Ouyang Ye carried a rectangular metal box into the living room, eagerly saying, "This is a specialized instrument for testing antiques. Young Master Qi, put the ancient guqin in there, be careful not to damage it."
Qi Ze carefully examined the box, his eyes flickering with curiosity. Since arriving in the Black Eye Galaxy, he had been most interested in these high-tech items. None of the instruments in the apartment had escaped his abuse; the robot butler, the temperature control system, the automatic floor cleaner, the automatic kitchenware, the security system... All had been disassembled and studied thoroughly by him countless times, then reassembled back to their original state, so much so that Ouyang Ye still hadn't realized that the control of the house had long been in his hands.
"What's the operating principle of this machine?" he asked while placing the guqin.
As a failing student, Ouyang Ye of course couldn't answer, so he quickly ran back to his room, rummaging out a user's manual. When Qi Ze had finished reading the manual, the test had just concluded. Many data points appeared on the semi-transparent box lid. After the data had scrolled through, an appraisal document followed, on which several lines of text were written: Material: Chinese parasol tree, catalpa wood, white jade, tortoiseshell, shell, silk; Age: 15,000 to 20,000 years ago; Origin: Earth, Huaxia; Category: Musical instrument; Name: Ancient guqin; Spirit Rhythm Value: SSS; Estimated Price: ???
Ouyang Ye's eyes bulged wider than a gong, and after several rereads, he confirmed that he wasn't hallucinating. He shakily opened the detector, shakily put on gloves, shakily lifted the guqin body, then carefully placed it back down, dryly saying, "Young Master Qi, you take it yourself. If it breaks, I can't afford to pay for it."
Qi Ze vaguely sensed something, but he didn't show it on his face. He was about to move the guqin, but was stopped by Ouyang Ye. "Wait, put on the gloves first. Be careful."
"Is it very valuable?" Qi Ze fished out a pair of heaven silk gloves from his Interspatial Button.
"Beyond estimation," Ouyang Ye swallowed, his voice shaking. "Young Master Qi, where did you get this?"
"Family property," Qi Ze didn't intend to say more.
"Then your family must be super-duper rich! Ignoring this guqin, just by disassembling these materials, they could sell for sky-high prices." Ouyang Ye's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Qi Ze was slightly stunned for a moment, then nodded without modesty, "My family is indeed very wealthy." The Supreme Divine Creation Sect had virtually monopolized ninety-nine percent of the spirit weapon business on the Qianyuan Continent. Although its martial power couldn't match other sects, its financial strength could easily rank among the top three. The sect's final destruction was partly due to this reason.
His expression briefly wavered, as if he saw again the imposing sect towering atop the Yan Mountains, as if he saw his father, with his kind eyes, smiling at him while stroking his beard. Then came the rain of swords that destroyed everything, leaving behind only a scarred stone tablet.
A hint of bloodlust and killing intent flashed in his eyes, then quickly receded. Qi Ze pointed to a line of small print on the appraisal document and asked, "The three question marks mean the value is unestimable, then what is the Spirit Rhythm Value?"
"The Spirit Rhythm Value is a type of energy contained within antiques, similar to the inner qi of martial artists and the mental force of psychics. It's a means of self-protection. Earth is no longer suitable for human habitation, and the environment is getting worse, but these antiques can be preserved intact thanks to this Spirit Rhythm. The higher the Spirit Rhythm Value, the longer the antique's lifespan. Especially for usable antiques like this one, reaching the SSS level means there's no need to worry about it breaking with a light touch. Of course, it's still necessary to have a psychic reinforce it periodically. A psychic's mental force can lock the Spirit Rhythm within the antique, extending its preservation period. If one could get an SSS-level psychic to reinforce it, perhaps it could enhance the antique's Spirit Rhythm Value, and the price would rise year after year."
Ouyang Ye gently caressed the tortoiseshell and shell inlaid on the guqin body, and continued, "In recent years, the tectonic movements on Earth have become more and more frequent, and various geological disasters have destroyed the vast majority of ancient human sites. Artifacts like this one probably won't appear again in the future. Young Master Qi, I suggest you think it over before deciding whether to sell it. What about your parents? Will they agree?"
Young Master Qi's student record indicated that he was an orphan and had entered the Neptune Military Academy with the help of a human rights organization. But Ouyang Ye didn't believe a word of it. If Young Master Qi didn't have parents and a powerful family, how could he have developed such a superior and noble aura?
"They're all gone, I can make my own decisions. Sell it," Qi Ze's eyes darkened.
Seeing his mood was off, Ouyang Ye didn't dare to say more, sending the holographic image of the ancient guqin to his uncle.
Yan Junyu had been observing the boy from the side the whole time. Every word and every expression of his was repeatedly pondered, and he became even more convinced of his previous guess. This child was indeed a descendant of Huaxia, indeed burdened with a sea of blood and enmity. When talking about his family and parents, his expression was so proud, and the ancient guqin in front of him truly displayed his depth.
"I see, you come from a manufacturing family, right?" he guessed. "Without systematic learning and no secret techniques, it's absolutely impossible to create an attribute item. But you did it easily, and with a casual attitude, as if it was just a game."
He paused for a moment, then confirmed, "Your family is probably like the Mu family of the Empire, engaged in the manufacturing industry. No wonder you carry so many odd and exotic items with you."
If that was the case, how vast were the wealth accumulated by the Qi family? The Mu family alone could rank second on the Empire's wealth list with just one munitions factory. What about the Qi family? With that, it wasn't hard to guess why Qi Ze had ended up on Neptune.
"Power and money will always drive people mad," Qi Ze sincerely sighed, recalling his own accidental death.
At the same time, Li Yu, who had received the holographic image, quickly made a video call. "Where did you get the ancient guqin? Just in time, the head of the Meng family came to visit in person earlier, asking me to find him a guqin. If it's confirmed that this is an antique, I'll sell it to him directly."
"Do you think the Meng family can afford it?" Before Ouyang Ye could reply, Qi Ze's lazy voice came through.
Learning that there was an outsider present, Li Yu frowned, clearly displeased. Ouyang Ye hurriedly pointed the camera at Qi Ze and explained, "Uncle, Young Master Qi is the owner of this guqin. You'd better look at the appraisal document before making a decision. Personally, I suggest you hold an auction instead of selling it privately."
Li Yu neither confirmed nor denied it, opening the appraisal document sent by his nephew and glanced through it, then his expression gradually froze. In the antique market, items from Earth were already expensive, and ancient wood, jade, shells, pure natural silk, and so onâeach item could be sold separately to become the highlight of an auction. Not to mention an SSS-level Spirit Rhythm Value.
Once this ancient guqin came into the world, it would undoubtedly cause a sensation. Even the old aristocracy of the Imperial Capital would be attracted, vying for it, how could a small Meng family have a chance? To put it bluntly, even if the Meng family used all its liquid funds, it might not be able to afford a single string of this guqin.
Li Yu finished reading the appraisal document word by word and said cautiously, "Wait for me, I'll come and see it in person. If it's confirmed that the item is real, I'll send it to the Imperial Capital for a joint grand auction, and after the transaction, I'll take a five percent commission. Young Master Qi, you should understand that this kind of national treasure-level antique is something my auction house can't handle alone for now."
"Sure, as long as it gets sold," Qi Ze waved his hand lazily.
Seeing him so nonchalant, Li Yu couldn't help but think further. After hanging up the phone, he sent a text message to his nephew, warning him to be sure to get along well with Qi Ze. He originally thought Qi Ze was a spy sent by some force, but now, looking again, that guess was absolutely wrong. Not to mention a spy, even the force hiding behind them might not have such good stuff.
"What is a joint grand auction?" With no strangers around, Qi Ze's attitude was even more lazy, opening his smartbrain to play games.
Ouyang Ye put on gloves and inch by inch felt the ancient guqin, his face showing a manic expression. This was the only SSS-level antique he had handled, and it might also be the last one. How could he not touch it enough?
"The joint grand auction is initiated by the Imperial Royal Auction House, and smaller auction houses on various planets voluntarily sign up to participate. Only antiques at the A level or above are eligible. At that time, all the tycoons and nobles of the entire Black Eye Galaxy will gather in the Imperial Capital, vying for the chance to bid on them," he answered absentmindedly.
"In other words, if I send it to the joint grand auction, I can make more money?" Qi Ze was good at grasping the key points.
"Absolutely!" Ouyang Ye suddenly realized he was hugging a golden thigh. Just the commission from this transaction alone would complete his uncle's auction house's annual turnover, and also open the door in the Imperial Capital. If things went well, it might even surpass the Ouyang family in the future.
Thinking of this, he held back his excitement and probed, "Young Master Qi, the auction won't be held until the end of October. If you need money urgently, I can lend you some. Or do you have any extra small trinkets you can give to my uncle for his auction house to sell first, just to tide over?"
Now, Qi Ze couldn't even afford nutrient solution, hearing that he wouldn't get his money until the second half of the year, his casual attitude changed. After shutting down the game interface, he rummaged through his Interspatial Button, taking out a jade pendant. After absorbing its spirit energy as usual, he threw it over, asking, "How much can this sell for?"
Ouyang Ye fumbled to catch the jade pendant, carefully placing it in the detector. Moments later, staring at the three question marks at the end of the appraisal document, he stuttered, "Young, Young Master Qi, this is really an extra trinket to you?"
"Yes, it's not very useful," it was only a blank jade talisman without any defensive or offensive formations inscribed on it. If it were on the Qianyuan Continent, it would be tossed to the ground without anyone picking it up.
"But this jade pendant is 30,000 years old, made of top-grade white jade, and its Spirit Rhythm Value is also the rare S class. Young Master Qi, this is too valuable. My uncle's auction house can't handle it. Why don't I give you a little advance payment first, and when I get the money from the auction house at the end of October, you can pay me back, okay?" Ouyang Ye took the initiative to find a velvet box, placing the jade pendant into it. It was always good to bring more business to his uncle. Perhaps by the end of the year, the Li Auction House could be upgraded.
"Okay," one item was sold, and two were soldâit made no difference to Qi Ze. He looked at Ouyang Ye with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, teasing, "Your uncle didn't raise you in vain."
"Young Master Qi, you'll find that you didn't raise me in vain either," Ouyang Ye had a thick face.
Qi Ze walked silently into the bedroom, closing the door tightly, then shivering off a full body of goosebumps. In the living room, Young Master Ouyang rolled on the couch several times, then jumped up and punched the ceiling, letting out a silent howl.
Yan Junyu stood in the hallway, looking back and forth between the two children, and laughed amusedly.