The real antique transaction was actually not as fun as Jian Jing imagined.
The first to come on stage was the ugly ox, who brought a blue and white porcelain plate, which was said to be from the Yongzheng period. The plate was placed on a long table, and anyone present could view it. The whole process was monitored by three cameras to avoid accidents that could cause confusion.
Porcelain is a large category of antiques. It is easy to identify and maintains its value, so many people plan to take a look.
Shen Hou and Wu Ma talked about the identification of porcelain. They frequently used professional terms (jargon?), and Jian Jing didn't understand a single one.
After finally waiting for the appraisal to be completed, it was finally time for the bidding.
Unlike the murderous auctions in novels, the bidding process was very dull: the two sides chatted, quoted prices and bargained, and if they were okay, the deal was done. If they were okay, they would return to their seats and others would take over.
The next Tiger traded a violin, which seemed to be made by a master. It was very expensive and the price was directly quoted at over one million.
There was only one buyer, a foreign blonde woman who came in an evening gown and whose badge was a puppy. She bid decisively, as if she was determined to win.
Jane Tu did not participate.
The Chen dragon is a jade carving with an abstract style and is said to be from the Han Dynasty.
The texture of the jade carving was excellent. When the light shone on it, it had a warm and hazy luster, and it was obviously a good item at first glance. The appetite of the members of the group was whetted, and they began to appreciate it with great interest.
Jane Tu felt bored, so she simply went to the deck to get some fresh air.
The ship has sailed to the vast ocean. There are islands in front of us, but no continents behind us. The starlight from billions of years ago illuminates the endless ocean, and the mountains and rivers are vast.
Faintly, voices could be heard from the shadows.
"... bronze heads... millions..."
"It's money that can measure..."
She was about to move closer to listen carefully, but although the footsteps were silent, the shadow on the deck flickered noticeably as the moon broke through the clouds.
The other person immediately stopped talking and walked away quickly.
Jian Jing felt deeply sorry and was concerned about the whereabouts of the bronze head, so she hurried back to the hall.
The public trade fair is also coming to an end.
The mouse announced: "Next we will start anonymous transactions."
The waiters came in with trays and replaced drinks and meals for everyone. A special menu was left on the plate. In addition to the normal drinks and snacks, there were three photos with numbers attached.
Jian Jing took a quick look and found only three items in total.
A Buddhist scripture from the Tang Dynasty, from Dunhuang.
A bronze statue from Beijing.
A golden scepter originating from America.
She gasped.
Although there are no photos of the three collections and no explicit mention of them, the words between the lines clearly confirm people's guesses.
"Considering that some customers are participating in anonymous transactions for the first time, I will reiterate the rules: the seller entrusts me to conduct the transaction, and the buyer cannot know the seller's true identity. Similarly, to protect the buyer's privacy, the seller will also know who is buying it," said Xiaoshu.
He looked around and announced succinctly and forcefully: "Everyone has one night to think about it. The dark shooting will start at this time tomorrow."
The wealthy pig who had met before was the first to speak: "Wait, where is the thing? Show us the thing, how do we tell if it's real or fake?"
Rat made a calming gesture and said, "The several collections are very valuable and fragile, so they are arranged in three safe rooms. Collection No. 1 is in safe room No. 1, collection No. 2 is in room No. 2, and collection No. 3 is in room No. 3. You can go and check them out at any time before 7 o'clock tomorrow evening. However, since the collections are very valuable, only one person is allowed in at a time. There are security guards guarding the door 24 hours a day. Please understand."
Haizhu asked again: "How are we going to shoot tomorrow?"
"I will be waiting for you in the auction room after 7pm tomorrow evening." Rat explained the rules in detail. "Between 19:00 and 22:00, anyone can find me there and make an offer. After 22:00, I will inform everyone individually of the results of the auction. Do you have any other questions?"
Everyone started to make eye contact and whisper.
Jian Jing asked Wei Yang: "Do you want to go and take a look?"
"I can tell from one glance that you have no experience in antique appraisal." Wei Yang took out a cigarette and waved his hand. "It would take at least a few hours for an expert to appraise it. It's our turn tonight. We'll talk about it tomorrow."
Jian Jing originally wanted to go and see something new, but after hearing what she said, she thought it made sense and decided to go back to the cabin to rest first.
Before going to bed, Si Yingjie sent me a strange smiley expression and asked: [How is it?]
Jian Jing: [annoyed]
he:[???]
She: [asleep]
The guests all slept in sea view rooms, but even with one window facing the sea, the indoor space was still not large and felt stuffy. In addition, there was a storm at night, and in the second half of the night, the yacht was heaving with the waves, making people feel uncomfortable.
Jian Jing didn't know whether she fell asleep or passed out from the shaking.
When I woke up the next day, I felt very haggard.
But when she looked in the mirror... she was still a radiant young girl.
Okay then.
She got up to eat breakfast and met many guests with panda eyes in the restaurant. If yesterday afternoon, everyone was curious and a little excited, today it became a solemn and excited atmosphere.
The old man codenamed Shenhou was also there, drinking Tieguanyin tea slowly. Sitting next to him was a very old woman with white hair, drinking English tea and wearing a chicken badge on her chest.
Jian Jing came over with a tray, greeted him and asked, "Have you finished watching?"
Shen Hou hummed, with a complicated expression: "It doesn't look fake."
"You are good at things from the Qing Dynasty. Even you said it was from the Qing Dynasty. I think it is 80-90% correct. Besides, the age determined by the instrument is correct." The old woman nodded kindly at Jian Jing, "Sit down. You are interested in this too."
Jian Jing asked: "I'm curious, will anyone buy it?"
"We are discussing this issue right now," the old woman said slowly. "If the price is not high, we can pool our money and buy it. Although I have been an immigrant for decades, I still have this awareness."
Shen Hou was very stubborn: "Okay, they are ours in the first place. After paying this money, can we buy back the remaining ones?"
The old woman asked back, "What are you going to do? Offer a high price and let it go?"
The Monkey said, "I'm going to talk to the Rat and find the seller."
"They are anonymous because they don't want to be known." The old woman disagreed, "I will tell you, this is the rule, otherwise how can the future transactions go on?"
Shen Hou: "Let's try it first. I'll also ask about the other people's backgrounds. Do you know anyone?"
The old woman said, "Xu Gou is a Frenchman, a famous musician, and he came here just for the violin."
Jian Jing thought, that was the foreign blonde lady from yesterday.
The old woman added: "The four people born in the years of the Ox, Tiger, Dragon and Snake... although they are all fluent in Chinese, they may not all be Chinese."
Shen Hou said: "Either Japan, South Korea, or overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia."
"I'm not sure about that. There isn't a very obvious difference in appearance among Asians," the old lady said. "But there's one guy who has an obvious mixed-race face."
Shen Hou nodded and said firmly: "No matter what method I use, I will stop this transaction."
The old woman comforted him, "There will always be a way. Well, I have to go to bed now. I've been tossing and turning all night, and my old bones are falling apart."
Jian Jing said goodbye politely and really started her breakfast.
Cereal, bacon, fried eggs, sandwiches, fried rice, donuts, and some fruits.
The taste is good, and it is at the daily level of a five-star breakfast.
Then, of course, we lined up to see the three anonymous collections.
There was no one in front of the golden scepter No. 3, so she could admire it quietly.
The scepter is not made entirely of gold. The lower part may be gold-plated, and only the handle is gold. It is inlaid with ancient opals, with complex and exquisite patterns, full of ancient and mysterious atmosphere.
Jian Jing held her breath. Perhaps in terms of craftsmanship and materials, Collection No. 3 was the most precious. In the long river of time, gold had never faded, and it still exuded a hazy golden light, full of charm.
But no matter how good the scepter was, Jian Jing was just looking at it.
She didn't know its history and had no interest in its origins, and likewise, she didn't care who would get it in the end.
There was someone in Room 1. She waited for a while and met the other person.
It’s the tiger.
He was a tall and thin man, nothing like the burly tiger, wearing a black suit. He nodded politely to Jian Jing and left without saying a word.
The Buddhist scriptures are in the safe.
The security guard at the door asked her to go through a security check to make sure she had no destructive items on her before allowing her to enter.
The indoor space is not large, and there are surveillance cameras in all four corners.
She walked closer and studied the Buddhist scriptures carefully.
Under direct strong light, you can clearly see the traces of paper repairs, and the pages are so brittle that it feels like they will break if touched. There is a note on the glass cabinet saying that this collection is very fragile and must be kept in a closed environment with constant temperature and humidity, and it is not allowed to be touched.
Jian Jing could also tell the true from the false, good from bad, and soon became bored.
She wants to see Collection No. 2.
But the security guard said there was someone there.
After waiting for nearly half an hour, the person inside still didn't come out.
She had no choice but to look for another place.
One afternoon, I met the Monkey and the Ox chatting in the teahouse. Their voices were very low and I couldn't hear them clearly. I also met the Horse who was negotiating business with a foreign noble lady and the Sheep.
By 4 o'clock, safe room No. 2 was finally empty.
She finally saw the bronze head.
Frankly speaking, as a component of a building, its craftsmanship and appearance are both magnificent and stunning. It is just an ordinary water outlet. At best, it is made of very good materials, has a simple forging, and is full of historical charm.
But no one can take it lightly and think that it is just an ordinary bronze statue.
Jian Jing asked the system: "Can this verify authenticity?"
System: [Host, please draw a card]
She spent 5 points to draw a symbolic lottery ticket.
The system tacitly gave a prop card.
[Name: Item Card·Identification (1/1)]
[Content Description: It can identify the age, composition and craftsmanship of an item. It is only used in this instance and will be automatically destroyed after leaving the map.]
[Note: Disposable product, 100% authentic]
Jian Jing used this prop card. Then, she fell silent.
There are cameras in all four corners, the glass is explosion-proof, and it is also equipped with an anti-theft mechanism. Not to mention that she was unprepared, even Kidd would have to put in some effort.
Irritable.
She left with a gloomy face.
Before seven o'clock, everyone gathered in the hall one after another. It is necessary to describe the environment in detail, which is crucial to what happens next.
First of all, the hall is located on the fourth floor and was decorated like a buffet today.
The long table was filled with seafood, including king crabs, oysters, yellow croaker, tuna, Australian lobster, etc. The dishes were extremely rich. There were also staple foods such as seafood rice, abalone porridge, and sushi, and desserts such as tiramisu, macron, and donuts.
Drinks are also indispensable, including red wine, champagne, whiskey, Moutai and sake, fully considering the tastes of different guests.
There are two entrances to the hall, one in the corridor and the other leading to a long narrow passageway, which leads to a partitioned waiting room.
The waiting room has three exits, leading to safe rooms 1, 2, and 3. There, everyone can confirm the authenticity of the collection again and consider whether to bid.
Go into the safe room and go out from the other exit to reach the auction room.
The mouse is there to receive everyone's quotes.
The auction ends at 22:00.
At the same time, the collections in the safe room will be placed in a large safe to prevent any problems with the collections.
At 22:30, he will announce the results.
The rat announced to everyone: "This arrangement protects the privacy of buyers to a great extent. No one knows which item you bought or how much you paid. You can rest assured."
Such meticulous arrangements should have been praised by the guests.
However, most people had no expression on their faces - they were numb and indifferent, and it seemed more like they were trying their best to suppress their psychological activities for fear that others would notice.
Jian Jing thought, very good, it seems that tonight’s transaction will not be peaceful.