Furthermore, it shouldn't affect our artistic exchanges. Art transcends borders and nationalities, friends, don't you agree?
It must be said that Daniel was very eloquent. Although he acknowledged the history from more than a hundred years ago from the beginning, he avoided the main point and steered the conversation to art, making everyone feel that he was being a bit petty by clinging to the French’s shortcomings.
“Mr. Daniel, we should be discussing the harm your bank’s lawyer caused to my client just now. Can I interpret his remarks as a threat from your bank to Mr. Zhuang?”
Huangfu Yun was used to engaging in verbal battles, and his words immediately steered the conversation toward the events of the day.
Upon hearing Huangfu Yun's words, Daniel waved his hands repeatedly and said, "I assure you, this matter was absolutely not instigated by the trading company, and we had no intention of threatening Mr. Zhuang..."
“Mr. Daniel, I believe that your firm’s lawyers not only threatened and warned me, but also offered a distorted interpretation of the history that occurred between our two countries more than a century ago. This behavior not only hurts my personal feelings, but I'm afraid it is unacceptable to all the Chinese people present here. I need a formal, written apology from your firm; otherwise, I will not accept it, and I will still withdraw from this auction.”
Zhuang Rui had originally planned to leave everything to Huangfu Yun, but after hearing Daniel's evasive words, he couldn't help but stand up again.
As the saying goes, "Sell your child to buy a steamer, not to steam buns but to prove yourself." Although Zhuang Rui is not on the right side in terms of timing and location, he has the support of others. Zhuang Rui is determined to prove himself now.
Of course, it would be even better if, after venting one's anger, one could also secure some additional benefits.
As soon as Zhuang Rui spoke, enthusiastic applause erupted in the room. Which of these wealthy Chinese hadn't attended three or five auctions? But this one was the most exhilarating for them.
Chapter 653 Apology (Part 2)
"Apologize! Demand an apology from them..."
"Yes, it must be in writing, otherwise we will withdraw from this auction..."
"They must admit their mistakes, face history, and demand compensation..."
It is said that the Chinese are second to none when it comes to kicking someone when they are down. As soon as Zhuang Rui finished speaking, some people started to jeer. These people in their forties and fifties were also inspired by Zhuang Rui's words and began to express their opinions in English.
Richard and Daniel exchanged bewildered glances. They hadn't expected Zhuang Rui's words to stir up such a commotion. At that moment, they wished they could strangle Zhuang Rui, this scourge. But their most pressing concern was how to appease the indignant Chinese crowd.
Unable to communicate with Richard in front of everyone, Daniel exchanged a glance with him and then said loudly, "Mr. Zhuang, ladies and gentlemen, friends, your demands are reasonable. I need to discuss this with the chairman. Please have a seat, and I will give you an answer shortly..."
"No problem, please make yourselves at home..."
Zhuang Rui gestured for them to proceed. At that moment, he seemed to be the spokesperson for the more than one hundred Chinese people in the conference room. He did it smoothly, and others felt that it was only right for him to do so.
After Daniel and Richard left, Huangfu Yun patted Zhuang Rui heavily on the shoulder and said jokingly, "Brother, I've been a lawyer for nothing. You dismissed those two with just a few words. If you were to get a law license, I'd be begging for food..."
"Brother Huangfu, you flatter me. I really owe you all a debt of gratitude for today's matter. Thank you all very much..."
Zhuang Rui stood up and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to the crowd around him. This was a common practice in the antique trade, and Zhuang Rui's action made some petty people feel much better. They had been used as scapegoats for this kid for nothing today.
"Don't mention it, young people have energy, those words are well said..."
"Yes, young people these days don't know anything about these things. They probably haven't even heard of the Old Summer Palace..."
"That's right, my son only knows how to play with cars and video games. He's over 20 years old and has no ambition whatsoever..."
"Who isn't? My daughter is always buying luxury goods, she's so young and already knows how to dress up..."
As soon as Zhuang Rui finished speaking, a murmur arose from the crowd. However, some of the comments were absurd, making Zhuang Rui almost laugh out loud. "The family with a son and the daughter would make a perfect couple, wouldn't they?"
"Xiao Zhuang, what kind of business do you do in the country?"
An elderly man in his sixties sitting next to Zhuang Rui suddenly spoke up and asked a question.
"Zhuang Rui, this is General Manager Liu. He deals in non-ferrous metals in China, and his company is quite large..."
Huangfu Yun, who was standing to the side, introduced Zhuang Rui.
Zhuang Rui quickly stood up, greeted him, and said, "Mr. Liu, I do some jade business. I run an antique shop in Panjiayuan. Hehe, I can't compare to you seniors. It's just a small business to make a living..."
"Heh, a small business? I doubt it. A small business can come to an auction in Paris? The younger generation is truly formidable..."
Mr. Liu smiled and shook his head, somewhat dismissive of Zhuang Rui's words. He thought, "Which of these people sitting here today doesn't have a net worth of hundreds of millions? Anyone with less than a hundred million wouldn't have the confidence to sit here."
"Yes, young man, don't be modest. Look at us, we've worked hard all our lives, and at this age, you guys are still very young and energetic. Not bad, not bad at all..."
Zhuang Rui was considered relatively unfamiliar and mysterious by the people present. As soon as they started talking about him, a large group of people gathered around him and began to converse.
However, some acquaintances sat nearby and chatted. What happened this time was quite rare, which provided them with a lot of topics to talk about.
"Huh? I remember hearing someone say that in the last year or so, a master of jade gambling has emerged, known as the Jade King of the North, also named Zhuang Rui. Little Zhuang, is that you?"
Among the wealthy Chinese present were some jade connoisseurs. Although they didn't gamble on stones, they had heard of Zhuang Rui's reputation and immediately inquired about him.
"Hehe, you flatter me. I dare not call myself the King of Jade. I've only gambled on jade a few times..."
Zhuang Rui nodded in agreement. These things were all out in the open, and anyone with the will could find out; there was nothing to hide.
"Old Wang, what happened? Tell me..."
Most of the people in the room were unaware of these things, so they immediately grabbed the person who had spoken earlier and began to ask him questions.
After that person reported Zhuang Rui's achievements in gambling on stones over the past year, the way these people looked at Zhuang Rui became somewhat different.
Although they didn't know that Zhuang Rui's maternal grandfather was Old Master Ouyang, they subconsciously thought that Zhuang Rui's ability to come here at such a young age must be due to his family elders. However, after hearing what Old Wang said, everyone realized that Zhuang Rui's hundreds of millions in assets were all earned by himself. The richer a person is, the more they admire those who can earn more money than them, regardless of age or seniority. For a while, when someone spoke to Zhuang Rui, they added the word "teacher" to their address.
Of course, Zhuang Rui deserves this title. Although the people in the room have more money than him, there aren't many who are truly experts in antiques.
Many of the people present started collecting antiques after their businesses grew and they wanted to pursue some refined hobbies. Some even treated antiques as an investment.
In short, among more than a hundred business owners, only three or five are truly capable of distinguishing genuine antiques from fakes.
"By the way, Huangfu, I received your call earlier. You had some thoughts on this auction. Now that there are Chinese people here, both from China and abroad, why don't you share them here..."
Ms. Zhang suddenly said to Huangfuyun that she was also saddened by the loss of cultural relics in China, but given her current status, it was not appropriate for her to make certain remarks in public.
"Me? I didn't bring this up; it was Brother Zhuang's idea..."
After being called out by Zhang Yongzhen, Huangfu Yun was stunned for a moment, then immediately pushed Zhuang Rui forward. He could also see that although Zhuang Rui was usually quiet, he was really no match for him when it came to the ability to persuade people.
"Hmm? Xiao Zhuang, is this your opinion? Come on, tell me..."
Zhang Yongzhen would never call Zhuang Rui "Teacher," and Zhuang Rui wouldn't deserve the title either. Zhuang Rui comes from a family of collectors that has been passed down for three generations, while Zhang Yongzhen's own background is far inferior.
"Okay, then I'll tell you..."
Zhuang Rui didn't stand on ceremony. He released Qin Xuanbing's hand, which he had been holding, and stood up.
"Everyone, I'm a junior in terms of age, and I haven't been collecting for very long either. I wouldn't normally be qualified to speak here, but since Ms. Zhang has called on me, I'll just say a few words..."
Zhuang Rui's words drew the attention of everyone who was chatting to him.
“I apprenticed under Uncle De from Zhonghai. When I first entered the industry, the sentence I heard most often was that all the finest Chinese antiques were overseas. The reasons are obvious, so I don’t need to elaborate. More than a hundred years ago, the country was weak, and many artifacts left by our ancestors were lost overseas. We can’t be held responsible for these losses, but we have a responsibility to bring these national treasures back. This is the main reason why we are all gathered here today. With great power comes great responsibility. I’m sure Ms. Zhang and Mr. Liu are here at this auction with the same mindset.”
Zhuang Rui's words made Ms. Zhang and General Manager Liu nod slightly. They had come to Paris to attend the auction after seeing several rare items in the auction catalog. Just as Zhuang Rui said, they wanted to bring the national treasures back to China.
“I can barely accept buying back our country’s antiques at the appropriate price, but some foreign auction houses collude with the owners to deliberately inflate the market price of Chinese artworks.”
Many bronze artifacts and national first-class protected cultural relics that cannot be traded domestically are smuggled abroad by these international speculators and then sold to you all at high prices.
Personally, I feel that this behavior is an act of economic plunder following a military invasion. Although those of you present are wealthy and may not care about ten or twenty million, this behavior deserves condemnation. Furthermore, I want to clarify that items we acquire at high prices abroad may not be worth that much back home. Those interested in collecting and investing should choose more rational prices; otherwise, it might be a failed investment…”
Zhuang Rui's resounding words caused everyone to fall into deep thought. They had pondered similar questions before, but no one had ever explained them so clearly, getting straight to the heart of the matter.
Nobody's money comes from thin air. Collectors like Ms. Zhang who genuinely want to buy back cultural relics lost overseas are a given, but even business owners looking to speculate and invest are starting to weigh the pros and cons.
"Xiao Zhuang, but we can't get these things if we don't bid..."
Some people in the room raised their opinions.
Zhuang Rui nodded and said, "Yes, these international speculators are taking advantage of everyone's patriotism to drive up the prices of antiques that aren't actually that valuable. I personally admire your initial intentions, but I don't approve of this behavior. It leads to artificially inflated prices for Chinese antiques on the international market, which is detrimental to the long-term development of the collecting industry..."
After Zhuang Rui finished speaking, the conference room fell silent. The logic behind Zhuang Rui's words was very simple, and everyone understood it, but few people thought about the issue.
Chapter 654 Apology (Part 2)
While it's not entirely accurate to measure a person's success by the amount of money they have, those who can build a large enterprise certainly have their own ideas about analyzing and judging things. Everyone present understood and had considered the principles Zhuang Rui was talking about.
However, when it comes to actually doing it, many people can't help but pursue the items they like, and for them, price is not the primary factor to consider. As a result, they often fall into other people's traps and buy items that are not worth the price.
Just like the Tang tri-color pottery in China, which was all the rage in the late 1980s and early 1990s and was heavily hyped by some foreign people with ulterior motives, some patriots and speculators also bought it. But now, the value of those Tang tri-color pottery pieces has greatly decreased, and many people who invested in them have lost everything.
Therefore, after Zhuang Rui said this, both those who genuinely wanted the national treasure to return and those who wanted to invest and make money began to seriously consider whether their behavior of helping international speculators to fuel the fire was correct.
“Xiao Zhuang, as you know, the antique market is a seller's market right now. Those who have goods hold the power. We either don't buy, or we can only act according to their rules. If we can't break this constraint, the situation won't improve…”
Mr. Liu, who runs a non-ferrous metals business, shared his thoughts with Zhuang Rui after a moment of contemplation; these thoughts were shared by most people in the room.
These precious Chinese antiques are in the hands of a few people abroad, and when and at what price they are sold is entirely up to them.
"Mr. Liu, this matter... isn't actually unsolvable..."
Zhuang Rui pondered for a moment before speaking, "Due to the unique nature of antiques, it is indeed a seller's market. However, the audience for antiques from China is very limited. I believe that apart from everyone here, only some people in Japan and Britain collect Chinese art..."
Many people in the room lit up involuntarily after hearing Zhuang Rui's words.
"Therefore, as long as we unite and take action to resist the speculative activities of state-owned speculators, they will not gain any advantage..."
"Xiao Zhuang, this... is easier said than done..."
General Manager Liu sighed. This matter is easier said than done. Everyone has their own perspective, and their ways of looking at things and their behaviors are not the same.
These people are all extremely successful in their respective fields, and none of them are willing to concede to the others. Where there are people, there is a social hierarchy, and where there is a social hierarchy, there is conflict.
Among the people in the room, there were also many small cliques. Some had good relationships with each other, while others had bad relationships. Those who had bad relationships would sometimes even raise the price at the auction just to spite others, making themselves a laughing stock for outsiders.
Therefore, Zhuang Rui's mention of "cooperation" is basically impossible. If they can even refrain from maliciously driving up prices among themselves, that would be a blessing.
Zhuang Rui nodded and said, "It's not easy, but whether it's for investment or collection, I'd like to ask everyone here, don't you all want to buy your favorite collectibles at the lowest possible price?"
"Nonsense, nobody's money grows on trees, of course the cheaper the better..."
"Yes, but the auction house loses a lot of money. They'll hire shills to drive up the price, and sometimes even if we know that, we have to bite the bullet and keep bidding..."
"Yeah, last time I bid on a piece of Ming Dynasty blue and white porcelain, I could have gotten it for around 500,000 euros, but I ended up spending over 1.5 million. I don't know if it was worth it..."
As soon as Zhuang Rui finished speaking, murmurs arose from the crowd. They were not unaware of the shady practices of auction houses, but when the time came, sometimes they were forced into it and had to bite the bullet.
"Gentlemen, have you considered what would happen if we didn't engage in malicious bidding and ignored the auction house's attempts to inflate prices?"
Zhuang Rui's words startled everyone. Since the situation he described was highly unlikely, they hadn't considered the question before.
"If everyone can do this, I can guarantee that not only will many people be able to bid on their desired items, but auction houses will also not dare to maliciously inflate prices..."
As everyone knows, auction houses also bear risks when raising prices. If no one bids, they have to pay for the auctioned items themselves. They might be able to afford one or two items.
However, if the number and frequency increase, these auction houses probably won't dare to do it anymore. In that case, we can buy what we like fairly and justly..."