"Boss Li, maybe we should just forget about it?" Huang Yongshou's heart sank at the words, and his face stiffened.
Li Chonglou's eyesight was exceptionally sharp, and he had already experienced it firsthand.
Moreover, Li Chonglou was generous, even giving benefits to others when he found a good deal.
He clearly remembered what happened in Dongshan.
If Li Chonglou spotted anything truly valuable, wouldn't all his efforts be in vain?
"Don't worry, I'll just take a look," Li Chonglou replied.
How could he not understand Huang Yongshou's concerns? He genuinely had no intention of snatching the deal. After all, although Huang Yongshou was cunning, he had helped him before.
They weren't friends, but they weren't enemies either. Li Chonglou wouldn't do something that ruined another person's livelihood.
He was purely curious.
"Here, let me show you. We Tibetans are very generous," Alusong chuckled and produced a well-worn leather package.
It looked old, but not particularly valuable.
However, the next moment, Huang Yongshou's eyes widened.
Alusong unwrapped the leather package to reveal a bronze Vajra Bell.
This bell was shaped like a Vajra, covered in a patina of bronze.
It was a fusion of two ritual implements; in Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism, the Vajra represented the masculine principle (yang), and the Bell represented the feminine principle (yin).
Their union symbolized the harmony of yin and yang.
The entire piece was cast in bronze. The handle ended in nine prongs, with four Buddha statues among them.
At the bottom was the head of a demon king.
The handle had seven layers of lotus petals, alternating between upturned and inverted. At the very bottom was the bell, shaped like a bell, with a clapper inside.
When shaken, it produced a clear, tinkling sound.
The bell was also inscribed with seal script.
Before Huang Yongshou could reach for it, Li Chonglou gently tapped the table, signaling Alusong to place it on the surface.
Huang Yongshou then remembered that he had gotten too excited seeing the treasure and almost reached out to grab it.
If Li Chonglou hadn't been there, Alusong would have immediately known he was interested and might have raised the price, or even refused to sell.
In the world of antique dealing, the biggest mistake a buyer could make was to reveal their eagerness. Huang Yongshou, an experienced broker, had almost forgotten this today.
After Alusong placed the Vajra Bell down, Li Chonglou picked it up gently and took a look.
"The inscription here indicates it was verified by an official from Chengji County in Qin Prefecture."
"It was actually made in our Qin Prefecture and sent to the Tibetan region? That's quite a coincidence. Boss Huang, acquiring this bell would be like returning it to its origin."
Li Chonglou put it down after a glance, smiling faintly, his true thoughts unreadable.
However, a subtle gleam appeared in his eyes.
This artifact was too special.
Its uniqueness wasn't in its material, age, or even its inscriptions and history.
It was in the clapper!
A typical Vajra Bell clapper would be a hollow bronze ball, producing a resounding ding when struck. But the clapper of this bell had been lost long ago.
Something else had been placed there to replace it.
And that something was incredibly precious.
"Boss Li's eyesight is indeed exceptional," Alusong praised, giving him a thumbs-up.
Being able to read the inscription meant Li Chonglou had some knowledge of ancient scripts, differentiating him from ordinary people. However, this praise was mostly flattery and not to be taken too seriously.
Li Chonglou smiled and remained silent.
He had promised not to interfere with Huang Yongshou's deal, so he wouldn't show any interest.
He waited for Huang Yongshou to negotiate the price.
"Alusong, name your price for this artifact. If it's reasonable, I'll buy it," Huang Yongshou, being shrewd, got straight to the point.
Alusong had brought it all the way to Yongan specifically to find him, knowing its value.
There was no way he could get an extraordinary bargain. It would be good enough if he could make a small profit.
"This much," Alusong said, holding up two fingers.
"Two million? That's too much..." Huang Yongshou shook his head.
Seeing his dissatisfaction, Alusong showed no disappointment. Instead, he smiled and said, "I've decided that if Boss Huang finds it too expensive, I'll go to Master Lu Weishen."
"I'm sure he would be very interested in this treasure."
"Nowadays, in the Tibetan region, everything is valuable. The dzi beads we used to give away freely are now astronomically priced."
"This Vajra Bell artifact has been passed down from my great-grandfather. Two million is already a friend's price."
It had to be said that Alusong, despite being Tibetan, was practically indistinguishable from the Han people. His negotiation tactics and language made Huang Yongshou's face turn extremely unpleasant.
He could only look to Li Chonglou for help: "Li Boss, could you take a look and tell me if it's worth it?"
As he spoke, he secretly winked at Li Chonglou, signaling him to play along and help drive down the price.
Li Chonglou saw this and couldn't help but want to laugh.
Huang Yongshou was good at grabbing small advantages but not at making large profits.
Although Alusong's asking price was a bit high, there was still room for negotiation.
An ordinary person would lose money buying it for two million, but as an experienced broker, Huang Yongshou could at least make a hundred to two hundred thousand.
Alusong had made it clear that if he couldn't sell it at a satisfactory price in Qin Prefecture, he would find someone else. While Master Lu Weishen wasn't in Qin Prefecture at the moment, Lin Ao was.
At this point, insisting on a low price would only result in missing out on the treasure.
However, since Huang Yongshou had asked for his help, Li Chonglou couldn't remain entirely silent. So, he spoke up, "Alusong, you've come a long way as a guest."
"Boss Huang genuinely wants to buy your item, and I'm an old acquaintance of Boss Huang."
"How about this: if he agrees to your price, it might seem a bit uncharitable, but if he doesn't negotiate at all, he'll inevitably feel uncomfortable.
"Since I'm here, how about I contribute a share?"
Upon hearing this, Huang Yongshou and Alusong were both stunned.
Contribute a share?
What did that mean?
Huang Yongshou, in particular, furrowed his brows.
Didn't Li Chonglou say he wouldn't interfere with his deal? Why was he changing his mind and wanting to get involved?
"Li Boss, what do you mean by this..." Huang Yongshou was a little flustered.
"Don't overthink it. I see Alusong as an honest person. After all, it's better to earn something than nothing. I'll contribute half of the two million," Li Chonglou said. "You still take the item and sell it. Whatever money you get, it's all yours."
"How about that?"
Hearing this, Huang Yongshou's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What are you hoping to gain from this?" Alusong also asked, looking surprised.
"I'm hoping to gain this person, Huang Yongshou. He's helped me a lot, and I'll need to buy or sell antiques with him in the future. Consider this one million a token of my gratitude," Li Chonglou said casually. "Besides, I'm also making a friend of you, Alusong. If I travel to the Tibetan region in the future, I might need your help."
This explanation instantly enlightened them both.
Alusong couldn't help but give him a thumbs-up. "As you Han people say, your generosity is immense!"
Huang Yongshou also felt a surge of unexplainable gratitude.
"Don't thank me. You have to agree to one condition, and you can't refuse," Li Chonglou stopped him.
"Alright, Boss Li, whatever you command, I will obey, even unto death!" Huang Yongshou agreed without a second thought, having fallen into the trap.