Chapter 28

Translator: 549690339 I

Although she said that, Li Jinwen was still somewhat worried, but out of trust for her husband, she didn’t say anything more.

Before entering Yiyi Auction, Lin Mo thought for a moment and then cautioned, “Wife, there’s one more thing I need to tell you. These antique dealers are all cunning, no matter how much they offer later, you must hold firm. Don’t talk carelessly, no matter what.”

Li Jinwen said anxiously, “Ah? Is it that troublesome? Maybe I should just not go in and wait for you at the door, to avoid the risk of saying something that could lose us a lot of money?”

“Silly, listen to what you’re saying. We don’t have to sell to them,” Lin Mo said as he tightly held his wife’s hand, pulling her inside while comforting her, “Without you there, I’d feel less confident. Besides, we might get richer and richer in the future, right? We’ll have to learn to face all sorts of situations, and you can’t always wait outside for me, can you?”

“Alright then…1’11 just watch my mouth!”

Li Jinwen nodded firmly.

After entering Yiyi Auction Co., Ltd., they were greeted with a splendid and majestic lobby.

There were many glass cabinets around the lobby, each displaying a variety of antiques.

Scholar’s rocks, jade, paintings, calligraphy, porcelain—you name it. It was almost like a small museum.

When they saw someone enter the company, a service staff member in her early twenties, dressed in a fancy cheongsam came over, bowed slightly, and respectfully asked, “Sir, madam, hello. How can I assist you today?”

Li Jinwen, who rarely frequented such places, felt very uncomfortable and restrained, darting her eyes about, unable to look at the staff member.

This was quite normal.

Wealthy people who visit a noisy vegetable market might feel uncomfortable watching others haggle and argue fiercely.

It wasn’t a question of inferiority or anything else.

It was simply discomfort.

Lin Mo was also a bit uncomfortable but coped better than Li Jinwen. Without showing his unease, he squeezed her hand a little tighter and casually said, “We’re here to get something appraised, your company’s back office sent me a message.”

He took out his phone, found the message from the antique forum’s back office, and showed it to the staff member.

Apparently not the first time she encountered such situations, the attendant smiled and nodded, “I see. In that case, sir, madam, please follow me.”

Under her guidance, Lin Mo and Li Jinwen were led to a VIP room.

The attendant asked politely, “What would you like to drink? Tea, hot water, or a beverage?”

“Hot water is fine.”

“I’ll have hot water as well.”

“Okay, please wait a moment. I will notify the manager to come here immediately.”

After pouring two cups of hot water for them, the attendant left the room.

Watching her leave, Li Jinwen murmured, “Husband, the salaries must be pretty good for a job here, right?”

“I wish I could find a job like this.”

Lin Mo chuckled and said, “Look at you, aiming so low. If you really want, I’ll give you an auction house in the future. You can be a service staff or the boss if you wish!”

“Oh, stop it,” Li Jinwen rolled her eyes at him, “This location alone must cost them millions in rent each year, right?”

Just as Lin Mo was about to speak, the door was pushed open, and a man in his fifties, very plump, bald, and dressed in a suit and tie, walked in.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting. I’m Song Dajin, the manager of Yiyi Auction. You can call me Manager Song.”

“And your name is… sir?”

It was hard not to feel charmed by the distinguished appearance of this man in his fifties, who so readily lowered his posture upon meeting.

Lin Mo certainly couldn’t bring himself to actually call him ‘Manager Song,’ as basic etiquette demanded more formality. He stood up, extended his hand, and said politely, “Good to meet you, Manager Song. My last name is Lin.”

“Please take a look at this coin. See if your company is interested.”

After sitting down, Lin Mo wasted no time, taking out the Household Department Guangxu Yuanbao andplacing it on the table without handing it over directly.

Antiques shouldn’t be passed between hands, just in case there’s an issue during the handoff which makes it unclear who’s responsible.

This type of practical knowledge was something he had picked up from watching a couple of antique appraisal videos on TikTok.

“Alright, please give me a moment.”

Manager Song put on knitted white gloves before picking up the Guangxu Yuanbao to examine it closely. After also testing it with instruments, a good while later he confirmed, “There’s no problem with the item, it is indeed a Household Department Guangxu Yuanbao.”

Hearing this, Li Jinwen’s excitement increased, her grip on Lin Mo’s hand inadvertently tightening enough to make the back of his hand ache.

Lin Mo felt his instructions at the entrance were well-placed.

If he hadn’t specifically told his wife how to behave at the entrance, she might have let out an excited shout by now.

More than a million dollars dropped from the sky,

a little house on Minghai Island,

settling in Rakshasa City,

the wishes of two generations, for two lifetimes,

were about to be fulfilled!

In such a moment, who could not be excited?

Even Lin Mo, who had known about the Guangxu Yuanbao from the start, was feeling more agitated at this moment than he appeared.

Manager Song noticed this scene but didn’t say much, simply continuing, “Mr. Lin, do you intend to entrust us with the auction, or…?”

“Based on previous experiences, your Guangxu Yuanbao could be auctioned for about 1.2 million.”

“But since your piece has some minor flaws, I personally think it could fetch about 1 million.”

Hm?

Still going for auction?

Upon hearing this, Li Jinwen’s brows furrowed slightly; she really wanted to ask if they could sell it directly to the auction house. She wouldn’t mind if they offered 800,000 instead of a million!

In her view, this thing called Guangxu Yuanbao was not as valuable as having several hundred thousand in hand.

She didn’t have that kind of cunning.

At this moment, however, Lin Mo gave a slight smile, stood up after putting away the Guangxu Yuanbao, and with a slight bow, said politely, “There’s no need for an auction for now. I’m thinking of selling it directly, but I feel that your establishment might not be quite suitable.”

Manager Song immediately stood up as well, smiling and saying, “Mr. Lin, if you’re looking to sell directly, we can certainly discuss that.”

“Indeed we could discuss, but I don’t think it would be very fruitful,” Lin Mo said with a smile, not forgetting his manners. “You just mentioned the auction could reach about 1 million, so your purchase price definitely wouldn’t exceed that, right?”

“And as far as I know, the market price for this Guangxu Yuanbao should be around 1.4 million, and I’m not hiding the fact that there are others willing to pay a higher price.”

“Manager Song, who do you think I should sell this Guangxu Yuanbao to?”

Despite Manager Song’s very courteous demeanor and submissive posture, there was a trap hidden in his words.

He was laying the groundwork for the acquisition by quoting an auction price of 1 million.

Manager Song was an old hand in the game – he could tell that this couple likely had little contact with the antiques industry and probably had just stumbled upon a lucky find, eager to liquidate.

Yet, in Manager Song’s heart, the actual transaction price of the Household Department Guangxu Yuanbao was indeed around 1.4 million.

Of course,

that’s just business,

nobody sets up shop for charity.

How do you make money if not a bit cunning?

For a manager like him, the lower the transaction amount, the higher his commission!

“Mr. Lin is certainly forthright,” said Manager Song, not upset at Lin Mo for seeing through his little ploy but instead demonstrating even more professionalism.

With a smile, he continued, “Let’s not beat around the bush, then. We can offer 1.2 million. That’s the highest price our auction house can give. Of course, others might bid higher, but they definitely won’t pay as quickly as we do.”

“We have a variety of payment options: cash, US dollars, gold, whatever you prefer.”

Lin Mo nodded slightly upon hearing this.

1.2 million was indeed a tempting offer.

Possibly more if bargained.

However, Lin Mo had many more things to do, and he didn’t want to drag things out over the Guangxu Yuanbao.

Rather than spending more time searching for another reliable buyer, Lin Mo would much prefer finding a long-term, high-quality business partner.

The Guangxu Yuanbao was just the beginning of his treasure hunting, not the end.

With the Intelligence System, he would inevitably come across similar information and purchase more valuable items.

Having Yiyi Auction as an outlet would be convenient in the future.

More importantly, he could choose not to sell at all but to auction the items through Yiyi Auction, potentially increasing his profits even more.

After weighing the pros and cons, Lin Mo looked at Li Jinwen and asked with a smile, “Wife, I have no objections.. What about you? Do you think we should close the deal?”