Chapter 10

This time, Old Qin did not keep them in suspense and smiled, saying, "This painting is a typical example of dry brushwork, yet the entire piece appears elegant and fresh, as if the green of the bamboo branches is right before our eyes. It is indeed the work of Ni Qian."

Boss Mo's eyes lit up the moment he heard this, more excited than when he saw a beauty, and he hurriedly grabbed Yang Kang, exclaiming, "Young brother, will you sell it?"

Yang Kang nodded, as he had brought it here hoping to sell it. Moreover, from Professor Qin's appraisal, he confirmed that the painting was indeed a genuine work by Ni Zan, which also seemed to verify the function of the Taiyin Treasure Mirror— including the earlier painting of "Zhaojun," which had already been confirmed. The Taiyin Treasure Mirror had inadvertently given him the ability to appraise antiques.

"Come, come, come, what price do you set?" Boss Mo hurriedly asked.

Set a price? Yang Kang was momentarily stunned. He knew the general prices in the antique market, after all, he had been working in a pawnshop for a year.

However, Ni Zan's paintings are rare, and the price should not be low. But his painting was too small, only 40cm * 25cm, and it was not very impressive. Such a small size naturally could not command a high price.

"Old Mr. Qin, could you help me estimate the price?" Yang Kang hurriedly asked.

Professor Qin thought for a moment and then said, "Ni Zan's paintings are rare. Your 'Ink Bamboo' is unframed, but it is well-preserved and has no obvious stains. Unfortunately, it is too small. I estimate the market price to be around 500,000 yuan."

"Thank you!" Yang Kang politely thanked him.

"550,000 yuan, young brother, will you sell it to me?" Boss Mo hurriedly asked.

"No!" the beautiful and radiant woman said, "I'll offer 600,000 yuan, handsome guy, sell this painting to me." As she spoke, she handed him a business card.

Yang Kang instinctively took it, and the scent of lilies from the beautiful woman filled his nose, causing his heart to flutter. He thought again—this woman was even more beautiful than the Zhaojun in the painting.

He Yanrong!?

As her name suggested, she was indeed beautiful. Below her name was a phone number, with no company title. She was here to buy and sell antiques, not to introduce her family background.

However, with these two people bidding, he did not know what to do. In theory, Boss Mo was the first to discuss the price with him, so he should not sell it to He Yanrong at a higher price.

Professor Qin saw his dilemma and immediately smiled, "Young brother, don't be troubled. We have a rule here. If an item is appraised and multiple buyers are interested, we can use an auction model, where the highest bidder wins."

"Oh?" Yang Kang indicated his understanding. There was such a rule? He thought this kind of situation must have happened before.

"800,000 yuan!" Boss Mo said without waiting for Yang Kang to speak, "Young brother, sell this painting to me."

He Yanrong smiled slightly and said, "Handsome guy, next time you have an antique painting to sell, call me secretly, don't let this mysterious person know."

"What did you say?" Boss Mo, hearing this, almost rolled up his sleeves to fight He Yanrong, cursing, "Don't think I won't hit a woman!"

"Tsk, tsk, aren't you called Mo Ming?" He Yanrong deliberately said loudly, "If you don't like your name, you can't blame me for saying it. Look, my name is so much better."

It was only then that Yang Kang realized that Boss Mo's surname was Mo, and his given name was "Ming," not "Ming" as in "mysterious." However, now that he was being teased by He Yanrong, he could only listen obediently.

"Hmph!" He Yanrong paid no attention to Mo Ming's threat, tilting her long, white neck and saying, "I don't know if you dare to hit my sister-in-law, but I can guarantee you won't dare to hit me."

Yang Kang somewhat understood that He Yanrong and Mo Ming had some family connection, which explained why they were so familiar and could joke without restraint.

"Young brother, we can't be as petty as women!" Mo Ming hurriedly said to Yang Kang, "Come, let's discuss the price. 800,000 yuan, what do you think?"

"No problem!" Yang Kang nodded. He had originally thought that if the painting could sell for 200,000 to 300,000 yuan, he would be grateful. It would solve his current crisis, allowing him to rent a place and move out, and then slowly find a job.

Or, he could take advantage of the Taiyin Treasure Mirror's ability to collect some good items for the future. The ability of the Taiyin Treasure Mirror had come suddenly and mysteriously, and who knew if it would disappear just as mysteriously one day?

"Shall we complete the transaction now?" Mo Ming hurriedly asked.

"How do we do it?" Yang Kang was a bit confused.

"Give me your bank account, and I'll transfer the money to you," Mo Ming said.

"Okay!" Yang Kang nodded, took out his wallet, and handed him an ordinary ICBC card, saying, "Is this okay?"

"Yes, wait a moment!" Mo Ming smiled, then took out his phone, stood up, and made a call. A moment later, Yang Kang heard his phone beep, and he hurriedly checked the message, only to be stunned. 800,000 yuan had already been transferred, which was faster than he had imagined.

During the appraisal and price negotiation, he had remained calm, but now, seeing the message confirming the transfer, he suddenly felt a surge of excitement. 800,000 yuan was enough for him to do many things.

"Thank you!" Yang Kang hurriedly thanked him politely, then packed the "Ink Bamboo" in the document bag and handed it to Mo Ming, saying, "Boss Mo, please keep it safe."

"Haha, you're too polite," Mo Ming laughed, "Give me your phone number."

"Sure!" Yang Kang hurriedly gave him his phone number, and Mo Ming entered it on his phone, then called him, smiling, "You should also save my number. If you have good items to sell in the future, you can contact me!"

"Sure!" Yang Kang agreed cheerfully.

Mo Ming chatted with him for a few more minutes, learning that his family had originally been in the antique business, which made him even more enthusiastic. He only left Yang Kang when a friend called him to look at some blue-and-white porcelain and walked out.

Yang Kang went to a nearby lounge, took a cup of watermelon juice, and slowly sipped it.

"Hey, Yang Kang, I'm asking you, where did you get that painting?" Jiang Xiaoyue, seeing no one else around, hurriedly asked again.

"At a street stall near Confucius Temple," Yang Kang naturally knew what Jiang Xiaoyue wanted to know and smiled, saying. And what he said was true; he had indeed bought it at a street stall near Confucius Temple.

"You..." Jiang Xiaoyue twisted her body and turned to walk out.

"Hey, why did you make your girlfriend angry?" A delicate scent of lilies approached him, accompanied by the soft, sweet voice of a Jiangnan woman.