Chapter 424 Killing Two Birds with One Stone
"Would your brother sell you out? Bai Feng is treating us to dinner today. He said he wanted to apologize to you and also arrange some entertainment, so I brought you along..."
Ouyang Jun was still a little puzzled. He didn't know what Bai Feng was apologizing to Zhuang Rui for, but he didn't really care about that. The next program was the most important. Since the big star found out she was pregnant, Ouyang Jun hadn't had any sex for almost half a month and was really feeling quite pent up.
"Bai Feng? I have no connection with him whatsoever, why is he apologizing to me?"
Zhuang Rui was also puzzled by this. "Could it be that he arranged the trap at that old house last time?"
But thinking about it, it's impossible. I don't have any grudges with Bai Feng. Why would he go to such lengths to set a trap for me?
"Is it about the old house I introduced you to last time? I don't know anything about it either, but I'll find out later..."
As they spoke, Ouyang Jun turned the car onto a side road. This place was somewhat similar to his clubhouse, both located in the countryside, with tall birch trees lining the roads. It would be nice to go out for a spring outing, but with the weather now, the ground was covered in a blanket of white snow, so there wasn't much to see.
Bai Feng's manor was much smaller than Ouyang Jun's clubhouse. The security guard in the cotton coat outside the door should recognize Ouyang Jun. Upon seeing his car, he immediately opened the door and notified the people inside via walkie-talkie.
"Brother Jun, Brother Zhuang, welcome..."
Bai Feng came out from the three-story building to greet Zhuang Rui. This time, he was much more polite to Zhuang Rui. After that day, he inquired about Zhuang Rui's background and learned that he was the grandson of Old Master Ouyang. He had much more influence in front of the old master than Ouyang Jun. He couldn't help but regret his attitude that day, which is why he thought of inviting Ouyang Jun and Zhuang Rui to deepen their relationship.
Bai Feng's small house is decorated in a European style. There is a fireplace in the hall, with thick wood burning inside, and you can hear the crackling sound of the wood burning from time to time.
Bai Feng's fireplace was somewhat like an old-fashioned kang (heated brick bed) in northern China. The heat from the fire circulated along the interior walls before drawing all the smoke up through the chimney. The room was completely free of smoke; instead, it was exceptionally warm.
In the middle of the hall, there was a Christmas tree that was more than two meters tall. Seeing this, Zhuang Rui remembered that Christmas was just a few days away. In recent years, many people in China have celebrated Christmas and Valentine's Day. For young people, those two holidays are almost more important than the Spring Festival.
"Come on, in this awful weather, having hot pot and some drinks is the most comfortable thing..."
After entering the hall, Bai Feng invited Zhuang Rui and Ouyang Jun to sit by the fireplace, where a small dining table was set up. On it was a copper hot pot with charcoal burning on it, the kind with two separate layers. Judging from its shape, it was probably an old object. The table was covered with platters of sliced beef and mutton, as well as two bottles of 56-proof Red Star Erguotou.
"Hey. Don't laugh at me, brother. I only like Erguotou. It's strong. Other liquors don't taste good. If you want something else, go to the liquor cabinet over there. Except for the original tribute liquor from the Qing Dynasty's Daoguang era, I have the rest in my collection. Hmm, I also have some red wine, but they're all in the cellar. What brand do you want? I'll have someone get it for you."
Zhuang Rui looked in the direction Bai Feng was pointing. There was a row of wine cabinets there. Just as Bai Feng had said, all the famous wines that Zhuang Rui had seen were in the cabinets. However, his grandfather was having his birthday celebration tomorrow, and Zhuang Rui didn't want to go home smelling of alcohol. So he shook his head and said, "I'll have a little Erguotou, but only two liang (100ml). Any more than that won't do."
"Okay, drink as much as you want, we won't pressure you. Brother Jun, you can drink as much as you like too, this isn't your first time here..."
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Bai Feng happily opened a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) and filled a small blue-and-white porcelain bowl in front of them with the liquor, saying, "Exactly two liang (100ml)!"
Zhuang Rui hadn't paid attention to the small bowl in front of him, but after hearing Bai Feng's words, he picked it up and examined it. He was surprised to find that it was an old object. From the blue and white glaze to the patina he could feel, it was definitely an antique. Zhuang Rui almost wanted to pour out the wine and check the mark on the bottom to see what year it was from.
"Brother Bai, you're really willing to use this? If I'm not mistaken, it should be from the Qing Dynasty, and judging by the firing technique, it's most likely from an official kiln. This bowl alone is worth hundreds of thousands. Aren't you worried I might accidentally break it? Then it'll just make a cracking sound..."
The three Qing emperors Zhuang Rui referred to were Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong. They are also known as the Three Qing Dynasties. This period of more than 100 years was the strongest period of the Qing Dynasty and the most prosperous period for art. After that, the memories that the Chinese people have of the past are mostly of humiliation.
This was the first time Zhuang Rui had ever drunk from this thing; he could afford to pay for it if he broke it. However, these ancestral artifacts were irreplaceable, and it was such a pity that if any were lost, they would be gone forever.
"Things are made to be used. If emperors could use them, why can't we?"
Bai Feng waved his hand dismissively, saying that he wasn't trying to show off, but he really did have quite a few of these items. If he put them all up for auction now, he was sure he could crash the antique market.
To put it bluntly, if Bai Feng were to show off all of these things, he would have more than Mr. Ma has in his museum. As the saying goes, the real treasure is in the folds of a steamed bun; there are plenty of hidden masters out there.
Leaving aside the blue and white porcelain bowl, even the copper hot pot has a lineage; it's something that came from the palace. Maybe the Empress Dowager used this to make hot pot before.
"Brother Zhuang, you're truly a hidden talent! You saw through that scheme at the old house the other day, didn't you? I never expected you to not only be so accurate with these items, but also to be so knowledgeable about these underworld secrets..."
Bai Feng picked up his wine bowl, clinked it with Zhuang Rui's, downed it in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and gave Zhuang Rui a thumbs up. After drinking two ounces of strong Erguotou, Bai Feng's face didn't change color at all.
"Old Bai, what's going on? I can't understand you two talking at all. This thing is worth hundreds of thousands?"
Ouyang Jun listened to the conversation between the two men, feeling somewhat confused. He picked up the blue and white porcelain bowl in front of him and examined it, but with his skill level, he couldn't make out the details no matter what.
"The old house's 'setup'? What 'setup'? I was too busy the other day and went to Hong Kong again. I was just saying I'd withdraw some money to take a look. Those two huanghuali official's hat chairs are really nice; I was thinking of getting them back..."
Zhuang Rui was just picking up a few slices of tender mutton and putting them into the boiling water of the hot pot when he heard Bai Feng's words. He didn't even bother to put the mutton slices into his mouth and just pretended to be confused.
"Brother, you don't know?"
Bai Feng was surprised to see that Zhuang Rui didn't seem to be faking it.
"What do I know? Brother Bai, just say what you want to say, what's all this about?"
Zhuang Rui couldn't explain how he saw through the scheme, so he simply pretended to be confused and refused to admit it. However, he was also very curious. It seemed that something had changed. Could it be that someone had exposed the scheme?
"Hey, what a coincidence! Brother Zhuang, you're quite lucky. Let me tell you..."
"Boss, the person has been brought over. Shall we let him in?"
Just as Bai Feng was getting into his story, the living room door was pushed open, and a young man walked in, interrupting Bai Feng's words.
Upon hearing this, Bai Feng waved his hand and said, "Let him in. This kid has already taken the blame for Brother Zhuang, so I won't make things difficult for him..."
"Boss Bai, Brother Bai, Uncle Bai, please help me! Please bring back those people who set this trap! It's a whopping 180,000 yuan! I'm doomed..."
Not long after the young man left, the curtain was lifted again, and a person tumbled and crawled into the living room. Upon seeing Bai Feng, he rushed forward and hugged Bai Feng's leg. Upon closer inspection, Zhuang Rui realized that it was actually the broker, Xiao Fang.
However, Xiao Fang looked somewhat different from when I saw him a few days ago. It wasn't that he had suddenly aged a few years—that would be pure nonsense—but his complexion was extremely unpleasant, especially his eyes, which were bloodshot. Judging from this, it looked like he hadn't had a full night's sleep for several days.
Get out of my way!
Despite being nearly forty, Bai Feng was surprisingly agile. He kicked Xiao Fang to the ground and said, "You broke the rules of the brokerage business, and I haven't even bothered you. You expect me to stand up for you? No way! Get up and tell Brother Zhuang about that matter..."
"Brother Zhuang, you're here too! You have to save me, I'm in trouble..."
When Xiao Fang turned around and saw Zhuang Rui, he couldn't continue speaking. No matter how thick-skinned he was, he was too embarrassed to say that he had taken the blame for Zhuang Rui. He couldn't blame anyone but himself for being greedy and having his eyes glued to money.
"What happened? Xiao Fang, tell me..."
Seeing this situation and hearing Bai Feng's words, Zhuang Rui guessed what was going on. It was likely that Xiao Fang had also taken a liking to the official's hat chair, and after he left, he bought it. In other words, the trap hadn't caught Zhuang Rui, but it had doubled its effect, ensnaring the greedy Xiao Fang.
"Sigh, it's all my fault..."
Just as Zhuang Rui had expected, Xiao Fang was incredibly excited after bringing the two official hat chairs home. The very next day, he started wandering all over Beijing. What was he doing? Looking for buyers. Antique furniture was indeed in high demand at the time, and without much effort, Xiao Fang contacted three or four well-known auction houses, who were preparing to come to his home to inspect the goods.
Chapter 425 Program
Two official hat chairs cost nearly two million. Xiao Fang had seen so much money before, but none of it was his own. He carried the official hat chairs home, and his voice became a bit rougher.
My father worked hard all his life and only saved a little over 100,000 yuan, but I can lose money while lying in bed as soon as I sell it. When I go to Quanjude, I'll buy three roast ducks and the whole family will each have one to eat.
To maximize his own profits, Xiao Fang arranged for several auction houses to come to his house at the same time. He wanted to lower the commission rates charged by the auction houses. These days, auction houses are everywhere, but things worth auctioning are few and far between. This is called scarcity driving up prices.
However, Xiao Fang's beautiful dream only lasted for a day.
The next day, appraisers from several auction houses came to the door at the same time. There were two experienced appraisers and a younger one. After carefully examining the official's hat chair, the older appraisers, being more discerning, shook their heads and said they couldn't be sure, and then left.
The young appraiser couldn't keep his mouth shut, and after making the trip in the freezing cold, he was also annoyed. He blurted out, "This thing, fake to the core, you think you can auction it off? Dude, are you out of your mind?"
Since buying those two official hat chairs, Xiao Fang has kept them locked away in the storage room at home like treasures, and hasn't looked at them at all. Surely, the duck that's already in his hands and eaten won't fly away again? These past two days, he's been thinking about how to replace those two wooden chairs with those stacks of pink old man bills.
When Xiao Fang saw the old master shaking his head, he was dumbfounded. When he heard what the young appraiser said, he was stunned. He pounced on the official's hat chair and looked at it several times before collapsing onto the chair. Luckily, the chair was big enough, otherwise he would have been seriously injured.
After the auction house appraisers left, not only was Xiao Fang crying and wailing, but his parents almost committed suicide. Their life savings had been squandered. Xiao Fang was naturally unwilling to accept this, so he turned around and called a few shady characters from the streets, and they went straight to the small courtyard.
However, the way the Jianghu Fengmen (江湖风门) operates is all about coming and going like the wind. Once they've succeeded, they wouldn't stay behind to wait for the victim to come looking for revenge. Xiao Fang and his group turned the courtyard upside down, and apart from digging out a few nests of rats, all that was left were the curly body hairs that had fallen off the bed due to friction.
There's no way to call the police about this. In the antique business, it all comes down to having a good eye. You don't have any evidence to say that the official's hat chair that the other person initially picked up was genuine. It's a matter of mutual consent. Even if the police find those people, there's nothing they can do.
Xiao Fang understood this principle and could only rely on those so-called underworld figures. For the next few days, he didn't even sleep and led his men to search all over Beijing, but he still couldn't find that "Master Mao" Old Tang.
The police aren't effective in this matter, but that doesn't mean there's no way to resolve it. Putting aside what others might say, if Bai Feng were willing to step in, there's still room for maneuver.
As for Bai Feng, he started out as a scrap metal dealer. After taking over the scrap metal dealership, he associated with a lot of shady characters. In addition, he was generous and had some connections, so he was well-connected in both the legitimate and underworld circles of Beijing. Xiao Fang knew that if Bai Feng was willing to help him, he should be able to get some of his money back.
According to the unwritten rules of the underworld, "Master Tang" and his gang are considered outsiders. Can outsiders speak authentic old Beijing dialect? That's nothing special. There are plenty of talented people in the swindler business. As long as there's money to be made, Master Tang can immediately give you a fluent London accent.
However, if the person involved can be found and someone steps in to mediate, and that person has a certain status, then "Master Tang's" gang of outsiders will still have to give them some face. Although it's impossible to return all the money, a third of it will be returned. This can be considered as compensation for doing business in Beijing without formally paying respects to the master.
Some friends might ask, why can't we get everything back? That's obvious. Doing this kind of business requires capital; renting a place, buying furniture, and even the items Xiao Fang took away all add up to costs.
Xiao Fang understood the rules, so even though he had given up hope, when he suddenly heard that Bai Feng was looking for him, a glimmer of hope appeared in his heart, and he rushed over. He didn't want anything else, just to make up for some of his losses. The money in his family didn't come from thin air; it was all saved up penny by penny by his parents.
Xiao Fang had thought of asking Bai Feng for help, but he knew that Bai Feng didn't have the connections, and that Xiao Fang's behavior was too unseemly and that he was too hasty, so he was too embarrassed to ask Bai Feng for help.
"Brother Bai, you have to help me with this! I'm so naive, I've broken the rules and ruined my own life. Please have pity on my parents and give me a hand..."
After Xiao Fang finished recounting what had happened, he collapsed to the ground. Although what he did was a bit unreliable, Xiao Fang was still very filial. He hadn't slept for days in order to get his parents' money back, and now he was on the verge of a breakdown.
Bai Feng turned to Zhuang Rui and asked, "Brother Zhuang, you don't blame this kid, do you?"
The main reason he invited Zhuang Rui here today was to explain the whole story clearly. Otherwise, if word got back to Zhuang Rui from elsewhere, Zhuang Rui might blame him for not trusting the person he introduced. This could negatively impact Zhuang Rui's impression of him.
Another point is that Bai Feng and Xiao Fei's parents actually have some connection. More than 20 years ago, the two families were neighbors. So he wanted to help the kid out, which is why he had someone call him over. This matter needed to be discussed in front of Zhuang Rui to avoid Zhuang Rui thinking that he was biased towards Xiao Fang.
"What are you saying? Xiao Fang took the blame for me. Brother Bai, if you can help, please do so..."
Zhuang Rui looked at the tall young man, who was over six feet tall, with snot and tears streaming down his face, and felt a pang of sympathy. He thought that if he had said something to Xiao Fang back then, perhaps none of this would have happened.
After hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Bai Feng said to Xiao Fang on the ground, "Well, you're lucky, kid. Brother Zhuang spoke up for you. Alright, go home and wait. You'll probably get back 60,000 or 70,000 of the 180,000. Be more careful in the future; there's no such thing as a free lunch..."
Xiao Fang had been making a big fuss all over Beijing a few days ago, and Bai Feng already knew about it. Through some connections, he had also found out the background of "Master Tang" and others. He had already spoken to people in the industry and they would give him a reply in the next few days. Getting 70,000 to 80,000 yuan back shouldn't be a big problem.
The reason Bai Feng said less wasn't because he wanted to be greedy for the money. It's just that at his age, he's more cautious in his actions. Otherwise, if he got less back, would he have to pay out of his own pocket?
"Bai Lao Er. Is everything done? We've had enough to drink, what about the entertainment you arranged?"
Ouyang Jun hadn't said a word. He had listened with great interest at first, but then he got bored and started enjoying his hot pot and drinks. Only after Xiao Fang left, full of thanks, did he look at Bai Feng. He hadn't come here to watch the show.
"You've only been married a few days, and you're already acting like this?"
Bai Feng and Ouyang Jun were childhood friends and had been doing business together a lot in recent years. They spoke without any restraint. When they saw Ouyang Jun start to glare, Bai Feng smiled and clapped his hands twice.
The living room was originally dimly lit, with only the dining table area lit. After Bai Feng slapped him, the lights in the entire living room suddenly turned on. Zhuang Rui was a little unaccustomed to it and squinted slightly. When he opened his eyes again, he found that there were three more people at the railing of the second-floor corridor.
"Brother Bai, what... what's going on?"
Zhuang Rui was somewhat dazed. He could clearly see three women dressed in classical Western European court-style silk robes walking down the stairs from the second floor. Their long, slender, snow-white, and straight legs appeared and disappeared with each step.
Zhuang Rui didn't know if he had drunk too much or if his eyes were playing tricks on him, but he saw a pair of legendary thongs, which he had tried to get Qin Xuanbing to wear many times but had failed.
"Hello, sir!"
Just as Zhuang Rui was feeling dazed, several women came down from the second floor. Two of them sat down next to Ouyang Jun, while the other one lifted her bathrobe and nestled obediently next to Zhuang Rui.
"foreigner?"
Because of his perspective, Zhuang Rui had been looking up from below. The first thing he saw was so captivating that he stared at that spot without looking up again until the woman sat down next to him. Only then did Zhuang Rui realize that the three women—or rather, the girls, since they didn't look very old—were all foreigners.
The foreign girl nestled beside Zhuang Rui had long, golden hair that cascaded down her shoulders. Her sapphire-like eyes were looking at Zhuang Rui with a hint of nervousness, completely unaware that the extremely low neckline of her nightgown could not conceal her firm, round, and fair breasts.
"Brother Bai, what...what do you mean by this?"