Chapter 1418 Four Hundred Million?
"But this is too expensive!"
Wei Linlin pouted. She couldn't afford two million.
"Linlin, don't worry. I'll pay the two million for you. This painting can sell for over two hundred million. You don't need to thank me. We're a team anyway, and I can take a cut. Consider it my investment."
"Alright then."
Hearing that she didn't have to pay, Wei Linlin didn't say anything more.
Tian Shijie seemed to be prepared. He took out a bank card and placed it in front of Master Gao. "Master Gao, there's 1.5 million here. Please find another spot for us. Someone will be coming to see the painting."
Master Gao accepted the bank card and said coldly, "Go ahead. Room number one on the second floor is vacant."
"Let's go to Room Number One!"
Tian Shijie led Ye Bufan and the others upstairs.
"Shijie, why did you take out an extra 300,000?" Wei Linlin frowned.
"That's the room fee."
"Room fee?"
Wei Linlin was confused and didn't understand these rules.
Tian Shijie smiled and glanced at Chen Xuan. He thought Chen Xuan would understand, but Chen Xuan actually didn't. He had never really engaged in antique transactions before. At most, he bought a few curios at flea markets, which were always cash on delivery.
"The so-called room fee is a deposit paid to the owner. If something happens here, he will bear all responsibilities. This owner has quite a bit of status in this area, and most people give him face."
"So that's how it is."
As they spoke, the group arrived at the private room on the second floor. The room was furnished with rosewood furniture and scented with sandalwood, exuding an ancient and grand atmosphere.
Shortly after entering, someone served tea.
The aroma of tea filled the air!
What kind of tea was this?
Chen Xuan picked up the cup and smelled it. It was Mingqian Longjing, which cost tens of thousands per jin. It was indeed worthy of the 300,000 room fee.
After a short wait, there was a knock on the door.
"Mr. Tian!"
Chen Xuan frowned. The voice sounded a bit stiff.
Tian Shijie jumped up from his seat. "They're here!"
Opening the door, a man and a woman appeared. The man was Chinese, and the other was a foreign woman with blonde hair and blue eyes.
The man was dressed simply, with a round face, and was full of worldly sophistication and smoothness.
The blonde-haired, blue-eyed foreign woman looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties, young and beautiful.
"Gong San, we've been waiting for a long time. Why are you only here now?"
Tian Shijie looked at the man and said with displeasure.
In fact, he had also been waiting for a long time, but seeing this man, he immediately put on a stern face. He was seizing the opportunity to increase the price later.
"My apologies, Young Master Tian. We were stuck in traffic."
Gong San was an old hand in the antique market, cunning and deceitful. He usually loved to scam foreigners because they were naive and rich. Just a few days ago, he met the blonde-haired, blue-eyed foreign woman next to him.
This foreign woman immediately asked to find Tang Bohu's famous painting, "Sunset Wild Geese."
With Gong San's connections, how could he find a precious antique like "Sunset Wild Geese"?
However, this was not Yufang Zhai. Yufang Zhai had publicly auctioned "Sunset Wild Geese," causing quite a stir. So Gong San found Tian Shijie and claimed he wanted to buy "Sunset Wild Geese."
"Come in."
Tian Shijie said impatiently.
The foreign woman also valued efficiency. As soon as she entered, without any small talk, she whispered something to Gong San in a foreign language.
Gong San only finished third grade in primary school, but in order to earn foreign exchange from foreigners, he learned fluent foreign languages. With this skill, he had made many deals.
Soon after the foreign woman finished speaking, Gong San said, "Miss Diana wants to see Tang Bohu's painting, 'Sunset Wild Geese,' first."
"Of course!"
Then, Tian Shijie walked to the table, opened the scroll, and spread it on a rosewood long table.
Seeing this, the foreign woman quickly strode forward and soon arrived at the rosewood long table. She leaned slightly, her beautiful eyes fixed on the painting "Sunset Wild Geese."
Logically speaking, people who buy antiques are meticulous. Even if they see something better, they wouldn't show any liking, let alone praise it. They would even feign dissatisfaction and find fault to bargain for the price.
However, this blonde-haired, blue-eyed foreign woman generously praised it, saying it was good and immediately decided to acquire "Sunset Wild Geese" at all costs.
Tian Shijie and the others were also overjoyed, thinking they could sell it for a good price!
Gong San said, "Mr. Tian, our Miss Diana values this painting very much. Please name your price."
Tian Shijie smiled and said, "Please wait a moment. We need to discuss it."
The few people exchanged glances and huddled together to discuss the price. Originally, it was planned to be 250 million, but Chen Xuan rejected it.
Chen Xuan said, "When we bought this painting, we spent 300 million publicly. Now selling it for 250 million, how can that be? They'll think we're fools!"
He had bought the painting at a high price because he believed there was a hidden secret within it. Now that no one else knew he had bought two paintings for 300 million, he naturally couldn't sell it at a loss.
"Then how much?"
"Four hundred million!"
Chen Xuan said.
Tian Shijie and the others gasped. Isn't that too greedy?
"Greedy?"
Chen Xuan was nonchalant.
In fact, Chen Xuan had no intention of selling the painting at all. If the buyer were Chinese, it would be fine. But this person was a foreigner. Such national treasure-level antiques should not be easily sold to foreigners. What if they were passed on to foreign countries?
Tian Shijie trusted him and decided to follow Chen Xuan's price.
"Have Mr. Tian and the others finished discussing?" Gong San asked with a smile.
"We've finished!"
"How much?"
"As everyone knows, our auction price was 300 million. Now I'm selling it for 400 million!"
Tian Shijie cleared his throat a few times before gathering his courage and quoting the price of 400 million.
Diana seemed to understand Chinese. She frowned, appearing to think that 400 million was too high!
Gong San, observing her expression, immediately saw the look on Diana's face. He wanted to close the deal so he could earn more commission. If it fell through, he wouldn't get a dime. "Brother Tian, the market price of this painting is only 200 million. Isn't 400 million too much?"
Tian Shijie was about to lower the price, but unexpectedly, Diana immediately made a decision. "I'll take it for 400 million!"
This accent was actually Chinese!
What?
Even Tian Shijie and the others were stunned. They didn't expect Diana to immediately agree to buy it.
Chen Xuan's eyes widened. I didn't plan to sell it!
Tian Shijie and the others were ecstatic. This was 400 million!
Gong San was also stunned and immediately said, "In that case, we'll take it for 400 million. We'll pay and deliver on the spot."
Then, Gong San was about to proceed with the handover procedures with Tian Shijie.
"Absolutely not sell it to them!"
Suddenly, a woman's cold shout rang out!