Chapter 53

Wu Di was pulled by Old Yuan, while General Manager Wang looked at him, wanting to say something but holding back, and smiled:

"Don’t rush. That bottle has been there for two years; it’s not going anywhere. We’ll pack it up for you after we finish eating. Come on, the sky is vast, but eating is the most important. Today, I’ll have a few more drinks with my master."

"Hehe. I’m too old to drink much, but Xiao Su, you should drink more with General Manager Wang. This project depends on his word."

"Two or three million is a small matter, it can be settled in a minute. Come, let’s go drink."

Wu Di knew he couldn’t rush, so he followed Old Yuan out of the office.

The dishes were served, and they started with three glasses of wine, then began eating and chatting. After a few drinks, General Manager Wang became more relaxed:

"Xiao Wu, I didn’t expect you to be so professional, even bringing white gloves! How was it, did you get a hand full of dust?"

Wu Di cursed inwardly at the waste, but smiled and said:

"Hehe, I’ve recently become obsessed with this. I might have been a bit impolite. I’ll drink one to apologize, General Manager Wang, you drink as you please."

"Did you like the bottle your Brother Wang has? Come, let Brother Wang hear what you think."

"Treasure! A Qianlong period cloisonné enamel landscape hollow heart gourd bottle, it’s rare to come across such a piece."

"Ha ha ha ha, Xiao Wu, you must have made a mistake. How long have you been in this field?"

"Hehe, two months."

"Have you been to the Palace Museum? Do you have any materials on the Palace Museum’s collection?"

"No."

"I knew you didn’t! There’s a piece almost identical to this one in the Palace Museum, and it doesn’t even have a base mark!"

"Ah?"

"This piece of porcelain, I bought it at an auction for thirty million. Do you think I lost a lot of money?"

Wu Di sighed, it was over. It was just for show, what a grand gesture!

"Loss? How could it be a loss? It’s a huge gain!"

"You don’t know, this piece of porcelain has a story behind it. Master should know something about it, right?"

"I, what do I know?"

"Do you know how fierce the competition for that land was? Even though we have connections and are a state-owned enterprise, who in real estate doesn’t have connections? Everything still depends on money! But without connections, you can’t even offer the money. And even with connections, if the method is wrong, you still can’t offer it!"

Wu Di vaguely understood but felt confused, as if he had heard these words somewhere before.

Old Yuan had already figured it out and smiled:

"You, Wang Dapao, you talk whether you should or not, let’s drink."

"No problem, Master, I’m talking to you, right? Besides, this story has already spread in the industry, no one can hold it against me. One person is willing to hit, the other is willing to be hit. In this industry, you have to follow the rules."

Seeing Wu Di was still confused, General Manager Wang smiled:

"Let’s drink to Brother Wang, and I’ll tell you a story."

Wu Di drank one, General Manager Wang sipped and smiled:

"Speaking of that plot of land, the competition was intense, reaching a fever pitch before the bidding. Our boss went out every day, drinking a belly full of alcohol, and finally managed to get to the door of a big shot. The boss was worried; connections are one thing, but without some benefit, how can you ask for help? After much inquiry, he found out that the person liked antiques, so he decided to buy a good piece to give. He urgently found a friend and bought a Kangxi blue and white dragon pattern basin, and took it over."

"The leader saw it, loved it, but finally put it down. He said, 'I can’t accept this, it’s too valuable, you’re bribing me!' The boss tried hard to persuade, but was forced to take the blue and white back. This made him anxious, and in three days, he got two big blisters on his mouth! Later, with no other choice, he prepared a heavy gift and contacted the secretary through a friend. The secretary was a good friend and revealed a piece of information: the leader was short on money and was going to auction a precious collection, this Qianlong period cloisonné enamel landscape hollow heart gourd bottle!"

By this point, Wu Di had already understood. He had read a book called "Celadon," which talked about such tactics, and he never thought he would encounter it in real life. Was it that art comes from life, or that art teaches people to learn, making them imitate like the man from Handan? Wu Di knew why General Manager Wang didn’t take the thirty million seriously. Who would trade a real treasure for money, especially at a price that would leave them in the red?

"Our boss was overjoyed when he heard this. The next day, he took me to the auction, and we won the piece for thirty million, the highest bid. We paid the full amount on the spot. A month later, the land was put up for bidding, and the price was sky-high. The higher-ups intervened urgently, saying this went against the national policy of controlling housing prices, and insisted on lowering the land price. Subsequently, the city issued a red-headed document, setting a guiding price, and reviewed the qualifications of the real estate developers, requiring good credit, sufficient experience, and ample funds. In the end, only five companies were approved to participate in the second bidding, and it was solemnly declared that the price would not be the sole criterion for winning the bid. Thus, we won the bid at the guiding price! The fierce competition and the bloodshed you haven’t seen, that’s what business is all about."

General Manager Wang sighed and drank a large glass, Wu Di accompanied him with a glass. This was what a player was, the same tactics at his level were just child’s play. When the stakes were magnified, it became a campaign! Those who swam in such turbulent waves were truly powerful! However, Wu Di was unwilling to be such a player, though it was thrilling and exciting, it was all illegal! Small-scale operations were fine, it was about survival! But on a larger scale, the money earned through such means made him uneasy.

"Later, I saw this thing in the boss’s office and asked for it to play with. The boss waved his hand and said, 'Thirty million, it’s yours. Pay me back later.' So it was placed in my office. To be honest, I had a bit of a hidden agenda with this thing, what if it’s real?"

Wu Di secretly added:

"It is real."

"I secretly asked a friend to look at it. The guy is quite well-known in the antique circle in Tiancheng. He looked at the mark and laughed, saying, 'Good job, brother, where did you get such a convincing thing? It’s so real! Did you spend a lot of money? Go to the Palace Museum and see, there’s one exactly like it, and it’s even better! And it doesn’t even have a base mark.' I gave up hope, thinking it was pretty and decided to keep it. A few days later, I saw the boss, who asked me mysteriously, 'Did you have someone look at it?' I said, 'Ah.' He said, 'I had someone look at it too, and two people said it was fake. They told me to go to the Palace Museum. I said, 'Why don’t we go to the Palace Museum together?' He said, 'I told the same person that. The boss then said, 'Find a chance to break it accidentally.' I agreed, but later, seeing it was pretty, I was a bit reluctant to part with it, and over the two years, I got used to it and forgot the boss’s instructions. Today, since you like it, it’s a match made in heaven. Brother Wang will give it to you."

Wu Di quickly declined, but General Manager Wang didn’t mention it again, and the three continued drinking.

Red-faced, they returned to the office, drank some tea, and Old Yuan prepared to leave. Wu Di hesitated:

"Brother Wang, I really like that bottle. How about you name a price and let me have it?"

General Manager Wang pondered, and Old Yuan stood up to leave, saying:

"I’ll go to the bathroom."

General Manager Wang said:

"This thing isn’t worth much. If you want it, take it and play with it..."

Wu Di interrupted:

"Brother Wang, I’ll give you seventy million. What do you think? And I’ve prepared a contract, after all, this thing needs a proper history, right? The money is mine, not the company’s."

General Manager Wang laughed:

"I didn’t know Xiao Wu was a rich man!"

"Rich people make money together. I’ve been in business for a few years and made a lot of friends. They all leak a bit, and I pick up a lot."

"Hehe, do you know if this contract has legal effect in the antique industry?"

"It should, at least in the antique industry, everyone recognizes it. If you’re worried, we can get it notarized."

"No need, no need, as long as the contract is valid. Recently, my son has his eye on a luxury car, and I’m worried about it. Xiao Wu, how about we write the contract for two hundred million?"

Wu Di hesitated, even two billion would be fine! But in business, you can’t seem too eager.

General Manager Wang saw Wu Di’s hesitation and smiled:

"Brother, you misunderstood. I’m not that greedy. I have one hundred thirty million in cash, and you can take it and deposit it, then transfer two hundred million from your account to mine. What do you think?"

Wu Di suddenly understood, money laundering! He nodded and smiled:

"No problem, I don’t need to deposit it first, I have it on my card."

General Manager Wang asked Wu Di to wait, ran to the rest room, opened the safe, took out a travel bag, and said:

"I haven’t had time to deposit it yet. One hundred thirty million, brother, count it?"

Wu Di secretly despised him,

"Would you dare to deposit it? Who knows how many days it’s been here!"

He took the travel bag, didn’t even look, and zipped it up, smiling:

"I trust Brother Wang. I’ll write the contract and transfer the money."

"Brother, you can rest assured about the equipment. I’ll arrange for someone to meet you, and it’s best to get a few friends to invest together. You know, state-owned enterprises have their own troubles."

"No problem."

They signed, sealed, and transferred the money. Old Yuan just happened to return from the bathroom, and the timing was perfect.

General Manager Wang called someone in, who had a business card that read "Bidding Office Director." Wu Di arranged to meet the manufacturer the next day, took the travel bag, and prepared to leave with the bottle. General Manager Wang looked and took a bedsheet from the rest room, wrapped the bottle for Wu Di, and put it in the travel bag, arranging for someone to take them to the train station.

Wu Di was amused, another bedsheet? It seems this thing is a powerful weapon!

On the high-speed train, Old Yuan asked:

"Did you buy it? How much did the bottle cost?"

There was still some time before the train left, and the carriage was almost empty. Wu Di looked around, took Old Yuan’s bag, and stuffed a large bundle of cash, about ten thousand, into it. He then explained the transaction, and Old Yuan smiled:

"These people are bold and reckless, be careful. But they have one good quality, they keep their word. Just wait for the contract."

Wu Di was pleased, another bedsheet? It seems this thing is a powerful weapon!

On the high-speed train, Old Yuan asked:

"Did you buy it? How much did the bottle cost?"

There was still some time before the train left, and the carriage was almost empty. Wu Di looked around, took Old Yuan’s bag, and stuffed a large bundle of cash, about ten thousand, into it. He then explained the transaction, and Old Yuan smiled:

"These people are bold and reckless, be careful. But they have one good quality, they keep their word. Just wait for the contract."