Divine Lucky Star
Chapter 378 - Chapter 378 Chapter 337 Flaw

Chapter 378: Chapter 337: Flaw! Chapter 378: Chapter 337: Flaw! “Thank you,” Master Liu carefully picked up the teapot and then thoroughly examined it with a magnifying glass, looking it over from top to bottom, inside and out. As he inspected, he admired, “This pot is made of ochre-colored sandy clay, with a reddish luster and a simple patina, and obvious tea stains inside, as if telling an ancient story. The flat lid is adorned with a round Treasure Bead knob, carved with a Ruyi pattern and a central air hole. The pot’s body is round and full, and on one side, there is a poem inscribed with a knife used as a pen–vigorous strokes with both force and flexibility, a breath of life running through it. The base bears Chen Zhengming’s signature. A fine pot, indeed a fine pot!”

“How about that?” Manager Tong laughed heartily, “How’s this treasure of my shop?” Pointing to a camera mounted on the wall, he said, “See that? We have 24-hour surveillance here, guaranteeing only genuine antiques. Our shop’s reputation is five-star rated, with a return three times the value for any fake–we’re definitely not just blowing hot air!”

Principal Zheng and the others nodded in agreement.

“A top-quality item, absolutely top-quality!” Master Liu set down the magnifying glass, sighed, “This pot has a scent of tea, an aroma that’s truly refreshing upon close smell. The base is engraved with Chen Zhengming’s signature, and the color confirms it is an antique with years of age. Especially the calligraphy on the body of the pot, it carries on the authentic tradition of Chen Zhengming. A fine pot, and what’s particularly rare is that it is without a single flaw and looks exceptionally clean, quite a feat considering its well-preserved condition.”

“Good! Good!” Without another word, Principal Zheng pulled out his bank card, “No more talk, Manager Tong, how about 400,000?”

“Principal Zheng, your offer…” Manager Tong shook his head, “This is my shop’s showpiece, someone previously offered 450,000 and I didn’t even entertain it!”

“500,000!” Principal Zheng was a man of decisiveness, “This price, surely it’s acceptable?!”

“This…” Manager Tong hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly nodded, “If Principal Zheng intends it for that notable figure, I suppose I have no choice but to part with it, albeit painfully. Little Zhou, go fetch the card machine. Ah, it’s really hard to let go.”

The apprentice, Little Zhou, turned around to get the card machine and in no time payment was made, all in under a minute!

Wang Hao was watching, dumbfounded, “What the–… That’s it, it’s sold? Just like that, an item for 500,000?”

At first, Kung Fu’s Second Master was ready to start flattering, but hearing Wang Hao’s words he became curious, “What, is there something wrong?”

“I’m just thinking, this thing selling for 500,000,” Wang Hao scratched his head, “It’s not worth it.”

“Let me explain,” Master Liu looked towards Wang Hao, and began his pitch, “There are several points that determine the price of a purple sand pot. First, authenticity is fundamental. The quality of the clay makes a difference–do you know how many enthusiasts yearn for a top-notch clay pot and can’t find one? Second, brand is king. Zisha artists have different levels; whether you acknowledge it or not, that hierarchy exists, and Chen Zhengming is among the very top! Third, scarcity makes it precious. An artist, starting at the age of teen or twenties, if he lives until his seventies or eighties without illness, how many pots can he make in those fifty or sixty years? Chen Zhengming is documented to have made just over a hundred pots, discounting those broken or incomplete due to age, only about one in ten survive. Fourth, perfection is preferred. Even a tiny flaw in a pot causes its price to plummet, but this pot, with not even a slight chip, is extremely rare. So, this price is absolutely correct.”

As soon as Master Liu finished, Manager Tong clapped vigorously, “A Master truly lives up to his name, you explain it much better than I could! My young friend, it’s normal that you don’t understand; after all, this is a specialized field. You might not realize the value of a Zisha pot, so you think that this tea set selling for 500,000 is expensive, right? But let me tell you, this is a friendship price offered with respect to Principal Zheng and the status of the intended recipient. Considering the quality of the pot, I haven’t asked for a high price at all! A couple of years ago, a set of purple sand pots sold for over a million at an auction. Having this in your home would certainly add prestige.”

“No, I think you misunderstood me,” Wang Hao sat on the sofa, smiling at Manager Tong, “What I mean is, there’s something wrong with this pot. And not just this pot, but every pot in your shop has issues!”

“What did you say?!” Manager Tong got angry upon hearing Wang Hao’s comment, “Young man, are you actually saying there’s a problem with this pot?!” Looking towards Kung Fu’s Second Master, he said, “Look at the person you brought here. If it weren’t for your face, I wouldn’t even let him in this room! Is this place something just anyone can enter?”

“Sorry, sorry,” Second Master hurriedly explained, “After all, he’s young, a close friend of my nephew, maybe he just made a mistake!”

“Please calm down,” Master Liu also said in a hurry, “He’s just a kid who doesn’t know any better, no need to take it personally.”

Principal Zheng’s face looked quite unpleasant as he said, “Little Hao, I’ve already bought it, and what you’re saying now is really a blow to my confidence. Master Liu even said this set of teapots is top-grade Zisha, what could possibly be wrong with it?”

“Let’s just drop it, young man, I won’t hold it against you,” Manager Tong waved his hand and said, “I stake the reputation of my ten-year-old shop on it, this is authentic! Fake one, compensate threefold!”

Seeing everyone looking at him, Wang Hao suddenly started to laugh!

“I must say, Manager Tong, it’s a real pity you don’t go into acting,” Wang Hao said with a chuckle. “Since I dare to say there’s a problem with your shop, naturally I’m not speaking without evidence.”

As he spoke, he pointed outside the door and said, “The Zisha pots in your shop, priced around two hundred, you actually claim are purely handmade! Haha, do you know how much a real, purely handmade Zisha pot costs? A pot made by a new apprentice would be at least three to four hundred at the local bare minimum price, and if it’s taken to the outside market with other costs included, it would be at least around five hundred.”

“I… I have connections, my goods are cheap, what’s it to you?!” Manager Tong shouted, “Is selling cheap now a crime?!”

“That’s your problem, I’m just stating the facts,” Wang Hao continued with a smile, “On the way in, I saw a purely handmade pot priced at fifteen hundred, ah, that price is a lot more realistic. Out of curiosity, I took a closer look, and boy, it was praised to the skies! For a fifteen-hundred-yuan handmade pot, you actually dare claim it’s the work of an Advanced Craftsman! Do you even know what an Advanced Craftsman is? A person of that level won’t be young, for another thing, at that level, they have reputation, skill, and their market price level set right there. These days, such people seldom make pots, and even if you go to them with money, they might not be willing to make one for you, as it involves leveraging personal relationships! It goes beyond just money! And yet here you are, selling it so cheap, that would be a common method of Zisha forgery — outsourced labor! That is, low-level artisans working and selling under the guise of a Master’s name, heh heh, Manager Tong, I’m not wrong, am I?”

By the time Wang Hao said this, Manager Tong’s face had already turned pale!

Because what Wang Hao said was not the slightest bit off from the truth!

At this moment, Principal Zheng also started looking at Wang Hao seriously, waiting to hear what else Wang Hao would say next!

As for Master Liu, he was already stunned–was this young man really so knowledgeable?!

“Alright, having said all that, now let’s get back to the main point.” Wang Hao pointed to the set of Purple Sand Pots that Manager Tong had smashed earlier and said, “This set of Purple Sand Pots was placed here for a reason, and Manager Tong, you would know that better than I do, wouldn’t you? You simply used this set of fake pots to put on an act, aiming to prove to us that there are no fakes in your shop, that you would smash any fakes on the spot, to imprint in our minds psychologically that your goods are authentic! But you forgot there’s a flaw in doing so–if you can’t even distinguish this level of fake goods, I absolutely don’t believe you could have survived up to now without going bankrupt!”

“That’s right!” As soon as Wang Hao finished speaking, Principal Zheng immediately slapped his thigh, “How could you be alive today if you can’t discern that this kind of goods is fake?!”

“Okay, having dealt with that set of decoy teapots, let’s move on to this,” Wang Hao said with a smile as he picked up what was considered the treasure of the shop, “You know, in all respects, this set of teapots could be said to be perfect, but unfortunately, it has one major flaw!”