As Jacob sought revenge against Zhou Liangyun for cheating him and pocketed two hundred thousand, Charlie, sitting in a teahouse sipping tea, found himself feeling quite perplexed.<fn89ff> For more chapters visit FindN0vel</fn89ff>


    He had quickly recognized that the individual who had just stepped into Zhou Liangyun’s shop to make a purchase was nothing but a fraud. However, he couldn’t fathom why Zhou Liangyun would buy anything from him.


    Could it be that the item was genuinely from the Northern Song Dynasty?


    Charlie pondered this and thought, “Given Uncle Zhou’s expertise in antiques, there’s no way he would take notice of anything from Aurous Hill Antique Street. It stands to reason that the bronze Buddha must indeed be from the Northern Song Dynasty.”


    With that thought, he couldn’t help but let out a sigh. “It seems like this whole situation was concocted by my sworn father-inw and Zhang Ermao (Cade). If they knew that the items Zhou Liangyun acquired today for 300,000 yuan were actually worth tens of millions, I wonder how they would react?”<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    Meanwhile, Zhou Liangyun, having noticed that the man had left, stood up to close the store door from the inside. He then turned his attention to the bronze Buddha he had just acquired.


    Confident in his judgment, Zhou Liangyun believed this was a gilt-bronze Buddha from the Northern Song Dynasty. His earlierments had been somewhat modest. The craftsmanship of this piece was undeniably sophisticated, especially for that period, which marked the zenith of bronze production.


    Very few bronzes from the Northern Song Dynasty have survived, and even fewer boast such exquisite craftsmanship. Many antique enthusiasts may have never encountered one in their lifetime.


    However, there was a significant drawback—the surface had a leather shell that was unfortunately damaged.


    Zhou Liangyun spected that this bronze Buddha had likely passed through the hands of those who didn’t appreciate its value over time. The gilt finish had not been properly maintained and had deteriorated, leading to much of it peeling away. Once it lost too much of its surface, the previous owner likely gave up on restoring it entirely, resulting in the mottled appearance.


    Without the gilding, the leather shell showed signs of damage from the peeling process. For anyone who hadn’t studied Northern Song Dynasty bronzes extensively—even seasoned antique collectors—their first impression would likely be that this was a modern imitation.


    Thus, Zhou Liangyun concluded that the seller must have been an antique dealer specializing in counterfeits. This individual, upon acquiring the bronze Buddha, mistakenly assessed it as a modern item and then had it replicated, pairing it with an unrted artifact to create a misleading set of Xuande year copper bases to deceive others.


    Zhou Liangyun also deduced that the man who had just sold him the item was certainly attempting to pull a fast one.


    The seller imed he was selling his father’s relics for cash, yet his knowledge of the bronze Buddha was suspiciously detailed. He seemed well-acquainted with its age and background and even used technical terms like “open the door.” He could provide a fairly urate price range for a Xuande Year Bronze Buddha, which suggested he had some involvement in the world of antiques.


    However, he appearedpletely ignorant of the timeline of the Northern Song Dynasty, indicating hecked even the most fundamental historical understanding.


    Anyone with a slight familiarity with antiques would not only memorize the names and reigns of past emperors, but would also have a general grasp of their respective eras. Mentioning the reign name of any emperor would evoke a rough timeline in one’s mind. While one might not recall the exact year, knowing the five major dynasties—Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing—should bemon knowledge.


    Thus, it was illogical for this man to discuss the Northern Song Dynasty without knowing its corresponding years in the AD timeline.


    Additionally, the man made crucial decisions multiple times while checking his mobile phone. Zhou Liangyun spected that he was merely a pawn acting under someone else’s directions, and the mastermind who had orchestrated this scam likely believed that this item could trick him into being deceived.


    With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Zhou Liangyun began to specte about the identity of the mastermind behind this scheme.