Chapter One Hundred and Three: A Meticulous Plan

Chen Muxue frowned, at a loss for what to do.

It was clear that her father had failed to follow the shop's standard operating procedures. Now that the collectible indeed bore a fresh chip, even if they involved the authorities, her father would undoubtedly be in the wrong.

Her brow furrowed deeply, and she instinctively turned her gaze to Su Zheng, who had remained silent the entire time.

Su Zheng's eyes were fixed on the double-eared vase. Sensing Chen Muxue's pleading look, he said casually, "Antique shops usually have security cameras, right? Let's pull up the footage and take a look first."

Chen Muxue's eyes lit up. In her panic, she had completely overlooked this crucial piece of evidence.

"Hahaha... This useless trash actually has a working brain. He even knows to check the cameras. Great! Go ahead, open the footage and show my dear niece. Let's see if it proves Jianguo's guilt even more clearly!" Hearing Su Zheng's words, Chen Xiong did not panic at all. Instead, he burst into laughter, his face full of certainty and ease.

This caused Su Zheng to cast a sidelong glance at him, faintly guessing what was going on.

"Sigh..." Chen Jianguo let out a heavy sigh, his body swaying slightly.

"Dad, what's wrong? Hurry up and pull up the shop's security footage!" Seeing her father's despondent state, Chen Muxue rushed over to support him, urging him anxiously.

"There's no point. We checked the footage just now. When I was appraising the vase, my view was conveniently blocked by a few people!" Chen Jianguo said weakly, glaring resentfully at Chen Xiong.

Just moments ago, it was the men Chen Xiong brought who had blocked the camera's angle!

"It's over, it's all over. Daughter, I've failed you. I wanted to use what little energy I had left to make some money and help with household expenses. But look at me now—I've dug a massive financial hole for our family!" Chen Jianguo was utterly devastated. The thought of being saddled with a debt of over ten million yuan made his vision go dark, and he could barely stand.

"How could you be so careless! 'Never seek to harm others, but always guard against them'—you were the one who taught me that! Did you not know that some people are rotten to the core?" Hearing this, Chen Muxue also showed a look of resentment, unable to stop herself from coldly rebuking her father.

Chen Jianguo slumped into a nearby chair, sighing deeply, his aging face filled with regret and indignation.

"Is this double-eared vase really that valuable? Let me take a look." Su Zheng walked toward the counter, seemingly interested in the vase.

"You'd better watch your step. Even though it's damaged now, you can still sell it for some money to recoup your losses. If you break it any further, it'll truly become nothing but worthless shards!" Chen Xiong said, narrowing his eyes. Seeing Su Zheng approach the counter, a faint sense of unease crept into his heart for some reason.

"Uncle, ignore him. This is a genuine Song Dynasty sky-blue glazed double-eared vase. Its ten-million-yuan value is indisputable. Even if he studies it for years, he won't be able to change that fact!" Feng Qingyuan consoled Chen Xiong while casting a disdainful glance at Su Zheng.

"Su Zheng! What does a useless trash like you think you're looking at?! Why are you causing trouble here?!" Sitting in his chair, Chen Jianguo snapped his head up and barked at Su Zheng upon hearing Chen Xiong and Feng Qingyuan's remarks.

The situation was already a disaster, and this useless son-in-law was only adding to the mess. It was only natural that he was furious.

"Dad! Can you please not scold Su Zheng in front of so many people? He knows what he's doing, don't worry!" Chen Muxue interceded, stopping her father from saying more and trying to soothe him.

"Even you are defending that useless trash? What kind of spell has he cast on you?! Sigh..." Hearing his daughter speak up for Su Zheng at a time like this only fueled Chen Jianguo's anger. He buried his face in his hands and fell silent.

Su Zheng stepped up to the double-eared vase and examined it closely.

It was a bottle-shaped antique. The neck was relatively slender, tapering slightly in the middle before gradually widening downward into a pear-shaped, drooping belly with smooth, gentle curves. It had a slightly flared mouth, sloping shoulders, a plump body, and a ring foot.

A raised horizontal rib encircled the shoulder like an elegant collar. On either side of the shoulder sat a sculpted animal-shaped loop handle, resembling an elephant's head, highly decorative in design. Beneath the beast's nose hung a pair of sculpted, protruding rings.

The vase was coated inside and out with a sky-blue glaze, its surface covered in fine, golden-thread crackles, exuding an aura of ancient elegance.

On one of the loop handles on the shoulder, there was a fresh chip about the size of a fingernail, which looked as though it had only recently broken off.

He peered down into the mouth of the vase but could not see the bottom, as a thick layer of glaze at the neck sealed off the entire body.

"Hmm?"

Su Zheng felt a flicker of suspicion. He gently lifted the entire double-eared vase, hefted its weight, and then quietly placed it back in its original position.

"Haha... I know what you're questioning. Normally, Song Dynasty double-eared vases are indeed hollow all the way through, but there are exceptions." At this moment, an elderly man wearing glasses who had come with Chen Xiong spoke up with a faint smile, having noticed Su Zheng's actions.

"Ah, I forgot to introduce him. This is Elder Wu Rongsheng, an authority in the Qingyang antique community. He happened to be visiting this antique street just now, and I had the honor of inviting him over to perform the appraisal," Chen Xiong introduced quickly, his face brimming with pride and arrogance.

"What?! He is Elder Wu Rongsheng!"

"Oh my, that's incredible! I've heard of Elder Wu's great reputation. I never expected to have the honor of meeting him today."

"With Elder Wu here, it seems there's no way that double-eared vase is a fake!"

"Are there really sealed-body double-eared vases from the Song Dynasty? I thought they were all hollow?"

"Looking at Elder Wu's expression, there must be historical precedent. There should indeed be sealed-body ones."

"I could tell long ago that this shop's manager was unprofessional. Now look what happened—he ruined a collectible worth over ten million. He's going to pay dearly!"

"..."

The commotion had long since drawn a crowd from the antique street, including staff from other shops and antique enthusiasts hunting for treasures.

Hearing Wu Rongsheng's name, the crowd immediately grew excited.

"Since everyone is unfamiliar with this sealed-body double-eared vase, I might as well explain it briefly." Wu Rongsheng thoroughly enjoyed the flattering voices around him. He cleared his throat and spoke proudly:

"While Song Dynasty double-eared vases were predominantly hollow to hold items, the imperial kilns of the time would also fire a batch of sealed-body vases each year solely for the nobility to use as decoration. Because the annual production was limited, there are no detailed records in historical documents. Consequently, many collectors are entirely unaware that sealed-body double-eared vases even exist."

"Of course, in terms of collectible value, any genuine Song Dynasty sealed-body double-eared vase is actually worth far more to those who truly know their trade!"

At this point, Wu Rongsheng glanced at Chen Jianguo, a look of resentment on his face. "Hmph! What a pity that such a flawless piece was ruined by his own hands. It is truly both regrettable and detestable!"