Qin Xuanbing and Lei Lei were driven by curiosity, while Xu Wei was naturally filled with jealousy, wishing he could burn the tattered book to the ground. Liu Chuan, on the other hand, hoped the book would be as expensive as possible, and he was happy to see his brother making money. As for Zhuang Rui, he was a little nervous. Although he had just said some nice things, no one would turn down money, and no one would think he had too much money, especially since Zhuang Rui was just a white-collar worker.
Manager Lü pondered for a while, then gently picked up the manuscript and looked through it. After a long while, he finally spoke: "This 'Xiangzu Notebook' by Wang Shizhen has a clear provenance and distinct inscriptions. It can be confirmed as an authentic work. Last year, at an auction in Hong Kong, a sevenmanuscript of Wang Shizhen's 'Preface to the Caigentang Poetry Collection' was sold for HK$1.18 million."
"How much? One million one hundred and eighty thousand? Wood, is Hong Kong dollars more expensive than RMB? I've never used that stuff before..."
Before Old Master Lü could finish speaking, Liu Chuan interrupted him. He had worked hard for several years and had only saved a few hundred thousand yuan. If he hadn't heard it with his own ears, he would never have believed that the tattered book in front of him could be worth millions.
"You shut up, kid, go stand over there..."
Grandpa Lü glared at Liu Chuan with annoyance and continued, "Xiao Zhuang's manuscript differs slightly from the published versions of Wang Shizhen's 'Xiangzu Notes'. I believe it will play a significant role in the study of Wang Shizhen's life and the social structure of that time. Its value is undoubtedly greater than the manuscript of Wang Shizhen's 'Preface to the Caigentang Poetry Collection' that was auctioned in Hong Kong."
Furthermore, the manuscript includes nine sheets containing twenty-one poems written by Wang Shizhen himself. More importantly, each poem bears Wang Shizhen's seal, making it extremely valuable. As a result, these poems could be auctioned off individually for a considerable price.
The market price of Wang Shizhen's manuscripts in China is slightly lower than in the international market. If you two insist on asking me to appraise it, I think it would be more appropriate to set the price between three million and three million eight hundred thousand.
Of course, if this manuscript were sent to an auction house and entered the auction process, the price might be over four million. However, after deducting some advertising costs and the auction house's commission, it wouldn't be much different from the price I mentioned. The old man is quite confident about this.
"Three million eight hundred thousand!"
Upon hearing this number from Grandpa Lü, Zhuang Rui's mind went blank. He didn't hear a word Grandpa Lü said afterward. You see, after graduating from university, Zhuang Rui worked diligently for almost two years and only earned a little over 3,000 yuan a month, which is about 30,000 yuan a year. What does 3.8 million yuan mean? It would take Zhuang Rui 120 years of hard work without eating or drinking.
Ever since he snagged this manuscript at Liu Chuan's shop, Zhuang Rui had maintained a good attitude. Initially, his bottom line was that he didn't mind losing some money, since the spiritual energy in his eyes had been replenished, which was a good deal. However, after returning home and researching Wang Shizhen's life, Zhuang Rui's thinking changed. He estimated that if the manuscript was indeed Wang Shizhen's handwriting, he probably wouldn't lose money and might even make a small profit.
When Grandpa Lü mentioned the price of Wang Shizhen's manuscript at the Hong Kong auction, Zhuang Rui was also taken aback. However, he felt that his manuscript was quite damaged, and he would be satisfied if it could sell for three to five hundred thousand. In addition, with the 150,000 he got from selling Liu Hulu in Sanhe yesterday, he was not particularly excited. But when he suddenly heard Grandpa Lü's offer, Zhuang Rui was completely shocked and felt a little dazed.
"How about three million eight hundred thousand then? It's an auspicious number, Brother Zhuang. Let's draw up a transfer agreement, and I'll write you a check right away. What do you think?"
Song Jun's loud voice rang out. Most of his collection consisted of calligraphy and paintings, and he was very familiar with the market prices of such antiques. The price that Old Master Lü offered might be a bit low at an auction house, but that would have to cover some considerable advertising expenses and taxes. In a private transfer, 3.8 million was a reasonable price for both the buyer and seller, saving them a considerable amount of money.
Some might say, "Isn't this tax evasion?" But this kind of behavior is common in many industries, especially among collectors. It's quite normal for this to happen because people's awareness of tax evasion isn't high enough to justify reporting money from private transactions as taxes.
"Xiao Zhuang, Xiao Zhuang, what's wrong? You're not satisfied with the price?"
Seeing that Zhuang Rui remained silent and did not answer his question, Song Jun called out twice in a questioning tone.
Zhuang Rui was jolted awake by Song Jun's words and mumbled in a daze, "Satisfied, satisfied. I just didn't expect this manuscript to be so valuable. I'm wondering if I should keep it for myself."
"No, you can agree to let me have it now, brother. If you're not satisfied with the price, we can discuss it further..."
Upon hearing this, Song Jun became somewhat anxious. Was this a sure thing going to fall through?
"Hehe, no way, Brother Song. I was just thinking to myself. A person without integrity cannot stand. I never go back on my promises."
Zhuang Rui did have that idea in his mind, but it was just a thought. Compared to the future appreciation of the manuscript, Zhuang Rui felt more at ease keeping the 3.8 million in his pocket. As for raising the price, he didn't consider it at all. When he worked at the pawnshop, he had a lot of contact with auction houses and knew that even if the manuscript was auctioned for 5 million, after deducting the auction house's 15% commission and taxes and other miscellaneous expenses, he might not even get 3.8 million.
"You little brat, don't scare me like that, I have a heart condition."
Upon hearing this, Song Jun breathed a sigh of relief. While joking with Zhuang Rui, he waved over a waitress and asked her to call over a man who looked like a manager. He briefly explained the amount for the transfer of the manuscript and some points to note, and then asked the man to process the transfer agreement.
Within ten minutes, the manager returned to the private room with two printed transfer agreements in his hand. He handed them to Song Jun, who glanced at them briefly and then passed them to Zhuang Rui.
Three to five million was nothing to Song Jun. The reason he drafted such a transfer agreement was simply due to his business habits. This way, he could avoid some trouble in the future. If he hadn't brought it up, Zhuang Rui would never have thought of signing such a document.
Zhuang Rui dared not be as casual as Song Jun. He took the agreement and carefully read it. In fact, the agreement was very simple. It was just a piece of paper. After the items to be transferred and the amount were handwritten, both parties signed it, and that was it. Moreover, with antiques, if an agreement is signed, it means that the items have been appraised by the buyer. The seller does not need to provide any appraisal certificate. Once the purchase is finalized, the buyer is not allowed to seek recourse later.
Some people go to antique shops to buy antiques, and if they buy antiques with certificates of authenticity, they might find out they've been cheated after taking them home. In such cases, they could ruin the reputation of the antique shop. Therefore, the so-called Kangxi toothpicks or Qianlong toilets sold in antique shops will not be accompanied by certificates of authenticity. This is why most of the items displayed in antique shops are fakes, and the real transactions are conducted privately.
Chapter 43 Self-Inflicted Humiliation (Part 1)
The transfer agreement was left blank in the places for the name of the item and the amount. There were no other clauses about breach of contract. It simply stated that Party A transferred the item to Party B on a certain date. After the signatures of both parties, there was a sign for a witness, which was probably left for Mr. Lü or Mr. Wang to fill in.
Seeing that there were no problems, Zhuang Rui took the pen from Song Jun and filled in the manuscript's name and amount in the blank space on the agreement. After signing his name as the Party A on both agreements, he handed them back to Song Jun. Song Jun had been waiting impatiently. After receiving the agreement, he signed his name, then took out a cash checkbook from his pocket, swiped it across the checkbook, tore it off, and handed it to Zhuang Rui.
Zhuang Rui himself majored in accounting in college and now works in the same field. He has dealt with banks quite often, so he can tell the authenticity of cash checks at a glance. After a quick glance at the check in his hand, Zhuang Rui judged that the check issued by Song Jun could be transferred and withdrawn at any time. Zhuang Rui was quite confident in his professional knowledge.
Holding the check in his hand, Zhuang Rui was filled with inexplicable emotions. Just a few minutes ago, he was just an ordinary person with a savings of only 200,000 yuan, enough to buy only a 20-square-meter house in Zhonghai City. But in the blink of an eye, he had become a person with assets of several million yuan... Of course, he was still an ordinary person, but the gap between the two was so huge that most people in the world might never be able to cross this chasm in their entire lives.
Just as Zhuang Rui was holding the check and lamenting his life, Song Jun had already handed the two agreements to Old Master Lü. Given the identities of everyone present, Old Master Lü was undoubtedly the best candidate to be a witness. The old man did not refuse and readily signed his name. Being able to see the manuscript and authenticate it was already very satisfying for Old Master Lü.
Apart from the manager who had just entered and looked at Zhuang Rui with some envy, the others in the room did not show much emotion about the deal. Old Master Lü and Boss Wang had seen many such transactions in the industry. Although the amount was a bit large this time, it was not unheard of.
Qin Xuanbing and Lei Lei secretly marveled at Zhuang Rui's good luck. In just over ten days, 20,000 yuan had increased in value by nearly 200 times. It was probably impossible to make such a large profit in such a short time in any capital market. As for the check for 3.8 million yuan, they didn't pay much attention to it.
Although Liu Chuan was initially shocked, he was thick-skinned and only happy to see his brother making money. At this moment, he was plotting how to rip Zhuang Rui off, so that at least he could buy a new Honda sedan instead of his old one.
Xu Wei was now regretting why he had come to participate in this tea tasting and treasure appraisal. He had been unhappy ever since he arrived at the tea shop, and now seeing that Zhuang Rui's tattered book had actually sold for a huge sum of 3.8 million yuan made him even angrier. If it were someone else, he wouldn't have been able to stand it, but it had to be Zhuang Rui, whom he didn't like, which made him unable to tolerate it.
Most importantly, Xu Wei was extremely jealous of Zhuang Rui. Although he was now the general manager of the family company in East China, his annual salary was only a few hundred thousand. When he needed to use more than two million, he had to ask the company headquarters for permission. Moreover, the most lucrative position of purchasing raw materials was still allocated by the head office. Xu Wei's net worth was only one or two million, which was less than those idle people in the family who did no work but collected money. Therefore, Xu Wei was even more resentful that Zhuang Rui had so easily surpassed his net worth.
However, Zhuang Rui had no connection with his social circle, and they could not possibly have any contact at present. Xu Wei could only bury his jealousy in his heart. The innocent Zhuang Rui had no idea that he had inexplicably provoked an enemy.
"Alright, it's almost one o'clock. Let's go eat first. But forget about the antique appraisal thing. Xiao Zhuang made a fortune today, so let's eat with him, okay..."
Song Jun glanced at his watch; it was past lunchtime. He then spoke, glancing at Xu Wei as he spoke. Of course, he knew his own things best, but considering that Xu Wei was brought by Old Master Lü, Song Jun decided to give him some face.
Qin Xuanbing and the others nodded indifferently. Zhuang Rui was no longer so opposed to treating everyone. With several million in his pocket, he was quite confident. Even if Song Jun hadn't said anything, he would have intended to treat everyone. However, later on, he regretted his idea immensely.
"Let's talk about the test results first. It won't take more than a few minutes. Otherwise, it's not good to have suspense while we're eating..."
Just as everyone got up to tidy up the things on the table and prepared to leave, an out-of-place voice rang out; it was Xu Wei who spoke.
Zhuang Rui was somewhat taken aback. This bespectacled pretty boy seemed to have something in mind, but he forgot that he was also wearing glasses and pretending to be refined.
Upon hearing this, Song Jun looked at Xu Wei with a hint of dissatisfaction. He sat back down, having just stood up, and said in a deep voice, "Very well, since Mr. Xu insists, let's get straight to the point and just tell us the truth."
Upon hearing Song Jun's words, Old Master Lü knew that he was starting to dislike Xu Wei. He secretly cursed Xu Wei for being so tactless. He knew the red coral bracelet Xu Wei had appraised was a fake the moment he put it on his wrist, and it was probably worth at least ten yuan. Yet this guy still dared to provoke Zhuang Rui. If it weren't for the fact that the person who introduced him to him had some connections, Old Master Lü would have kicked him out long ago.
"Fine, if you want to embarrass yourself, I won't stop you..."
Thinking of this, Old Master Lü also sat down leisurely.
"Mr. Xu was the first to have his bracelet appraised, so let's start with that..."
Song Jun gestured to the waiter to fill a basin halfway with warm mineral water from the water dispenser in the room. He put the bracelet in the water, rubbed it vigorously a few times, then took it out and pointed to the water in the basin, which had turned slightly reddish, saying, "This bracelet was bought by the shop's staff at the market next door yesterday. It was two for ten yuan, buy one get one free. The material is made from dried-up branches from the sea, which were polished and dyed. When I came to the shop this morning, I saw them wearing it and wanted to come over. When we appraise antiques, we always have to put in some fake items, right? But Mr. Xu is right about one thing. Hmm, this thing, like red coral, is from the sea."
While Grandpa Lü was lost in thought, Song Jun had already begun to comment on his bracelet. However, when these words reached Xu Wei's ears, they were like a slap in the face, and Xu Wei's fair face immediately turned red.
Chapter 44 Self-Inflicted Humiliation (Part 2)
"Let me tell you about the two items that Xiao Zhuang appraised..."
Xu Wei, who was feeling extremely ashamed, heard Grandpa Lü's words as if they were heavenly music. Grandpa Lü's words did indeed shift everyone's attention away from Xu Wei. Grandpa Lü also wanted to help him out of the predicament, after all, he had brought this person with him, and it would be too embarrassing for him to lose face.
Grandpa Lü picked up the wooden Guanyin statue and examined it carefully for a few moments. He then said with great emotion, "This object is called the Water-Sprinkling Guanyin Wooden Standing Statue. I found it five years ago when I was strolling around Panjiayuan in Beijing. At the time, judging from its patina, style, shape, and carving, it looked like an antique from the Ming Dynasty. I bought it for 30,000 yuan."
At this point, a hint of embarrassment appeared on Mr. Lü's face, but he continued, "Later, I asked a few old friends who specialize in Buddhist sculptures to take a look and found out that this Guanyin statue was purely a modern imitation that had been artificially aged. I can say that I paid for this lesson. The reason I have kept it all this time is to keep this lesson in mind at all times."
Grandpa Lü had come to terms with it and became more and more frank as he spoke. In this line of work, who hasn't made mistakes and paid their dues? It's not really something to be ashamed of.
"Mr. Lü, this wood carving looks like an antique to me. Could it be that your old friends have misjudged it?"
Although Xu Wei's words were directed at Old Master Lü's friends, everyone present could tell that his words carried a hint of sarcasm, and they couldn't help but secretly despise him.
When Xu Wei heard the first half of what Grandpa Lü said, he was overjoyed, thinking that although he had made a mistake in his appraisal, Zhuang Rui had also made a mistake, so the two were even. Who knew that the old man's tone would suddenly change, which meant that Zhuang Rui had guessed correctly again. The reason for using the word "guessed" was that even if you beat Xu Wei to death, he would not believe that Zhuang Rui could tell the authenticity of the wood carving with his eyes.
Grandpa Lü was secretly furious. He had already pointed out the mistake, and this kid was rubbing salt into his wounds—it was unethical! He snorted and said, "The carving and aging of this wood carving are top-notch. It's just that the forger didn't understand the Water-Sprinkling Guanyin. The Water-Sprinkling Guanyin, also known as the Dripping Water Guanyin, is depicted holding a vase in one hand as if pouring water, and making a mudra with the other, or holding a willow branch. But did you see this Water-Sprinkling Guanyin? She's holding a vase in both hands. Such an error would be impossible given the ancient people's reverence for Guanyin. I didn't notice this detail at the time. I'm ashamed, truly ashamed..."
After finishing speaking, Old Master Lü ignored Xu Wei and picked up the snuff bottle, saying, "This snuff bottle looks brightly colored, like a modern craft, but it is indeed an old object, and it was made by the imperial court. Its full name is 'Copper-bodied Enamel Snuff Bottle with Figure and Flower Design,' made by the imperial court during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. There aren't many in existence, probably only thirty or fifty. I've seen one that is exactly the same in the Palace Museum. A Kangxi enamel snuff bottle was auctioned at an auction two years ago, and its workmanship and condition were a bit better than this one. It sold for 350,000 yuan at the time, while the Qianlong one in my hand should be worth around 200,000 yuan."
At this point, Old Master Lü became excited, all his frustration from buying that lousy wood carving vanished, and even his voice rose a few octaves as he continued, "I found this in old Tianjin thirty years ago. Guess how much it cost?"
The old man paused here, leaving everyone to guess, and after several people had offered prices, he held up his hand, shook it back and forth, and said, "Five yuan, and not even cash, but five yuan's worth of grain coupons. The man who sold this thing was a descendant of the Eight Banners, who stayed in Tianjin after the fall of the Qing Dynasty. This thing was left to him by his ancestors. That spendthrift had no idea of its value. I bought it with five yuan's worth of grain coupons. Xiao Zhuang, what do you think? When I was young, my eye for quality wasn't any worse than yours, was it..."
Grandpa Lü was beaming with pride, his face glowing. He had completely forgotten about the hole he'd made in the wood carving. In fact, all his old friends knew the story of this snuff bottle. This great bargain had been touted by the old man for over a decade. In recent years, he had grown older and lost much of his competitive spirit. In addition, Song Jun and his men were a generation younger than Grandpa Lü, so they had never had the chance to see this snuff bottle.
"How come this person is so lucky? Does he really know so much?"
After listening to what Grandpa Lü said, Qin Xuanbing's impression of Zhuang Rui changed somewhat. It's possible to find a bargain once or twice by being lucky, but to appreciate antiques, one needs extremely profound theoretical knowledge and rich practical experience. Zhuang Rui's performance obviously cannot be explained by simply saying that he was lucky.
"So, old man, I really guessed right about these two things? My luck is really good..."
Zhuang Rui seemed quite happy as he spoke, emphasizing the word "Meng" and glancing sideways at Xu Wei, the meaning of which was self-evident.
Zhuang Rui was originally a very calm person. Although he had a lot of ideas, he was not the kind of person who was shallow and unforgiving. He was also quite broad-minded. However, he was indeed annoyed by this pretty boy named Xu Wei today, and his words became impolite.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Xu Wei, who had just had a livid face, actually laughed. He was quite capable to hold a high position in a family company with complex relationships; at the very least, his ability to change his expression was something that Zhuang Rui and the others could not match.
"Looks like I'm the ultimate loser in today's treasure appraisal event. No doubt about it, a bet's a bet. Today's guests are on the house, so please do me the honor of attending..."
Xu Wei appeared very open-minded, displaying the demeanor of a successful person. If a naive young girl saw him, she would definitely be very fond of him.
"Since Mr. Xu has brought something with him today, how about I take a look at it as well?"
Qin Xuanbing spoke unexpectedly, her eyes fixed on the jewelry box that Xu Wei had already put away.
"Of course you can. This was designed by a famous jewelry designer I hired from the UK at a high salary. It's the most popular style in recent years and is most suitable for a beautiful lady like Miss Qin to wear."
Hearing Qin Xuanbing speak to him first, Xu Wei couldn't help but feel a little smug. He didn't believe that there was a woman in this world who wouldn't be tempted by jewelry. He used to be able to pick up girls with this trick in the past, and he was always successful. As he handed the exquisite jewelry box to Qin Xuanbing, Xu Wei was already fantasizing about this beautiful girl being pleasured by him.
Chapter 45 Self-Inflicted Humiliation (Part 2)
Qin Xuanbing casually opened the jewelry box, inside which was a platinum and diamond necklace. The necklace consisted of two parts: a single platinum chain and five small diamonds. Four of the smaller diamonds were the same size and shape, while the larger diamond in the center shone brilliantly under the light.
Qin Xuanbing paused slightly when she saw the platinum and diamond necklace, then a cold smile appeared on her face. Of course, in Xu Wei's eyes, this smile was an appreciation of the necklace. After taking the necklace out of the jewelry box, Qin Xuanbing pinched the slightly larger diamond with her two slender fingers, held it up to the light, and carefully examined it for about ten seconds before putting the necklace back.
"Mr. Xu, may I ask what the price of this necklace is at your company?"
After Qin Xuanbing put down the necklace, she looked at Xu Wei.
"This platinum and diamond necklace was designed by Carole Bonney, a jewelry design master we invited from the UK. The necklace is made of Platinum Pt999 (meaning a platinum content of 999‰) and weighs 18.8 grams. The diamonds set in the necklace were purchased by our company from South Africa at a high price. They are all high-quality diamonds with a purity of VS2, with a total weight of five carats. The four smaller diamonds are all 0.5 carats each, and the main diamond in the center weighs three carats. Through the meticulous design of our master designer, the necklace and these diamonds are perfectly integrated. This necklace is also our company's main product at this year's National Jewelry Fair and is not yet available for sale."
Xu Wei's words were interspersed with a lot of English, which made Liu Chuan frown. Just as Liu Chuan was about to interrupt him, Xu Wei stopped, seemingly waiting for Qin Xuanbing to ask about the price of the diamond necklace. However, he was disappointed. Qin Xuanbing just looked at him and didn't seem inclined to speak. Xu Wei could only continue, "As for the price, we haven't set a price yet, but it should be over two million RMB. Given Miss Qin's image, if she is interested in this necklace and is willing to become our company's spokesperson, she can get it for free."
Xu Wei wasn't exaggerating. The company was indeed selecting a spokesperson recently. Although most people in the company preferred to invite some big-name celebrities to be spokespeople, Xu Wei believed that with Qin Xuanbing's temperament and appearance, those people would definitely agree to let her be the spokesperson after seeing her, and he could take the opportunity to get close to her. As for whether the cold and beautiful woman in front of him would refuse, Xu Wei didn't even consider it. He didn't believe that this woman could resist such a great temptation.
Qin Xuanbing frowned slightly upon hearing this and said in a melodious voice, "I have some thoughts on this necklace. I wonder if Mr. Xu would like to hear them?"
"Of course, Miss Qin, please speak. I am all ears."
Xu Wei raised his eyebrows smugly, thinking that Qin Xuanbing still had questions to ask him.
"First of all, I want to say that the purity of these five diamonds is not VS2 as Mr. Xu claims, but P2, which is the lowest grade of diamond. Including the cut, the total price of the five diamonds should be around HK$60,000. Secondly, the platinum used in this necklace is not 999 platinum, but only PT950, which has a market price of just over 300 yuan per gram. In other words, the total cost of this necklace is no more than HK$150,000. As for the design of this necklace, I can say with certainty that it is worthless. Therefore, I don't know if I can interpret Mr. Xu's claim of a price of two million RMB as a deliberate attempt to deceive consumers."
Although Qin Xuanbing's voice was melodious and pleasant, it sounded like a bolt from the blue to Xu Wei. He knew the true cost of the necklace, but he never expected it to be exposed so ruthlessly in public. It was like slapping him hard across the face and then trampling him into the ground. This blow was much more severe than when he had misidentified the bracelet earlier.
It's important to understand that while many jewelry companies in China sell inferior diamonds at low prices, obtain national certificates through connections, and then resell them for ten or even dozens of times the profit, these practices are all conducted in private and cannot be made public. If this were to be publicized today, it would have an extremely negative impact on the reputation of Xu Wei's family company.