21: Revenue hits new high

Fortunately, Chen Xinyi also sensed something was off, and she casually reached out a hand to cover her neckline.

Seeing this, the two men immediately withdrew their gazes and refocused their attention on the stamp.

Unlike Wan Yuanliang, who still seemed to be lingering on the sight, Ye Su felt a little smug inside after seeing Chen Xinyi's small gesture.

"It seems this was prepared just for me."

"Let me inspect the goods first, no problem, right?" Wan Yuanliang wasn't so dazzled by the scenery that he forgot the task at hand.

"No problem."

With the stamp sleeve protecting it, Wan Yuanliang didn't need to worry about damaging the stamp. He picked it up with a tissue and began to examine it carefully.

Following the details he had clarified at noon, he checked the stamp point by point. Finally, he inspected the paper condition, confirming that the item Ye Su brought was indeed authentic.

"Brother, the condition of this stamp is truly excellent. I wonder where you got it?"

Having run the shop for several years, Wan Yuanliang had developed a bit of an eye for judging people.

The young man before him didn't look like a stamp collector at all, but he certainly didn't look like a thief either. Naturally, Wan Yuanliang was curious about where Ye Su had managed to get a stamp in such good condition.

"My grandfather gave it to me as a red envelope during the Chinese New Year. But as you can see, I'm definitely not the type who collects these things. Plus, it's a hassle to preserve, and I might ruin it sooner or later, so I'd rather sell it early and get some pocket money."

Ye Su was becoming increasingly adept at making up stories, not even blushing in the slightest.

"So it was a gift from your family, no wonder it's so well-preserved."

From the moment Ye Su took the stamp out of his wallet earlier, Wan Yuanliang was certain that he hadn't had it for long.

Now that he heard it was a Chinese New Year gift, Wan Yuanliang found it reasonable and didn't pry any further.

When Chen Xinyi heard that this stamp was a red envelope gift, a flash of envy instantly crossed her eyes.

What kind of family is that! Using a stamp worth over ten thousand as a red envelope!

And if you add in that watch, didn't Ye Su receive at least tens of thousands in red envelopes just over the New Year!

As for expressing envy, Chen Xinyi felt she was already tired of saying it.

"I'll be straightforward with you; the condition of this stamp is indeed very good." Wan Yuanliang placed the stamp back on the handkerchief:

"From the information Chen Xinyi sent me, I can see you are also very clear about the situation with this stamp. I assume you have a price in mind, so let's be direct—I'll take this stamp for twelve thousand."

Twelve thousand was exactly the suggested price from the system, showing that Wan Yuanliang really had no intention of ripping Ye Su off.

"Isn't twelve thousand a bit low?" But Ye Su didn't agree based on the system's suggestion:

"Right now, the price for the regular 2-11 version of the new stamp has been stable at over ten thousand. I know that since you run a business, your purchase price will definitely be lower than the market price, so the offer is indeed not far off.

However, for a premium item like this, with all four sides intact and the selvage still bearing the letter markings, a price increase of twenty to thirty percent is completely reasonable. Twelve thousand is a bit low."

Wan Yuanliang knew that what Ye Su said was the truth and not just driving up the price, so he didn't show any displeasure: "Then how much do you want?"

"Fifteen thousand."

"Hearing you say that, you must have done your homework. You're right, this stamp has all four sides intact. If there's a suitable buyer, the price can indeed go up quite a bit.

However, after I buy this stamp, aside from the storage issues, I also have to spend time finding a buyer. The goods will definitely be tied up in my hands for a while, and the time cost has to be factored in, right?"

Wan Yuanliang glanced at Chen Xinyi again: "Since you were introduced by Chen Xinyi, I can add another thousand. If you don't believe me, you can go take a walk outside; I estimate that no one on this street will offer you a higher price than me."

"We're all straightforward people, so why don't we skip the old-school haggling? Fourteen thousand, we both take a step back, how about it?"

"Fourteen thousand..." Wan Yuanliang looked hesitant, but finally gritted his teeth and agreed: "Fourteen thousand it is, let's consider it making a friend."

Ye Su shook the hand Wan Yuanliang extended: "Pleasure doing business with you."

"Sigh, pleasure doing business with you."

As someone who runs a business, Wan Yuanliang naturally wouldn't just give up profit to make a friend like he said.

After Chen Xinyi contacted him at noon, Wan Yuanliang had sent the photo to his father to look at.

His father also expressed that it was rare to encounter a british penny black in such good condition, and as long as the price didn't exceed fifteen thousand, it could be bought. Even if it didn't sell, it could be kept as a personal collection.

Therefore, the fourteen thousand Ye Su asked for was a good price for both parties.

Seeing this small piece of paper actually sell for over ten thousand, Chen Xinyi had a look of confusion on her face:

"I still can't understand it. How could someone spend so much money just to buy a stamp that can't even be used?"

Hearing Chen Xinyi questioning his business, Wan Yuanliang wasn't angry. While drafting the contract, he patiently explained to her:

"It's normal not to understand. Just like we can't understand why LV takes a few pieces of fabric, sews them together, and sells what are essentially mass-produced craft items for tens of thousands.

However, if there are people willing to pay for these things, there is naturally a market logic behind it. You just need to find people who acknowledge that market logic.

So, in business, finding the target user is the most important thing. There is no such thing as an item without value in this world; it's just that you haven't found the right buyer.

If you can't understand it, it only means you aren't the target customer for this stamp, just like I'm not the target customer for LV."

"Oh, alright then."

Chen Xinyi wasn't stupid. After Wan Yuanliang's explanation, she could understand this situation.

"Mhm." Ye Su also nodded in deep agreement.

In the past, when watching shows like storage auctions, Ye Su discovered that what limited him in this line of work, besides his eye for appraisal, was his inability to find suitable buyers for valuable items like those treasure hunters could.

Just like now, if it weren't for Chen Xinyi's introduction, he definitely wouldn't have sold the stamp so smoothly.

"Alright, that's settled. Let's add each other on WeChat. I'll transfer the money to you. If you have anything else to sell next time, you can give me a heads-up first."

Ye Su first glanced at Chen Xinyi: "Then we're going to add each other on WeChat?"

After all, it was because she had acted as the intermediary that he was able to meet Wan Yuanliang. Even if just out of politeness, Ye Su had to go through the motions.

Chen Xinyi was pleased with the respect Ye Su showed her: "Add him if you want. You two grown men adding each other as friends, what does that have to do with me?"

While asking Chen Xinyi, Ye Su had already opened his QR code and handed it over to Wan Yuanliang.

Beep—

The friend request was accepted, and Wan Yuanliang transferred fourteen thousand yuan to Ye Su directly.

"I had to look at the stamp earlier, so it wasn't convenient to make tea. Sorry for the poor hospitality. You two should sit for a while longer; I'll boil some water now."

"We aren't a couple."

As she spoke, Chen Xinyi glanced at Ye Su. When she realized he didn't refute it, she felt a little disappointed inside.

"That was my slip of the tongue, sorry about that."

Wan Yuanliang wasn't blind; he could tell that Chen Xinyi was interested in Ye Su. It turned out he had misjudged the situation after all.

It seems his eye for people still needs more practice.

Hearing Wan Yuanliang say he was going to make tea, Ye Su tactfully stood up: "No need for the trouble, we'll be heading off now."

Chen Xinyi followed closely behind: "Then we'll be going, thank you, Brother Liang."

"You're welcome. You two should come over for tea whenever you have free time; you don't have to wait until you have business."

"Definitely."