We had originally planned to return to the hotel to rendezvous with Song Bing and then inquire about the consultation fee. However, Song Bing had already figured everything out.
Not only had he gathered information about the White Dragon Jade Horse Tea House, but he had also managed to connect with a local power broker.
I had to admit, his efficiency was truly remarkable; it was something Fatty and I couldn't compare to.
According to Song Bing, the owner of the White Dragon Jade Horse Tea House was named Ma Xiuyong, a man in his forties. He was renowned locally as a treasure appraiser and a significant collector. Every year, numerous people sought him out for appraisals or to sell him antiques.
Now I understood why that person had mentioned a ten-thousand yuan consultation fee. It turned out that this money was for Ma Xiuyong's appraisal services.
Song Bing said, "The White Dragon Jade Horse from the Guanggu Association that you mentioned is indeed in Ma Xiuyong's possession. However, obtaining it won't be easy."
I looked at Song Bing. "What do you mean?"
"Even members of the four great families might not be able to get their hands on the White Dragon Jade Horse," Song Bing replied. "The only way to acquire it is by gambling with Ma Xiuyong in an appraisal challenge."
"Gambling in an appraisal?" I was momentarily taken aback.
"Precisely. Ma Xiuyong is an extremely conceited man who greatly enjoys gambling on treasures and frequently engages in appraisal challenges with others."
I stroked my chin. "No wonder Yan Hongguang asked me to come here."
Fatty interjected, "That old man Yan is really calculating. Master Xiang, what do we do next?"
I said, "Since we're here, we can't just leave without meeting him, can we?"
Fatty blinked. "Master Xiang, you mean you intend to challenge that Ma Xiuyong to an appraisal gamble?"
I hesitated. After a moment, I said, "No rush. Let's go meet him first."
"Master Xiang, you're not planning to pay that ten thousand yuan just to get him to appraise something for you, are you?" Fatty asked.
"Right now, that's the only way to meet him," I replied.
"Isn't that just handing him money?" Fatty said with a pained expression. "That's ten thousand yuan!"
"Do you have a better idea?" I asked.
Fatty pouted. "Ten thousand yuan is really easy money... Master Xiang, where are you planning to find an item? We can't go empty-handed, can we?"
I glanced at Song Bing. "Brother Song, ask that local acquaintance you just met if there's any way to find something."
Song Bing nodded. "No problem, I'll go inquire right away."
After making arrangements, Fatty and I went out for a stroll. By the time we returned to the hotel that evening, Song Bing had indeed found a lead.
He mentioned that the local power broker he knew was involved in a "banquet" tonight and asked if I wanted to check it out.
A "banquet" in this context referred to the resale of burial artifacts, and Song Bing specified it was a "live banquet."
I had heard of "eating live banquets" before but had never participated.
A "live banquet" meant that tomb robbers had discovered a tomb and even dug the access tunnel. However, they hadn't touched the contents yet. Instead, they sought buyers first. Once a buyer arrived, they would enter the tomb together and retrieve the items on-site, selling them immediately.
This method of reselling burial artifacts was common in various regions. Typically, only acquaintances were invited to "eat banquets," and strangers were rarely included.
I didn't know how Song Bing managed to get an invitation to a "live banquet."
However, thinking about it, Song Bing had been with Wu Tingxiu for a long time, and he wasn't an ordinary person to begin with. I had witnessed his tomb-robbing skills, so he must have his own network.
As soon as Fatty heard "banquet," he started bragging. He recounted an instance in Yan Jing where he had attended one but hadn't acquired anything good and had even lost money.
"Eating banquets" also had its own rules. Before attending, buyers had to pay a deposit. The amount of the deposit determined the order of purchase.
For example, whoever paid the highest deposit would have the first priority to purchase the first item retrieved from the tomb.
If they refused, it would pass to the next person in line. After the first item was sold, when the second item was retrieved, they would still have the first pick.
However, tomb robbers usually ensured that the first items they retrieved were of good quality. This was mainly to build anticipation for the subsequent buyers.
If the deposit was too small, as Fatty experienced, he ended up at the back of the line, and by the time it was his turn, all the good items in the tomb were gone. His deposit, naturally, was non-refundable.
Since we were going to "eat a live banquet," I wasn't going to be stingy. I planned to pay a larger deposit to get an early pick. However, Song Bing told me that he had already made arrangements and paid the deposit.
"Brother Xiang, General Manager Wu sent me here to help you solve your problems. You don't need to be polite with me. I already informed General Manager Wu before paying the deposit."
I gave a wry smile. "Then if this banquet yields any good items, who do they belong to?"
"They belong to you," Song Bing replied with a smile.
"Was that also instructed by General Manager Wu?"
He nodded. "Yes."
Given that, I couldn't say much more.
Around nine o'clock that night, Song Bing received a call. He then led Fatty and me out of the hotel and into a minivan.
The driver was a bald man in his thirties, with a scorpion tattooed on the back of his left hand. He was chewing betel nut, giving off a distinctly roguish aura.
Song Bing introduced him to Fatty and me as Mao Dadan.
He then introduced us to Mao Dadan, stating that we were all antique dealers in Guangling.
Mao Dadan smiled and offered Fatty and me each a betel nut. "Brother Song's friends are my friends. From now on, we're all brothers."
His speech, like Liu Jiangmin's, was in "Northern Guang Province Mandarin." Sometimes, if you didn't listen carefully, you wouldn't understand what he was saying.
Mao Dadan drove us out of the fishing village and quickly onto the highway. He told us that it would take another seven or eight hours to reach the destination and that we should rest, and he would wake us when we arrived.
The minivan had poor shock absorption, and coupled with the highway being riddled with potholes due to heavy truck traffic, the ride was incredibly bumpy. It was impossible to sleep, and even smoking could lead to a burnt lip.
Mao Dadan was quite talkative, regaling us with all sorts of lewd jokes throughout the journey, making Fatty and me roar with laughter. Fatty, in particular, who was already a chatterbox, seemed to be a perfect match for him.
The two of them chatted incessantly.
As for Song Bing, I was quite impressed. Sitting in the passenger seat, regardless of how bumpy the ride was, he sat steadily, his eyes closed, as if he were either asleep or lost in thought.
Around three in the morning, the car stopped on a dirt road. Mao Dadan made a phone call, and about ten minutes later, a person carrying a flashlight walked towards us.
The newcomer was dressed like a farmer and conversed with Mao Dadan in a dialect for a while. Finally, Mao Dadan pulled out a few hundred yuan and handed it over. The person then led us into the mountains.