A hint of hesitation appeared on Li Yunshan's face. This item was captured from the Japanese by his grandfather and had always kept it as a war trophy. However, his grandfather passed away a few years ago, and the item was left to him.
Although he was planning to sell it, he was actually a little reluctant to part with it when Zhuang Rui asked him to buy it.
Chapter 438 A World Within (Part 1)
"Brother Li, could you let me take a look at this ivory carving first?"
Zhuang Rui was unaware of Li Yunshan's thoughts, nor did he know that Li Yunshan was afraid his deceased grandfather would scold him for selling off his grandfather's land without a care in the world. Zhuang Rui simply liked this large ivory Buddha statue and wanted to hold it in his hands and play with it.
"Sure, of course you can. Come and take a look; this thing isn't light..."
The item was quite large, and ivory carvings are relatively fragile. Li Yunshan invited Zhuang Rui to his stall to take a look, still pondering whether he should sell it or not, and if so, how much he should sell it for.
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Rui didn't stand on ceremony. He stepped over the stall, walked to the box, picked up the ivory carving that was almost as tall as the box, and placed it on the ground.
In this way, the entire ivory carving was fully presented to Zhuang Rui. The Vajra figure on this wrathful Vajra ivory carving had one foot on the ground and the other slightly raised. The face was extremely exaggerated, with a wide-open mouth, nostrils pointing to the sky, and eyes glaring forward. The right hand held a vajra, and the chest was bare, revealing strong muscles. The sash in front of him fluttered, making him extremely beautiful.
Zhuang Rui had read some books about ancient Buddhist sculptures, and this ivory carving should be a typical Buddhist statue from the Sui and Tang dynasties, which not only adheres to the exaggerated and freehand style of traditional Chinese carving, but also conforms to modern people's aesthetic appreciation of human health and beauty.
It's just a mystery how this statue, which should belong to its own country, ended up in Myanmar. In the past, it was only China that bullied Myanmar; Myanmar never had the power to burn, kill, and plunder in China.
Upon close observation of the details, Zhuang Rui could see that the sculptor of this piece possessed extremely profound skill. Every stroke was precise and decisive, with simple and smooth lines and clear and natural details. Most notably, the entire piece was covered with tool marks, yet no artificial polishing was used to remove the carving traces, fully showcasing the characteristics of ivory.
This unadorned and natural approach not only enhances the work's strength, grandeur, and appeal but also demonstrates the artist's complete confidence in their carving skills.
Zhuang Rui didn't use his spiritual energy to appraise it. Yet, he could still conclude that this ivory Buddha sculpture was definitely an old artifact, probably dating back to the Qing Dynasty at the earliest. Not only is ivory rare nowadays, but even during the Republic of China era, craftsmen with such skill were extremely rare, truly master-level artisans.
With his back to Yang Hao and the others, Zhuang Rui released his spiritual energy into the ivory carving. As he expected, the moment the energy seeped into the surface, Zhuang Rui discovered a rich purple spiritual energy within it. "Ming Dynasty! At least an artifact from the Ming Dynasty..."
Zhuang Rui was overjoyed and even more eager to acquire it.
"Huh? Why is there a crack?"
Zhuang Rui didn't delve deeper with his spiritual energy. On the side of the ivory carving, below the arm, he discovered a crack about five centimeters in size that extended inwards, seemingly having been repaired before, like a small round door had been opened there and then closed again.
"What the hell is this?"
Zhuang Rui's gaze followed the small door further inside, and he was suddenly stunned, because a section of the Buddha statue's chest had been hollowed out, and in that very small space were two wax balls.
"Damn it, what the hell is this thing?"
This thing naturally couldn't withstand Zhuang Rui's spiritual energy's ability to see through things. The spiritual energy instantly enveloped the wax pill, and Zhuang Rui discovered that inside the wax pill were two small crumpled pieces of paper. This left Zhuang Rui dumbfounded. Even with his skill, he couldn't discern what was written on those pieces of paper.
At this moment, Zhuang Rui felt as if he were being scratched by a cat, extremely itchy. Everyone has curiosity, and the things inside this Buddha sculpture were obviously hidden there by later generations with great care. The mystery must lie in the two wax pills. This secret was right in front of him, yet he could not uncover it, which made Zhuang Rui feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Mr. Zhuang, I can sell it, but this thing has been in my house for many years. In our Chinese terms, it's an antique, right? The price can't be calculated like these handicrafts..."
After hesitating for a while, Li Yunshan decided to sell it. After all, this thing couldn't be eaten as food, and he had grown up surrounded by Chinese people, unlike the Burmese who were Buddhists. So he didn't feel there was anything wrong with selling the Buddha statue.
Such a large and exquisite ivory carving would be treasured and worshipped day and night in the home of a Burmese. However, in Li Yunshan's home, it had been kept under the bed for decades, and the old man would occasionally take it out to "reminisce" when he was bored.
"Yes, Brother Li, this is fine. Let me take a closer look; this ivory carving seems to have been repaired..."
Zhuang Rui's mind was focused on the ivory carving. Following his habit of haggling when buying things, he casually replied, but he regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth. If the stall owner noticed anything amiss, he would suffer a huge loss.
"Oh, you mean that crack? I've had it since I was little, probably because my grandpa accidentally cracked it. It shouldn't matter, right?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Li Yunshan couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Since he had decided to sell, he naturally wanted to get a high price. If Zhuang Rui brought up the crack, Li Yunshan really didn't know how to negotiate the price, since he knew nothing about antiques.
"It doesn't matter. The overall shape of this ivory carving is excellent. It's normal for it to have a few flaws. Let me take another look. Brother Li, could you give me an estimate first, and we can discuss it later..."
After taking a few deep breaths, Zhuang Rui calmed himself down.
Zhuang Rui now focused his attention on the repaired surface. He discovered that the repaired surface and the materials used inside were made of milky white silicone. Over time, it had turned slightly yellow. If one did not use spiritual energy to see it, it would be difficult to notice with the naked eye.
This made Zhuang Rui even more curious. You see, latex only became popular in the early 20th century. It's impossible for such a material to exist during the Ming and Qing dynasties. However, the wax ball inside this ivory ornament is a unique method of transmitting secret messages in ancient China. It seems that since the Qing dynasty, secret messages sealed with sealing wax have been used instead. The combination of these two completely unequal events from different eras left Zhuang Rui somewhat puzzled as to what secrets it might conceal.
"Let's buy it first and then talk about it..."
Zhuang Rui made up his mind. He knew he couldn't possibly decipher the writing on the paper ball inside the wax pill using only his spiritual energy. To figure it out, he had to take out the wax pill, which meant he first had to make the ivory Buddha sculpture his own.
“Brother Li, I won’t lie to you, this ivory Buddha sculpture is probably an old piece from before the Republic of China era, it can be considered an antique. I really like this item, it would look nice to display in my home. Please name your price, if it’s reasonable, we can make a deal…”
Because of Li Yunshan's initial attitude, Zhuang Rui was afraid that he would no longer be willing to sell. In order to show his sincerity, he bluntly said that the item was an antique. However, Zhuang Rui played a little trick on the date. He only said that it was before the Republic of China, but did not say that the item was from the Ming Dynasty. Of course, the Ming Dynasty was before the Republic of China.
"Well... I don't know much about this either. If you really want it, young man, here's the price..."
After thinking for a while, Li Yunshan held up two fingers.
Seeing Li Yunshan's gesture, Zhuang Rui asked, "Twenty thousand US dollars? That's a bit expensive..."
As he spoke, he frowned, but he was just putting on an act. If this item were taken to China for authentication and its provenance could be traced, it could easily fetch seven or eight million at auction. However, business is all about bargaining, so Zhuang Rui naturally had to lower the price.
Zhuang Rui didn't notice that after he said the price of 20,000 US dollars, Li Yunshan's pupils contracted for a moment. This is a normal reaction when people are surprised. It's not that Li Yunshan thought Zhuang Rui had too little money, but the price had shocked him. The two fingers he held meant that it was only 2,000 US dollars.
It's worth noting that ivory carvings are quite common in Myanmar. Although the ivory used in this piece is not small, there are some larger items in Myanmar that cost only a couple of thousand US dollars. Given that the average income in Myanmar is very low, a couple of thousand US dollars is enough to support a family for several years.
Li Yunshan sets up a stall here and does business. He only earns a few hundred US dollars a month. If it is the twenty thousand US dollars that Zhuang Rui said, then it is a huge sum of money for Li Yunshan.
"Young...young man, can you lower the price a bit more? How about 18,000? This thing was passed down from my grandfather. If he were still alive, I wouldn't sell it..."
Li Yunshan was so excited that he stammered. Afraid that Zhuang Rui wouldn't buy it, he took the initiative to lower the price by two thousand dollars and said that it was his grandfather's heirloom.
"Eighteen thousand..."
Zhuang Rui muttered something to himself, then circled the Buddha sculpture again, nodded heavily, and said, "It's fate that we met Brother Li. Eighteen thousand, it's eighteen thousand it is. But Brother Li, can this be taken out of the country? If customs confiscates it again, that would be a real injustice..."
Zhuang Rui was unaware whether Myanmar prohibited the export of such items. If, as he claimed, they were to be bought and then confiscated, it would truly be a waste of money.
"No, no, how about this, young man, wait a moment, I'll go get you an invoice for the handicrafts..."
Li Yunshan didn't actually know whether this thing was prohibited from being exported, but he knew that anything bought in Myanmar could definitely be taken out of the country as long as it had an invoice issued by a state-owned store.
Li Yunshan called over a familiar stall owner at a nearby stall and asked him to keep an eye on things for him. Then he excitedly ran towards the state-run store at the entrance of the Golden Pagoda.
Chapter 439 A World Within (Part 2)
"Brother Zhuang, is it worth spending over 200,000 yuan on this?"
Seeing Zhuang Rui caressing the ivory Buddha statue with obvious delight, Yang Hao asked, somewhat puzzled. In his mind, most of the things sold at tourist attractions were fake. Zhuang Rui was just throwing out 200,000 yuan; he might get ripped off by Li Yunshan.
As the saying goes, "Fellow countrymen, backstabbing." Among the tourists visiting Myanmar, Chinese people make up the largest group. As for Li Yunshan treating Chinese people differently, Yang Hao simply doesn't believe it. Businessmen are profit-driven and will rip off their own people.
"It's worth it, of course it's worth it. Such a large and complete ivory carving is rare even in China. The price of ivory carvings has risen sharply in recent years, and it might even double in value if I take it back..."
Zhuang Rui didn't dare to say too much. If he said that this thing, after being verified to be of its age and heritage, could be worth seven or eight million, it would definitely scare Yang Hao. Zhuang Rui had a feeling that such a large object would definitely be recorded in some domestic materials.
"Hey, Brother Zhuang, your eye for talent is truly amazing. Making money here is just too easy..."
Yang Hao stuck out his tongue and said enviously, "Although I haven't known Zhuang Rui for long and have only met him three times, every time we meet, Zhuang Rui's net worth seems to skyrocket."
As the two were chatting, Li Yunshan hurriedly ran back, carrying a rectangular bamboo box that looked just the right size to hold the ivory Buddha statue. This was a bamboo box, a specialty of Myanmar, and it cost thirty or forty US dollars. Li Yunshan bought it as a gift for Zhuang Rui.
Zhuang Rui, with Li Yunshan's help, carefully placed the ivory Buddha statue horizontally into the bamboo box. They then stuffed the box with sponges and waste newspapers. The bamboo box itself was elastic, so even if there were any collisions, the contents would not be damaged.
"Young man, please take this..."
After packing everything up, Li Yunshan pushed the suitcase to Zhuang Rui and handed him the invoice he had just issued. It was in Burmese, which Zhuang Rui couldn't understand. After taking the invoice, he handed it to Peng Fei.
Peng Fei glanced at the invoice, nodded, and handed Li Yunshan the eighteen thousand US dollars he had just counted. He then picked up the bamboo box from the ground; it had handles and was very convenient to carry. ...
With this large suitcase in hand, there was no way to continue exploring. Fortunately, they had already finished visiting the Shwedagon Pagoda, so Zhuang Rui, Yang Hao, and Peng Fei took a taxi back to the hotel.
The Myanmar New Year jade auction is scheduled to open on January 1st, and most domestic and foreign merchants arrived in Yangon today. After Zhuang Rui entered the hotel, he saw many familiar faces. The jade gambling circle is only so big, and there are only a few well-known jewelry companies. It's hard not to run into them.
After greeting the wool merchants from China, Zhuang Rui rushed into the elevator. He felt like a giant panda, with everyone wanting to touch him. Just now, even a plump woman reeking of perfume tried to give him a hug, which terrified Zhuang Rui.
"Peng Fei, you're really not being a good guy. The boss is surrounded, and you didn't even offer to come and help..."
After saying goodbye to Yang Hao and returning to his hotel room, Zhuang Rui looked at Peng Fei with dissatisfaction and said, "This guy ran away very fast with a suitcase just now, but at least he knew to wait for me at the elevator door."
"Hehe, boss, based on my analysis, that woman definitely meant you no harm..."
Perhaps because his younger sister had been settled, Peng Fei had been talking more these past few days. He would occasionally joke with Zhuang Rui. He respected Zhuang Rui from the bottom of his heart, but on the surface, he didn't call him "boss" all the time like Hao Long did. This was also an attitude that Peng Fei showed after acknowledging someone.
"Alright, enough talk, just take out this ivory carving. I'm going to take a shower first..."
Zhuang Rui was eager to uncover the secrets of the ivory carving, but after his trip, he felt sticky and uncomfortable, so he went to the bathroom for a shower.
When Zhuang Rui came out, the ivory Buddha statue had already been placed on the living room table, and Peng Fei was examining it carefully.
"You little rascal, you've been running for ages and you haven't even broken a sweat..."
Zhuang Rui glanced at Peng Fei with envy. The first time he met him was when the temperature was several degrees below zero. The kid was dressed so thinly but didn't seem cold. Now, in this sweltering heat, he didn't seem to be sweating at all.
"Brother Zhuang, is this thing really worth hundreds of thousands?"
Peng Fei had circled the ivory carving several times, but it was just a little unusual in design. He couldn't understand why something that couldn't be eaten or drunk was so valuable.
"Hundreds of thousands? Ha, Peng Fei, you should add a zero after that..."
Zhuang Rui laughed smugly. As the saying goes, gold is valued in times of chaos and antiques in times of prosperity. In times of war and turmoil, these things are worthless and even cumbersome to carry. But in the present day, they are priceless treasures. In short, Zhuang Rui will not sell this thing.
"Slions?"
Peng Fei's lips twitched, staring at the Buddha sculpture in disbelief. He now understood where Zhuang Rui's money came from; it was even more lucrative than drug trafficking, and without any risk. At this moment, even Peng Fei was wondering if he should learn about antiques, since he couldn't stay in security forever.
"Well, but I'm not selling this. You probably can't find more than a few in China..."
Zhuang Rui had now focused his attention on the ivory carving. He was thinking about how to open the repaired "door" again and take out the wax ball inside. Of course, Zhuang Rui didn't want to damage the Buddha carving; otherwise, he would have just thrown it on the ground to make a sound and taken out the object.
"Brother Zhuang, I heard you went out and got something good? You didn't even tell me to invite your brother to come along..."
As Zhuang Rui was engrossed in looking at the ivory carving, he suddenly heard Song Jun's voice. Looking up, he discovered that Song Jun and Fatty Ma had entered the room at some point. Zhuang Rui hadn't heard the doorbell ring or Peng Fei opening the door at all.
"One of you is afraid of the heat, and the other is afraid of walking. I can't get either of you to move..."
Zhuang Rui gave a wry smile, but he didn't say that he was worried about his safety at the time.
"What a find! It's truly amazing! Such a large ivory carving is incredibly rare. And judging from the shape and the quality of the ivory, it must be from the Ming or Qing dynasty. Brother Zhuang, you've really struck gold! How come you always seem to stumble upon such treasures..."
Song Jun held a magnifying glass and examined the ivory carving for a long time. Then he looked Zhuang Rui up and down. His little brother was simply amazing. He could find good things wherever he went. This ivory carving was clearly an old item from China, but he managed to find it in Myanmar.
Zhuang Rui was both amused and exasperated by Song Jun's words, and replied irritably, "That's because you're lazy. Even if it were you, let alone me, you would definitely buy it if you saw it. If you had gone to see the Shwedagon Pagoda first, maybe I wouldn't have had a chance to see this thing..."
"It's all about timing and fate. What's meant to be yours can't be taken away by anyone. But Brother Zhuang, how about you transfer this to me? The old man will definitely like it..."
Song Jun's eyes lit up, and he wanted Zhuang Rui to sell the item to him. Seven or eight million was nothing to Song Jun. Some time ago, due to the old man's poor health, the Song family's business underwent some adjustments, and many investments were recovered. Now, Song Jun had at least several hundred million in spare cash.
"Brother Song, don't even think about it. My courtyard house is still missing these things. By the way, Grandpa Song likes calligraphy and painting, which has nothing to do with this. Don't try to use this as an excuse..."