Chapter 50 Meeting an Old Friend

Jared noticed Gabriel's face change and quickly stepped up, asking, "Mr. Caldwell, is there something wrong with this scroll?"

Gabriel didn't answer right away. Instead, he took a closer look at the two shiny red and black wooden rods. After a few moments, he looked up at Jared and said, "I didn't catch this earlier, but these scrolls are made of top-quality agarwood."

Agarwood?

The crowd, especially those who knew their wood, were stunned. Agarwood was super valuable, prized since the Middle Ages and even more so now.

Gabriel then brought the scroll rods close to his nose and took a careful sniff. "Even after all this time, the surface of these wooden scroll rods has developed a patina, but the fragrance is still strong, which means it has a high oil content. The overall color is dark, looking dark green under the light, with the resin fibers showing a platinum hue.

If I'm not mistaken, this is white Kyara, the finest type of agarwood."

Everyone was blown away. Kyara was top-notch agarwood. Nowadays, an ounce of Kyara powder could fetch thousands, even tens of thousands. So, think about the value of those two large Kyara pieces!

I was impressed by Gabriel's deep knowledge and couldn't help but respect Fortune Antiques even more.

Gabriel stood up and looked at me. "When I ran my fingernail over the grain earlier, it felt sticky and soft, indicating a high degree of maturation. This is definitely top-grade Kyara. Dennis, congrats."

Gabriel hadn't noticed the scrolls earlier, and since they weren't his, his detailed yet easy-to-understand explanation made him look good. The praise from everyone made him pretty happy, so he handed the scrolls to me with a smile.

Jared's face turned sour. He never thought the real treasure would be those two pieces of wood!

"Mr. Caldwell, you must be mistaken. How could the wood be worth more than the painting?"

Before Gabriel could respond, Lorenzo laughed and said, "Mr. Clark, Kyara was a favorite of medieval nobles. Since the painting was commissioned for nobility, it's no wonder Kyara wood was chosen for the scroll rods. The rods were wrapped in brocade, and if Dennis hadn't torn the painting, we wouldn't have discovered it. We've really found a treasure!"

Jared, wanting to speak up, hesitated after selling it to me in front of everyone. With no words, he just shot me a bitter smile before walking off.

The crowd didn't linger on it for long. Soon, a few folks started pulling out items for Gabriel to appraise.

"Dennis, I knew I wasn't wrong about you!" Alicia said, throwing her arm around my shoulder playfully. "You've hit the jackpot this time. You owe me a big dinner!"

Feeling her warmth and softness, I blushed and quickly handed the agarwood to Lorenzo. "Lorenzo, I don't know much about this stuff. You take it and do whatever you think is best."

Lorenzo gave me a surprised look but didn't refuse. He took the scroll rods and put them in his bag. "Alright, we don't have much use for this. I'll find a good buyer and transfer the money to your account."

I quickly waved my hand. "No need. Just keep it for now. I don't have any immediate expenses."

Lorenzo smiled and didn't say more. After securing the wood, he continued to lead us around. As we were about to turn a corner, someone called out to him, "Lorenzo?"

Lorenzo turned to see a tall, middle-aged man with graying hair looking at him excitedly.

"Oh my, Lorenzo, it really is you!"

Lorenzo recognized the man and took a few steps forward, grasping his hands. "Anthony, what are you doing here? It's been ten years since we last saw each other, hasn't it?"

Anthony Baldwin laughed heartily, tears glistening in his eyes. "Lorenzo, it's been twelve years!"

"Really, twelve years..." Lorenzo was so excited. "Anthony, I can't believe it!"

The two men sat down, holding hands and catching up.

Alicia and I listened and realized they were old friends and business partners. Twelve years ago, Anthony had disappeared without a word due to health issues.

Who would have thought they would reunite in such a setting after twelve years?

The two chatted for over half an hour before slowing down. Lorenzo introduced us to each other.

Lorenzo asked Anthony why he was here. Anthony sighed, "You don't know, twelve years back, I had Sinwaft. You checked me out but couldn't figure it out I thought I was done for, so I left without a word, searching for a hidden expert to help me."

Lorenzo perked up. "Did you find one?"

"I did," Anthony nodded. "I found a master in Everglade City, but he didn't mention anything about Sinwaft. Instead, he gave me medicine to take every ten days. That's how I've survived, but the meds had to be made fresh, so I couldn't stray too far. Been there for twelve years."

"Are you cured now?"

Anthony's face darkened. "No, the master passed away..."