Chapter 85 - 85 85 Discerning People with Insight

Words : 1244 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

85: Chapter 85: Discerning People with Insight 85: Chapter 85: Discerning People with Insight The elderly man’s words filled everyone present with deep respect. In today’s society, where profit often takes precedence, it is rare to find someone who regards integrity as a life credo. Ye Shikai admired the firm look in the old man’s eyes and was convinced by his charismatic personality. It seemed like a stroke of luck that Ye Shikai happened to come across the only fake piece in decades due to a mix-up. “The elder builds his reputation on trust, and that is truly admirable,” Ye Shikai said, full of admiration in his tone, “I was outspoken in front of so many just now, and that was rather presumptuous.” Ye Shikai apologized to the old man. He didn’t come to damage the store’s reputation after causing such a scene. “No, the appearance of a fake item in the store was my oversight, and it is, of course, our responsibility to bear,” said the old man, waving his hand and smiling at Ye Shikai. At this moment, the female sales associate who had previously assisted them approached with a red face and stammered, “I’m sorry, it was my oversight just now.” “Wang, it’s not your fault. This jade bracelet indeed closely resembles the genuine article. It took me a long time to discern it as well,” the old man said to the sales associate with a kind smile and a tone of self-mockery, but there also seemed to be more comfort in his words. The incident must have been quite a shock to her. “Indeed, this jade bracelet is very deceiving. It was just an ordinary piece of jade, but after artificial processing, it became indistinguishable from fine jade. As for the carving, although flawed, it is comparable to the works of renowned masters. For someone without exceptional appraisal skills, this bracelet could easily be mistaken for genuine.” The old man took a check out of his pocket and signed it swiftly, handing it to Ye Shikai. “According to the store policy, for a fake item, we compensate tenfold – three and a half million, not a penny less.” Ye Shikai looked at the string of characters on the check, smiled faintly, and placed the check on the table. “Let’s forget about this check. The bracelet was not purchased by me; it should be given to that lady,” Ye Shikai said, waving his hand, “To be honest, my visit today was to buy a gift for my wife.” “No, it’s the store’s policy, you must accept it,” repeated the elderly man, again trying to give the check to Ye Shikai, but Ye Shikai firmly refused to accept it, and the elderly man finally gave up. “Well, how about this: the gift you are buying from the store will be on the house, and the lady from earlier can pick any item of equivalent value for free. That should be agreeable, right?” With some difficulty, the old man proposed a compromise. “Agreeable,” answered Ye Shikai after a moment of thought, accepting the proposal. It seemed the old man wouldn’t rest until he provided some form of generosity, but it was a fair arrangement. Ye Shikai mused that his mishap of the day had turned into a free piece of jade jewelry – was this a case of misfortune coming hand in hand with luck? While the old man apologized to the many customers, Ye Shikai browsed the store alone, wondering what gift to purchase for Su Qingyu. Yet after much deliberation, he found nothing that satisfied him. “What’s wrong, can’t decide what to pick?” At that moment, the voice of the elderly man sounded from behind Ye Shikai. Following the sincere apologies, the customers had expressed their understanding, and although some reservations lingered, the matter had been satisfactorily concluded. “Yeah,” Ye Shikai admitted with an awkward nod. It wasn’t easy choosing a gift for the CEO of a major corporation; otherwise, the offerings of so many spoiled rich kids would have already won Su Qingyu over. “Elder, I heard them addressing you as ‘President’ earlier, is that right?” Ye Shikai suddenly remembered how a store employee had used that title and couldn’t help but be curious. “Indeed, I am the president of the Yanjing Jade Antiques Association, but that’s just a nominal title for me since I enjoy collecting jade and antiques.” The old man smiled. Ye Shikai was familiar with the association from his time working at Tianya Group; Yanjing hosted grand jade and antique competitions annually, which were the largest and most professional in the nation. These were organized by the association, and the authority in this field was undeniable. And the old man in front of him was the president of this association. “I apologize for any disrespect,” an awkward Ye Shikai said with a smile, not expecting to have confronted the association’s president. “Haha, young man, how did you discern that the bracelet was fake? I needed tools and quite some time to identify it, yet you did so in just a matter of seconds?” The old man asked curiously, having inquired with his staff; Ye Shikai had identified the fake in mere seconds, an almost unnerving skill. “I must confess, I have some background knowledge of jade, but today was really half guesswork, half bluff,” Ye Shikai replied scratching his head. “Half guesswork, half bluff? I don’t think so; you seemed quite certain at that moment,” the old man said with a sly smile, clearly not buying Ye Shikai’s story. Ye Shikai gave an embarrassed smile, effectively an admission, prompting the old man to excitedly ask, “Young man, where do you work?” “Tianya Group, just a low-level employee in the public relations department, merely scraping by,” Ye Shikai replied with a self-deprecating smile. “Tianya Group, I know of it. It’s a good company. You participate in the competitions our association holds every year, and you achieve good results,” the elder said approvingly, though a hint of regret flickered across his face. “Young man, if you don’t mind, why not become a jade appraisal expert at my place? You can set your own salary.” The elderly man offered shockingly, as the head of a prestigious jade association presented an olive branch to a little-known individual—a position many would envy, where money was no object and the individual’s talent was the true value. “Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Shi, but I’m quite a lazy person by nature; an office job suits me better.” “Won’t you reconsider?” the old man pressed, not yet ready to give up. “There’s no need, really. You’re too kind, Mr. Shi.” “Well then, it’s a pity,” the old man sighed, lamenting the loss. He had decades of experience distinguishing talent, and Ye Shikai’s appraisal skills were exceptionally rare; but everyone has their own ambitions and couldn’t be forced. “However, sir, if there’s anything you need, please feel free to tell me.” “Thank you for that. By the way, I haven’t had the pleasure of asking for your name yet.” “Ye Shikai.” “Ye... Shikai, what a good name. A dragon is not confined to shallow waters; one aspires to set the standard for the world,” the old man said contentedly.

Chapter 85 - 85 85 Discerning People with Insight

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