49: Chapter 49 Signing and Delivery

The smile on Wang Ruian’s face fully blossomed as he shook Qiao Yichen’s hand firmly. “Straightforward! Mr. Qiao, despite your youth, you handle matters decisively. Manager Xu, please prepare the documents.”

Xu Wenyuan responded with a smile, stood up, and walked to the desk on the side of the private room. He took out the already prepared three copies of the “Auction House Private Sale Item Purchase Intention Form” from the drawer and began filling in the key information.

Wang Ruian took out his phone and walked to the window, dialing a number.

About a minute later, he turned back, his smile looking even more relaxed. He nodded at Qiao Yichen. “Mr. Qiao, the consignor has confirmed. Two hundred and sixty thousand, it’s a deal.”

The documents were quickly filled out. Qiao Yichen carefully reviewed the terms—the item number, description, transaction price, deposit ratio (30%, totaling seventy-eight thousand yuan), final payment deadline, and item delivery timeframe. Everything was clear and concise.

He signed his name on each of the three documents.

Wang Ruian signed as the agent, Xu Wenyuan signed as the witness for Auction House and affixed the business seal.

One copy was given to Qiao Yichen, one was kept by Wang Ruian, and one was retained by Xu Wenyuan for filing.

“The deposit can be paid now, or within three days to the designated account.” Xu Wenyuan handed over a card printed with the Auction House logo and account information.

“Let’s do it now.” Qiao Yichen took out his phone and completed the transfer of seventy-eight thousand yuan immediately via the banking app.

...

Not long after, Wang Ruian looked at the deposit notification on his phone and nodded with satisfaction. “Mr. Qiao is prompt. The remaining balance can be paid within fifteen days. As for the item delivery...?”

Xu Wenyuan smoothly took over the conversation. “Mr. Qiao, the logistics company that Auction House cooperates with specializes in transporting artworks. They offer custom wooden crates, temperature-and-humidity-controlled vehicles, and insurance services. You provide the address, and we arrange the whole package—safe and worry-free. Of course, if you have other channels, self-pickup is also an option.”

“Then please arrange for professional transport. I will send the address to Manager Xu shortly.”

“No problem. The shipping fee will be calculated separately and settled at that time,” Xu Wenyuan replied, handing Qiao Yichen his business card along with the documents. “For any subsequent matters, Mr. Qiao, please contact me anytime.”

All procedures were completed cleanly and efficiently within twenty minutes.

Wang Ruian was clearly in a good mood and poured another cup of tea for Qiao Yichen. “Mr. Qiao, let this tea stand in for wine. I wish this cabinet stays with you for a long time, bringing you peace of mind whenever you look at it.”

“Thank you, Mr. Wang. I also wish that the subsequent pieces you handle all find their rightful admirers,” Qiao Yichen raised his cup. The two men smiled at each other and drank their tea.

The tea was finished, and the conversation concluded.

Qiao Yichen folded his copy of the document and placed it into his suit jacket pocket.

Then he stood up. “Then I won’t keep you any longer.”

“Mr. Qiao, safe travels.” Wang Ruian stood up to see him off, while Xu Wenyuan had already pulled open the door to the private room.

Qiao Yichen nodded to both men and stepped out.

The heavy solid wood door closed softly behind him, sealing off the tea aroma and warmth inside.

The corridor remained quiet. Qiao Yichen walked back to the main exhibition hall alone, his steps unhurried, showing no sign of anything unusual on his face.

He did not leave immediately but strolled back to the furniture display area where he had just been, stopping in front of the huanghuali square corner cabinet, LC-17.

The cabinet stood silently under the spotlight, appearing tranquil and elegant. But his gaze first fell upon the ebony information plaque.

Exhibit Number: LC-17

Exhibit Name: huanghuali inlaid with hundred treasures flower and bird pattern square corner cabinet

Dating Annotation: Late Qing Dynasty to Republic of China (Ming Style Imitation)

...

(Other information as before)

Sale Status: Under Offer

The change in the last line was like a silent seal, announcing that ownership had quietly changed hands.

The nearby staff had clearly received internal notification, having already corrected the Sale Status field, and then nodded apologetically to Qiao Yichen and other viewing guests.

Since the item had been claimed, the staff no longer provided consultations or other services.

Qiao Yichen’s gaze lingered on the words “Under Offer” for a few seconds, then moved away. He took one last deep look at the cabinet that was about to be his, then turned and left.

He did not head toward the exit but instead sauntered toward the calligraphy and painting section on the other side of the hall, where the crowds were slightly denser and conversations a bit louder.

Before he got close, snippets of conversation drifted into his ears:

“... What a pity, that small piece by Shi Tao, I heard the Liu boss from Shanghai snapped it up, this much.” Someone gestured with their hands.

“Four hundred thousand? Maybe more. I heard it was close to five.”

“Still, Shen Zhou’s charm is greater, that landscape painting, this much...” Another voice was lowered even further, but the gesture was more exaggerated.

“Tsk, truly...”

Qiao Yichen passed through these whispers with a calm expression and arrived at the core area of the calligraphy and painting section, where the surrounding crowd was noticeably thicker.

He saw the landscape hanging scroll, suspected to be by Shen Zhou, which had caused the most discussion. It had been moved to a more conspicuous, independent display case. The information on the plaque remained concise, but the Sale Status field clearly read:

Sale Status: Sold

Two staff members stood beside the display case, their posture more alert than before. Their eyes swept over the crowd, clearly conveying that the item was secured and could only be viewed from a distance, awaiting final handover.

Qiao Yichen stood quietly on the periphery of the crowd for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the faces filled with excitement or regret, then turned toward a relatively quiet corner not far away.

Teacher Song was gathered with Li Zhenhua, Zhou Qiaozhen, and a few other old friends around a display table covered with dark velvet cloth.

Spread out on the table was a landscape handscroll. A small pavilion was visible in one corner of the painting; the distant mountains were rendered in light ink. Several lines of text were inscribed in the blank space in the middle, and several red seals were affixed.

He did not understand the specific artistic conception or the style of the calligraphy, only noticing that the paper was yellowed and the ink varied in intensity, giving it an ancient air.

Qiao Yichen’s gaze did not linger too long on the painting itself, but concentrated entirely on Teacher Song and the others—watching them wear white gloves, virtually pointing at a specific part of the painting with their fingers, angling a flashlight beam across the paper, and quietly discussing technical terms he completely failed to grasp, such as “cun method,” “ink energy,” and “whether the signature seal is correct.”

After about another quarter of an hour, the group seemed to reach a preliminary consensus. They straightened up one by one, removed their gloves, smiled and clasped hands with each other, exchanged pleasantries like “Excellent discernment” and “Let’s meet again next time,” and then dispersed.

After returning his gloves, Teacher Song turned around and saw Qiao Yichen waiting quietly nearby.

“Xiao Qiao?” Teacher Song walked over, his face showing the pleasant excitement of a successful discussion. “How was it? Finished browsing? Did you find anything?”

“Teacher Song,” Qiao Yichen bowed slightly, his gaze gesturing toward the display table just seen. “I saw you and the other teachers engrossed in viewing, so I didn’t dare interrupt. It seems you had quite a fruitful evening?” His tone naturally steered the conversation toward Teacher Song.

A smile appeared on Teacher Song’s face. “It’s not exactly a harvest. I just looked at a few things with them and chatted. There was a small calligraphy piece from the Late Ming period with good brushwork. When we discussed the price, it was quite fair, so I decided to take it.”

As he spoke, he shook his head, his tone tinged with regret. “The other one, a landscape from the early Qing Dynasty that I was quite fond of, the price was simply too high, so I had to give it up.”

“To find one piece that catches your eye is already fate,” Qiao Yichen followed up sincerely.

“Yes, collecting is all about fate,” Teacher Song nodded, as if remembering something, and looked at Qiao Yichen, asking casually, “What about you? Did you find anything interesting on the furniture side?”

Qiao Yichen met Teacher Song’s gaze and nodded. “I found a huanghuali square corner cabinet. The form is upright, and the wood material is solid.”

Teacher Song followed the thread naturally. “Oh? That piece must be good. Did you negotiate the price smoothly?”

Qiao Yichen replied easily, “The price negotiation went well. I felt it was suitable, so I decided to take it.”

Teacher Song nodded in satisfaction. “It’s good that you secured it. Let’s go; it’s getting late.”