C19 A Fool

At Antique City, the architecture is a replica of ancient styles, featuring red bricks, green tiles, and sandalwood structures that exude a subtle, elegant scent upon entering.

Vendors line the streets, their stalls brimming with 'treasures' spread out on the ground.

"Come take a look! These are newly unearthed Ming Dynasty antiques. I assure you, they're all genuine!"

"These antiques are authentic. You can see their quality at a glance. You won't regret buying them."

"Here we have high-quality Xuande porcelain at a very low price, only $10,000!"

The vendors' calls drew a crowd of onlookers.

Ye Chen and Bai Xiaocheng joined the throng, inspecting the antiques with a discerning eye.

"Ye Chen, I've brought plenty of money today. Just say the word, and whatever you like, I'll buy for you," Bai Xiaocheng said, slapping his chest confidently, his wealth giving him assurance.

"Thank you!" Ye Chen replied with a smile, choosing not to mention his own substantial fortune of over ten million yuan. He preferred not to boast, and doubted Bai Xiaocheng would believe him anyway.

"What do you think of this blue and white porcelain? Its craftsmanship is delicate, and the phoenix pattern is just right," Bai Xiaocheng remarked, clearly taken with the Xuande piece.

Ye Chen shook his head. "If it's for your personal collection, go ahead and buy it. But if you're looking to profit, that's not going to happen."

"Why not? Are you an expert on antiques?" Bai Xiaocheng inquired.

"This piece is styled after Elemental Blue Flower, but the original Elemental Blue Flower and Qian Long era paintings were done in a single stroke, with varying intensities of color. However, if you look closely at the phoenix wings on this porcelain, you'll see they weren't drawn in one stroke."

"This piece is indeed genuine, but it's from the late Qing period. It has historical value, but not economic value," Ye Chen explained with ease, leaving Bai Xiaocheng astounded.

Bai Xiaocheng could understand each word Ye Chen said, but somehow, when strung together, they eluded him. However, one thing was clear: the porcelain wasn't as valuable as the vendor had claimed.

"Ye Chen, you're incredibly skilled! Where did you learn all this?"

"I've read a few books on antiques."

"You're impressive!"

After leaving the stall, they continued their leisurely stroll.

An hour had gone by, and Ye Chen hadn't purchased a single antique.

Bai Xiaocheng, who was quite hefty, was feeling exhausted.

"Bai Pangzi, why don't you take a break? I'll wander around on my own for a bit."

"Sure thing!" Bai Xiaocheng had been hoping for that invitation. He turned and made a beeline for the nearby milk tea shop.

Ye Chen resumed his walk, pausing only when he arrived at an antique shop.

"Hello, how much for this necklace?"

The attendant hurried over. "Sir, you have an excellent eye. This necklace is quite the find. It's crafted from platinum, and the pendant is blood jade. We're offering it for just 60,000 yuan."

"Wait!"

A loud voice suddenly cut off the attendant.

A man approached slowly; it was Lin Kang, whom Ye Chen hadn't seen in a long while.

He had shed much of his youthful air, his features now sharp and mature.

With a sneer, he said, "Ye Chen, when did a penniless student like you start affording antiques?"

Turning to the attendant, Lin Kang chided, "You've been in the business this long and you can't size people up? Look at his plain clothes. Can he really afford such expensive antiques? There are plenty of other customers waiting for service, and you're wasting time on someone who can't afford it! Do you even want to keep your job?"

"I'm so sorry, I'll attend to the other customers immediately."

The attendant, not wanting to provoke Lin Kang, moved aside to assist others.

But Lin Kang's voice had carried; everyone was aware that there was drama unfolding, and their attention was no longer on the antiques.

"Mr. Lin, please have a look at this painting. I'm offering it at a bargain price of just 10,000 yuan. I'm in desperate need of cash."

At that moment, a middle-aged man entered, clutching a painting.

But to the discerning eye, it was clear that the artwork was mediocre at best—a counterfeit.

Lin Kang erupted in anger, "You have the nerve to sell a fake painting for ten thousand? Do you think I run a charity? Your financial desperation is none of my concern!"

"Mr. Lin, my family has royal lineage. It's inconceivable that we would keep a counterfeit painting as a family heirloom."

"Beat it. If you don't scram, don't blame me for not being polite."

The middle-aged man let out a deep sigh and dared not speak another word.

"How much for this necklace?" Ye Chen was only interested in purchasing the necklace.

"Struck it rich, have you? You can afford an antique necklace now?"

Lin Kang had been associating with his cousin Jia Sheng lately. Through sheer tenacity, he had risen to the rank of a minor leader.

He was in charge of this antique shop and had even invested in it, giving him significant influence.

"How much?" Ye Chen was not in the mood to engage with him.

"What's with the act? Do you think your academic achievements can be spent like cash? Look at this guy, everyone. He's the top scorer in our city's joint exams. But he's dirt poor, living in a tiny rental room of just seven or eight square meters. He owns nothing, his only asset being his academic performance!"

The crowd shook their heads and chuckled.

To them, academic excellence was worthless. They believed that no matter how good one's grades were, it was impossible to earn tens or hundreds of millions in a year.

Those who could afford antiques, on the other hand, were all assumed to be extremely wealthy.

"Are you going to sell it or just keep blabbering? You talk too much!" Ye Chen's voice was icy, and he looked ready to throw a punch at any moment.

Lin Kang snorted coldly. He was well aware that he was no match for Ye Chen and had no intention of provoking him right away.

He had already messaged his cousin, who was planning to bring a hundred people over.

He couldn't imagine Ye Chen slipping through his fingers.

"You're serious about buying? Fine, for old times' sake since we were classmates, I'll give you a discount. It's two hundred thousand, and the price is non-negotiable."

"Fine, I'll pay by card." Ye Chen calmly produced his bank card and handed it to Lin Kang.

Lin Kang was taken aback.

Where on earth did Ye Chen get all that money?

He paused and chuckled, "You wouldn't try to trick me with a blank card, right? You're aware of the crowd, so maybe you're feeling shy? But let me tell you, if there's no money on this card, you'll be even more embarrassed."

"Don't rush into buying that necklace."

A sympathetic voice emerged from the crowd, offering a cautionary word, "Young man, the value of that necklace lies in the blood jade, but this particular stone is riddled with impurities and isn't of high quality. It's not worth more than twenty or thirty thousand, tops."

"Enough talk, I've already made the sale."

Lin Kang had already pocketed the money and was taken aback by Ye Chen's unexpected wealth.

His smile widened, eyes squinting into slits.

He had bought the jade for a mere ten thousand. Even after crafting it into a necklace with a platinum chain, it wasn't worth thirty thousand.

Ye Chen, the poor sap, had shelled out two hundred thousand for the necklace, netting Lin Kang a tidy profit for practically nothing.

"He's clearly taking you for a ride! With your academic prowess, how can you not see through him?" The onlooker expressed his frustration.

"All he does is hit the books; he's clueless in reality!"

"Exactly, today's education system is all about passing exams. The top students are the biggest fools."

"He's missing basic life skills and can't even read social cues. No matter how good his grades are, he's just a bookish nerd."

Finally, with the necklace in hand, Ye Chen allowed himself a smile.

Seeing Ye Chen's naivety, the middle-aged painter selling his work perked up.

"How about this painting? It's yours for just fifty thousand!"