"No, not at all," Yao Chushun said with a smile and a shake of his head. A few days ago, Zou Mingyuan sent people to cause trouble every day, hoping to ruin Gu Xiangxuan's business. Unexpectedly, Yao Chushun turned the tables on them. He stood at the door and chatted with those troublemakers, talking about industry jargon and exaggerating with a mix of truth and falsehood. With his knowledge of antiques and his reputation in the industry, he managed to entice the troublemakers into his conversation, making Gu Xiangxuan appear bustling and prosperous.
"The antiques in the shop have been selling very well these past few days. Guess what? All of your dozen or so antiques have been sold, and the few fine pieces of ancient jade that Jin Er had kept in the shop have also been sold..."
"This is a good thing!" Xu Zhengyang said in surprise.
Yao Chushun said, "To be honest, good business is indeed a good thing. We sold nearly two million in just a few days... Even Tianbaozhai doesn't have such good business. And if we only spend and don't make any money, that's not good."
"Hmm?" Xu Zhengyang frowned, seemingly sensing something was wrong, and asked with a furrowed brow, "Is it out of stock?"
“Hmm, we don’t have anything worthwhile to offer.” Yao Chushun nodded and said, “Zhengyang, how’s your business going lately? Hurry up and get some goods over there! This antique shop can’t function without anything worthwhile to offer. If someone manages to outmaneuver us, the shop won’t be able to stay in business…”
Xu Zhengyang frowned and pondered for a moment, then said, "I'll contact them in the next few days."
"As soon as possible, the sooner the better." Yao Chushun nodded, then said with some worry, "Zhengyang, do you think... what if someone deliberately comes to buy our stuff, and then waits until we've sold out of our best items before coming to our door to trap us?"
“Master Gu, you’re overthinking it. I don’t think there’s any need to worry about this. It’s just a general.” Xu Zhengyang waved his hand with a smile and said, “If Zou Mingyuan is willing to spend money to let us make money, we’d be more than happy to. As for the general who comes to our door, that’s even easier to say. Just tell him that the store only has these things and there’s nothing good for the time being. Take it or leave it.”
“That won’t do.” Yao Chushun shook his head and said, “If one or two important people come to our store every day, even if they don’t buy anything, we need to have something presentable for them to see. Otherwise, our store’s reputation will be ruined in a few days.”
Xu Zhengyang frowned and began to think. He knew nothing about this industry and really didn't understand the ins and outs.
Yao Chushun continued, "This line of work is really just about attracting influential people. There aren't that many of them. They've been friends with Zou Mingyuan for years... And these past few days, the people who've come to the shop to buy antiques have all been novices. At first, I didn't pay much attention, thinking that business was good and things were just turning around. Why wouldn't I take advantage of business? But this morning, the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. All we have left to offer is that ironwood box and that luminous pearl."
"Oh. There are still two things left to deal with for now."
"What if someone comes to buy it today?" Yao Chushun said.
“Raise the price a bit, say one million if it should be one hundred thousand, and let some people take the loss.”
"If they want to see porcelain or jade..."
Xu Zhengyang thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll bring you a few tomorrow."
"Really?" Yao Chushun's face lit up with surprise.
"Hmm." Xu Zhengyang nodded. He was confident about this. There were still some pottery jars buried in a few places that he hadn't dug up yet, so they were practically ready-made. "However, I'm not sure if the items are presentable."
Yao Chushun's eyes darkened, and then he said, "Let's get it over first. What we're missing is porcelain."
"Hmm, I'll see if I can get more. Don't sleep tonight, arrange a car and a reliable person, and wait for my call."
“Okay.” Yao Chushun nodded immediately.
"That's all for now. Go downstairs. I don't know much, and I don't know what to say to my parents. You go down and talk to them more. Oh, and tell them about the money you've been making these past few days..."
"You son of a bitch, trying to show off in front of your parents." Now that Yao Chushun had a better understanding of the situation, he spoke much more casually.
"Nonsense! It's all to make the two elders happy!" Xu Zhengyang laughed.
The two of them went downstairs with smiles on their faces.
only……
On the surface, the two appeared relaxed, but in reality, they both felt a vague unease.
Yao Chushun was still worried that someone was sabotaging things, and that something was definitely amiss if things were not normal; Xu Zhengyang, in addition to worrying about this, also felt a strange unease, as if he felt that someone was watching him.
This made him extremely unhappy!
Just like when Jiang Lan told him all about his situation and his family in detail in the capital, Xu Zhengyang felt that his personal safety and that of his family were threatened.
As the two came downstairs, Jin Qiming was showing the elderly couple a pair of crystal-clear jade pendants, vividly recounting their origins. He also took the opportunity to flatter Yuan Suqin, saying that these jade pendants, once worn by a princess of the previous dynasty, would be absolutely perfect for her, Auntie. He added that he would definitely ask Brother Zhengyang to buy them for her later—no, these originally belonged to Brother Zhengyang, so he could give them to her as a gift…
Yuan Suqin was overjoyed, and Xu Neng, standing to the side, also had a silly smile on his face after being coaxed by Jin Qiming.
Xu Zhengyang laughed and scolded Jin Qiming a couple of times, then told his parents that he would have Master Gu, Yao Chushun, explain to them the recent business situation of their shop, how much profit there was in the antique industry, and where the profits came from, etc.
The elderly couple's primary concern was, of course, how much money their son's shop could make. So they immediately stopped their curiosity about the antiques and jade, sat back down at their round table, and listened attentively as Yao Chushun gave them a simple, easy-to-understand explanation of the antique shop's business principles. Whether they understood it or not, as long as they heard about making money, that was enough.
They were chatting idly when the shop door was pushed open, and two people walked in, talking as they went.
"Boss Zou, you didn't find anything I liked at Tianbaozhai, do you have anything here?" A portly, balding, white-haired man said with a smile.
"Mr. Gu, what are you saying? This is the shop that was recently opened by Master Gu, Yao Chushun. Just based on Master Gu's reputation, you should believe that there are rare treasures in his shop! The pair of blue and white dragon and phoenix jars with lotus scrolls that Mr. Zheng from Ronghua Group bought last time were made by Master Gu."
Following beside the middle-aged man was none other than Zou Mingyuan, the owner of Tianbaozhai.
"Master Gu? Yao Chushun? He's been out of the spotlight for years... You, Boss Zou, have surpassed him. I'd rather believe you than him." The bald man chuckled and then, as if he had just seen Yao Chushun, he looked surprised, extended his right hand and walked over, saying apologetically, "Oh dear, Master Gu, it's been a long time."
If this person hadn't been there, Yao Chushun's first reaction upon seeing Zou Mingyuan would have been to unleash a torrent of curses. However, since this person was present, Yao Chushun naturally had to restrain himself. He glared fiercely at Zou Mingyuan, then, as if he hadn't heard the bald man's words, politely extended his hand to shake hands with him and smiled, saying, "Old Gu, it's been a long time."
Xu Zhengyang sat in front of the round table with his eyes squinted, watching the scene calmly, without even looking at Zou Mingyuan.
This made Zou Mingyuan, who had intended to put on a deadpan face for Xu Zhengyang, quite discouraged. He stepped forward with a cold smile and said, "Master Gu, I've put aside past grievances and introduced President Gu to you. Show President Gu some of the best things from your shop!"
"Yes, yes, Mr. Gu, you can't keep anything from me. I'm going to buy a few good things this time and go to Minggang."
Volume 2, Gong Cao, Chapter 70: Someone Wants to Disrupt the Event
To put it simply, there are dozens of antique shops of all sizes in the Fuhe City antique market. No matter which antique shop it is, there are always a few treasures that are the shop's crown jewels, and there will always be one item that fetches an astronomical price, even if that thing is not actually worth that much, at least it is a signature item.
Of course, the items must be genuine.
Normally, the most valuable antiques are very difficult to sell, but no shop is in a hurry, and some even deliberately keep them.
When it comes to buying and collecting antiques, the number of true connoisseurs is still quite small. Especially those who genuinely buy only rare and valuable pieces are even fewer. After all, this isn't something you can just afford to play with if you have a little money. In reality, antique shops mostly deal in ordinary antiques, bought by buyers who value sentiment, wanting them as gifts, or simply to enjoy at home. Some people with a bit of a refined taste might acquire a couple of ordinary antiques to display at home as a way to show off.
Unlike other antique shops, the owner of Gu Xiang Xuan is Yao Chushun, who was once known as "Master Gu"!
His shop absolutely had to have items that were even better than the prized possessions of other antique shops. Real big clients wouldn't even give a second glance to the so-called prized possessions of ordinary antique shops. With the opening of Gu Xiang Xuan, Master Gu had returned to the scene. Although his shop wasn't large, it had already been placed on an equal footing with Tian Bao Zhai by people in the industry.
Basically, anyone who has been in this industry for a long time knows about Yao Chushun's reputation back then, and is even more aware of the hatred between him and Zou Mingyuan, the owner of Tianbaozhai.
It's not just others who see it that way; Master Gu, Yao Chushun, also sees his Gu Xiang Xuan in the same way.
His goal was to bring down Tianbaozhai, even though he knew that given the current market conditions and his own strength, this was a long and arduous task. Nevertheless, he harbored great ambition and positioned his Guxiangxuan as an equal to Tianbaozhai.
Because he is Yao Chushun, formerly known as Gu Ye.
Well, the biggest difference between a high-end antique shop like Tianbaozhai and smaller, smaller ones is that these shops need truly renowned figures in the antique world as clients. To use a somewhat inappropriate analogy, it's like a return to simplicity, like an old-fashioned antique shop that could go three years without opening and then live off its customers for three years straight. Admittedly, shops at this level have far more individual customers than ordinary antique shops.
As the saying goes, "The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by a strong wind." The higher one's position, the greater the pressure one bears compared to those below.
This principle applies to any industry.
Small antique shops can wave their hands at big customers and say, "I don't have anything good in my shop, please leave..." They're not afraid of losing any customers or damaging their reputation. It's a bit like they've given up entirely. But that's the truth. In the end, if you don't have anything good, no amount of sweet talk will help.
But antique shops like Tianbaozhai can't do that. At the very least, you have to say you'll try to contact someone and look for something...
Because once or twice you might not be able to satisfy these few individuals. Three or four times...
Your shop will then face the fate of "the higher you climb, the harder you fall."
Master Gu, Yao Chushun, couldn't afford to lose face, and Zou Mingyuan knew it too.
Therefore, Zou Mingyuan orchestrated the recent plan to purchase almost all the presentable antiques from Guxiangxuan, especially porcelain, which was completely sold out, leaving Yao Chushun's Guxiangxuan with nothing but jade. Initially, he instructed some people to cause trouble at Guxiangxuan, but his real purpose wasn't to disrupt the business; rather, it was to probe Guxiangxuan's true strength. Once he roughly understood that Yao Chushun hadn't brought many presentable antiques with him after taking over Guxiangxuan, Zou Mingyuan began his operation. He arranged for people to buy antiques from Guxiangxuan while simultaneously contacting well-connected figures to have them select antiques at Guxiangxuan at an opportune time, thereby damaging Yao Chushun's reputation and that of both Guxiangxuan and Yao Chushun.
Even most antique collectors wouldn't deliberately do such a despicable thing, but Zou Mingyuan was just promoting Yao Chushun on the surface, as if he were putting aside past grievances and helping his master expand the reputation of Guxiangxuan.
This only inspires admiration for his composure and magnanimity.
Upon hearing that the former antique master Yao Chushun has returned to public life, those renowned antique collectors will surely be unable to contain their curiosity and will naturally come to visit in a few days.
Zou Mingyuan was a shrewd and calculating man who wouldn't act without a profit. He certainly wouldn't do something like this just to destroy Yao Chushun's reputation and confidence. The antiques at Gu Xiang Xuan were originally priced low, a mistake Yao Chushun had made initially. The antique business, unlike other industries, doesn't involve price wars or mutually destructive competition. Therefore, after roughly understanding the prices of the antiques at Gu Xiang Xuan, Zou Mingyuan could buy them without losing money.
Besides this, Zou Mingyuan had another purpose: to see where Yao Chushun's supply chain was and how strong its supply capacity was. Then... he would try every means to bring it under his control.
Therefore, Zou Mingyuan, who always thinks things through carefully, has been able to stand out in the antique world of Fuhe City and become an absolutely unique leader.
However, today's Mr. Gu, Gu Sifang, is actually a close friend of Zou Mingyuan, and he's here to embarrass Mr. Gu, Yao Chushun.
Nobody's a fool; you can tell from Gu Sifang's eyes and expression.
But guests are guests, and you can't just turn them away; that would only give the impression that you're guilty.
So Yao Chushun was inwardly suffering and pondering how to deal with it, but on the surface he smiled and invited Gu Sifang to sit down at the round table inside, and asked Jin Qiming to make tea and pour water, but he ignored Zou Mingyuan.
It's good enough that they didn't yell at them and tell them to get lost.
Yao Chushun had originally intended to introduce Xu Zhengyang, but seeing Xu Zhengyang chatting idly with his parents, seemingly oblivious to the situation, he abandoned the idea. Besides, introducing Xu Zhengyang would only make Gu Sifang more disdainful and laughable. After all, for someone of Yao Chushun's reputation and age to be partnering with such a young man in a shop was indeed quite a laughing stock.
Gu Sifang was there to clear out the place. So, of course, he wouldn't waste time with idle chatter. After exchanging a few insincere pleasantries, he said, "Mr. Gu, bring out the treasures from your shop and let me have a look..."
"Then let's go inside..." Master Gu Yao Chushun pretended to be calm and invited Gu Sifang to talk in the inner room. He also said, "Xiao Jin, bring us our unique Ming Dynasty iron pear wood box. Oh, and bring us that luminous pearl too."
Gu Sifang smiled and invited Zou Mingyuan to go in together. Yao Chushun looked displeased, but didn't say anything.
The three of them went into the inner room. Yao Chushun was about to turn around and close the door, but when he saw Xu Zhengyang wink at him, he was puzzled but did not close the door.
In this way, Xu Zhengyang could see the scene inside and hear the conversations of the people inside.
"Zhengyang, someone came to buy something, why don't you go and talk to them?" Yuan Suqin said with some dissatisfaction. She felt that her son was also a boss, so why did Yao Chushun always have to take the lead in everything?
"No, I don't know much now. Going there would only cause trouble. I'll just watch, listen, and learn, haha," Xu Zhengyang said with a smile.
Xu Neng nodded and said, "That's right. One should never stop learning. If you don't understand something, you should learn more."
Yuan Suqin rolled her eyes at her husband but said nothing. Like him, she looked anxiously into the inner room. Their concern was naturally whether the deal would go through, and how much profit they would make… This was their son's business!
Xu Zhengyang smiled, his eyes narrowed as if nothing was amiss. He watched the three people sit down in the inner room. He thought to himself, "So they're here to cause trouble! It seems Yao Chushun's worries upstairs were justified; there was definitely something fishy going on. That bastard Zou Mingyuan!"
Let this bastard dance around in the street, act crazy, and embarrass himself when he has some free time.
The thought of Zou Mingyuan, dressed smartly, walking down the street and suddenly going crazy, or touching a woman's buttocks... made Xu Zhengyang's eyes narrow and curve like a little fox.
Inside the room, Gu Sifang examined the ironwood box. The carving was exquisite, clearly the work of a master craftsman, and it was quite old. Since Yao Chushun said it was from the early Ming Dynasty, it should be genuine. The dark yellow luminous pearl, about the size of an egg, was bright in color and smooth in texture, making it a rare and precious item.
"A fine piece, a fine piece indeed!" Gu Sifang nodded in admiration, then put down the luminous pearl and said with a smile, "But Master Gu, while this ironwood carving is of good quality, it's not exactly presentable, is it? As for this luminous pearl, let me tell you, I already have one, so I don't need it for the time being..."
Yao Chushun's mind went blank for a moment, then he said calmly, "I wonder what President Gu wants?"
"Porcelain, jade, anything is fine, but it has to be top-quality." A sly smile appeared on Gu Sifang's oily face. "Preferably something of the quality of a blue-and-white porcelain jar with dragons and phoenixes amidst lotus blossoms. Hmm, this shop used to belong to Jin Changfa, right? He was a jade expert; he should have kept some good jade..."
"Yes, we have the items, but... it's not convenient right now!" Yao Chushun smiled and shook his head. "Mr. Gu, please wait a few more days..."
“Mr. Gu, that’s not right of you. How could you keep things from me? Besides, I’m in a hurry to go to Minggang to bring some nice things back to my two close friends there,” Gu Sifang said with dissatisfaction.
Zou Mingyuan mocked from the side, "Master, do you not have any top-quality dishes left in the shop?"
"Fuck your father, get out!" Yao Chushun had no manners towards Zou Mingyuan and cursed him without hesitation.
"Hey, Mr. Gu, I've been waiting here." Gu Sifang interjected.
Zou Mingyuan simply leaned back with a mocking expression, remaining silent and waiting for Yao Chushun to make a fool of himself.
"This... Mr. Gu, we have a good item in the store that we just sent to Mr. Zheng of Ronghua Group... There are a few other items that we haven't put in the store yet. You know, it's not reassuring to leave such valuable things here." Yao Chushun was probably lying for the first time, so his face turned red, and his eyes darted away from the other person's gaze as if he were feeling guilty.
Gu Sifang was incredibly astute; how could he not see through Yao Chushun's lie? So he smiled even more slyly and said, "Master Gu, you wouldn't be... lying to me because you don't have any treasures in the shop, would you?"