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墨書 Inktalez
Ma Dong and Tong Wei entered a building with bandages wrapped around their heads, looking quite miserable. A young woman led them in front, saying, "Remember, the reason you could come out so easily is all thanks to us. Now your reputation online is ruined. We will give you a path to success, but whether you can seize it depends on your abilities."
The two immediately nodded and said, "Yes, yes, rest assured, we will definitely follow your instructions."
"It's not my instructions; it's the boss's instructions!" the woman reminded them again.
"Yes! Yes!"
"Once we go in, remember not to move around or speak carelessly. The police might only detain you for half a year or a year at most, but we won't be that merciful!" The woman's light laughter was gentle, but to Ma Dong and Tong Wei, it carried a deep meaning; they both knew who they were dealing with.
Ma Dong was in a dire situation this time. Not only had he suffered serious injuries and faced heavy fines, but he also had to compensate Shanshui International Hotel Group for 400,000 in vehicle damages. On top of that, his reputation online was tarnished. The paparazzi and counterfeiters had their limits; the two had installed listening devices and surveillance equipment in someone else's home and car while inciting villagers to fight and steal. The key point was that they were caught red-handed in the end.
Unlike Bai Yujing, who had connections with second-generation elites and insiders to protect him, if this woman hadn't come to rescue him, he would have truly been finished.
This incident left Ma Dong infamous, mocked as a joke and villain. The studio staff scattered; his career and life fell into an abyss overnight. After thirty years of hard work, he found himself back at square one.
The woman who appeared to be a secretary was actually Zhang Qian, the president of Wanhai Media Co., Ltd., one of the top three media companies in the country—a powerful figure in both the legitimate and underworld entertainment circles. Even at Ma Dong's peak, he would never have crossed paths with someone of her caliber; after all, he was just trying to make a living in the cracks of society.
If such a big shot personally came out to greet him like a subordinate, one couldn't help but wonder who wanted to see him. This thought made Ma Dong feel anxious as he followed Zhang Qian to the top floor of the building. With their heads lowered, Ma Dong and Tong Wei entered a spacious hall.
The hall was styled in Ancient Architecture with red tones, featuring wooden furniture, antique benches, intricately carved sliding doors, and folding screens depicting beautiful women. Sitting beside them was an extraordinarily beautiful woman lounging on a bench in a qipao dress while two girls around seventeen or eighteen years old were preparing tea.
Zhang Qian walked forward and said with her head lowered, "Boss, I’ve brought them here."
The woman looked up and glanced at them. "Are these the two? Zhang Qian, you step outside first. You two come over and tell me about the situation in Shuiyuan Village."
Ma Dong felt somewhat nervous but was overtaken by Tong Wei, who stepped forward and detailed everything that had happened in Shuiyuan Village. Ma Dong silently cursed Tong Wei for daring to steal his thunder and vowed to deal with him later when they returned.
The woman listened with her eyes closed for a long time without speaking. Ma Dong took this opportunity to slightly raise his head and looked at the woman in the qipao before him, unable to help but swallow. She was a true beauty, lying on the chair and naturally exuding a captivating mature charm. Her long, rounded thighs and full, firm hips, along with her long, shiny black hair cascading down to her waist, framed a face as radiant as the moon beneath her bangs.
As he gazed, Ma Dong's expression became somewhat dazed. The woman coldly snorted, "Who told you to raise your head? Someone, drag him away."
Before Ma Dong could react, he saw two bodyguards with expressionless faces rush up from both sides, grabbing him and dragging him away. "Boss, boss, I was wrong! Give me a chance! Boss, woo woo woo..."
As Ma Dong wanted to say something more, his mouth was tightly covered. After taking two heavy punches, he was obediently dragged out the door. The woman then cast a disdainful glance at Tong Wei, who was trembling in fear, lowering his head deeply and not daring to say a word or look around.
"I have something for you to handle that happens to align with your expertise!" The woman did not ask Tong Wei if he was willing; her tone was filled with the authority of someone in power.
Tong Wei kept nodding his head. "Of course I’m willing!"
"Very well, I need you to..."
----------------
Bai Yujing was completely unaware of Ma Dong's miserable fate and the little drama happening here. At this moment, he was in a private room of a teahouse having a meal with a porcelain appraisal expert in his fifties who wore glasses and had a square face. This meeting had been arranged through Li Hao's assistance; Bai Yujing did not dare to seek anyone else for fear of leaking information.
On the table were three boxes. The appraisal expert Zhao Guoqiang had been examining them for half an hour, using a magnifying glass and flashlight while wearing white gloves, looking extremely professional.
"How is it, Professor Zhao?" Bai Yujing asked eagerly as Zhao Guoqiang finally set down the small cup he had been holding.
Zhao Guoqiang nodded. "In my opinion, everything is genuine; there are no issues."
Bai Yujing was prepared for this since he personally retrieved these items from the Underground Palace; how could there be any fakes? The key question was whether these items were valuable!
Seeing the clueless expression on Bai Yujing's face, Zhao Guoqiang sighed. It was a waste for such treasures to fall into the hands of someone like him. Zhao Guoqiang pointed at the Guanyin Porcelain Statue on the table and said, "This is the Willow Branch Guanyin Statue by Ming Dynasty sculptor He Chaozong, an absolute masterpiece in perfect condition."
Zhao Guoqiang indicated the seal and gourd behind him, then took a flashlight to shine on them. "The gourd is on top, and the seal is below. There's no mistake. The light shows a faint red hue, indicating that the clay contains iron. The characteristic of Dehua Porcelain is its hardness and brightness, with a body as white as ivory. It's genuine!"
Bai Yujing looked at Zhao Guoqiang expectantly. "Is it valuable?"
Zhao Guoqiang sighed inwardly. "The price should be around two million."
Bai Yujing felt a surge of joy; this consolation prize was quite good. Zhao Guoqiang then picked up another jade ring. "This one is also from the Ming Dynasty, a work by Lu Zigang. In the history of ancient Chinese jade, only Lu Zigang has left his name as an author, so his works have very high collectible value. Moreover, this ring's jade quality reaches the level of Sheep Fat White Jade..."
"How much?" Bai Yujing had heard of Lu Zigang; his brand was very famous.
Zhao Guoqiang felt even more uncomfortable and said, "It's not lower than He Chaozong's Avalokiteshvara Statue."
Looking at the last cup, Zhao Guoqiang felt his heart bleed. Bai Yujing also looked at this final piece with anticipation. "Old Zhao, what about this one?"
Zhao Guoqiang glanced at Bai Yujing, seeing his eyes shining with excitement and only gold coins sparkling in them—what a greedy person! "This is the Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cup, an imperial wine cup from the Chenghua Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. There are imitations from the Ming Dynasty during the Jiajing, Longqing, and Wanli reigns, as well as from the Qing Dynasty during the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong reigns, but I believe yours is genuine."
Bai Yujing wanted to speak again, but Zhao Guoqiang immediately stopped him. "Don't ask me for a price; just search online yourself. The total value of your two pieces combined doesn't even match a fraction of this one."
Wow, it turned out that this unassuming little cup was worth so much! Bai Yujing quickly took out a thick envelope from his bag. "Old Zhao, this is your appraisal fee. Thank you for your help this time!"
Zhao Guoqiang accepted the money and said, "Make sure to read more books related to this type of item when you have time; don't make a fool of yourself like this again. However, I must tell you that I can only say I believe it's genuine; everyone has their off days, myself included. You need to judge for yourself how things really are."
Old Zhao was indeed a very decent person. Bai Yujing nodded in agreement and then escorted him out of the private room before quickly turning back to put everything into a paper box and carefully stuffing it into his bag—these were all treasures!
Afterward, I ordered a pot of tea and some snacks, which were quite expensive. We mostly just admired the items and didn't eat much. Bai Yujing was eating while searching on his phone for the terms Zhao Guoqiang had mentioned earlier. When he found information about the Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cup, he was momentarily stunned and felt a bit scared.
On April 8, 2014, Sotheby's in Hong Kong held an important spring auction for Chinese ceramics and works of art, starting at a price of 160 million Hong Kong dollars. After eight bids, it sold for 281.24 million Hong Kong dollars.
Bai Yujing called Li Hao. On the other end, Li Hao sounded very low: "How's it going? Has Old Zhao finished appraising?"
"That's right. The Guanyin Bodhisattva Porcelain Statue is from He Chaozong, the finger ring is from Ming Dynasty's Lu Zigang, and that small cup—Old Zhao said it's a Ming Dynasty Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cup. I just looked it up..." Bai Yujing said excitedly.
"What?" Li Hao's voice suddenly rose, followed by a lot of noise before he hung up.
Not long after, Li Hao called back: "I was just caught in an elective class. I'm out now. No way, did Old Zhao say it's genuine? I remember there are imitations from later dynasties that can almost pass for real."
"You know about this too? Well, with your background, you must have seen a lot. Old Zhao said it's real, but I can't make a move here; I can't go to the auction house. If I make a move here, I'm definitely done for. This also has half of your share; for now, I can only put it aside. I've decided to use it for drinking tonight and enjoy the treatment of an emperor." Bai Yujing felt a bit regretful but also very excited.
Li Hao immediately said loudly: "Don't! Don't ruin it! If Old Zhao says it's real, then there shouldn't be any problem with it. He's my elder, and my dad respects him greatly. How about this? I'll offer you 100 million to transfer it to me, and I'll pay you market price for the other two."
The items were unearthed by both Bai Yujing and Li Hao together. The auction house would also charge taxes, so there would definitely be a premium compared to market prices. Li Hao offering 100 million to buy it back was quite reasonable. Bai Yujing felt tempted: "Why are you spending so much money on this? Do you like collecting antiques?"
Li Hao replied: "My dad's birthday is next month; I want to give it to him as a birthday gift."
"Wow, is that how you give birthday gifts?" Bai Yujing said enviously. "Alright, but I want to keep the other two items. How do you want me to give them to you? Will you come over in person?"
"No need; I'll have someone come pick them up. I'll transfer the money directly to your account."
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