Chapter 605: True Colors Revealed Through Things

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was Tuesday.

It wasn't even nine o'clock yet, and a group of people marched imposingly into the conference room.

Just as she stepped through the door, Liang Shiya paused in surprise.

She checked her watch first; it was correct: five minutes to nine.

Then she looked at the venue: the hundred-person conference room was already nearly half full.

She looked toward the entrance again: Lin Sicheng, Wang Qi Zhi, and Zhao Xiuneng were standing at the door greeting guests.

In the second row, Sheng Guoan and Tian Rulong were discussing something with that General Manager Chen.

Liang Shiya almost thought she had come to the wrong place.

Chen Jiashan looked astonished: "Wasn't it supposed to be a small salon? Why are there so many people?"

Liang Shiya thought for a moment: "It must be Zhang Zongxian!"

She hadn't really known of him before, but after the *Zhu Zi Manuscript*, Liang Shiya finally understood the influence this old Mr. Zhang held in the Chinese collector community.

Any auction he attended would have a level of heat more than double that of a comparable auction.

Any collection he placed a bid on would, one hundred percent of the time, become the top lot of that auction.

Even if no one had thought highly of it during the preview—

"General Manager Lin certainly knows how to borrow the East Wind?"

While chatting and laughing, the group sat in the third row and exchanged greetings with Sheng Guoan and Tian Rulong in the front row.

Different industries are like different mountains; the overlap in their social circles was basically zero, but Lin Sicheng was just too good at stirring things up, so the two sides ended up seeing each other every few days.

After seeing each other so many times, they naturally became familiar.

Liang Shiya looked around, then pointed toward the stage: "Director Tian, there is even a podium. Did General Manager Lin hire a host?"

"He didn't hire one; he is hosting it himself today!"

Tian Rulong replied, then smiled, "Director Liang, I'm not just blowing smoke for Lin Sicheng: although his collection isn't large, every piece is a treasure. Since you're here, don't miss out; it would be best to bid on one—"

Chen Yangyan also turned his head: "Director Liang, this is a rare opportunity; others want to bid but can't even get in—"

Liang Shiya was stunned: Bid?

"Lin Sicheng turned the salon into an auction?"

"He didn't originally want to; he planned to just have an exchange within a small circle, but after learning that Mr. Zhang would also be attending, too many people requested to participate! Because several investment institutions were involved, to ensure fairness and impartiality, it was finally decided to sell them via auction—"

Tian Rulong pointed, "Director Liang, look at those people; you shouldn't be unfamiliar with them!"

Liang Shiya squinted: She was indeed not unfamiliar; she had seen them at the scene of the *Zhu Zi Manuscript* auction.

Fujian Province Bank Art Foundation, Taikang Life Art Foundation, Guotou Trust under Poly, Shanghai Tairui Art Foundation—

In an instant, alarm bells rang in Liang Shiya's heart.

Lin Sicheng actually turned a personal collection transfer into a large-scale auction?

With his personality, it would be a miracle if he didn't pull some stunt at an event like this.

Liang Shiya turned her head abruptly and looked at Guo Yongxin: "CoCo, based on your previous valuation, roughly how much could the total transaction value of all of General Manager Lin's collections reach?"

Guo Yongxin paused: Actually, it couldn't be called a valuation, because Lin Sicheng hadn't provided a detailed list of his collection.

Moreover, even if he had provided one, He Jian and the experts wouldn't have been able to tell much. For example, the *Zhu Zi Manuscript*: without the two characters "Yuan Hui," it could sell for hundreds of millions. But with those two characters added, it might only be worth tens of thousands.

Guo Yongxin had only checked his tax records to find that his total payments were less than two million. Then, she had boldly set an appreciation ratio: five times.

Only then did she arrive at a valuation of ten million.

The problem was that there were too many tricks in antiques: the same item might be worth only ten thousand in one transaction, but could potentially be worth tens of millions in the next.

Like that *Zhu Zi Manuscript*.

What Liang Shiya feared was that Lin Sicheng would pull a reverse maneuver, suddenly swapping in a particularly valuable antique in the middle, and then tell them a story:

The reason I only spent tens of thousands when I bought it was because the seller didn't know what they had and sold it to me as an ordinary collectible. I dare to sell it for tens of millions now because this is a work by a famous master, and it is truly worth that much.

In reality, Lin Sicheng didn't have such a collection at all; it was just something he had stuffed in at the last minute. It was even possible it had been borrowed temporarily from a museum like the Forbidden City.

The item would certainly be real, and it would indeed be worth that much, but it certainly wouldn't be Lin Sicheng's. It would just be that the relevant departments had found an excuse to "gift" the money to Lin Sicheng—

"Diwen, there's no need to worry about that!" Guo Yongxin shook her head, "Although General Manager Lin didn't provide us with a collection list, for large-value transactions, tax authorities require the seller to provide supporting documentation for the uniqueness of the collection, including original transaction contracts, actual photographs, appraisal reports, invoices, and so on—"

To put it bluntly: the item you are selling now must match the one you bought back then.

Never mind borrowing one temporarily from the Forbidden City; even if you wanted to pass off a fake as genuine, you couldn't even swap in a similar one.

He Jian's appraisal ability might not be as high as Lin Sicheng's, but at the very least, he could tell whether the item being sold now was the one described in the original documents.

Besides, in addition to visual inspection, there was machine testing; Guo Yongxin didn't think Lin Sicheng could play any tricks in this regard.

He Jian raised his hand and pointed at the representatives of those investment institutions: "Director Guo, what if these people unanimously agree that this item is indeed worth that much and keep raising the price?"

To put it plainly, I'm here to give money to Lin Sicheng; even if this thing is only worth ten yuan, I'm happy to pay ten million.

"The Technology Authorization Agreement isn't just for show, is it?" Chen Jiashan shook her head, "No matter what the collection is, it must follow the market price!"

The so-called "pricelessness" of antiques didn't apply to Lin Sicheng: for example, for a vase of the same type, the most recent transaction record was one hundred thousand. If Lin Sicheng wanted to sell it for one hundred and ten thousand, he would have to provide sufficient justification to prove that the extra ten thousand was reasonable, well-founded, and defensible.

He Jian nodded: "Thank you, Director Chen, I understand!"

Actually, Liang Shiya understood these principles too, but she didn't trust Lin Sicheng.

Even if she was unwilling to admit it, her IQ was no lower than Lin Sicheng's. But there was an iron-clad fact: in terms of the angle of analyzing problems, the ability to solve them, and the understanding and grasp of human nature, the three of them combined were no match for Lin Sicheng.

Lin Sicheng could always find the most incredible solution from the angle you thought was the most impossible.

For example, that fifteen million US dollars Lin Sicheng had just managed to scrape together:

Before it was resolved, who would have believed that Lin Sicheng could earn so much in just one week?

And without investing a single cent of cost, without relying on any connections, just by moving his mouth?

Now that such a good opportunity had suddenly arrived, based on their understanding, how could Lin Sicheng not pull some kind of stunt?

Liang Shiya's spirits lifted: But I just don't believe in bad luck?

Liang Shiya's voice was not quiet; the few people in the front row heard it clearly.

The three of them exchanged a glance, with a sense of something that could be understood but not expressed in words.

Lin Sicheng is up to something; what is he thinking?

What they should be worried about is: if there is anything among the items Lin Sicheng is auctioning today that catches their eye, whether they can snatch it up, rather than whether anyone will want it.

If his financial resources didn't forbid it, Chen Yangyan would love to pack up all of Lin Sicheng's collection and take it all away at once.

So, from the moment he entered the door, he prayed: that the representatives of the several investment institutions were just here to join in the fun because they heard Zhang Zongxian was coming.

Otherwise, he might not be able to snatch up a few pieces.

While secretly pondering, Chen Yangyan looked at Sheng Guoan, and Sheng Guoan nodded slightly, meaning to let him rest assured: these few were indeed just here to join in the fun.

As for whether they would keep joining in, that was unknown—

Not far away, the representatives of the six institutions gathered in a circle, chatting a few words from time to time, and occasionally glancing at the door.

Liu Taiqi of the Fujian Province Fund was also there, and accompanying him was his immediate superior, Sun Yan, the director of the investment department.

Beside them was Zheng Shanghui of the Taikang Art Fund, and the two were fishing for information from each other.

"General Manager Zheng, how many pieces do you plan to bid on today?"

"It depends on the situation; if the items are good, seven or eight pieces are a given!"

Sun Yan let out a "pfft": that was some bullshit.

You don't even know what is being auctioned today, yet you dare to talk about seven or eight pieces?

No need to guess, old Zheng is here for Zhang Zongxian.

Actually, he was the same, including the four people beside them.

But this was not strange.

In the fifties and sixties, when China was still in a stage of waiting to be rebuilt and Oriental art collection was still limited to Europe and America, it was Zhang Zongxian who broke the shackles with his own strength and held up half the sky for Chinese collectors.

Without his efforts, Sotheby's and Christie's could not have reached Hong Kong, and without his countless high-profile moves, it would have been impossible to gather so many Chinese art lovers and countless Chinese collectors living in seclusion overseas.

To put it without exaggeration, in the Chinese collecting and art circles, Zhang Zongxian has already lived to become a totem.

An inadvertent word or a gesture from him can make a collectible skyrocket or plummet dozens or hundreds of times in value.

This is true for antiques, and for financial tools that use art as an asset allocation target, this principle applies equally:

As long as Zhang Zongxian says a word about which fund is strong and which antique investment has high value, that fund will be snatched up crazily by people.

And the more people who buy, the faster it appreciates, the larger the holdings become, and thus a virtuous cycle is formed.

Therefore, the reason these institutional representatives could come so fully today, and with the head of each firm attending, is that they are here for Zhang Zongxian.

They don't ask for Zhang Zongxian to praise them to the heavens, because that is unrealistic. They only seek to become familiar faces to pave the way for the next exchange.

If the items are not expensive, they can also appropriately bid on two pieces. After all, the person who could invite Zhang Zongxian has quite a lot of power.

Besides, it hasn't been long since the Bonhams auction ended, and the scene where Lin Sicheng and several major funds competed for the Zhu Zi Manuscript seems to still be before their eyes.

There are private collectors who can take out over one hundred million and dare to arm-wrestle with several major funds, but they are definitely not many.

Based on this point, one must also come to see this young-to-an-excess General Manager Lin, and incidentally become a familiar face.

Of course, it is limited to looking, and at most offering a small favor. Expecting them to bid on many pieces or pay high prices is out of the question.

They are funds, spending investors' money, and they must be responsible to their shareholders.

Then again, they also don't think there could be anything worth making people's eyes light up on such an occasion.

Joining in the fun is enough.

As he thought this, a commotion came from the door, and everyone looked over.

Zhang Yuanfan pushed Zhang Zongxian into the venue, with Zhao Xiuneng and Wang Qi Zhi behind him. Lin Sicheng followed at the very back, talking with Zhang Hantao and Zhang Yuanqiao.

"General Manager Lin, is there any Qianlong Congyun Seal today?"

"There is."

"Grandfather said that seal only sold for a few thousand back then?"

"The starting price was indeed not high, just two thousand five hundred, and I spent seventy thousand in the end."

Zhang Yuanqiao was stunned for a moment: from two thousand five hundred to seventy thousand?

"General Manager Lin, how is this price neither here nor there?"

If no one knew the goods, at most the seller would raise it a round or two, and ten thousand yuan would be the limit.

If someone knew the goods, then in the end it would have to be raised to at least three to five million.

The price of seventy thousand is not only strange, but also neither fish nor fowl.

"At that time, it was a set of four, auctioned as an anonymous leisure seal, so the price wasn't high. But someone was making trouble and raised it to seventy thousand—"

Zhang Yuanqiao let out a "ha": isn't this just harming others without benefiting oneself?

But such situations are very common in auctions.

"General Manager Lin, did that person know in the end what it was that he was making trouble and raising the price for?"

"He knew, and he knew it on the spot!"

"Must have regretted it to the core, right?"

"Pretty much!" Lin Sicheng nodded and pointed to the back, "He also came today, sitting in the second row!"

"That is General Manager Huang, you saw him last time, the one right next to General Manager Huang: his name is Lu Zhen, he is General Manager Huang's nephew—"

""

When they looked over, Huang Zhi and Lu Zhen were also looking at them. Their gazes met, and both sides nodded.

Zhang Yuanqiao laughed: "Turned enemies into friends?"

"You could say that!"

Lin Sicheng answered very casually, but Zhang Yuanqiao could see that the matter was definitely not simple.

The person sitting next to General Manager Huang had a fawning smile on their face when looking at Lin Sicheng.

Thinking back on Lin Sicheng's methods, one could guess with their toes: this kid must have suffered a huge loss at Lin Sicheng's hands later on.

Subconsciously, Zhang Yuanqiao thought of Bonhams again, as well as Zhou Zhilin and Li Chengkai, and an idiom popped into his mind: convince people with reason————

Although they had come because of his reputation, Zhang Zongxian was advanced in years, so the representatives of several institutions did not rashly disturb him.

Zhang Zongxian sat in the first row, and Sheng Guoan and Tian Rulong moved over.

Wang Qi Zhi, Zhao Xiuneng, and Chen Yangyan sat in the row behind.

Ye Anning prepared to sit next to Wang Qi Zhi, but Liang Shiya in the third row waved her hand: "Miss Ye, come over here!"

Ye Anning looked, walked over, and Wang Qi Zhi, feeling baffled, gave Zhao Xiuneng a look.

The meaning was, how did this woman hit it off with Ye Anning?

Anyway, every time she saw Ye Anning, she was incredibly enthusiastic——————

Zhao Xiuneng didn't make a sound: she didn't just hit it off with Ye Anning, she hit it off even more with Lin Sicheng!

And it might get more and more so in the future————

While he was muttering in his heart, Lin Sicheng went up to the stage and got straight to the point: "Teachers, seniors of the collecting world, good morning everyone. I am Lin Sicheng, and I am also the host of this elegant gathering today. First of all, thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend; I feel deeply honored."

"Today, I am fortunate to have invited Mr. Zhang Zongxian, and it is precisely because of this that I have the confidence to turn a small salon into an auction. Because as the old saying goes: a general is matched with a fine steed, and a precious sword is gifted to a hero————"

"You must all think I am bragging, so I won't say any more long-winded words; let's see the real deal with the items————"

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