Chapter 704: Chapter 701: The Instrument Identification Is False

Huo Sining offered a faint smile, “Even expert appraisals can be mistaken; the aging work on that bottle was indeed impressive, almost indistinguishable from the real thing. However, if an object is fake, it can’t be made genuine.”

“All I can say is this, the real Twining Plum Bottle and that one have many subtle differences. Moreover, the bases of those two Twining Plum Bottles have been pieced together. If you don’t believe me, feel free to buy it from that Dongyang devil.”

The peach-blossom man was taken aback. Seeing how certain Huo Sining was, although he still harbored some doubts, deep down he was already about seventy to eighty percent convinced.

While he was still lost in thought, Boss Wu, who had just completed a transaction, caught up to them, his eyes betraying a sense of helplessness as he looked at the peach-blossom man:

“Wei Shao, I was in the middle of a fine auction here, what are you causing a ruckus for? Your bidding scared me half to death. If you carry on like this a few more times, my poor heart will certainly suffer from it!”

However, the peach-blossom man didn’t pay any attention to Boss Wu’s complaints. Seeing him approaching, he suddenly seized Boss Wu’s arm and said urgently:

“Uncle Wu, you’ve arrived just in time. This young woman claims that the pair of Twining Plum Bottles we just auctioned are fake; what’s really going on?”

Upon hearing this, Boss Wu’s expression changed drastically, and he stared at Huo Sining with a piercing gaze:

“Young lady, you can eat whatever you want, but you can’t talk nonsense. My Twining Plum Bottles have been appraised by multiple experts, and even instrument tests have confirmed them to be genuine Yuan Blue and White!”

Hearing this, Huo Sining merely smiled faintly, “Expert appraisals can be faked, and who’s to say instrument tests can’t be as well? May I ask, Boss Wu, where exactly on the vases did the experts take the samples for the testing?”

The so-called instrument tests are actually carbon-14 tests performed on samples taken from the porcelain to confirm the age of the antique artifact.

To ensure the integrity of the antiquity, when performing the instrument tests, the sampling is usually taken from the least noticeable part of the entire antique, to minimize the damage done by the sampling.

Huo Sining’s question left Wu Qingshan momentarily stunned. As he sensed there was a deeper meaning in her words, he pondered for a moment before saying, “They took it from the base of the Plum Vase.”

“From both vases?” Huo Sining raised her eyebrow.

Wu Qingshan nodded, and a look of understanding flashed across Huo Sining’s eyes:

“Then there’s no mistake. The forger’s technique was refined and seasoned, and he was also well-versed in porcelain restoration. The base of the bottle was indeed an antique, but the body of the vase had been reattached to the base. This pillar-switching scam is not particularly clever, but it seems the person who sold you the bottle had already noticed the problem and most likely tampered with it during the expert appraisal and instrument testing.”

Upon hearing this, the peach-blossom man’s face turned pale, recalling the evidence that Huo Sining had mentioned earlier and connecting it with what Wu Qingshan had said. He now believed Huo Sining’s contention; clearly, someone was scheming against Wu Qingshan, and he became so agitated that he started hopping:

“Uncle Wu, you must have been deceived! Where did you acquire that bottle from?”

Wu Qingshan felt utterly confused, “I bought the pair of Plum Vases from Liu Jingping, how could he possibly deceive me?”

The peach-blossom man’s face darkened as he looked at Wu Qingshan and said, “Then there’s no doubt about it. My dad just recently outbid them for an item, and the Liu Family is nursing a grudge, looking for an opportunity to retaliate against us!”

Wu Qingshan’s eyebrows twitched urgently as he tried to defend his old friend, “That’s impossible. I’ve known Liu Jingping for decades, and I know his character.”

While Wu Qingshan was eager to defend his friend, the man with the peach blossom eyes thought further ahead and snorted coldly,

“Uncle Wu, you may be close to Liu Jingping, but that doesn’t mean the Liu Family won’t trip us up. I know you don’t believe it, but think about it, what would happen if you hadn’t brought this pair of vases to the Imperial Capital to take part in the Ghost Market trade, and instead had left them at our Huimo Hall?”

Wu Qingshan was stunned for a moment, and as he followed the train of thought proposed by the man with the peach blossom eyes, his face turned deathly pale as he instantly understood the Liu Family’s malicious intent.

Huimo Hall was a pillar of the Wei Family’s enterprises, dealing in jewelry and conducting antique auctions, and had always been commended and sought after by the wealthy elite of Changnan for its good reputation and credibility.

Because of this, the rules and requirements of Huimo Hall were extremely strict; items entering Huimo Hall had to undergo several rounds of instrumental testing and joint appraisals by top appraisers.

If that pair of Twining Plum Bottles had been delivered directly to Huimo Hall by someone else, they would certainly have undergone a series of appraisals and tests, and it would probably take less than ten minutes to detect the trickery with the plum vase.

But what if they had passed through his hands?

Wu Qingshan wasn’t a fool. He only had to think carefully about what actually happened with the appraisal and the instrumental testing of the plum bottles that day to spot the problem.

Those plum bottles, having passed through his hands and armed with certificates of appraisal and test reports, if he had really brought them into Huimo Hall, it was very likely they would appear at the Huimo Hall auction just a few days later.

If a fake appeared among the items auctioned at Huimo Hall, the Liu Family would definitely not miss this golden opportunity. They would just need to stir up a media storm, fan the flames, and it probably wouldn’t take long for Huimo Hall to be completely discredited. And then, what would become of the Wei Family without Huimo Hall as its pillar?

Wu Qingshan felt a jolt in his heart, lowered his head, and dared not say another word.

“Hmph, the Liu Family has a good strategy, don’t they? Are they planning to bring down our Wei Family and then take over the bid that’s in our hands? Too bad man’s schemes are no match for heaven’s. Uncle Wu, you didn’t act according to their plan, and now they have no means to exploit the situation!”

“What if they spread the word about us participating in the Ghost Market?”

The crowd that had viewed the plum vase earlier was a mixed bag, and no one could guarantee that there wasn’t someone from the Liu Family among them. If it became known that the owner of Huimo Hall had sold a fake, it would surely be a blow for Huimo Hall.

“Don’t forget who runs this Ghost Market. Even if they were given the courage, they wouldn’t dare challenge that person! It’s common for antiques to be mistaken, who hasn’t paid their dues in learning? Besides, don’t forget, the person who bought that pair of vases wasn’t from our circle.”

After saying this, the man with the peach blossom eyes imagined the Dongyang man, furious and frustrated upon discovering the plum vase was a fake, and felt a secret thrill of delight, his smile turning cunning as he watched Watanabe Yasu’s back in the distance.

Only then did Wu Qingshan grasp the situation, and he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself, “That’s true, I’ve been thinking astray. That item was fiercely sought after by that Japanese guy–he got what he asked for!”

Although the man with the peach blossom eyes was unreliable, he was more thorough than Wu Qingshan in considering the situation. Worried that the Dongyang man might have second thoughts upon discovering the problem with the plum vase, he quickly instructed Wu Qingshan,

“Uncle Wu, the longer the night, the more dreams may come. We need to settle this quickly. Go find a bank and cash that check as soon as possible. If that Dongyang man discovers the issue, all your efforts will be wasted, and you’ll have been played by the Liu Family for nothing!”