Chapter 108: Holding an Antique Exhibition

"Ms. Bai, your Fish Playing in Lotus Leaves washbasin, as well as the Sweet White Glazed Peony Twining Branch Vase, sold for 82 million," Director Wu said with a polite smile. "The auction price is posted online; we were just saying that once the commission is deducted, we will transfer the money to your bank card."

"As for the out-of-print Chess Manual by Xie An of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the experts have valued it at 130 million."

Bai Wei nodded with satisfaction.

Not bad!

Another deposit into her bank card.

Once Xiao Moting returns to Beijiang, she must find him to ask for more items to bring back for auction to save up money.

Suddenly, Director Wu's voice rang out from the phone receiver.

"Someone already wants to buy this Chess Manual; it is an antique company from England named Ross."

"They are willing to offer 130 million to buy this Chess Manual back."

Instantly!

Bai Wei's brows knitted together again.

England?

Ross Company?

"Director Wu, is this antique company that wants to buy the Chess Manual from the Roth Family of England?"

"Yes, I didn't expect you to know that, Ms. Bai. The Roth Family is the largest antique company in England, and their antique business spans the globe..."

Before Director Wu could finish, Bai Wei interrupted.

"I'm sorry, Director Wu, I won't be selling this Chess Manual for now."

"Huh?"

Director Wu, who had been speaking with great enthusiasm, was taken aback.

"Ms. Bai, you aren't selling it anymore?"

"Yes, I will keep it for a while longer," Bai Wei said politely. "I'll trouble you with this; as for the appraisal fee, I will pay it to you."

Director Wu refused repeatedly, "Ms. Bai, you don't need to be so polite; there is no need to give me the appraisal fee. You have auctioned antiques with us, and the company has already earned quite a bit in commissions. As long as you continue to sell antiques in the future, just try to come to our company as much as possible."

"Okay."

After saying this, Bai Wei hung up the phone.

Entrusting an auction house to sell antiques requires paying a commission, and the fees are not low.

Her antiques sold for 80 million, and Director Wu could take at least several million in commissions.

Therefore, he wouldn't charge this small appraisal fee; it could be considered a favor.

It wasn't that Bai Wei didn't want to sell the Chess Manual, but rather that she didn't want to sell it to the Roth Family.

The Roth Family of England has been in the antique business for generations.

Decades ago, during the war-torn period when the Huaxia nation was in peril, enemy troops invaded Yanjing, burned down famous gardens, and looted many antiques and treasures.

This Roth Family took advantage of the chaos to purchase many Huaxia antiques at low prices, including several national-treasure-level items.

In the era of peace, the Huaxia Museum wanted to spend money to buy them back so these antiques could return to their homeland.

Yet the Roth Family refused to return them, even boasting that they were all part of the Ross Museum's collection, representing the victorious glory of the Great British Empire.

At the time, this incident caused a huge uproar online.

Everyone cursed them, but it was to no avail.

The items were in their hands; if they wouldn't return them, there was nothing to be done.

Therefore, as soon as Bai Wei heard the buyer was the "Roth Family," she didn't want to sell.

She would not sell such an out-of-print antique to foreigners.

Bai Wei picked up her phone and called the Museum Curator.

"Museum Curator, I have a Chess Manual here from the Eastern Jin Dynasty, written in the hand of Xie An; would you like to come and take a look?"

"Eastern Jin? Xie An?" The Museum Curator became excited at once. "And it's a Chess Manual? If it's real, this is a one-of-a-kind treasure in the world."

"Absolutely authentic."

"Good, wait for me at the Farm, I... I am currently in Yanjing, I will buy a plane ticket immediately and arrive first thing tomorrow morning."

After finishing the call, Bai Wei walked out of the house to check on her Vegetable Base.

The eight Alpine Horses she was keeping for the Museum Curator were all grazing on green grass in the peach orchard.

They had already made the Farm their home; they had all grown a size rounder, and their coats were shiny.

The little red horse's physique had also become much sturdier, and it could already lift its head to nibble on low-hanging peaches in the peach trees.

Dahuang lay by the pond, squinting in the sun, his tail flicking back and forth to shoo away mosquitoes.

Bai Wei walked out of the Farm.

The wasteland for building the Vegetable Base was right behind the Farm.

The construction team had already arrived, and three excavators were continuously turning the soil, emitting a huge roar.

Bai Wei looked at the excavators with envy.

Xiao Moting was about to start reclaiming land for farming over there.

The land in Beijiang was barren and the soil was hard; manual land reclamation was progressing slowly.

If she could send an excavator to Beijiang, it would be easy to turn the soil.

It was just a pity that her current Teleportation power could only send items like a Minivan; the excavator was too large to be teleported over.

Early the next morning.

Bai Wei met the Museum Curator.

Besides the Museum Curator, Zhou Yuchuan had also come along.

He saw Bai Wei and smiled gently.

"We meet again."

Museum Curator Qin could not wait, "Where is the Chess Manual? Let me see it."

Bai Wei took out the Chess Manual and placed it on the stone table in the courtyard.

The two immediately put on Surgical Gloves, took out magnifying glasses, and began to examine it cautiously.

"An authentic work, it really is the handwritten Chess Manual of Xie An."

"The museum's collection has never had a Chess Manual like this; it can be called a treasure!"

Museum Curator Qin sighed incessantly, his face flushed with excitement.

He raised his head and asked eagerly, "Bai, I would like to buy this Chess Manual for the museum. How much are you selling it for?"

"Tianbao Auction House estimated the price of the Chess Manual, and the price they gave was 130 million." Bai Wei smiled slightly, "If the museum wants to buy it, I will charge the original price."

Museum Curator Qin pondered for a moment and nodded decisively.

"This price is a little lower than my psychological expectation; I will buy it."

Bai Wei smiled, "Since I am selling it to the museum, I will not mark up the price."

"I will apply for the funds immediately..."

Before Museum Curator Qin could finish his sentence, Zhou Yuchuan suddenly interrupted.

"Museum Curator Qin, could you let me have this Chess Manual?"

Museum Curator Qin was stunned, "You want to buy it? No, little Zhou, you cannot snatch it from me! No, no, if you compete with me for the Chess Manual, I will tell your mentor Ye Lao!"

He shook his head like a rattle-drum, firmly refusing to yield.

Zhou Yuchuan smiled, "Museum Curator Qin, I am not trying to compete with you, but rather I want to buy this Chess Manual to take to the Antique Exhibition."

"Your Jialide Auction Company is holding an Antique Exhibition?" Bai Wei was surprised.

Zhou Yuchuan nodded.

"The Roth Family of England signed an agreement with the Zhou Family to hold an Antique Exhibition together in Yanjing, jointly exhibiting antique artifacts from both Huaxia and England."

"The purpose is to promote the ancient cultures of both countries and increase the company's reputation."

"But the organizer sent by the Roth Family intends to take a batch of Huaxia antiques that have been scattered overseas and exhibit them as 'spoils of war' of the Roth Family, just to show off their company's strength and demonstrate to the whole world that the Roth Family is wealthy and powerful."

After he finished speaking, Bai Wei furrowed her brows.

This Roth Family again?

And they are so arrogant, taking Huaxia's antiques and coming to Huaxia to hold an Antique Exhibition?

Museum Curator Qin, who always had a good temper, also sank his face.

"Taking our things to exhibit in our country and even calling them the Roth Family's 'spoils of war'—this is truly disrespectful, it is simply a provocation!"

"Who exactly is the organizer sent by the Roth Family?"