Chapter 98 of 100

Chapter 98

14 min read3,590 words

Chapter 96: Appraisal

The area around the pond is a small square of over 150 square meters. The north side of the square is right next to the main entrance of the villa, while the west side is clearly the parking area. At this moment, a black Toyota sedan was already parked there.

The car carrying Liu Dong and the others slowly stopped after circling around the pond to the main entrance of the villa. When Liu Dong helped Old Li out of the car, Zhao Defa, who had clearly been waiting, hurried over with a smile and said, "Old Li, welcome, welcome!"

Holding out his right hand to Zhao Defa, Old Li politely said, "Mr. Zhao, you're too kind. I was delayed a bit on the way, so I'm a bit late! I hope you can understand!"

"Where are you going with that? Old Li coming here is a great honor for me!"

Hearing this, Old Li smiled faintly but didn't say much. Too much politeness would seem insincere, which wasn't his style.

"Brother Liu, we meet again!" Zhao Defa looked at Liu Dong with a complex expression, a mix of scrutiny, emotion, surprise, and friendliness.

"Mr. Zhao, hello!" Liu Dong's expression was friendly, but his attitude was neither humble nor arrogant.

"Ha ha, Brother Liu, the ancients said, 'A scholar who has been away for three days should be regarded with new eyes.' This saying fits you perfectly now."

Liu Dong could roughly guess what he meant. As the CEO of Huatai Group, a well-known private enterprise nationwide, Zhao Defa must have his own network of connections. Yesterday, he had participated in a 40 million yuan gambling match with Han Lei at the Black Tiger Gang's underground casino, which was a huge event. This news had probably already spread among the elite circles in Quancheng. Zhao Defa couldn't have missed it.

"I don't deserve such praise, Mr. Zhao. It was just luck!"

Looking at the calm expression on the young man's face, Zhao Defa once again felt his extraordinary nature. If he could earn 30 million yuan with almost no effort, he probably wouldn't be able to remain as calm as Liu Dong.

"Brother Liu is too modest! Today's schedule is a bit tight, but I will definitely invite you for a meal when I have the time. I hope you can honor me with your presence then!" Having risen from the bottom of society to his current position, Zhao Defa was not a simple man. Realizing Liu Dong's potential, he naturally wanted to cultivate a good relationship. In China, nothing is more important than personal connections for success, and Zhao Defa was well-versed in this.

Liu Dong had no reason to refuse such an invitation from a wealthy man like Zhao Defa. After all, he would be doing business in the future, and people like Zhao Defa would be his main clients. "Sure, I'll be there whenever you call!"

"Then it's settled!"

"It's settled!"

Listening to their conversation and seeing the warm expressions on their faces, especially Zhao Defa's, Old Li, standing to the side, was quite puzzled. He was certain that they had never met before he introduced them, and they had no family ties. How could their relationship become so close in just three days?

"It seems something significant must have happened in these three days!" The old man's curiosity was burning, but he knew it wasn't the right time to ask. He would have to wait until they returned home.

At this moment, Li Yunchong, who had parked the car, walked over.

"Who is this?" Zhao Defa asked, looking at the young man with a somewhat rebellious expression but a demeanor that clearly set him apart from ordinary people.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce him to Mr. Zhao!" Li Yunchong walked over, and Old Li pointed to him, saying, "This is my old friend's nephew, Li Yunchong. He originally came to me to appraise an item. But when he heard I was coming to Mr. Zhao's place, he insisted on coming along. I couldn't refuse him, so I brought him here. I hope Mr. Zhao won't mind!"

Hearing this, Zhao Defa laughed heartily, "Old Li, what are you saying? This young man looks like a remarkable person. I should thank you for bringing such a friend to me. How could I mind!" Zhao Defa, with years of experience in business, was skilled at saying the right things to the right people, and his words were neither exaggerated nor uncomfortable to hear.

Li Yunchong couldn't help but smile widely after hearing this.

"Come, Old Li, let's go inside! They are already waiting for us!" After a few more pleasantries, Zhao Defa led the three of them into the villa.

The main entrance of the villa was a pair of intricately carved wooden doors. Based on Liu Dong's years of experience in wood carving, the material was likely African ebony. Although this type of ebony is far less expensive than the famous purple sandalwood, it still costs several thousand yuan per cubic meter.

Inside the door, about four meters away, was a screen with dragon and phoenix patterns carved in openwork. Liu Dong was familiar with this screen; it had once been priced at 200,000 yuan in Uncle Long's Taiyi Pavilion. He hadn't expected Zhao Defa to buy it.

Turning right after the entrance hall, the scene opened up to a living room of about 100 square meters, decorated in a traditional Chinese style. The main hall, the Eight Immortals table, the armchairs, the master chairs, the porcelain, and the screens all gave Liu Dong a sense of time travel, as if he were in the luxurious mansion of a wealthy merchant from the Ming or Qing dynasties. It was clear that Zhao Defa, like Old Li, was a proponent of Chinese traditional culture.

In addition to the neatly arranged tables and chairs in the living room, there was a round table and a row of master chairs against the wall on the left side near the window, which was likely the owner's reception area.

At this moment, the two people who had been sitting in the reception area, drinking tea, stood up as they saw Liu Dong and the others enter.

"Mr. Zhao, can we hurry up? Mr. Fujita is getting impatient! If you don't want this precious porcelain, we can find someone else!" A middle-aged man in his mid-30s, wearing a black suit, with a thin face and a middle part hairstyle, walked over as Zhao Defa led Liu Dong and the others.

Hearing the arrogance in his tone, Liu Dong couldn't help but frown. He had no good feelings for this man, who looked like a collaborator from an anti-Japanese war drama.

Clearly, Zhao Defa also had no good feelings for him, but since he was trying to buy something from him, he only frowned slightly and didn't get angry. "Mr. Wang, the appraiser I invited is here. We can start now!"

"Mr. Zhao, this is the appraiser you found?" The middle-aged man, who was about 1.6 meters tall, with a slightly protruding forehead and a mustache, and a cunning look in his eyes, asked respectfully, looking at Old Li.

"Yes, this is Mr. Li Renfang, a famous porcelain appraiser in our country!" Zhao Defa introduced Old Li first and then said, "Old Li, this is Mr. Fujita Ichiro, a Japanese collector, and his assistant, Mr. Wang Shi."

After hearing the introduction, Old Li frowned. Like many of his generation, he had no good feelings for the Japanese, who had invaded China and caused great suffering to the Chinese people.

However, when it came to antiques and collectibles, one couldn't ignore Japan. According to surveys by relevant national institutions, there are over 30 million Chinese antiques in Japan, most of which are high-quality pieces. The sources of these antiques are well-known; most were looted during Japan's invasion of China.

Therefore, in the world of antiques and collectibles, there is a saying: "The finest Chinese antiques are abroad, and the finest Chinese antiques abroad are in Japan."

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