Chapter 409: Just Ask Yourself, Are You Afraid?

It took nearly ten minutes before the boss of Rao Yu Zhai hung up the phone.

Seeing him walk over, the Hong Kong businessman surnamed Chen picked up the teapot and poured a new cup: "Boss Shen, many thanks for the help!"

"You are too polite, Boss Chen." Shen Songcai took the tea cup, "It was just a small favor."

It was indeed a small favor: with the influence of Expert Liu Zhaoting, inquiring about this bit of information was not difficult; he had merely helped share the burden of the favor. But it wasn't a free favor: this old Hong Konger was a middleman who specialized in trafficking items to Southeast Asia, and his reputation in the Chinese business circle was quite good. If he could establish a connection, it would be equivalent to gaining another channel for buying and selling goods.

Taking a sip, Shen Songcai set down the tea cup: "I asked a friend at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and there is indeed such a person in the oncology department: a couple who came from Tangshan. The woman has stage-two stomach cancer, and because they couldn't scrape together enough money, they haven't had the surgery even after being there for nearly a month. I sent the photo over, and my friend confirmed it is this person..."

"My friend inquired a bit: this person even mentioned in the ward that they had an ancestral treasure on hand that could sell for several million... I made another call and had other friends use connections in Tangshan to check: this person is surnamed Duan, his home is in Shimen Town, Zunhua, separated from the Qing Imperial Mausoleum by only one Longmen Lake. The family are farmers who occasionally traffic small items, and they have been dealt with by the local public security twice..."

Shen Songcai paused slightly and tapped the table: "It is said that his ancestors were soldiers under Sun Dianying, but I don't know if it's true..."

Upon hearing "Sun Dianying," Chen Weihua's eyes lit up: it couldn't be that this brush washer was stolen from the Qing Imperial Mausoleum, could it?

Recalling it again: could it really be?

That brush washer did indeed have some soil stains, but it was from a long time ago, at least several decades...

While these thoughts were turning, Liu Zhaoting also finished his call. Chen Weihua picked up the teapot again and poured a cup: "Hard work, Mr. Liu!"

"You are too polite, Boss Chen!" Liu Zhaoting took the tea cup and held it in his hand, "I asked around, and this brush washer appeared in Beijing three months ago: this person went to every auction house and every company to ask, visiting many places. Everyone who saw it said the item was fine: an Imitation Ru Ware from the Chenghua period, and it is a standard 'ripe pit' item, excavated at least fifty or sixty years ago..."

"I compared it: whether it is the vessel shape, the glaze color, the patina, or the dating, it is exactly the same as this one..."

The Hong Kong businessman's spirits lifted: "Then why didn't it sell?"

"First, his asking price was too high: he wouldn't sell for a penny less than five million. Second, he insisted on cash, so he ran to many places but never made a deal..." "Is there a mistake?" the Hong Kong businessman asked suspiciously, "Before it was five million, now it's a fire-sale price of two million?"

"It's very normal. Whether it's an auction company's valuation or an antique company's offer, the highest they offer is two million."

Liu Zhaoting said unhurriedly, "Needless to say, for an auction house, from collection to auction, it takes at least three to four months, and he can't afford to wait. And the two million from an antique company is just a consignment price; they only pay him after the item is sold. If he wants cash, that's fine: one million three hundred thousand at most!"

The Hong Kong businessman suddenly realized: since they knew he was a fat pig, how could they not take the opportunity to slaughter him?

Any company that can be called a large company, even if they don't speak with one voice, isn't much different from being in the same boat. Once they communicate with each other, there will absolutely be no offer higher than one million three hundred thousand.

One could look for a small company, or even a private collector, but the problem is: does he have the connections, and does he have the courage to risk it? If things go wrong, his two million will go down the drain.

While pondering, the Hong Kong businessman sat up straight: as it stands now, the item is fine, the origin is fine, and the price is as suitable as it could possibly be? But for the sake of caution, it would be better to add another layer of insurance...

With these thoughts, he looked at Liu Zhaoting: "Mr. Liu, could you trouble a more professional institution to take a look?"

Liu Zhaoting nodded: "Of course!"

As the old saying goes, it's better to be safe than sorry.

And it was a convenient matter: there were so many Consultants at the Center, including a Deputy Director from the Forbidden City and a Secretary-General of the Collectors Association; finding a professional institution was just a matter of a phone call.

Liu Zhaoting stood up immediately: "I will contact them now, Boss Chen, please wait a moment..."

As he spoke, he took out his mobile phone, just stepped off the sofa, and was about to dial when the student sitting next to him stood up abruptly and pointed outside: "Teacher, come and look..."

Liu Zhaoting paused: "What is it?"

"It seems to be Teacher Cai Xun?"

Cai Xun, what is he doing here?

Liu Zhaoting was stunned for a moment, walked over quickly, and just took a glance, his expression changing slightly.

It was indeed Cai Xun, who was squatting by the stall, said a few words to the seller, and picked up the brush washer again.

Chen Weihua also walked over, stretching his neck to take a look.

"Mr. Liu, who is Cai Xun?"

Liu Zhaoting's face darkened: "He used to be an Appraiser at Bao Gu Zhai, now he is at China Guardian..."

"Do you have a grudge?"

"Yes, and quite a deep one!"

Chen Weihua was speechless: Bao Gu Zhai was an old brand from before the founding of the country, now belonging to the Municipal Cultural Relics Bureau's Cultural Relics Store; someone who could be an Appraiser there must be very professional. He ran over here, surely not just to take a look?

"Who invited him?"

"It should be that person, who came before you, held the brush washer and looked at it for a long time, and even made an offer, finally reaching one hundred and twenty..." Shen Songcai pointed to a woman around forty years old standing behind Cai Xun, "Master Li said this is an expert, and a master of the 'Scavenger of Broken Pieces'." Chen Weihua and Liu Zhaoting squinted their eyes and looked carefully. When they saw the woman's hands, both of them were stunned: her hands were actually rusted like that; how many years had she been repairing porcelain?

Subconsciously looking at each other, their hearts skipped a beat: a master of the Scavenger of Broken Pieces, plus an Appraiser from Bao Gu Zhai—this business, I'm afraid it's going to be intercepted by someone else?

But neither of them moved.

Because they knew very well: if they showed their faces, this feud would be set in stone today. Never mind two million; they would keep bidding, and it might not even stop at three million.

Shen Songcai gave the store manager a wink: "Xiaowu, go and take a look..."

The manager nodded and left the store...

People came and went, but the onlookers still surrounded the place tightly.

Two men and one woman squatted in front of the stall, no one spoke the whole time, relying only on eye contact.

That Teacher Cai held the brush washer, looked at it for a few seconds, then paused, and looked at the woman. He looked again, paused again, and looked at the woman again. The woman shook her head from time to time, and nodded from time to time.

Jing Zeyang was confused: "What are these two doing?"

Lin Sicheng didn't speak, just smiled: acting.

Acting for Expert Liu and the Hong Kong businessman to see: look, if you don't make a move now, you'll be intercepted.

He had been wondering before if this woman who could scavenge broken pieces was also in on it. If so, what role was she playing? Seeing this Expert Cai, he understood: this woman was a straight man (a setup partner).

A straight man isn't scary; what's scary is that the straight man is an expert. What's even scarier is that this Expert Cai, who would soon have a bit of fame in the Beijing antique circle. If Lin Sicheng remembered correctly, it should have been the year before last when this Expert Cai just said one extra word, saying that the two Gold Thread Jade Suits of Boss Xie (the main culprit in the Gold Thread Jade Suit fraud case) were not quite right, and he ended up being fired from Bao Gu Zhai.

Therefore, any expert from Zhong Boya was his mortal enemy. Once he heard he could set a trap for Zhong Boya, he was willing to come even without money.

And once he came, he didn't need to speak; he just had to shake his head or nod his head—what could he not do?

If necessary, even if this were a pile of shit, he could praise it until it blossomed...

While pondering, Expert Cai put the brush washer on the stall and nodded at the woman.

Even those who didn't know the trade could see that this meant the item was fine.

The woman smiled, and just as she was about to speak, the seller spoke first: "Two million, not a penny less!"

The woman was stunned, looked at Expert Cai, and the latter just nodded again.

The meaning was even clearer: two million, not expensive!

She turned her head back again and spoke to her companion; the two of them muttered for quite a while.

Then, the woman looked at the seller: "Alright, then two million, but I have one requirement!"

"Go ahead!"

"Just in case, you come with us to get a professional test done. As long as the appraisal passes, the two million will be transferred on the spot!"

"Fine, pay first!"

The woman was stunned for a moment, thinking the seller hadn't heard clearly: "We'll pay after the test is done!"

"No way!" The seller stared at her fixedly. "Don't think I don't understand: testing requires sampling, and sampling requires drilling a hole. If you don't want it in the end, who am I supposed to sell it to?"

The woman paused for a moment: "It's just taking a sample from the bottom foot, only a very small amount..."

"No matter where you take it, you have to drill a hole. Even the smallest amount will leave a hole..." The seller lifted the Brush Washer and pointed at the foot ring. "I ask you, if there's a hole on this, would you still want it for two million?"

The woman opened her mouth, as if she didn't know what to say.

In fact, many precious antique porcelains that go to auction have holes in the bottom, and most of them come about this way.

But the prerequisite is that it must be genuine. If it is fake, then everything is off the table.

Seeming somewhat hesitant, the woman exchanged a look with that Expert Cai again, and Expert Cai performed his signature move: nodding.

The meaning was that the other party's attitude was so firm that this test definitely couldn't be done. But the item was definitely fine, and this test wasn't necessarily a must. The woman didn't speak; she turned her head back and began muttering with her companion.

The voice was very low, and one couldn't hear what they were saying, but the expressions were very clear.

Man: Sis, this is two million?

Woman: I think it's fine; even Expert Cai said it's fine.

Man: What if? Better safe than sorry...

After muttering for quite a while, as if unable to overcome the man, the woman sighed and stared at the Brush Washer.

The expression was very realistic: reluctant to part with it, hesitant and indecisive.

Finally, she took out her phone: "We'll go back and discuss it again; could you leave a phone number?"

There was no reason not to leave one, so the seller reported his phone number.

Afterward, the three of them stood up. Although the woman was walking away, she looked back every few steps, appearing anxious and conflicted: as if the next moment, she would turn around, "slap" down a card, and say: Here, two million.

Not exaggerating at all, Lin Sicheng really wanted to applaud.

With acting skills like this, why are you doing Artifact Restoration? Go act, become a star; wouldn't that earn more than this?

Just as he was secretly lamenting, his eyes lit up: Sure enough, a chain of traps?

One set finished, and another one comes?

The woman had just left, and the Pangzi from Taiwan who appeared first had arrived?

Lin Sicheng had also wondered before if this Pangzi was also an accomplice and what role he played.

If he was, then his role was definitely more than just shouting "one million": because no one here knew him, it would be better to let that Expert Cai shout it out.

But now, Lin Sicheng knew: if the woman and Expert Cai were the two weights on the balance scale, then this Pangzi was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

The so-called balance was the Expert Liu who was currently peeking from behind the glass.

And the camel, of course, referred to that Hong Kong businessman sitting behind Expert Liu, with worry faintly appearing on his face...

Pangzi smoothed his sleeves and wiped his pant legs, squatted at the stall, first took a look at the Brush Washer, and then smiled at the seller: "Still haven't sold it?"

The seller glanced at him: "Almost!"

"It wouldn't be that nobody wants it, would it?" Pangzi stretched out his thick fingers. "I'll add a little more, 1.5 million?"

The seller shook his head: "I won't sell it for a cent less than two million!"

"Stubborn!"

Pangzi muttered a sentence and looked again in the direction the woman had left.

That expression clearly showed he had already seen that the woman just now had offered up to two million. But because the man was unwilling to do the test, there was no transaction in the end...

He rolled his eyes again: "How about this: I have a friend who is a professor at Peking University, but he's in class right now and can't get out. So you have to take the item and go with me to see him. If he says it's fine, we'll close the deal..."

The seller was stunned for a moment, looking at Pangzi as if he were an idiot: "Has my brain been kicked by a donkey?"

"Boom..." Laughter came from the side.

This Pangzi was also interesting: what if you set a trap, lured someone into a deserted alley, and robbed them of the item?

Pangzi was adamant, pointing at his nose, "Get it straight, I'm from Taiwan..."

"Do robbers care where people are from?"

Someone shouted this, and the laughter around them grew louder.

"In broad daylight, under the bright sky, who would be so bold?" Pangzi looked helpless. "You can ask a friend to go with you?" The seller still shook his head: "I'm an outsider, where would I have friends in Beijing?"

Besides, this is two million?

If you run into a desperate criminal and they stab you with a knife, ten friends wouldn't be of any use...

Seeming to have no other choice, Pangzi stood up and took out his phone with a helpless expression: "Wait a moment, I'll make a call!"

As he spoke, he walked to the side. But he didn't go too far, just happening to be at the entrance of Rao Yu Zhai.

The voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the people inside to hear: "Professor Sun, I'm Liu Yida from Sheng Da Zhuang... Which Sheng Da Zhuang? I... Our boss called you yesterday, and you already forgot: the Sheng Da Zhuang that sells brushes in Taiwan... What's the matter? Of course, I'm asking if you're done with your class... What, there's one more session?"

"Right, the seller is unwilling, saying he's afraid I'll rob him... What, what should I do? I'm the one asking you what to do... Professor Sun, please, do me a favor: it's just one class, don't go, I'll compensate for any losses..."

"What, you want ten thousand? Fine, ten thousand is ten thousand... Ah, I can't get a taxi at this hour? Then I'll go pick you up, okay? Right, now!""Ten thousand a time, why don't you go rob someone?"

Hanging up the phone, Pangzi muttered a sentence and pointed at the seller again: "Don't leave, I'm going to pick someone up, I'll be right back..."

As he spoke, he stood up and walked through the crowd.

At first, his pace was quite steady, unhurried and slow. But after walking more than ten meters, Pangzi's pace got faster and faster. Finally, he actually started jogging, as if there were dogs chasing him from behind.

The secretary and the bodyguard hurried to keep up.

Anyone with eyes could see it: this was what they called "securing the bag," and Pangzi was in a hurry, afraid that the woman from just now would pull a surprise counterattack, wanting to bring the person back and get his hands on the item as quickly as possible.

Lin Sicheng sighed and looked toward Rao Yu Zhai again: this time, the hook was set completely.

To tell the truth, the scheme really wasn't complicated; the hard part was being able to prescribe the right medicine for the illness.

If you don't believe it, ask that General Manager Chen from Hong Kong: does he know about Sheng Da Zhuang?

Sure enough, upon hearing "Sheng Da Zhuang," Chen Weihua's face changed: how could anyone in the Southeast Asian antique circle not know about Sheng Da Zhuang?

Sheng Da Zhuang was a calligraphy and painting supply company founded in the 1950s by the famous Taiwanese calligrapher and painter Li Yangsu, dealing in the Four Treasures of the Study, similar in nature to Rong Bao Zhai. It wasn't until the late 1980s that it began to dabble in art collection and auctions. However, its business model was extremely unique, and in just twenty years, it had earned the reputation of "the number one art company in East Asia," even showing signs of surpassing international giants like Sotheby's and Christie's.

In fact, it relied on three tricks: first, Antique Finance—to put it bluntly, cooperating with banks: clients could pawn antiques to Sheng Da Zhuang, and then, with Sheng Da Zhuang acting as a guarantor, take out collateralized loans from banks. Clients could even take out bank loans to purchase or auction antiques from Sheng Da Zhuang through installment plans. Second, developing gold card members, guaranteeing appraisals and after-sales service for auctions.

To put it simply: as long as the annual spending amount at Sheng Da Zhuang was high enough and the membership level was high enough, one could enjoy after-sales service: for example, if an antique was auctioned at Sheng Da Zhuang and a problem arose later, Sheng Da Zhuang would buy it back at the original price without exception.

Even if it wasn't auctioned at Sheng Da Zhuang, but merely entrusted to Sheng Da Zhuang for appraisal, if a fake was purchased due to an Appraiser's error, Sheng Da Zhuang would still buy it back at the original price.

This point alone left all other auction houses and antique companies, both domestic and abroad, unable to keep up.

Third: extremely fast payment returns.

For ordinary auction houses, the fastest return takes two to three weeks, but Sheng Da Zhuang only needed two days: the first day for bidding, the second day for settlement, and the money would be in the seller's hands that very day.

Relying on these three tricks, Sheng Da Zhuang was like a swarm of locusts; wherever they went, disaster followed.

In just twenty years, they had beaten a host of long-established auction houses and antique companies across East and Southeast Asia into a state of total collapse; they couldn't even parry, let alone fight back.

The key was that Chen Weihua not only knew about Sheng Da Zhuang, but he also knew about Liu Yida: the person specifically in charge of the Mainland market, nicknamed "Wild Dog."

They say you can have a wrong name, but never a wrong nickname; just looking at these two characters, one could tell what kind of personality this guy had and what kind of methods he would use.

Therefore, although Chen Weihua had never met the man, the name Liu Yida had long since been like thunder in his ears.

And there was more than one piece of news: Sheng Da Zhuang was about to establish an art trading Center in Beijing, and they were currently doing everything possible to collect and acquire rare treasures and unique antiques, striving to make a big splash right out of the gate.

Just ask: would an Imitation Ru Ware from the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty count as a rare treasure, and would it have unique characteristics?

With such a roadblock suddenly appearing, just ask: is Chen Weihua afraid or not?