Chapter 43

Translator: 549690339

Hearing this, Lin Mo felt assured and said with a smile, “Big brother sounds like an insider too, your price is so accurate, so I won’t haggle with you any further. 120 thousand is a bit high, I might lose money when I resell it. How about this, you take a step back, 110 thousand, and I’ll transfer the money to you right now, via WeChat, Alipay, or bank transfer.”

“If you still think that won’t work, you can go in there with the vase and ask around. They’ll probably offer you at most 80 to 90 thousand, maybe 100 thousand.”

But I need to tell you in advance, this is an auction house, and if you want to get your hands on the money, you’ll have to wait until they sell the item. The auction also involves a commission fee, and that can cause quite a delay.” The auction house also accepted antiques, but to cut in and make money off the antiques, Lin Mo naturally told a little lie.

After finishing, he no longer looked at Wang Erbo beside him and nonchalantly continued smoking his cigarette.

Compared to the first time he bought Tube Coins at the antique stall, Lin Mo’s demeanor had improved considerably, and he seemed very seasoned.

Even he felt that the current him resembled the shrewdest businessman, Da Jinya, from the “Ghost Blows Out the Light” novels.

Without unearned wealth, a man cannot grow rich, and without nighttime fodder, a horse cannot get fat.

To make money, one must be willing to take risks.

Moreover, Lin Mo didn’t feel that he had done anything wrong,

he had even added ten thousand, which was pretty good.

After about a full minute had passed, Wang Erbo finally clenched his teeth and said, Alright, I’ll sell it. Transfer the money to my Alipay, and the vase is yours!”

“All… that’s more like it. Possessions are always just possessions, but money is what’s really solid.”

Lin Mo took out his cell phone and switched the Pay treasure account to Li Jinwen’s. He had already notified Li Jinwen earlier in the day that he might need money, so he didn’t need to notify him again. Just as he was about to ask for the other person’s account, he heard Wang Erbo’s phone ring.

Lin Mo glanced at his phone brand and saw it was an old knockoff from many years ago, something like Jinpeng phone.

He had used one before. In fact, it was quite reliable, the interface was smooth, the scrolling marquee was cool enough, and with two batteries used in rotation, there was no pressure from the battery life. Its only feature was its piercingly loud volume; one didn’t need to use speakerphone, as the sound was clear within a three-meter radius.

Wang Erbo answered the call, and a woman’s voice came through.

“Hello, Old Wang, are you done yet? The doctor is pressing us for the payment again.”

“Wife, don’t worry, I’ve sold the item, for 110 thousand. You just relax, we’ll have enough for the child’s surgery!”

Hmm, that’s good. Be safe on your way!”

“Okay, I can’t talk right now, I’m busy, and I’ll rush to the hospital in a moment.”

After hanging up the phone, Wang Erbo urged, “Brother, my Alipay account is…”

Lin Mo’s brows furrowed slightly, and while typing the phone number, he casually asked, “Brother, are you in a hurry to use the money for medical treatment?”

“All…”

Bringing up this matter, Wang Erbo let out a heavy sigh and said helplessly, “Isn’t it just. I’m almost fifty, and it took me so long to get married and have a child. We were all very happy as a family, but who would have thought, just after the child was born, the doctor said he has acute severe hepatitis and needs surgery.”

“I’ve sold everything I could, and the only thing left was this vase from my grandmother.”

“Speaking of which, I have to thank you. If it weren’t for you buying my vase, I really wouldn’t know where else to gather this sum of money.”

Acute severe hepatitis?!

Heard this, Lin Mo also felt a shiver inside.

A colleague of his once had a child with this illness, and that guy worked day and night to raise money for his child’s treatment.

He ate the worst food but worked the hardest and rested the least.

Even Lin Mo and his colleagues who had seen much human suffering showed extra respect for him, and would even bring an extra portion of food for him now and then.

Unfortunately, just as he was about to gather enough money, he had an accident while carrying a heavy load, tumbling down the stairs, and ended up with a high-level disability.

No one knows exactly how much compensation he received, but in the end, the family left Rakshasa City in low spirits, with no one knowing whether the child was alive or dead.

Workers from all corners find themselves in similar struggles, and the plight of his coworker weighed heavily on Lin Mo and the others for a long time.

This illness isn’t easy to treat, and it’s going to cost a fortune.” Lin Mo’s hand hovered over the transfer number, unable to press down, as he tried to persuade, “Or maybe you shouldn’t get her treated; just take this money and have another child instead.”

Wang Erbo’s eyes were red-rimmed with tears as he lit the cigarette Lin Mo had just given him. He took a deep drag and said, “That’s not an option. Since I brought her into this world, I have to take responsibility.”

Now that’s a real man!

Just like his former workmate, a tough guy who could shoulder the weight of the world!

II II

“Looks like I just don’t have what it takes to be a crooked businessman.”

Lin Mo sighed in resignation. After much hesitation, he ultimately canceled the payment procedure, put away his phone, and waved his hand, saying, “Brother, I can’t take this vase of yours after all.”

But when Wang Erbo heard Lin Mo suddenly say he wouldn’t take his Glazed Red Plum Vase, he widened his eyes in panic.

He thought something had gone wrong and was almost about to cry out, hurriedly saying, “Brother, if you think the price isn’t right, I’ll give it to you for 100,000, or even 90,000 will do!”

“I really need the money to save a life!!!”

For him, an antique was valuable, but it couldn’t compare to his daughter’s life.

He didn’t have time to find another buyer.

If he couldn’t get the money today, the hospital would transfer his daughter from the ICU to a general ward for conservative treatment.

He knew all too well what conservative treatment meant—keeping his daughter alive but just barely.

And the doctor made it clear,

His daughter’s condition was serious, and surgery needed to happen as soon as possible. If complications arose from a delay, even raising the money for the surgery would be futile.

“No, no, big brother, just wait a minute. Don’t panic.”

Lin Mo helped up Wang Erbo, who was nearly ready to kneel before him, and sighed as he explained, “To be honest, I didn’t know about your situation, and I was just looking to score a bargain.”

“Actually… well, your vase could be worth around 300,000.”

Poor people empathize with poor people the most.

Lin Mo just couldn’t bring himself to profit from this misery.

“Listen to me, take this Glazed Red Plum Vase, sell it to the auction house, insist on 300,000, and use the money for your daughter’s treatment!”

What?

300,000?

The dazed Wang Erbo didn’t fully grasp what Lin Mo meant.

Which was normal,

Going through such an emotional rollercoaster in a short period could easily lead one to shut out external information.

That’s typically called being overwhelmed.

Lin Mo patiently explained again, “Old brother, you just need to trust me, I’m definitely not deceiving you nor do I need to, just insist on 300,000. A loss of twenty or thirty thousand is also acceptable, but don’t sell it for any less than that; it would be a huge loss.”

“If you’re really not sure, then leave my number with them, and if they don’t want it, come contact me, and I’ll buy it off you.”

Wang Erbo gradually came to his senses and understood the implications of Lin Mo’s words, but still asked with uncertainty, “Will that work? Didn’t you say that they have to auction it before they can pay me?”

This big brother is truly honest to a fault.

Why does he believe anything people tell him?