Song Wanting was completely sincere in her admiration.


She genuinely believed that the new chairman of Emgrand Group was a figure of unfathomable depth.


Casually acquiring a company worth hundreds of billions and remaining completely out of the public eye—this alone indicated that his true wealth and influence extended far beyond just Emgrand Group.


Compared to such a titan, the Song family was indeed insignificant.


What she didn’t realize was that the very person she had been eager to meet and befriend was sitting right next to her.


Naturally, Ye Chen kept a low profile. He simply made a few vague remarks without revealing anything.


Song Wanting’s driving was swift yet steady.


Before long, they arrived at a secluded riverside courtyard.


The exterior appeared unassuming, but once inside, the space revealed itself to be a picturesque Jiangnan-style retreat, complete with arched bridges, flowing streams, elegant pavilions, and classical corridors—a scene of refined beauty.


After parking, an attendant led them inside.


Passing through the garden, they entered the main hall.


The hall, decorated in a traditional Chinese style, featured a round mahogany table surrounded by high-backed chairs.


As they stepped in, an elderly man with white hair rose to greet them.


“Miss Song, you’ve arrived,” the elder said politely.


Song Wanting’s expression turned slightly awkward as she nodded. “Master Qi, I didn’t expect you to be here.”


The old man chuckled, “Your father asked me to come along and oversee things.”


Song Wanting nodded and turned to introduce him to Ye Chen. “Master Qi is our Song family’s chief appraiser. My family must have been concerned about any mistakes, so they sent him along.”


Ye Chen merely nodded. Given his young age, it was understandable that the Song family would have doubts.


Master Qi glanced at Ye Chen and frowned slightly in disapproval. “So, this is the appraiser Miss Song invited? A young man like him—has he even studied artifact appraisal?”


Before Ye Chen could respond, a middle-aged man with a pale complexion beside them sneered. “You brought a kid to assess the goods? Has the Song family run out of professionals? Should I lend you a few of mine? Hahaha!”


Song Wanting’s expression turned icy. “Li Tailai, this is Jinling, not your Haicheng. Keep your comments to yourself.”


Li Tailai shrugged indifferently. “The little lady from the Song family has quite a temper.”


“Enough,” a middle-aged man seated at the head of the table interjected. “We’re here for business, not to argue. Let’s keep things civil.”


Then, turning to Ye Chen, he gestured for him to sit. “The young man can take a seat as well.”


Song Wanting snorted but took her seat.


Ye Chen sat beside her, and she leaned in to whisper, “The man who just spoke is Qin Gang, head of the Qin family in Jinling. The one who mocked you earlier, Li Tailai, is the richest man in Haicheng. And that man beside him, wearing a green Tang suit, is Guo Ming, a renowned feng shui master.”


Only now did Ye Chen notice the elderly man in a green Tang suit sitting beside Li Tailai.


The old man had a head full of silver hair and an aura of detached indifference. His eyes remained closed, and even when Ye Chen and Song Wanting arrived, he hadn’t bothered to look.


After this brief introduction, Song Wanting fell silent.


Though curious, Ye Chen decided against asking further.


Once everyone was seated, a wealthy-looking fat man across the table grinned and said, “Alright, now that we’re done bickering, let’s get to business. You’re all big shots, and this one-billion-yuan trinket shouldn’t take too much debate.”


Qin Gang snorted. “As long as it does what you claim—adjusting feng shui and calming the mind—I won’t mind paying a billion.”


The fat man smirked before placing a wooden box on the table.


Opening the lid, he revealed a red jade piece, its surface shimmering with veins of deep crimson, giving it a blood-like glow.


The moment it was unveiled, the entire hall seemed to warm, a soothing energy radiating from the jade.


Qin Gang and the others immediately perked up, their eyes gleaming with excitement.


Song Wanting turned to Master Qi and asked, “Master Qi, what do you think?”


Master Qi scrutinized it carefully before nodding. “It appears to be an ancient Blood Vein Jade from before the Tang Dynasty, likely nurtured by a highly skilled Buddhist monk over time.”


Song Wanting nodded before turning to Ye Chen. “What do you think, Mr. Ye?”


Ye Chen glanced at it indifferently before scoffing.


“Fake.”


Master Qi snorted in anger. “Such arrogance! Who do you think you are to question my expertise?”


At this moment, Guo Ming, who had kept his eyes closed all this time, suddenly opened them and asked, “May I handle the jade?”


The fat man selling the piece sneered. “Master Guo, are you joking? You of all people should know that jade shouldn’t be passed around. Even ordinary jade can’t be handled casually, let alone a Zhou Dynasty Blood Vein Jade like this. If it gets damaged, who takes responsibility?”


Guo Ming hesitated before nodding. “Fair point… I was being rash.”


Instead, he leaned in to examine the jade closely.


After a long silence, he closed his eyes again and finally nodded. “I can’t confirm whether it’s from the Zhou Dynasty. But its feng shui properties and calming effects seem genuine.”


The moment he spoke, everyone’s interest peaked.


For these wealthy buyers, the historical authenticity wasn’t the priority—it was whether the jade actually worked as claimed.


Master Qi smiled proudly. “Master Guo clearly has an expert eye—not like some young fool who spouts nonsense.”


Hearing this, even Song Wanting felt a flicker of doubt toward Ye Chen.


Perhaps he was too young.


Maybe his restoration skills were impressive, but his appraisal abilities were still lacking.


Ye Chen merely smiled faintly.


Since these people wanted to be scammed, he wouldn’t stop them.


The fat man saw that everyone was convinced and closed the box with a grin. “Now that the appraisal is settled, let’s talk price.”


Before he could finish, Qin Gang immediately offered, “One billion.”


Li Tailai raised his bid. “One-point-three billion.”


Seeing that Song Wanting had yet to make an offer, the fat man asked, “Miss Song, are you not interested?”


Master Qi quickly whispered in Song Wanting’s ear, “Miss, this is a treasure. It should be worth three billion, so getting it for two billion would be a steal.”


Song Wanting hesitated, then glanced at Ye Chen, who remained unfazed, his expression unreadable.


Master Qi, sensing that Ye Chen’s silence was affecting her, sneered and said, “Earlier, Mr. Ye claimed that this jade was fake. I’d love to hear his explanation—please enlighten us with your expertise!”


Immediately, mocking voices rose from the room.


“What does this kid know? He’s embarrassing himself.”


“Yeah, does he even have the right to speak here?”


“If you don’t want to bid, then stop wasting our time.”


Amidst their ridicule, Ye Chen merely smirked and looked at Master Qi.


His voice was calm yet chilling:


“Are you sure you want me to speak?”