Chapter Sixty-Eight: Black Tortoise (Part Two)

Zhang Can’s request was so peculiar that everyone present was baffled and confused—what on earth did he want a needle for? Besides, they were all men, most of them wealthy, so who would carry a needle? And even if someone did have one, it would be at home, not brought along to a place like this.

“No…”

“Don’t have one…”

“No needles!”

Zhang Can felt awkward, glancing around before frowning and saying to Wang Qian, “Mr. Wang, without a needle, it really is difficult to reveal what’s special about the bronze turtle…”

Wang Qian immediately turned to the bodyguard behind him and said, “Xiao Zheng, go out and buy a needle, quickly.”

The bodyguard, Xiao Zheng, was just about to leave when a doorman standing by the entrance poked his head in and said, “Boss, I have a pin, will that do?” As he spoke, he took a small badge from his chest—a work badge like those worn by supermarket employees, attached to a sharp brass pin, designed to pierce through the fabric at the chest.

Zhang Can brightened. “Yes, yes, that’ll do!”

Xiao Zheng quickly retrieved the badge and handed it to Zhang Can.

Zhang Can took the badge, straightened the brass pin on the back so the sharp tip pointed outward, then picked up the bronze turtle on the table. He looked around at everyone and said, “Pay close attention. The secret of this bronze turtle lies in its mouth. Its mouth is closed, with only the slightest seam, so you can’t see anything just by looking.”

The group found Zhang Can’s explanation odd, but they all craned their necks, watching him closely. Those nearest—Tang Yuan, Wang Qian, Zhu Senlin, Old Su, and the others—stared with wide eyes.

Zhang Can inserted the tip of the pin into the turtle’s mouth, found a certain spot, and with a forceful jab, there was a soft “click.” Under everyone’s watchful gaze, the bronze turtle’s head, legs, and tail all extended from its shell, wriggling energetically.

He set the turtle down on the table, and it began to crawl slowly across the surface, its mouth open, the tongue inside flicking in and out.

This astonishing display left everyone utterly dumbfounded!

If someone said there was a mechanism inside allowing its head, tail, and limbs to move, that was not so surprising—modern technology could easily achieve such a thing. But this object had been examined by the expert appraisers present, all of whom confirmed it was an ancient artifact, thousands of years old. That was the real marvel: if it truly was from millennia past, how could it contain an automatic mechanism like this?

There were only two possibilities: either all their eyes had deceived them, and it was merely a modern fake, a toy produced in recent years unworthy even of a few hundred yuan, let alone the three or four hundred thousand they’d bid for it. Or the second possibility—it really was genuine.

After all, they’d just offered several hundred thousand for it. If it were a modern toy, it would be worth nothing, but Zhang Can couldn’t be a fool, could he? If he wasn’t, why would he pay a million for it? And if he did, why go through the trouble of revealing the turtle’s secret now? Would he slap himself in the face?

Noticing the awed and amazed stares, Zhang Can gave a slight smile, picked up the turtle, and, pressing two fingers gently against the tongue in its open mouth, stopped the turtle’s movements. The mouth closed, and the turtle returned to its original state.

Only then did Zhang Can smile and say, “I imagine everyone is quite puzzled. How could this thing have a mechanism and still be an ancient artifact? Let me tell you a little story. Perhaps you’ve heard it, perhaps not. At the dawn of the Common Era, Wang Mang instructed the governor of Yizhou to present auspicious beasts under the name ‘Yue Shang Clan’ as a sign of good fortune. In a memorial to the Emperor, he praised Kong Guang, Wang Shun, and others, but his true intention was to secure the title of ‘Duke Anhan’ for himself. To convince the Emperor and Empress Dowager, he secretly commissioned a peerless master artisan known as Guixiang to forge the Four Divine Beasts—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. It was said that when these creatures were presented in the Golden Hall, the Vermilion Bird flew, the Black Tortoise crawled, the Azure Dragon coiled, and the White Tiger prowled, to the astonishment and delight of all present…”

Before Zhang Can could finish, Tang Yuan interrupted, his voice trembling, “Wait… Are you saying… Are you saying this bronze turtle is the ‘Wang Han Black Tortoise’?”

“I can’t say for certain what it’s called,” Zhang Can replied, smiling lightly. “But its shape and style match very closely with the Black Tortoise described in an old record of rare treasures I once saw. Whether it truly is or isn’t, I can’t guarantee. Everyone may have their own view.” Despite his modest words, his expression betrayed no doubt whatsoever.

Tang Yuan’s face shifted through a spectrum of colors as he took up the turtle and examined it minutely. He used the brass pin Zhang Can had borrowed to trigger the mechanism, watching the turtle move, then inspecting its insides—the mechanism was exquisite.

Tang Yuan, a master appraiser of rare antiques, had rarely been mistaken, yet the bronze turtle had fooled even him! He knew its provenance well: it came from one of his long-time sources, retrieved from an ancient tomb. The likelihood of it being a forgery was practically nil, and even if it were, it wouldn’t have escaped his notice. Furthermore, Zhang Can couldn’t possibly have tampered with it, nor had he had any prior contact with the object. All this convinced Tang Yuan that it was indeed the very artifact he had just recalled!

Most people present were unfamiliar with the legend Zhang Can had recounted, and even those who had heard it would likely dismiss it as myth. But Tang Yuan knew it was true—though two of the four treasures had been lost, and only one, the Azure Dragon, had ever resurfaced. That was a bronze dragon-shaped beast (in truth, more like a snake). Tang Yuan himself had never seen it, but his grandfather had. The artifact had been seized by a British officer during the invasion and taken to England, never to be seen again. As a dealer in rare and precious antiques, Tang Yuan remembered such things vividly, though he also doubted such treasures truly existed in the world.

Yet Tang Yuan owned a rare ancient book that chronicled the Four Divine Beasts forged during the Wang Han era, commissioned at great expense by Wang Mang from a legendary artisan known as Guixiang. If this turtle truly was the Black Tortoise of that set, even as the sole surviving piece, its value was beyond reckoning.

And since he had personally acquired this item, Tang Yuan was all the more convinced of its authenticity. For Zhang Can to have uncovered the turtle’s secret meant he understood its value, which made Tang Yuan regret his mistake all the more.

Most present were oblivious to the legend, but Tang Yuan was the foremost antique dealer in Jin City. If he was convinced, it was unlikely to be false.

Old Su simply frowned. He’d expected Zhang Can to suffer a loss, but now it seemed he’d made another windfall! Truly, the more you wish for one thing, the more fate gives you its opposite.

Only Zhu Senlin and Wang Qian seemed unfazed. They trusted Zhang Can, and neither knew the turtle’s true worth. Zhu Senlin knew nothing at all, so he remained calm and unsurprised, content if they made a profit of a million or two.

Wang Qian, however, had an inkling. Zhang Can had told him it was worth about twenty million, but Zhang Can had never dealt in so valuable an artifact before, so he could only estimate based on prior experience.

Tang Yuan’s face flushed purple, his hands trembling. After a long pause, he looked at Wang Qian and Zhang Can and asked quietly, “Brother Wang, Brother Zhang, who owns this bronze turtle now?”

Zhang Can smiled without answering. Wang Qian replied coolly, “Ownership rests with Old Zhu, myself, and Brother Zhang. But the right to dispose of it is Brother Zhang’s alone. He may do with it as he pleases, even give it away, and we have no objections. Isn’t that so, Old Zhu?”

Wang Qian turned to Zhu Senlin with a genial smile.

“Of course, of course, he may do as he wishes!” Zhu Senlin, momentarily taken aback, quickly agreed. Previously, there had been no mention of him sharing in the turtle, but Wang Qian’s words made it clear he had a share. Delighted, he naturally supported whatever Zhang Can decided.

Of course, Zhu Senlin didn’t know that Zhang Can, setting a trap, had already told Wang Qian to give Zhu a share. Wang Qian, valuing Zhang Can’s judgment, had no objection. The money was insignificant; befriending Zhang Can was the real prize.

Tang Yuan stared for a moment, then asked Zhang Can, “Brother Zhang, would you consider selling the bronze turtle back to me? Name your price…”

His words stunned everyone present. He had sold the antique, and now, in front of everyone, wished to buy it back. Such a thing had never been seen—was he not embarrassing himself? Or admitting he’d been mistaken?

If Tang Yuan had misjudged, it meant all of them had, for the bronze turtle had passed through all their hands for inspection.

And if they had been mistaken, then Zhang Can had snatched a bargain!

Tang Yuan now wanted to buy it back, and since Zhang Can had paid a million for it, selling it back would mean at least four or five times the price.

Of course, they all underestimated the turtle’s worth. Only Tang Yuan had a sense of its true value. For him, such an artifact was priceless, beyond measure.

Zhu Senlin and Wang Qian were seasoned businessmen. Seeing Tang Yuan’s reaction, they knew at once they could drive a hard bargain. Zhu, though unaware of the turtle’s value, figured he could at least extort ten times the price from Tang Yuan. Wang Qian, smiling, thought Zhang Can would demand no less than twenty million, as he’d already confided the value to him.

Zhang Can smiled, relaxing his demeanor. Now was the time to put on a show before Old Su. Stroking his chin, he said calmly, “As for the price, it certainly can’t be the same as what I paid. I think Mr. Tang understands that if Mr. Wang were to take this turtle and sell it, the price would reach heights that Mr. Tang knows best.”

Wang Qian and Zhu Senlin inwardly cheered—Zhang Can was truly clever!

By not naming a price, he left the door open, while hinting that if Wang Qian managed the sale, the price would soar to its utmost. Everyone knew what that implied.

Tang Yuan’s expression grew grim. He frowned, discomfort plain on his face, and the air of authority he’d displayed at the outset was gone.