Invisible Security Guard
Chapter 288: Wren Hicks

Chapter 288: Chapter 288: Wren Hicks

Anna Cooke was a true Beijinger, so compared to Yusuf Zuck and the others who were from out of town, she knew better about the specialties and delicacies of Beijing.

In a snack shop within a small alley, Yusuf Zuck had what’s called the roast goose. It was a modest little restaurant with decent decoration, fairly clean, and completely packed with diners.

The two of them ordered half a roast goose, a serving of clear soup, a plate of cold dishes, and Yusuf Zuck wanted some alcohol, but Anna Cooke disagreed, warning him he shouldn’t drink and drive.

Yusuf Zuck had no choice but to give up the idea. However, the taste of the roast goose here was really good; Anna Cooke hadn’t eaten but a few pieces, and Yusuf Zuck had already finished it off, then he ordered a whole one.

Anna Cooke’s eyes widened in disbelief as she watched Yusuf Zuck’s eating style. She wondered where he could possibly store all that food.

"Aren’t you full?" Anna Cooke said between laughter and tears, "Are you telling me you, a big boss, haven’t eaten for days? Do you really need to eat that much?"

"I’ll take two more to go later," Yusuf Zuck mumbled as he ate, and when it came to the issue of his appetite, he really didn’t know how to explain it; anyway, the people around him were used to it.

"Fine, suit yourself, but don’t blame me if you overeat," Anna Cooke couldn’t help complaining. This Yusuf Zuck had no class, no restraint in front of a beautiful woman, and didn’t care at all about his image.

"Heh, I won’t overeat," Yusuf Zuck chuckled and said little else, just kept on eating.

Actually, he didn’t really want to talk much with Anna Cooke either. Sometimes when Anna Cooke asked him questions, he would respond vaguely.

For instance, when Anna Cooke talked about being unwanted or lacking company, Yusuf Zuck would selectively hear from one ear and out the other, not picking up her conversational threads. He knew he had to maintain a certain distance from Anna Cooke at all costs: no joking around, no dirty jokes, and certainly no flirting.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t handle it, but rather, he didn’t want to get burned by meddling too much and then face trouble later.

Moreover, he and Anna Cooke truly came from different worlds. She was cultured and from a distinguished "red" clan, so if he got too involved with Anna Cooke, her father would probably shoot him.

Of course, Anna Cooke was smart too. It was obvious that Yusuf Zuck was avoiding her, keeping a respectful but firm distance and not giving her any openings.

Yet precisely because Yusuf Zuck kept his distance and avoided her, this behavior also amused her to no end. The more he did this, the more she wanted to tease Yusuf Zuck.

The two ate for an hour and didn’t leave until half-past seven, with Yusuf Zuck packing up two roast geese to share drinks with his brothers later that night.

A little after eight, they parked the car near a faculty apartment building at Beijing University.

Anna Cooke’s teacher was named Stetson Garrett, and he was an authority in the academic world. Anna Cooke specifically told Yusuf Zuck to be polite when they arrived.

They reached the third floor, where Anna Cooke knocked on the door, and it was opened by a gray-haired old lady.

"Delaney’s here, come in quick, it’s cold outside!" Anna Cooke seemed to be a regular visitor.

"Delaney’s here?" In the living room, a bald old man wearing a vest was watching the news channel. Seeing Anna Cooke come in with a stranger, he looked over curiously.

"Teacher, I’ve brought the owner of the Treasure Pavilion that I mentioned a few days ago. This is Yusuf Zuck," Anna Cooke introduced him to Stetson Garrett after they had changed shoes.

"Ah, so this is the young owner of the Treasure Pavilion? So young?" Stetson Garrett quickly stood up. He was part of the collector’s circle, so he was not only aware of the Treasure Pavilion but had also visited it. After seeing a few of the treasures, all genuine, he was curious about who this authoritative figure, Yusuf Zuck, was; after all, people in the circle usually knew each other, and this owner of the Treasure Pavilion hadn’t been heard of before.

"Mr. Garrett, nice to meet you." Although Yusuf Zuck was young, he conducted himself with maturity and took the initiative to shake hands and greet Stetson Garrett.

"Heh heh, promising young man, promising indeed. Please sit, sit. Dear, some hot tea," Stetson Garrett was very polite and did not show any disdain due to Yusuf Zuck’s youth.

"Teacher, Mr. Zuck is a connoisseur. Please bring out that treasure of yours, let Mr. Zuck have a look!" Anna Cooke urged with a smile.

"Fine, fine, fine, to tell you the truth, I’m not sure about this treasure myself either, and several of my old friends aren’t sure about it as well. I’ll bring it over now," Mr. Stetson went into his study, made a round, and then came out holding a large six-eared porcelain vase.

Yusuf Zuck actually didn’t know anything about antiques, let alone being able to name this type of porcelain.

Of course, he didn’t know what to call it, but he could tell the real from the fake at a glance.

"This is a treasure I found during a business trip to Xi’an. It’s called a blue and white six-eared vase. Mr. Zhang, please take a look at it first," Mr. Stetson carefully placed the porcelain vase on the tea machine in front of Yusuf Zuck.

Yusuf Zuck had already scanned the porcelain with telekinesis and he became curious because there were three different vibes on the porcelain, with the upper third having an old aura, the middle third having no old aura, and the bottom third having an old aura.

However, the old auras at the bottom and the top were different, which could only mean that they came from different eras.

Yusuf Zuck pretended to examine the vase closely, squinting his eyes.

However, as he looked, he began to see the pattern.

The porcelain had been glued back together, and moreover, it was reconstructed by a master craftsman of high caliber.

The top third seemed to belong to one era, the middle third was modern, and the bottom third belonged to a very ancient era.

The master craftsman used three different vases to piece this one together and then reworked and polished it. And to perform such exquisite craftsmanship, Yusuf Zuck couldn’t help but admire the fraudster master as a genius.

Moreover, this genius had even carved his own name on the inside of the vase, within an interlayer.

After looking it over for a while, Yusuf placed the vase back on the tea machine and then pondered, "Real mixed with fake."

"What does that mean? What are you saying?" asked Anna Cooke, perplexed.

"It’s been pieced together, split into three distinct parts, each from a different era. Whoever joined this vase was a true master!" Yusuf Zuck praised.

"Pieced together? That’s impossible, isn’t it?" Anna Cooke and Mr. Stetson were both incredulous. A piecing together should show color differences, right? And also being a three-part assembly, how could the joining be so seamless?

Yusuf Zuck just gave a slight chuckle, and avoided the question by replying, "It’s a fine item is all, Mr. Stetson. You should keep it safe; this item is definitely a rare treasure!"

"Then can you point out where the joins are? What are you basing this on?" Anna Cooke pressed on.

Yusuf Zuck shook his head. "Even if I point them out, you wouldn’t be able to see them. But have you heard of someone named ’Wren Hicks’?"

"Wren Hicks?" Anna Cooke and Mr. Stetson both paused for a moment, then Mr. Stetson frowned, "A Hicks? Could it be related to Malachi Hicks?"

"Malachi Hicks?" Anna Cooke looked at Yusuf Zuck strangely, then back at the vase. In the antique world, there was an oddity, a master craftsman named Malachi Hicks. The pieces he produced could all pass as the genuine article.

However, Malachi Hicks had long since stopped his craft, not making any more for any amount of money. But now Yusuf Zuck brought up the name Wren Hicks? What was the connection between Wren Hicks and Malachi Hicks?

"Are you implying that this piece was made by Wren Hicks?" Stetson Garrett inquired.

"That would seem to be the case," Yusuf Zuck said with a smile.

"Well then, thank you very much," Stetson Garrett didn’t pursue it any further, but Anna Cooke had a whole host of questions she wanted to ask Yusuf Zuck.