“Old boy who spreads wealth?”


    Upon hearing this, Zhou Liangyun couldn’t help but chuckle sarcastically to himself: “I’m not that old yet; middle-aged is more like it. I certainly don’t deserve the title of ‘old boy’…”


    Feigning curiosity, he then asked, “Mr. Willson, how did I earn such a nickname?”<fn4802> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n f?ndnovel</fn4802>


    Jacob, noticing that Zhou was still in the dark about the matter, sneered: “Didn’t you just acquire a bronze Buddha that’s supposedly from the Ming Dynasty?”


    Zhou Liangyun nodded in acknowledgment: “I did receive one, but to be precise, it’s not a Ming Dynasty bronze Buddha. It’s actually a Northern Song Dynasty bronze Buddha resting on a Ming Dynasty base.”<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    Jacob burst intoughter: “Northern Song Dynasty… Hahaha! You’re really something, Manager Zhou!”


    Zhou Liangyun replied with a serious tone: “Mr. Willson, that bronze Buddha indeed originates from the Northern Song Dynasty. If you don’t believe me, why note inside and take a look?”


    “I’m not interested in seeing it,” Jacob scoffed, curling his lip. “Word on the street is that someone tried to pass off a fake Ming Dynasty bronze Buddha to make a ssh in the antique market. They first approached Jiqing Hall, but Manager Chen saw through it and refused to buy. Then they brought it to you, and you ended up purchasing it, right?”


    Zhou Liangyun suddenly realized the implications, thinking: “It seems Jacob has set his sights on me. It’s not just him and Zhang Ermao; Chen Yufei from Ji Qingtang must be in on this too.”


    However, he maintained hisposure and smiled, saying: “Everyone ims that the bronze Buddha is fake, but I genuinely believe it has value. If the right buyeres along, it could fetch a high price.”


    He continued earnestly: “If the previous owner knew the true worth of this piece, he’d probably regret selling it for such a low price. In the antique trade, it’s a ssic case where the regretes after the sale.”


    “Regret?” Jacob let out a heartyugh, clearly amused. He eximed: “Oh, Manager Zhou, I didn’t realize you’d be so naive after our time apart! Look at you—you’re just like those fools on treasure appraisal shows, mistaking junk for treasure. A hundred experts could say it’s worth only a dor, yet they still cling to the delusion that it’s worth millions!”


    Zhou Liangyun smiled back and said: “Mr. Willson, the antique industry really tests your perception. What may seem worthless to one person could be invaluable to another. Those who truly understand the market will always find the real treasures.”


    “Oh, absolutely!” Jacob nodded vigorously, his fingers iling like someone with a tremor. “You’re stuck in your delusions. Xinqiao is out of the professional loop. This conversation is going nowhere. So, you believe that thing is from the Northern Song Dynasty? Go ahead and try selling it. Let’s see if anyone’s foolish enough to buy it!”


    Zhou Liangyun responded with a grin: “To be candid, Mr. Willson, I’m actually on the lookout for a buyer. If everything goes smoothly, I could sell it by tonight, or within three days at thetest.”


    Jacob’s face twisted in scorn, his tone dripping with disdain: “Zhou Liangyun, you’re in for a rude awakening today. Your reputation of carrying people and items is now tainted. The entire market is aware that you have a fake. Even a fool wouldn’t buy it! Honestly, you’d be lucky to sell it for fifty thousand yuan.”


    He then nced at Zhen Baoxuan, who had fallen on hard timestely, and mockingly added: “I bet you’ve spent all your capital on this venture, haven’t you? If you fall for this trap, you’ll learn a hard lesson. From now on, it’s best to keep a low profile. If you keep pushing your luck with that fake vase, you might just find yourself in serious trouble.”


    Zhou Liangyun understood that Jacob was harboring resentment from their past encounters. His intention had never been to offend; it was merely to entertain others. Charlie’s acquisition of the “Nine Mysterious Scriptures” hadpelled him into this situation.


    So, he offered a respectful bow to Jacob and spoke candidly: “Mr. Willson, I acknowledge that I offended you in the past, but circumstances were different then. I was acting on behalf of others and had to navigate many challenges. I sincerely apologize.”


    After expressing his remorse, he took a step back, bowing slightly once more, and added, “I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive and consider us friends moving forward.”