After putting on gloves, Zhuang Rui slowly rolled one of the axles, unfolding the painting onto the table.
This is a typical Chinese ink landscape painting. The style is very elegant, with a clear distinction between near and far. As the layers of the painting move towards the distance, it expresses a very high realm and shows the artist's extraordinary painting skills.
"Teacher Zhuang, Teacher Zhuang, what do you think of this painting?"
It didn't matter if Zhuang Rui's appraisal took a little longer, but there were still hundreds of people waiting for their appraisals outside. Manager Zhang couldn't help but quietly call out to Zhuang Rui a few times, urging him to make his comments quickly.
Zhuang Rui was completely absorbed in the landscape painting when Zhang Li suddenly interrupted him. He looked up and said somewhat blankly, "Ah? Not bad, not bad, it's an authentic work by Xiao Junxian."
However, Zhuang Rui's words are somewhat unconvincing. When it comes to antiques, it's not just about finding fault with fakes; even if it's genuine, you need to be able to describe its style and characteristics. Of course, what most people are concerned about here is its price.
So when Zhuang Rui said this, Lao Qi and some experts all showed a hint of disappointment and contempt on their faces. Now that no one is going to confront Zhuang Rui, isn't it all just his words, whether true or false?
After the previous jade-hunting incident, Lao Qi was no longer so rash and politely said, "Teacher Zhuang, could you please give me your opinion?"
"Hehe, then I'll just say a few words..."
When Zhuang Rui finished speaking, the room was so quiet that only the sound of everyone breathing could be heard.
"Personally, I greatly admire Mr. Xiao. Many friends may not know that Mr. Xiao Junxian was a very famous calligrapher and painter in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. Moreover, Mr. Xiao once gave up his official position to become a teacher, which was the first time at that time."
During his time as a teacher, Mr. Xiao also nurtured many traditional Chinese painters from the Republican era to the early days of the People's Republic of China, such as Chen Shishao and Lü Fengzi, who were all his students.
This painting is Mr. Xiao's imitation of Ju Ran's "Mountain Dwelling" from the Five Dynasties period. It can be said to be one of Xiao Junxian's masterpieces and has great collection value. Congratulations, my friend..."
Zhuang Rui's remarks, ranging from the painting style to the artist himself, were insightful and easy to understand, captivating the audience. Even after Zhuang Rui finished his comments, the audience remained engrossed, feeling that there was still more to say.
A little over a minute later, led by Manager Zhang, applause suddenly erupted and lasted for a long time.
"Isn't Teacher Zhuang a jade expert? How come he's also so proficient in traditional Chinese painting?"
"What do you know? These experts are all experts in one thing, otherwise how could they be on CCTV?"
"That's right, what Professor Zhuang said was excellent, it really felt like I'd attended a class..."
After the applause subsided, everyone began to discuss among themselves, but they all spoke very softly, afraid of disturbing Zhuang Rui.
If Zhuang Rui's earlier discovery of a bargain demonstrated his keen eye and involved an element of luck, then this explanation unequivocally revealed Zhuang Zan's profound theoretical knowledge.
There were many people there who were interested in calligraphy and painting, and many of them did not know Xiao Junxian's name. After hearing Zhuang Rui, a jade expert, express his views, they were all convinced.
"Teacher Zhuang, how much is this painting worth?"
Now that the authenticity has been determined, the price is naturally Lao Qi's biggest concern.
"Mr. Xiao Junxian's paintings have great potential for appreciation, but the price of modern landscape paintings is not very high. I estimate it should be between 40,000 and 60,000 yuan..."
Zhuang Rui pondered for a while before offering this price. To be honest, he really wanted to acquire the painting, because there were very few people who painted traditional Chinese landscape paintings in modern times, and this painting could be considered a representative work.
Some friends might ask, if it's representative, why is the price so low? This is also based on market demand. As Zhuang Rui mentioned earlier, it has great potential for collection. The main reason for the current low price is that no one is speculating on it.
Do you really think that paintings by artists like Zhang Qixu were valuable from the beginning? It was only after they were given numerous titles and hyped up that they shone brightly in the art market.
If Zhuang Rui could acquire this painting, display it in his museum, and credit it as the foremost landscape painter in modern China, its value would instantly increase a hundredfold.
Someone familiar with Lao Qi, who knew where his painting came from, immediately said, "Lao Qi, congratulations! You acquired this a few years ago, right? In just a few years, the price has doubled..."
"Hehe, I don't even know if anyone will buy this if I were to sell it..."
Old Qi said a few words of modesty.
"You want to sell?"
Zhuang Rui's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "This must be Master Qi, right? I'm currently collecting modern Chinese art. If you're interested in selling it, I can offer ten times the price. Is that acceptable?"
Zhuang Rui's museum is currently collecting modern calligraphy and paintings. Although Xiao Junxian is not well-known, his painting style is steady and elegant, representing a relatively high level of art in the late Qing Dynasty.
"Hehe, Teacher Zhuang, if you like it, just name your price..."
Old Qi himself made his living by selling jade. He was a jade connoisseur, and the reason he collected this painting was to sell it for money. Since Zhuang Rui wanted to buy it, he naturally had no reason not to sell it.
Zhuang Rui pondered for a moment, then extended his right thumb and forefinger, gestured, and said, "Eighty thousand, Master Qi. Even if this painting goes to auction, the price shouldn't exceed sixty thousand. I'll offer eighty thousand. What do you think?"
"Eighty thousand?"
Old Qi was stunned. He originally thought Zhuang Rui would offer a price of forty or fifty thousand, but he didn't expect Zhuang Rui to offer four times his purchase price as soon as he opened his mouth, which was something Old Qi did not expect.
“Master Qi, if you could keep this painting for another seven or eight years, it would be worth more than 80,000 yuan. However, in the current art market, the price I offered is already the highest…”
Seeing that Lao Qi was hesitant, Zhuang Rui quickly added more firewood. If this painting were in his hands, he could definitely drive up its price within two years, not seven or eight. He wouldn't do a losing business.
"Okay, I'll sell it. Manager Zhang, please provide a notarized sales certificate..."
Although Lao Qi didn't know much about calligraphy and painting, and didn't know the specific prices of Xiao Junxian's works, he believed that Zhuang Rui wouldn't dare to speak carelessly in front of so many people.
The antique trade isn't something you can just sell because you have items. It depends on timing, location, and people to get a good price. If he misses Zhuang Rui's opportunity, Lao Qi might not be able to find another shop that can sell for 80,000. That's why he agreed to such a tight deal.
Not to mention that Zhuang Rui was busy with appraisals and transactions, undercurrents were also surging around the Zhengzhou Antique City. After receiving Zhuang Rui's text message, Jiang Hao immediately coordinated with the Zhengzhou police and mobilized a large number of plainclothes officers to enter the antique market.
Chapter 695 Hype
Zhuang Rui was unaware that Jiang Hao had mobilized people to monitor the antique market, and Jiang Hao had not told him either. He had silently set up surveillance on the antique market and its surroundings.
According to Jiang Hao and others' analysis, given Yu Zhenping's suspicious nature, once he knows Zhuang Rui is in the antique market, he will definitely come to check it out. Perhaps they can find Yu Zhenping's whereabouts here and follow him to his hiding place, so that they won't have to trouble Zhuang Rui anymore.
Of course, the terms previously agreed upon with Zhuang Rui cannot be taken as fact.
Zhuang Rui's mind wasn't on Yu Zhenping at the moment; he was still thinking about how to hype up the "Mountain Dwelling" painting he had just acquired.
The speculation and business operation model of antique prices are actually not that different. Why can a bottle of 1982 Moutai sell for tens of thousands of yuan, while a bottle of 1982 Erguotou can only sell for a maximum of 100 yuan? Isn't it just the effect of speculation?
According to market rules, where there is hype, there will inevitably be neglect. In Zhuang Rui's view, Xiao Junxian's works have been neglected by the market, and by a large margin.
Just like this painting is of Moutai quality, but it's sold at the price of Erguotou in the market, with great potential for appreciation. This is one of the main reasons why Zhuang Rui was willing to pay a price higher than the market price to acquire it.
Furthermore, money is no longer the most important thing for Zhuang Rui. If there are no natural disasters or man-made calamities, his money will only increase. So as long as he can find something, Zhuang Rui doesn't mind spending more money.
Anyway, his museum isn't going to close after just a year or two. The essence of antiques lies in the word "antique." Even if he doesn't hype it up, the items he bought at high prices now might be worth many times more in three to five years.
Some people don't understand why they're still selling these things now, knowing the price will go up. The reason is simple: these business people aren't stupid. They need money to buy things, and if they have too many items in their hands, they won't have the funds to go out and find the things they like.
To put it bluntly, this is like playing the stock market. If the stock you buy goes up, you have to sell it and choose another potential stock. Otherwise, if everyone bought things and held them in their hands, the antique market would have no goods circulating long ago.
After agreeing on the price with Lao Qi, Zhuang Rui asked Peng Fei to take Lao Qi to the bank and instructed Peng Fei to withdraw more money. Today was a rare opportunity, and if these antique dealers could bring out some good items, Zhuang Rui would definitely be able to leave with a full load.
"Teacher Zhuang, what do you think of this item of mine?"
After Lao Qi finished discussing his business, the person behind him immediately brought over the items and placed them on the table in front of Zhuang Rui.
"This thing is a bit strange..."
Zhuang Rui's eyes lit up when he saw the bronze artifact in front of him, but after he infused his spiritual energy into the artifact, his brows immediately furrowed.
This bronze vessel is not large, about 10 centimeters high and about 7 or 8 centimeters in diameter. It has three legs at the bottom in the shape of a tripod, and the body is round. It is covered with copper rust and has not been artificially treated. At first glance, it should be a genuine artifact.
However, Zhuang Rui could see through his spiritual energy that the bronze artifact was filled with purple spiritual energy, but it was very obvious that this purple energy was dissipating.
Moreover, the three legs beneath the bronze vessel were completely empty, devoid of any spiritual energy. Zhuang Rui took a magnifying glass, examined it carefully for a while, and then a look of understanding appeared in his eyes.
Under magnification, it can be seen that the three legs of this bronze vessel are slightly different in color from the body, indicating that they were added later. Seeing this, Zhuang Rui felt a little regretful. If the three legs were not damaged, this bronze vessel could be listed as a national first-class cultural relic.
Despite its small size, this object is shaped like a bronze tripod, yet it is neither quite a tripod nor a ding. It has three legs like a ding and a round belly like a tripod, but it lacks straight handles, which is inconsistent with the shape of a ding. In ancient times, it should have been a ritual vessel used for worshipping heaven.
Seeing this, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Henan truly deserves its reputation as the Central Plains, with its long history. First came the Fish-Dragon Jade, then this bronze tripod. These unverified artifacts are also readily available everywhere.
Seeing Zhuang Rui remain silent in thought, the owner of the item grew anxious and asked, "Teacher Zhuang, what era do you think this thing is from? Are you willing to buy it?"
"I'm sorry, this item of yours has a very rare shape, but there's one thing: it's incomplete. These three legs were added later..."
Zhuang Rui shook his head. The defining features of a ding vessel are its base and straight handles. Since it lacks both of these characteristics, what's the point of having it? Selling it as junk is pointless, especially since it's not even pure copper.
"Impossible! Teacher Zhuang, could you be mistaken?"
No one can stand it when someone says something is bad about their stuff. The person who was just praising Zhuang Rui suddenly became furious, almost ready to roll up his sleeves and start a fight.
"Look at the difference between the body and the three legs. The color and rust are wrong. Although this item was added later, it's not a forgery. It's still quite nice to keep and appreciate it..."
Having experienced the appraisal events in Jinan and on CCTV, Zhuang Rui had seen quite a few people like this. Without saying much, he simply handed over the magnifying glass in his hand.
No matter how much he said, nothing could prove the point. After examining the bronze tripod carefully, the man's face turned extremely ugly. He picked it up and squeezed out of the crowd without looking back.
Watching the man leave, Zhuang Rui shook his head and said, "Everyone, these antiques are all passed down from our ancestors. However, after so many years, it's normal for them to be somewhat damaged. Moreover, there have been forgeries in every generation. Don't be too fixated on whether the items are genuine or fake. Even if this thing is fake now, won't it become an antique in a few hundred years?"
"Yes, Teacher Zhuang is right, everyone needs to have the right mindset..."
"That's right, everyone wants their own things to be the best, but where are there so many good things to have..."
"Teacher Zhuang, it's my turn. Please take a look at my case..."
Zhuang Rui's words elicited a burst of laughter from the audience, and the previously tense atmosphere eased.
The next few items Zhuang Rui appraised were all modern handicrafts, but the forgery techniques were far more sophisticated than those in Panjiayuan. It is said that most fake antiques come from Henan, which broadened Zhuang Rui's horizons.
About half an hour later, Peng Fei and Lao Qi returned. However, Peng Fei had a bulging backpack on his back. He had taken out a full 800,000 yuan in cash as Zhuang Rui had instructed.
Zhuang Rui currently lacks Han and Tang dynasty ceramics, but he does have all the bronzes. However, he doesn't dare to openly buy them here. So, Zhuang Rui's goal is to find some miscellaneous items to fill his jade and gemstone collection.
However, Zhuang Rui was somewhat disappointed with the items that were brought for appraisal later. They were mostly modern imitations, and even if there were one or two genuine items, they were not of high value and not worth his time.
Before they knew it, it was noon. Manager Zhang had already booked a banquet next to the antique market. The expert fee was waived, but it was necessary to treat the expert to a meal. You see, given Zhuang Rui's current status in the antique world, attending such an appraisal event would surely earn him at least 100,000 to 200,000 yuan as a service fee.
The people accompanying him included several leaders from the local antique association, but those waiting for Zhuang Rui's appraisal did not receive such treatment. They all left the antique market to find a place to eat and then return to queue up.
They also realized that Zhuang Rui alone had no chance of appraising everyone's items today; only those who were at the front of the line would have a chance.
"Hmm? That person looks kind of familiar?"
As soon as Zhuang Rui stepped out of the antique market, he saw a primary school student walk past him, wearing a red scarf around his neck despite the hot weather. He was momentarily stunned.
However, surrounded by Zhang Li and the others, Zhuang Rui didn't think much of it and followed them across the street to the hotel.
Just as Zhuang Rui entered the hotel, the figure that had just walked past him turned around and glanced at Zhuang Rui before disappearing into the intersection.
This person was Yu Zhenping. However, to Jiang Hao and the others' surprise, he did not enter the antique market. This rendered all of Team Leader Jiang's arrangements futile. After a day of hard work, they had no choice but to withdraw their personnel.
"Manager Zhang, shall we continue?"
After returning to the antique market after dinner, Zhuang Rui sat down for a short while, took a sip of water, and saw the long queue outside. He couldn't help but smile wryly. He now understood why the expert had hired several at once; the workload was truly immense.
"Peng Fei, sixty thousand, pay up..."
Zhuang Rui handed Peng Fei a jade ruyi from the mid-Qing Dynasty that he had been playing with, and stood up to stretch his back.
After finishing his meal, he sat there and looked at about fifty or sixty antiques. Although there were quite a few genuine pieces, Zhuang Rui only liked six or seven of them, and he spent a total of about 400,000 yuan.