Leveling Up With My Pet

"What an unexpected surprise!" exclaimed Liu Yong.

He had always believed that private kilns produced the two porcelain pieces. However, upon seeing the model on this porcelain dish, it became evident that it was from an official kiln.

"Well, I do have a preference for official kilns," remarked Liu Yong, feeling satisfied with the discovery.

He proceeded to carefully clean the colored porcelain piece and dry it with a towel. "I'll have it appraised in the future to determine its value," he thought.

Once he finished cleaning and drying all the items, Liu Yong located a room for temporary storage. He planned to sell them gradually in the future.

Fortunately, the villa had two floors and enough rooms to accommodate his storage needs. Allocating one space for this purpose posed no significant issues.

Once Liu Yong had stored all the items, he settled onto the sofa, pulled out his mobile phone, and prepared to chat with the lovely woman from Changle. However, before doing so, he checked a Douyin post from a few hours ago.

As he scrolled through the post, Wei Wei got taken aback. It had already amassed hundreds of likes and over a dozen comments in two or three hours.

"Boss, you've hit the jackpot with this gold pocket watch!" one user commented.

"It's so exquisite and beautiful. I want one for myself," another user remarked.

In addition to the previous messages, Liu Yong also noticed a more professional comment:

"Based on the watch's LOG and style, it appears to be a Patek Philippe pocket watch crafted over a century ago. Its estimated value is likely to be substantial."

As Liu Yong read the comment, he couldn't help but wonder if the watch was truly worth a significant amount.

"Patek Philippe," he thought to himself. The renowned luxury watchmaker was famous worldwide, and their watches were known to be exceptionally expensive.

As expected, Liu Yong located the watch in question and found the "Patek Philippe" inscription in English on the back.

It was now apparent that the watch was a gold timepiece crafted by Patek Philippe over a century ago.

"It looks like I'll need to consult a professional to evaluate it," he concluded.

With the idea to have the watch evaluated by a professional, Liu Yong considered Huahai Department Store. The first floor boasted many renowned looks for sale, repair, and appraisal services for luxury timepieces.

The following day, Chen Hu drove while Liu Yong and Li Changle sat in the back seat, and the trio made their way to Huahai Department Store.

"Yong, you've bought a new car again," Chen Hu remarked.

"It was purchased by the company. I've only had it for a few days,"

Liu Yong replied

As Liu Yong chatted with the beautiful woman from Changle, he realized they had just arrived at Huahai Department Store. The store's first floor was spacious and filled with a vast array of luxury watches, gold jewelry, and high-end cosmetics.

The area and scale of the store were impressive, with almost every luxury watch brand on display.

The store was a paradise for the wealthy, especially in the famous watch section. Each timepiece had priced in the thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Liu Yong's primary objective was to have his gold watch appraised. After a quick survey of the store, he took Li Changle by the hand and headed straight for the famous watch appraisal area, considered the most reputable appraisal site in Huahai City.

The area was relatively quiet, and hardly any customers sought identification services. It was not surprising since the majority of those who own luxury watches purchase them directly from authorized dealers, eliminating the need for authentication. It was only on rare occasions, such as receiving gifts from subordinates or significant others, that people would bring their watches for appraisal.

An elderly expert sat in the appraisal area, probably around sixty.

Liu Yong smiled modestly and asked, "Master, can you give me a rough estimate of its value?"

The old master looked at the watch and said

Based on its condition and authenticity, I estimate it to be worth at least a few hundred thousand yuan, if not more. However, for a more accurate appraisal, I suggest you take it to a professional auction house or antique dealer."

Liu Yong nodded and thanked the old master. He felt relieved that he had made a good investment and knew that he could sell the watch for a reasonable price in the future.

Just about to ask how much this watch was worth, a man in his thirties hurried over and shouted, "Master, help me look at this watch." Is the watch authentic?"

The old master replied, "I'm sorry, sir, but I have to finish reading this watch first. Please wait patiently or come back another time."

The man grumbled but eventually agreed to wait. Meanwhile, the old master continued to examine the gold watch in his hand, and after a few more minutes, he spoke,

"This Patek Philippe watch is ancient but still in good condition. Based on its rarity and age, its value is around 500,000 yuan.

Liu Yong was surprised at the high appraisal value. He had no idea that the watch he found would be worth so much.

He thanked the old master and decided to hold onto the lookout for a while longer, maybe even consider selling it later on.

As they left, Li Changle turned to Liu Yong and asked,

"Are you going to sell the watch?"

Liu Yong replied, "I haven't decided yet. It's worth a lot of money but also a piece of history. I think I'll hold onto it for a while longer and see what happens."

...….

Xu Jianzhong, a middle-ranking member of the Proton Shipping Group, was the recipient of flattery and a prestigious timepiece from his subordinates. The watch would be worth between 20,000 and 30,000 yuan if authentic. He was instructed to bring the clock for the appraisal on the day he received it.

Perhaps Xu Jianzhong's authoritarian behavior in the Proton Shipping Group carried over into his personal life. He had grown accustomed to being prioritized and expected others to make concessions for him.

Watches worth 20,000 to 30,000 yuan may appear daunting to ordinary individuals, but such timepieces held little significance in this particular setting.

The master, unable to tolerate the silence any longer, spoke calmly to the young man before Liu Yong could intervene. "Son, do you have any idea the value of this gentleman's watch?"

A smile formed on the elderly master's face, and he enlightened the young man,

"This is no ordinary timepiece. It is a limited edition Patek Philippe watch that is over a century old. As per my estimation, there are only a handful of these watches left in existence, and they are valued at no less than 10 million yuan. In fact, well-preserved ones are even more scarce."

Xu Jianzhong was stunned.

It took a long time to return to his senses, and he glanced at Liu Yong in awe, guessing in his heart, who was, to have such a precious watch.

Provoking an individual of such stature was ill-advised, and discretion was the better part of valor. Thus, it was best to retreat and avoid any unnecessary conflict.

Desperately, Xu Jianzhong hastened his pace and made a swift departure from the scene.

Chen Hu shouted behind his back, as a support for his smart Boss Liu Yong.

"Dude, your watch hasn't been appraised yet, don't wait here until we finish appraising it."

Xu Jianzhong shuddered involuntarily, and a flush of embarrassment crept up his aged face, tainting it red.

Liu Yong and Li Changle exchanged glances and broke into a smile, thoroughly amused by the unexpected turn of events. Little did they anticipate that appraising a mere watch would provide such a fascinating episode.

After Xu Jianzhong left, Liu Yong asked: "Master, is this watch really worth so much money?"

The master said with a serious face: "I have been in this industry for decades, and I still have this vision. The value of this watch is more than 20 million."

Despite its unremarkable appearance, the pocket watch was valuable, much to Liu Yong's surprise. He found it difficult to believe that even a simple gold pocket watch could hold such great value.

Li Changle shared Liu Yong's incredulity and pulled at his sleeve, her expression filled with disbelief. "I'm in awe, this watch is worth a fortune," she exclaimed.