Just as I was anticipating what valuable item Zhou Yongxiang would present, an uninvited guest arrived before Sister Ying and me.
Bai Zhujing, that old man, sat down on the empty sofa next to us with a smile, unceremoniously asking, "Boss An, you don't mind if I sit here, do you?"
Sister Ying glanced at him and replied with a smile, "It's an honor to have Mr. Bai's company. How could I possibly mind?"
I had expected the old man to bring up the Xuande censer, and I was feeling quite uneasy.
But to my surprise, he didn't mention it at all.
"I heard that Boss An has acquired some good pieces recently?" Bai Zhujing casually remarked.
Sister Ying chuckled, "In our line of work, we can't afford to be idle, especially with so many people relying on us for sustenance."
Bai Zhujing smiled, "Indeed."
He then fell silent, a hint of slyness flickering in his eyes.
I glanced at Sister Ying. Her expression was calm and unruffled, as if she paid Bai Zhujing no mind.
I felt I couldn't match her composure.
After all, the Xuande censer sold to Director Zhang was a fake. As I had said before, genuine items remain genuine, while fakes can never be truly authentic.
Even though the ancestral secret techniques in my family could achieve marvelous craftsmanship, it couldn't change the fact that the Xuande censer was a counterfeit.
After Zhou Yongxiang made some polite remarks, the auction items were soon brought out.
The first item was a calligraphy and painting.
It was displayed by two people, depicting a wild goose and a cluster of autumn chrysanthemums, with a rock below the flowers.
Before I could examine it closely, Sister Ying asked me, "Xiao Fei, do you recognize this painting?"
Hearing her question, I turned to look at her, thinking she was testing me.
So, I replied, "If I'm not mistaken, this should be a painting of 'Wild Geese'."
The moment I finished speaking, Bai Zhujing couldn't help but interject with a laugh, "Young man, you indeed have sharp eyes. Do you know which renowned master this painting is by?"
I glanced at him but didn't answer, instead looking at Sister Ying.
"Xiao Fei, say whatever you wish. Mr. Bai is an expert in the ancient artifact world of Guangling. Perhaps he can offer you some guidance," Sister Ying said.
Upon hearing this, I no longer hesitated and spoke directly, "In the late Qing dynasty, there were the Three Bears of Shanghai: Zhu Xiong, Ren Xiong, and Zhang Xiong. All three were prominent masters of the Shanghai School. Judging by the composition of this 'Wild Geese' painting, it should be by Zhang Xiong, as he was renowned for his depictions of flowers."
As soon as I finished speaking, a flicker of surprise flashed in Bai Zhujing's eyes, and his gaze towards me became noticeably brighter.
"May I know your name, young brother?" Bai Zhujing asked.
"Xiang Fei," I replied indifferently.
"Young Brother Xiang, at such a young age, to possess such profound skill in appraising treasures..." After praising me, he turned to Sister Ying, "Boss An truly has many talented individuals under her."
"Mr. Bai is too kind. Xiao Fei is my younger brother, not my subordinate," Sister Ying said.
Upon hearing this, for some reason, my back straightened a little.
"So you're Boss An's brother?" Bai Zhujing asked, clearly surprised. "Truly a hero emerging from youth."
Sister Ying then asked, "Mr. Bai, how much do you think this painting is worth?"
"Based on current market prices, if it is indeed by Zhang Xiong, it should fetch around sixty thousand," Bai Zhujing said, looking at the painting.
Sister Ying nodded slightly, a smile appearing on her face.
Auctions are like this; the items that appear first are merely appetizers.
Ultimately, the painting was sold for fifty thousand.
Following that were some jade and porcelain items, with most of the final transaction prices remaining under two hundred thousand.
During this time, for every item brought out, Sister Ying would ask me about its origin.
Initially, I thought Sister Ying was testing me, but later I gradually realized that Sister Ying seemed to know nothing about ancient artifacts.
Take, for instance, a Qing dynasty vase. Such vases have very distinct characteristics of the Qing dynasty. Anyone with even a basic understanding of ancient artifacts could generally tell its era.
Yet, Sister Ying was completely clueless. From her eyes, I could tell she wasn't pretending.
With this discovery, I became very perplexed.
Sister Ying didn't understand ancient artifacts, yet she dared to take on the family business, and more importantly, had managed it for so long.
Should I call her bold, or did she have other hidden talents?
It's not that one cannot be in the antique business without understanding artifacts, but such a situation is extremely rare.
As the ancients say, "Different trades are like different mountains."
If you are completely ignorant of an industry, it is very difficult to survive in it.
While I was lost in thought, a Buddha statue was brought forward.
As the statue appeared, everyone looked towards it.
Sister Ying's eyes revealed a hint of interest, and many people even stood up to examine it closely.
Bai Zhujing was among them; as soon as the Buddha statue appeared, he stood up and went over.
"Xiao Fei, this Buddha statue?" Sister Ying asked me.
"It appears to be a gilt bronze Buddha," I said.
Sister Ying inquired, "What dynasty is it from?"
"I can't tell for sure yet."
As we were discussing, Zhou Yongxiang, seated in the grand chair, spoke into the microphone, "It seems everyone is interested in this gilt bronze Buddha? Since everyone is interested, I will directly state the reserve price."
Everyone returned to their seats, their hands poised, seemingly eager to acquire the statue.
"Reserve price, one million."
As Zhou Yongxiang's voice rang out, the venue fell silent.
After a few seconds, whispers began to spread.
"One million? Is this a real gilt bronze Buddha?"
"It should be real. A similar one was sold at the Hong Kong International Auction House not long ago, and I remember the transaction price was 1.5 million."
"Only 1.5 million in Hong Kong?"
"But judging by the condition of this Buddha statue, it could potentially sell for two to four million..."
"Who can guarantee that? The risk is too great. If it's bought and only sells for 1.5 million, it would be a huge loss."
...
Listening to the crowd's discussion, I couldn't help but murmur to myself.
I had heard my father mention that international auction houses generally have high commission rates and various fees.
When an item is auctioned off, a significant portion is taken by the auction house.
As for smaller auctions like today's, the commission is entirely up to the organizers; it can be more or less.
Looking at the Buddha statue in the distance, I noticed its lines were very fluid, and it gave me a sense of déjà vu.
I seemed to have seen such patterns and lines somewhere before, but I couldn't recall where.
At that moment, I noticed Bai Zhujing's eyes light up. Did he have the same feeling as me?
Thinking of this, I suddenly jolted, recalling something!