After coming out of the church, you can see the most classic road sign at the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway. Andy stood under the sign and looked at it for a while, but no one noticed his weird behavior. Here, time is money, and no one cares about other people's behavior.
After their trip to Wall Street, Andy and his group walked a block or two west to Ground Zero. September 11, 2001, had shocked the world. Looking at the empty space surrounded by buildings, the reconstruction project was already underway, with construction workers occasionally visible.
Andy watched everything silently, watching the people walking through the "World Trade Center". The people coming and going had their own thoughts, and from time to time some pedestrians had sad faces. Joseph and Kenny looked at the ruins with serious expressions. Andy knew that this pain would remain in all classes of Americans for a long time.
There was an American flag hanging not far from the construction site, and several Americans were giving excited speeches nearby. When Andy got closer and listened, he realized that they were giving anti-war speeches.
After listening silently for a while, Andy returned to the car and said, "Next stop: Times Square."
Times Square is located in the triangle at the intersection of 42nd Street, Floyd Street, and 7th Avenue. While New Yorkers often refer to parks as "squares," this area is neither a park nor a square, but rather a triangle. The name comes from the fact that the New York Times moved its headquarters there in 1904. As the epicenter of New York's classical music scene, Lincoln Center is a dream stage for all artists and a cultural hub for the city, encompassing opera houses, concert halls, and outdoor concert venues. It's said that this area, once a slum, has become a major performing arts venue and one of New York's most coveted residential areas.
Andy stood in the triangle, feeling the vibrant world expanding wildly into infinity. He watched as a stream of people of all colors, nationalities, and ethnicities surged around him, presenting a stage without a stage.
The massive, semi-cylindrical Nasdaq advertisement, constantly changing its colors from black, blue, and red to cold and hot, seemed to be signaling the unpredictable stock market conditions in this world's financial center.
"It is indeed the crossroads of the world. Perhaps only by having a place here can one feel that one's life is worthwhile." Andy sighed secretly as he looked at the prosperous place. He knew that in this area where all the benefits had been distributed, looking at the surrounding buildings, if they were not the Nasdaq big screen and the Times Building, it would be almost impossible to get involved without spending hundreds of millions of dollars.
There is a special building in Times Square. It is empty all year round, but it brings in tens of millions of dollars in advertising fees every year. In 1997, a building like this could be sold for 117 million US dollars.
New York has four distinct seasons, so the weather in midsummer is very hot. Andy couldn't stand the sunburn anymore. He looked at the time and it was almost noon.
After visiting several famous scenic spots in the morning, Andy was a little tired, so he decided to go to the last stop of the day.
New York's Chinatown is rather cluttered, lacking even the most symbolic Chinatown archway. However, it boasts over 30 crisscrossing streets and alleys, imbued with a vibrant atmosphere of life.
We found a nice restaurant in Huaxia City and had an authentic Cantonese meal. The owner was shocked by Andy's Chinese proficiency, especially when Andy said in Mandarin, "I want to eat authentic Cantonese food. Don't make those greasy and weird Chinese dishes. I can't eat those Chinese dishes you invented to fool foreigners."
The boss's stunned look was hilarious. Knowing Andy was an expert on China, the boss naturally wouldn't fool him and went to the kitchen to talk to the chef himself.
After dinner, Andy drank a pot of Longjing tea given by the boss and chatted with the restaurant owner for a while.
The scene of a tall and handsome foreigner and a slightly plump Chinese chatting in fluent Chinese attracted the attention of other diners. From time to time, you could hear people marveling at Andy's Mandarin level, which felt very awkward.
"Are you asking about the antique shop on this street?" The restaurant owner frowned.
I don't know how to answer.
Andy saw his tangled expression and naturally thought of his concerns. He smiled and said, "I just want to take a look. I'm very curious about China's ancient culture. As for authenticity, it doesn't matter. After all, I don't understand it and won't buy anything carelessly. I just want to take a look."
After hearing Andy's explanation, the restaurant owner spoke up, "That's good. After all, antiques require discernment and experience. It's hard for ordinary people to tell the real from the fake, so you still have to think carefully before buying. There's an antique shop on this street that's been open for decades. The things there are worth checking out. There's a Hester Street Market near Huaxia City with some antique stalls, but the things there really depend on discernment."
After checking out, Andy took Joseph and Kenny to the address given by the hotel owner and found a small plaque with gold letters on a black background among the messy signs, which read "Jubaoxuan".
Andy pushed the door open and walked in. The interior was very tidy, a long corridor-like space with alloy glass display cabinets on both sides leaning against the walls. Bright lights shone on every antique in the display cabinets.
At the end of the corridor was a long table. When the boss saw three foreigners coming in, he knew that they were customers, and strangers at that, so he immediately greeted them with a smile.
"Welcome, gentlemen, to our shop. Our shop mainly deals in antiques from China, as well as some European and Russian antiques. What can you do for me?" The antique shop owner came forward to greet them warmly.
"May I know your name, sir? I was introduced here by Mr. Wang from the Cantonese restaurant. I'm mainly interested in Chinese culture, so I came to take a look." Andy smiled and stretched out his hand, speaking in fluent Mandarin.
"Ah!" The antique shop owner exclaimed in surprise at Andy's Mandarin. After all, it was quite unexpected that a foreigner could speak Mandarin better than him. His own Chinese was thick with his accent, and knowing he had lost his composure, he quickly reached out his hand to shake Andy's hand and apologized, "I'm so sorry, your Mandarin is so good, it startled me. My last name is Chen, sir. Since Brother Wang introduced you here, you're one of us. I'll definitely give you a discount on anything you like."
Andy couldn't help but curl his lips. These people in the antique circle are all shrewd people. They talk big but are ruthless when it comes to taking advantage of people. However, he still smiled and said, "Andy Smith, you can call me Andy. Thank you for your care, Mr. Chen."
"Haha, nothing much. So, does Mr. Smith have any preferences?" Antique Chen asked enthusiastically.
"I don't have any preference, and I don't understand it. I'm just curious and have some understanding of Chinese culture, so I came here to take a look. Let's just take a look first." Andy said indifferently. He didn't know anything about appraisal. It's just that he has become a rich man now, and he is curious about the antiques that were auctioned in his previous life.
"Okay, take a look. I'll give you a discount on anything you like." Knowing Andy really didn't understand, Antique Chen stopped asking. He looked at Joseph and Kenny, their sturdy bodies and serious faces, who seemed to be following Andy's orders. He immediately realized that these two were Andy Smith's bodyguards or hangers-on. He still had some good sense.
Andy leaned down slightly and looked at the various antiques in the display cabinets, including calligraphy and paintings, porcelain, jade, bronze, etc. It can be said that they covered almost all kinds of antiques that Andy knew, as well as some European silver tableware and accessories. Andy didn't know what the more were, but on the bracket of each antique there was a tag tied with a thin rope, and the price was written on the tag, clearly marked.
Chen the antique dealer was a little disappointed as he watched Andy's cursory inspection. He had thought he had met a sucker and could make a fortune, but he didn't expect Andy to be a self-aware rookie. It seemed that this money was not easy to earn.
After looking around, Andy found a few things that interested him, but he didn't show it. After all, he really didn't know whether the things were real or not. Although this little money was nothing, it would still be very frustrating to get cheated.
"How is it? Mr. Smith, is there anything you like? If so, I'll take it out for you and you can take a look at it. The price is negotiable." Antique Chen did not show any impatience and asked enthusiastically.
"Haha, there are actually a few that I like." Andy smiled and pointed them out to Chen the Antiques one by one.
Antique Chen immediately took out a tray and took out the things Andy pointed out, then locked the display case. The four of them walked to the long table inside. Antique Chen turned on the spotlight on the table, asked Andy to take a seat, then sat opposite him, took out a pair of white gloves and put them on, and began to introduce Andy.
"Mr. Smith, this is a jade pig dragon, also known as a jade beast ring. Jade artifacts discovered in Hongshan and other places are collectively known as the Hongshan culture. The jade pig dragon is not just an ornament, but a sacred artifact, a totem representing the ancestral spirits worshipped by the Hongshan ancestors. You have excellent taste. This jade pig dragon is a rare gem among my collection of Hongshan antiques."
Andy couldn't help but feel funny when he saw Antique Chen giving him a thumbs up and complimenting him. He knew the Jade Pig Dragon, but he didn't know whether it was real or fake.
"This one is a bronze lying dog paperweight from the mid-Qing Dynasty. Look at the shape and lines of this lying dog. It is finely crafted and is absolutely a masterpiece. The last one is a beeswax bracelet from the late Qing Dynasty. It has a soft texture and warm color. It is said that this bracelet was worn by a Qing Dynasty prince. It is very precious." Antique dealer Chen began to tell the story in high spirits and eloquently.
Andy did not interrupt his story, but listened with a smile, nodding from time to time. He reached out and picked up the jade pig dragon with yellow and white markings and a C-shaped hole in the middle. According to Antique Chen, this jade pig dragon was made of green jade.
"Hiss~~~" A bone-chilling chill penetrated Andy's soul. A trace of fear flashed in Andy's eyes, and he hurriedly put the jade pig dragon in his hand back on the tray.
What's going on? Why does it feel so cold? Andy was really panicking. Seeing the strange look that Antique Chen was giving him, he quickly concealed a smile and asked, "How old is this jade pig dragon? What was it used for?"