"I'll offer 350,000..."
The woman in sunglasses hesitated for a moment. Zhuang Rui suddenly raised the price by 100,000, which put some pressure on her. It wasn't the money that was the pressure, but rather the pressure on her own judgment. She had originally set her sights on 250,000 for this tricolor horse, but Zhuang Rui's bid made her confidence waver.
"Four hundred thousand..."
Boss Jiang was clearly unwilling to give up on this last item. It was a matter of face. Even if it was a fake, he couldn't come all this way and leave empty-handed. Besides, Takeuchi also had his eye on the tricolor horse. He had already made Takeuchi very unhappy that he hadn't bid on the previous items.
"Mr. Liu, Mr. Jiang has already offered 400,000..."
Lang Jie shouted towards Zhuang Rui, his meaning clear: keep shouting, the higher you shout, the happier I am.
No one present knew that when the woman in sunglasses shouted out 350,000, Zhuang Rui's heart, which had been in his throat, finally settled down. He leaned forward slightly and realized that his underwear was completely soaked with cold sweat and clung tightly to his body.
This thing isn't Tang Sancai at all. It's over 1,300 years removed from the Tang Dynasty, and it doesn't even qualify as Republic of China Sancai. It's a typical post-Liberation Sancai.
Zhuang Rui himself only has a general understanding of Tang Sancai (Tang tri-color glazed pottery), knowing only its origins. If you ask him about the glaze, body, production process, etc., he will know absolutely nothing. The reason he concluded that this tri-color horse was a modern imitation was not only because the horse lacked any spirit, but also because there was a character "Xu" inside the horse's right leg in front of it. Of course, only Zhuang Rui could see this character.
As everyone knows, simplified characters were only introduced after the liberation. Before the liberation and even earlier, the character "许" was always written as 言午许. However, the character "许" in this horse's hoof is written as the simplified character. This way of writing did not exist before the liberation. In other words, this object must be a modern high-quality fake.
This forger is quite interesting; this tricolor horse is almost indistinguishable from the real thing. It possesses all the basic characteristics of a genuine tricolor horse, achieving over 99% similarity. The remaining less than 1% of unique features are currently impossible to replicate, as these unique characteristics can only be formed over thousands of years, beyond the capabilities of human hands.
However, besides that 1%, the forger left another mark: the character at the horse's hoof, though the character was written inside. This made it unrecognizable. It's likely the forger's intention was, "I've left a flaw; whether you can find it depends on your skills." This flaw was precisely at the horse's hoof, probably inspired by the Tang Dynasty custom of using a horse instead of a qilin in a dance, where the horse's hooves weren't properly covered, thus revealing its hoof.
Some modern forgers are undoubtedly highly skilled; if they were in ancient times, they might have been masters. However, no matter how well they are made, without the test of time, they can only be considered handicrafts, not antiques. Some people are indignant about this, so after aging and forging, they deliberately leave some flaws.
As for why Zhuang Rui asked for 300,000, the reason is simple: he wanted to rip off that Japanese guy. Although Takeuchi is a friendly person towards China, coming to a place like this still means he wants to take our country's national treasures back to Japan. It's a cultural invasion. Although Zhuang Rui is not a radical, he has never had any good feelings towards the Japanese.
Zhuang Rui had been observing for half a day. The Japanese man, Takeuchi, was very interested in the tricolor horse and kept whispering to Boss Jiang. Then, Boss Jiang, who was bidding on behalf of Takeuchi, adopted a determined attitude. Seeing that no one was raising the price, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but call out a price of 300,000.
It felt great to shout out the price, but as soon as the words left his mouth, Zhuang Rui regretted it. What if the shrewd people in the room noticed something amiss and stopped raising the price? He would have suffered a loss he couldn't swallow. Although Zhuang Rui was now somewhat wealthy, he would definitely slap himself if he had to spend 300,000 yuan to buy a fake and take it home. Fortunately, the woman in sunglasses' shouting out the price got him out of a predicament and also prompted Boss Jiang to make another bid.
"Mr. Liu, this is a rare opportunity! Mr. Jiang has already offered 400,000 RMB..."
Seeing that Zhuang Rui had not spoken for a long time, Lang Jie called out again.
"Dude, I only brought 300,000, I don't need it!"
Zhuang Rui gently shook his head. Liu Chuan understood what he meant and said loudly, completely ignoring the contemptuous looks he received from everyone present.
"Miss, would you like to raise the price?"
Seeing that Liu Chuan had given up, Lang Jie immediately asked the woman in sunglasses.
"Just now I saw him raise the price to 300,000, looking like he was determined to get it. Now he's not going to go up the price. Could it be that he's really short of money? Impossible. People who come here, even if they don't have enough cash, can still write a cash check and confirm by phone."
The woman in sunglasses was trying to figure out Zhuang Rui's intentions. Her first impression of the tricolor horse was that its quality, glaze, and shape made it seem like an authentic piece. However, it was precisely because the tricolor horse was too perfect that she had a bad feeling. So when Zhuang Rui quoted a price of 300,000, she only added 50,000.
I give up!
Shaking her head, the woman in sunglasses rang out in the tent with her clear and melodious voice.
"Congratulations, Mr. Jiang. The last item in today's auction, the Tang Dynasty tricolor horse, belongs to you."
Lang Jie had every reason to be happy. Today's auction brought him millions, while his expenses were minimal. Although he had many employees, their expenses were not high, and even the cost of acquiring these items was very low. It was a highly profitable business.
However, Mr. Jiang's expression was not very good. His thoughts were similar to those of the woman in sunglasses. However, due to his own pride and the pressure from Takeuchi beside him, he still bid 400,000. When he saw Zhuang Rui and the woman in sunglasses withdraw from the bidding at the same time, he naturally had some doubts. However, he made up his mind to give the item to Takeuchi. Whether it was real or fake, he didn't care.
"I have arranged some events in Lhasa. Friends who are interested are welcome to attend. Today's auction is now over. I hope to see you all again at the next auction."
Lang Jie's words brought the auction to a close. After speaking, Lang Jie, holding a business card, walked straight to Liu Chuan and the others, presenting each of them with a business card. Although Liu Chuan and his group had only acquired a fake painting by Tang Bohu this time, Lang Jie did not dare to underestimate them because of the purebred Tibetan Mastiff in Zhuang Rui's arms. If he knew that Zhuang Rui had made a fortune by tricking the Japanese, his attitude would probably be even more respectful.
"Boss Langjie, could you send a car to take those two back to the hotel? I'll hitch a ride with Brother Liu Chuan. How about it, Brother Liu Chuan? My physique isn't strong enough to crush your tank, is it?"
After Mr. Ma stood up from his chair, he actually asked to ride with Zhuang Rui and the others, which puzzled everyone. Just now, this fat man Ma was so eager to bury the other party in money, but now he was shamelessly trying to curry favor. This fat man was flexible and adaptable, quite a character. However, everyone thought that the fat man Ma was asking to ride with Zhuang Rui and the others because of that purebred Tibetan Mastiff.
Liu Chuan's personality has always been such that he responds better to gentleness than force. Seeing that Fatty Ma had taken the initiative to back down, he immediately said, "Let's go. I bet you'll have a hard time squeezing into that Santana's door."
Fatty Ma paid no attention to Liu Chuan's words. His lecherous eyes no longer glanced at the woman flirting beside him. He chuckled and followed Zhuang Rui and the others into the Hummer.
Chapter 94 The Fat Man Who Pretended to Be Weak While Actually Being Strong
“Mr. Ma, I’ve already said it. This Tibetan Mastiff isn’t for sale, so you don’t need to bother anymore.”
After Zhuang Rui settled into the car, he looked at Fatty Ma, who was examining the interior of the Hummer.
"Hey, this car of yours is really awesome. I'll buy a couple of them sometime. It's much more comfortable than those big Jeeps."
Fatty Ma did not answer Zhuang Rui's question, nor did he show any further interest in the little white lion. Instead, he started talking about the Hummer.
"This car isn't mine, I borrowed it from a friend. Mr. Ma, just say what you need to say, I like straightforward people."
Liu Chuan took out the bottle and nipple, preparing to feed his two little darlings again. The two little ones, not yet a month old, were quite robust and chubby, but could only eat liquid food and were very picky about formula. In the first few days, after drinking infant formula, they also ate some meat scraps because they craved meat from the little white lion. This caused them to have persistent diarrhea. If Zhuang Rui hadn't secretly used his spiritual energy to adjust their condition, they would probably be in grave danger by now.
However, since then, the little ones have stopped being picky about milk powder. In addition, with the calcium tablets that Liu Chuan brought, their nutrition has always been rich. The two Tibetan Mastiffs have shiny fur, one of which is pure black, while the other is slowly turning golden yellow, showing some of their father's style.
"Hey? Brother Liu Chuan, you're not being fair. You clearly have three Tibetan Mastiff puppies, but you won't sell one to me. Don't you think my money is money?"
When the fat man saw Liu Chuan take two more Tibetan mastiff puppies out of the trunk of the Hummer, his eyes, which looked like two thin slits, widened in displeasure, and he said to Liu Chuan.
"Those belong to Zhuang Rui. Both of mine are already taken. But if you can afford the price, Mr. Ma, I might be able to get one from you later."
Zhuang Rui understood Liu Chuan's thoughts best. He knew Liu Chuan wanted to keep the other dog for himself. Anyone who's been playing with dogs for years would love them, especially since purebred Tibetan Mastiffs like this are extremely rare.
"Money is no problem. Brother Zhuang's pig, I can easily pay thirty to fifty million if you're willing to sell it. Brother Liu, I think your two are pretty good too, three million each, how about I have one?"
Fatty Ma really doesn't care about money; if a problem can be solved with money, then it's definitely not a problem.
Although Liu Chuan kept urging Zhuang Rui to sell when Fatty Ma was offering a price in the tent, he hesitated now that it was his turn. Normally, he'd sell if someone was willing to buy and offered a good price, but purebred Tibetan Mastiffs like this were extremely rare. Even though Liu Chuan loved money, he was still undecided and couldn't make up his mind.
"Mr. Ma, we'll find you another one when we have time. A gentleman doesn't take what others like, so don't tempt us anymore. Aren't you afraid we'll kidnap you and extort money from you? That's much more lucrative than selling a dog."
After what had just happened, Zhuang Rui's resistance to money had increased considerably. He started joking with Fatty Ma. Fatty Ma had acted lecherously and vulgarly in the tent, but after getting on the vehicle, he spoke frankly. Although he was a few years older than the others on the vehicle and had a net worth of hundreds of millions, he didn't put on any airs, which made Zhuang Rui's impression of him much better.
"Hehe, I, Old Ma, don't have any other skills. The only reason I've gotten this far is because of my keen eye for people. You guys wouldn't do those kinds of things. By the way, Brother Zhuang, that painting of yours should be worth quite a bit of money, right?"
Fatty Ma stopped focusing on the Tibetan Mastiffs and abruptly changed the subject, mentioning Tang Bohu's painting "Li Duanduan." This immediately surprised Zhuang Rui, who wondered if he had revealed any flaws in his actions, from initially going on stage to view the painting to being pressured into buying it.
"Mr. Ma, you're joking. I just wanted to take a look at that painting, but that old man Xie pressured me, so I bought it to hang up for fun. So many experts think it's a fake. If it were real, why would I be the one to buy it? Why don't you take a look and give it your opinion?"
As Zhuang Rui spoke, he took out the scroll from the fishing rod cover and prepared to hand it to Fatty Ma. He was also thinking to himself, "Is this Fatty Ma really a hidden master?"
"No, don't give it to me. I don't even know who Tang Bohu is. How would I know what he painted? But, my brothers, did you think I was just a sucker who got ripped off?"
When Fatty Ma saw Zhuang Rui take out the painting, he quickly waved his carrot-like fan-like hand, signaling Zhuang Rui to put it back. He probably knew that Zhuang Rui's work was not up to par.
"Hey Mr. Ma, judging from your behavior just now, you really do seem like a sucker."
Liu Chuan is straightforward and always says what he thinks. Although they know a little about Fatty Ma's wealth, Liu Chuan doesn't take it to heart. That's one of the advantages he and Zhuang Rui have: they never feel inferior to anyone.
"Hehe, let me tell you. At my place in Shanxi, there's a collection room where most of the items are genuine, and most of them I brought back myself. Hey, you two brothers, don't believe me. You'll see when you visit me sometime."
"Mr. Ma, you should know that the price of 700,000 for this money tree is a bit high, right? But by asking such a high price, doesn't it make you look like a sucker?"
Zhuang Rui was also puzzled. Even if you have money and can use it to bribe people, you can't guarantee that others won't set traps for you or that what they bring out is genuine.
Instead of answering Zhuang Rui's question, Fatty Ma asked him, "Brother Zhuang, let me ask you, back then, several people bid up to 600,000 for that money tree. Do you think it was real or fake?"
"Of course it's true."
Zhuang Rui blurted out, then realized something was off and explained, "Although I don't understand and didn't go up to look, Old Man Xie and Boss Li must be experts, otherwise they wouldn't have raised the price to 600,000."
“Brother Zhuang, you’re right. I may not understand it, but there are experts who can help me. What I need to do is observe this black market auction to see if it’s a trap, a trap designed against me. Once I figure that out, I can move in and out as I please. You’re looking at the items, I’m looking at the people. If someone else has appraised the items, I can just pay a little more. Seven hundred thousand is only one hundred thousand more than six hundred thousand. I’ll just consider it an appraisal fee.”
Ma Pangzi's words made the three people in the car suddenly realize that this guy was so shrewd. Everyone in the tent thought he was a sucker, but they didn't expect that this fat man had actually fooled everyone who participated in this auction. It seems that you really can't judge a book by its cover.
After a moment's thought, the group understood. If this Han Dynasty bronze money tree were put in a regular auction, it would definitely fetch over a million. The fat man spent 700,000, which seemed like a loss, but he actually made a profit. His bid was only 100,000 higher than the price they were willing to pay, which was just a little higher than what Old Man Xie and the others were willing to pay. Moreover, he put on an air of wealth and power, which made the others hesitant to compete with him. If he had started bidding from the beginning, he probably wouldn't have been able to get the money tree for 700,000.
"Old Ma, I've gotten to where I am today, and I don't know how many people have tried to scheme against me. It's better to be a little oblivious in life."
Fatty Ma seemed to recall something and suddenly began to sigh.
"Why would Boss Ma tell us these things? Isn't he afraid we'll spread the word?"
Looking at Fatty Ma's seemingly harmless smiling face, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but ask with some doubt, "Their relationship wasn't harmonious at the beginning. Could it be that this fat guy got something out of him and is now showing off?"
"Hehe, well, to be honest with you guys, I just love figuring out people. If I can figure out all sorts of people, I'll be invincible in this world. If I encounter something I can't figure out, I won't be able to eat or sleep for days. Today, Brother Zhuang's performance has left me a bit puzzled. I came to you guys to ask you a question: Brother Zhuang, that last Tang tri-color piece, it's probably a fake, isn't it? I don't think you're very knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the antique business. I wonder how you figured it out?"
If it were said that Fatty Ma could tell that the painting by Tang Bohu was genuine, Zhuang Rui would only be slightly surprised, thinking that he had been overheard talking to Liu Chuan. But the fact that Fatty Ma could tell that he knew the sancai horse was a fake stirred up a storm in Zhuang Rui's heart. Even Zhou Rui and Liu Chuan believed that the sancai horse was genuine. It seemed that Fatty Ma was no ordinary person who had amassed a fortune of hundreds of millions.
"Are you kidding me? That tricolor horse is fake? You figured it out, you blockhead?"
Before Zhuang Rui could answer, Liu Chuan jumped up.
"Brother Liu Chuan, you're not being fair either. During the auction, you said something to provoke Old Man Xie and turned against me. Was that on purpose? You're a businessman, you must understand the principle of making money through harmony. You can't fool me with that playboy act."
Upon hearing Liu Chuan's words, Fatty Ma immediately changed the subject and brought up Liu Chuan again. Liu Chuan remained silent, as his behavior today had been somewhat affected.
"Mr. Ma, you flatter me. To be honest, I came here today with similar intentions to you. My knowledge of antiques isn't any better than yours. I came to this auction partly to broaden my horizons, and partly to try and snag a bargain. As for that tricolor horse, I do believe it's genuine, but I didn't bring much money, only 300,000. I can't compete with your money tree, but I was willing to take a gamble on that tricolor horse. Unfortunately, I lacked confidence, and others weren't interested."
Zhuang Rui answered with a serious expression. The reason he gave was so convincing that he almost believed it himself.
Chapter 95 The Concept of the Mastiff Kennel
Fatty Ma scrutinized Zhuang Rui with suspicion for a long time. Only when Zhuang Rui felt a little uneasy did he speak: "I've been in business for over twenty years, from running errands and doing odd jobs to contracting small coal mines, and I've developed to where I am today. In other people's eyes, I'd consider myself a successful person. I've seen all sorts of people, but as for you, Zhuang, I really can't see through you. Whether what you're saying is true or not is another matter, but I've made friends with you guys. If you ever need anything in Shanxi, just come to me."
Hearing that Fatty Ma wasn't bringing it up again, Zhuang Rui breathed a sigh of relief. This guy was really terrifying. Not only did he pretend to be weak while actually being strong, he could also read people's minds perfectly. If you stayed with him for too long, he would probably find out all your secrets.
The car arrived in Lhasa. First, they took Fatty Ma to his hotel, but no one knew what Fatty Ma was up to. He insisted on treating the three of them to dinner, and during the meal, he asked for several people's contact information. By the time the meal was over, it was already evening. Zhuang Rui, Liu Chuan, and Zhou Rui discussed it and decided to stay another night and drive back the next day.
Since Qin Xuanbing, Bai Meng'an, and the others had all left by plane, the three of them simply booked a new suite and stayed together. After taking care of the two little devils, Liu Chuan said to Zhou Rui, who was watching TV, "Brother Zhou, how's business in Sichuan? Are you happy? Are you interested in coming to Pengcheng with me? I really need someone to run errands there. I used to run errands myself, which made it hard to take care of the shop. If you come, my life will be much easier."
Over time, everyone had gotten to know each other. Liu Chuan knew that Zhou Rui was from Shaanxi. Since his hometown was in the countryside and his family only had some land, their annual income wasn't much. So after leaving the army, Zhou Rui had been working in Sichuan and other places, doing all sorts of jobs, from security guard to waiter to salesman. Now he was working for a boss. The boss treated him fairly well; at least he was entrusted with a car worth a million or so, which was a kind of trust.
"Invite me? I can't do anything except drive..."
Zhou Rui was puzzled. He knew himself better than anyone else. Apart from the excellent skills he had developed in the army, he was not very shrewd in dealing with people. When he was in sales, others earned three or four thousand a month, while he only earned a basic salary of three hundred yuan. He knew he was not cut out for business, so he didn't understand what Liu Chuan saw in him.
To be honest, Zhou Rui is somewhat dissatisfied with his current job because the salary is a bit low. He works as both a driver and the boss's bodyguard, earning less than 2,000 yuan a month. Although this is slightly more than what a typical factory worker earns, Zhou Rui has a large family with three younger siblings still in school, so expenses are high, especially for his younger brother in university. His monthly living expenses are several hundred yuan, not to mention the more than 10,000 yuan in tuition fees per year.
Therefore, Zhou Rui has been looking for opportunities to start his own business for the past few years. However, the skills he learned in the army are completely useless in civilian life. Moreover, he joined the army at the age of sixteen and retired at the age of twenty-seven. He spent a relatively long time in the army, so he was simple-minded and not used to the backstabbing and infighting in some companies. He wanted to start his own business, but he was completely clueless and had no idea what to do.
"Brother Zhou, we've gotten along quite well on this trip. We've also noticed your personality; you're not a talkative person, but you're genuine. Da Chuan sincerely wants you to come. If you go, you'll get a 20% stake in his pet shop, and your annual dividends should be no less than 100,000 RMB..."
Zhuang Rui chimed in, explaining that he and Liu Chuan had already discussed it. While a 20% stake might seem like a lot, Liu Chuan now spends most of his time each year traveling all over the country sourcing goods. Over the years, he's built relatively stable relationships with many long-term clients. In the future, Zhou Rui can travel the country to find these clients, while Liu Chuan stays in Pengcheng to develop the market. Business will definitely be several times better than it is now.
More importantly, after Liu Chuan met Renqing Cuomu, a friend from the grasslands, he had an idea: to open a Tibetan mastiff kennel in Pengcheng and gradually develop the focus of his pet shop into the Tibetan mastiff business.
Although the initial investment in the Tibetan Mastiff kennel is quite large, the profits from this business will far exceed those of ordinary pet trading. Furthermore, we can cooperate with Rinchen Tsomu to strictly control the bloodline of the Tibetan Mastiffs. With the resources of the vast grasslands, we can definitely establish a Tibetan Mastiff kennel with considerable influence.
Whether or not Zhou Rui could be recruited to work together was a crucial factor in the success of the Tibetan Mastiff Kennel. Since Rinchen Tsomu was still living a nomadic life, communication between Liu Chuan and him wasn't always smooth. Therefore, they needed someone with an extensive understanding of Tibet, who could speak Tibetan, had a stable personality, and could easily connect with the Tibetan people. Besides Zhou Rui, Liu Chuan and Zhuang Rui couldn't think of anyone more suitable.