InvincibleConnoisseur

Chapter 38 Hard to Tell the Genuine from the Fake

These days, Wang Ke had benefited a lot from studying under Zhao Menfeng. Although he was not yet able to easily identify if an antique or magic weapon was genuine or fake, with the knowledge he had learned, he still somewhat had a rough idea of identification. And the bronze Buddha statue in his hand, Wang Ke thought, should not be a fake magic weapon. Even if it were not a genuine magic weapon, there should be a great possibility that it was a genuine antique.

A few days ago, when Zhao Menfeng taught him the knowledge of antiques, he was given many antiques and several magic weapons in Self House to identify. And this bronze Buddha statue was very much like the magic weapon that Zhao Menfeng used as a teaching example.

Its carving craft did not look very exquisite. But a trace of exquisiteness was flickering in its roughness. Under its rough appearance, there was a kind of subtle lingering charm, just like a burly tough man with hidden tenderness and ingenuity.

Wang Ke stood up from the sofa and strode out of the door as Li Hui and Cheng Renjie looked at him with confusion. Under the sun, he found that the sunlight refracted on the bronze Buddha statue was bright, but a small part of it was with a dull luster.

Could it be a refurbished old object?

Wang Ke was struck with sudden inspiration. He had seen someone who didn't recognize a genuine magic weapon processed it. Although it looked more like a genuine one, many connoisseurs identified it as a fake. In fact, it was genuine but just with a seemingly fake appearance after being processed.

Was this bronze Buddha statue genuine? Or was it fake?

Wang Ke was a bit uncertain. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to use the extraordinary vision to see if this bronze Buddha statue was a magic weapon.

He slowly ran his spirit energy to his eyes. He used to feel the stinging pain every time before he used the extraordinary vision. But since he had used it many times, now he felt the pain was much less, just like being bitten by an ant. After the mild pain disappeared, a cool soothing feeling started to spread from his eyes.

No white smog?

Not a magic weapon?

Wang Ke quickly cut off his spirit energy and shook his head with a bitter smile after his eyes returned to their original condition.

"Brother Wang, did you find out anything? Many masters have said it was fake. Can they all be wrong?" Cheng Renjie looked at Wang Ke curiously and asked.

Li Hui showed a glimmer of expectation. If those masters were wrong, he could get his money back. Now he did not dream of making a fortune. As long as he could get his money back, he would be satisfied!

Wang Ke shook his head and said, "This is a fake magic weapon."

With disappointment appearing on his face, Li Hui smiled bitterly and shook his head in silence.

Wang Ke did not notice the look on Li Hui's face and continued, "Although it is not a magic weapon, I think it should be an antique. But I am not one hundred percent sure."

The disappointment on Li Hui's face changed slightly. Wang Ke's words made the hope in his heart emerge again. Even if it were an antique instead of a magic weapon, it would be great news for him! Although an antique was not as expensive as a magic weapon, it was at least not a worthless piece of junk!

"Brother Wang Ke, is that true? Could it really be an antique?" His body trembled slightly and the hope in his eyes became even greater.

Instead of answering Li Hui's question immediately, Wang Ke thought quickly in his mind with his eyes fixed on the bronze Buddha statue in his hand. After carefully scanning the entire statue several times, he turned his head to Li Hui as if he made up his mind and asked, "Brother Li, how much did you spend on this bronze Buddha statue?"

Li Hui said without hesitation, "Forty-eight thousand yuan."

Wang Ke pondered for a moment and said, "Brother Li, I'll give you forty-eight thousand yuan for this bronze Buddha statue. What do you think? To be honest, I'm not really sure if it is an antique or not. But it's certainly not a magic weapon."

Li Hui's eyes sparkled and a hint of surprise appeared on his face. But Wang Ke's words made his heart sink again. After hesitating for a while, he shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "Brother Wang Ke, if someone else says this to me, I will not hesitate to sell it. After all, I would thank heavens if I could get my money back. But now it's you and you are not one hundred percent sure. So I can't put you at risk. I owe you my life. If you really want it, I'll give it to you. For free."

Wang Ke smiled bitterly in his heart. The reason why he decided to buy this bronze Buddha statue was not that he was one hundred percent sure that this was an antique. If not, he would gain nothing! His decision was partly because he wanted to help Li Hui. Wang Ke was now very clear about Li Hui's family situation. All his savings had been cheated out of him. Not to mention that his wife had an unknown disease and needed money for surgery. He could not sit idly by.

He was not a man of great kindness, nor was he a millionaire. Just about half a month ago, he was still a poor young man. But he knew what it was like to be poor. And he understood the feelings of the poor, especially at such an urgent moment when money was much needed.

These days, one could afford to delay anything but treatment for illness.

Li Hui's words made Wang Ke even more determined to buy this bronze Buddha statue.

If Li Hui immediately agreed with joy, Wang Ke would think that he would just let it go even if this bronze Buddha statue were fake and his money were wasted. But Li Hui's words were full of emotion. He was such an honest and fair man that Wang Ke was willing to waste his money for him.

"Brother Li, don't refuse me anymore! I believe in my ability, so I have great confidence that this is a genuine antique. Of course, if it is genuine, maybe I can even make a profit. You thanked me for saving your life and I appreciated it. You invited me for a meal and I agreed because I wanted you to get over it. We are now even. But financial matters should be settled clearly even between brothers. I can't take advantage of you, or I'll feel bad in my heart." Wang Ke said firmly.

"Well..."

Li Hui looked at Wang Ke in a daze with mixed feelings in his heart.

Forty-eight thousand yuan was a large sum of money for him. It would be a lie if he said he was not moved. After all, the forty-eight thousand yuan, except for the five thousand yuan borrowed from his friend, was all the savings of the couple over these years.

But this kind-hearted man in front of him, who had saved his life, wanted to buy the statue at the original price, even when he was not one hundred percent sure if it was genuine. This made him hesitate even if he was full of excitement.

Wang Ke could see Li Hui's inner struggle and knew how important this money was to Li Hui.

To make Li Hui agree, Wang Ke said, "Brother Li, since you think I am a good person, let me do you a great favor. Since you are grateful to me, let me make you even more grateful. To tell you the truth, I decided to buy this bronze Buddha statue largely because I wanted to test what kind of person you are. If you just readily agreed, perhaps I would not buy it! But I'm really touched by what you have said. I don't know what kind of disease your wife has, nor can I help with that. So if you're a big man, don't hesitate anymore. Forty-eight thousand yuan and I will take it. If you don't want to sell it, I will now immediately give the bronze Buddha statue back to you and walk away. Let's just pretend we have never met and be strangers even if we will meet each other in the future."

Looking at Wang Ke's insistent face, a trace of tear emerged in Li Hui's big eyes. He felt that his heart was trembling and a warm feeling was flowing inside, making his nose sour.

After gritting his teeth, Li Hui nodded heavily and said, "Since you have put it so frankly, I will say yes. I, Li Hui, will bear your great kindness in mind. I do need money, a lot of money. But I am not a money-grubber. It is just that I really need money for my wife's surgery in the near future. I won't refuse you anymore and will sell the statue to you."

Wang Ke nodded with satisfaction and smiled, "Then no more delay. Let's go to the bank now! I'll get the money for you."

Li Hui shook his head and said, "No hurry. I have said to entertain you two with a meal. So put the matter of money aside before we eat and drink to our hearts' content."

Standing next to Wang Ke and Li Hui, Cheng Renjie looked at Wang Ke with weirdness and veiled reverence.

In his heart, he was grateful to Wang Ke for jumping into the river to save him. He regarded him as a good man with a noble character for he had saved lives. He was grateful to him and also admired him. But to say that he revered him was exaggerating. Wang Ke was not great enough for him to revere. After all, he had also jumped into the river to save Li Hui, even if he did not have that strength.

But now, reverence was absolutely not an exaggerating word to describe his feeling for Wang Ke.

At this moment, Wang Ke was a good man, a great man, and a compassionate man in his heart.

Then Wang Ke diverted his attention away from the bronze Buddha statue and chatted with Cheng Renjie and Li Hui. While chatting, Wang Ke keenly noticed that less than three minutes after they went back into the house, when Li Hui was changing clothes in the next room, he slipped his son a hundred-yuan bill and whispered something in his son's ear. Wang Ke could not hear what Li Hui was saying, but he could guess that he was sending his son to ask his wife to buy more food and wine.

During lunch, neither Wang Ke nor Cheng Renjie drank wine. Because Wang Ke needed to continue his job as a bodyguard in the afternoon. And Cheng Renjie had to work later. After all, it was not suitable to work with the fumes of wine.

Li Hui didn't force them because he understood them. Even if he was full of gratitude, he could only repress it and constantly ask them to eat more.

Replete, Wang Ke led Li Hui to a nearby bank and transferred forty-eight thousand yuan to Li Hui's account. Then he took the bronze Buddha statue, said his farewells, and got on a bus back to Li Ruoxi's villa.

He did not immediately go to the antique market to ask Zhao Menfeng to see if the bronze Buddha statue was a genuine antique, even though he wanted to. He had just spent the whole morning learning from him in Self House, so he felt no rush to go there again right away. It would not be too late to ask him tomorrow when he went there to study again. Besides, he could also look up some information about bronze Buddha statues after he went back to the villa.

Wang Ke didn't know that after he left, news about his saving people had been spreading all over the antique market. Many people were amazed that he could save two people in the roaring river and called him a big hero or mighty savior.

In Self House, Zhao Menfeng was drinking fragrant tea and enjoying reading a book on Fengshui Theory. Two middle-aged men with antiques were talking about the story of Wang Ke saving lives while walking into Self House.