Chapter 48: The Legend of Wenwan Circle (Part 1) Third Update

  Liu Ke, this old fox in the business world, had actually detected that there was something wrong with the wine a long time ago. The reason he didn't say anything was to give Zhang Zuo some face and also to see just how deep Zhou Yi's water was.

  It had been many years since he was so curious about someone, but Zhou Yi just happened to pique his interest.

  He didn't expect Zhou Yi to have a problem with just one drink, and Liu Ke was truly shocked. Only he, as a rich man who had tasted the best wines in the world, knew that to reach this level of wine tasting, it wasn't just about having a good tongue, but also required a lot of money, neither condition could be missing.

  As for those sommeliers, they are either born with a special gift or are themselves master winemakers from the world's top wine estates, and there is no comparison.

  "Can't be? Brother Zhou, try it again carefully. Doushili is the top auction house in Xiangjiang..."

  Zhang Zuo said that he would let the two of them appreciate it, but in fact, he had already determined that this was real wine. Now that Zhou Yi has raised doubts, he naturally feels a bit unconvinced.

  "Haha, no need to taste again, this wine is also extremely good, absolutely not the 82 or 86 vintage Mouton Rothschild, but rather the 1959 vintage Mouton Rothschild, and it's one of the top ones..."

  Zhou Yi comforted him, "Zhang Ge, you shouldn't feel like you've lost out either. The 1959 and 1945 Mu Tong, whether it's the color, the aroma of the cellar, or that rich roasted wood fragrance, are almost indistinguishable from each other. Not to mention auction houses, even experienced wine connoisseurs might get them mixed up."

  "Ah! Since you say so, Brother Zhou, what makes you think this is definitely from '59?"

  Zhang Zuo felt comforted and his mood improved a lot, but he also felt somewhat resentful. This Chu Du Dahao, the number one figure with unparalleled power and influence, actually acted like a child throwing a tantrum.

  Liu Ke also looked at Zhou Yi, smiling but saying nothing.

  "I said earlier that the 1959 Mu Tong and the 1945 Mu Tong are almost indistinguishable, so similar they can be mistaken for each other. However, there is one thing missing, which makes it fall into a lower grade."

  "This is the 'sincerity' and 'joy'. Both of you should know that 1945 was a year when the whole world triumphed over fascism, France was liberated, and Chateau Margaux saw the sunlight again. Coincidentally, that year's rainfall was just right for grape growth, making it an ideal vintage. The winemaker, immersed in the joy of victory, used his greatest sincerity and joy to brew this wine, to celebrate the victory, mourn the compatriots who died in the war, and cherish the heroes on the battlefield, thus creating an extraordinary wine. This coincidence only occurred in '45, and even if the weather was perfect in other years, it would be impossible to produce such a wine."

  "Little brother, you're getting more and more absurd. Can you really taste the 'sincerity' and 'joy' in this wine?"

  Zhang Zhuang felt as if he was listening to a heavenly book. If he hadn't known Zhou Yi's methods, he would have thought this was an old swindler wandering the jianghu.

  "Alright, alright, alright!"

  Liu Ke burst out laughing: "Brother Zhou is indeed an expert, and even more so, a kindred spirit in the world of wine. Zhang Zuo, don't be discouraged, Brother Zhou is right, this bottle is indeed a 1959 Mu Tong that has been tampered with to sell as a fake. But the counterfeiter still has some conscience, even if it's just a 1959 Mu Tong, it's still a well-preserved good wine, you're not being cheated..."

  "Liu Ge, you've also figured it out long ago?" Zhang Zuo widened his eyes: "What's that joy and sincerity? How come I couldn't figure it out?"

  "You're just a pretentious fool, wasting good wine like this? Brother Zhou, don't bother with this rubbish, let's go."

  Liu Ke smiled and poured a cup of mulberry wine for himself and Zhou Yi, but instead excluded Zhang Zhao, the host. After drinking a cup with Zhou Yi, he laughed and said: "I was so focused on tasting this fake wine that I almost forgot about the main event. Zhou brother, can you bring out that fish plate and let me take a look?"

  "Sheng, let Liu Ge take a look."

  Zhou Yi took out the fish plate from the public document bag and placed it gently on the tea table without directly handing it to Liu Ke.

  "Ha! I didn't expect Brother Zhou to be an expert in antiques as well?"

  Liu Ke nodded and gently picked up the fish plate, turning it over and examining it for a full ten or more minutes without letting go.

  The eyebrows of the Zhou Yi furrowed, isn't that right? According to Liu Ke's eyesight, he should have been able to distinguish between true and false with one or two glances. How could he have looked at it for so long? It doesn't seem like he was attracted by this fish plate either. Usually, when a connoisseur sees an excellent piece, they would be as enchanted as a hungry ghost seeing a beauty. Those judges on TV are all like that; but Liu Ke's expression remained calm and composed. Moreover, this fish plate is just a small item, even if it were genuine, it wouldn't have been enough to make him infatuated.

  Not only did Zhou Yi feel strange, but even Zhang Zhuang couldn't bear it and said: "I say, Liu Ge, haven't you seen the photos? This thing makes me want to run away just by looking at it. With your eyesight, this is a straightforward matter. If it's real, it's real; if it's fake, it's fake. You're holding it in your hand and turning it over repeatedly, what are you trying to figure out?"

  "Oh? Your tone is quite big, Zhang Zhuo."

  Liu Ke raised her head and smiled at him: "Then tell me, how's this fish dish?"

  "It's a good item. In my opinion, it's from the Qing dynasty, an official kiln." Zhang Zhuang took a glance and said without thinking: "Brother, I also have an antique company on Guxiang Street, Liu Ge, do you think you can fool me with just a fish plate?"

  "Haha, you're so fat that you're even panting, what's with the 'Qing dynasty official kiln' nonsense? Are these words spoken by those expert photographers who have seen your photos?"

  Liu Ke shook his head repeatedly.

  "What? Did the expert make a mistake?"

  To be honest, Zhang Zuo was indeed uneasy at heart, and when he saw Liu Ke shake his head, he panicked a bit. It wasn't the authenticity of the fish plate that was the problem, but rather that he had guaranteed it in front of Zhou Yi, and now if something went wrong, he would have a hard time explaining himself.

  "Liu Ge, I've seen this fish plate before, it's definitely not wrong."

  Zhou Yi glanced at Liu Ke, he had absorbed the treasure energy inside this fish plate, so naturally he knew it was genuine. What did Liu Ke want to do? Was he trying to pick out some flaws and then press for a lower price? It shouldn't be like that, the president of a top 500 company wouldn't stoop to such base actions for such a small amount of money, would he? It didn't match his identity.

  "Haha, Zhou younger brother, you misunderstood, this fish plate is the real thing, it's just..."

  Liu Ke frowned and looked up at Zhou Yi, "May I ask, where was this thing found? Is it true what Zhang Zong said, that it was passed down from the family of the secretary of Yunshui Village?"

  "A thousand truths and ten thousand certainties..."

  Zhou Yi nodded and said: "If it wasn't for the time I went to Secretary Li's house for dinner and saw this plate used to hold fish, the Li family still doesn't know that this is a treasure."

  "Oh? Brother Zhou left such a big loophole and didn't take advantage of it, truly admirable."

  Liu Ke nodded: "Then who else has handled this thing besides the people in Secretary Li's family? I'm talking about people in the cultural circle."

  "That's not it..." Zhou Yi was slightly startled in his heart, could it be that after he absorbed the treasure aura, this fish plate really had some problem?

  "If someone from the antique circle saw it, wouldn't they have snatched it up long ago? As for those who've handled it, apart from the Li family, that would be me. Liu Ge, what exactly do you want to ask? Is there something wrong with this plate?"

  "Haha, all right, all right..."

  Liu Ke took a glance at Zhou Yi and stretched out five fingers, saying: "This plate may have been used for a long time and has some wear and tear. I'll give 500,000 yuan. This is already a very generous price, what does Brother Zhou think?"

  P.S: Someone asked if Guang An forgot about Liu Xue, of course not, but Guang An has plans, don't worry?

  Thanks for 'yangqiwei' 'Sea Edge Starry Sky' 'Tian Can Tian Qi' brothers' reward, thanks for everyone's recommendation and collection:)

  Tonight there is still one more shift, from 11:30 to 12:00. No choice, the baby has a cold and I need to help my wife soothe her tonight.

  Tomorrow is Monday, life and death struggle, ranking killing, relying on brothers and sisters' support.

  Thanks in advance:) Also, three votes are left, everyone spare some time to cast one, and there are 10 points remaining:)

  a>;