At the same time, seeing the two men at a stalemate again, Old Ren hastily stepped in to mediate, hesitating slightly: "Wang Guan, this jade fish of yours, it must be quite valuable, right?"

The room was bathed in bright sunlight. The jade fish Wang Guan held in his hand shone with a clarity like water in a jade lake, pleasing the eye just to look at it. Even someone unfamiliar with antiques knew this object wouldn't be cheap.

Of course, for Wang Guan, this jade fish was only worth a few thousand yuan. Restoring its luster and sheen had merely cost him a bit of his vital essence.

Wang Guan could afford to absorb such a loss once or twice occasionally. Therefore, even though he knew the fish's value had skyrocketed, he was willing to offer it as a gift.

However, since others didn't know the underlying truth, in their eyes, Wang Guan's action could only be described as spending a fortune lavishly.

Old Feng certainly wouldn't agree; he had insisted on giving it as a gift, so how could it change to an exchange? Moreover, he wasn't muddle-headed; he knew the value of the jade fish in Wang Guan's hand far exceeded that of his own snuff bottles.

"If that's the case, then Old Feng, you can't force me anymore," Wang Guan said with a smile. He had briefly activated his special ability just now and had a rough judgment on the age of the antique snuff bottles on the desk.

Although these items were all from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China era, each was exquisitely crafted. Calculated by market price, the least valuable one would fetch tens of thousands. Wang Guan could not casually accept such a valuable gift. After all, this was their first meeting, and they had no prior relationship; accepting something from Old Feng felt improper. If Old Feng’s family knew, he didn't know what they would think.

Reflecting on the situation from another perspective, Wang Guan felt it was inappropriate, so his stance was firm: he wouldn't accept it for free; he was only willing to trade.

"This exchange is clearly you taking advantage and me losing out," Old Feng frowned, clearly dissatisfied.

"Then conversely, I cannot let you, Elder, lose out while I gain an advantage," Wang Guan replied with a smile. "How about we drop this matter? If you truly feel indebted, I thought that West Lake Longjing tea earlier was quite good; perhaps you could send me a box of that."

"Absolutely not!"

Old Feng refused decisively, then seemed to recall something and suddenly said, "An exchange is possible, but I will trade you something else. Everyone wait a moment; I'll be right back."

As he spoke, Old Feng left the study. Judging by the sound of his footsteps, he seemed to have gone upstairs.

At this moment, Old Ren reached out. "Wang Guan, let me take a look at that jade fish."

Wang Guan naturally did not refuse and handed the jade fish over.

"This... this seems to be Hetian green jade."

Old Ren held the crystalline jade fish, observing it closely for a moment, and couldn't help but exclaim, "The color of the jade is pure, warm, and fine. The white-green sheen is very bright, already reaching the Chengtan level."

Upon hearing this, Yu Feibai immediately became interested. Not everyone could casually spout such technical jargon. He asked curiously, "Old Ren, you also collect jade?"

"People nurture jade, and jade nurtures people. As I'm getting older, I've started paying attention to the way of maintaining health," Old Ren smiled. "Why, young man, are you also fond of jade?"

"Of course." Yu Feibai said enthusiastically, "Right now, my goal is nothing less than acquiring a piece of rough-mined Hetian mutton-fat jade. Unfortunately, I've searched for several years and haven't found one."

"Young man, your ambition is too great," Old Ren shook his head. "Hetian rough material is already extremely rare, let alone mutton-fat jade. Decades ago, perhaps one could still encounter it. As for now, even finding mutton-fat jade from mountain sources is quite precious."

"It's fine, I'm still young, I'll take my time searching; I'll surely find something eventually," Yu Feibai remained optimistic.

"That's the right mindset."

Old Ren showed an approving look in his eyes, mixed with a bit of envy, sighing, "Youth is truly a capital. If I wanted to search now, I'm afraid I wouldn't have the energy to move."

"Old Ren, don't be discouraged. Once I find one, I will definitely bring it for your appreciation," Yu Feibai consoled him.

"Haha, then I shall await the good news," Old Ren laughed heartily. He rubbed the jade fish with his fingers, then looked at Wang Guan, hesitating slightly. "Young friend, this jade fish, conservatively speaking, must be worth at least one million, yes?"

"One million!"

In an instant, everyone present was stunned, including Wang Guan himself.

"If I am not mistaken, this jade fish should date from the late Qing Dynasty."

Old Ren mused, "Judging by the shape and the carving technique, it seems to follow the style of the Suzhou-Hangzhou region. Yes, it should have been meticulously carved by a master from Yangzhou, utilizing the finest quality green jade material."

"The jade fish pendant gleams as clearly as water in a jade expanse. From a distance, one could almost imagine a small white fish swimming slowly within the verdant waves. Whether in material or condition, it is absolutely perfect. Moreover, it has been over a hundred years since the late Qing Dynasty."

Old Ren sighed lightly, "Therefore, this jade fish can also be called a heirloom antique jade. But, as everyone can see, the entire fish, inside and out, lacks even the slightest impurity. This shows that over this century, through the careful handling and nurturing of several generations, it has managed to emit such a clear and bright luster."

Finally, Old Ren stated with certainty, "Such an exquisite heirloom antique jade, if presented at auction, even starting at three to five hundred thousand, could easily fetch over one million."

"I thought it was newly carved jade..." Yu Feibai muttered to himself, unable to resist whispering, "Wang Guan, when did you buy this? Why didn't I know?"

"I bought it at Songxianqiao during those few days you were home," Wang Guan replied vaguely.

"What, over a million?"

At this moment, before Yu Feibai could inquire further, Old Feng returned to the study. However, he was now holding a brocade box.

"What are you all discussing?"

Old Feng entered, beaming, carefully cradling the brocade box as he walked over.

"We were just discussing how generous Wang Guan is, willing to trade his heirloom antique jade, valued at over a million, for your snuff bottles," Old Ren said with a smile, explicitly stating the jade fish's value.

"What?"

Old Feng was also taken aback. Although he knew the jade fish was valuable, he hadn't expected it to be this valuable. But he quickly composed himself; while Wang Guan’s jade fish was excellent, the gift he brought out was by no means inferior.

At this point, Old Feng felt a slight sense of pride; it was a good thing he had brought this item out, otherwise, he might have been laughed at by the younger generation.

"Old Feng, what's in the box?" Yu Feibai quickly asked. One million wasn't something he particularly cared about, but Old Feng’s calm demeanor after learning the jade fish’s price struck him as odd.

"A treasure!"

Old Feng smiled mysteriously, placing the brocade box carefully on the table, gesturing, "Take a look yourselves."

"Great!"

Yu Feibai was the most impatient and didn't stand on ceremony, reaching out immediately to flip open the lid of the box.

However, after looking down, he froze immediately.

"Water-dot Peach Blossom!"

After a long pause, Yu Feibai exclaimed, his voice trembling slightly.

"Seriously?"

Wang Guan started, unable to stand still nearby, and quickly moved closer to examine it carefully. Inside the brocade box, a teacup was placed on its side. The base color of the porcelain was milky white, crystalline and transparent, warm and lovely like tender skin. On the body of the cup were fresh and ethereal peach blossom patterns, with glass-white water-dot petals that were incredibly delicate and vibrant.

The entire cup appeared to have smooth, elegant lines, a full shape, ancient simplicity, and a hard-to-describe innate beauty.

"Eh? You two young men also recognize the Water-dot Peach Blossom?" Old Feng seemed surprised, but his expression betrayed an unconcealable sense of pride.

"The famous Mao Porcelain, how could we not know about it?" Yu Feibai exclaimed, a look of wild joy also coloring his face.

"Brother Feng, I never knew you possessed such a treasure," Old Ren said at this point, feeling quite astonished, with a hint of complaint.

"Brother Ren, you never asked if I had any," Old Feng chuckled, a flicker of cunning in his eyes.

Old Ren let out a soft laugh and didn't press the complaint.

After all, the two of them had lived through that period of fervent historical passion, and they were somewhat reserved about items handed down from that era. It was better to collect them quietly than to announce them loudly to the whole city.

However, Old Feng, being older, had keenly felt the change in social climate and had gradually let go of his reservations. That was why he had actively brought the item out.

Meanwhile, Yu Feibai impatiently asked, "Old Feng, may I pick up the cup for closer examination?"

"Of course, no problem," Old Feng replied with a smile. "The item is very thin, just be careful."

Yu Feibai quickly nodded, wiping his hands on his clothes a few times before carefully lifting the teacup out of the box and holding it up to the strong light. Instantly, under the sunlight, the body of the cup appeared semi-transparent.

"It's truly real," Yu Feibai exclaimed with excitement upon seeing this. "The legendary Mao Porcelain, just like the Five Great Kilns of the Song Dynasty: white as jade, bright as a mirror, thin as paper, resonant as a chime."

As he spoke, Yu Feibai lightly flicked the cup with his finger and immediately heard a clear, pleasant sound.

After examining it repeatedly, Yu Feibai suddenly looked up, excitedly saying, "I want this. Old Feng, name your price."

"What are you talking about?"

Old Feng was somewhat at a loss for words. "This item isn't for sale; it's meant to be exchanged with young friend Wang Guan."

"Old Feng, the price of your cup is much higher than Wang Guan's jade fish. If you trade, you will be at a significant loss," Yu Feibai hurriedly advised. "Elder, please don't act on impulse, or you might regret it later."

"Isn't this undermining me..."

Wang Guan smiled wryly, but he had to admit, "Old Feng, he is correct. Your cup is easily worth over two million. It is worth much more than my jade fish."

There were many ways to strike a bargain. If he had found this Mao Porcelain cup in a shop, Wang Guan would have unhesitatingly haggled with the owner to secure the cup at the lowest possible price.

But Old Feng clearly didn't understand the antiques market, nor was he intent on selling the cup. Therefore, Wang Guan could not use smooth talk or take advantage of the situation to exchange the jade fish.

Even though an exchange would mean Wang Guan secured a massive bargain, this kind of gain felt highly unethical. Wang Guan would rather work hard hunting for treasures in the antique market than engage in such unprincipled behavior.

Wang Guan always felt that character determines luck; if one's character is completely ruined, their luck will soon run out.