Chapter 410: Subtracting Three Zeros

Looking at the Brush Washer on the blue cloth, Chen Weihua frowned.

Over these years, he had indeed earned quite a bit of money. But to be honest, who would ever think they had too much money?

A deal that could net several million in a single flip was something one might not even encounter once in three years. Since he had run into it, there was absolutely no reason to let it go. As these thoughts turned in his mind, he stood up: "Mr. Liu, it's ninety-nine percent certain, right?"

Liu Zhaoting figured he couldn't be wrong, so he nodded solemnly: "Right!"

"Mr. Shen, the identity of this person is also not a problem, is it?"

Of course it wouldn't be wrong; after all, the tributes paid over these years hadn't been for nothing.

Shen Songcai smiled: "Boss Chen, rest assured!"

That object was no problem, and the person was no problem either?

To be safe, it would be best to run a test, but if the other party would rather not sell than do it, could you really force them?

Uncontrollably, two faces surfaced in Chen Weihua's mind: a woman and a Pangzi.

The opportunity was fleeting; no matter which one it was, if they were to double back, this deal would go down the drain...

Chen Weihua tapped the tea table and pondered for a moment: "Mr. Liu, please go handle the paperwork with Wen Jie and Sister Liang!"

Liu Zhaoting was stunned for a moment, looking through the glass at the man in the cotton-padded jacket: Was Boss Chen preparing to make his move?

At first thought, it didn't feel very secure, because this wasn't twenty thousand or two thousand, but two million. If he misjudged, not to mention suffering a major blow, Chen Weihua would at least have his heart ache for several years.

But thinking about it from the other side: in the antique business, where is there a deal that is one hundred percent certain and carries not a shred of risk?

At least the current certainty was not small, to say the least, it was eighty or ninety percent. Moreover, the profit was high enough: a deal with several million in pure profit—if he watched it get snatched away by someone else, Chen Weihua could regret it for half his life.

As these thoughts turned, Liu Zhaoting nodded: "Alright!"

"Many thanks, Mr. Liu!" After saying thanks, Chen Weihua turned his head again, "Mr. Shen, I must trouble you to help again!"

"Boss Chen, don't be polite, just tell me if you need anything!"

"Then please, Mr. Shen, entrust your friend again to check the background of that woman and that fat guy."

The few people were all stunned for a moment: what was there to check about a Pangzi and a woman?

This old Hong Konger was afraid that this was a trap.

But it didn't feel like it. Whether it was Shen Songcai, Liu Zhaoting, or even the Master Craftsman, none of them felt it was much like one.

In the antique business, who hadn't misjudged, who hadn't been cheated? Whether it was a trap or a setup, they had seen plenty. But like today's, they really hadn't seen it before.

First, everything matched up: the object matched, and the person matched.

Second, it was too professional: not to mention anything else, just finding a woman with such a pair of hands who was extremely professional was not something easily done.

But then again, caution is the parent of safety, and prudence can catch the thousand-autumn cicada; besides, the old Hong Konger was famous for being meticulous.

Shen Songcai nodded: "Alright, I'll make the call now!"

Saying this, he left the sofa.

Liu Zhaoting also stood up and went out of the hall with the Hong Kong businessman's driver and secretary.

In the sofa area, only the Master Craftsman of Rao Yu Zhai and the store manager remained.

Having the store manager brew fresh hot tea, Chen Weihua poured a cup and pushed it forward.

The Master Craftsman hurriedly said thank you.

Chen Weihua smiled and leaned back: "Master Wan, forgive me for asking: you are an expert, how come you couldn't see through that Brush Washer?"

The Master Craftsman was stunned: Chen Weihua was asking him why, since he was so certain, he hadn't made a move earlier?

He smiled awkwardly: "Boss Chen, the shop is small and the profits are thin, I have to look at people's faces!"

Chen Weihua suddenly understood.

It wasn't that Rao Yu Zhai didn't want to earn this money, but that they were afraid of the chain reaction that would follow after earning it: so many big firms, so many big companies, did they not want to earn this money?

No, they wanted to earn it even more, which was why they only offered 1.3 million. In the end, they were intercepted by Rao Yu Zhai—just ask yourself, what does that mean? Don't talk to me about fair competition, and don't mention striking first to gain the advantage. You aren't a middleman who can change locations after one shot; you have a home, a business, a shop, and a stall—are you still going to mix in Beijing in the future?

You can't work in this business with clean hands, and you can't make this kind of money without walking the night path. If you don't believe it, go ask around: whose backside doesn't have a bit of dirt?

More trouble is worse than less trouble; if I can't afford to offend them, I can at least hide. Rather than getting covered in filth, it's better to stay far away early on...

Chen Weihua expressed his understanding: actually, it's the same everywhere.

During the gap while the two chatted, Liu Zhaoting had already finished negotiating with the seller. The man in the cotton-padded jacket put away the Brush Washer and followed Liu Zhaoting to the bank. Several major banks had branches in Panjiayuan, so it wasn't far; crossing two aisles and turning a corner was enough.

After drinking two more cups of tea, Shen Songcai also finished his call.

"Boss Chen, I'm sorry, I couldn't find anything on that woman. But fortunately, I found the background of that Taiwanese merchant!"

"Mr. Shen, many thanks, that's already very good..."

That woman wasn't very relevant; it would be best if he could find out, but it didn't matter if he couldn't. What Chen Weihua most wanted to check was actually that Liu Yida. Shen Songcai explained it in detail; the process wasn't complicated: he first had someone find the young man who had brought the Pangzi to the stall earlier. That young man set up a stall in Panjiayuan, so he wasn't hard to find. Don't say otherwise, he knew quite a lot: two months ago, he sold a small item to Liu Yida, and the two got to know each other that way.

Seeing that he was sharp and honest, every time Liu Yida came to Panjiayuan, he would look for him. Over time, he became a dedicated scout for Liu Yida: as long as any good items came to Panjiayuan, he would call Liu Yida the first moment, and today was no exception.

According to him, in these two months, Liu Yida had scoured no fewer than twenty antiques in Panjiayuan alone. The big ones were hundreds of thousands, the small ones were a few hundred.

Shen Songcai also went to ask the few shops Liu Yida had visited, and it was indeed as the young man said; this Pangzi had bought antiques from them. And the accounts from the shops were surprisingly consistent: his eyes were sharp, and his pricing was incredibly accurate. Basically, every item allowed the shopkeeper to earn a little, but not too much.

If it were normal times, at this step, it would basically be no problem. But Shen Songcai had an extra bit of caution and had his public security friends check Liu Yida's identity and Customs records: he was from Taoyuan, Taiwan, and had extremely frequent entry and exit records, basically carrying antiques and handicrafts in and out of Customs every time. As such, everything indicated that this Liu Yida was indeed that Liu Yida from Shengda Zhuang in Taiwan.

At least, it wasn't a trap as Chen Weihua had imagined...

After saying thanks several times, Chen Weihua personally poured a cup of tea for Shen Songcai, and the two chatted about business again.

The so-called returning a peach for a plum: this Boss Shen was so attentive, could it be because he thought he was handsome?

Boss Shen had a face full of joy: running around and staying busy, wasn't it all for this?

The two got straight to the point and were very compatible; in no time at all, they had settled several deals.

Just as they were chatting happily, a few people entered the shop.

Three men and two women; they looked quite spirited and were dressed neatly, but they were all very young. One of them was holding a jianbing guozi in his hand, eating as he walked.

They looked like they were just strolling around. Furthermore, since guests had arrived, there was no need for the boss to greet them personally. Shen Songcai just glanced at them and ignored them further. The greeter went up to them, and the store manager also went up to them.

Jing Zeyang glanced toward the sofa: sure enough, as Cousin Lin had expected, this old Hong Konger had made his move.

But why did Cousin Lin dare to conclude: it was neither that woman, nor that Pangzi?

An outsider like Jing Zeyang even vaguely sensed that something was wrong. Of course, this was based on Lin Sicheng's overly abnormal behavior throughout. If Jing Zeyang were to ponder it, he couldn't imagine it even if he racked his brains; this was a setup...

Secretly suspicious, he took a bite of his pancake and followed Lin Sicheng inside.

At first, the shop assistants just assumed they were casual visitors and didn't offer much of an introduction.

The store manager only came over reluctantly because the boss was present; otherwise, he wouldn't have even lifted his eyelids for such customers. The group did indeed look like they were just strolling, aimless and browsing superficially, rarely stopping in front of any cabinet for more than half a minute.

They were also very curious, especially Xiao Yuzhu, who asked about everything she saw. Seeing a Hexagonal Plate, she hurriedly pointed at it: "Senior Sister Li, what mark is Baiyun Hall?"

Li Zhen first took a glance: her basic skills were not bad, and she could roughly judge that this should be a piece of scholar's stationery from a Folk Kiln in the late Qing Dynasty. It was quite new, quite bright, and the level of craftsmanship was quite high. As for the Hall Mark... she tried hard to think, but had no impression of it.

But this was not Li Zhen's fault: no matter how learned she was, it was impossible to memorize all the porcelain marks in her head. Lin Sicheng, however, might be able to. Sure enough, Lin Sicheng just took a glance: "There are roughly three types of Qing Dynasty Baiyun Hall marks: first, the scholar studio marks from Suzhou and Hangzhou, originating from Baiyun Academy in Hangzhou. The second type is the merchant mark, originating from the 'Baiyun Mountain Cottage' seal of the Hu family in Yi County. The third is the religious mark, for example, Baiyun Guan in Lushan and Baiyun Guan in Beijing both have porcelain with the 'Baiyun Hall' mark. This piece is a custom-made scholar's piece from Suzhou and Hangzhou..."

"Does it have any history?"

Lin Sicheng looked again: "Probably not."

"Then it was just used by scholars?" Xiao Yuzhu looked curious, "But it's thirty thousand, why is it so expensive?"

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment: "Subtract a zero."

Xiao Yuzhu was stunned for a moment, then giggled.

The shop assistant and the store manager exchanged a look.

Subtracting a zero was a bit of an exaggeration, but if the shop assistant were negotiating, a 30% discount was basically possible. Of course, this was because he didn't know the base price.

But the store manager knew: the cost price of this plate was just over one thousand. If it were a regular customer, it could be sold for three thousand.

Therefore, Lin Sicheng's offer was not just accurate; it was a strike right at the nerve.

Curious, the store manager looked carefully again: that's right, they were all quite young?

Especially the girl who had been chattering since entering the shop, and the boy who said "subtract a zero" at the end; they were at most in their early twenties, looking like college students.

Just as he was suspicious, the girl exclaimed again: "Ah, Senior Sister, Lin Sicheng, look: Qing Dynasty Ink-Ground Famille Verte... and it's a Kangxi mark?" It was no wonder she was so surprised: among Qing Famille Verte, the ink-ground is the most precious, and it was only fired during the Kangxi and Yongzheng reigns. Because it looked too much like Ming Dynasty artifacts, it was banned after Qianlong ascended the throne, so very few exist in the world.

It could be said that the value of this item was no lower than a Ming Imitation or Qing Imitation of a Song Ru Kiln. Once it went to auction, even if it were a small piece, the transaction price would be at least over a million.

Lin Sicheng glanced at it and shook his head: "An imitation!"

"Ah?" Xiao Yuzhu widened her eyes, "It looks quite real to me?"

It wasn't just her; Li Zhen and Fang Jin also felt it looked quite real.

"This is an imitation from the Shiwan Kiln Kiln Kiln in Guangdong during the late Qing Dynasty, commonly known as Crocodile Skin Glaze. The reason you think it looks like the real thing is because you are far away, separated by glass, and the lights are so bright. If you take it out and use a Magnifying Glass, you can see the small bumps like crocodile skin on the glaze surface. If you flip it over to look at the bottom, you will find the clay body reveals a purplish-red..."

"And it is very heavy, at least half as heavy again as the genuine article, the clay body is relatively thick, and the knocking sound is as dull as a roof tile..."

"Then how much is it worth?"

Lin Sicheng looked at the tag: "Subtract two zeros!"

Xiao Yuzhu took a look, her eyes curving: the tag said one million, subtracting two zeros, wouldn't that be ten thousand?

She pointed at it: "Hello, can you take it out for us to look at?"

It was no exaggeration; the shop assistant was stunned, staring straight at Lin Sicheng with wide eyes.

Didn't they know whether it was an imitation from the Shiwan Kiln Kiln Kiln?

But this incredibly handsome young man had just taken a glance through the cabinet?

The manager was also quite shocked: Ink-Ground Famille Verte was not some common street-side goods; on the contrary, it was extremely rare. Nine out of ten players had never seen it, only assuming it was black floral paint from Cizhou Kiln or Ding Kiln.

That this girl could name it immediately was enough to surprise him, but he didn't expect the bigger surprise was yet to come: just by taking a glance through the cabinet, he could clearly state the kiln, the place of origin, the era, and even the characteristics and flaws?

To be honest, having been in the industry for so long, he had seen countless Experts, but he had never seen anyone who could look so fast and so accurately.

So the manager was very suspicious: could this kid have done his homework in advance, like having some expert look at it, and after memorizing it, specifically brought two girls here to show off?

Thinking this, the manager still nodded, and the shop opened the cabinet door and took out the Bowl.

Holding the tray, it was placed on the counter, but Xiao Yuzhu didn't move, just looked at it in a circle and touched it with her hand.

Sure enough, there were dense little bumps on it, just like crocodile skin.

Flipping over the bottom of the Bowl, the foot ring was dazzlingly red and faintly revealed a purple halo.

The few of them looked at it one by one, including Jing Zeyang, but they were all quite calm.

The manager couldn't understand it again: your friend's eye for antiques is so high, like a laser eye, and you are not even surprised? While he was suspicious, Lin Sicheng pushed the Bowl back, meaning for them to put it away, and then changed to another counter.

Before they had even stood still, Xiao Yuzhu was suddenly stunned and pointed to the side: "Ah, look at this Purple Clay Teapot?"

What was there to look at with a Purple Clay Teapot?

While secretly pondering, the group turned their heads in unison. But with just one glance, five pairs of eyes narrowed into eight.

The remaining two belonged to Jing Zeyang; as the saying goes, ignorance is bliss, he didn't understand it and hadn't seen it, so of course he felt there was nothing to it.

But the remaining four people were all curious, every single one of them.

A bit further away, in a separate glass cabinet, only one item was placed inside: a Blue Glaze Han-style Purple Clay Teapot.

The reason they were surprised was that Lin Sicheng had one just like it. This was the second time they had seen a Purple Clay Teapot with blue glaze. Looking at the tag again, Xiao Yuzhu gasped: "Nine million eight hundred thousand?"

Lin Sicheng glanced at it and smiled again: "Subtract three zeros!"