Chapter 181: 【181】I Want to Be the Chief Appraiser_1

“Qi Maocai of Mo Xiang House admitted his defeat to Zhang Jicheng of Ya Garden, saying that he was utterly convinced…”

According to the predetermined agreement, Qi Maocai had to shout this a hundred times, which he indeed did.

Many who came later did not know why and stared at him in utter bewilderment, as if they were looking at a fool.

Only after asking around did these people learn the whole story.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, that young man’s appraisal skills are actually so formidable?”

“Of course, have you seen who his master is? That’s none other than Elder Zhang Jicheng.”

“Well, that explains it, a truly great teacher produces a great student indeed.”

“It looks like Ya Garden is going to thrive following this.”

“But Mo Xiang House has probably taken quite the hit this time, especially Qi Maocai, who truly lost face.”

“That old fellow’s skin is thick enough, if it were me, I would just bash my head in and be done with it…”

Listening to everyone’s discussions, Qi Maocai felt indescribably humiliated.

Since making an illustrious name for himself in the antique world of Zhonghai City, he had never suffered such humiliation.

“Feng, is what we’re doing going too far?”

Zhang Jicheng, watching his old rival being humiliated like this, didn’t feel too joyous but rather empathetic.

“Master, think about it this way, if we had lost the third round, do you think he would have let you off the hook?” Tang Feng posed a rhetorical question.

Zhang Jicheng was left speechless.

From what he knew about Qi Maocai, the man was narrow-hearted.

If he had lost the competition, the other party would certainly not have missed this opportunity to humiliate him.

“Alright, Master, don’t worry about it too much, it’s time we headed back.”

Tang Feng had already scanned the stall with his scanning system.

Apart from the antiques they had picked out, the rest were priced too high, offering little profit, so he didn’t want to waste any more time.

“Master Tang, please wait a moment.”

Tang Feng was about to leave when he suddenly heard someone calling him from behind.

Turning his head, he saw it was Pei Tianyuan, the owner of Shengdingxuan Antique Shop.

He had been watching the commotion from the crowd until now when everything was over, then he stepped forward.

“Does Mr. Pei have something he needs from me?” he stopped and asked, puzzled.

“Master Tang, might I have a word with you in private?” Pei Tianyuan glanced warily at Zhang Jicheng, as if he had something he didn’t want overheard.

“Whatever you have to say, you can say it here; my master is not an outsider.” Tang Feng’s attitude was neither cold nor warm.

Seeing his insistence, Pei Tianyuan got straight to the point: “I’ve just witnessed Master Tang’s impressive performance and I’m utterly in awe. You are truly a rare talent once in a century…”

“Just say what you want to say, there’s no need to beat around the bush.” Tang Feng, impatient, interrupted, suspecting that kindness from a stranger was either a trap or a trick.

“Ahem,” Pei Tianyuan coughed awkwardly, “Well, what I mean to say is, I would like to invite Master Tang to join us at Shengdingxuan.”

“There’s no need for a trial period; upon arrival, you can take on the role of an official appraiser. As for salary and benefits, I promise they will only be higher than at Ya Garden, not lower.”

Only then did Tang Feng understand; the man was here to poach talent. He instantly turned to look at Zhang Jicheng.

Zhang Jicheng shook his head with a smile, “This is your decision to make, I won’t interfere. Whatever you choose, I’ll support you.”

Tang Feng then turned back to Pei Tianyuan, “Mr. Pei, I am with Ya Garden and your openly poaching seems a bit underhanded, doesn’t it?”

Pei Tianyuan, unfazed, just smiled, “People aim high and water flows low.”

“With talent like Master Tang’s, naturally one goes where the offer is better, that’s only natural human behavior; there’s nothing underhanded about it.”

“Thank you for your high regard, Mr. Pei, but I currently have no plans to change jobs, I’m truly sorry.” Tang Feng outright refused, not because he felt loyal to Qin Yanan, but simply because he found Mr. Pei disagreeable.

“Master Tang, won’t you reconsider? Mention any requirement you have; I promise to do everything I can to accommodate you.”

Pei Tianyuan was suddenly anxious.

He had just witnessed Tang Feng’s appraisal abilities with his own eyes and was determined to recruit such a talent under his banner.

Otherwise, he would certainly become a significant threat to Shengdingxuan in the future.

“You’ll meet any request? Are you sure?” Tang Feng’s face showed a hint of mockery.

“I am quite certain; whatever you ask, I will do everything possible to satisfy you,” Pei Tianyuan said with conviction.

“I want to be the chief appraiser. Can you meet that request?”

“The chief appraiser? This…”

Pei Tianyuan was instantly stumped by his question.

While he had great hopes for Tang Feng, the young man was simply too young. As an official appraiser, there’d be no problem, but as a chief appraiser, he likely lacked the necessary experience.

To become the chief appraiser at a large antique shop like Sheng Ding Pavilion, one first needed a certain reputation in the antique world.

This was something Tang Feng clearly didn’t have.

If people discovered that Shengdingxuan had made a twenty-something-year-old the chief appraiser, they’d probably laugh their heads off, right?

Tang Feng had already got his answer from Pei Tianyuan’s expression and scoffed, “Well, when Mr. Pei has thought it through, then he can come find me.”

Leaving that behind, he turned and left with Zhang Jicheng.

“Boss, that kid is too arrogant, isn’t he? You lowered yourself to personally invite him, and he still had the nerve to act all high and mighty,” a subordinate who had come with Pei Tianyuan to browse through the antique street immediately complained indignantly.

“If you had half his skill, you would be even more arrogant than he is,” Pei Tianyuan turned back and glared at his subordinate, full of regret.

If Tang Feng were a few years older and a little more famous in the antique circle, he might have agreed to his terms on the spot.

As for him now, he was still a bit too green.

But it didn’t matter. There was plenty of time, and there would be opportunities to bring him under his banner.

…

“Feng, why didn’t you accept Mr. Pei’s invitation just now?”

Having walked quite a distance, Zhang Jicheng could not help but question him.

“I am about to become the chief appraiser at Ya Garden; why would I go to Sheng Ding Pavilion to be a mere appraiser? If you blame anyone, blame Mr. Pei for lacking courage,” Tang Feng confidently answered.