Underground Auction

"Man Ge, don't you think you should bring someone knowledgeable in appraisal to such an auction?" 

Fang Yi felt indifferent towards both underground and formal auctions, as he had never participated in either. He was merely puzzled as to why Man Jun would take him along, considering he was just a novice in the antique trade. 

"I would like to bring an appraiser, but I can't find one..." 

Upon hearing Fang Yi's words, Man Jun's expression immediately soured. Jinling pales in comparison to the capital; since the early 1980s, many have begun to dabble in antiques, leading to the emergence of numerous discerning amateur appraisers over the past decade. While they may not be well-known, their skills are quite commendable. 

However, in Jinling, Man Jun was considered one of the early entrants into the antique business. Most individuals with superior skills were professionals in the cultural relics field, like experts such as Sun Lianda, while those slightly less skilled were akin to Zhao Hongtao. Yet, Man Jun lacked the connections to engage these individuals, which had been his motivation for forging relationships with them. 

Unfortunately, Man Jun encountered Fang Yi too late; it was impractical to seek out an appraiser on short notice. Thus, he had not intended to invite Elder Sun or Zhao Hongtao to this underground auction; one must wisely allocate resources. 

Upon hearing Man Jun's statement, Fang Yi remained silent, fully aware that Man Jun wished to invite a mentor, but how could a mentor possibly participate in such an auction? They might very well call the authorities upon seeing the unearthed artifacts. 

"Since I can't find anyone, I'll take you along for the experience..." 

According to the rules, each individual invited to the underground auction is permitted to bring only one guest. Unable to find a suitable appraiser, Man Jun thought of Fang Yi, believing that by cultivating a relationship with him, Elder Sun or Zhao Hongtao might lend him a hand in the future, considering Fang Yi's influence. 

"Thank you so much, Man Ge..." Fang Yi replied, grateful for Man Jun's willingness to introduce him to the industry, as he had only just begun to navigate the realm of cultural artifacts and had yet to find his footing. 

"What are you thanking me for? Elder Sun holds you in high regard; perhaps one day I will seek your assistance in discerning artifacts. You can't refuse then..." Man Jun chuckled, feeling quite pleased. Young individuals like Fang Yi are quick to grasp concepts, making interactions enjoyable. 

"Rest assured, Man Ge, I will always be 'Little Fang' in your presence..." 

Fang Yi was not the type to burn bridges. After descending the mountain, he had divined that he would encounter benefactors, and Man Jun was undoubtedly one of them. He was keenly aware of the assistance Man Jun had provided to him and his friends in recent days. 

Moreover, Fang Yi's perspective on cultural relics differed significantly from that of his mentor. Elder Sun believed that precious artifacts should either remain undisturbed in their tombs or be preserved by the state in museums. He had a profound disdain for tomb raiders whose excavations led to the destruction of countless relics. 

However, Fang Yi held a contrary view. He often recalled an old Taoist saying that throughout history, emperors and generals were not virtuous individuals; they hoarded treasures while alive and, upon death, preferred to take those treasures to their graves rather than leave them for posterity. They deserved to have their graves disturbed. 

According to the old Taoist, in his quest for Daoist texts predating the Han Dynasty, he had excavated thirty-one tombs on Mang Mountain until he finally discovered a volume of Daoist scriptures inscribed on bamboo slips from before the Qin Dynasty. Any other items he stumbled upon were casually sold off to fund his drinking. 

"Alright, Fang Yi, it's settled then. After you return from Elder Sun's on Saturday morning, come with me..." Man Jun said, patting Fang Yi on the shoulder, his spirits lifted. Regardless of whether Fang Yi could genuinely assist him in the future, the sentiment was heartwarming. 

"I'll check on those two..." Fang Yi remarked, as he had keen hearing and could discern the conversation of the two outside. It seemed that San Pao had just suggested a rather dubious idea to the chubby one, and Fang Yi felt compelled to intervene. 

"Is that really going to work?" Fang Yi asked as he stepped into the courtyard, finding the chubby one looking utterly conflicted while gazing at San Pao. 

"Of course it will work! According to my plan, just use the 'forceful approach'—within a month, you'll have her completely won over..." San Pao declared with confidence. 

"San Pao, what kind of ridiculous idea is that..." 

Once outside, Fang Yi couldn't help but scold San Pao, who had just advised the chubby one to seduce a girl within a month, asserting that once a woman was physically involved, she would no longer be attracted to other men. 

"Chubby, don't listen to this guy..." Fang Yi turned to the chubby one and said, "Ask him if he has succeeded with his girlfriend..." 

"Right, San Pao, confess honestly—since she's your fiancée, have you two been intimate?" Upon hearing Fang Yi's words, the chubby one suddenly regained clarity. If San Pao hadn't succeeded himself, then all his advice was merely empty talk. 

"I... my situation is different from yours!" San Pao stammered, taken aback by Fang Yi's appearance. "You know our living conditions; the house is so small, I have no opportunity." 

"Nonsense, San Pao! You can find a small hotel for twenty yuan a night. How can you say you have no opportunity? I'll beat you up..." The chubby one began to understand; it turned out San Pao hadn't managed to secure his own situation and had come up with poor advice for him. 

"Enough of this nonsense! It's nearly midnight; let's not disturb others..." 

Fang Yi interjected, pulling the chubby one back. "I observed the girl's features—she seems to be a sincere and honest person, and you share some resemblance to a married couple. If you truly like her, take your time to get to know her; don't scare her off, or you might lose your chance..." 

"Okay, Yi Ge, I'll listen to you. San Pao is too unreliable..." 

The chubby one nodded in agreement, realizing he had nearly been swayed by San Pao's foolishness. If he had pursued a forceful approach, he feared the girl would not only reject him but might also report him to the authorities. 

"Alright, can you two finally go to sleep now?" 

Fang Yi sighed, as his usual routine involved meditating by ten o'clock at the latest. However, since descending the mountain, he had yet to adhere to this schedule, and his life had become quite chaotic. 

"You go ahead; I'll stay and discuss phones with San Pao..." the chubby one replied with a grin. He hadn't yet asked San Pao about showing off his phone in front of his girlfriend, so sleep was the last thing on his mind. 

"I'm going to practice; don't disturb me later, or the Taoist will get angry..." Fang Yi warned, as he intended to experiment with his powers using the beads and wished to avoid interruptions from the two. 

"Alright, go practice your wild fox Zen..." the chubby one and San Pao waved him off impatiently. San Pao also had his own desire to show off to the chubby one, as they seemed to share a mutual understanding. 

Once upstairs and in his room, Fang Yi contemplated opening the window but decided to close the door instead. Although this might result in a bit of heat and poor ventilation, it was preferable to being disturbed by the two while reciting scriptures. 

"Should I consider living alone in the future?" 

This thought crossed Fang Yi's mind but was quickly dismissed. After living in solitude with the old Taoist for over a decade, he had grown accustomed to it, yet it felt somewhat lonely. Now, residing with friends brought a lively atmosphere to his days. 

"First, I should polish that string of beads from Brother Zhao..." 

Fang Yi retrieved the eight strings of beads he had placed beneath his pillow. When purchasing them, he had specifically asked the vendor to find him two strings of cleaned small diamonds, ensuring that they wouldn't accumulate black dirt from handling.