Xue Chen could understand why the seller did this. With one more buyer, the seller would have one more choice and could also take some initiative in the transaction price.
But this is not good news for Yan Ruxing. It may mean that he has to compete with more people for this painting, and even if he buys it, he will need to spend more money.
After going downstairs to the restaurant to have dinner, Yan Ruxing went back to his room to rest because he was old, while Xue Chen was dragged by Tao Sihai and Yu Qiang to the billiards room on the fifth floor of the hotel to play billiards.
Xue Chen was not very good at playing, and Tao Sihai was just so-so. Only Yu Qiang played very well and won several games in a row. Just as he was standing aside watching the two of them play, he suddenly jumped from the pool table next to him.
A ball flew over and hit Yu Qiang's leg.
Yu Qiang shouted, turned to look at the two men playing billiards at the pool table next to him, and yelled: "Do you know how to play billiards? The balls flew out and hit me."
"Damn it, who are you talking about who can't play ball?"
The person who knocked the ball away was a young man in his mid-twenties, with a silver earring in one ear and lavender hair. Upon hearing Yu Qiang's words, he immediately raised his eyebrows and looked over with an evil look.
"Keep your mouth clean, didn't you see the ball flew away and hit my leg?" Yu Qiang replied not to be outdone.
At the same time, Tao Sihai frowned and stood aside with a billiard cue in his hand, looking coldly at the two people opposite him.
Xue Chen stood aside calmly.
The red-haired young man still wanted to be aggressive, but was stopped by his forty-year-old companion who was playing with him: "Forget it, Xiao Chao, we are here to do business, don't cause trouble, otherwise your second uncle will be unhappy.
Already."
The red-haired young man put down his club, glanced at Xue Chen and the other two, and followed the forty-year-old man away. As he walked, he cursed in a low voice: "Damn, you are lucky. If you are in Yang'an, I will find someone to help you."
Beat the shit out of you three."
After such a fuss, Yu Qiang and Tao Sihai were no longer interested in playing anymore and both went back to their rooms.
According to Yan Ruxing's personality, of course, he would not give four single rooms to four people, but two double rooms. And he was able to stay in double rooms because the only four-person rooms had been booked by tourists from a travel agency.
Xue Chen and Yan Ruxing were in the same room. Yan Ruxing, who was lying on the bed reading a magazine, put the magazine down when he came back and said with a smile: "Xiao Xue, have you finished playing billiards?"
"Yeah." Xue Chen took off his coat and lay on the other bed.
Yan Ruxing's eyes moved and he suddenly asked: "Xiao Xue, do you know the ghost market in Pinghe?"
"Ghost market?" After hearing Yan Ruxing mention the ghost market in Pinghe, Xue Chen suddenly became interested and sat up, "I've heard of it."
"You haven't been there, have you?" Yan Ruxing said with a smile when he saw Xue Chen's interested expression.
"I haven't been there, but I heard that the ghost market in Pinghe opens at the beginning and middle of the month. Tomorrow happens to be the middle of the month. When I come, I plan to go and have a look." Xue Chen said truthfully.
"It's fine to go take a look and gain some knowledge, but do you know where the ghost market is? There are also rules of the ghost market, do you understand it?" Yan Ruxing asked.
"Uh..." Xue Chen paused and shook his head. He really didn't know.
When he saw the look of "I'm waiting for you to ask me" on Yan Ruxing's face, he chuckled in his heart and said, "Uncle Yan, I don't know. You must know better. Please enlighten me."
Yan Ruxing nodded with satisfaction: "Boy, you have asked the right person. The ghost market in Pinghe took shape at the beginning of last year, and it has only gained some scale this year. I have been there a few times, and it is clear."
"The ghost markets at the beginning of the month and the middle of the month are in two places respectively. At the beginning of the month it is an open space next to Erli Bridge, and in the middle of the month it is in an abandoned yard on Tianan Road. Both places are quite remote.
There are no street lights, and it’s very dark. At twelve o’clock at the beginning of the month and in the middle of the month, people from all walks of life will gather there, like lonely ghosts, and the timid ones really don’t dare to go.”
Xue Chen remembered these two places in his mind and asked: "As far as I know, many things in the ghost market come from shady sources? Won't the public security interfere?"
Yan Ruxing glanced at Xue Chen: "The ghost market you mentioned was a good place for thieves to sell stolen goods in the old days. The ghost market at that time was a real ghost market. There were all kinds of ghosts, ghosts, and snakes. People who broke doors and opened locks, dug graves.
Those who dig graves and rob homes, but today’s ghost market is simply an antique market that opens at night. Have you ever seen those vendors on the antique street investigated by the police?”
"So that's it." Xue Chen touched his chin.
"Why does the ghost market appear again? Instead of doing business during the day, it has to be done in the middle of the night. To put it bluntly, it is to add some mystery and make customers psychologically have the illusion that there must be treasures with shady origins in the ghost market.
, and it’s so dark, even a fake with rough workmanship is easy to get rid of. If you leave it on the roadside during the day, no one will even look at it." At this point, Yan Ruxing sneered.
What Yan Ruxing said was basically the same as what Xue Chen knew. Although the ghost market today is called a ghost market, it is completely different from the ghost market in the past.
"Of course, we can't say that the ghost market is all bad. There are still more genuine goods in the ghost market than at the stalls in the normal antique street. There must also be goods from shady sources. This depends on the individual's ability.
"
Having said this, Yan Ruxing turned over and yawned.
"Since you want to go to the ghost market tomorrow, I have to tell you one thing. In the ghost market, no matter whether you buy or not, you cannot tell the price. This is the unwritten rule of the ghost market. You need to use
Use your hands to negotiate the price, this is to prevent a third party from knowing about it and affecting the transaction between the stall owner and other people."
Immediately, Yan Ruxing taught Xue Chen a set of gestures for negotiating prices with his hands. Xue Chen learned it easily and could easily express his bid with his hands.
"Uncle Yan, why don't you go to the ghost market tomorrow?"
"I won't go. I've been there a few times. The novelty has long since worn off. I'm getting older. I don't have the energy to stay up late. I just hope I can get the business done tomorrow." Yan Ruxing shook his head and changed into a comfortable position.
posture, close your eyes and rest.
Early the next morning, right after breakfast, Yan Ruxing called the seller and confirmed the time and place for the meeting. The four of them immediately left the hotel, got in the car and hurried over.
The meeting place was a small conference room in another big hotel. The time was set at ten in the morning. When they arrived at the parking lot of the building, Yan Ruxing asked Yu Qiang to stay in the car and led Xue Chen and Tao Sihai to the parking lot of the building.
Lobby on the first floor.
While waiting for the elevator, Xue Chen unexpectedly saw the two people who had an argument in the billiards room yesterday. The two people were following a man in his fifties.
The red-haired young man also noticed him and Tao Sihai, glared coldly, and snorted softly.
Xue Chen and the others got out of the elevator on the twelfth floor. Coincidentally, the three red-haired young men also got off the elevator on the twelfth floor.
When they both came to a stop at the door of a conference room, the two parties glanced at each other and understood. They knew that the other party was also coming for Qi Baishi's painting.
The man leading the other party, who was about the same age as Yan Ruxing, had thick eyebrows and big eyes. He looked at Yan Ruxing and said with a smile: "This friend is also here to see Qi Baishi's paintings?"
Yan Ruxing looked at the other party and replied: "Yes, may I ask where your friend is from?"
"Yang'an."
"Oh, we came from Haicheng."
The two sides exchanged a simple greeting and said nothing more. They pushed open the door of the conference room and walked in one after another.
Entering the conference room, Yan Ruxing's face turned a bit unsightly.
There is an oval conference table in the middle of the small conference room of more than 20 square meters, with a circle of chairs on both sides. Seven or eight people are already sitting around it. Some are wearing suits and carrying briefcases, and some are dressed in casual clothes. But
Judging from their demeanor, they all seem to be wealthy people.
When Xue Chen and the others sat down and chatted with these people for a few words, they realized that their guess was correct. The people present were all buyers, including antique shop owners from other cities and big collectors. They were all rushing to Qi Baishi's place.
Counting them and the three people from Yang'an who came over from the painting, there were six buyers in total.
At this time, one of the middle-aged men wearing a white baseball cap and crossed his legs said cheerfully to another man in a suit and leather shoes sitting next to him: "Brother Sun, it's nice to meet you. I'll buy it later."
That painting, I invite you to play golf."
The man named Sun smiled lightly and replied: "Brother Zhao, you can play golf, but I am determined to win this painting by Qi Baishi, haha."
After hearing the words of the two, others joined in and threatened to take over the painting, no matter how high the price was.
The red-haired young man couldn't help but stand up and said: "Don't fight with us, I will decide on this painting." He raised his chin and glanced around with unruly eyes. When he saw Xue
Chen and Tao Sihai raised their eyebrows provocatively.
"Young man, if you are young and have a good tone, you are not afraid of your tongue flashing in the wind?" the man wearing a baseball cap who looked like a successful man joked.
The other buyers also laughed.
The red-haired young man grinned, his eyes filled with pride: "Do you know who I am..."
But before he finished speaking, he was stopped by the leading man: "Xiaochao, be quiet."
"A bunch of nouveau riche." The red-haired young man muttered and sat back.
Seeing that the buyer hadn't shown up yet, the painting hadn't been seen yet, and the smell of gunpowder was already so strong, Tao Sihai frowned and said, "With so many buyers, it seems the competition will be fierce."
"Yes." Yan Ruxing had a solemn expression on his face and shook his head helplessly.
Xue Chen also felt that the atmosphere in the conference room was very restless, as if everyone was eager to spend a lot of money to get the painting. (To be continued)