The shopkeeper's eyes widened. "If you were talking about a good piece, that would be one thing. But it's only a narcissus basin. Can our usual price really be compared with an auction price?"
Generally speaking, items in the antiques market were much cheaper than those at auctions. But sellers weren't fools. Since rare and high-quality pieces sold cheaply in the antiques market, they would take them to auctions instead.
Of course, that applied to rare masterpieces and treasures. The narcissus basin Chu Chen had bought was decent, but it was only an ordinary masterpiece. Although it would fetch a higher price at auction, it might also fail to sell.
So when Chu Chen compared it to the auction price, the shopkeeper naturally disagreed. Still, judging from this, the shopkeeper seemed to be a rather particular person.
In fact, that could already be seen from the shopkeeper's attitude toward the previous buyer. Admittedly, the buyer had indeed committed a taboo, but as the saying went, harmony brought wealth. Why had he reacted so violently?
Of course, this had little to do with Chu Chen. He chuckled and was just about to speak when an elderly man in his sixties, his hair already mostly gray, hurried in carrying a vase.
Just as Chu Chen thought the old man wanted to sell the vase in his hands, the old man placed it familiarly on an Eight Immortals table in the shop. Then he repeatedly bowed toward the shopkeeper, Chu Chen, and the others. "You must be Chu Chen, Old Liu's most accomplished disciple. I'm truly sorry. I spotted this fine display vase on the way and was delayed for a little while."
Hearing this, Chu Chen understood that this must be the friend his master had mentioned on the phone. The names