chapter 40 Fragrant antique beauty

Many people were already drooling, staring at the young lady, but Allen Chen had already sized up the stunning beauty from head to toe. She was wearing white silk stockings and a white long dress. Her delicate collarbone shone brightly. Around her neck, she wore a colorless jade pendant, finely crafted, depicting a Buddha. Just a glance could calm one's heart and make one feel happy. Her tender face and the gardenia-like pure and sweet smile made people's hearts skip a beat. "Ouch!" Someone, lost in admiration, carelessly bumped into a pole, jolting him back to reality. But Allen Chen had already approached the beauty with a cheerful smile, holding a box, and said, "Miss, these are ancestral treasures. I guarantee they're good. Want to have a look?" "Open it and let me see," the beauty replied with a sweet smile. "If it's really good, I, Emma Shen, will definitely not take advantage of you." "Heh, for a great beauty like you, even if you took advantage of me, I'd be more than happy," Allen Chen said with a smile. He quickly opened the box but didn't rush to take out the three samurai swords. Instead, he observed Emma Shen's expression. From the moment this woman entered his field of vision, he was entirely focused on observing her. Just from the jade pendant on her chest, Allen Chen realized she wasn't ordinary. It must be worth at least 500,000. Taking into account the pair of bicolored jade bracelets on Emma Shen's wrist, she's the kind of person who casually carries millions worth of assets! Although Ava Liu didn't understand much about these items, she couldn't help but feel a sense of defeat and loss when she observed the unique aura emanating from Emma Shen, especially the delicate and firm skin, which made her look several years younger than her actual age. Ava Liu lowered her eyes slightly. "How much?" Emma Shen cast a brief glance at the samurai swords, her eyes flashing with a hint of interest. Yet, she said calmly, "The items aren't particularly exceptional. Don't ask for an exorbitant price. Even if I, Emma Shen, am kind-hearted, I won't be taken advantage of." "Miss Shen, there's no hurry to discuss the price. Take a closer look, and once you've decided, we can talk about the price." Observing the sparkle in her eyes, Allen Chen slightly curved the corners of his lips and picked up the sword on the far right from among the three to hand to her. As expected, Emma Shen's expression shifted subtly as she looked at him, "You're an expert?" "Hehe, hard to say. Have a look first," Allen Chen replied with a mysterious smile. However, Emma Shen regarded him as a true expert, "The way you carried the box and took out the sword made you look like a layman. But the fact that you chose this samurai sword so decisively shows you know something." "You're not completely concealing your intentions." "Haha, what's there to hide or keep secret? I'm just an ordinary person," Allen Chen laughed in response. But the more he downplayed it, the more seriously Emma Shen took him. In the antique circle, those with low profile are often the true masters. A skinny old man who appeared to be collecting junk. But for all you know, he could be extremely wealthy. Who's to say? Maybe in some obscure corner of his room, he's got seventeen or eighteen pieces of Ming Dynasty furniture made of golden Phoebe wood. If he were to sell them, he could easily make several hundred million. She drew out the sword, and upon seeing the engraving on the blade, a unique gleam flashed across Emma Shen's eyes. Though the design was somewhat blurry and the surface was rusted and corroded, making it hard to discern even with a magnifying glass, it couldn't stump Emma Shen, the heiress from a long line of antique connoisseurs! With just one look, she recognized the significance of the design. Lifting her elegant neck, she looked at Allen Chen and said, "It truly is a treasure." "Hehe, thank you for the compliment, Miss Shen. No matter how good the item is, it can't compare to you taking a liking to it. If it's okay, please quote a good price," Allen Chen said with a smile, a slight joy in his heart, realizing he had judged correctly. He hadn't really studied antiques. His limited knowledge of them came from a few clients he'd met who were into antiques. But there's one thing he excelled at, even compared to the experts in the antique world – observing people. After all, be it antiques or the stock market, if it's a game played by humans, the essence is in understanding people, not things. He got these items previously from Lin's Spicy Hot Pot by watching Paul Han's expressions and quoting a price. He chose the knife on the far right because of Emma Shen's gaze, which told him it was special. In reality, Allen Chen had absolutely no idea of its actual value. But Emma Shen grew even more astonished seeing him act so nonchalantly. After all, this was the treasured blade of an important member from one of the eight prominent families of Japan in the modern era, the Kikumaru family. It was worth at least 800,000. And he's treating it so casually? "You want me to quote the price?" "From my appearance, you should know, that trading is just a side business for me. It's not my main job. I go with the flow," Allen Chen chuckled. A light of realization dawned in Emma Shen's eyes, "I see, a master simply playing in the mundane world." "Don't worry, I, Emma Shen, am always honest. I'll go with the market price. This samurai sword is 800,000. Add the Republican-era rosewood box and the other two ordinary samurai swords, which total 1 million. How does that sound?" "1 million?" Allen Chen was stunned. That much? Beside him, Ava Liu looked up in astonishment too. Emma Shen said, "I know, a million might seem a bit low, but these items all have varying degrees of damage. It will be challenging to preserve them later, and repairing them will cost a lot of money." "If you're willing to sell, I can add another 50,000. Deal?" "Ahem, I trade based on fate. A million is fine. No need for extra," Allen Chen said, coughing once and quickly putting his trembling hands into his pockets. Emma Shen looked slightly taken aback but soon revealed a sweet smile. "Sir, you really are a good person." She handed him her business card, "This is my card. I'm the owner of the Jade Pot Antique Company, Emma Shen. How should I address you?" "Allen Chen," Allen Chen said, taking her card and subconsciously wanting to give his own in return. But he hesitated, recalling that he currently worked as a marketing employee for Ruian Group. "I don't have a business card with me at the moment, I'm sorry." "I understand. All masters are like that," Emma Shen said with a slight smile, having misinterpreted him. "May I have your contact number?" "I promise not to disturb you unless necessary." "Haha, Miss Shen, you’re joking. With a beauty like you, even if you were to call me 24 hours a day, I'd never consider it a disturbance but rather a pleasure," Allen Chen joked, sharing his phone number with her. Ava Liu tugged at the hem of his suit, whispering, "The money." "My apologies, Miss Shen. We have other matters to attend to. When can we expect the payment?" Allen Chen inquired. Emma Shen, eyes on her phone, wore a smile. "Can I use your phone number to transfer funds to your Alipay account? I'll do the transaction right now." "Hold on!" A man came over with a sneer on his face.