MLMD -Chapter 336 Young Master Yun’s Enthusiasm

“Hey… Third Brother, it’s like this. I have a friend who needs a batch of sulfur machines and nitric acid—about twenty tons and five tons respectively. The timing’s pretty tight; he needs them within the next couple of days. Can you help me get them? …Okay, okay… then I’ll tell him that. Right, one more thing—help me tell Mom and Dad I won’t be home for dinner tonight. That’s it.”

After hanging up, Yufeng smiled slightly and said, “All set. No problem at all. Tomorrow you can go to Hongji Chemical Factory to pick up the goods. Before you go, give this number a call and he’ll take you there.” As he spoke, Yun Feng took out a business card and handed it to Yue Yang.

Yue Yang accepted the card and smiled faintly at Yun Feng. “Alright… then thank you, President Yun. I’ll have someone go pick them up tomorrow.”

After saying that, he thought for a moment, then casually picked up his briefcase and smiled at the two of them. “How about this—I just got back from out of town today and came to see Brother Zhao. I also brought a small gift along the way. As the saying goes, those who meet share a portion. Today I’ll give one to each of you; I hope you won’t mind.”

With that, Yue Yang opened the briefcase in his hand, took out a brocade box, placed it on the table, and smiled at Yun Feng. “Young Master Yun, this is just a little trinket I picked up myself. Please accept it as a token of my appreciation.”

“Oh? I get a gift too?” Yun Feng laughed. He glanced at the brocade box on the table and casually opened it. The moment he did, however, he was slightly startled, quickly lifting the item inside.

It was a bluish-green porcelain bowl, about six centimeters tall and roughly ten centimeters in diameter. Upon closer inspection, the clay body was extremely fine and pure, thin and light, carefully trimmed. The foot was neatly cut, with thin walls and straight inner sides. The glaze was thick, smooth, and lustrous, faintly shimmering with a shrimp-blue hue, containing small, dense bubbles. After examining it for a while, Yun Feng turned the bowl over to look at the mark on the bottom. His expression stiffened slightly.

“A Chenghua imperial kiln blue-and-white bowl? Is it real or fake?”

Zhao Santong’s expression also changed. He leaned over to take a look, then turned to Yue Yang in surprise. “Brother Yue, you’re really willing to give away a Chenghua imperial piece as a gift? Those sulfur machines and nitric acid aren’t worth much—this gift is way too valuable!”

Hearing that, Yun Feng’s expression tightened as well. “Really? It’s actually a genuine Chenghua imperial kiln piece?”

“You brat, get the hell out of here!” Zhao Santong snapped, glaring at him. “If anything Brother Yue gives is fake, I’ll dig out my own eyeballs and stomp on them!”

After years of doing business with Yue Yang, everything Yue Yang had ever given Zhao Santong was genuine—never once a fake. His reputation with Zhao Santong was impeccable. Hearing Yun Feng question the authenticity of the porcelain immediately made Zhao Santong bristle with disdain.

Yue Yang chuckled and waved his hand. “Brother Zhao, listen to you—it’s just a little object. It’s not like it can bring the dead back to life. To someone who likes it, it’s a treasure; to someone who doesn’t, it’s just a bowl for eating. There’s no need to make such a fuss.”

Yue Yang said this lightly, but to Zhao Santong and Yun Feng, it was enough to make them want to spit blood. Damn it—that was a Chenghua imperial kiln piece, worth several hundred thousand at least, and so fragile that a single knock could ruin it. Even the world’s richest man wouldn’t dare eat from something like that. If an ordinary person said this, the two of them would have spat in his face—but Zhao Santong and Yun Feng weren’t ordinary people. One was a powerful figure who operated in both the underworld and legitimate circles; the other was the son of a high-ranking official. They could tell—Yue Yang wasn’t putting on an act. For all they knew, he really did use Chenghua imperial bowls for daily meals.

As it turned out, they weren’t wrong. Although Chenghua imperial porcelain was extremely valuable in later generations, back in the Ming dynasty it wasn’t considered particularly rare. As Yue Yang’s status rose, people around him knew he liked antiques, calligraphy, paintings, and porcelain, so many had catered to his tastes and gifted him plenty. His home truly wasn’t lacking in such items.

Once he confirmed the piece was genuine, Yun Feng’s gaze toward Yue Yang subtly changed. Someone who could casually give away a Chenghua imperial kiln piece was no ordinary person. Especially since all he’d done was help arrange some sulfur machines and nitric acid—hardly rare items—yet the gratitude he received far exceeded their value.

At this moment, Zhao Santong looked at the bowl in Yun Feng’s hands with deep regret. “Damn… such a fine piece, wasted on a guy like Yun Lao’er who doesn’t even know how to appreciate it. If I’d known, I would’ve helped Brother Yue myself. Say, Yun Lao’er, how about you pass it to me? I’ll pay for it.”

Yun Lao’er laughed loudly and placed the item back into the brocade box, clearly in an excellent mood. “No can do, Brother Zhao. You know, my old man’s seventieth birthday is coming up soon. I was worrying about what gift to give him—this is like someone handing me a pillow when I’m drowsy.”

Watching Yun Feng grin from ear to ear, Zhao Santong truly regretted it now. That was a Chenghua imperial kiln piece! All for a few sulfur machines—just because he hesitated for a moment, he’d handed over such a golden opportunity. He was so upset he wanted to slap himself twice.

Seeing Zhao Santong pounding his chest in regret, Yue Yang laughed and took out another brocade box from his case, handing it to Zhao Santong with a smile. “Brother Zhao, stop pounding your chest. Keep it up and you’ll give yourself heart trouble.”

Seeing another brocade box, Zhao Santong was overjoyed. “Good brother! I knew you wouldn’t forget me. So the real good stuff was saved for last, huh?”

He eagerly opened the box. Inside lay another blue-and-white porcelain bowl, quietly resting there. Its size and style were almost identical to the one given to Yun Feng. The only difference was its condition—it clearly wasn’t very good. At a glance, one could tell it was a forgery.

The moment he saw it, Zhao Santong’s mouth drooped. Half laughing, half crying, he said, “Hey… Brother Yue, even if you don’t want to give me anything, you don’t have to fob me off with a fake, right?”

Generally speaking, forged antiques weren’t worth much. The pristine blue-and-white bowl Yue Yang gave Yun Feng was worth at least four to five hundred thousand, while this fake might fetch ten thousand at best. Zhao Santong immediately began complaining.

Yue Yang, however, wasn’t upset at all. He smiled and said, “Brother Zhao, of course I know that. A fake isn’t worth much—but have you looked closely at who made this bowl?”

Zhao Santong curled his lips. “Whoever made it, it’s not like the Jade Emperor himself did, right?”

Yue Yang grinned slyly. “He may not be the Jade Emperor, but he’s close enough. Take another look at the inscription and signature underneath.”

Zhao Santong read it carefully, word by word. “‘The Way of Heaven diminishes excess and replenishes deficiency’… and below that, the signature—‘Made by Yangmingzi’… Yangmingzi… Yangmingzi…”
He suddenly sucked in a sharp breath. His arm twitched as if he’d been shocked, startling Yue Yang, who quickly stepped forward and jokingly steadied him.

“Hey, Brother Zhao, hold it steady. If you break it, you won’t be able to compensate me.”

Zhao Santong was an antique enthusiast, and anyone who loved antiques had to know history. The name Yangmingzi might not mean much to ordinary people, but mention Wang Shouren, and many would immediately understand.

Wang Shouren, courtesy name Bo’an, also known as Yangming. A native of Yuyao County, Shaoxing Prefecture, Zhejiang, he styled himself Yangmingzi and was known to scholars as Master Yangming—also called Wang Yangming.

He was a renowned Ming dynasty thinker, writer, philosopher, and military strategist—the great synthesizer of Lu–Wang Neo-Confucianism, proficient in Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism alike. Later generations placed his thought alongside that of Confucius, Mencius, and Zhu Xi, which alone testified to his extraordinary brilliance and fame.

Modern figures such as Japanese naval marshal Tōgō Heihachirō, Sun Yat-sen, Liang Qichao, Kang Youwei, Cai Yuanpei, and Guo Moruo all revered him deeply. That alone showed how formidable he was.

Now Yue Yang was saying that this blue-and-white bowl had been personally made by Wang Shouren himself—this utterly shattered Zhao Santong’s worldview.

“I… I say, Brother Yue, don’t joke with me. Master Yangming made porcelain too? I’m not very well-read—don’t fool me. If this bowl really was made by Master Yangming, that would be unbelievable!”

If word got out that Wang Shouren had personally made porcelain, it would cause an earthquake in cultural circles.

“Of course it’s true,” Yue Yang replied solemnly, losing his smile. “This was indeed personally made by Master Yangming. The signature on the bowl is in his own hand. I also have one of his handwritten miscellaneous essays—you can compare the handwriting and seal. That essay was written by Master Yangming himself and records the reason, time, and process of his making this bowl. Take a look.”

With that, Yue Yang handed Zhao Santong a book wrapped in silk.

Zhao Santong took it and skimmed through it briefly before exclaiming in shock, “My heavens—this really is a blue-and-white bowl personally made by Master Yangming!”

Seeing that Zhao Santong had finally confirmed its provenance, Yue Yang asked, “So I didn’t lie to you, did I? Tell me—if this really is a bowl made by Master Yangming himself, how much do you think it’s worth?”

“Money?” Zhao Santong said indignantly. “Can this be measured in money? This is a national treasure—a national treasure, do you understand?”

After scolding Yue Yang, Zhao Santong took a deep breath and continued, “Brother Yue, this gift is too heavy. I can’t take it for free. How about this—I don’t have much cash on hand right now, so I’ll give you two hundred million first. What do you think?”

“Fine,” Yue Yang agreed readily. “Just transfer it to my account when you have time.”

Yun Feng, meanwhile, was completely stunned. After a long while, he let out a bitter smile. “I thought my Chenghua imperial kiln piece was already impressive. I never imagined that such an ugly-looking broken bowl would be worth two hundred million. I’ve really had my eyes opened.”

Yun Feng wasn’t someone who hadn’t seen money—two hundred million, or even more, wouldn’t normally shock him. But as the saying went, every profession had its own field. He simply couldn’t comprehend how a bowl that couldn’t be eaten from or drunk from, and looked so crudely made, could be worth two hundred million. It completely overturned his sense of value.

Zhao Santong placed the blue-and-white bowl and the manuscript back into the brocade box and carefully locked them away in a safe. Then he turned to Yun Feng and said seriously, “Yun Lao’er, you’re not in this line of work, so you don’t understand the true value of antiques, nor Master Yangming’s status in our history. Some things simply can’t be measured by money. Like the Goujian Sword of Yue, the Simuwu Ding, or the Yang Fangzun displayed in the Palace Museum—can those be priced in money? They’ve gone beyond relics and risen into culture and spirit. Can that be bought with money?”

“Alright, alright… I won’t say anything more,” Yun Feng said with a wry smile, raising his hands. “Different fields, different worlds. I’ll stop before I embarrass myself. We’ve been talking for so long anyway—I’m starving. Let’s go eat.”

“Sounds good. Brother Zhao, today we’re going to bleed Young Master Yun, this rich guy, dry,” Yue Yang said with a laugh as he stood up.

“Fine. Today we’ll freeload off Yun Lao’er,” Zhao Santong added cheerfully.

The three left the company together and drove to the famous Sheraton Hotel. They booked a private room and began eating and chatting. During the conversation, Yue Yang learned that Yun Feng’s father was actually the mayor of Mingzhu City. Of the three brothers, the eldest had gone into politics, while Yun Feng and his younger brother had gone into business. With their background connections, they were thriving in the commercial world. Yun Feng now ran an entertainment company and was doing quite well.

What surprised Yue Yang even more was that Yun Feng showed great respect toward Zhao Santong, the jewelry merchant—something clearly evident in his words and demeanor. This made Yue Yang increasingly curious about just how much influence Zhao Santong truly wielded.

The three chatted about all kinds of topics under the sun. As the saying went, a person’s knowledge and cultivation could be seen through conversation—and it was true. Yue Yang could tell that both Yun Feng and Zhao Santong were no ordinary figures; they could discuss national affairs and global events with ease, which genuinely surprised him.

What Yue Yang didn’t know was that Zhao Santong and Yun Feng were just as shocked. In their exchanges with Yue Yang, they keenly sensed that this “Brother Yue” was far from simple. Though Yue Yang tried hard to conceal it, his speech and bearing subtly exuded the aura of someone in a position of authority—something that couldn’t be faked, but only forged through long-term experience and refinement. What shocked Yun Feng even more was that, at times, Yue Yang unconsciously radiated an imposing presence, like a towering mountain, carrying with it a heavy aura of iron and warhorses.

During the meal, when Yue Yang went to the restroom, Yun Feng seized the chance to ask Zhao Santong quietly, “Brother Zhao, the more I look at Brother Yue, the more extraordinary he seems. Tell me honestly—has he been in the military?”

Zhao Santong picked up a piece of beef, put it in his mouth, and chuckled lightly. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I’m really curious,” Yun Feng said gravely. “You know what my family background is. To be honest, I sense a certain aura from him—something similar to my old man back home, yet different. And it’s even stronger than my father’s. I can say for certain that he’s killed people—and more than one. You know I grew up in the army with my second uncle; I’m extremely sensitive to that kind of military aura. He has the same kind of presence as my uncle. And I can also be sure that his rank in the military was definitely not low—at least general-level or above. That’s what puzzles me. Our country only has so many generals—how have I never heard of someone like him?”

Zhao Santong looked at Yun Feng for a long while, until Yun Feng began to feel confused, before letting out a soft sigh. “Yun Lao’er, you know something? I’ve known Brother Yue for five years now, and I’ve never asked about his personal affairs or what exactly he does. Do you know why?”

Without waiting for an answer, Zhao Santong continued meaningfully, “Some things—if he wants us to know, he’ll tell us himself. If he doesn’t, we shouldn’t force it. Everyone has secrets they don’t want others to know. If we insist on digging to the bottom of everything, we might not even remain friends. Do you understand what I mean?”

Hearing this, cold sweat broke out on Yun Feng’s forehead. He quickly thanked Zhao Santong. “Thank you for the reminder, Brother Zhao. I know what to do now.”

The two fell silent. A while later, Yue Yang returned from the restroom. Zhao Santong stood up and smiled at them. “Brother Yue, I’m full, so I’ll head back first. You two young fellows have fun—I won’t join the next part.”

“Brother Zhao—” Yue Yang was about to speak when Yun Feng grabbed him, grinning. “Alright, Brother Zhao is a famous family man. We can’t get him in trouble and make him kneel on a washboard at home. Let him go back—we’ll have our own fun.”

With that, Yun Feng pulled out his phone and made several calls. To Yue Yang’s surprise, less than half an hour later, four women arrived. Their appearance startled him.

Although Yue Yang had spent most of these years in another time and space and returned to the modern world for no more than two months a year, he still recognized them. While they weren’t quite top-tier domestic celebrities, they were definitely solid second-line stars.

Especially the tall, striking woman on the far left with refined features—she had risen to nationwide fame a few years earlier after starring in a Qing-dynasty time-travel drama called something like Startling the Heart. He never expected Yun Feng to summon even her. That truly caught Yue Yang off guard.