Without waiting for Wang Guan's reply, Yu Feibai unceremoniously reached out and took the jade fish, examining it closely.

After a moment, Yu Feibai exclaimed in admiration, "Crystalline and smooth, with an oily luster—it’s top-grade Hetian nephrite. The jade color is exceptionally pure, even reaching the level of Chengtan."

"Chengtan? What does that mean?" Wang Guan asked curiously. His knowledge of jade was clearly inferior to Yu Feibai's.

"Heh, you didn't know, did you?" Yu Feibai’s expression was slightly smug; he clearly enjoyed this moment. Only now did his confidence return, convincing him that his decades spent playing with jade had not been in vain.

At this moment, Zhao Qian, standing nearby and oblivious to Yu Feibai's mood, chimed in with a smile, "Chengtan is a specific category of jade coloration. Back in the Qing Dynasty, a man named Chen Xing wrote a book cataloging many varieties of jade color, including Gan Huang, Gan Qing, Zhu Sha Hong, Ji Xue Hong, Bai Guo Lü, Qiu Kui Huang, Yu Du Bai... and so on, collectively known as the Thirteen Colors."

"Among the nephrite green colors, there are Xia Zi Qing, Bi Ti Qing, Yang Liu Qing, Zhu Ye Qing, Yu Guo Tian Qing, Chengtan, and Shui Cang."

Yu Feibai shot Zhao Qian a discreet glare, quickly adding, "This green jade fish of yours, with its warm luster and brilliance resembling the waters of a deep pool, truly merits the designation Chengtan."

"Haha, I had no idea a single shade of jade color had so many nuances," Wang Guan said with a smile, asking, "What was the title of that book? I'll look for it when I have time."

"Yu Ji," Zhao Qian replied with a grin. "If read alongside Gu Yu Bian by the late Qing connoisseur Liu Datong, the content connects fluidly, making it even richer."

"Both those books are certainly worth reading," Yu Feibai agreed, nodding, while simultaneously stating, "However, you’ve just started, so you don't need to rush into such profound, high-level texts. You should begin with the basics, look at collections like Gu Yu Jing Ying, Gu Yu Duo Ying, and Gu Yu Jian Bie, and then gradually delve deeper."

"Understood."

Wang Guan smiled. With guests present, he couldn't remain lying down any longer. He briskly hopped off the bed and gestured, "Please, have a seat. I apologize for the spartan conditions; I don't even have tea to offer."

"Who says there isn't? You just haven't noticed. This convalescent home rivals a presidential suite; they certainly wouldn't lack such things." Yu Feibai remarked casually, moving to the bedside cabinet. He pulled open the two small doors to reveal a neatly arranged tea set and several bags of exquisitely packaged tea leaves.

Wang Guan looked and saw it was Anxi's renowned Tieguanyin.

He immediately managed an awkward smile. "Lying here for the past day or two, I truly didn't pay attention."

"Are you feeling much better now?" Zhao Qian immediately inquired with concern.

"Mostly recovered—about eighty or ninety percent. I can check out without issue now," Wang Guan said, swinging his arm. As strength surged, the friction of his clothing against the air produced a slight sound.

"So fast? You looked frail yesterday, and now you're fine?" Yu Feibai looked surprised. "Your body is your own; don't push yourself too hard."

"Naturally. I wouldn't joke about my own health," Wang Guan stated with a very serious expression.

"It seems everyone underestimated your physical resilience and self-healing capabilities," Yu Feibai sighed, deftly moving the tea set onto the room's low table, then clumsily pouring hot water to steep the tea.

The tea leaves were good, and the water was likely mineral spring water, but Yu Feibai’s tea preparation skills were subpar; the resulting brew would undoubtedly taste less than perfect.

Of course, Zhao Qian hadn't come to visit Wang Guan for tea; his purpose was to finalize the contract.

Thus, after a brief chat and a sip of tea, Zhao Qian, beaming, retrieved two precisely printed, clearly written contracts from his briefcase and handed them to Wang Guan.

"Mr. Wang, please review the contracts first. If there's any clause you're unsatisfied with, please bring it up. Zhengyaxuan will do our utmost to meet your requirements," Zhao Qian said sincerely and very courteously.

Wang Guan took the documents and read them carefully. He found the terms largely aligned with their prior discussions—essentially, he entrusted Zhengyaxuan to auction Wen Tong’s authentic Ink Bamboo Scroll, and in return, Zhengyaxuan waived all commission fees. The contracts also stipulated the rights and obligations of both parties.

However, Wang Guan also noticed the very last clause seemed rather unique and extremely advantageous to him.

"Manager Zhao," Wang Guan looked up, slightly confused, "the final clause in the contract..."

"That was specifically ordered by President Tang to demonstrate Zhengyaxuan's sincerity," Zhao Qian quickly explained with a smile. "Although the situation is highly unlikely to arise, we added this clause just in case. President Tang also mentioned that this price is negotiable—are you satisfied with it, Mr. Wang?"

Saying this, Zhao Qian himself felt a bit awkward; in terms of business practice, this was surely the epitome of benevolent commerce.

"What price is there to negotiate?" Yu Feibai asked, bewildered. He picked up the other contract and read the final clause aloud softly: "Should the Ink Bamboo Scroll fail to sell at auction, Zhengyaxuan is willing to privately purchase it for eight million RMB..."

"Eight million!"

Yu Feibai pondered this, then chuckled lightly. "Wen Tong's Ink Bamboo Scroll is probably worth about that much. Wang Guan, you aren't losing out; what are you hesitating for? Perhaps the official auction price won't even be this high. At that point, you'll be secretly hoping the piece fails to sell."

"I'm not hesitating; I just feel the final clause is unnecessary," Wang Guan said with a smile. "If it doesn't sell, just return the item to me; Zhengyaxuan doesn't need to pay to buy it."

"Wang Guan, you don't need to save money for Zhengyaxuan."

Before Zhao Qian could speak, Yu Feibai interjected, "Besides, I know exactly what Tang Qinghua is trying to pull. I estimate that if it weren't for the thousand miles separating us, this Ink Bamboo Scroll would already be in his hands, not up for auction. Now, adding this clause is just gilding the lily, stemming from a one-in-ten-thousand hope of legitimately acquiring the scroll."

Zhao Qian smiled without comment, but his expression clearly indicated that Yu Feibai’s assessment was not untrue.

"Then it's fine."

Seeing this, Wang Guan smiled and signed his name with the pen. After all, from the moment he decided to entrust the scroll to Zhengyaxuan for auction, he had never intended to take the item back. As for who ultimately acquired it, that was no longer his concern.

"Scratch, scratch, scratch..."

In less than fifteen seconds, pen moving swiftly, Wang Guan signed both contracts.

"Mr. Wang, a fruitful partnership," Zhao Qian said, smiling broadly. He carefully placed the contracts back into his briefcase, visibly relaxing completely.

"The item is still with Old Huang; I wonder if the mounting is finished," Wang Guan said with a smile at this point. "And I promised Old Huang I could keep it for a few days for his appreciation..."

"No rush."

Zhao Qian quickly replied, "I'll visit Old Huang shortly to take some promotional photos. We can have the item delivered to Zhengyaxuan two days before the official auction."

"That works well," Wang Guan nodded, then smiled and asked, "The auction date is set, right? Specifically, which day?"

"December 21st," Zhao Qian stated.

"Oh!"

Initially, Wang Guan began counting the days until December 21st, but then he suddenly felt something was off. After a moment of thought, he realized: wasn't that specific date the legendary day?

Of course, Wang Guan knew that the 'end of the world' theory associated with that date was generally treated as a joke by everyone. Despite the widespread rumors, it was mostly just people teasing and joking with each other for amusement.

In truth, it required no further explanation: Zhengyaxuan likely set the auction for that day as a promotional gimmick.

"That leaves half a month," Yu Feibai calculated from the side, smiling. "That’s enough time for us to tour a few places in Shu."

It seemed he hadn't given up on his plan to travel through Sichuan.

"A fleeting glance won't let you appreciate the true scenery," Wang Guan frowned. "Besides, I’ve been out for quite a while now, and it’s time I returned to the Porcelain Capital. It’s only a few hours' journey anyway. It won't be too late to fly back when the auction starts."

"If you go back now, aren't you afraid of getting scolded?" Yu Feibai teased playfully.

"That's true..." Wang Guan hesitated. It had only been two days; Gao Dequan's anger probably hadn't subsided yet. Returning now might mean running straight into trouble.

Meanwhile, Zhao Qian also chuckled lightly. "Mr. Wang has just recovered from a serious illness and should spend some time recuperating quietly. If you get bored, you could visit Qingcheng Mountain or Mount Emei—those places with beautiful scenery offer peaceful respite."

"That makes sense," Wang Guan considered, nodding. "Since I've made the trip to Shu, it would be somewhat embarrassing to leave without having climbed Mount Emei."

"Exactly, exactly!" Yu Feibai exclaimed. "Not just Mount Emei, but also Meishan, the famous hometown of Su Shi. Aren't you planning to visit and see it for yourself?"

"Alright, you've convinced me," Wang Guan shrugged. "In a few days, I'll go take a look and pay my respects."

At this point, after sipping his tea, Zhao Qian, showing good perception, stood up and smiled. "Gentlemen, I have a few other matters to attend to, so I shouldn't impose further. I'll take my leave now and visit again when I have time."

"Very well, Manager Zhao, travel safely!"

Wang Guan stood up to see Zhao Qian out.

A moment later, Wang Guan returned and asked directly, "How was it? Is that token related to Zhang Xianzhong?"

"It is related."

Yu Feibai didn't keep him in suspense; excitement flashed across his face. He said with a smile, "After returning, I consulted some experts and checked the records. I found that when Zhang Xianzhong established the Great Western regime, he deployed one hundred and twenty camps, organizing them into the Tiger Might (Hu Wei), Leopard Skill (Bao Tao), Dragon Skill (Long Tao), and Eagle Soar (Ying Yang) Imperial Guards, each led by a Commander or General."

"If there are no surprises, this token is the identification credential for a general in the Tiger Might Imperial Guard."

Yu Feibai’s voice was slightly agitated. "I think your guess yesterday was correct. These Imperial Guards were usually stationed right beside Zhang Xianzhong. To put it bluntly, they were much like modern security details; they wouldn't leave Zhang Xianzhong's side unless facing an extraordinary situation..."

....................... Thanks to book friend "Bawang Tuan Ji" for the generous tip. There will be one more public chapter tonight, followed by the official serialization launch at midnight—could I ask for pre-orders and monthly votes? C