Auctioning Antiques

"I want to auction some antiques," Yang Xuan said directly.

"Certainly, sir, please follow me," the attendant said.

He followed the attendant to the appraisal room inside.

Yang Xuan took out everything from his backpack, a total of five items.

There were two paintings, one was Tang Bohu's Pine Cliff Villa Scroll.

The second item was Qi Baishi's complete set of Landscapes Twelve Screen Panels.

The third item was a pair of Qing Dynasty inkstones.

The fourth item was a Buddha statue.

The fifth item was a silver yuan.

Actually, Yang Xuan was quite satisfied with these antiques, except for the silver yuan. After all, in the Fist of Legend world, he himself used silver yuan. To Yang Xuan, it was just a commemorative coin, so how much could it be worth? He figured the shopkeeper must have given him the last item as a way to brush him off.

At this moment, a man in his thirties or forties, wearing a suit and tie, entered. He sat down in front of the collection and said, "Mr. Yang, this is your first time at our Fushide Auction House, correct?"

"Yes, my grandparents' house was demolished, and I found some old items while sorting through things. I thought I'd bring them here to see how much they're worth," Yang Xuan lied a little.

"Mm, alright, Mr. Yang. My surname is Zhang, you can just call me Xiao Zhang," Manager Zhang said.

As he spoke, he very professionally picked up gloves from a drawer and put them on naturally.

He began to carefully appraise the antiques.

He didn't know what to expect until he looked, and then he was shocked. Xiao Zhang's initially relaxed expression gradually turned serious and solemn.

"Mr. Yang, your collection is extremely valuable. I need to find our auction house's chief appraiser to take a look. Please wait a moment." Before Yang Xuan could reply, Manager Zhang said and then rushed out. Before leaving, he didn't forget to turn back and say, "Li Na, please take good care of Mr. Yang."

"Mr. Yang, may I ask what you would like to drink? Coffee or tea?" Li Na asked.

"I don't like coffee, I'll have a cup of black tea," Yang Xuan said.

While he was sipping his black tea, Xiao Zhang returned with an old man around sixty years old, walking quickly.

"Old Nian, take a look at these two paintings. My skill isn't good enough; I can only tell who the artist is, but I can't tell if they're genuine or fake," Xiao Zhang said with a hint of embarrassment.

Old Nian slowly walked forward, holding a magnifying glass. Without a word, he began to carefully appraise them.

After a long while, Old Nian put down the magnifying glass and said with some excitement, "Mr. Yang, will all five items be auctioned by our Fushide Auction House?"

"Of course, otherwise I wouldn't have come here. If possible, please try to reduce the commission," Yang Xuan bargained.

"No problem. Then I'll start giving you the estimates now." Old Nian's heart was at ease.

"The first painting is Tang Bohu's Pine Cliff Villa Scroll, genuine, estimated at 24 million RMB."

Old Nian looked at Yang Xuan, wanting to see his reaction. Yang Xuan, sipping his tea, showed no expression.

"Continue," Yang Xuan said.

"Yes." Old Nian swallowed. This young man was unfazed by tens of millions. His background must be extraordinary.

In reality, Yang Xuan was merely maintaining a strong facade of calmness. While he appeared to be sipping tea, he was inwardly shouting: Hahahaha, I'm rich, I'm rich! That pawnshop owner really didn't give me fakes. What should I buy? I saw that alien laptop online last time but couldn't bear to buy it. Hmph, I'll buy two or three after selling these paintings. Hahaha. I can also buy a house, a car. I'm so excited. But I can't show it; it would be too undignified. Yes, yes, stay calm, stay calm.

"The second item is Qi Baishi's complete set of Landscapes Twelve Screen Panels, estimated at 100 million RMB."

"The third item is a Qing Dynasty Rectangular Eyed Pine Tree Duan Inkstone, estimated at 100,000 RMB."

"The fourth item is a Ming Dynasty Amitabha Buddha Statue, estimated at 250,000 RMB."

"The fifth item is a late Qing Dynasty Double Dragon Silver Yuan, estimated at 400,000 RMB."

After finishing, Old Nian let out a long sigh and thought to himself, It looks like the Fushide Auction House will make a substantial profit in reputation from the international auction in a couple of days.

"Then I'll leave the items here with you. Can you arrange the auction as soon as possible?"

"Please rest assured, Mr. Yang. In two days, there will be an international auction lasting three days. This auction is different from previous ones; only 80% of the items are publicly displayed, and 20% are hidden. This is to allow the auction house to add items and create a sense of mystery. Mr. Yang, please keep your deposit card; it contains all the information about your collection," Old Nian said as he recorded the information on a card.

"Mm, alright. Are there no other matters then?" Yang Xuan asked.

"That's correct. Please come to the auction on July 21st, the day after tomorrow, at 8 AM," Old Nian said.

"Ok, I'm leaving now," Yang Xuan said, waving as he walked away.

He then staggered out of the auction house.

Now, Yang Xuan felt like he was floating as he walked. Over the years, he had saved about 60,000 yuan in total. The rest was either spent on buying things or eating. It was already remarkable that he wasn't living paycheck to paycheck. Now, to suddenly earn tens of millions. Hahahahahahahahaha. Happy, happy. Well, since I'm already in The City of Devils, I might as well look around.

Checking the time, it was exactly noon. Let's go grab a meal. Lanzhou noodles? KFC? Shaxian. I eat these every day. Today, I'm going to splurge. It doesn't have to be incredibly delicious, but it must have high class.

Yang Xuan hailed a taxi and got in. "Driver, are there any high-end restaurants around here?"

"High-end? Yes, on the 56th floor of the Grand Hyatt Jin Mao Hotel, there's a nice Japanese restaurant. It's said to be quite upscale," the driver thought for a moment.

"Then let's go there," Yang Xuan decided immediately.

Riding in the car, he chatted casually with the driver.

Whoa, what a tall hotel. There are quite a few buildings over thirty stories in HN City. I haven't seen any over eighty stories. I have to crane my neck. Yang Xuan rubbed his slightly sore neck.

"56th floor, here we come."

"Welcome, sir. How many in your party?" the attendant asked politely.

"Just me," Yang Xuan said casually.

"Would you prefer a private room or the main hall, sir?" the server asked enthusiastically.

"A private room, a small one. I'm alone anyway," Yang Xuan replied.

"Certainly, sir. The minimum charge for a small private room is 1000 yuan," the server said.

"No problem," Yang Xuan said, a touch ostentatiously.

"I'll take this too. Hmm, this looks good. Horse meat sashimi? What the heck is that? I don't want it. Sea urchin? Yes, please. Oh, right, do you have king crab? Get me one. Wagyu beef? I'll have a portion. No! Three portions. Is this the portion size for Japanese cuisine? Are you feeding a cat?"

A whole table full of food. Honestly, the portions were pretty small. But the presentation was nice. I should take a picture and post it on my Moments. Let them all envy me.

I have to say, The City of Devils has so many places to visit and eat. After eating my fill, I might as well stay at the Grand Hyatt Jin Mao Hotel.

"Server, I'd like to stay for three days. I saw there's a Diplomat Suite online, right? Do you have one on the 85th floor?" Yang Xuan inquired.

"Yes, sir. Including the deposit, it's 17,550," the receptionist said.

"Cough, cough, um, I'll pay by mobile," Yang Xuan said, startled.

Holy crap, that scared me. It's so expensive. Forget it, forget it. I'll be a millionaire the day after tomorrow, so I'm not short on cash.

Hmm, I'm a bit tired today. I should head back to my room early.

Swipe card, open door, turn on lights.

He froze. The space was huge. He took a bath, put on a bathrobe, and held a glass of red wine while gazing at the view outside the 85th floor. Yang Xuan gave a self-deprecating smile. It seemed that even though he was about to become a millionaire and his own strength had surpassed the limits of ordinary people, he was still just a common man.

There's nothing wrong with that.

He spent his days sleeping in the hotel and wandering the streets. Soon, it was the 21st.

Just then, his phone rang.

"Hello, is this Mr. Yang? We're calling to inform you that your second 'Landscapes Twelve Screen Panel' has been selected as the final item for the first day of the auction. So, you might have to wait a bit."

"Okay, you arrange it. Just get me a good seat," Yang Xuan replied, holding his phone.

So, auctions can have unsold items too. Actually, Yang Xuan was already very satisfied. His first painting sold for 75 million.

The inkstone sold for 580,000.

The Buddha statue sold for 880,000.

The most inconspicuous Double Dragon Silver Yuan even sold for a sky-high price of 1.2 million. It was said that Empress Dowager Cixi had it specially made for her birthday.

Finally, evening arrived.

Next up was the final item of the day.

Qi Baishi's 'Landscapes Twelve Screen Panel' started with a bid of 150 million RMB.

Qi Baishi was a famous painting master in modern China, skilled in painting flowers, birds, insects, fish, landscapes, and figures. His brushwork was vigorous and moist, his colors rich and bright, his forms simple and lively, and his artistic conception profound and unpretentious. His paintings of fish, shrimp, insects, and crabs were full of natural charm.

This 'Landscapes Twelve Screen Panel' was a classic work by Qi Baishi. The auction began, with each bid increasing by no less than 1 million.

160 million! 200 million. 230 million.

Nine hundred million!

Nine hundred million for the first bid.

Are there any other esteemed guests who are interested? This is a rare opportunity.

Nine hundred million for the second bid.

Nine hundred and eighty million.

Alright. Are there any other interested parties?

Nine hundred and eighty million for the first bid.

Nine hundred and eighty million for the second bid.

Nine hundred and eighty million for the third bid.

Sold. Congratulations to this lucky esteemed guest.

"Mr. Yang, the total for your items this time is: 1,057,660,000. The taxes and commissions total: 10,576,600.

The total amount of 1,047,083,400 has been transferred to your bank," Old Nian said excitedly. "Pleasure doing business with you."

Yang Xuan also stood up and shook his hand. "Pleasure doing business with you."

"Old Nian, I wanted to ask, if I wanted to sell gold, jewelry, and the like, would you buy them?" Yang Xuan asked tentatively.

"Xiao Zhang, come here for a moment," Old Nian said, turning to Manager Zhang.

"Yes, Old Nian, what is it?" Xiao Zhang hurried over.

"Mr. Yang, if you have such transactions, you can contact Xiao Zhang," Old Nian said, pointing to Xiao Zhang.

They exchanged contact information.

Walking out of Fushide Auction House, Yang Xuan stretched lazily. It was already so late.

Forget it, I'll cancel the hotel by phone. I'll take a taxi back to HN City now.