Chapter 707: Waves Rise in the Antique Underworld

Dajinya was just about to turn around when he saw two people wandering over from across the street.

The first one was tall and sturdy with sharp features; just standing there, he carried an air of natural heroism.

The one behind him was half a head shorter, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with a smile on his face; one look and you knew he wasn't someone to be trifled with.

Dajinya took one look and immediately went up to them with a grin: "Oh my, Hu Ye! Pang Ye! You two have come at just the right time—the two people who were just looking for you to do some work left, they arrived a bit late. I won't lie to you, they were quite unhappy not to have seen you."

Wang Pangzi lifted his chin: "Cut the crap, we were only five minutes late. It must be that you offended someone and are trying to pin it on us."

Dajinya looked a bit aggrieved and sighed: "Pang Ye, that's not entirely unreasonable. Someone came to my shop to buy goods earlier and offered a price much higher than those two, so naturally, the items went to them. As a result, those two weren't happy and gave me a hard time; what do you expect me to do?"

Wang Pangzi sneered: "Hah, this bunch of people are all spoiled rotten. They have a couple of coins in their pockets and think they're big shots—they need a lesson!"

Hu Bayi didn't take the bait and frowned: "Jin Ya, are they still going to work with us?"

Dajinya waved his hand: "Let them cool off first. Ming Shu isn't much of a person, but Han Jie is alright; she's a sensible one."

Just as they were talking, Xu Damao barged in from outside in a rush, his voice arriving before he did: "Jin Ya! Has my item been sold yet?"

Dajinya hurriedly pulled him to the back and lowered his voice: "Come in, I'll tell you in detail... Those two Hong Kong businessmen didn't take a liking to your item."

Xu Damao got anxious on the spot, his voice rising an octave: "Then what do I do? Can we still find a buyer?"

Dajinya gave a sly grin: "You're actually quite lucky. Just after those two left, an old gentleman came by and took a fancy to your item at first glance."

Xu Damao's eyes lit up: "How much did it sell for?"

"Twenty-five thousand."

Xu Damao's face darkened: "Why did you sell it so cheap? I figured it would at least be thirty thousand!"

The smile on Dajinya's face faded a bit, and his voice deepened: "Shishu, you're being a bit greedy now."

Xu Damao glared at him and cursed: "You little brat, tell your Shishu the truth, how much did it really sell for? I only wanted twenty thousand!"

Dajinya looked helpless: "It really was twenty-five thousand, see for yourself." As he spoke, he opened the bag, and the amount of money inside was clear to see.

Xu Damao huffed: "Fine, hurry up and give me the money."

Dajinya didn't say anything more and nimbly counted out twenty thousand and handed it over.

Xu Damao took the money, glanced at the two people outside, and asked in a low voice: "Are those two... likely into Doudao?"

Dajinya gave a sly grin: "Shishu, even brothers must settle accounts clearly. You have your way of collecting items, and I have my way, right?"

Xu Damao cursed "little brat" and left without looking back.

Once the person was far away, Hu Bayi and Wang Pangzi withdrew their gaze and asked: "Jin Ya, what does this gentleman do? That suit doesn't look cheap; he seems like a wealthy man."

Dajinya chuckled and whispered: "I won't lie to you two, this gentleman used to do the same kind of work as you, and he had a master. One of his senior fellow apprentices was a friend of my father's. When our family fell on hard times, he helped us out, so I acknowledged him as my Siqiang, which is why I have to call this man Shishu."

Hu Bayi raised an eyebrow: "What was his master's name?"

"Hu Yunbin, he's quite famous around Si Jiu Cheng."

Hu Bayi's expression changed slightly, and his voice grew a bit colder: "In that case, his master... should be my grandfather's apprentice."

Dajinya was stunned: "Oh? Hu Ye, then let me say this upfront—this man's reputation in this trade isn't very good."

Hu Bayi shook his head, his tone flat but carrying a hint of chill: "I won't lie to you, this so-called Shishu of mine should be my fifth Shishu; he... was expelled from the sect a long time ago."

Dajinya blurted out: "So, the apprentice taught by Hu Yunbin—" He realized halfway through and hurriedly spat twice, "Pah, pah, pah, I've tangled myself up in this. My Siqiang, Cui Dazhi, is a very righteous man, especially to me."

Wang Pangzi patted his stomach: "Dajinya, did you make money? You have to treat me to a meal! We haven't had any work lately and are about to starve to death."

Dajinya waved his hand, full of bravado: "Let's go, let's go, hot pot at Donglaishun! All the meat you can eat today!"

"I want three jin of mutton!" Wang Pangzi's eyes lit up.

"No ambition!" Hu Bayi scolded, but the corners of his mouth held a smile.

On the other side, Xu Damao sighed and handed the twenty thousand yuan to Liu Sanmei, muttering: "This work of ours is too profitable; bought for eight thousand, sold for twenty thousand. To stop now, I really can't bear it."

Liu Sanmei sighed, her brows knitted together: "Damao, I'm afraid we can't keep this business going. The shop at the corner was suddenly bought out, and they've put the word out that as long as the items are good, they'll pay a sky-high price. What are we going to do from now on?"

Xu Damao was stunned: "What? When did this happen?"

"Just these two days while you were taking your Siqiang to Tianjin."

"Can you find out who opened it?" Xu Damao's brows were locked tight.

"The ones collecting the goods are all people from the old antique trade, but the boss behind it has never shown their face. This morning, not a single person came into our shop; they were all sucked away by that place." Liu Sanmei's tone was full of helplessness.

Xu Damao paced back and forth in the room, then suddenly stopped and gritted his teeth: "This damn thing is forcing me to go back to my old trade!"

General Manager's office at Hongxing Electronics.

Tian Dan smoothed her hair, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness: "Zhuzi, why are you doing this? Collecting those things at high prices, isn't that just a disguised way of encouraging that kind of business?"

He Yuzhu shook his head, smiling candidly: "Jie, you're wrong. If I don't collect them, they'll just be collected by foreigners, isn't that the same? Besides, you can't catch those people anyway. Rather than letting foreigners pick up the bargains, I might as well collect them and donate them to the country later."

Tian Dan shook her head helplessly.

He Yuzhu continued: "If you ask me, you should step up the crackdown."

Tian Dan sighed: "It's hard to manage; many places don't cooperate."

"I suggest installing more surveillance; our factory's equipment isn't expensive anyway." He Yuzhu smiled.

Tian Dan gave a wry smile: "Can you install surveillance in the mountains too?"

He Yuzhu grinned: "That's why it's safer for me to collect them."

Tian Dan was amused by him, but her tone turned serious: "I'm doing this for your own good. I'm happy you're spending your money to help the country collect items, but I'm afraid you'll go bankrupt one day."

He Yuzhu was unhurried: "I don't collect everything, only top-tier goods."

"Then what do you rely on to make money to support all this?" Tian Dan asked.

"I heard..." He Yuzhu paused and lowered his voice, "that some people make things that can pass for the real thing."

Tian Dan's expression changed: "That's illegal! You absolutely cannot touch that!"

"Dan, you don't understand." He Yuzhu smiled, his tone relaxed, "The antique trade has its rules; if you can't tell, that's called 'getting hit in the eye,' it has nothing to do with anyone else."

Tian Dan glared at him: "Are you trying to scam those foreigners?"

He Yuzhu nodded: "Dan, you really are perceptive. Bronze ware isn't allowed to leave the country at all; those who dare to buy it privately aren't decent people anyway."

Tian Dan was left speechless by him, pointing a finger at him: "Are you still thinking of faking calligraphy, paintings, and porcelain?"

He Yuzhu shook his head, his tone becoming serious: "I won't do that. Authentic calligraphy, paintings, and porcelain are already scarce; my financial resources can still support me for a while."

Tian Dan sighed and suddenly asked: "Zhuzi, tell me the truth—will these things be very valuable in the future?"

He Yuzhu's eyes lit up, and he laughed: "Gold in chaotic times, antiques in prosperous times. Sister, how about I help you collect some too, to keep for your retirement later? You don't need to collect Ming Dynasty pieces; even the works of Republic of China painters will be worth a fortune in the future."

Tian Dan smiled: "Alright, I have saved up some money too, you look after collecting them for me. My requirements aren't high, as long as I can afford to live in an Old Age Home in the future."

"Sister, don't worry." He Yuzhu said with a firm tone, "I will open an Old Age Home just like a five-star hotel, and we can retire there together when the time comes."

Tian Dan looked at him and smiled.