine articles." "If he's not playing dumb, then he's not really part of the inner circle." Wang Guan and Yu Feibai observed him closely and concluded the man wasn't feigning ignorance.

This meant that if the 'old items' were fake, he was at best a small-time swindler trying to make a quick buck by fooling novices or newcomers who didn't know better—not the seasoned tomb raider they might have initially suspected.

Even though the chance of getting a bargain seemed slim, Yu Feibai still held out a sliver of hope and asked, "Where are these old things you mentioned? We won't travel far." "Not far, just upstairs at the teahouse," the man smiled, quickly leading the way.

Wang Guan and Yu Feibai followed behind, exchanging quiet words. "If he's not a 'ground scraper' (tomb robber), then he must be a 'guerrilla'," Yu Feibai commented with a slight smile. "Of course, it's also possible he’s someone in the trade who knows nothing but thinks we two are novices ripe for the fleecing." 'Ground scraper' referred to those who engaged in grave robbing.

And 'guerrilla' was a term used in the antique trade for individuals who didn't own a shop but traveled the countryside collecting goods to sell to dealers or collectors; they were the middlemen, the so-called second-hand vendors.

Naturally, it was also possible the man was a professional con artist, seeing Wang Guan and Yu Feibai as young and easy marks for a scam involving fakes. "Regardless of the situation, we're feeling a bit tired anyway.

Stopping at a teahouse to rest and moisten our throats sounds good," Wang Guan said with a smile.

After walking a short distance with Yu Feibai, they arrived at a quiet and elegant teahouse.

The teahouse was ideally situated, built alongside a river.

From the second floor, one could look out upon graceful weeping willows and lush greenery—quite a touch of refinement. "Gentlemen, please this way." The guide was very enthusiastic, leading Wang Guan and Yu Feibai to a small, private booth by the window on the second floor.

The booth was partitioned from others by screens woven to resemble bamboo lattice, furnished with antique-style tables and chairs, and adorned with a delicate bead curtain—very retro.

Inside the booth, a thin young man was already seated.

Upon seeing the guide approach, he immediately stood up and greeted him, "Sixth Brother." The guide nodded, exchanged a look with the thin youth, then said with a smile, "Monkey, these two gentlemen are interested in our things.

Hurry up and bring them out for them to see." "Coming right up." The thin youth quickly nodded, bent down, reached under the table, and pulled out a small suitcase typically used for travel.

He then swiftly placed it on the tabletop. "Gentlemen, please don't stand.

Sit down and take your time looking," Sixth Brother said, picking up the teapot to pour two cups of hot tea.

He then smiled broadly, "Here, have a cup of tea before you look.

If you like anything, we can negotiate further." Wang Guan and Yu Feibai accepted the tea gracefully, though with a degree of wariness, holding the cups without drinking, just for appearance's sake.

Sixth Brother smiled, not pressing the matter.

Instead, he adjusted the small suitcase, pulled the zipper, gently flipped the lid open, and then gestured, "Gentlemen, everything is in here.

Please take a look." Shang yan (a somewhat awkward term for 'inspect')? The wording felt strange.

However, Wang Guan wasn't in the mood to correct Sixth Brother's phrasing at the moment; instead, he looked down to examine the contents of the box.

Upon looking, he saw that inside the small, meter-long rectangular suitcase, the bottom was lined with soft cloth, upon which rested various items: coins, strung beads, small cups, and ornaments.

Visually, they all appeared either heavily rusted or quite aged, suggesting they had some years on them.

However, after just a couple of glances, both Wang Guan and Yu Feibai frowned slightly, feeling a sense of disappointment, as if their time was being wasted.

It wasn't surprising they felt this way; the items looked far too obviously fake, lacking even a pretense of convincing deception.

They were discernible as forgeries at a glance.

Yet, Sixth Brother seemed oblivious to their reaction and continued enthusiastically, "To be frank, we went specifically to the countryside to collect these things.

We originally planned to sell them to antique shops and make a profit on the markup.

But those dealers were pressing the prices down too hard; if we sold to them, we’d lose money..." .......................

Please collect and recommend.

Thank you all for your support.

C