100: Chapter 100 Afternoon Onlookers

May 11, 2025, Sunday, Cloudy, 16~27°C.

Today was Sunday, and the entire office building was empty.

Qiao Yichen was the only one in the elevator as the floor numbers ticked up one by one. When they left this morning, Liu Yanran said she was going to get a cup of coffee before coming up, so he went ahead. When he reached the floor and the doors opened, the hallway was deserted, and the lights in the Planning Department weren't even on. He walked straight toward Meeting Room A3 and pushed open the door—a few people had already arrived.

Unlike the tense atmosphere of the past few days, today was noticeably more relaxed.

Everyone gradually arrived, with Liu Yanran coming in last, holding a cup of coffee, and taking the head seat.

"Let's begin." She nodded to Chen Mochi.

Chen Mochi stood up, walked to the display screen, and opened the PPT. "Alright, I'm starting. Feel free to pick it apart, don't hold back."

Someone below let out a chuckle.

It was a full-process rehearsal, going through everything from start to finish. The speaker was serious, and the listeners were attentive, but the atmosphere wasn't as strained as before. If someone spotted an issue, they raised their hand; if someone thought of a better way to phrase something, they chimed in. Chen Mochi edited as he spoke, adding a few more notes to the whiteboard.

After one round, the PPT was much smoother.

Time flew by, and it was soon noon.

General Manager Zhao Qiming stood up and clapped his hands. "Everyone, hold on a second. The boss has booked a private room at the restaurant downstairs to reward us for our hard work these past few days."

A cheer immediately erupted in the meeting room.

"Let's go, let's go! Time to eat!"

"Finally, a proper good meal!"

The group headed downstairs in high spirits. In the restaurant's private room, two large round tables were already set with steaming hot dishes. General Manager Zhao Qiming ushered everyone to sit and opened a few bottles of drinks.

"Everyone has worked hard these past few days," he raised his glass. "Come on, let's have a toast."

Glasses clinked, and the atmosphere relaxed completely. Some talked about their experiences staying up late these past few days, some complained about how many times a certain version of the PPT had been revised, and others were already fighting over the last piece of meat.

Qiao Yichen sat next to Liu Yanran, eating while listening to them chat.

By the time they finished and came out, it was almost one o'clock.

Qiao Yichen glanced at his phone and then at Liu Yanran. "I'm heading back first."

Liu Yanran nodded. "Okay, drive safely."

There was a tacit understanding between them—they had discussed the matter of someone coming to see the cabinet this afternoon last night.

Qiao Yichen turned and walked toward the parking lot.

His car pulled out of the company and joined the afternoon traffic.

...

When he got home, it was already one in the afternoon.

Qiao Yichen changed into loungewear, tidied up the living room a bit, and then checked the second bedroom. The cabinet stood there quietly, the light from the window falling on the wood grain, making the inlaid flower and bird decorations shimmer with a soft luster. He stood there for a couple of seconds before turning back to the living room and sitting on the sofa.

Last night, four people had planned to come, but another one had been added temporarily this morning, making it five in total.

He glanced at his phone; it was five past one.

At one-thirty, the doorbell rang right on time.

Qiao Yichen got up to open the door. Standing outside was a man in his fifties, wearing a dark jacket and carrying nothing, who sized him up.

"Wang Jianguo, introduced by Old Zhou." The man spoke in a booming voice.

"Hello, Teacher Wang. Please come in." Qiao Yichen stepped aside to let him in.

After entering, Wang Jianguo didn't waste time on pleasantries and asked directly, "Where is the item?"

"In the second bedroom, this way please."

Qiao Yichen led him to the door of the second bedroom. Wang Jianguo walked in, circled the cabinet once, crouched down to examine the legs and feet, then stood up to touch the brass fittings on the doors. The whole process was very quick, taking less than five minutes.

"Where's the appraisal report?" He straightened up.

Qiao Yichen handed over the prepared report. Wang Jianguo took it, flipped through it, nodded, and then walked straight to the living room to sit on the sofa.

Qiao Yichen followed and sat opposite him.

Wang Jianguo placed the report on the coffee table, looked at him, and said decisively, "2.4 million."

Qiao Yichen was stunned for a moment.

This man came fast, looked fast, and offered fast—if you said he was professional, he hadn't brought anything with him. If you said he wasn't, his price offer was anything but vague.

He composed himself and said, "Teacher Wang, let me think about it."

Wang Jianguo nodded and stood up. "Sure, think it over. Just let Old Zhou know if there's any news." Having said that, he walked toward the door without another word.

The door closed. Qiao Yichen checked his phone—one-forty-three.

...

At two-thirteen, the doorbell rang again.

Qiao Yichen opened the door; this time there were two people. One was in his sixties with white hair and glasses. The other was slightly younger, in his early fifties, carrying a black case.

"Qian Zhengqing." "Liu Wenyuan." The two introduced themselves one after the other. "Introduced by Teacher Song."

Qiao Yichen quickly welcomed them in. "Teacher Qian, Teacher Liu, please come in."

After entering, they weren't in a hurry to see the item and sat in the living room first. Qiao Yichen poured three glasses of water and placed them on the coffee table.

Qian Zhengqing took the water glass and asked politely, "Little Qiao, right? I heard from Teacher Song that your cabinet is from the late Ming Dynasty?"

"Yes, the appraisal report is right here. Please take a look first." Qiao Yichen handed over the report.

Qian Zhengqing put on his glasses and flipped through the pages very carefully, occasionally exchanging looks with Liu Wenyuan. Liu Wenyuan leaned in to look, and the two whispered a few words to each other.

"The report is fine." Qian Zhengqing took off his glasses. "Let's see the actual item."

Qiao Yichen led them to the second bedroom. Liu Wenyuan placed the black case on the floor and opened it—inside were various tools: a magnifying glass, a high-intensity flashlight, calipers, and a few other things Qiao Yichen couldn't name.

The two began their inspection simultaneously. Qian Zhengqing crouched on the left side of the cabinet, using the flashlight to examine the mortise and tenon joints inch by inch. Liu Wenyuan was on the right, using the magnifying glass to observe the edges of the "hundred treasures" inlay.

While they were looking, the doorbell rang again.

Qiao Yichen hurried to open the door. Standing outside was a man in his forties, dressed in a suit and tie, with a somewhat urgent expression.

"Zhou Huaiming." He stated his name. "Introduced by Teacher Song. Where's the cabinet?"

Qiao Yichen pointed toward the second bedroom. "Over there, but someone is looking at it right now..."

Zhou Huaiming peeked inside and walked straight over.

Qiao Yichen followed, feeling a bit helpless. This man was certainly impatient.

Zhou Huaiming stood at the door of the second bedroom. Seeing the two people inside busy at work, he was no longer in a hurry. Instead, he leaned in and stood by to watch how they operated. Qian Zhengqing looked up at him, said nothing, and continued his work.

The three of them circled the cabinet. Qian Zhengqing and Liu Wenyuan, with their tools, examined it inch by inch.

Zhou Huaiming hadn't brought anything, so he just followed their gaze, occasionally asking, "What are you looking at here?" Liu Wenyuan replied without looking up, "Checking the Patina."

Qiao Yichen leaned against the doorframe, watching the scene, and suddenly felt like laughing.

After more than twenty minutes, Qian Zhengqing straightened up first and packed away his tools. Liu Wenyuan followed suit. The two glanced at each other, said nothing, and walked out.

Zhou Huaiming didn't move; he was still looking.

Qiao Yichen accompanied Qian Zhengqing and Liu Wenyuan back to the living room. The two sat down, and Qian Zhengqing spoke: "The item is fine; it's authentic. We'll go back and discuss it before giving you an answer."

Qiao Yichen nodded. "Alright, Teacher Qian, Teacher Liu. Thank you for your hard work."

Liu Wenyuan waved it off and stood up. Qiao Yichen saw them to the door and watched them enter the elevator before closing the door.

Returning to the living room, Zhou Huaiming had already come out of the second bedroom and was sitting on the sofa flipping through the appraisal report.

Qiao Yichen walked over and sat down.

Zhou Huaiming closed the report, looked at him, and got straight to the point: "Those two just now were also here to see the item. You scheduled everyone for this afternoon?"

Qiao Yichen explained, "The company has been doing a project lately, and we've been working overtime every day. This afternoon was the only time I was free. I thought it would be convenient to schedule everyone who wanted to see it for this time. I'm truly sorry."

Zhou Huaiming waved it off, not minding. "It's fine, the more the merrier." He paused and asked directly, "What's your asking price?"

Qiao Yichen didn't hesitate. "2.8 million."

Zhou Huaiming frowned. "How did you arrive at that price?"

Qiao Yichen went through his prepared explanation: "At the China Guardian Autumn Auction last year, a late Ming Huanghuali small cabinet, even slightly smaller than this one, sold for 2.35 million. I've checked the auction records for the past five years; items of the same level and completeness generally fall between 2.5 and 2.8 million. Mine has 'hundred treasures' inlay, high completeness, and a flower and bird pattern, so the scarcity is better. 2.8 million isn't an inflated price."

After listening, Zhou Huaiming nodded, not refuting his reasoning, but still shook his head. "The logic holds, but the price is indeed high. 2.45 million, and I'll take it right now."

Qiao Yichen shook his head. "Teacher Zhou, that price is too far off."

"Then what do you think is appropriate?"

The two of them went back and forth for several rounds. Zhou Huaiming went from 2.45 million up to 2.5 million, then to 2.52 million, and finally stopped at 2.55 million.

"2.55 million, I can't go any higher." He said, "Think it over."

Qiao Yichen was silent for a few seconds before nodding. "Alright, I'll think about it."

Zhou Huaiming stood up and patted his shoulder. "Fine, call me if you have any news." Having said that, he also left.

The door closed. The living room became quiet.

Qiao Yichen sat back on the sofa, took out his phone, and recorded today's offers—

Wang Jianguo: 2.4 million

Zhou Huaiming: 2.55 million

Qian Zhengqing, Liu Wenyuan: TBD

And the one who was added temporarily this morning hasn't arrived yet.

He glanced at the time—three-twenty.