222: Chapter 222 Antique Exchange Meeting

The morning of the departure, the sky was somewhat overcast.

The clouds were hanging low, just enough to block the sun, and the light across the entire landscape carried a grey, misty feeling.

Li Xin wore a thin, dark grey suit, without a tie. Underneath was an off-white shirt with the cuffs casually rolled up to his forearms, revealing the pocket-watch-style silver emblem on his wrist.

He had just finished getting this thing ready yesterday.

He used the silver emblem as a pendant, hanging it on the chain inside his suit pocket. It was invisible from the outside, but when he walked, the metal pendant pressed against his chest, carrying a tangible weight.

Just past 9:30, he drove his car into the underground garage of the art center.

The garage was unexpectedly empty.

Looking around, only three cars were parked there: a dark blue Bentley, a silver-grey Porsche, and a black Land Rover.

He parked his car next to the Land Rover and turned off the engine.

He didn't get out immediately, sitting quietly in the seat for a few seconds before pushing the door open and stepping out.

The elevator directly to the first-floor exhibition hall opened slowly.

A cool, dry breeze rushed to meet him, mixed with a faint scent of wood wax and the clean smell of fabric conditioner.

The exhibition hall had high ceilings, the top walls were pure white, and the surrounding walls were painted a soft, greyish-beige.

The display cases were arranged loosely, with wide spacing between them, so even if two people walked side by side, it wouldn't feel crowded or cramped at all.

Chen Jingming was already waiting at the entrance.

Today, he was wearing a light blue casual suit, paired with a dark turtleneck underneath, and a pair of dark brown leather shoes, looking simple and appropriate.

Seeing Li Xin approach, he didn't reach out to shake hands, but simply turned slightly and raised his hand, gesturing to the newcomer.

"You've come at just the right time. The exchange meeting hasn't officially started yet, so I'll take you around for a bit first. Most of the people who are supposed to be here today have arrived, and they're currently mostly in the lounge having tea and resting."

Li Xin nodded and followed him as they walked slowly into the exhibition hall.

On the left side of the hall was the Asian antiquities exhibition area.

In rows of display cases, ancient India gold and silver wares, Ming and Qing dynasty jade and porcelain, and quite a few bronze artifacts unearthed from Southeast Asia were neatly displayed.

Walking to the display case containing South India gold ware, he paused and bent slightly to look closely.

Inside the case were seven or eight silver-gilt sacrificial vessels. The surfaces of the objects had slight signs of oxidation—not perfect, but overall, they were preserved quite completely.

After watching for a moment, he straightened up and continued walking forward.

On the right was the European antique area, where a wider variety of items were displayed.

17th to 19th-century silver candlesticks, gilt mantel clocks, old antique telescopes—it was dazzling. In the innermost part, an independent display case was specifically dedicated to several antique pocket watches.

Li Xin leaned over again, his gaze falling into the display case.

One of the silver-cased enamel painted pocket watches rippled with a faint, soft light under the warm lights of the exhibition hall. On the pure white dial, the Roman numerals were clearly visible, without the slightest trace of peeling or damage.

"This is an old item that flowed back from the UK."

Chen Jingming stood by his side at the right moment and spoke softly.

"The collector himself is here today. If you like it and are interested, you can talk to him separately this afternoon."

Li Xin nodded slightly without responding, and the two continued to walk deeper into the exhibition hall.

At the very end of the hall was a leisure lounge area.

Several sets of light grey sofas were placed sporadically, with a small metal trolley standing nearby, holding a set of teapots and cups.

Several guests were already sitting on the sofas chatting. Seeing Chen Jingming bring someone over, some glanced over faintly and then withdrew their gaze.

"Let me help you deposit your collection first."

Chen Jingming walked to the service desk on the side of the exhibition hall, and a staff member handed over a registration form.

He lowered his head, quickly filled in the information, and turned to look at Li Xin.

Li Xin stepped forward and took two velvet bags from his inner suit pocket.

The large bag contained three Mughal ancient gold coins. The small bag held that pair of ruby earrings.

The staff member took the items, carefully registered the category and quantity, put the two velvet bags into a lockable metal drawer, and fastened it securely.

"The exchange session begins at 2:00 PM. At that time, the deposited collection will be uniformly placed in independent trays in the negotiation room for everyone to communicate and verify." The staff member's voice was gentle, carrying a standardized professional courtesy.

"Understood."

At 10:00 AM sharp, the antique exchange meeting at the Coastal Art Center officially began.

Collectors walked into the exhibition hall one after another, and the number of people in the venue gradually increased.

Li Xin scanned the scene roughly; there were about twenty people. Most were older regular customers, and the youngest looked to be over forty. Everyone was dressed in a low-key and appropriate manner, wearing dark colors, appearing calm and introverted.

The entire exhibition hall was exceptionally quiet.

Everyone stood in front of the display cases, leaning over to look closely, occasionally whispering to each other in pairs. There was no noise, no clutter.

Li Xin stopped in front of a display case in the Asian antiquities area.

Displayed in the case were several small pieces of jewelry from the Mughal period: a ruby ring, a silver armband, and a delicate gold chain.

The craftsmanship was exquisite, the condition was standard, and it retained the traces of time.

He watched quietly for two minutes and was just about to move on when a gentle voice suddenly came from his side.

"This gentleman, are you interested in Mughal artifacts?"

The voice was not loud, carrying a faint Cantonese accent.

Li Xin turned his head to look.

The speaker was an old man of about sixty, his grey-white hair meticulously groomed, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, dressed in a dark grey stand-collar shirt, clean and elegant, his hands empty, standing quietly to the side.

"Just looking around." Li Xin replied faintly.

The old man nodded and also leaned over to look at the ruby ring in the display case.

"This piece is late-stage craftsmanship, probably from the late 18th century. The silk threads are finer than early craftsmanship, but the stone setting is done quite shallowly, which is a very typical characteristic of late-period workshop craftsmanship."

"Your eye is very sharp." Li Xin said.

"I've been in this business for decades, just seen a lot."

The old man straightened up, his gaze falling on Li Xin.

"I spent many years in India in my early years, often running along the Delhi and Jaipur line. I've seen quite a few old Mughal items."

"Then you must also be very knowledgeable about South India craftsmanship?"

The old man smiled slightly.

"South India and North India Mughal are two completely different craft systems.

Southern craftsmen prefer granular gemstone inlay, while the North focuses on faceted gemstones. The style, technique, and aesthetics are all different. It's a pity that most collectors on the market today can't tell the difference at all."

Li Xin didn't say much more, just nodded slightly.

The old man didn't try to strike up a conversation either, took another glance at the gold chain in the case, and turned to walk towards the lounge area.

The lunch was set in a small banquet hall next to the exhibition hall.

The long dining table was covered with a pure white tablecloth, laid with cold cuts, cheese, vegetable salads, and various bread baskets. A coffee machine and tea set were placed in the corner, all for self-service.

Li Xin took a plate of salad and two pieces of bread, and found a seat by the window.

Outside the window was the vast sea, the water a grey-blue color. It was a bit brighter than in the morning, but the clouds in the sky were still thick and hadn't dissipated.

Before long, Chen Jingming sat opposite him with a dinner plate. There were only a few slices of salami and a small piece of cheese on the plate, very simple.

"How does it feel after walking around this morning?"

"Pretty good."

Li Xin cut a small piece of bread, chewed it slowly, and swallowed.

"The atmosphere is very comfortable, nice and quiet, without the restlessness of ordinary commercial trade fairs."

"That's exactly the effect I wanted."

Chen Jingming took a sip of warm water, his tone frank.

"The various exchange meetings I attended in the past were a mix of good and bad. There were too many people taking photos for clout, live streaming for traffic, or just joining in the fun. It was noisy and chaotic, especially annoying. This time, the attendee list and on-site management were screened layer by layer, leaving only serious collectors in the circle."

"I met an old gentleman with gold-rimmed glasses in the morning who said he had spent many years in India."

"You mean Mr. He." Chen Jingming smiled knowingly.

"He came from Hong Kong and has been in the antique business for over thirty years. He has a stable source of goods in Jaipur, focusing on late Mughal gold and silver jewelry.

He has quite a few private collections in his hands, which he didn't bring out for display today. If you are interested, you can find him this afternoon to have a good chat."

Hearing this, Li Xin didn't answer immediately.

He picked up his water glass and took a sip. When he set it down, the bottom of the glass touched the table with a very light, dull thud.

"Okay, I'll see how it goes this afternoon."

At 1:30 PM, the exclusive one-on-one negotiation room opened on time.

The negotiation room was located in the deepest part of the exhibition hall and had been professionally soundproofed. Once the heavy door closed, all footsteps and conversations outside were completely cut off, leaving it silent.

Li Xin pushed the door open and entered the room. Mr. He, whom he had met in the morning, was already sitting at the table waiting.

On the solid wood table was an exquisite wooden tray, inside which were neatly placed his deposited three Mughal ancient gold coins and the pair of ruby earrings. A thin card was pressed to the side, printed with the collection number and basic introduction.

Mr. He looked up, saw the person coming, and nodded gently in greeting.

"Mr. Li, please sit. It was a bit rushed this morning, and I didn't have time to ask your name. Later, I asked Mr. Chen, and only then did I learn your name."

His speaking speed was calm and unhurried, carrying the steady demeanor of an older generation collector.

Li Xin sat down opposite him.

"How many days does Mr. He plan to stay in Shenzhen this time?"

"About three or four days."

Mr. He rested his hands lightly on the table, his posture relaxed and casual.

"I came here this time mainly to see the market situation in Shenzhen.

In recent years, the local antique circle has risen very quickly. More and more people are playing with collections, and the overall age is younger, which is much more vibrant than the circle in Hong Kong."

"Then what do you think of the market here overall?"

"Youth is the biggest advantage." Mr. He said slowly.

"But the problems are also obvious. There are too few old-school collectors who really understand the business.

Most people pick things just by looking at whether the condition is good and whether the provenance is stable. As for the inner craftsmanship, they basically can't see it.

Take these old Mughal items for example. Even if they are from the same era, coming from different workshops, the workmanship is completely different.

Just the thickness of the silk threads and the density of the arrangement have a ridiculously huge gap. These subtle details are things that laymen simply cannot see."

"You put it very clearly."

Mr. He smiled and his eyes fell on the ancient gold coins in the tray.

"These three gold coins are rare in terms of quality. The characters pressed on the edge are clear, almost without much wear and tear.

Only this one in the middle is a bit worse, the pattern is printed a bit shallowly, mostly likely a problem left by the long-term use of the coin casting mold back then. Do you have much contact with the auction market in South India?"

"Not very familiar, I've only seen a few small auctions."

"The small auctions there are very worth visiting."

Mr. He leaned back slightly, his tone relaxed.

"Many old items flowing out of temples, because the provenance information is incomplete and the circulation records are missing, the transaction price will be pressed very low, but the items themselves are solid boutiques. There are quite a few opportunities to pick up leaks."

The two chatted for a long time.

Mr. He talked about his experiences in Delhi and Jaipur in his early years, and mentioned the old craftsmen who had a Legacy of five or six generations and were still sticking to the traditional craftsmanship today.

Li Xin mostly listened quietly, occasionally adding a word or two, stopping at the point, not chatting deeply, and not asking further questions.

Towards the end of the chat, Mr. He proactively suggested that he still had quite a few private boutique collections on hand, which he hadn't brought today. If Li Xin was interested, they could make an appointment to see them in detail later.

Li Xin agreed and promised to let Chen Jingming coordinate the connection later.

The negotiation ended, and Li Xin walked out of the room and returned to the exhibition hall.

The afternoon foot traffic was much higher than in the morning, but the overall atmosphere remained quiet and elegant.

Several groups of people were whispering and discussing in front of the European antique exhibition area, and an old man was sitting alone on the sofa in the lounge area, looking through the printed collection list.

Li Xin strolled around again and stopped in the European antique area.

Displayed in the case was a set of early 19th-century silver tableware, twelve pieces in total. At the end of the tableware handles, exquisite plant relief patterns were carved, simple and elegant.

He watched quietly for a while, didn't call the staff to open the case for verification, just looked closely through the glass, and then turned and left.

Near 4:00 PM, he walked to the lounge area and got a cup of hot tea.

He stood by the floor-to-ceiling window with his teacup, looking at the sea view outside.

The afternoon light was stronger, and the color of the sea was a few shades deeper than in the morning. In the distance, several small white sailboats were floating slowly on the sea, swaying lightly with the waves.

He drank the tea in small sips, let it sit for a moment, placed the cup gently on the windowsill, and did not rush to leave.

After staying for a while, he returned to the exhibition hall, stood in front of a display case for two minutes, and then turned and walked straight towards the exit.

Chen Jingming was talking to someone at the entrance. Seeing Li Xin, he raised his chin slightly to signal.

"Mr. He just left." Chen Jingming said.

"He specifically asked me to tell you that the quality and texture of your few ancient gold coins are top-notch."

Li Xin nodded slightly.

"Any gains from walking around today?"

"Not bad." Li Xin's tone was plain.

"The atmosphere is better than I expected, quiet enough."

Chen Jingming smiled.

"That's good. There is one more day of the exchange meeting tomorrow. If you find it interesting, you can come and walk around again tomorrow."

"We'll see tomorrow."

Li Xin turned and walked two steps towards the elevator and the garage, then suddenly stopped and looked back at Chen Jingming.

"Among the collectors who came today, are there any with deep private collections?"

"There are a few big bosses here."

Chen Jingming said casually and naturally.

"However, this is the rule in the circle. On the first day, no one will bring out their best treasures. Everyone is first observing the vision, background, and character of the newcomers.

If you come tomorrow, you will likely see a lot of real stuff at the exclusive tea party in the afternoon."

Li Xin didn't ask further, nodded knowingly, and turned into the elevator.