48: Chapter 48 Secret Meeting

About twenty minutes later, feeling he had seen enough, he calmly walked toward the tea break area on the left side of the exhibition hall.

Pushing the door open, he entered an area furnished with exquisite refreshments and drinks, and large, comfortable sofas. A few scattered guests were already there, conversing in low voices or sitting quietly while waiting.

Qiao Yichen chose a single sofa in the corner and sat down, asking the waiter for a glass of warm water.

Before the water arrived, a familiar figure appeared at the entrance to the lounge area.

It was Xu Wenyuan.

His gaze swept quickly over the lounge, and upon locking onto Qiao Yichen, a smile immediately surfaced on his face, and he walked over quickly.

"Mr. Qiao," he said, sitting on the sofa opposite Qiao Yichen, his tone carrying a perfectly measured apology, "I apologize for keeping you waiting. We have received your indication of interest in LC-17 and immediately relayed it to the consignor's agent."

He leaned slightly forward, lowering his voice, "However, the consignor's agent is currently negotiating another calligraphy and painting piece with another client, so it might require you to wait a little longer. Would you prefer to browse some more, or rest here? As soon as that is finished on their end, I will arrange it immediately."

Qiao Yichen's expression remained unchanged as he picked up the warm water the waiter had just delivered and took a sip.

"It's fine, Manager Xu. I will just wait here."

"Very well then." Xu Wenyuan's smile became a bit more sincere. "Please make yourself comfortable, and just let me know if you need anything. I need to attend to other matters over there. As soon as the agent is free, I will personally come to invite you."

"I appreciate your trouble."

Xu Wenyuan nodded again, rose, and left the lounge area with steady steps, his figure quickly melting into the flowing light, shadows, and human voices of the exhibition hall.

Qiao Yichen leaned back against the soft sofa, his gaze passing through the gap in the screen to watch the faintly moving silhouettes outside.

His fingertips unconsciously stroked the warm surface of the cup.

...

He waited for nearly another half an hour.

The people in the tea break area had changed several times. By the time Qiao Yichen finished his second glass of warm water, Xu Wenyuan's figure reappeared beside the screen.

This time, his steps were noticeably lighter.

"Mr. Qiao," Xu Wenyuan approached, a slight smile on his face, "The consignor's agent has just finished. Please follow me."

Qiao Yichen set down his water cup and stood up, following Xu Wenyuan through the exhibition hall toward the corridor entrance on the other side (the right side) of the inner hall.

A heavy, dark curtain separated the corridor from the main hall. As soon as he stepped in, the noise from the outside world was instantly filtered into a distant background sound. Several tightly closed solid wood doors lined both sides of the corridor, each inlaid with a brass numbered plaque.

Xu Wenyuan stopped in front of the third door, lightly knocked twice, then pushed the door open and stepped aside. "Mr. Qiao, please."

The private room was not large, about fifteen square meters, decorated in an antique Chinese style. A wide rosewood tea table sat in the center, complete with Zisha teaware, from which fragrant tea steam curled upwards.

Seated behind the table was a man in his early fifties, dressed in a dark blue suit, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on his nose. He was just putting down his mobile phone.

Seeing people enter, he stood up and greeted them with a smile, "You must be Mr. Qiao? A pleasure, a pleasure."

"Mr. Qiao, this is Mr. Wang Ruian, who is also the plenipotentiary agent for the consignor of this LC-17 item." Xu Wenyuan introduced from the side, then naturally walked to a round-backed chair behind the side of the tea table and sat down. "Please, both of you, have a seat. I will be right here; call me anytime if you need anything regarding the procedure."

Qiao Yichen and Wang Ruian sat down across the table from each other.

"Mr. Qiao is truly young and promising," Wang Ruian said with a smile while skillfully warming the cups and washing the tea. His tone carried an easy goodwill. "At your age, not many people are interested in antique furniture. I was just talking with a few elderly gentlemen about that Shen Zhou landscape painting; that's the market mainstream. Furniture, being large items, takes up space and tests one's eye—it's a niche area."

"Mr. Wang flatters me," Qiao Yichen accepted the scent-appreciation cup offered by the other party, lightly sniffing the tea aroma. It was premium Pu'er. "I personally favor the texture and structure of woodwork. I hope I haven't made a fool of myself."

"Not at all, to each their own," Wang Ruian poured a cup for himself, leaned back slightly, his posture more relaxed than before. "That piece you are interested in, LC-17, although the certificate states '20th Century Reproduction,' we will be frank—the materials are solid old Huanghuali, and the craftsmanship is proper 'Hundred Treasures Inlay,' not lacking in any way."

He paused, his gaze resting on Qiao Yichen's face, and his tone shifted to the main topic: "You have examined the piece thoroughly. What are your thoughts on this price, Mr. Qiao?"

Three hundred thousand.

Two thousand higher than the twenty-eight thousand mentioned in the intelligence report. This was normal; negotiations always required room.

Qiao Yichen set down his teacup.

"Mr. Wang," he began, "I have carefully examined the craftsmanship and materials of the cabinet and I fully approve. However, as you just mentioned, it is also what the certificate states—it is a 'reproduction.' A price of three hundred thousand for a reproduction of Ming-style furniture is likely hard to justify in the current market."

Wang Ruian's smile remained, but his eyes held a sharper, more serious scrutiny. "Oh? Mr. Qiao has researched market conditions?"

"I wouldn't call it research, I just did some homework before coming," Qiao Yichen said sincerely. "Huanghuali antique reproductions of similar quality and age have traded in the range of two hundred to two hundred and fifty thousand in recent years across several major auction and private channels. Only those with exceptionally outstanding condition and clear provenance might touch the two hundred and seventy to two hundred and eighty thousand range. But this LC-17..."

He paused briefly, choosing a detail he had noted during his earlier inspection: "The edges of a few inlay pieces in the 'Hundred Treasures Inlay' section show extremely fine signs of material aging and shrinkage. While this doesn't affect the overall appearance, it indicates that it is not flawless. Considering everything, I believe two hundred and twenty to two hundred and forty thousand is a price that aligns better with current market recognition."

Wang Ruian listened, then smiled and shook his head. "Mr. Qiao has a very keen eye. But it wasn't easy for the consignor to acquire it back then. For large pieces of antique reproduction furniture like this, the display effect is substantial; you can't completely apply the market rates for smaller items."

"I understand," Qiao Yichen nodded. "But the attribute of being a 'reproduction' sets a ceiling on its value. Two hundred and forty thousand is the highest sincere offer I can make based on this premise."

Wang Ruian picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip, seemingly weighing the offer.

Silence fell in the room for a few seconds, broken only by the faint sound of water about to boil in the teapot.

It was then that Xu Wenyuan spoke up at just the right moment, softly.

"Mr. Wang, Mr. Qiao," his voice was gentle, carrying a tone of mediation. "Both of you are straightforward people. It's clear Mr. Qiao genuinely likes this piece of furniture, and Mr. Wang has also shown sufficient sincerity. Since the gap isn't huge, why not both concede a step? Let's take the middle ground—two hundred and sixty thousand. Six and six are auspicious numbers, which is good luck. It's fate for the item to go to someone who truly appreciates it."

Wang Ruian looked up at Xu Wenyuan, then at Qiao Yichen, his smile deepening slightly.

He put down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly twice on the tabletop, as if making a final consideration.

"I must give Manager Xu face," he said, looking at Qiao Yichen with an expression that suggested, 'Let's settle it then.' "Mr. Qiao, two hundred and sixty thousand. If you can agree, we will sign the letter of intent now."

Qiao Yichen met his gaze, his heart pounding violently a few times in his chest.

Two hundred and sixty thousand.

Two thousand less than the twenty-eight thousand mentioned in the system intelligence.

He showed no hesitation.

"Deal," Qiao Yichen said.