Chapter 7

Yang Bo was overjoyed at first, but then he became somewhat suspicious, as he knew that this painting might never end up in his hands.

Guo Bapi stared at the painting for a long time before finally looking up at the middle-aged man. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand this painting. You should try another shop!"

The middle-aged man was shocked. "How can this be? Boss, please take another look. This is a family heirloom!"

Guo Bapi waved his hand. "It's lunchtime now. You should hurry, or the other shop owners might go out for lunch, and you'll waste a lot of time."

The middle-aged man sighed and put the painting away, then turned and walked out.

Yang Bo was about to say something to retain him when he heard Guo Bapi sigh. "What a fabricated story! In this business, you can't believe any of these stories. Whether it's a son with leukemia or a father with heart disease, they're all fake! Didn't you notice that the man's clothes were tattered and dirty, but his neck and arms were fair-skinned? He must be someone who lives a life of luxury and doesn't work! The clothes were probably just props he prepared in advance. He's not professional enough!"

Yang Bo was shocked. "So, you judged that the painting was fake for that reason?"

"Yes, I didn't see any problems with the painting he showed me. Does he think that a painting by Kuncan is so easy to find? He's one of the Four Monks of the Early Qing Dynasty. A single painting is worth hundreds of thousands. How could someone like him get his hands on it?"

Guo Bapi complained while taking out a lunch box and then exclaimed, "Yang Bo, you actually bought a ten-yuan lunch box today? Aren't you saving money anymore?"

At that moment, Yang Bo didn't care about these things. He turned and ran out. "Boss, you eat first. I have something to do. I might come back a bit later!"

Guo Bapi shouted, "Where are you going? Don't forget to come back to work this afternoon. I have things to do!"

"Okay, I should be back soon!"

...

Yang Bo stood at the door, looking around. He wasn't sure which direction the man had gone, but he assumed he would head towards the antique shops. He determined the direction and walked towards the next antique shop.

The nearest antique shop was Bogu Hall. When Yang Bo arrived, he saw the man talking to Jia Huairen from a distance. Yang Bo hesitated for a moment and didn't step inside. He wanted to intercept the man, but it wouldn't be right to do so in someone else's shop. He had to wait patiently at the door.

Soon, the middle-aged man came out, looking disappointed. As he left, he spat and cursed, "A bunch of idiots! How is my stuff not good? They all act so pretentious. When I get rich, they'll all be on their knees begging me to buy these junk things!"

The middle-aged man walked forward, head down. Suddenly, he saw Yang Bo standing in front of him. He felt a bit familiar and then remembered that this was the assistant from the previous shop. He felt a bit embarrassed thinking about what he had said.

Yang Bo pretended not to hear and walked over. "Did you sell your painting?"

"No." The middle-aged man was surprised but then felt hopeful. After all, Yang Bo had followed him, which meant the previous shop might have regretted and wanted to buy his painting. This made him feel a bit proud.

Yang Bo, of course, could guess what the man was thinking. He smiled. "Can I take a look at the painting?"

"It's the same if you look at it in your shop," the man said.

"No, you misunderstood me. I'm buying this painting with my own money, not the shop's. Do you understand what I mean?" Yang Bo said.

The middle-aged man was surprised and then smiled. "That's interesting. You're just an assistant. How much can you afford?"

Yang Bo shook his head. "We need to discuss the value of your painting. We can talk about the price after that!"

The middle-aged man had been rejected by many shops, so he was happy to meet someone who seemed interested. Even though Yang Bo didn't specify how much money he had, he assumed Yang Bo had some money. He was willing to talk. "Okay, let's find a teahouse and talk!"

Yang Bo didn't want to go to a nearby teahouse, fearing he might run into someone he knew. He shook his head. "No need for a teahouse. Show me the painting first, and then we can talk about the price. I believe we are both straightforward people!"

The middle-aged man didn't say anything more and took out the painting.

Yang Bo took a quick look. The light circle formed perfectly, without any errors. He put the painting away. "Let's be honest. I've been in this circle since I was young. I can see things at a glance. You don't need to emphasize the story. This painting isn't as valuable as you think, or it wouldn't have been rejected by so many shops."

Yang Bo chose his words carefully, speaking slowly. "Give me a price, and we can discuss it!"

The middle-aged man hesitated. Being rejected so many times had indeed shaken his confidence, but he couldn't fully trust Yang Bo. After all, Yang Bo was just a young assistant. His expectations had already been lowered, and now, with fewer opportunities, he couldn't give up easily. "You give me a price!"

Yang Bo smiled. "Five hundred yuan!"

The middle-aged man put the painting back into the red box. "Goodbye, no need to see me off."

Yang Bo didn't rush, smiling. "Five hundred yuan isn't enough to cover my costs. At least twenty thousand yuan!"

Yang Bo didn't want to miss this opportunity but couldn't agree to the exorbitant price. He raised his offer a bit. "One thousand yuan!"

"Brother, since you followed me, you must see potential. If you still offer this price, I'm really leaving!" the middle-aged man threatened.

Yang Bo was a bit suspicious. "I can give you a good price, but you can't be too greedy. We both need to show some sincerity for the deal to go through!"

"Okay, I want fifty thousand yuan! Not a cent less!" the middle-aged man said.

Yang Bo was startled. He had only fifty thousand yuan in his card, untouched. Could the man know how much money he had? "No, only thirty thousand yuan!"

"Fifty thousand, not a cent less! Don't forget, I can also go to your boss!" the middle-aged man threatened.

Yang Bo frowned. They had been standing outside Bogu Hall the whole time. Suddenly, Li Ling came out and saw them. "Yang Bo, what are you doing here?"

Yang Bo looked up. "Nothing, I'll come see you later."

Yang Bo didn't want the matter to be exposed and whispered, "Okay, fifty thousand yuan! Follow me, and we'll transfer the money at the bank!"

"Li Ling, I'm leaving first. I'll come back later!"

He said loudly and then turned and left, feeling a bit regretful. He should have changed the location, but a pot of tea in a teahouse would cost several dozen yuan, which he didn't want to spend!