thirty-something-year-old male approached the patient with an expression of joy, saying, "Teacher Cai, this is Director Hu from Deep Sea People's Hospital. He’s one of China’s renowned gastroenterolo...Chapter 26 The Deal for the Capital

"Who is it" A man's voice came from upstairs.

"Old Cai, little brothers, please take a seat first. I'll go and make some tea for you!" Zhou Ruoying shouted up to the second floor before apologizing to Old Cai and Xiao Yu and heading off to make tea.

"No need for that, big sister!" Seeing Zhou Ruoying head towards making tea, Xiao Yu quickly said.

"That wouldn't do! Please take a seat first!" Without turning around, Zhou Ruoying replied.

As the man from upstairs appeared on the second-floor platform, his voice revealed that he was in his forties. Dressed casually yet elegantly, even though Xiao Yu never wore branded clothes, it could still be seen how meticulous this outfit was crafted; definitely not something off-the-shelf or mass-produced.

"So you're Old Cai We're all family here, why the formalities" The man descended the stairs slowly and playfully joked. Though he called Old Cai a guest of honor, his warm smile made everyone feel at ease instead of awkward.

"Haha, fine then, Mr. Song, I'm not an honored guest, but a troublesome one, right We've come as troublesome guests today, so you'll have to treat us to lunch," said Teacher Cai jokingly. It seemed that they were quite familiar with each other.

"No problem, we can go to the Capital City Restaurant for lunch today. You may order abalone and lobster."

The man spoke generously and then turned his head to Xiao Yu.

“Mr. Song, this is Xiao Yu, whom I told you about earlier—the owner of the golden-threaded Nanmu box.”

"Brother Xiao, this is Mr. Song Shuhushan. He intends to buy your golden-threaded Nanmu box."

When Teacher Cai saw that Song Shuhushan was looking at Xiao Yu, he quickly introduced the two of them.

In fact, when they were coming down from the second floor, Song Shuhushan had already seen Xiao Yu. Moreover, he had heard about Xiao Yu from Old Cai before. He knew that Xiao Yu was a doctor at the clinic in the Deep Sea Antique City and had picked up a golden-threaded Nanmu box. Initially, he thought of him as just a lucky young man, but when he saw Xiao Yu here acting calmly and composedly, it couldn’t help but spark some curiosity towards him in Song Shuhushan's heart. One should know that even Old Cai was taken aback by his own place the first time he came here.

“Hello, Mr. Song!” Upon hearing Teacher Cai’s introduction, Xiao Yu extended a hand and said coolly.

Xiao Yu, although born into a common family, was raised by his maternal grandfather and mother to always maintain dignity without being servile. Perhaps this society has hierarchical divisions, but such distinctions are absolutely not reflected in the current Xiao Yu.

"Old Cai, Brother Xiao, please sit down!" Song Hushan became even more curious about Xiao Yu when he saw how calm and collected Xiao was. Usually, even billionaires would be nervous and jittery when shaking hands with him. Smiling, Song Hushan extended his hand to shake Xiao Yu's.

Although Song Hushan’s smile was very warm and his words were courteous, Xiao Yu sensed a hint of arrogance in his eyes. This kind of arrogance seemed innate, unintentionally revealing itself.

When Teacher Cai came here for the first time, he too was slightly intimidated by the setup, but seeing Xiao Yu's calm demeanor without any surprise at all despite everything around him, he couldn't help but think more highly of Xiao. However, he immediately let it go since not only was Xiao Yu a skilled doctor comparable to a national master, but he also had excellent handwriting that revealed his character and disposition, making him stand out from ordinary people.

After sitting down, Teacher Cai gestured for Xiao Yu to take out the wooden box. Xiao Yu casually took it out of his backpack and placed it on the table. Seeing that Xiao Yu simply put the wooden box in his bag without any protective measures, Teacher Cai was about to say something but then remembered that Xiao Yu wasn't from the antique trade and shook his head, not saying anything while being impressed by Xiao's calmness.

Teacher Cai’s gaze instantly sparkled as he looked at the wooden box on the table.

Song Hushan put on a pair of gloves and picked up the wooden box to examine it closely. After a moment, Song Hushan placed the wooden box down and took a deep breath before looking at Teacher Cai and asking, "Old Cai, what do you think"

Teachers like Cai and Bai were experts from the Forbidden City who not only appeared on programs such as 'Chasing Treasures' but also privately helped some wealthy individuals to authenticate items. Teacher Cai was an advisor for Song Hushan’s company, essentially a private appraiser known in the trade as "eye of judgment." Whenever Song Hushan acquired something, he would usually invite Teacher Cai over to make judgments, and naturally, there were considerable dividends involved each time.

"Where is it I've seen it with Old Jin, Old Mao, and Xiao Bai. It's definitely a genuine piece from the early Ming Dynasty. But how it was crafted to look like this remains a mystery. However, among existing golden-threaded Phoebe wood antiques, this box is undoubtedly unique. Golden-threaded Phoebe wood is also known as ironwood; since ancient times, it has been renowned for its difficulty in carving. The dragon throne in the Forbidden City is considered one of the most intricate items ever recorded, but compared to this wooden box...

Master Cai shook his head and looked at the wooden box with shining eyes, explaining in detail.

"Xiao brother, Master Cai, please have some tea!" Zhou Ruoying walked out holding a teapot and several cups of tea for Xiao Yu and Old Cai to interrupt Old Cai's words.

Xiao Yu didn't care too much. After drinking heavily last night and sleeping through the entire night, he hadn't even had time to drink water this morning and was extremely thirsty. When he saw Zhou Ruoying pouring tea for him at this moment, he drank it without hesitation, finishing it in one gulp. He then licked his lips and said, "This tea smells so fragrant!"

Upon smelling the tea when Zhou Ruoying brought it out, Song Hushan immediately recognized that she had poured the best of his limited supply. Surprised, he glanced at her twice before turning to see Xiao Yu finishing the cup like a bull eating a peony. Even Song Hushan, known for his elegance and generosity, couldn't help but twitch his face. He wanted to say something but as the host, he held back and glared fiercely at Zhou Ruoying when she wasn't looking.

He had only obtained this tea in small amounts from his father-in-law, usually reserving it for times when he truly craved a cup. By now, he still had half an ounce left, which he valued like a precious treasure.

Zhou Ruoying seemed not to notice Song Hushan's glares and poured another cup of tea for Xiao Yu, saying, "Since you find it fragrant, drink more!"

At this point, Song Hushan realized something was amiss. His wife wasn't someone who would overlook the value of things, nor was she unaware of how he cherished these particular leaves. She herself came from a noble family and was an overseas Ph.D., always holding herself in high regard. Usually, when friends visited, she wouldn't even offer them a smile, let alone pour tea for guests. Now she had brought out his best tea and served it to the guest, which made Song Hushan very curious but he didn't feel comfortable asking while they were still there.Yu told the doctors. With Xiao Hongyang present, he didn't need these doctors around."Sir Xiao, please do have a check-up," said the military doctor in his fifties."Haha, thank you, I just took my own...