Chapter 1431 Thief Cries Out Stop Thief!
Chen Xuan frowned. Before he could speak, Wei Linlin preempted him, "What price are you offering?"
Qin Ling was momentarily speechless. "Uh..."
After a pause, he added, "I guarantee it won't be less than a billion!"
Wei Linlin was also surprised. The Wei family's assets were not that substantial. A single Imperial Green jade was worth a billion?
Qin Ling knew Wei Linlin had a good relationship with Chen Xuan. Fearing she might sway Chen Xuan's decision, he added, "This is just the base price. The final price needs to be reported to my superiors."
"Okay, okay..."
Did this mean it would be more than a billion?
Wei Linlin swallowed hard and nodded reluctantly.
"Mr. Chen..."
Chen Xuan said calmly, "Since the Qin family is so sincere, I will sell it to the Qin family. Once you've settled on a price, call me. As for this Imperial Green jade, Mr. Qin can take it now."
He wasn't afraid of the Qin family reneging on the deal. If they dared to default, they would face severe consequences.
"Thank you for your trust, Mr. Qin. I will do my best to give you a reply!"
Qin Ling smiled.
Then, Chen Xuan and his companions took their leave. On the way back, Wei Linlin suddenly asked, "We still have two paintings and a celadon tripod. Why don't we sell them all to the Qin family? That way we won't have to find other buyers."
Tian Shijie, however, shook his head. "As the saying goes, rarity makes for a higher price. If we present so many treasures at once, the Qin family will definitely bargain. Moreover, with the Qin family's capabilities, they might not be able to afford so many treasures. We still need to find other buyers."
"That makes sense. Tian Shijie, I'll leave finding buyers to you. Make sure to find reliable buyers, and absolutely no foreigners," Wei Linlin instructed.
"Okay, I understand," Tian Shijie replied.
Hearing Wei Linlin mention the two paintings, Chen Xuan's brow furrowed.
Where had Tang Bohu's "Sunset Heron Painting" gone?
He looked at Tian Shijie and asked, "Tian Shijie, where did you find the buyers you contacted today?"
"On a black market antique forum. Many antique transactions are conducted on such forums. They are highly credible."
"Can you still contact them?"
"What for?"
Tian Shijie frowned.
Chen Xuan said, "The 'Sunset Heron Painting' is missing. I suspect Diana might have had something to do with it."
"The 'Sunset Heron Painting' is missing?"
Everyone's eyes widened. They had initially thought Chen Xuan had forgotten to bring it or was planning a surprise. Now, it seemed something had indeed gone wrong.
"I have Diana's phone number. I'll call her right now."
Tian Shijie immediately took out his phone.
Chen Xuan whispered, "Don't mention the 'Sunset Heron Painting.' Just tell them we want to sell another painting by Tang Bohu."
Tian Shijie understood. Chen Xuan was worried about alerting the suspect.
He immediately called Diana. After a moment, Tian Shijie hung up.
"How is it?"
Tian Shijie said in a deep voice, "Diana agreed. She said to meet you at the small plaza outside the Sundae Cafe for the transaction. No one else is allowed to go."
"Alright, I'll go meet them," Chen Xuan said.
"Mr. Chen, perhaps you shouldn't go. I'm worried..." Tian Shijie cautioned.
Given that these people were capable of theft, it was conceivable they were not just simple buyers but likely part of a syndicate dealing in antiques. Such people were ruthless and capable of anything.
Chen Xuan smiled faintly. "It's fine. They're just a few minor players. I'll deal with them!"
With that, Chen Xuan drove Wei Linlin home first, then headed straight for the small plaza outside the Sundae Cafe.
The appointment was set for two o'clock in the afternoon. Chen Xuan arrived at ten minutes to two. He parked his car, took the Tang Bohu painting, and got out.
He waited and waited. By a quarter past two, no one had appeared. Chen Xuan grew impatient and took out his phone to call Diana, but it was unsuccessful.
"Damn it, are they playing me?"
Helpless, Chen Xuan prepared to leave.
As Chen Xuan walked towards his car, a person suddenly rushed towards him head-on and collided fiercely with him.
To his surprise, Chen Xuan stood firm, while the other person was instantly sent flying.
The person was also bewildered. Was this guy made of flesh and blood, or was he made of steel?
Everything seemed to be beyond his expectations.
"Brother, are you alright?"
Chen Xuan walked over with a smile and helped him up.
"Do you have eyes when you walk! Didn't you see me walking? Now you've knocked me down. What if I have a concussion?"
The person brushed himself off, stood up, and furiously pointed at Chen Xuan's nose, scolding him.
"Hey, you were looking down, playing on your phone when you bumped into me. You can't try to extort me just because you're weak!"
Chen Xuan frowned, looking extremely displeased.
"Extort you? What time do I have to extort you? Kid, watch where you're going!"
The person seemed unwilling to argue and turned to leave.
"Stop!"
Suddenly, Chen Xuan said coldly.
"What is it? You bumped into me, and now you want to hit me?"
The person raised an eyebrow.
Chen Xuan narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the man before him.
The man sensed Chen Xuan's gaze and felt as if he had been completely seen through, which made him very uncomfortable. "What do you want?"
Chen Xuan said lightly, "Give me my painting."
"What painting? What are you talking about?"
The man's expression changed instantly, but he quickly regained his composure and said in a deep voice.
Chen Xuan glanced at the bag on the man's shoulder and said, "The painting I brought just now was stolen by you. If I'm not mistaken, it should be in your bag right now."
"You..."
The man's face turned pale.
How did this guy know?
He had originally intended to bump into Chen Xuan and steal the painting Chen Xuan had brought. But he never expected that upon collision, Chen Xuan would send him flying, giving him no opportunity to act. He then used this chance to provoke Chen Xuan.
Taking advantage of the conflict between them, this man stole the painting Chen Xuan had just brought.
"What 'you'? Stop the nonsense and hand over the painting immediately, or don't blame me for being impolite," Chen Xuan sneered, stepping closer to the man step by step.
The man's eyes showed fear, and he slowly backed away.
He had actually practiced some martial arts, but after witnessing Chen Xuan's strong physique, he knew that if he attacked, he would only bring shame upon himself.
But what should he do?
A sudden idea struck him, and he shouted, "Help! Robbery!"
Chen Xuan's brows furrowed upon hearing this!
Damn it, the thief cries out to stop the thief!
As the shout rang out, the surrounding people not only did not respond proactively but instead lowered their heads and played on their phones, quickening their pace as if they hadn't heard anything at all.
"Damn it! Didn't they say people should come forward to help the just?"
The man was suddenly crestfallen!
Seeing this, Chen Xuan almost burst out laughing!
He took a deep breath and said playfully, "Hurry up and hand over the painting, and tell me where Diana is, or I won't let you off!"