In the living room, three people were already seated on the sofa.
As Leo and his companions arrived, the expressions on the faces of the three on the sofa varied.
Since it was their first meeting, Karson Ballard began to introduce everyone.
He first introduced an elderly man, small in stature but sitting upright, with a stern face and an extraordinary demeanor.
“Christine, Arlene, Dr. Bloomer, this is Wing Chun master Kristian Moss,” Karson Ballard said.
Kristian nodded slightly at the three and then resumed his composed posture.
Next, Karson Ballard introduced the second person: “This is Ashton Lowe, a leading figure in the domestic calligraphy and painting circles.”
The tall, thin elderly man sitting next to Kristian smiled and nodded. He wore a blue long gown and cloth shoes, looking like someone from the 20th century, exuding an air of elegance.
Finally, Karson Ballard introduced the third person: “This is Ollie James from RH Auction Company.”
The slightly overweight middle-aged man sitting next to Ashton Lowe had his hair slicked back and wore a casual suit, looking very much like a company executive.
After the introductions, everyone exchanged polite greetings.
Kristian was undoubtedly the oldest among them and had the strongest presence. Apart from giving Leo an extra glance, he mostly kept his eyes closed, resting.
Ashton Lowe was the most talkative and had a gentle temperament. He was approachable and didn’t put on airs with the younger trio. After getting acquainted, he started chatting with Leo and his friends.
When talking about his calligraphy and painting, he was modest, saying he could only write a few words to earn some money for rice.
Karson Ballard couldn’t help but interject: “If Ashton’s calligraphy and paintings can only earn rice money, then eighty to ninety percent of calligraphers and painters in the country would starve.”
It was evident that Karson Ballard and Ashton Lowe had a close friendship.
After some casual conversation, Ollie James from RH Auction Company checked the time and couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Ballard, when does the treasure exhibition start?”
“Don’t worry, we just need to wait for two more people,” Karson Ballard replied.
“Are we waiting for Ryan?” Ashton Lowe asked.
Karson Ballard nodded. “Yes, Ryan said he would bring a young man along today.”
As they spoke, the doorbell rang.
“Speak of the devil,” Karson Ballard said as he got up to open the door.
He led the newcomers inside. The most noticeable was a slightly overweight man in traditional Chinese attire, looking to be in his forties. Beside him was a young man with a smile on his face but an unmistakable air of arrogance.
Seeing this young man, Leo and his friends narrowed their eyes. It was Ethan.
Ethan also noticed Leo and his friends. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes before he smirked and said sarcastically, “Christine, Arlene, what a coincidence to meet you here.”
He wondered why they were attending Karson Ballard’s treasure exhibition and noted that the man he saw at the antique shop was also here. It seemed they were quite close, which explained the million-dollar order.
Karson Ballard smiled and said, “Ryan, aren’t you going to introduce the young man beside you?”
“Everyone, this is Ethan Dan, Vice President of Bonham Auction House,” Ryan introduced.
“Welcome,” Karson Ballard responded and began arranging seats for everyone at the large table in the hall.
Once seated, Ethan found himself directly across from Christine. He wore a sly grin while Christine’s face bore a cold smile. Their eyes locked in silent combat.
After serving tea to everyone, Karson Ballard took his seat at the head of the table and raised his voice: “This year’s treasure exhibition includes many new friends, so I need to explain the rules again.”
“The rules are simple. We gather here not to compete but to appreciate and share. Starting from my left and moving clockwise, each person will place their treasure on the table for everyone to evaluate.”
This was essentially a small gathering of enthusiasts. However, because those present were masters in their respective fields, this treasure exhibition had gained quite a reputation outside.
The first to present a treasure was Ollie James from RH Auction Company. He placed a green plate on the table without saying a word.
The plate looked ordinary with no special features. Everyone except Kristian and Leo showed signs of surprise.
Karson Ballard hesitated and said, “Ollie, did you bring the wrong item? This plate looks very ordinary!”
Leo noticed Kristian wink at him but remained silent. Leo then used his spiritual sense to examine the plate and saw a small whirlwind-like energy swirling at its base.
Ethan suddenly spoke up: “The pattern transitions from coarse to fine, with white emerging from green. It should be made of green jadeite, which is rare.”
“However, some parts of the pattern are rough, reducing its value. Its market price should be around four thousand dollars.”
Ashton Lowe nodded approvingly at Ethan. Ethan’s assessment was accurate; although his antique shop hadn’t thrived, he had a good eye for appraising items.
Arlene shared the same opinion but didn’t voice it since Ethan had already spoken.
Ollie James smiled proudly. He had discovered this treasure by chance and learned its secret from an expert. Seeing everyone’s puzzled expressions made him even more pleased.
Just as he was about to speak, Leo said loudly: “Doesn’t this green plate need to be soaked in hot water?”
Everyone looked at Leo in confusion. Ethan snorted disdainfully: “An amateur trying to join in? If you don’t understand, don’t comment.”
Kristian turned his head towards Leo with curiosity.
Ollie James was shocked: “How did you know!?”
Everyone was puzzled. Did this green plate have some hidden mechanism?
Ashton Lowe examined the plate closely again.
Karson Ballard walked over to the table and carefully picked up the plate, causing Ollie James to exclaim: “Karson, be careful.”
“The plate represents cold water energy; it needs heat to reveal its extraordinary nature,” Leo explained.
Ollie James clapped his hands and laughed: “Exactly! Watch this.”
He took out a small bottle of ink and poured it into the green plate. Then he asked Karson Ballard to fetch a basin with some hot water. Finally, he placed the green plate into the basin with both hands.