Chapter Fifty-Six: Journeying Southwest

  The first stop for the three of them was Guizhou Province, and flying from Long City took just over an hour. With money, they could fly to any distant place, and it felt like a speedy trip.

  The whole province of Guizhou is almost all on the mountains and hills, even the provincial capital Guiyang City is built among the mountains. The roads that rise and fall, the deep and narrow tunnels can be seen everywhere.

  Guiyang, although belonging to a highland mountainous region, does not seem to have very convenient transportation, but there are quite a few antique markets, and roughly understanding that there are as many as five places.

  After getting off the plane, they first found a place to stay. Taking advantage of the spare time in the afternoon, the three of them came to Guiyang Antique City together.

  As it's not the weekend, there aren't many tourists in the antique city. Maybe because I'm used to the bustle of Panjiayuan, the sparse crowds here can't compare at all.

  The layout of the entire antique city is roughly the same as that of Qishi City, mainly with alleys and shops. The difference is that Longcheng Qishi City is mainly stone-based, while Guiyang Antique City has everything, including antiques, calligraphy and painting, jewelry and jade articles, even modern handicrafts, tourist goods and cultural supplies.

  Three people strolled slowly and leisurely in the antique city, but rarely entered shops. Generally, they just took a glance and left. Not to mention Zhao Haifeng's connoisseurship, Qu Wen's keen intuition would not let them miss valuable items. Moreover, most of the items displayed openly in the shops were modern handicrafts, with very few being genuine antiques.

  "Brother Wen, isn't there anything here that catches your eye?" After following him for half a day, the single man who didn't quite understand asked, in his opinion, every item was very beautiful and had an artistic feel to it, which could add a lot of flair to a home.

  "There are indeed goods available, but they aren't particularly valuable. Perhaps the good stuff is being kept hidden by the bosses, and they won't put it out unless they meet the right buyer."

  In someone else's store, it's not good to explain too much, no matter if it's a antique market or a novice who thinks they understand antiques but actually doesn't know much.

  In recent years, with the continuous rise of antique fever, a large number of collectors have flocked to collect antiques, regardless of good or bad, and all are collected. As a result, there are fewer and fewer good things, and more and more inferior and fake products. Merchants have grasped this psychology of collectors, no matter what modern craftsmanship, old objects are all labeled as antiques. Often, out of ten or even hundreds of items, it's not bad to have one old thing.

  "How can that be considered valuable? I've heard that the works of contemporary masters, although not old, can also fetch high prices. Isn't it said that collectibles are more valuable the older they get?"

  Antiques are just one category of collectibles and are not necessarily more valuable the older they get, as there are many factors at play, such as artistic value, celebrity effect, and artificial hype.

  For example, Zhang Daqian, in a special period of time, except for some collectors with keen eyesight, few people knew his name, and the attention was not enough, so the value was not high.

  Later, with the opening up of reforms, people's horizons broadened, and more and more people paid attention to art collection. Zhang Daqian's paintings, which already had a considerable influence, became increasingly popular, from the earliest few thousand to tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and now even over 100 million, all thanks to his own celebrity effect and the efforts of the hidden speculation team behind him.

  "The water in here has gotten deeper, and in my opinion, apart from the celebrity effect, it's mainly human hype. Of course, if you can take high-priced shots, the creator themselves must have considerable skill to create such exquisite works. Otherwise, ask me to paint, no matter who is hyping it, it's impossible for anyone to be willing to buy."

  Qu Wen walked and explained, Zhao Haifeng occasionally added a sentence or two. Although it was impossible to teach much in a short time, it opened Qu's eyes to the fact that collectibles could be so profitable. If he could really find a big bargain, wouldn't his whole life be worry-free?

  From one store to another, the three of them were like walking through a flower exhibition, and most shop owners wouldn't pay attention to this kind of sightseer who only looks but doesn't buy. When they encountered enthusiastic greetings, they would respond with a couple of words; when they met indifference, they would simply ignore it. In their line of work, they didn't seek onlookers, only genuine buyers - it could be said that if they didn't open for three years, they could eat for three years after opening.

  "Brother Wen, it seems lively up ahead."

  Wei Dong wouldn't bother with antiques, but he had nothing better to do so he'd stare at the people walking by in front of the antique shops. Qu Wen told him that those who could appreciate antiques usually have some money, don't judge them by their shabby appearance, they might be secretly wealthy.

  "Take a look back." Qu Wen waved his hand and led the way into the crowd.

  It's actually just six or seven people, because it's during working hours and there are few people visiting the antique city, so even a small gathering seems unusually lively.

  As I walked closer, I saw two beauties admiring a Guanyin statue, unable to agree on the price. The remaining people were either bored onlookers or the shop owner's accomplices. They chatted intermittently, seemingly commenting but actually praising the Guanyin statue.

  Standing about one meter behind several people, Qu Wen quietly released his spiritual awareness, which was the farthest distance he could control at present. He then shook his head towards Zhao Haifeng beside him and said in a low voice, "Another fake."

  Zhao Haifeng took a step forward, stretched his neck and looked carefully for a while. His face also showed a helpless expression: "You're still the best, you can see it from so far away. At first glance, this thing looks like the real deal, but upon closer inspection, there are many flaws. However, the workmanship is not bad, barely qualifying as high-quality imitation."

  In the antique business, unless you're buying for yourself, it's best not to say too much. Two people whispering in the back are afraid of being heard by others, saying that this thing is no good, isn't it a loss-making sign?

  But who would have thought that Wen Ge had heard it all before and yet didn't understand the rules, and said in surprise: "Brother Wen, is this thing fake?"

  As soon as the words fell, everyone turned their heads around. The shop owner's expression was even more unpleasant, like a burning fire. On the spot, he stretched out his hand and pointed at the appraisal certificate, shouting: "That brother, if you don't understand, don't say that my things are fake. This is a Song Dynasty Ge kiln masterpiece, a Guanyin statue. Any collector with some knowledge knows that the biggest characteristic of Ge kiln porcelain is that the entire body has opened up, and the embryo layer is thick, with air bubbles inside the glaze, like hidden pearls densely packed together, also known as 'accumulated pearls and gathered balls'. Look at my piece again, the workmanship is exquisite, from head to toe, all carved out bit by bit with a knife. The characteristics of the opened glaze and air bubbles are all very typical of Ge kiln. If I blow it up a bit, I wouldn't dare say that this piece is a national treasure, but at least it's a rare Song Dynasty masterpiece. If you don't understand, then don't pretend to be an expert here, affecting my business."

  The owner's words were reasonable and convincing, leaving the single-minded and stunned, for a while they didn't dare to speak again, and could only turn their head towards Qu Wen. It was often said that Qu Wen was an expert in antiques, but compared to a real antique shop owner, he still fell short, others who deal with these things every day shouldn't be wrong.

  If the shopkeeper was more polite, Qu Wen would have let it go. After all, blocking someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents. It's better to do one less thing than to do one more thing that might bring trouble. Unfortunately, the shopkeeper's words made Qu Wen uncomfortable. What's the point of pretending? Can't you see through it with a single glance? Whether there's any spiritual energy or not will reveal whether it's real or fake.

  Qu Wen sneered: "We didn't say that this Guanyin is fake, just that it's not genuine enough."

  Actually, it's not really a matter of true or false, both mean there's something wrong with this thing.

  The shop owner looked at Qu Wen, a young man in his early twenties, and said with disdain, "Well, I'd like to hear this young brother's opinion. What's wrong with my 'Self-Composed Guanyin'?"