Chapter Forty-Eight: Seeking an Expert

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Cheng Ziqiu shrugged and pointed at the "Shang Dynasty bronze tripod," saying, "This thing? You can get one for ten yuan at a street stall. You paid too much."

Zhao Qiankun widened his eyes, trembling as he pointed at the bronze tripod. "This... this cost me ten thousand for five million! You... you’re saying it’s fake?!"

"Guaranteed fake," Cheng Ziqiu said mercilessly, shattering his illusion.

"Then... what about this Warring States bronze sword?" Zhao Qiankun pointed to another "treasure," his voice hoarse.

"Just a craft replica, couldn’t be more fake. It’s only worth a few dozen yuan," Cheng Ziqiu replied calmly.

"And this, the Tang Dynasty official kiln porcelain?" Zhao Qiankun indicated a vase.

Cheng Ziqiu shook his head. "This is a modern craft piece, costs no more than fifty yuan. If you like, I can give you a dozen next time."

One item, two items, three items...

With each appraisal from Cheng Ziqiu, Zhao Qiankun’s face grew darker.

His cherished collection was all counterfeit?

"Impossible! This can’t be!" Zhao Qiankun slammed the table fiercely, his face twisted.

"These were all bought from Old Li at a high price! He’s a famous collector in the circle! How could he have cheated me?"

Cheng Ziqiu sighed; Zhao Qiankun truly wouldn’t accept reality until it hit him hard.

"Boss Zhao, nowadays, swindlers outnumber antiques. You’d better be more careful."

Zhao Qiankun slumped into his chair, looking as if he aged ten years in an instant.

He had spent over a hundred million yuan, only to fill his house with fakes.

The blow was devastating.

Cheng Ziqiu felt a pang of sympathy watching this.

After all, no one’s money grows on trees.

"Boss Zhao, don’t be too upset. Just consider it a costly lesson. Next time you buy antiques, it’s best to have an expert take a look."

Suddenly, Zhao Qiankun jumped up, spitting as he pointed right at Cheng Ziqiu’s nose.

"You brat! Are you playing me? How dare you call my treasures fake? Do you have any idea how much I spent?!"

Cheng Ziqiu leaned back slightly, dodging the spit, thinking silently: I’m only trying to help, and this is how I’m treated.

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"Boss Zhao, I’m not playing you. I’m telling the truth," Cheng Ziqiu said calmly, with a hint of helplessness.

"If you really don’t believe me, you can have others appraise them again."

"Nonsense! Old Li would never cheat me! He’s a senior in this field!" Zhao Qiankun’s face flushed red, veins bulging on his neck.

"Senior? Ha," Cheng Ziqiu sneered. "These days, all the scammers like to pretend to be seniors. Didn’t you know?"

"You... you..." Zhao Qiankun trembled with rage, pointing at Cheng Ziqiu but at a loss for words.

"What about what? I’m only stating facts. If you can’t accept it, that’s your problem."

Cheng Ziqiu sat down, crossing his legs leisurely.

This only infuriated Zhao Qiankun more; he felt deeply insulted.

"Kid, if you don’t explain yourself clearly today, you won’t be leaving this room!"

Zhao Qiankun growled, his bulky body shaking.

Cheng Ziqiu rolled his eyes.

"Boss Zhao, I advise you to calm down. I came here at your invitation to appraise your antiques, not to argue."

"Appraise? You call this appraising? You’re clearly here to ruin everything!"

Zhao Qiankun roared.

"Ruin? Where did you get that from? I’m just telling the truth," Cheng Ziqiu said innocently.

"Truth? Do you think I’m stupid? Every one of these treasures is priceless! And you say they’re fake?!"

Zhao Qiankun grew more agitated, barely able to control his emotions.

"Boss Zhao, if you really believe they’re genuine, there’s nothing I can do."

Cheng Ziqiu shrugged.

"But I suggest you find a real expert to take another look, or you’ll be cheated even worse next time."

"You... you... you..." Zhao Qiankun’s face turned green with anger, pointing at Cheng Ziqiu, but he couldn’t come up with a proper response.

"Boss Zhao, why bother? I’m only trying to help," Cheng Ziqiu sighed with some helplessness.

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"All these treasures in your house, to put it bluntly, are all ‘counterfeits.’ You’ve been set up, do you understand? This is a ‘grand scheme’!"

The so-called "grand scheme" is a highly sophisticated scam in the antique world.

The conspirators work as a team, each with their role.

Some provide high-quality fakes, others hype and inflate prices, while others impersonate “authorities” to endorse the fakes.

They specifically target wealthy but inexperienced “nouveau riche.”

Once ensnared, it’s like boiling a frog gently—people sink deeper and deeper until they lose everything.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qiankun’s complexion fluctuated between pale and flushed, clearly shaken by the term “grand scheme.”

Though he didn’t understand antiques, he had heard of the notorious reputation of such scams.

But then he thought, all these treasures were bought with real money through “authoritative” channels—how could they be fake?

"Nonsense!" Zhao Qiankun shouted, pointing at Cheng Ziqiu.

"Every one of my treasures has expert appraisal certificates! Every piece was bought at auctions! On what basis do you call them fake? What right do you have to say so?"

Cheng Ziqiu, seeing Zhao Qiankun’s stubbornness, was no longer inclined to argue.

Waking someone who pretends to be asleep is harder than ascending to heaven.

At that moment, Zhao Qiankun’s phone rang.

After a brief conversation, his face lit up with pride.

"Kid, you say these treasures are fake? Fine, I’ll show you what a real expert looks like!"

He hung up and said arrogantly,

"I’ve invited several top experts from the industry. They’re arriving soon! Let’s see what you say then!"

Cheng Ziqiu merely smiled faintly, giving no response.

Soon, a few people entered the room.

The leader was an elderly man in his sixties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, exuding the air of a seasoned scholar.

"This is Old Wang from the National Cultural Relics Appraisal Committee, a towering figure in the antique world!" Zhao Qiankun boasted.

"This is Mr. Zhang, worth billions, whose collection alone could fill a museum!"

"And this is Director Li, president of Sotheby’s China division, who has handled countless antiques!"

Zhao Qiankun introduced these three “authorities” one after another, their titles enough to inspire awe.

Once inside, they began to “appraise” Zhao Qiankun’s collection.

They inspected the items carefully with magnifying glasses, whispering to each other, putting on a serious act.