Reborn Treasure Appraiser: I Really Didn’t Want to Be an Expert

Chapter 327 What a coincidence

Applying chemical coating, blowing and welding, quenching, demolding, and weaving.

Proceed step by step, in an orderly manner.

It felt like Lin Sicheng's hands were not only steady but also incredibly flexible. The ebony tweezers flew up and down, picking, pressing, plucking, twisting, and coiling, while the gilded silver threads, finer than a hair, crisscrossed back and forth, weaving intricate patterns at a speed visible to the naked eye.

There were seven or eight holes of varying sizes, and dozens of silver threads tangled and messy, but Lin Sicheng didn't make a single mistake from beginning to end.

Then, the stains were removed, the surface was polished, beads were inlaid, the shape was sculpted, and the finishing touches were made... A glittering, beaded sachet was placed on the table.

Lin Sicheng took off his gloves, took the towel Fang Jin handed him, and carefully wiped his hands.

Suppressing the excitement in their hearts, the brother and sister held up the sachet, their eyes gleaming.

The color was uniform, and the silver threads were even. It felt as if this thing had never been damaged or repaired.

Only by looking carefully can you see the color difference of the weld at the original cut joint.

However, this is beyond human capability. Even with a machine, let alone Lin Sicheng, it would be impossible to make hundreds of solder joints without leaving a trace.

Unfortunately, it's just a modern replica. If it were genuine, even from the late Qing Dynasty, it would be worth at least two or three hundred thousand.

The key is the skill, it's absolutely divine...

Secretly amazed, Yu Jichuan opened his suitcase and took out a square box, about the size of a palm.

"Manager Lin, I'll have to trouble you again!"

Lin Sicheng nodded, glanced at it, and opened the box.

A copper-bodied painted enamel music box depicting Western figures, made entirely in China, produced by Shanghai Meihuali Music Clock Factory, China's first music clock factory.

The key point is that its construction is not much different from that of clocks, including pocket watches: it is driven by a mainspring and powered by gears.

Upon closer inspection, the exterior is in good condition, probably due to frequent wiping, just a bit old. But the interior is completely rusted, the spring is rusted into a clump, and the gears are unrecognizable.

In terms of damage, it was even worse than the pocket watch. At least the pocket watch's gears and mainspring were coated with gold powder, and the inside contained a considerable proportion of gold, giving it a strong ability to resist rust.

On the other hand, the sachet we just saw only involved filigree, welding, bead inlay, and kingfisher feather inlay. If it were the gold watch, these techniques would only be used to repair the outer casing.

But if you can fix this thing, fixing the gears and mainspring inside a gold watch is a piece of cake.

After a quick glance, Lin Sicheng asked with a playful expression, "President Yu, are you going to repair this one too?"

“Repair it!” Yu Jichuan nodded solemnly, then gestured, “Fifty thousand!”

"Fifty thousand yuan?" Lin Sicheng shook his head and tapped the box lid. "If they weren't broken, we could buy at least twenty or thirty of them!"

"I know!" A hint of embarrassment appeared on Yu Jichuan's face. "I suppose you know too!"

What do you know? Do you know that they're in cahoots with that Mr. Ren?

Looking at Yu Jichuan again, his tone was humble, his attitude respectful, and his eyes revealed admiration.

What's there to admire? Just because Lin Sicheng repaired a modern handcrafted sachet?

It was precisely because Yu Jichuan was an expert that he could see that Lin Sicheng might not be able to repair the gold watch, but his skills in repairing filigree, gilding, and gold plating artifacts were absolutely top-notch.

In less than half a day, no more than three people in the entire capital could repair this sachet to the point that it was almost indistinguishable to the naked eye.

Most of them are in the Forbidden City, and the few remaining are all engineers, designers, and master craftsmen from various jewelry companies.

Earning millions a year? Only a fool would take on a job of dubious origin, barely making any money, and potentially getting themselves arrested.

To put it bluntly, this kind of skill is practically nonexistent in rural areas. Even if you could find it, the only people willing to make money from it would be second-rate individuals like Li Jiansheng…

In a flash, remembering his cousin's instructions before he came here, Yu Jichuan bent over and said, "Shopkeeper Lin, I'm sorry."

As he spoke, he opened the box again, took out a check, and handed it forward: "Please have some tea with Manager Lin for the rest. Don't mind."

Lin Sicheng glanced at it: 100,000.

After deducting the 30,000 yuan for the sachet and the 50,000 yuan for the music box, only 20,000 yuan is left. That's almost half a year's salary for a white-collar worker in Beijing, just to express an apology?
"Mr. Yu, you're too kind. It's real money, a mutual agreement, there's nothing to forgive or not forgive!" Lin Sicheng smiled and pointed to the box. "It can be repaired, but it will take a while, at most half a month, at least a week!"

"I know, Manager Lin, just do your best!" Yu Jichuan then pointed to the woman with peach blossom eyes, "This is my younger sister. She will be visiting often in the future. Please forgive her, Manager Lin."

That's to be expected: people don't even flinch, spending 100,000 yuan just to repair two things that might not even be worth 3,000 to 5,000 yuan. Are they just burning money?
He simply wanted to verify whether it was true, as Lin Sicheng had said to that woman at Qianjinlu that day: "His skills are extremely high, and he knows a little bit of everything."
Even if we only cooperate this once, we need to make sure that Lin Sicheng can actually repair that gold watch and fix it so that it can still run.

For something worth millions, or even tens of millions, spending 100,000 or 80,000 to try it out is like throwing water in the ocean.

Also, observe whether there are any problems with Lin Sicheng's background and whether there are any shady people around him, so as to lay a good foundation for future cooperation.

So, since they've already spent 100,000, it's perfectly reasonable to send someone to supervise the project.

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Of course!"

"Then I'll leave it to you, Manager Lin!" Yu Jichuan cupped his hands in farewell.

"Alright, I'll see you both off!"

She left without hesitation, and once she reached the door, she turned around and gave a gentle smile.

With a smirk, her eyes gleaming with seductive charm, she said, "Manager Lin, if it's convenient, could you please leave your contact information?"

Of course.

Even if the woman doesn't want him, Lin Sicheng will find a way to let her know.

Lin Sicheng gave her the number, which the woman saved in her phone. She even called him back.

The brother and sister got into the car, and the Passat drove out of the parking lot. Lin Sicheng let out a long sigh of relief: Had they taken the bait?

Watching the taillights of the departing car, Zhao Xiuneng looked on with suspicion: "Didn't they say they were in a hurry? I thought they would take out a gold watch on the spot after repairing the sachet."

“Things worth hundreds of millions or tens of millions are not so easy to come by.” Lin Sicheng shook his head. “Even if you don’t worry about me setting a trap (infiltrating the police), you still have to guard against me setting a snatch.”

Zhao Xiuneng paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

In this line of work, which master craftsman with the best skills isn't in their fifties or sixties? Lin Sicheng is only in his early twenties, which is the biggest inconsistency.

And it happened so coincidentally: it's like you've just fallen asleep and a pillow suddenly falls from the sky?

But all of that is secondary. The most crucial thing is: he's too experienced.

He speaks and acts with seasoned experience, his mind is mature, and his experience in the martial world is even more profound. Putting himself in their shoes, anyone would think: Could this be a trap set by fellow martial artists to steal their thunder?

Just in case, I'll definitely ask around and observe further. But it won't drag on for too long; it certainly won't wait until the music box is actually fixed.

Suddenly, Zhao Xiuneng became worried again: "Since this group is in cahoots with Ma Shan, what if something goes wrong? For example, internally..."

"Senior brother, don't worry at all!" Lin Sicheng said calmly. "The public security department in Beijing isn't that incompetent."

On the day of the incident, both the leaders of the security unit and the leaders of the ministry were present, making quite a commotion.

But to be honest, those who truly know what happened and what role Lin Sicheng played in it are at least leaders at the brigade level or above.

If something goes wrong at this level, there's no need for Lin Sicheng to investigate Mu Ling, let alone meet Ren Danhua. Everyone from top to bottom would have already fled, and all sorts of fabricated charges would be pinned on Ma Shan.

Moreover, Lin Sicheng's involvement was so profound that it's fair to say that at least half of the significant progress the case has made is attributable to him.

Even if he wasn't very professional, the branch headquarters and the brigade would have thought to protect his identity. They had definitely contacted Xi'an beforehand.

Even if this group wanted to inquire through internal channels, they could at most ask about the background of Zhao Xiuneng's junior brother and what kind of business he was involved in.

But don't doubt it, they couldn't find a single clue...

"Just to be safe, we should take precautions early! So..." Zhao Xiuneng thought for a moment, "I'll have the second son stay in the countryside for a few days!"

Countryside, Baoji?
Lin Sicheng was taken aback: "Senior brother, it can't be that bad, can it?"

"It's better to be safe than sorry! What if we run into a master like my junior brother? He's not even as good as Ma Shan, and he'll be exposed as soon as he tries to trick us." Zhao Xiuneng said firmly, "I'll let him go this afternoon."

To be honest, Zhao Xiuxian's mental capacity is indeed a bit lacking.

Lin Sicheng didn't object anymore and let Zhao Xiun make the arrangements. He thought for a moment, then took out his phone again, "Let me ask Captain Yan again!"

Although the fish are a bit small, catching the small ones will lure out the bigger ones. Now that they've surfaced, we definitely need to investigate.

Without hesitation, Lin Sicheng dialed the number.

After talking for a long time, Lin Sicheng hung up the phone. Seeing Wang Qizhi's furrowed brows and preoccupied look, he smiled and said, "Teacher, don't worry, I definitely won't take any risks this time."

That's not what Wang Qizhi is worried about. With him watching over him, Lin Sicheng will definitely restrain himself.

He lowered his head and said, "You need to be careful around that woman!"

"Teacher, which one are you referring to, Mr. Ren?"

"No, I meant today's, Yu what was it again?"

“Yu Jiyao!” Lin Sicheng recalled, “Her inner corners were like the moon, her outer corners like wings, her red veins pierced her pupils, revealing a hint of spring… Teacher, with eyes like those, she would look at a dog with deep affection!”

Is this what I meant?
I'm not worried about the Tang family girl, but I'm worried about a lowlife with an unknown background who's been around in the underworld.
Lin Sicheng's taste isn't that bad...

Wang Qizhi glared at him: "When I was watching your group on the surveillance footage, Boss Zhao said something like this: 'It's easy to find a thousand soldiers, but hard to find a general.'"

In terms of appraisal, your eye is exceptional. In terms of restoration, your technique is superb. In terms of ingenuity, you are incredibly resourceful. What's even more remarkable is that you also understand feng shui and geomancy.

In their eyes, you're a natural-born genius, a true all-rounder. Therefore, they'll definitely go to great lengths to investigate and test you. Once you pass their tests, they'll spare no expense to recruit you… This woman is very likely here for that reason!

"Really?" Lin Sicheng looked confused. "It doesn't seem like it?"

Wang Qizhi scoffed: "Really?"
The day before yesterday at Qianjinlu, and today here, Lin Sicheng is putting in more and more effort each time. What is he trying to achieve?
He was practically asking outright: "Look, I have a good eye and I'm skilled enough, right? Am I qualified to join the team?"
If the other party is still unmoved, Lin Sicheng will definitely show off his unique skill in finding dragon veins and dividing gold at the right time.

Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back. From the moment that woman casually set a trap and dragged Lin Sicheng into it, the ending was already predetermined: one of them had to fall.

Therefore, if you're going to do something, do it to the best of your ability.

Wang Qizhi frowned: "What I mean is that we need to consider things more comprehensively. I'm afraid of ending up with a half-cooked meal. As the old saying goes: It's not the thief you should be afraid of, but the one who's eyeing you..."

“Teacher, you have to trust the police’s capabilities. Unless the other party doesn’t show their face, they’ll be wiped out the moment they do…” Lin Sicheng pointed into the shop. “Besides, Captain Yan has already made arrangements!”

Wang Qizhi nodded: That's exactly what he meant.

What if he slips up somewhere and that woman notices something, and then decides to stab him in the back?
There's no such thing as being able to guard against thieves for a thousand days if you're already a thief. Besides, there are so many loopholes!
Lin Sicheng wasn't too worried: there were many loopholes, but the police weren't pushovers.
Where there's a hole, patch it up.

...The old ship's wooden tea table, with its chisel marks, gleams with an amber-like light.

The door was pushed open, the wind blew in, and the copper bell jingled softly.

Yang Xin walked in with his head down, not daring to speak, and silently handed over a piece of paper.

Feng Shizong accepted it with a cold face, glanced at it briefly, and his expression softened slightly.

Li Jiansheng craned his neck to take a look, then breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank goodness, not much was lost, mostly small items!"

"He has to be able to take the big items out too!" Feng Shizong sneered. "With three people on duty at night, how could you still let a thief in? What kind of arrangements did you make?"

Yang Xin stammered and remained silent, unsure how to defend himself.

It's unbelievable! The doors and windows were tightly closed, and there were people on duty on all three floors, yet the thief managed to get in and steal things without anyone noticing.

They even went so far as to steal the computer case containing the surveillance cameras, so now he has no way to find out where the people came in from or how the items were transported away.

"Boss, should we call the police?"

Feng Shizong's face darkened: "Have you lost your mind? Have you forgotten what we do?"

Yang Xin didn't take it seriously: "Although they are both police officers, the department that catches thieves and the department that manages cultural relics are not the same."
But he didn't dare to say a word.

"Could it be related to someone surnamed Ren?" Li Jiansheng suddenly wondered. "Are they afraid we'll turn against them and want to find some leverage against us?"

It's not impossible, but it probably won't happen that quickly.

After all, it's only been three or four days; it's not like they've already fallen out so quickly.

Even if we break ties, we must fix the items that were sent for repair, deliver them, and pay the remaining balance before discussing anything else.

Feng Shizong shook his head: "The safe is fine, and the thief didn't enter the finance office!"

This is true.

To find incriminating evidence, one must steal the ledgers.

"He's probably just a passing thief!" Li Jiansheng said, looking at Yang Xin. "Once is never enough. If he succeeded so easily the first time, he might come back a second time. We need to send a few more people over the next few days!"

"Master, I understand!"

Li Jiansheng waved his hand, and Yang Xin went downstairs.

He pressed the button, and the electric kettle hummed. Feng Shizong sat down and took out tea leaves from the drawer.

After a busy morning filled with worry and anxiety, the two of them didn't even have time to drink a sip of water.

He took the teacups and poured the water, which had just boiled. He made a cup and blew on the foam, saying, "It's been four days already. Why hasn't that guy surnamed Ren made a move or sent anyone to ask for the watch?"

"I don't know!" Feng Shizong pondered for a moment. "I guess the negotiations didn't go well, or maybe they're wary of that kid!"

That's true. After all, it's a business where you can eat peanuts anytime, so you can't be too careful.

After a moment's thought, Li Jiansheng suddenly had a strange idea: "What if she's just a gofer and can't make the decisions?"

Feng Shizong paused, holding his teacup, and said, "It doesn't seem like it."

No other errand runner is so extravagant, able to allocate hundreds of millions of dollars at will.

No boss would be so trusting as to so easily hand over treasures just unearthed from an imperial tomb to his subordinate, letting her handle them as she pleases.

"It shouldn't be! If the woman surnamed Ren is just a delivery person, then how big must her boss's business be?"

Li Jiansheng remained silent, the scene from that day flashing through his mind.

At the time, Feng Shizong was in a fit of anger and didn't pay much attention, but he saw it very clearly: when the thief cupped his hands, he made two hand gestures.

He had only heard people mention it occasionally, and he didn't know what it specifically meant, but Li Jiansheng at least knew that no one who wasn't a tomb raider for generations would understand it.

But the woman surnamed Ren seemed stunned, clearly understanding what was going on.

Those who buy and sell goods couldn't possibly understand this, unless, of course, the man surnamed Ren is also an insider in the industry.

Since they're insiders, there must be someone behind them. If that's the case, then the plan to set off firecrackers that I discussed with Lao Feng before was nothing short of a joke: playing with my own life.

Thinking of this, Li Jiansheng raised an eyebrow: "Old Feng, this matter needs to be put on hold."

"What, someone surnamed Ren?"

"Yes, we can't rush things. At worst, we can just part ways, return the shares to him, and then go our separate ways!"

Li Jiansheng's mind raced. "I should also inquire about the background of that petty thief... This kid's appearance was too coincidental."

"That's true, better safe than sorry!" Feng Shizong put down his teacup. "But I reckon that even if there is a problem, it's not aimed at us!"

Li Jiansheng gave a thumbs up: Great minds think alike.

It's possible they've set a trap to intercept us.

……

The antique-style pavilion has blue bricks worn smooth and shiny.

Rosin burst forth from the red clay stove, silver charcoal enveloped the crimson flames, and fine water droplets condensed on the walls of the urn.

The room was filled with the aroma of medicine.

After boiling three times, Ren Danhua lifted the handle of the urn and poured the medicinal soup into a porcelain bowl.

The woman picked it up, and just as she brought it to her lips, the steam filled her throat, causing her to cough violently.

"Big sister, don't worry, let it cool down a bit!" Ren Danhua rubbed her back. "If it really gets worse, you can go to the hospital!"

"It's not like we haven't lived here before. This illness has been going on for years," the woman said, catching her breath. She shook her head. "The corpse energy has entered my lungs and meridians. Only traditional Chinese medicine can help a little!"

Ren Danhua curled her lip: You listen to those old charlatans' nonsense?

But she didn't say anything, and took another bowl, and kept pouring the two bowls over and over.

“I think it’s better to stay in the hospital for a few days. If you don’t like Western medicine, then we can see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. Besides, Ma Shan is already in jail, so there’s no need to worry about anyone coming after us…”

"He went in, but his boss didn't!"

After saying that, the woman laughed again, “When the sky is wild, it rains; when a person is wild, disaster strikes. He deserves this calamity.”

Ren Danhua wholeheartedly agreed: "A kidnapping in broad daylight, right on the street, and even involving guns?"

This is the capital city, if you don't go in, who will?

While cursing under her breath, Ren Danhua was also worried: "I still feel uneasy: I've asked around with so many connections, but I still don't know where he's being held. I'm afraid that if we bring up his past, he might implicate us again in order to gain merit."

"I heard that the police station only responded half an hour after being notified by 110, which backfired. The impact was too bad, and it involved internal matters, so who would dare to tip you off? You'd be lucky to get any information..."

"But it's not a big problem. If there really were a problem, his boss wouldn't sit still and remain unmoved. Besides, Ma Shan wouldn't dare: at most, this incident is just hiring someone to hurt someone. The person who did it was someone he had his subordinates pay to hire. He's not even a leader of an organization. At most, he'll be in three to five years."

The woman shook her head. "If we confess, all the things he's done will be exposed. He'd be executed ten times over. Which is more, which is less?"

"I was afraid his boss would hold a grudge against us. If we hadn't intercepted the challenge, Ma Shan wouldn't have gone in!"

"If Ma Shan doesn't rob us, why would I bother robbing him? Even if we take it to the boss, we're in the right. Don't worry, he won't cause any trouble."

The woman snorted coldly, "At worst, we'll just return those yellow dragons!"

Ren Danhua shared the same sentiment: the best course of action is to avoid trouble; money can be earned slowly, and the only loss is a small one. Since Ma Shan, the troublemaker, is already in jail, there's no need to fight to the bitter end.

She quickly blew on the bowl again until it was cool enough to handle before handing it to the woman.

The woman sipped slowly, as if suddenly remembering something: "By the way, how did that batch of goods from last time go?"

"The good ones are mostly sold out, there are only a few loose items left, we can get them all this month!"

After replying, Ren Danhua had a sudden thought, "Big sister, I'm thinking of switching to another place!"

The woman looked up: "What's wrong? Is that Qianjinlu up to his old tricks again?"

"Those two old bastards, they're utterly despicable..."

Ren Danhua gritted her teeth and recounted what had happened.

At first, the woman didn't pay any attention.

In this line of work, it's normal to be a little cautious. Those who drill holes are wary of those who ship goods, those who ship goods are wary of those who sell goods, and those who sell goods are wary of those who receive goods.

Just like her and Ma Shan, they had the same boss and worked in the same pot, yet they still fought to the death.

If this is the case within the same gang, what about ordinary cooperative relationships?

But then, the woman felt something was wrong the more she listened.

They are discerning, capable of self-correction, quick-witted, and adept at navigating human relationships.

The key point is the timing of its appearance: Danhua was in a hurry to repair the yellow goods when suddenly a master craftsman fell from the sky.

How could such a coincidence happen?

“I had Yu Jichuan and his sister try it out, and they could match the Longmen, the incision, and the Yuanliang seal. The key point is that he worshipped Old Lady Zhao and also took Zhao Polan’s son as his disciple, so his background should be fine.”

"What I suspect is not his origins, but his purpose..."

After saying half a sentence, the woman suddenly paused, "Wait, you just said, how old is he?"

"twenty two!"

Twenty-two... Hehe, is your fur all grown in yet?

It feels even more like a coincidence...

The woman frowned: "You'd better ask around..."

Then she shook her head: "Never mind, I'll do it!"

(End of this chapter)