Chapter 86: Middle Eastern Ceramic Bowl
After signing the contract with the shop owner, Chen Yiyang immediately transferred 300,000 yuan to her.
When she saw that her bank account had indeed received the full 300,000 yuan,
the shop owner was overwhelmed with joy and kept thanking Chen Yiyang.
If Chen Yiyang hadn't left quickly, she intended to have her son become his sworn brother.
After acquiring the inkstone, Chen Yiyang called Elder Yu from his car.
"Wu Changshuo's inkstone was being used to prop up a table leg!!"
Elder Yu shouted, his voice even louder than when the shop owner was worried Chen Yiyang might deceive her.
"Hurry, hurry, bring it over for me to see," Elder Yu exclaimed anxiously over the phone.
Every Wu Changshuo inkstone preserved until now has been meticulously collected and kept.
Just thinking about his inkstone possibly being used to prop up a table leg, Elder Yu wished it had been himself instead.
Chen Yiyang floored the accelerator, wasting no time on the road, and arrived at Elder Yu's home.
When Chen Yiyang entered with the inkstone,
Elder Yu, wearing pajama pants, ran over, took the inkstone from Chen Yiyang, and examined it carefully.
Chen Yiyang waited by his side for almost half an hour.
Only then did Elder Yu finish inspecting the inkstone, slapping his thigh with regret.
"It really is a Wu Changshuo inkstone, and it was used to prop up a table leg.
Look at this indentation; what a pity. Why didn't they use me instead?"
Hearing Elder Yu say this, Chen Yiyang told him how he discovered the inkstone.
Of course, he didn't mention the intelligence aspect, just that he stumbled into a small shop and saw it, then negotiated to buy it.
He even showed Elder Yu the contract afterward.
Since it's a national antique, Chen Yiyang had to explain to someone like Elder Yu to clarify the provenance, lest it be considered of dubious origin.
Antiques within the country, especially those previously owned by famous people, require a clear history.
So even if a domestic antique is genuinely unearthed, it can't be sold quickly.
Instead, it needs to be polished to look less like it's freshly unearthed before it can be traded.
Hearing that Chen Yiyang offered the orphaned family 300,000 yuan for the acquisition,
Elder Yu didn't speak but his eyes were filled with approval. He even took the initiative to pour Chen Yiyang a glass of water.
But Chen Yiyang wouldn't sit and let the elder pour water for him, so they ended up politely going back and forth for a while over the matter.
Only then did they sit down to appreciate Wu Changshuo's inkstone.
After viewing the inkstone, they continued discussing Wu Changshuo's achievements and painting techniques.
As dusk was approaching,
Chen Yiyang finally stood up and told Elder Yu, "Since you like this piece so much, why not keep it here for now?"
Hearing this, Elder Yu's joyful expression slightly faded.
He glanced at Chen Yiyang several times before asking, "Have you gotten yourself into trouble recently?"
"It's not that I've gotten into trouble; it seems someone intends to make trouble for me. Thankfully, you intervened, so I wanted to thank you."
Chen Yiyang recounted to Elder Yu the incident with Zhao Cheng and the hotel, also mentioning how Zhao Cheng was scared off by the license plate.
"I've heard of that Zhao Cheng,"
said Elder Yu after contemplating Chen Yiyang's tale.
"His father has passed away but left him with numerous connections. He himself is acquainted with some troublesome friends, so he often deals in buying low and selling high.
But this time, letting go temporarily, may not necessarily be out of respect for me; he might just want to avoid trouble for now. Or perhaps he's gone back to rethink his approach."
"What do you think I should do next?" Chen Yiyang asked Elder Yu.
"If you're just buying a hotel and then heading back to Jin City, this matter might settle without much trouble following.
But if you plan to stay in West Capital longer, people will eventually uncover your background. Then I can't help you."
"Elder Yu, the way you put it. I have faith in West Capital's development and have come here with sincere intentions for growth. I can't just leave after setting foot here.
If I left like that, maybe back in Jin City, someone else might also give me trouble."
"I'll leave my car with you for a month. After a month, I'll pay for the books you get, and return my car. As for this inkstone,"
pondered Elder Yu before continuing, "I indeed like it a lot but can't afford it. I'll keep it here to enjoy for a few days and see if the damages can be repaired. A week later, I'll have someone deliver it back to you."
Chen Yiyang understood that this was Elder Yu agreeing to protect him for a month.
Within this month, he could carry Elder Yu's backing.
But as Elder Yu advised, over time, people will eventually learn about your background.
Then if Chen Yiyang is still focusing on development in West Capital City, someone will eventually cause new trouble for him.
Unless, a month later, Chen Yiyang receives a position like one of the top ten outstanding youths or a consultant at a local factory as a foreign investor.
Only then could he avoid the pursuit.
Upon leaving Elder Yu's house, Chen Yiyang felt no urgency.
After all, he rose quickly in Jin City within a month.
Now in West Capital, his starting point is much better than in Jin City, and he is confident in establishing a foothold here.
But since Elder Yu mentioned returning the inkstone in a week...
The old man doesn't seem interested in taking advantage of Chen Yiyang. Chen Yiyang still needs to find a buyer for the inkstone.
Fortunately, Chen Yiyang is now beyond the days of working alone.
He sent the photos of the inkstone he had taken earlier to Yang Yu, asking him to look around for a suitable buyer.
That evening, after finding some time, Chen Yiyang discussed future development plans with Li Qiqi.
To be honest, Chen Yiyang has no clue about how to groom an internet celebrity.
But luckily, he has money.
On the premise that Li Qiqi could become a top influencer in the future, Chen Yiyang decisively had his accountant reach out to a professional team to help Li Qiqi.
Even though the intel suggested that Li Qiqi could become a top influencer in a year.
But considering Li Qiqi's current situation, there were certainly many challenges at the beginning of her development.
If he increased his investment, it would surely speed up her growth.
By then, she might become famous in less than a year.
After a whole day's work, Chen Yiyang glanced at the time.
It was already ten o'clock at night.
Xu Xiaosheng sent him a message saying that nobody was at the dorm tonight.
So Chen Yiyang hurriedly drove over.
The night was beautiful, a perfect time for reciting poetry.
That night, Chen Yiyang could only think about composing poetry.
His mind was filled with verses like 'The east wind is like spring work. Live in the depths of the five clouds, comfortable with brocade quilt and embroidered curtains. Few reach Penglai, cloud and rain affairs are endless.'
He only regained his senses the next day.
And Xu Xiaosheng, who usually wakes up later after being exhausted by Chen Yiyang, was up earlier today.
She personally fried an egg for Chen Yiyang and made a simple sandwich for breakfast.
After Chen Yiyang finished eating, she said to him, "I'm heading back to the Imperial Capital to continue studying the day after tomorrow."
"Aren't you screening soil here? Has your archaeological site been fully excavated?" Chen Yiyang was surprised.
He thought Xu Xiaosheng would be in West Capital for quite a while.
So these days, he didn't mess around, always using his free time to see Xu Xiaosheng for poetry sessions.
However, since it was inconvenient to stay overnight at Xu Xiaosheng's place, he usually returned to his rented apartment afterward.
"I was just called over by my teacher to help. Now that they don't lack manpower, I need to go back and prepare for next semester's courses."
Xu Xiaosheng was also very reluctant to leave Chen Yiyang.
Holding Chen Yiyang's hand with teary eyes, she said, "When you're less busy with work, be sure to visit me in the Imperial Capital."
"Don't worry, once I've taken care of everything here, I'll definitely come to see you in the Imperial Capital."
Chen Yiyang tenderly caressed Xu Xiaosheng's face.
This girl, she had tears in the corners of her eyes.
After leaving Xu Xiaosheng, Chen Yiyang sat in the car and glanced at today's intel.
Today's intel: a Middle Eastern antique ceramic bowl: Tonight at Changge District, Chenyang Street Ghost Market in West Capital City, at the 16th stall, there will be an Islamic Abbasid Caliphate ceramic bowl from the 9th century AD. You can snag a bargain for under a thousand yuan.
Another Middle Eastern antique.
Seeing today's intel, Chen Yiyang was a bit puzzled.
This is West Capital, not Damascus.
Why are there frequent opportunities to snag Middle Eastern antiques?
Is it possible that some expert is looting tombs in the Middle East, not daring to sell locally, and instead bringing them to West Capital?
That can't be right either?
Or perhaps these antiques were transported over due to trade between the two regions in ancient times.
Then, for some special reason, they were buried underground and have only recently been unearthed?
Chen Yiyang couldn't figure it out.
But it's still necessary to seize this opportunity for a bargain.
It's a good thing he recently met a specialist in Middle Eastern antiques, Isis, making it easy to sell.
However, the time to snag the bargain is tonight.
Chen Yiyang was in no rush. He had made arrangements to meet Liu Yiyi at the hotel today to sign her employment contract.
Additionally, Liu Yiyi introduced him to a journalist friend, who was coming today to investigate the previous haunted hotel incident.
When Chen Yiyang arrived, Liu Yiyi and her journalist friend were already there.
"Mr. Chen, hello. It's been a while since I heard of you."
After Chen Yiyang approached, the journalist stood up first to greet him.
"You're too kind." Chen Yiyang was very courteous to the journalist who wielded significant influence over the media.
These people have a hard time making things happen for others but can easily ruin them.
"I'm not being coy." The journalist introduced herself first, "My name is Han Bingbing."
Then she continued, "I heard about you more than half a month ago."