To be precise, I'm selling the jade pendant along with the box back to your company!

Ye Chen chuckled as he laid his intentions bare.

He Zhijun didn't respond immediately, his expression heavy with seriousness.

They had made a mistake!

The appraisal team of Wuji Group had blundered!

If they had known the secret and profound meaning behind this wooden carving, it would have been valued at at least ten million!

"President He, it's our fault for the oversight," one senior appraisal expert from Wuji Group gritted his teeth and said.

"Mr. Tang, don't be so hard on yourself. This isn't your fault! After all, without knowing the secrets behind the carving, it's impossible to blame you for missing its true value!" He Zhijun replied, exhaling deeply.

"Mr. Ye, name your price to sell it back to Wuji Group."

"This belongs to President Zhang. I was merely stepping in to uncover the secrets," Ye Chen shook his head with a smile.

After all, it was Zhang Jingshan who had purchased it, so the information had to come from him.

"Ye, please don't say that! You have full authority to decide. Whatever you say goes!" Zhang Jingshan quickly interjected.

"Well, President Zhang, Mr. Ye, how about this—Wuji Group will repurchase it for 10 million? How does that sound?"

Without even examining the quality of the jade pendant, the decision had already been made.

They were professionals; one glance was enough to know the jade pendant was no ordinary item.

"Ten million?"

Zhang Jingshan's heart skipped a beat.

Even though he had just made over 100 million following Ye Chen's lead, the thought of reselling an item purchased for 920,000 for 10 million in under two hours left him struggling to stay composed.

However, Ye Chen shook his head.

"President He, this price doesn't seem very fair."

"How so? Judging by the pendant's quality, it's not top-tier jade. Ten million is an absolutely fair and reasonable price—if not more than generous!" He Zhijun replied.

"Yes, that's true. Your argument makes sense, President He. If it were just about the jade pendant and the box, 10 million would indeed be reasonable. But haven't you overlooked something? If word gets out that Wuji Group failed to appraise an item properly and auctioned off a piece worth tens of millions for less than a million, what would that do to your reputation? I think you're more aware of the consequences than anyone else!"

As Ye Chen's words landed, even the always composed He Zhijun couldn't help but show a hint of panic.

Ye Chen continued, "President He, I came to you because I wanted to help Wuji Group avoid damaging its reputation. But if you offer market value, isn't that a bit unfair? You have competitors in this industry. If I take this item to them, what kind of price do you think they'd offer?"

He Zhijun completely lost his composure.

If that happened, Wuji Group's prestigious image would be utterly destroyed! Their reputation would plummet!

"Then, Mr. Ye, what price do you think would be fair?" He Zhijun asked, his tone devoid of leverage.

"Twenty million! How about it, President He? That price isn't extortionate, nor am I being greedy," Ye Chen replied.

"Twenty million?"

He Zhijun's gaze drifted to the other two items on the coffee table, still covered with yellow cloth.

Ye Chen had made it clear from the start that he was here to sell all three items he'd purchased at the auction.

This meant that the Wuji Group's appraisal team might not have only misjudged the wooden carving but also the Kangxi-era blue-and-white porcelain cup and the reproduction of the "Pines of Songyang" painting by a prominent artist from the Republic of China period.

If spending 20 million to reclaim the wooden carving could save Wuji Group from a major scandal, it would undoubtedly be worth it—no question about it.

But what about the porcelain cup and the painting?

If they weren't valuable, it would be fine.

But if they were...

Then this 20-million purchase would just be the opening bid!

Still, in the current situation, whether this was a probing move by the other side or not, Wuji Group seemed to have no choice.

"President Zhang, Mr. Ye, please wait a moment while I make a phone call!"

Twenty million was within He Zhijun's decision-making authority, but the yet-to-be-revealed secrets of the porcelain cup and painting were beyond his control.

"Sure, take your time," Ye Chen nodded.

He Zhijun wasted no time and swiftly left the meeting room.

"Mr. Ye, about the other two items on the table..."

As He Zhijun left, one of the appraisal experts glanced at the porcelain cup and painting on the coffee table, still draped in yellow cloth, and couldn't resist asking.

However, his expression was filled with unease.

"Oh, these were also purchased from Wuji Group's auction!" Ye Chen said with a smile, removing the yellow cloth.

The Kangxi-era blue-and-white porcelain cup and the "Pines of Songyang" painting, identified as a reproduction by a Republic of China-era artist, were revealed.

"Aren't these the Kangxi porcelain cup and the reproduction of 'Pines of Songyang' we appraised?"

The sight of the items made the experts blurt out in unison, though a deep sense of unease surged within them.

"Yes," Ye Chen confirmed with a smile.

"Ye, are you saying there's something wrong with these two items too?" Zhang Jingshan asked in alarm.

But as soon as he spoke, he realized how foolish his question was.

If there were no issues, why would Ye Chen buy them and bring them back to Wuji Group?

Ye Chen ignored Zhang's question and addressed the appraisal experts.

"Gentlemen, could you please prepare tools for cleaning the surface of the porcelain and for unmounting the painting?"

"Cleaning the surface? Unmounting the painting? Are you planning to clean the Kangxi porcelain and unmount the painting of 'Pines of Songyang'?" one expert exclaimed in shock.

"That's insane! Our appraisal of the Kangxi porcelain couldn't possibly be wrong, and the same goes for the painting!" an elderly expert protested vehemently.

The others quickly echoed their concerns.

But Ye Chen simply smiled nonchalantly.

"Gentlemen, no need to get so worked up. Let's not jump to conclusions. For now, just treat it as a favor to me—help me verify a hunch. Is that okay?"

"These items are worth at least several hundred thousand each. Together, they're worth over a million. Are you sure you want to use them for an experiment?" a middle-aged expert asked.

"Yes, over a million is still manageable. If it's not too much trouble, could you lend me a hand?" Ye Chen replied casually, his tone lighthearted.

"Fine! Since you insist, we'll help you. Let's see if it's us who made a mistake or if you're just overthinking things," the middle-aged expert grumbled.

Though Ye Chen's tone was polite and his words considerate, it was clear he didn't trust their earlier appraisal.

After a brief exchange of glances with his colleagues, the middle-aged expert strode out of the meeting room.