chapter 16 Million birthday gift ===

"Ha ha, Thorpe Chen, where did you buy this from, a roadside stall? Is it worth five yuan?"
"At least buy something decent. Who are you trying to fool?"
"Ha, he doesn't even have a job. Where would he get the money to buy gifts?"
"Ha ha, Thorpe Chen, is this your gift?" Lowell Fang and his spouse laughed so hard they were almost out of breath.
"Yes, this is the gift I chose." Thorpe Chen nodded.
"Thorpe Chen, it's my father's birthday. If you can't afford a gift, you could've told me in advance. I'd casually give you ten or eight thousand to buy a decent gift. Can't you maintain some dignity? Don't you feel ashamed showing this?" Daisy Ye sneered.
"I said, this is from the Warring States Period, worth eight hundred thousand. Isn't this good enough?" Thorpe Chen spoke calmly.
Thorpe Chen's words made the Ye family burst into collective laughter. This broken piece of copper worth eight hundred thousand? Are you crazy?
"Eight hundred thousand? If this thing is even worth eighty yuan, I'll eat it now." Garfield Ye scoffed.
"You're daring to brag. Don't you know your worth?"
"Amazing, presenting such trash and embarrassing yourself. You honour our Ye family." Elton Ye threw the amulet in his hand to the ground.
"You, take Thorpe Chen and leave now. I don't want to see him again." Nancy Li waved dismissively.
Gloria Ye held Thorpe Chen's hand tightly. Her face turned pale. She had been so considerate of her family, but what did she get in return?
"Dad, Mom, even if Thorpe Chen doesn't have money to buy good things, he still has the intention. If you look down on me, your daughter, and your son-in-law, then pretend I didn't come today."
Gloria Ye stood up, pulling Thorpe Chen with her. She said sternly, "I know you all look down on him. But today, I declare in front of everyone that in the future, you won't be able to match up to Thorpe Chen. I, Gloria Ye, trust my judgment and won't choose wrong."
"My love, I promise I won't let you down." Thorpe Chen was touched. How fortunate the original owner of this body must've been to have Gloria Ye's unwavering confidence in him.
Having a wife like this is enough for a lifetime.
"Let's go..." Gloria Ye said, pulling Thorpe Chen, ready to leave.
At that moment, the door opened, and an elder walked in. Seeing the scene inside, he paused and quickly bowed, "Sorry, I entered the wrong room."
"Elder Wu, you're in the wrong place. Yours is next door." Someone shouted from outside.
"Elder Wu, it's you!" Elton Ye recognized the old man and quickly stood up. "Elder Wu, I am Elton Ye. I attended the Antique Association appraisal exhibition last time. Do you remember me?"
The elder was none other than Karl Wu, whom Thorpe Chen had met at the antique market.
Elton Ye was passionate about antiques and calligraphy. Seeing Karl Wu in person, he was extremely excited.
"I... I'm sorry, I don't remember. Oh, young man, it's you! I was looking for you. Did you sell that item last time? I have an interested friend." Elder Wu saw Thorpe Chen and his face lit up.
"Elder Wu, I haven't sold it. If you want it, just take it." Thorpe Chen gave a wry smile, pointing to the amulet on the ground.
"What's this? How could such a treasure be carelessly thrown on the floor?" Elder Wu was furious. He quickly picked it up and observed it.
"Elder Wu, this may be a national treasure in your eyes, but to some, it's just trash. Since no one wants it, I'll give it to you." Thorpe Chen said.
"Trash? Who said this is trash?" Karl Wu was angry. "This is a tiger amulet from the Warring States Period, invaluable for research. After my friend heard about it, he directly appraised it at one million."
"Elder Wu, are you saying this thing is worth one million?" Elton Ye was stunned, as was the rest of the Ye family.
"A genuine treasure from the Warring States Period. Young man, did you bring this as a gift and it was treated as trash?" Karl Wu quickly grasped the situation.
"Yes, Elder Wu." Thorpe Chen smiled. "Since they don't want it, I'll give it to your friend."
"No, this won't do. He has already entrusted me to find you. I was just thinking of contacting you. I didn't expect to meet you here." Elder Wu took out a check from his pocket: "This is a one-million check. Of course, if the price isn't suitable, you can ask for more."
"One million? Thorpe Chen, did you hire actors to play this act?" Lowell Fang laughed heartily.
"Shut up. This is Karl Wu, Elder Wu. He's been in the antiques business for decades." Elton Ye retorted.
"Karl Wu? You're the president of the Antique Association?" Lowell Fang exclaimed in surprise, then quickly closed his mouth. Joking aside, this person is a giant in the antique world. Thorpe Chen probably doesn't influence to get him to play along.
"It's okay, Elder Wu. The item just got a crack from a fall; it's damaged now. Keep the money, and tell your friend that if he likes it, he can have it. Good items should go to those who recognize their value." Thorpe Chen shook his head and began to leave with Gloria Ye.
"That won't do. This is a favour from a friend. You must take the check." Elder Wu insisted, pushing the check into Thorpe Chen's hands.
"Well... I'll accept it then. Thank you, Elder Wu, and please thank your friend for me." Thorpe Chen thought for a moment, then decided to take the check.
"Elder Wu, is this item truly worth one million? How much is this pen of mine worth then?" Lowell Fang, not often meeting someone of this stature, quickly pointed to the Ming Dynasty brush he had brought.
"That pen? Heh, I've appraised a few like that. If I'm not wrong, there's a small inscription on the end from some generic pen manufacturer. They go for about ten yuan each in the market." Elder Wu glanced at the brush on the table and chuckled coldly.
"That's impossible." Lowell Fang's face changed dramatically.
"So you're suggesting that my, Karl Wu's, judgment is off?" Elder Wu said with a cold laugh, "Only a fool would buy such a low-quality imitation for tens or even hundreds of thousands. If you think it's valuable, then keep it."
Lowell Fang looked embarrassed. He knew Karl Wu wouldn't make a mistake. He had spent six hundred thousand on a fake brush. Though he wasn't short of money, the blow to his pride was hard to swallow, especially since Thorpe Chen had outshined him, leaving him extremely uncomfortable.
"Young man, I should be going. I need to carefully examine this item before sending it to my friend. I'll take my leave." Elder Wu said with a nod.
"Safe travels, Elder Wu." Thorpe Chen smiled.
After Elder Wu left, everyone looked quite uncomfortable, especially Elton Ye, who was filled with regret.
Everyone from the Ye family felt foolish. An item worth over a million was discarded by them like trash, while they revered a ten-yuan imitation as if it were a treasure.
And now, that item had been passed on for a whole million. "Thorpe Chen, how much did you pay for this item?" Nancy Li, the mother-in-law, asked with a much gentler tone than before.