Qin Hao knew in his heart that that painting was definitely no ordinary thing. But the reality was right in front of him - the other party was already in talks with Boss Li, and he couldn't force himself in. Thinking of this, he couldn't help feeling a bit down.
However, to his surprise, after studying for a long time with a magnifying glass, Boss Li shook his head.
Sorry, I don't understand either. Why don't you try changing houses?"
"Ah?" "Boss, this is true. Our family's ancestral treasure..." "
The middle-aged man was clearly not willing to give up.
Boss Li patiently said, "You're in a hurry. It's best to go and have a look at other places now." If it were any later, everyone would have to go for dinner.
The man fell silent for a moment and could only helplessly put away the painting and leave.
After he left, Boss Li immediately gave an industry explanation to the young assistant beside him:
"Really good at making up stories." There are too many such plots in our line of work - the father has stomach cancer, the wife has a car accident, the mother has liver cancer... I was numb to hearing that. Besides, look at his clothes, they are torn, but his neck and arms are as white as if they had never been sun-dried. How could he be poor? Nowadays, scammers all know how to package themselves.
The young fellow nodded vigorously.
It was only then that he noticed Qin Hao at the door and greeted him with a smile, "Hey, Little Qin, you're here?" What do you want to see again?"
Qin Hao walked in, his tone relaxed but tinged with a hint of helplessness: "Just wander around." "Boss Li, did you just assume that the painting was fake just because his skin was fair?" "
Mr. Li was taken aback by the question, then laughed and said, "How could a painting of 髡残 be so easy to come by? One of the Four Great Monks of the early Qing Dynasty, even a casual painting would cost tens of thousands or even millions of yuan. How could it be such a coincidence?
He then asked again, "By the way, Xiao Qin, do you sell that jade butterfly?" The price is negotiable."
Qin Hao exchanged a few pleasantries with a smile, found an opportunity to leave, and hurriedly chased after the door.
At the street corner, he saw that the middle-aged man had already entered Wu Liang's store. Qin Hao didn't follow in - it's fine to steal, but to snatch business and end up in someone else's store would be too unruly.
He simply waited outside.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the man came out dejectedly.
A bunch of idiots! This painting is passed down from my family. They all still claim to know about antiques? "Joke!" "
He was so angry that he kept muttering and just walked towards Qin Hao.
Qin Hao pretended to casually catch a glimpse of the painting in his arms and asked, "Sir, is this painting for sale?" "
"Of course I'll sell." " The man snorted, "But I'm afraid you can't afford it." It is worth hundreds of thousands of yuan.
He glanced at Qin Hao - young, dressed simply and with a clean demeanor, he didn't look like someone who could afford to spend hundreds of thousands of yuan at all.
Qin Hao said calmly, "Whether it's worth hundreds of thousands or not depends on the thing itself, not the story you tell."
The man was stunned for a moment. I was rejected all the way today and my mentality was a bit broken. I never expected to run into someone who didn't follow the usual pattern.
"Ok. Then find a place to sit down and talk."
The two of them randomly found a small shop and sat down. Qin Hao looked at the painting carefully again before speaking:
I'll be straightforward too. I've been hanging out at antique stalls since I was a child and have heard so many stories. So I don't believe your tricks. If this painting could really sell for over a hundred thousand, you wouldn't be kicked out of all the stores. When we do business, we need to have a clear idea in our minds.
The man fell silent, clearly losing his confidence.
"Then make a price." "
Qin Hao stretched out five fingers.
"Five hundred."
What did you say? Are you kidding?" The man almost jumped up. "At least 200,000!"
Qin Hao, of course, could not accept it. Although he is rich now, he still needs this money to earn more.
"One thousand." Qin Hao said indifferently.
"Are you kidding me?" "
The man made a gesture to get up and leave.
Qin Hao said in a deep voice, "Don't be angry." I'm just saying that your asking price is too inflated. Do you really think it can be sold for 200,000? You may not believe it in your heart either."
The man gritted his teeth, held it in for a long time, and finally gave the bottom price.
"Fifty thousand." If it doesn't work out, I'll leave."
Qin Hao had originally intended to lower the price further, but seeing the man's almost desperate insistence, he could only nod.
Transaction price: 50,000.
...
Half of the problem has been solved. The next step is to find a buyer.
He knew all too well the people in the antique street - each and every one of them was ruthless and could not be relied on.
He thought for a moment and decided to go and find Boss Xu. Although that person is a bit tongue-tied, he is a nice person.
The store was still bustling with activity. Mr. Xu is having tea while his colleagues are playing games. A typical saying goes, "Antiques don't open for business for three years; once they do open, they can be used for three years."
When Qin Hao went in, Boss Xu was stunned for a moment: "Little Qin?" What good stuff have you found again?
Qin Hao handed over the painting.
"Mr. Xu, could you please take a look for me?" "
"Ok." "
Mr. Xu immediately asked his assistant to make good tea.
The guy didn't quite understand why the boss was so polite to Qin Hao.
When Mr. Xu unfolded the painting, his brows slightly raised, and his expression visibly paused.
Qin Hao sat beside him, sipping tea, experiencing a strange state of mind. He used to be just a clerk, but now he is sitting in the seller's position.
He has seen too many people in this line of work:
Nervous farmers, greasy swindlers, composed collectors...
And he had once fantasized that one day he could be as resourceful and elegant as those collectors.
But now he understood - even with the eyes of the Taotie, a person still needs to keep learning and accumulating.
After looking for a long time, Boss Xu finally spoke up, "Xiao Qin, where did you get this from?" "
His tone was filled with surprise, as if he thought Qin Hao had already switched careers to become a middleman.
Qin Hao smiled and said, "This painting was created by Shi Xi, one of the Four Great Monks of the early Qing Dynasty." The picture is ordinary, yet it exudes a profound artistic conception from its ordinariness, which is truly remarkable.