Chapter 180: We lost!_1

“My God, did I hear that right, porcelain worth over six million?”

No one knew how long had passed when someone suddenly exclaimed.

That exclamation was like hitting the play button again, and those who were frozen in place finally regained the ability to move.

“An estimated value of 6.3 million? Isn’t that a bit exaggerated?”

“Even if it’s from the Ding Kiln, it wouldn’t be this expensive, right?”

“Why do I feel this ceramic box looks utterly plain? How could it have such a high estimate?”

“Mr. Zhang wouldn’t shield his disciple by deliberately reporting a high price, would he?”

“Surely not, right? If he falsely reported the price, Qi Maocai over there wouldn’t agree, would he?”

“Now let’s see what Mr. Qi has to say…”

While everyone was buzzing with speculation, Qi Maocai had already strode over.

“Mr. Zhang, you’re not protecting your disciple by giving out a sensational estimate, are you?”

“Heh, I’m not as shameless as some people. You can judge for yourself whether my estimate is too high or not.”

Zhang Jicheng knew he would question it and immediately handed the ceramic box over to him.

Qi Maocai took it and began to inspect it closely.

His two disciples also followed closely behind, their three pairs of eyes meticulously scrutinizing every detail.

The ceramic box was composed of two parts: the body and the lid, fitted together with a mortise.

Upon closer observation, one could see that the ceramic box had a fine and pure texture, covered with a transparent glaze.

A dragon pattern coiled from left to right was engraved under the lid; the lines were unrestrained and dynamic, exuding a royal majesty.

At the interface of the porcelain box, on both the upper and lower sides, the words “Shangyao Bureau” were engraved in regular script from right to left.

The trio of Qi Maocai and his disciples exchanged a look instinctively, all seeing surprise in each other’s eyes.

“Master, Mr. Zhang’s estimate… seems to be correct,” Zhao Xingbo said, though he didn’t want to admit it, the truth was clear and he couldn’t deny it.

“Yes, Master, this ceramic box is probably the only one circulating in the market from the porcelain used by the royal family of the Northern Li Dynasty.”

Though Ma Zhenping did not have as profound expertise in ceramics as Zhao Xingbo, he still had a basic level of judgment and immediately realized the preciousness of this piece.

“Moreover, it is currently the only complete piece from the Ding Kiln of the Northern Li Dynasty with the ‘Shangyao Bureau’ inscription available on the market, it has a double rarity,” Zhao Xingbo felt bitterly.

He hadn’t expected that his decades of effort would be defeated by a young man whose name had never been prominent, and that the defeat would be so crushing.

By now, Qi Maocai was speechless.

If Tang Feng’s estimate for this ceramic had been around two million, on par with his disciple’s, he could have continued to be stubborn.

But this porcelain box was valued far beyond his disciple’s piece, and the disparity was just too great.

Even if he wanted to obstinately deny it against his conscience, he couldn’t.

Otherwise, it would truly be an insult to the audience’s intelligence.

“We lost!”

It was just four short words, but when he uttered them, they felt incredibly heavy.

He and Zhang Jicheng had been competing in secret for many years.

Be it appraisal skills or fame within the antique circle, they were evenly matched.

He had hoped that today his disciples would surely suppress the opposition.

But he hadn’t expected Zhang Jicheng to have taken such an exceptionally gifted disciple.

One so gifted, it seemed almost excessive.

Against two, he had still managed to achieve an overwhelming victory.

Calligraphy, jade, and ceramics, none were less than exceptional.

There was a moment when he almost went mad with jealousy.

Why should Zhang Jicheng be the one to receive such a remarkable disciple?

It’s so unfair!

The audience at the scene felt a secret shock as they heard Qi Maocai openly admitting defeat.

In fact, Qi Maocai’s two disciples were already quite impressive and even more skilled than many antique shop’s chief appraisers.

But they happened to encounter Tang Feng, a prodigy of monstrous talent.

Three battles, three victories, terrifyingly so!

One can imagine, today’s duel will definitely become an anecdote that Zhonghai Antique Circle will relish.

And the name Tang Feng would appear for the first time in the sight of many.

“We acknowledge our bet and accept our loss. These six antiques, all belong to you.”

As Qi Maocai uttered these words, his heart was bleeding.

Just considering the three antiques from his disciple’s side, they already amounted to over three million in total value.

And Tang Feng’s three, even more, totaling over nine million.

In total, that’s over ten million!

The loss they suffered today in this battle was too terrible.

Not only did they miss out on antiques worth over ten million.

But also, during his second round of cheating, he had thrown his reputation into the mix.

There was hope for the third round to win and save his face.

But the defeat was even more disastrous.

One could foresee that when this battle spread throughout the antique circle, as people praised Tang Feng, he and his two disciples would become the butt of the joke.

“Mr. Zhang, congratulations on accepting a good disciple. I envy you, but I do not accept your superiority. Because your disciple’s achievement is entirely due to his natural talent, not because you taught him hands-on. You’re merely master and disciple in name only.”

After dropping these words to Zhang Jicheng, Qi Maocai gestured grandly to his two disciples, “Let’s go.”

“Hold on.” Just then, Tang Feng suddenly called out to him.

“Do you have something else?” Qi Maocai turned around with displeasure.

“Mr. Qi really has a short memory for someone of importance, haven’t you forgotten to do something?” Tang Feng said with a mocking smile.

Qi Maocai’s complexion changed, “Tang Feng, there is a limit to everything. Do you really need to be so ruthless?”

Tang Feng shrugged, “Mr. Qi, don’t say that. I actually don’t mind at all. It’s just that I’m worried others might gossip, claiming Mr. Qi doesn’t keep his word and goes back on his promises.”

“If you don’t care, then it doesn’t matter. You can go.”

Qi Maocai’s cheeks twitched twice.

For an appraiser, honesty and integrity are the most important qualities.

His sudden renege during the second game had already negatively impacted his reputation.

If he went back on his word again, it would probably be a devastating blow to his credibility.

“Fine, you clever boy, I’ll remember you,” he said through gritted teeth before bellowing with furious indignation.

“I, Qi Maocai of Mo Xiang House, admit defeat to Zhang Jicheng of Ya Garden, defeated utterly and completely convinced. I, Qi Maocai of Mo Xiang House, admit defeat to Zhang Jicheng of Ya Garden…”

His voice was loud and clear, echoing down the entire antique street!