NABC Chapter 34: The First Piece of Jewelry is in Controversy
Chapter 34: The First Piece of Jewelry is in Controversy
Chapter 34: The First Piece of Jewelry is in Controversy
First paragraph
As the jewelry convention opened, the lights suddenly blazed on. In the center of the crystal booth, a pigeon blood ruby, the size of a fist, shone with a dazzling light that made the surrounding booths pale in comparison.
Holding a gilded microphone, the host announced loudly, his voice deliberately drawn out at the end: "The most prized item of the event, a natural Burmese pigeon blood red agate, weighing 300 carats, flawless and without any cracks or impurities, starting bid eight million!"
The jeweler, dressed in a mink coat, twirled the beads, squinting as he exclaimed, "What a find! This color is one in a million!"
The elderly expert, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, adjusted his frames and nodded repeatedly: "Natural, untreated, top-quality!"
A wealthy businessman in a bespoke suit took photos with his phone, muttering, "Eight million is a steal, I'll make a fortune if I buy this!"
Everyone took turns praising him,
The host smiled, pointed at Chen Shanhe, and announced loudly, "This is the appraiser specially invited by Miss Murong. He'll take a look and tell us about the quality of this treasure!"
Just as Chen Shanhe stepped forward, his phone suddenly vibrated, displaying the words "Wanjing" on the screen.
He quickly walked behind a pillar and answered the phone, his voice low as if afraid of being overheard: "Feed."
The person on the other end of the phone was panting, speaking rapidly as if in a hurry: "Where are you? Were any women in the venue trying to talk to you?"
Chen Shanhe leaned against the cold pillar, glancing around the room out of the corner of his eye: "They're just having a meeting to discuss Jianbao; nobody's coming over."
"Really?" Su Wanjing paused, her tone full of doubt, then pressed on, "Are you far from that Murong Fangxiang? Don't be alone with her; she doesn't seem like someone to be trifled with!"
Chen Shanhe tapped the pillar lightly with his fingertips, his tone calm: "Let's talk about cooperation, let's get down to business, don't overthink it."
"Then send me the photos after you take them. I want to see it with my own eyes. I can't let other women touch you!"
Chen Shanhe reluctantly agreed, hung up the phone, and slowly walked back to the booth.
Murong Fangxiang stood beside the booth, arms crossed, her slender figure accentuated by a wine-red dress. Her gaze swept over Chen Shanhe's flushed ears, a faint smile playing on her lips, but she remained silent.
People around whispered among themselves: "So young, and he knows how to appraise antiques? Maybe he's just using connections to make up the numbers?"
"Miss Murong has such high standards, why did she choose such a young and inexperienced boy as her appraiser?"
"What could he possibly see in an eight-million-dollar treasure?"
Second paragraph
Chen Shanhe didn't reply. He leaned closer to the display stand, his fingertips half an inch from the glass partition, but he didn't touch it. He just stared intently at the gemstones.
He stared for a full half minute, his eyes unblinking, his fingertips lightly rubbing his palms, then raised his eyes and swept them across the room, his voice as steady as a rock: "Fake."
The entire audience erupted in chaos.
The bespectacled, elderly expert stroked his graying beard, his brow furrowed, and stepped forward, pointing at Chen Shanhe: "Young man, what nonsense are you spouting? I've personally reviewed the appraisal report for this treasure; it's natural, untreated, and comes with all the necessary certificates!"
The wealthy businessman in the suit waved his hand and laughed, thinking Chen Shanhe was joking: "Don't be ridiculous, how could this level of pigeon blood be fake? Don't you even know what it means to appraise antiques?"
A jeweler nearby chimed in, "Exactly! How come the people Miss Murong hired don't even have this much sense of propriety?"
The host was taken aback for a moment, then quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, his tone tinged with panic: "Mr. Chen, are you sure you didn't make a mistake?"
Chen Shanhe didn't look at the crowd. He lightly tapped the glass partition with his fingertip and said in a clear and powerful voice, "Look at the pattern. The pattern of a natural ruby is naturally flowing, like water ripples. The pattern on this gem is printed on. The pattern is straight and even, and there are obvious joint marks at the joints."
He paused, then added, gesturing for everyone to look at the gem's fire: "Look at the fire. The fire of a natural ruby is scattered, with lively light and shadow. The fire of this gem is concentrated in one place, very rigid, a typical characteristic of glass imitations."
Murong Fangxiang took a step forward: "I trust Mr. Chen. He has appraised three items for me before, from raw stones to finished products, and he has never made a mistake. He won't be wrong this time either."
Some people disagreed, pulling out test reports from their bags and holding them up, shouting, "The report says it's natural, and it even has an official stamp! What are you saying? Don't make things up without evidence!"
Paragraph
Chen Shanhe didn't look at the colorful report. His gaze swept over the price tag in the corner of the booth and then looked at the base below the booth: "The report is real, but what was submitted for testing is scrap material, not the main stone. They played a trick of switching the main stone with the main one."
He leaned closer to the display stand, lowered his voice so that the key personnel present could hear him clearly: "There is a ring of fine polishing marks on the bottom of the main stone. These are traces of later splicing. They wrapped the glass core in ruby fragments and then polished it. You can't see the flaws from the outside. You can only find them by looking closely at the patterns."
The old expert quickly moved closer, squinting and pressing his magnifying glass almost against the gemstone. He examined it for a long time, his face gradually changing from flushed to pale. Finally, he put down the magnifying glass, his hand stroking his beard trembling: "There really is... there really is a seam! This kid has a sharp eye!"
The wealthy businessman in the suit instantly changed his expression, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He hurriedly called to his assistant, "Quick, call the exhibitors over! I need to get to the bottom of this!"
The host was sweating profusely, his suit jacket soaked through, and his eyes were filled with panic as he looked at Chen Shanhe: "Then... what is the actual value of this treasure?"
Chen Shanhe straightened up, his tone calm yet impactful: "A glass core plus ruby fragments, costing no more than five thousand yuan, sold for eight million—pure commercial fraud."
"Five thousand? Eight million?" The entire room erupted in uproar again, even louder than before.
Some people started looking up similar cases on their phones, while others pointed at the exhibitors and cursed.
Murong Fangxiang's eyes lit up, and she looked at Chen Shanhe with more appreciation. Her smile deepened, and she leaned closer and whispered, "You have a sharp eye. No one in the provincial capital's treasure-hunting circle can compare to you."
Just as Chen Shanhe was about to respond, his phone vibrated again, ringing continuously, with Su Wanjing's name still on the screen.
fourth paragraph
Chen Shanhe strode to a corner of the venue, and Su Wanjing's voice was so anxious it sounded like she was about to cry: "What did you just say? The whole place is in an uproar? Did someone bully you? Did someone give you a hard time?"
Chen Shanhe leaned against the cold wall, softening his tone and patiently coaxing, "No, no one bullied me. It's just that they found a fake treasure, and everyone made a commotion. It's nothing."
"Fake treasure?" Su Wanjing's voice rose instantly, filled with worry. "Then no one's been giving you a hard time, right? Who looks down on your youth and deliberately picks a fight?"
Su Wanjing's instructions were tinged with both domineering and unease: "Ignore all the gossip and focus on appraising the treasure. Remember, don't say a single unnecessary word to the woman, and don't even glance at her!"
Chen Shanhe quickly agreed, saying "I understand" several times before hanging up the phone and slowly walking back to the booth.
Murong Fangxiang handed over a glass of warm water, the glass still cool to the touch, her eyes smiling: "Was that Wanjing on the phone just now? I could tell from her voice, the young lady was quite worried about you."
Chen Shanhe took the water glass, his fingertips touching the warm glass, and replied softly, "Yes, my family is clingy, I can't help but worry about them."
He had barely finished speaking when the exhibitor was brought over by his assistant. The man was deathly pale, his lips were trembling, and he stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence. His eyes darted around, and he dared not look at the crowd.
People immediately swarmed around, making a ruckus. Some wanted their membership fees back, some wanted to call the police, and some cursed the exhibitors for being heartless. The scene instantly descended into chaos.
The host quickly grabbed the microphone and shouted for order, his voice hoarse: "Everyone, please calm down! Please calm down! We'll handle this!"
Chen Shanhe stood outside the crowd, holding a water glass in both hands, his fingertips lightly stroking the glass, coldly observing the chaos.
Murong Fangxiang leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "This matter has blown up. Soon the treasure-hunting circles and business community in the provincial capital will know your name, Chen Shanhe. This is a good thing."
Chen Shanhe nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the room. Suddenly, he noticed a man in a black suit in the corner, his eyes sinister, staring intently at him, his fingers fiddling with something in his pocket.
His heart skipped a beat, and he was about to ask Murong Fangxiang if she knew this man when his phone sent another voice message. Su Wanjing's voice, trembling with tears, came through: "When are you coming back? I'm worried about you in the provincial capital. Come back soon, I'm waiting for you at home..."