Chu Chen felt somewhat awkward after hearing that. He had not expected Zhao Qirui to have attended this year's spring auction as well, which meant he certainly knew the price. But then he suddenly thought of something and said:
"Ha-ha, this price was actually what that person offered me too. I thought it would be an honor to do you a favor, so... Brother Zhao, how about this? I won't add any money. I only ask you to help me with one thing."
"Oh? What is it? Tell me."
Chu Chen then briefly told Zhao Qirui about Zhou Wenping's plans to buy a house.
"That's all?"
When he heard what it was, Zhao Qirui's expression became both amused and exasperated. He had initially thought it was something major, but in the end, it was merely a trivial matter to him. Then he thought about it from another angle and said with a smile:
"Fine. For such a minor matter, you don't find it embarrassing, but I do. How about this? Don't bother with the house anymore. I'll arrange it for you. After you go back, have your friend return to his hometown and get a household registration certificate. I'll help move their household registration to the capital. What do you think? Little Chu, do you want to move yours over too?"
Chu Chen was stunned that Zhou Wenping's family's household registration could actually be transferred over. It was already far beyond his expectations, and when Zhao Qirui said he could transfer Chu Chen's as well, he hurriedly waved his hands.
"Brother Zhao, it's already troublesome enough for you to help transfer my friend's family's household registration. I don't need to move mine for now. I can take care of it after I buy a house. Brother Zhao, just don't find me troublesome then."
Zhao Qirui did not press him after hearing that and said with a smile, "Why would such a minor matter be troublesome? Go ahead and keep putting me down. All right, write down A Chao's phone number. Once your friend gets the certificate, just contact him. And keep an eye out for the calligraphy and paintings too, though it doesn't matter whether you succeed."
A Chao was the name of Zhao Qirui's driver. After Chu Chen wrote down his phone number, he and Zhao Qirui quickly completed the transaction and said goodbye to each other.
Chu Chen carefully put away the check he had just received and happily headed toward the antique street. He was especially satisfied with how things had gone today. Not only had he completed Zhao Qirui's assignment perfectly and improved Zhao Qirui's impression of him, but he had also solved the household-registration issue for Zhou Wenping's family and their house. It had to be said that this was an unexpected delight.
For ordinary people like them, a household registration in the capital was often something lofty and unattainable. Getting one was extremely difficult. Yet Zhao Qirui only had to say a few words to arrange the capital household registration they had dreamed of, which left Chu Chen deeply moved.
"Brother! Little brother!"
When Chu Chen was almost at the antique street, he suddenly heard someone calling him from the left. He turned around and saw that the caller was a middle-aged man dressed as if he had just come from the countryside. The man was standing in a secluded corner by a wall and waving at him.
Chu Chen could be considered an old hand by now. One look at the man's appearance and he knew he was "burying a landmine." But he was in a good mood today, and he had great confidence in his own fighting ability, so he decided to see what kind of trap the man was setting.
When he reached the man, Chu Chen pretended to look puzzled and asked, "What can I do for you, sir?"
The middle-aged man timidly asked in a low voice, "Boss... I... I have something good here. Would you like it?"
Chu Chen pretended to frown and looked him over. Then he asked rather rudely, "Someone like you has something good? You're not here to scam me, are you?" As he spoke, he acted as if he intended to leave.
Seeing that, the middle-aged man naturally refused to let him go so easily. He quickly blocked his path and pleaded, "Boss, don't go! I really have something good. If you don't believe me, take a look!"
After saying that, the middle-aged man pulled a Northern Song Ding ware large plate imitation from his clothing and prepared to hand it to Chu Chen. At that moment, Chu Chen truly could not figure out how the nearly thirty-centimeter stamped large plate had been hidden in the man's clothes without showing, especially since it was summer.
As for why it was an imitation of Northern Song Ding ware, that was because Chu Chen had just caught a sly glint in the middle-aged man's eyes. The situation was a textbook example of "burying a landmine," and the man could not possibly have brought out a genuine piece.
But immediately afterward, Chu Chen's heart shook violently. With his already excellent composure, the shock nearly showed on his face. That was because the treasure appraisal in his mind had informed him that this stamped large plate really was valuable. As for whether it was from the Northern Song, he would have to examine it first to know.
Stay calm! Stay calm!
At that moment, Chu Chen kept reminding himself of that. There was a very high chance that he had encountered a "landmine," so he had to be extremely careful. Even if it was an antique, it could just as easily be an old imitation!
Yes! It must be one hundred percent like this. This man's methods are impressive. I mustn't let my guard down.
Since he had determined that it was a "landmine," Chu Chen could have simply walked away. However, his years as a street peddler had given rise to an urge to toy with the man. So, in the tone of an antique novice, he said to the middle-aged man:
"Sir, I can see that you don't understand the rules of the antique trade at all. I haven't been studying it for long myself, but I can still give you some pointers. Fragile things like porcelain can't be handed directly from the seller to the buyer. The seller should put the item down first, and then the buyer can pick it up himself. Do you understand?"
The middle-aged man appeared utterly bewildered on the surface, but inwardly he was delighted. A newcomer is perfect. If you weren't new to the trade, how could I trick your money out of you? So he said foolishly, "Oh, Boss, you mean I should put this large bowl over there so you can pick it up? But where exactly is 'over there'?"
What a performance. He's really pretending to be a country bumpkin to the end. Seeing this, Chu Chen muttered inwardly. If someone was even slightly softhearted, seeing the man's honest, foolish appearance, they might really mistake him for a simple rural man.
So Chu Chen put on a speechless expression and said irritably, "Why are you so stupid? 'Over there' doesn't mean an actual direction. Just put the thing in your hand on the ground."
The middle-aged man looked as if he had suddenly understood. As he placed the plate on the ground, he muttered, "City people sure are troublesome. Why not just say to put it on the ground?"
After the middle-aged man put the plate down, Chu Chen prepared to pick it up and thought, He really intends to play the country bumpkin to the very end. With acting like that, you could probably win an Oscar. And who knows where this stamped large plate came from? It was made so convincingly that it's practically a masterpiece among old imitations.
But once Chu Chen held the stamped large plate in his hands, the more he looked at it, the more shocked he became. How was this made? How could it be completely identical to the real thing?
At that moment, Chu Chen could no longer remain calm. He hurriedly activated his supernatural ability, and the result left him trembling with shock. A trace of his astonishment even leaked onto his face. This Northern Song stamped large plate was actually genuine!
His first thought was, How is that possible? Could it be that I haven't encountered a "landmine" after all?
Fortunately, the trace of emotion Chu Chen revealed made the middle-aged man think he had taken the bait, so he did not suspect anything. Believing that Chu Chen had become interested, the man was overcome with joy. At last, this deal was going to happen.
Just as Chu Chen was wondering whether this scene was really a "landmine," he caught that flash of delight in the man's eyes, which made him even more puzzled. What is going on? Why does this feel so strange? No, I have to be careful in this situation. I should probe him first.
With that thought, Chu Chen pretended to be somewhat excited and said, "Sir, how did you come by this item? Could you tell me about it?"
The middle-aged man took one look at Chu Chen's expression and thought, It's working! Then, with tears and mucus running down his face, he began telling Chu Chen his family's story.
The middle-aged man said that his family had once been an official household, but fortunes had declined during the Republic of China period. By now, they had become destitute, with nothing left in their home except the item in Chu Chen's hand. He had never intended to sell it, but then his elderly father died, his wife fell gravely ill, and his child broke a leg.
The rest hardly needed saying. Chu Chen thought, Your life is miserable beyond belief. How unlucky would someone have to be for all these things to happen at once? This man's storytelling skills aren't very good. In that case, he probably doesn't even recognize this genuine Ding ware piece.
At that thought, his spirits lifted. This really was possible. So he said sympathetically, "Brother, don't be sad. People have to look ahead. I don't have much ability, but I'll buy this item. How much do you want for it?"
"Brother, could you let me take a look at that item?" A voice suddenly came from beside him. Chu Chen frowned and glanced over. A young man in his early twenties stood nearby, dressed very neatly and wearing gold-rimmed glasses. He looked like a refined intellectual.
From the moment the young man appeared, Chu Chen knew without a doubt that he had encountered a "landmine." His eyesight was extremely sharp now, and he had noticed earlier that the young man had been hiding in a corner nearby. Now that he had come over, he was obviously a shill. Today's business is getting interesting.
Chu Chen frowned and placed the stamped large plate on the ground. The young man picked it up and appeared to examine it carefully. Yet as he looked, he kept making admiring clicking sounds. After finishing his inspection, he revealed an excited expression and said:
"This is truly a fine piece! Brother, I'll give you one hundred thousand. How about selling it to me?"
Before you continue