Chapter Forty-Nine: The Agarwood Pavilion

"Yue Ming, you're mistaken. I'm not here today to accompany anyone, but to buy a collectible for myself," Fatty Zhou said, his brow furrowing. Though the wooden shelves blocked his view, the voice was unmistakably familiar.

"Fatty Zhou, you may be wealthy, but everyone knows your wife is the company’s financial director. Without her approval, you wouldn’t dare spend money recklessly," Yue Ming sneered. "If you upset your lady, you might have to kneel on the washboard when you get home."

Fatty Zhou was one of the richest men in this circle, but he was known for browsing without buying. At first, people wondered why, but it soon became common knowledge: Fatty Zhou feared his wife, who tightly controlled their finances and forbade him from purchasing collectibles.

Word spread about Fatty Zhou's timidity, and since he was good-natured, many enjoyed teasing him about it. Fatty Zhou took it in stride, never minding the jokes.

But today, Fatty Zhou was accompanied by Wu Qian. She, too, liked to poke fun at him, but that was her privilege as his wife. Hearing others mock him, however, angered her far more than it did Zhou himself.

Wu Qian’s expression turned cold. She strode toward the source of the voice, pointed at Yue Ming, and retorted, "Yue Ming, spare us your sarcasm. Even if Fatty Zhou is afraid of me, he’s better than you, keeping a mistress outside and getting caught by your wife at the door!"

"Wu Qian, don’t make up stories. That never happened," Yue Ming replied, his face tinged with embarrassment.

Yue Ming, around forty, was a businessman in Jinzhou. He had once partnered with Fatty Zhou, but they split due to disagreements, and relations had been strained ever since. Fatty Zhou continued his coal business, expanding his fortune to at least two billion, while Yue Ming switched to antiquities, experiencing ups and downs. Despite the impressive facade, rumors of loans and debts persisted; clearly, he was no longer on the same level as Zhou.

Yet Yue Ming was shrewd and adept at self-promotion, often putting himself in direct competition with Fatty Zhou to create the illusion of equal status, thereby boosting his own standing among their peers.

"Wu Qian, Fatty Zhou has a good temper and doesn’t take offense, but if you stir up trouble in front of me, you’ll regret it," Wu Qian declared, her strong-willed nature on full display. Not only did Yue Ming fall silent, but the other customers did too, all well aware of Wu Qian’s formidable reputation.

"Wu Qian, I was only joking, nothing more," Yue Ming replied, his forced smile betraying his desire to slap himself. He had only noticed Fatty Zhou’s large frame, overlooking Wu Qian’s presence—had he realized she was there, he’d never have said what he did. A bitter smile crept onto his face.

"Madam Zhou, please don’t be upset. I believe Mr. Yue meant no harm. Both of you are valued guests at Chen Xiang Residence; let’s not let this affect your relationship," Manager Wang quickly intervened.

"For Manager Wang’s sake, I won’t hold it against him. Still, bring out all your treasures! Anything I fancy, I’ll buy!" Wu Qian swept Yue Ming a disdainful glance, declaring boldly, "Let’s see who’s the real prince and who’s just a tagalong!"

"Wonderful! I’ll fetch them right away," Manager Wang replied cheerfully. He knew that with Wu Qian’s spending, he could enjoy a year’s worth of prosperity.

"No need, Manager Wang. There are plenty of treasures in this collection room, and a few have caught my eye. I’d rather choose for myself," Fatty Zhou waved him off, believing that discovering a true gem among the antiquities was a meaningful pursuit in its own right.

With that, Fatty Zhou took a special magnifying glass from his briefcase and began examining the antiques like a professional. Zhang Wei, Wu Qian, and Liu Yurou, less versed in collectibles, wandered about, taking in the spectacle.

The rest of the customers, seeing no more drama, dispersed to inspect the antiques themselves. Despite his argument with Wu Qian, Yue Ming seemed unfazed, continuing to examine the item in his hand.

Zhang Wei circled the collection room, skimming through most of the items. The price tags were astonishing: the cheapest was over ten thousand, while the most expensive topped three million—enough to rival the price of a top-range imported A8.

Wu Qian and Liu Yurou, both women, commented quietly as they browsed, quickly picking out seven or eight items. Though none seemed particularly outstanding, together they were worth over a million.

Zhang Wei suddenly felt his one hundred thousand yuan earnings were insignificant. Compared to these truly wealthy people, it was a drop in the ocean, barely worth mentioning.

"Sir, is this your first time visiting our shop? Would you like me to introduce our rules and features?" Manager Wang approached just as Zhang Wei was mulling things over.

The collectibles industry has some overlap with real estate. After buying luxury homes, the wealthy often purchase antiques to showcase their taste, so gaining some insight here was certainly valuable for Zhang Wei.

"Manager Wang, just call me Zhang Wei. It is indeed my first visit, and everything seems novel and confusing. If you could explain, I’d greatly appreciate it," Zhang Wei replied with a smile.

"Our Chen Xiang Residence differs from ordinary antique shops in two ways: first, the ‘nine false, one true’ rule; second, the ‘market one-third price’ rule," Manager Wang began.

"Oh? Please elaborate," said Zhang Wei, who knew a bit about collecting but had never heard these terms.

"The ‘nine false, one true’ means that out of ten antiques in the shop, nine are fakes, and one is genuine," Manager Wang explained.

"Interesting. As far as I know, most antique shops have many replicas, but none would admit it. Isn’t exposing your own weakness bad for business?" Zhang Wei asked, puzzled.

"Don’t be hasty; I haven’t explained the second feature yet. Once you hear it, you’ll understand," Manager Wang said mysteriously.

"The ‘market one-third price’ means all items in our shop are priced at only a third of the usual market value. For the same money, you could buy three pieces here instead of one elsewhere," Manager Wang said, a hint of pride in his voice—this was Chen Xiang Residence’s greatest selling point.

In truth, it’s an open secret that fakes abound in antique shops and auction houses, and both genuine and counterfeit items are sold at market prices. Buying a fake means a total loss, while even a genuine piece purchased at market value offers little short-term gain—only collectible worth.

Chen Xiang Residence’s main distinction was pricing antiques at just a third of the market value. If you happened upon a genuine item, the return would be immense; even if you bought a fake, your loss would be limited to a third of the market price.

The shop capitalized on people’s desire for a bargain. Most buyers knew something about antiques, but it was precisely those who had a little knowledge but lacked expertise who were most easily duped, always hoping they’d land a genuine piece. As a result, Chen Xiang Residence had far more customers than ordinary antique shops.

"Mr. Zhang, are you interested in any particular kind of antique? Shall I make some recommendations?" Manager Wang’s attentiveness was due entirely to Fatty Zhou’s status.

Fatty Zhou, a billionaire, was always surrounded by wealthy friends. Even if Zhang Wei wasn’t as rich as Zhou, he couldn’t be far off, and Manager Wang mistakenly took Zhang Wei for a fellow magnate, hence his hospitality.

Zhang Wei glanced at Manager Wang, thinking to himself, "My eyes are good enough for judging people, but when it comes to antiques and calligraphy, I’m like a blind man lighting a lamp—utterly pointless, total darkness."