Chapter Fifty-Seven: First Glimpse of Talent

"Zhang Wei, how could you tell at a glance that the gold-inlaid jade Guanyin statue was genuine?" Fatty Zhou asked curiously.

Fatty Zhou could see that Zhang Wei was not familiar with the antiques trade, and being able to pick out a genuine piece from among countless fakes was certainly not something that could be explained away as mere 'luck.' Besides, Zhang Wei did not strike him as someone who did things relying on luck.

"Fatty Zhou, didn't Zhang Wei say you were the one who helped him pick out the Guanyin statue? So why are you asking him now?" Wu Qian's eyes widened as she questioned him.

"Heh, that's just Zhang Wei trying to save face for his big brother here, giving me credit I don't deserve," Fatty Zhou replied with an embarrassed smile.

"Hmph, I knew you didn't have that kind of ability, you hopeless fatty. Otherwise, you wouldn't have ended up buying five pieces of worthless scrap metal in a row," Wu Qian said with a tone of exasperated disappointment.

"Zhang Wei, earlier you stopped Fatty Zhou from buying those five bronzes—was it because you realized they were fakes too?" Wu Qian turned from the passenger seat, her curiosity piqued by what had happened.

"This is indeed my first time dealing with antiques, and I really can't tell what's real and what's fake. I mainly judge by observing people," Zhang Wei hesitated, then explained.

"Don't try to mystify things. You're buying objects, not people—how could you possibly know if a collectible is real or fake just by observing someone?" Liu Yurou scoffed, pursing her lips in mock derision.

"In real estate, you interact with all kinds of clients, and many of them aren't honest with you. After dealing with enough people, I found I could gradually spot when someone was lying," Zhang Wei paused to gauge the three people's reactions before continuing.

"I noticed Manager Wang showed signs of lying when introducing most of the items, which told me there was something wrong with the pieces. But when it came to the gold-inlaid jade Guanyin, he was completely honest, so I took a chance and bought it," Zhang Wei said.

"You can tell when someone is lying? Really?" Liu Yurou exclaimed in surprise.

Zhang Wei only claimed he could spot lies, not that he could see into people's minds. Though the meaning seems similar, the implications are vastly different—one is intriguing, the other unsettling.

For example, now that Fatty Zhou and the others believed Zhang Wei could detect lies, they would simply think that as long as they didn't lie in front of him, or even refrained from speaking, he wouldn't be able to see through them. So they weren't particularly alarmed.

In truth, whether they spoke or not, Zhang Wei could read their minds using his telepathy. If the three of them ever discovered this, they would surely distance themselves from him—after all, who doesn't have secrets, and who would want their thoughts laid bare before others?

"When people lie, there are always telltale signs. Some are obvious, others are just better at hiding them," Zhang Wei deliberately explained his ability as reading facial expressions, hiding his true telepathic powers.

"I've heard of microexpression analysis abroad—it's a science that detects lies through subtle facial cues. Maybe your method is something like that," Fatty Zhou said with interest.

If someone else had claimed the ability to spot lies, Fatty Zhou might not have believed it. But Zhang Wei had already proved himself with the gold-inlaid jade Guanyin and by warning him away from the five bronzes, so Fatty Zhou took his words seriously.

"That's a remarkable skill!" Wu Qian exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement. "Honey, when we negotiate with other companies in the future, we have to bring Zhang Wei along—we'll be unbeatable!"

"That's right. Looks like we'll be relying on you a lot from now on, brother. I hope you'll lend us a hand!" Fatty Zhou was even more excited than he let on, already thinking further ahead than Wu Qian.

The reason Zhang Wei revealed a hint of his ability was to deepen his relationship with Fatty Zhou. People are social creatures—like attracts like. A billionaire and a beggar have little in common, and Zhang Wei was worlds apart from someone like Fatty Zhou, whose net worth was in the billions.

If Zhang Wei wanted to truly be friends with Fatty Zhou, he had to either reach the same status or display an exceptional talent that made him indispensable to Fatty Zhou; otherwise, their differences would soon pull them apart.

"Brother, with your ability to spot lies, have you ever thought about getting into the antiques business? It's a hugely profitable field!" Fatty Zhou suggested.

"Fatty, I can only tell if someone is lying, not whether an item is authentic. At best, I can help you avoid being cheated, but as for making money in this business, that's unlikely," Zhang Wei replied after a moment's thought.

To make money in antiques, you have to snag hidden gems—buying something for less than its true value because the seller doesn't know what it's worth. But if the seller does know, you won't earn much even if you buy it. Zhang Wei's telepathy only lets him know what the other person knows—if the seller knows the real value, so does he, but that eliminates the possibility of finding a bargain and getting rich from it.

As for the profit from the gold-inlaid jade Guanyin, it was only possible because of Serene Fragrance Pavilion's special rule of selling all items at a third of market value. In other shops, whether genuine or fake, prices match the market, so even if Zhang Wei bought a real piece, he couldn't profit from it.

"That's already enough. At least I won't end up buying fakes when I collect antiques in the future!" Fatty Zhou said excitedly, already resolved to always bring his 'lie detector' Zhang Wei along when making purchases.

Fatty Zhou collected antiques for the joy of it, not to make money. As long as he could avoid fakes, he was more than satisfied.

"Zhang Wei, why don't we go back to Serene Fragrance Pavilion? There, everything—real or fake—is a third of the market price. If we buy a genuine piece, we can triple our money instantly!" Liu Yurou's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Seeing Zhang Wei make a seventy-thousand profit in a single transaction, Liu Yurou couldn't help but feel tempted herself. She was already plotting how to convince Zhang Wei to pick out a genuine piece for her.

"Manager Wang is a smart man. I bet he already has his eye on Zhang Wei after the Guanyin purchase. If we buy a second genuine piece today, we'll likely end up on Serene Fragrance Pavilion's blacklist, and never be able to buy there again," Fatty Zhou shook his head.

Hearing this, Liu Yurou's excitement faded, though she now regarded Zhang Wei with a newfound respect, no longer seeing him as just an ordinary man.

"Zhang Wei, are you planning to keep the gold-inlaid jade Guanyin for your own collection, or sell it?" Wu Qian asked.

"I'll sell it. With my current means, I can't afford to collect such items," Zhang Wei replied without hesitation. He'd rather spend a million on a home to live in than on an antique gathering dust in the basement.

After Mr. Qian authenticated the Guanyin, Zhang Wei had already heard that someone wanted to buy it for a good price. He was ready to sell, since such things were still luxuries for him. If it were damaged, it would pain him for days.

But to give Fatty Zhou some face, he declined Yue Ming and the others' offers. He was just about to ask Fatty Zhou if he wanted to buy it himself; if not, he could still ask him to help find a buyer, since Fatty Zhou had more connections.

"Then why not just sell it to me?" Wu Qian asked. A believer in Buddhism, she had purchased two Buddha statues among her four collectibles and was especially fond of the gold-inlaid jade Guanyin.

"Wife, the reason I stopped Zhang Wei from selling the Guanyin was because I wanted to buy it for you!" Fatty Zhou said ingratiatingly.

This was the truth. Of the nine collectibles the couple bought, all were fakes. Having them at home was bad luck, so they needed a genuine piece to ward off ill fortune and elevate their home's status.