Little Friend

Qin Yali gestured for everyone to remain calm. She looked at Li Mo and said, "Tell me your motive."

"Auntie Qin must know Professor Zhu Changping, the historical archeologist at Beijing University. You can contact him and verify my identity."

"You know Professor Zhu?"

"Aunt, just give it a try."

Qin Yali quickly made a call. "Hello, Professor Zhu. I have something to verify with you. Do you know a young man called Li Mo? He's from Shanghai."

It was unknown what Professor Zhu said on the phone, but he heard Qin Yali exclaim in surprise.

"Ah!"

"Ah, alright, alright. Thank you, Professor Zhu. I don't know him. My niece is friends with him, so I only found out about this relationship after chatting with him. Do you want to talk to Li Mo… Alright, let him call you back later."

Everyone was stunned. Did this kid really have some background?

Qin Yali hung up the phone and waved at the five security guards with a conflicted expression. "It's a misunderstanding. You can leave."

"Yali, who is he?" Old Master Qin asked.

"Dad, Li Mo is a Capital University student specially recruited by Professor Zhu this year. He was the one who picked up the unparalleled Ming Hongwu Three-Clawed Dark Dragon Glazed Amphora."

The group of people at the scene stared at each other.

"Professor Zhu even asked me to inform you that Li Mo found a full set of 'Great Qing Dragon Stamps' at the Panjiayuan Antique Market. He also found a piece of 'All is Red' and a Ming Dynasty royal Rhino Horn Cup. He said that you can buy them from Li Mo if you like them."

The others did not know the value of the Great Qing Dragon Stamp, but Old Master Qin was an expert. The shock on his face was not fake.

Where did his granddaughter pick up this awesome person from? The impression he gave people was simply earth-shattering. The impact was too strong.

"You guys can leave. This is indeed a misunderstanding."

"Grandpa Qin, as the saying goes, you can't judge a book by its cover. Even if he's Professor Zhu's student, I can't guarantee that his hands and feet are clean. We still have to check him carefully."

Old Master Qin frowned.

"Jiayu, you might not know the situation. Just the stamps Li Mo found are worth more than 100 million yuan, and that amphora that's banned from going overseas is worth at least a billion yuan if it goes to an auction. The things in this study really won't catch his eye."

Everyone held their breaths when Qin Yali said that.

This Li Mo in front of him was indeed an impressive figure.

"Hahaha, no wonder you were only interested in those calligraphies and bowls in the hall previously. Since it's all a misunderstanding, everyone should return to the living room. Little Mo, Old Li, let's sit in the study."

Old Master Qin already had a good impression of Li Mo. Now that he knew his true background, it was as if he had met his soulmate and enthusiastically pulled him into the study.

"Sirui, where did you meet him?"

Qin Sirui was still a little stunned. What was going on? Any random person by the roadside had a powerful background.

"What are you thinking about? Auntie is asking you a question."

"Oh, I pulled him over from Wangfujing Western Restaurant. Aunt, I'll get him something to eat."

Only then did Qin Sirui remember that he had not eaten lunch and had been hungry until now. Although he was an imposter, it was not entirely his fault.

Qin Yali shook her head and followed them into the study. She did not like the group of people in the hall.

"Little Friend Li, take a seat. I've neglected you today."

"Old Master, you're making me panic."

"Haha, in our industry, the capable are the masters. Although you're young, you're already a master in the antique world with your ability. Looking around, I've never seen a battle record like yours in decades. I know Professor Zhu very well. Since he took a fancy to you, it means that there's definitely nothing wrong with your character. It's fine for the two of us to become great friends."

Qin Yali was caught between tears and laughter. The old master was considered a famous person in the collector's world. He had picked up a bargain many times in his life, but compared to Li Mo, he looked shabby. He could understand his feelings, but he couldn't be friends with him.

How could his children and grandchildren endure this!

"Old Qin, don't pressure the younger generation. Let's drink tea first."

"Yes, make tea first. Yali, you do it."

"Little Friend, how much did you pay to pick up that amphora?"

"I spent more than 50,000 yuan to buy the gold jewelry. That's a free gift." Li Mo smiled lightly. "As for those stamps, I spent less than 10,000 yuan. Old Master, if you want to understand them, go to the autumn auction. I've already sold them to the Capital New Era Auction House at a fixed price."

"I like calligraphy and porcelain. I'll just take a look at the rest. By the way, have you picked up a bargain or something?"

"A few days ago, I found an authentic [Twin Horses Painting] by Master Xu Beihong in an old pastry shop. However, it has already been sold to a big collector in the capital who loves horses."

"What an expert."

Li Mo took a sip of the Da Hong Pao. The fragrance reverberated, but he was even hungrier.

"I learned a little from Master."

"If there's a chance, you must introduce me to your master. What kind of master can nurture a disciple like you?"

The more Old Master Qin talked, the more enthusiastic he became. Old Master Li, who was beside him, sighed secretly. Although his grandson was very outstanding, he lacked that kind of steady quality and calm temperament compared to the young man in front of him. The key was that Li Mo was not even 19 years old. No one could imagine how much he would grow in a few years.

Qin Yali sized up Li Mo secretly as she brewed tea. The appearance of the amphora made the historians present shout excitedly. The few people in charge of the museums were envious. They were probably secretly competing for the right to display this amphora.

Qin Sirui walked in with a bowl of noodles. It was green onion noodles. There were two fried eggs, a few vegetables, and a spoon or two of sauce. This should be the culinary skills of a chef. It looked light and delicious.

"Eat, lest you faint from hunger."

Li Mo did not stand on ceremony and did not feel embarrassed. He started eating in front of them.

"Miss Sirui, this noodles tastes good, but there's a little too little. You look a little cold on the surface, but your heart is actually warm." Li Mo swallowed a fried egg in one bite, making the throats of the people beside him move. They all wanted to take a bite.

"Let's just fill your stomach a little first. There's a feast tonight," Qin Sirui said coldly.

Li Mo glanced at her. How could she be a celebrity with such a personality? She kept a distance from everyone she saw. No matter how beautiful she was, she would be ostracized by others.

"What are you looking at? Turn around."

"Sirui, Li Mo is a guest after all." Qin Yali really couldn't do anything to her niece. Qin Sirui had a cold personality since she was young and her relationship with her parents was average, especially since she didn't like others to interfere with her life.

Li Mo stood up with the noodles and turned around. He said vaguely, "These antiques are my favorites."

The two old men beside him also smiled bitterly.

There was an old inkstone on the desk. Qin Yali wanted to give it to him previously. Li Mo sized it up as he ate the noodles.

Eh, there seemed to be something wrong with this inkstone.

Li Mo finished the noodles and broth in a few mouthfuls. Then, he put his bowl and chopsticks aside and picked up the old inkstone to inspect.

Judging from the material, this was one of the four famous inkstones, Cheng Mud Inkstone. This kind of inkstone was made during the Jin and Tang Dynasties and flourished during the Song Dynasty. Its characteristic was that it was hard and resistant to wear, easy to produce ink, and did not consume ink.

The main color of the old inkstone in front of him was crab shell green. There were shrub patterns carved with bamboo knives on the surface. What puzzled Li Mo was that this Cheng Mud Inkstone was thick and heavy. Its polishing technique was rough. The black wax wrapped around the surface had already lost that luster. There were spiderweb cracks visible to the naked eye.

Such a famous inkstone was so crudely made, and it did not look exquisite enough as if it was casually made.

Li Mo subconsciously focused his gaze. There was a gray luster on the inkstone, but there was no halo spreading. This meant that this was an old item passed down from the middle of the Qing Dynasty and did not have any artistic value.

His gaze penetrated the interior at once. There were actually more than a hundred orange rings of light that shot out and spread in all directions.

There was an inkstone in the inkstone!

Moreover, the age of the inkstone hidden inside was still before the Ming Dynasty. It still required further identification to determine which dynasty it was.