C2 Antique Market

Lin Luo paused in front of an overlooked antique stall, surveying the assortment of items before his eyes settled on a Clear Plum Flowered Porcelain Vase.

He picked up the vase and inquired, "Boss, how much for this vase?"

"Ah! Young man, you've got quite the eye! This is the jewel of my stall, a genuine relic from the Qing Dynasty."

The stout vendor puffed up with pride. "I don't usually sell this to just anyone, but you seem to have a certain affinity with it. How does two hundred thousand sound?"

The fat boss's outrageous asking price drew snickers from onlookers. The vase was riddled with defects, and the ink on its surface was suspiciously vibrant—a clear sign of a recent forgery. Only a fool would consider purchasing it.

Yet Lin Luo appeared oblivious to these flaws. He ran his fingers along the vase and countered, "Would you take five hundred for it?"

"Five hundred?" The vendor was taken aback. "Brother, what do you think this is, a dragon-slaying sword?"

"Four hundred," Lin Luo persisted.

"Listen, brother, this is a Qing Dynasty piece. Four hundred just doesn't seem right, does it?"

"Three hundred."

As the price continued to plummet, the vendor's composure frayed, and he hastily accepted the offer.

"Fine, fine, fine. Three hundred it is, but not a penny less!"

Lin Luo couldn't be bothered to haggle any further. He pulled out three wrinkled hundred-yuan bills from his pocket and tossed them to the fat boss.

Once Lin Luo had departed, the vendor spat in disgust, muttering, "Damn bad luck, running into a haggling demon first thing in the morning."

"At least I got this piece of junk at the morning market for eighty yuan. I'm still up by more than two hundred. If he'd kept on bargaining, I might've ended up slapping him."

Watching Lin Luo enter the Antique Shop with the vase he'd just sold, the vendor sneered.

"Foolish kid. If that thing were a real antique, I'd have sold it myself long ago. Why would I wait for someone like him to stumble upon a find?"

He suspected Lin Luo had been seduced by too many TV dramas, thinking any old piece of porcelain from the market could be a treasure trove.

"Boss, are you interested in buying antiques?"

Upon entering the Antique Shop, Lin Luo set the recently acquired porcelain vase on the counter.

The proprietor, a refined elder sporting a pair of reading glasses, was none other than Wu Guowen, a renowned antique collector known throughout the Antique Market for his profound expertise in authenticating antiques. He had a knack for discerning the authenticity of any piece at a mere glance.

However, when Lin Luo presented his vase, Boss Wu only spared it a brief look before shaking his head dismissively.

"Antique Friend, this porcelain vase is clearly a fake."

"Really?"

With a smile, Lin Luo encouraged, "Boss, please take another close look."

Perplexed, Wu Guowen adjusted his glasses and peered at the base of the vase, his eyes suddenly bulging in astonishment. The delicate and intricate patterns etched there were unmistakably the signature carving style of Qing Dynasty porcelain artisans!

"This indeed is an authentic antique..."

Chagrined by his initial misjudgment, Wu Guowen ran his fingers along the vase's surface, remarking, "The ink on this vase is an uncommon watercolor ink that retains its vibrancy upon contact with water. That explains the intensity of the colors here..."

"It's a fine piece, but the numerous imperfections on the surface do detract from its collectible value."

"Would 20,000 be acceptable?" inquired Lin Luo.

"Certainly."

Boss Wu produced 20,000 yuan in cash, seemingly recognizing Lin Luo's expertise. He then offered his business card, saying, "Antique Friend, here's my card. Should you wish to deal in antiques in the future, feel free to reach out to me at any time."

Lin Luo accepted the card and departed from the Antique Shop.

Outside, the plump shopkeeper who had eagerly anticipated Lin Luo's embarrassment was left agape as he watched Lin Luo emerge with a substantial sum of cash in hand. It took a moment for him to regain his composure.

"Damn! Did this guy actually manage to sell that piece of junk? And to Boss Wu, the antique appraisal expert?"

The sight of Lin Luo turning a 300 yuan purchase into a lucrative antique sale filled the fat shopkeeper with a deep sense of regret.

If only he had taken that porcelain vase to a professional appraisal agency, he would be the one pocketing the money now!

"Damn! I'm such an idiot!"

The fat boss gave himself a couple of hard slaps, filled with regret.

...

As Lin Luo was preparing to leave the Antique Market, the crowd ahead suddenly erupted into a commotion.

"Look! An old man has collapsed over there."

Lin Luo followed the gaze of the bystanders and saw an elderly man in a traditional suit lying unconscious, propped up by a muscular and rugged man.

A young woman in a crisp white dress was frantically searching through her bag for medication, which she then administered to the elderly man.

Initially, Lin Luo was disinterested, but upon noticing the old man's peculiar symptoms, he paused to take a closer look.

"This illness seems familiar..."

Approaching, Lin Luo bent down to feel the old man's icy skin.

"What are you doing?!"

The woman in the dress became defensive as she saw someone handling the old man.

Lin Luo, feeling the chill at his fingertips, seemed to recall something, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Cold Poison?"

A contemplative look crossed Lin Luo's eyes.

Cold Poison was considered incurable by modern medical standards.

And the Cold Poison afflicting the old man had penetrated deep into his bones, his days numbered.

Lin Luo observed the unconscious man and thought to himself,

"If fate has brought us together, then I shall save your life."

He then asked the woman in the dress, "Do you have any silver needles?"

"Silver needles?"

The woman appeared confused.

"Give me thirteen silver needles, and I can save this old man's life."

"Are you kidding? Since when do silver needles save lives? What is this, a martial arts novel?"

"Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

Lin Luo cast another glance at the old man and added, "This man doesn't have much time. If you keep stalling, I can't promise I'll be able to save him."

The woman in the dress scrutinized Lin Luo closely. From any angle, she couldn't see him as a doctor capable of healing her grandfather.

She didn't believe Lin Luo had the skills to heal her grandfather and pegged him as nothing more than a Divine Fraud, out to swindle people under the guise of offering medical aid.

"Liar."

The woman in the evening gown muttered under her breath.

"Liar?"

Lin Luo let out a chuckle, "Well, if you insist on seeing me as a liar, I'll refrain from interfering further. However..."

His voice trailed off as his gaze turned icy.

"Come midnight, when this old man is coughing up blood and his soul departs for the afterlife within the hour, I hope you won't come begging for my help."

The words, which seemed to curse her grandfather's impending death, sent the woman into a fury.

"Liar! Vanish from my sight this instant, or else..."

A hint of menace flickered in her eyes.

The robust man supporting the elder also wore a grave look, his hand subtly reaching for his waist, ready to draw a weapon at any moment.

Lin Luo gave a dismissive chuckle, shook his head, and walked away.

...

As evening fell, Lin Luo arrived home laden with bags of various sizes.

Upon entering and seeing his daughter Lin Xiao engrossed in her homework, a tender smile graced his face.

"Xiao Xiao, look what Daddy brought you."

He produced a doll and dangled it before her.

Lin Xiao eyed the doll, longing to grasp it, but she hesitated, still intimidated by her father's unpredictable moods.

With a wry smile, Lin Luo set the doll on the table and proceeded to the kitchen with the groceries.

His wife, Xiao Qingli, was bustling about the kitchen. She paused, taken aback by the sight of the groceries Lin Luo had brought home.

Since Lin Luo's gambling addiction took hold, meat and vegetables had become rarities at their table.

But today, he had returned with an abundance of poultry and fish, leaving Xiao Qingli astonished.

Yet, what truly amazed her was the thick wad of cash he pulled out next.

"Where did all this money come from?"

"I found a bargain at the Antique Shop earlier and made some money. Take this to cover Xiao Xiao's school fees."

He then handed her Wu Guowen's business card, adding, "This is from the Antique Friend who purchased my items. Boss Wu is quite the generous man, and his prices are fair. If any of your colleagues are in the market for antiques, they should definitely look him up."

Xiao Qingli glanced at the business card in Lin Luo's hand and chose not to say more, instead focusing on washing the vegetables.

"Let me handle this. You've been working all day and must be exhausted. I'll take care of the cooking," Lin Luo insisted, slipping the money into his wife's pocket before taking over the kitchen duties.

Watching Lin Luo bustling around the kitchen, Xiao Qingli's gaze shifted to the money he had placed in her pocket for their daughter Lin Xiao's tuition. Her eyes reflected a complex mix of emotions. Her heart, once brimming with disappointment towards Lin Luo, now flickered with a glimmer of hope.

"Perhaps this time he's truly determined to change..."

...

Midnight at the Xu family residence in River City.

"The old man is vomiting blood!"

"Quick, fetch the doctor!"

These urgent shouts echoed through the mansion.

The entire Xu family convened in a bedroom adorned with simple Republic of China-era decor, all sharing a tense anticipation for the doctor's verdict.

After the examination, Xu Wenqian, the eldest of the Xu generation, approached the doctor anxiously, "Doctor, how is my father's condition?"

The doctor's expression was one of regret as he shook his head, "Old Master Xu's outlook is grim... Given the current state of medical technology, it's extremely difficult to save him. In about an hour, Old Master Xu's organs will fail completely..."

With a heavy sigh, the doctor offered his sympathies, "I'm sorry... please prepare yourselves."

The Xu family was thunderstruck by the news. Old Master Xu, full of vitality just two days prior, was now on the brink of death?

The reality seemed unfathomable.

Amidst the shock, Xu Muqing's thoughts raced back to the encounter with Lin Luo at the Antique Shop earlier that day. The dire state of his grandfather aligned precisely with Lin Luo's description.

"Could it be... everything he said was true?"

"Could it be... he actually has a way to heal my grandfather?"

Xu Muqing wasted no time in relaying this to his father, Xu Wenqian. Upon hearing it, Xu Wenqian was astounded and without hesitation, he activated the Xu family's extensive network, scouring the city for the mysterious figure who might hold the key to saving Old Master Xu.