The third update has finally arrived; I initially intended to stop at three thousand words but thought better of it and decided to reveal a bit more of what's to come!

…

It was now mid-November, and Old Master Tang's birthday celebration was to be held the next month, just before the New Year—a fact Qin Fang had known for a while.

Initially, Qin Fang had accompanied Tang Cheng, Ning Weiqiang, and Ning Yumo in selecting birthday gifts. In particular, the time when the three men attended an auction at the Elite Salon, Qin Fang inadvertently stumbled upon a staggering bargain.

Although Qin Fang played the role of an unsung hero on that occasion, his name had at least made it onto Old Master Tang's list with a slight advantage over the other suitors of Tang Feifei.

Ever since then, Qin Fang had participated in a few more gambling stone events but hadn't really been involved with antiques, mainly due to the extensive specialist knowledge required, which he didn't have the time to learn. At most, he could rely on his Scouting Skill to determine the authenticity and identify antiques. As for the more detailed aspects, he was clueless.

The antique black market is actually much more normal than those dealing in arms or drugs. Though still illegal, it is more widely accepted. At least someone with a reputation like Qiao Zhenfei would be in attendance.

Those who attended the antique black market brought cash directly and could bid on any antique they fancied, paying entirely in cash—a true cash-and-carry transaction.

Qin Fang had also wanted to withdraw some money, but it was rather late now and, besides, Jiange wasn't exactly a large city. The few banks combined wouldn't provide him with much cash.

Fortunately, Qiao Zhenfei was prepared with a relatively larger sum of cash—more than two million yuan. Only someone like him would dare to carry that amount in person, as most people would be very worried about being robbed.

Qin Fang managed to get fifty thousand yuan in cash from Qiao Zhenfei to use for the time being. This was the threshold for entering the black market; any less and one wouldn't even be able to reach the venue.

The two men alighted at the agreed-upon location and then, with a bodyguard, boarded a more inconspicuous van, speeding away from Jiange County Town. As for the direction they were headed, it wasn't particularly important—as long as they weren't lost, everything was fine.

About half an hour later, the group finally got out of the vehicle, arriving at a relatively secluded spot in the countryside.

After turning off their cell phones and being checked, the three were allowed to enter the auction site arranged by the black market—a relatively large room temporarily set up with an auction table and displays for antiques, and rows of chairs beneath.

When Qin Fang and his company arrived, many people had already taken their seats, acquaintances clustered together in small groups, with many more strangers, which was a safety consideration.

It wasn't until around nine o'clock that a few people began bringing in boxes of various sizes, presumably containing the antiques up for sale that evening.

Black markets differed from auction houses in that they didn't guarantee the authenticity of the antiques; it was entirely up to the buyers' acumen to spot any bargains.

Of course, the proportion of genuine items was considerably more reliable than those found in regular antique shops. Without sufficient quantity and quality, reputation would not be easily established.

At least the black market that Qiao Zhenfei brought Qin Fang to had a very good reputation within the industry, which was one reason why Qiao Zhenfei felt comfortable coming here so readily.

Once the boxes were in place, a man in his forties with a smile on his face approached. He had an ordinary appearance, the kind that would not be noticed if tossed into a crowd, which made him inconspicuous.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to today's auction. I wish everyone good luck and hope you find some wonderful items today. Now, without further ado, let's begin the auction..."

The middle-aged man's introduction was straightforward, and with the first box brought up, that marked the start of the black market auction.

The first item up for bid was an quaint and small bronze ding, which the presenter claimed was from the Warring States period. Qiao Zhenfei clearly wasn't interested, not even bothering to take a closer look.

For Qin Fang, all he needed to do was to cast his Scouting Skill on it. Indeed, as the presenter described, it was a Warring States bronze ding, albeit a small one with a noticeable chip at the mouth, reducing its value.

Yet, there were still many enthusiasts for such bronze artifacts, and even one with noticeable defects was in demand. The price was quickly bid up, eventually selling for one hundred and twenty thousand yuan. According to Qiao Zhenfei, this was a high price for the ding.

Although Qiao Zhenfei was a top-tier young master adept at leisure and pleasure, his actual competence was extremely strong. Not only did he possess some prowess with gambling stones, but he also had a decent level of expertise with antiques. He regularly engaged with them, experiencing both successful bargains and some losses.

The auction continued, with one item after another being brought forth. Qiao Zhenfei preferred ceramics most, followed by paintings and calligraphy; he cared less for other items, barring the few that genuinely appealed to him.

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