Chapter 2: Eye of Appraisal
Of course, ideals are wonderful, but reality is often harsh.
Although Dragon-Tiger Street isn’t the largest antique market in the city, it still has a decent scale. A quick walk around reveals that it’s full of fakes and counterfeits, with a bunch of shills nearby hyping things up and playing their con games.
Taking advantage of a moment when no one was paying attention, Yang Ning stored his stall into the [Warehouse]. There was no point staying at Dragon-Tiger Street. To earn the full five hundred thousand, he needed to head to a bigger antique market where there’d be a real chance to snag a treasure or pick up a hidden gem.
After some comparison and analysis, Yang Ning set his sights on Guhan Street.
In Nanhu City, Guhan Street is undoubtedly one of the largest antique markets. It’s packed with people every day, and foreigners are a common sight.
Even some groups of black visitors have started forming their own teams, mimicking others in treasure hunting. Perhaps after paying too much ‘tuition,’ they’ve become more cautious, making fewer purchases and spending more time standing on the sidelines, listening and learning.
Looking at the bustling crowd on Guhan Street, Yang Ning let out an excited howl. Just as he was ready to dive in and make his mark, a notification suddenly echoed in his mind.
Side Quest: [Keen Eye for Treasure]
Quest Description: An item of excellent quality has appeared nearby. Don’t doubt it—buy it!
Current Progress: 0/1
Quest Reward: Eye of Appraisal
An item of excellent quality?
Yang Ning’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Since this information came from the Supreme System, there was no way it could be false.
Glancing around, he realized he was still on the outskirts of Guhan Street. There were only seven or eight scattered stalls here, each spaced quite far apart.
The nearest stall was the only one close by. Yang Ning’s heart stirred—could the treasure be right here?
The stall owner was a dark-skinned farmer, wearing a pair of army-green liberation shoes caked with dried yellow mud at the edges. Behind him sat a battered old bicycle.
On the stall were numerous chipped clay jars, some food coupons from decades ago, over twenty rusty copper coins, and a mix of wooden carvings and miscellaneous trinkets.
Yang Ning narrowed his eyes as he scanned the items. A chicken-fat yellow thumb ring caught his attention. Instinct told him there was something special about this ring.
Casually squatting down, he picked up the thumb ring. Sure enough, a notification instantly appeared in his mind.
Discovered Item: [Amber Thumb Ring]
Quality: Excellent
Evaluation: A collectible item made from dense deep-sea amber. The inner ring of the thumb ring is engraved with a carp leaping over the dragon gate, a standard emblem of Prince Rui’s Mansion. Items of porcelain and jade from this lineage were exclusively crafted for the imperial family, nobles, and relatives of the ruling dynasty. This amber thumb ring dates back to the Renzong Era, over two hundred years ago. It holds significant potential for appreciation, with an estimated value of 383,400 Huaxia currency.
Yang Ning sucked in a sharp breath, stunned not only by the valuation of 380,000 but also by the fact that this thumb ring was a genuine antique!
Holding the Amber Thumb Ring, Yang Ning couldn’t stay calm. Only one clear thought remained in his mind: I must buy this ring!
Taking a deep breath, Yang Ning reluctantly placed the Amber Thumb Ring back down. To avoid arousing suspicion, he picked up a few other items from the stall to inspect, though his peripheral vision remained locked on the ring.
Setting down a clay jar covered in dirt, Yang Ning smiled and asked, “Where are you from, sir? What should I call you?”
“Just call me Old Zhou. I live in Liu Family Gully, not too far from the city,” the dark-skinned farmer replied, revealing two rows of yellowed teeth as he spoke.
“Business going well?” Yang Ning casually picked up a wooden carving. “This craftsmanship looks pretty good. Must be worth a fair bit, right?”
Old Zhou’s face showed a hint of helplessness as he sighed. “Don’t even mention it. I’ve been coming to the city every day for the past week or so, getting up early and staying late, but I’ve barely sold a thing.” Pausing for a moment, he continued, “This carving was made by an old carpenter from my village. He’s got decades of skill. He asked me to bring some of his work to sell, just to earn a bit for oil and rice. It’s not expensive. If you want it, how about fifty bucks?”
Seeing Yang Ning’s lack of reaction, Old Zhou grew a bit anxious and quickly added, “How about this—I’ll give you a discount. Thirty bucks. The craftsmanship is worth at least that much.”
It was rare to have a customer, and Old Zhou was eager to close the deal.
“Master Zhou, how about giving me a total price? I’ll take over your entire stall,” Yang Ning said.
Originally, Yang Ning had planned to just pick a few items and ‘incidentally’ take the Amber Thumb Ring along with them. That way, it wouldn’t raise any suspicion.
But after interacting with Old Zhou, he realized the man was just a simple, honest farmer with no hidden agenda. Getting up early and working late just to earn a little money wasn’t easy for him.
Since he was getting such a massive bargain at Old Zhou’s expense, Yang Ning felt it would ease his conscience to buy out the entire stall.
“Take over the stall?” Old Zhou was a bit stunned.
“That’s right.” Yang Ning nodded affirmatively.
After a moment of hesitation, Old Zhou kindly warned, “Young man, the stuff on this stall isn’t worth much. Are you sure you want to buy it all?”
In his mind, this young man probably thought there were antiques on the stall and wanted to try his luck at treasure hunting like others.
However, as an honest and straightforward farmer, even though he might miss out on a deal, Old Zhou felt it was his duty to give a heads-up out of conscience.
Yang Ning could guess what Old Zhou was thinking, and the guilt in his heart grew heavier.
“Master Zhou, just name your price,” Yang Ning said with a grin. “I’m planning to set up a stall on this street myself, learn a bit about business. I’m not expecting to make money—just want to get some experience dealing with strangers and build up some social skills.”
“Alright then.” Old Zhou didn’t try to dissuade him further. After a quick calculation, he held up two fingers. “Two thousand. How does that sound?”
“No problem.” Without hesitation, Yang Ning pulled out a stack of red bills from his pocket.
“That’s too much, too much!” Old Zhou panicked as he saw the wad of cash being stuffed into his hands.
“The extra is a deposit. Master Zhou, I think these wooden carvings are pretty good, and I’d like to acquire them long-term. Of course, if there are other nice things in your village, bring them along. If they’re suitable, I’ll take them all.”
Having gained a profit of several hundred thousand off someone else, Yang Ning wasn’t heartless. Though he wouldn’t spell things out explicitly, he’d make some compensation in his own way.
Old Zhou didn’t refuse further. After exchanging contact numbers with Yang Ning, he rode off on his bike with a satisfied smile.
For Old Zhou, this trip had been a great success. Not only did he sell everything, but he also gained a long-term big client.
Yang Ning maintained a calm expression, but inside, his emotions were a raging storm. His right hand trembled slightly as he carefully pocketed the thumb ring before transferring it into the [Warehouse].
Soon, a notification echoed in his mind.
Side Quest: [Keen Eye for Treasure]
Quest Description: An item of excellent quality has appeared nearby. Don’t doubt it—buy it!
Current Progress: 1/1 (Quest Completed)
Quest Reward: Eye of Appraisal
Host has obtained [Eye of Appraisal]
Suddenly, a cool sensation surged into his eyes, like a dab of menthol ointment. It felt chilly and a bit uncomfortable.
Yang Ning’s eyesight had never been great. He always needed glasses in class; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to see the blackboard clearly for the entire lesson.
As the coolness gradually faded, Yang Ning opened his eyes and was astonished to find the world had become incredibly sharp and clear.
If his vision before could barely be considered 360p standard definition, now it was definitely 1080p ultra-high definition.
Of course, Yang Ning didn’t forget to check the function of the [Eye of Appraisal]: The Host can perform a holographic scan of all nearby items through their pupils to discern their quality. Current scanning range is five meters, upgradeable.
What a treasure!
Even though he hadn’t yet tested the activation effect of the [Eye of Appraisal], just the improvement in his eyesight alone was already worth the price of admission!
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Proofreader & Editor: Fat Goose 🪶