16: Unexpected buyer

"Hello, is this Mr. Wang Chen?"

"Speaking. Who is this?" Wang Chen replied, wondering to himself who it could be; the voice sounded unfamiliar, so it probably wasn't anyone he knew.

"Hello, Mr. Wang, sorry to bother you. I am Song Shiyin from Jiangcheng Jiahui Art Investment Co., Ltd. We saw your listing on the Yijian Website regarding the sale of a yellow glazed incised cloud dragon pattern vase from the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty and a batch of Qing Dynasty coins. We are very interested and would like to communicate further with you."

Wang Chen was stunned for a moment before realizing that the posts he had made on the antique forums and related websites yesterday were working. He hadn't expected the first person to contact him to be from what sounded like a reputable company.

"Oh, hello, Miss Song. That is correct." Wang Chen's tone was calm, but he was a little excited inside. Finally, someone who knew their stuff had come knocking.

Song Shiyin continued, "Thank you for confirming. We have taken a preliminary look at the pictures you posted and feel the items are very good. However, as you know, in the antique business, it is difficult to make a full determination based solely on pictures. So, I would like to ask if it would be convenient for us to have a video call now? We want to see the physical items more intuitively through video, including the details of the vase body, the bottom mark, and the condition of those coins."

Wang Chen thought for a moment. He was currently out, and the items were at home, so he replied, "I'm out right now, and the items are at home. A video inspection is fine, but you'll have to wait until I get back."

"Of course, that's completely understandable. When do you think you'll be available? We can coordinate with your schedule."

Wang Chen estimated the time it would take to get home and said, "In about half an hour."

"Alright, then would it be convenient for me to add you on wechat? I'll contact you again in half an hour. Sorry for the trouble, Mr. Wang." After Song Shiyin politely confirmed, the two ended the call and added each other on wechat.

Putting down his phone, Wang Chen was in a great mood. He had been thinking about how to liquidate his assets, and now a potential buyer had appeared—and it was a company from Jiangcheng that sounded quite powerful.

He immediately lost interest in getting a haircut; making money was the most important thing right now. Carrying his newly bought clothes, he headed straight home.

After returning to the rental house, the smell inside had basically dissipated. Wang Chen first put away his new clothes and then immediately moved out the storage box containing the copper coins and the vase.

He carefully took the items out and, according to Song Shiyin's request, adjusted the angle of his phone and the lighting, preparing for the video appraisal.

Shortly after he finished preparing, Song Shiyin's video call request came through right on time.

Wang Chen answered the video call, and a young woman who looked to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight appeared on the phone screen.

She was wearing a proper white suit skirt, her long hair was tied up, revealing a smooth forehead and a slender neck. Her makeup was exquisite, and her temperament was capable and experienced, which indeed matched Wang Chen's imagination of an investment company employee.

"Hello, Mr. Wang, I am Song Shiyin." The woman in the video smiled and introduced herself again.

"Hello, Miss Song." Wang Chen nodded and switched the camera to the rear, aiming it at the yellow glazed incised cloud dragon pattern vase on the table. "Shall we look at this vase first?"

"Alright, sorry to trouble you," Song Shiyin's voice came from the phone.

Following Song Shiyin's guidance, Wang Chen slowly moved the phone so she could clearly see the entire vase, the decorations from various angles, the glaze color, and finally, he focused on the bottom.

Throughout the process, Wang Chen could occasionally hear faint conversation from Song Shiyin's side; it seemed she wasn't alone.

When Wang Chen was filming the bottom mark, a slightly aged but energetic voice cut in, its tone carrying obvious surprise.

"Little Song, have this gentleman bring the lens a bit closer to the mark. Yes, that's the angle. Hmm, the brushstrokes of this mark and the luster of the glaze... this looks interesting."

Immediately afterward, the face of a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and with meticulously combed hair also appeared in the corner of the video screen. He nodded to Wang Chen and then fixed his gaze back on the vase on the screen.

Song Shiyin introduced them at the right time: "Mr. Wang, this is our company's specially appointed ancient porcelain appraisal expert, Old Master Tang. This is my father, and also the chairman of our company, Mr. Song Jingming."

"Hello, Old Master Tang. Hello, President Song." Wang Chen greeted them neither humbly nor arrogantly, feeling more confident. Since even the boss and the expert had been mobilized, it meant the other party was serious.

Song Jingming smiled at the camera, his attitude very easygoing.

"No need to be so formal, Mr. Wang. We are the ones bothering you. This vase of yours is remarkably well-preserved."

Next, under Old Master Tang's detailed instructions, Wang Chen displayed the sixteen copper coins one by one in front of the camera, including close-ups of the front and back, as well as the edge details.

Old Master Tang looked very carefully and would ask questions from time to time, all of which Wang Chen cooperated with.

The entire video inspection process lasted nearly twenty minutes.

After it ended, the video screen switched back to Song Shiyin. She smiled at Wang Chen and said, "Mr. Wang, thank you very much for your cooperation. We have seen the items."

Wang Chen switched the camera back to the front and, looking at Song Shiyin on the screen, asked directly, "You're welcome. So, Miss Song, what do you think?"

Song Shiyin didn't answer immediately, but tilted her head slightly as if listening to the opinions of the people beside her. A moment later, she looked back at the camera, her expression becoming more formal: "Mr. Wang, after our preliminary appraisal, we indeed have an intention to acquire this batch of your collection. We can give you a preliminary quote here, if you'd like?"

"Please go ahead." Wang Chen sat up straight.

"For this Qing Kangxi yellow glazed incised cloud dragon pattern vase, we are willing to offer four hundred thousand RMB." Song Shiyin gave the first price, then observed Wang Chen's reaction. Seeing his calm face, she continued:

"As for those coins, their prices vary greatly due to different conditions and versions. For example, those common 'Qianlong Tongbao' and 'coin' are worth around five hundred to one thousand yuan on the market. However, that 'Xianfeng Heavy Treasure' Dang Shi is in excellent condition. If it is authentic and has a clear provenance, the market price can reach fifteen thousand to twenty thousand. The remaining coins also need specific identification, with an overall estimate ranging from a few hundred to several thousand yuan."

Wang Chen quickly did the math in his head. The other party offered four hundred thousand for the vase, which was fifty thousand higher than his own estimate of three hundred and fifty thousand. It was a very sincere offer.

Although the individual price of the coins wasn't high, the sixteen coins combined would likely bring in tens of thousands of yuan.

This would result in an income of nearly five hundred thousand, enough to bring his total assets close to the two million mark.