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

Chapter 344 Mobile Phone Location
The outer box is made of sandalwood, with a purple satin lining, and the inner cover is deep red, like congealed blood.

The ivory lid has a warm white hue, and the edge of the lid is engraved with a dragon. It is round and blunt from polishing, and the patina on the body is glassy.

Turn it over and look again. The navel is like a coin, and the skin has a waxy sheen. It is an excellent gourd artifact: Ant Belly from Xushui, Hebei.

The finest gourd shell, the finest inner core and lid, including the degree of aging, as well as the workmanship and decoration: the mouth is decorated with a dragon and the belly with intertwined branches. By any measure, this is the workmanship of court gourd craftsmen from the early or mid-Qing period.

Looking inside: a genuine Shandong Yimeng Iron-winged Golden-voiced General, the king of insects. In the old days, one of these insects could be exchanged for ten of these jars.

It's not that expensive now, firstly because they're easy to breed, and secondly because there aren't many people collecting them. Even the best insects only cost around ten or twenty thousand.

Like this one, unfortunately, one of its corners is broken.

Even more unfortunately, the ivory cap was cracked, and a piece the size of a grain of rice had sunk into the waist and abdomen, and it looked like it was about to burst open.

Forget about playing games, the man looked at the game with a "wasteful" expression and asked, "Did you drop it?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "He fell!"

"At least tens of thousands are gone, it could be over a hundred thousand!"

The man sighed and put the jar down. "Insects are a good match, but I don't have a jar."

Lin Sicheng seemed a little anxious and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "I originally brought it as a gift, but the time is almost here, and I accidentally fell. Could you please help me?"

The man shook his head: "It's not that I don't want to help, it's just that not only do we not have any, there isn't a single jar of this quality in the entire Tianjiao City!"

Is there anywhere that can be repaired?

"Yes, I do have some, and I can fix it pretty much!" The man examined it for a few moments. "If you're just playing around with it yourself, or selling it at a discount, then of course it's fine. But if it's a gift, I advise the guest to forget about it."

If this thing hadn't been broken, it would be worth at least three to five hundred thousand yuan. If it's worth spending so much money to give as a gift, then what level must the recipient be?
The more someone is like that, the more taboos they have. You can even not give them anything at all, but instead you give them something broken?
Lin Sicheng sighed, reached out his hand, and the special agent behind him handed him another box.

He placed it on the table and pushed it forward: "Could you please take another look and see if there's anything we can do about this one?"

The man glanced at it: the outer box was made of nanmu wood, still the imperial-grade bonsai, the inner shell was made of tortoiseshell, and the outer lid was made of rhinoceros horn.

The rim is inlaid with mother-of-pearl, and the gourd-shaped body is decorated with engraved longevity patterns. The patina is natural and the surface is smooth and lustrous.

In terms of material and quality, it's no less than the one next to it, and might even be slightly better. The key is the inscription on the bottom: "刳尊" (Ku Zun).

If this isn't a fake, it must be a three-layered, openwork gourd with a resonant sound, made by Liang Jiu, a master gourd maker from the Qing Dynasty. If I were to estimate its value, it would be worth the three gourds next to it.

There's only one thing: the gourd's body is covered in black spots.

This is a unique silver-dotting technique used by gourd craftsmen in the Qing Dynasty. The principle is similar to the "gold amalgam" technique used in gilding.

When it was first made, the gourd shimmered with silver light, like a sky full of stars, hence the name "Starry Sky". However, sulfur was used to repel insects in the gourd body. Over time, the silver reacted with sulfides to form silver sulfide, which turned into these black spots.

Also known as the black-spotted gourd, it is a unique feature of gourd ware from the Qing Dynasty.

The man understood Lin Sicheng's meaning: Could the black spot be restored to silver, or even removed altogether?

But to be honest, it's not easy to handle; at least, none of the men, including his elderly father, could handle it.

“It won’t be easy!” The man shook his head. “Whether it’s restoration or decomposition, it will leave traces. Putting aside everything else, at least this glassy patina on top will definitely be completely gone.”

"Antiques, antiques, if they lose their patina of age, what are they? I think you might as well just give them away."

After a slight pause, the man seemed to suddenly remember something: "But I can point you to a place: there's a shop in the market that specializes in counterfeit goods, and their imitations of old gourds are superb, including these mercury-spotted ones."

I don't know exactly where he gets his goods. But if he can imitate mercury stains, he should be able to remove them. Go ask him if he takes on this kind of job..."

If there's money to be made, why not take the job?
It's just a matter of spending a little more money.

Lin Sicheng perked up: "Boss, exactly where is it?"

"It's not far. Go out the door, turn right, go through two alleys, then turn left. The shop is called 'Paozhentang'. If you can't find it, just ask..."

Lin Sicheng thanked him repeatedly and spent another two thousand to buy an insect.

The two boxes were handed to Liu Guojun, and the three of them went out.

It's not far, just two streets apart. The storefront isn't big, and the signboard isn't very eye-catching.

Upon entering, there is a small tea table with four rattan chairs and five or six standing shelves around the entrance, all filled with gourd vessels.
Cricket cages, cricket jars, bowls, basins, bottles, pots, boxes, stoves, pen holders, and even flower vases—you name it, they have it here.

They come in various shapes and sizes, and the craftsmanship is diverse. They are quite neat and look quite exquisite, but anyone with a discerning eye can tell that most of them are machine-molded, machine-embossed, and machine-carved.

To put it bluntly, they're all counterfeit.

The antiquing techniques are quite sophisticated, with imitation black spots, simulated bacterial infections, insect damage, diseases, and oxidation.

Whether they found the right place or whether it has anything to do with that "Fragrant Fruit Garden" is still unknown.

But that's how investigations work—it's a painstaking, meticulous process, peeling back layers of mystery. That's why Lin Sicheng told Guang: "I'm not very confident..."

In a flash, a woman in her thirties with an ordinary appearance came out from behind.

"Gentlemen, what would you like to order?"

"Excuse me, is the master craftsman here? I'd like to ask him to repair these two gourds!"

As he spoke, Lin Sicheng took out the box. The woman clearly didn't recognize its value, staring at it for a long time: "It's a pretty convincing fake?"

What imitation? This is Brother Zhao's genuine family heirloom. He was only in his early twenties back then, and his father, still alive, traded it for ten catties of cornmeal from a fellow trader.

They were like this when they were acquired: one was ripped open and the lid was broken, the other had black spots. But neither Grandpa Zhao nor Grandma Zhao were confident they could fix it, so they just left it there. Forty years have passed.

Lin Sicheng remained noncommittal: "Could you please ask the shopkeeper to come out and take a look?"

"I'm the boss, but I only sell the goods; they're sourced from elsewhere. If you need repairs, I can help you inquire..."

The woman paused slightly halfway through her sentence, and Lin Sicheng immediately understood: "I know, referral fee!"

The woman nodded: "Okay, then leave your phone number!"

"Can't get in touch with them now?"

The woman casually made up a story: "There's no signal there!"

Actually, she didn't remember the number, and even if she did call, the other party might not answer.

"To be honest, I went to Tingqiushan Hall specifically; the owner recommended it to me..."

The woman remained unmoved: "There's nothing we can do, we really can't get in touch with them right now!"

Lin Sicheng looked slightly disappointed and pointed to the box. "Boss, how about this, do you have anything like this in your shop? It doesn't have to be a cricket gourd, but it has to look old!"

"Yes, there are!"

Those who work in this line of work are all about reading people's expressions and tailoring their approach accordingly. They can tell at a glance that this young man is in a hurry.

The woman rolled her eyes. "But the price is quite high!"

"It's okay, take it out and let me take a look."

"it is good!"

The woman replied and went into the inner room. A little while later, she came out carrying a rattan trunk.

It's quite large, a semi-handmade craft, and very cleverly made: when you lift the lid, a three-tiered compartment is revealed.

Each floor is divided into several small compartments, mostly containing small items: there are ink boxes, teacups, pen holders, and most often, cricket gourds.

Although they are all imitations, they are exquisitely crafted and remarkably lifelike.

After glancing at it for a while, Lin Sicheng picked up a snuff bottle with a longevity pattern covered in black spots: it was dyed with cinnabar and aged with mercury.

The former is manageable; anyone skilled in imitating gourd artifacts can do it. However, applying silver to a gourd using the "gold amalgam" technique requires extremely high skill. This is because the material is a gourd, made of wood veneer, only one or two millimeters thick—thin and brittle. If the temperature isn't controlled properly, a single touch will create a hole.

So the owner of "Ting Qiushan Tang" was right, the chefs at this shop are indeed very skilled.

But recalling that hand from "Xiangguoyuan," it still feels a little lacking.

It wasn't a matter of poor craftsmanship, but rather the distinctive features of that "grasshopper-like" hand: cinnabar seeped into the tiger's mouth, a result of frequent dyeing. The hand was cracked like tree bark, caused by black spots from using sulfur to imitate silver sulfide.

Both of these can be seen on this gourd snuff bottle, but it's missing something: the spherical callus on the fingertip.

This is to mimic the natural patina, created by grinding the gourd by hand over a long period of time, but this type is not found in this box.

To put it simply: these are all made using tools and materials, such as cowhide, cotton cloth, and even sawdust and fine rice husks.

After examining it closely, Lin Sicheng shook his head: "The wavy pattern is quite realistic, but the sheen is too superficial, the oil stains are too heavy, and the egg white is almost solidified. You don't even need to taste it; you can smell the beeswax... Boss, do you have anything more authentic and older? If so, the price is negotiable..."

The woman was startled and looked at him strangely.

There are only a few methods for artificially polishing gourds to create a patina: walnut oil plus turpentine, chicken oil plus lard, tea paste plus egg white, and beeswax plus rapeseed oil.

If you can master just one of these techniques and replicate the natural patina of an old patina, you can be called a master craftsman. Those with the most experience only know two or three techniques.

The four types can be mixed and matched to imitate the wave pattern of hand-polished surfaces, which is at least at the master level.

To be able to spot the flaws in a master-level replica at a glance—what level of eyepower is that?
This at least shows that the person did come to buy something.

The woman closed the suitcase and said, "Wait a moment."

About two minutes later, she took out another small box.

It's only about ten centimeters tall, and about the size of an A4 sheet of paper. There aren't many items either, just five or six pieces of varying sizes.

But at first glance, Lin Sicheng's eyes lit up: he had found it.

Is it really handmade?
The method is not complicated: sit in a warm room and keep drinking hot tea to make your body sweat, then rub the affected area with your hands while it is still wet with sweat.

Afterwards, an X-ray is taken, and most machines cannot detect the object that has been polished in this way.

However, it is extremely time-consuming and requires a great deal of skill: those who know how to polish it can see that under a high-powered microscope, the oil film appears as regular island-like chains, also known as wavy patterns.

If you don't know how to arrange them, they'll be a jumbled mess, a complete mess.

Lin Sicheng nodded: "How much are these?"

The woman was startled again: "You want both?"

"If the price is right, I'd be happy to have both!"

She didn't handle the items herself, so the woman really didn't know how much they were worth.

Because no one with such discerning eyes had ever come before, even if they specifically asked for a high-quality replica, all they had to do was bring out the rattan trunk from before, and that was usually enough to get rid of them.

These are all sold as genuine products, but not here. Instead, the man finds a seller and then has the customer come here to pick them up.

"Wait a minute, I need to ask!"

As she spoke, the woman took out her phone, preparing to go inside to make a call. After turning around, she realized what she had done, gave an embarrassed smile, closed the case, and hugged it to her chest.

Each one is worth tens of thousands; don't let them be stolen.

Lin Sicheng gave a wink, and the female agent immediately understood: "Ma'am, is there a restroom inside? Could I use it for a moment?"

The woman paused for a moment, then said, "I'll take you there!"

A business deal worth at least tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, would definitely be fine just to borrow a restroom.

The woman led Su Ye into the inner room. About five minutes later, the female special agent returned and nodded slightly to Lin Sicheng.

This means the bugging device has been installed.

It's really not difficult. It's about the size of a matchbox, so you can just find a slightly secluded spot.

The male special agent slipped out of the store unnoticed.

Meanwhile, all equipment in the command vehicle at the parking lot was turned on.

A series of rustling sounds, like pages being turned, followed by a woman muttering, "Changing numbers every day, like a thief?"

Then, there was the sound of dialing numbers again.

Several technical investigators, holding their headsets, were completely focused, while two captains and two deputy captains stood beside them, not daring to breathe.

After dialing several numbers, each with a different key tone for each of the ten digits, the technical investigators deciphered the code on the spot.

Suddenly, the phone rang in the command vehicle.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then their faces lit up with joy: Lin Sicheng had actually found a foothold?

This is the phone from that "Fragrant Fruit Garden".

Before they arrived, the team leaders didn't have high hopes. As Lin Sicheng said, they had no choice but to try anything, even if it seemed hopeless.

It's not that the police can't find them: at least they'll catch them. As long as they have a hideout here, they can take a picture and ask around the market. Sooner or later, they'll find them.

But you have to make sure there are no informants from this group in the market, and more importantly, you have to make sure you're not unlucky enough to stumble into their hideout.

Therefore, they had to resort to unconventional tactics: Zhao Xiuneng used his social connections to select the three most suitable, professional, relatively clean companies that were unlikely to have any connection with this group.

Sure enough, professional matters should be left to professionals: no one expected that Lin Sicheng would find a clue just by going to one place, and it was the most direct clue at that.

Putting everything else aside, checking the six phone calls this woman just made, and examining the call logs, will very likely reveal the identity of Qi Song, his subordinates, and accomplices…

Everyone held their breath, and the command vehicle was extremely quiet. Two more numbers were dialed, but both were switched off.

The woman muttered a curse under her breath and dialed another number. After two rings, the call was answered, and the woman went straight to the point: "Brother, where's Qi Hao?"

"what happened?"

"A few experts came and wanted the hand-held gourds, the ones in the box, but I don't know the price!"

"Regardless of size, each one costs at least 20,000!"

"He needed it urgently, and he wanted a lot."

"Then add 10,000 to each one. If we can't reach an agreement, 5,000 will do."

"I understand!" the woman replied, then changed the subject, "Big brother, when is Qi Hao coming back?"

"He's busy, he'll go back as soon as he's done!"

The woman said "Oh," hung up the phone, and then muttered curses under her breath.

Inside the command vehicle, a group of people stared in disbelief.

Is Qi Hao the name of "Huaguoyuan"?

The key question is, who is this older brother?
After more than a week of monitoring, all the necessary information has been collected: real name, age, fingerprints, and even voice.

Without even needing any instruments for comparison, the technical investigators could tell just by their hearing that it was Qi Song's voice.

The crucial point is that the number the woman dialed was definitely Qi Song's newly changed phone number...

Yu Guang beamed with joy: "Old Han, notify the perimeter team to locate the phones!"

(End of this chapter)