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The Heart of the Ocean episode quickly passed, and several people saw Qin Fang's cautious demeanor, realizing that he might have his eye on a certain auction item.

Several people returned their attention to see which auction item had caught Qin Fang's interest.

It was known that there were quite a few fine pieces among the previous auction items, including some treasures that could be considered significant artifacts.

In auctions, it's not always the case that items placed later are better than those earlier, but given that Qin Fang hadn't been interested in any of the earlier items, his current expression certainly drew attention.

However, the artifact that drew anticipation from everyone did not appear immediately. Qin Fang barely glanced at the next few auction items and showed no signs of making a bid.

Until…

A piece that looked extremely ancient, resembling a stone tablet mural, was carefully carried up, causing a slight change in Qin Fang's expression.

"It's this one…"

The people around him noticed this change too, all becoming very curious about this stone tablet that seemed to lack distinctive features.

"This is an artifact from Ancient Babylon, rumored to be a very important magical instrument from the Babylonian Dynasty, possessing supreme magical power…"

"As everyone knows, among the eight wonders of the world, Babylon's Hanging Gardens is one of them, but unfortunately, it has completely disappeared, and the artifact before you is said to come from the vanished Hanging Gardens…"

The auctioneer introduced briefly the origin of this stone tablet, but the description was a bit too exaggerated, making almost everyone present shake their heads slightly in disbelief.

What "supreme magical power" and "from the Hanging Gardens" — these are nothing but gimmicks thrown out by the auction, whether truly as the auctioneer claimed is known only by heaven…

"Bullshit…"

Even Qin Fang, hearing the auctioneer's words, rudely murmured under his breath.

Others might just not believe the auctioneer's claims, but Qin Fang could directly determine that what the auctioneer said was utter nonsense.

"Is it fake?"

Tang Feifei naturally heard Qin Fang's words and couldn't help but ask.

"The item is real, but it's not as the auctioneer described…"

Qin Fang shook his head and simply responded to Tang Feifei's query.

"How are you so sure it's not?"

Qu Yuancheng and Kong Er beside him also looked quite puzzled and couldn't help but ask.

At least the stone tablet appeared very old, and along with some carvings on it, it seemed to truly exhibit an authentic Ancient Babylonian style, just as introduced later at the auction.

"The carvings on this stone tablet at most date back a thousand plus years, whereas Ancient Babylon had long perished by then and the Hanging Gardens had already disappeared… Do you think it can still be real?"

Qin Fang smiled slightly, offering a simple explanation.

Whenever it comes to antiques, there's always a chance of forgery, especially with such difficult-to-identify, easily mistaken items, selling just one can lead to a huge profit.

Ancient Babylon was one of the four great ancient kingdoms, originating in the river valley and controlling what is now the Middle East for a considerable period. Unfortunately, it perished early, resulting in very few heirloom artifacts, many destroyed by wars over the years, or kept hidden by some collectors who dare not easily display them... In short, truly heirloom Babylonian items are exceptionally rare.

With rarity comes value, making such heirloom items extremely valuable, which is why it's featured in this auction and the starting price is not low, reaching two million Hong Kong dollars...

Of course, this is under the assumption that the auction item is genuine, then after this auction, the price is likely to elevate to a higher level.

According to Qin Fang's own estimate, the final transaction price should be about four million Hong Kong dollars.

Of course, if a collector fond of Babylonian antiques is encountered, the price could even rise a bit more…

But the problem is, Qin Fang could see at a glance that this stone tablet's carvings date back at most a thousand plus years, making any connection to Ancient Babylon highly dubious.

The Babylonian Dynasty had already perished before the Common Era, and many buildings were destroyed in the flames of war, long gone.

Although there were rumors that the Hanging Gardens submerged along with the mysterious Atlantis into the sea, those oil tycoons in the Middle East who have money to burn were very willing to spend. They nearly dispatched people to explore the seabed around the Persian Gulf. Quite a few shipwrecks were found, but Atlantis and the Hanging Gardens were nowhere to be seen, making it plausible that such divine manifestations had disappeared in the river of history.

The Hanging Gardens have vanished, yet this stone slab relief with a history of merely over a thousand years has been passed down. The patterns on it indeed bear a strong resemblance to the relief styles on some items from Ancient Babylon, no wonder people concluded as such.

"Are you planning to bid on it?"

Seeing Qin Fang appear somewhat impatient, Qu Yuancheng curiously asked, though he didn't give it much thought, casually mentioning it.

"Of course! This thing is still quite good..."

Qin Fang smiled, affirming this with conviction, seemingly with a strong urge to acquire it.

"Since this isn't from Ancient Babylon, are you still planning to bid on it?"

Kong Er was puzzled too. The pieces didn't match, and Qin Fang still wanted to spend this money in vain; it's quite unworthy. Even though they might not care about spending a few million, the problem is being the fool, fearing ridicule...

The loss of money is minor, but the loss of face is significant!

Although Qin Fang is not part of the Hong Kong Island circle, his close relationship with the Qu Family and with Kong Er makes this matter sensitive.

If this gets out, someone would surely gossip, making Qin Fang lose face, and along with him, their friends and brothers too.

"You guys don't worry about it, I am definitely going to bid for it..."

Thus far, besides the three finale items that remain unknown, this stone slab relief was most to Qin Fang's liking, and he had resolved to acquire it, indifferent to spending a fortune...

Qin Fang was determined to get this stone slab relief, and with sufficient financial means, he naturally wouldn't give up.

Moreover, the reason Qin Fang insists on bidding for the stone slab relief remains his own secret, known only to himself, not others...

If Qin Fang guessed correctly, there would be probably no more than three people in the world who could perceive the true subtleties of this stone slab relief.

And perhaps only Qin Fang truly understood the significance represented by this stone slab relief...

The reason for Qin Fang's determination lies precisely because he understands, knowing the profound mystery behind this stone slab relief.

Even though Qu Yuancheng and Kong Er were curious, they stopped asking after Qin Fang's words. They couldn't be bothered to inquire further since getting it means nothing much to them, at most considered decorative relief.

Such things have almost no meaning in modern society, even if many ancestral customs still remain. But the content on this stone slab relief, even when crafted thousands of years ago, probably very few truly understood its significance.

The two stopped inquiring, and Qin Fang silently breathed a sigh of relief.

If they continued asking, Qin Fang wouldn't have known what to say, even a plausible reason was hard to conceive.

Luckily, Qu Yuancheng and Kong Er knew the rules, knowing what to ask and what not to. If Qin Fang wanted to tell them, he would, but if the matter needed secrecy, they wouldn't force it from Qin Fang.

"Secretly tell me, what's different about this stone slab?"

With Qin Fang's mysterious demeanor, Tang Feifei's curiosity was piqued, separating from the others, whispering closely to Qin Fang's ear.

"Once I secure it, I'll tell you when we get back..."

Qin Fang chuckled wryly, realizing it wasn't the place to speak. He decided to keep it secret for now, waiting to explain slowly to Tang Feifei later.

The secret within this stone slab relief was astonishingly shocking.

Revealing it publicly, never mind if Qu Yuancheng and Kong Er understood it, how Qin Fang realized the anomaly would already be tough to explain.

"Okay then... You promised me, remember that!"

Fearing Qin Fang might forget or avoid it, Tang Feifei emphasized, her playful look implying great interest in the secret of the stone slab.

"Don't worry, I can't hide it from you..."

Qin Fang seemed quite helpless, as Tang Feifei's words were mere expressions of curiosity, not implying Qin Fang often evades her. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation or monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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