Top Grade Immortal Emperor in the Flower City-Chapter 622 - 632: Make a Small Profit

After wandering around, Mo Xing almost turned into a bear, with his belly round and bulging as if he were five or six months pregnant. Even so, his hand still clutched a handful of copper-roasted lamb.

On both sides of the road, there was an eye-catching array of things. Li Qi and Mo Siqing, like two green students, kept gazing at the dense array of stalls on the side of the road.

Small jewelry, a variety of trinkets—they had both women so mesmerized their eyeballs turned green. Ye Ling followed behind, continuously forking out cash.

"Mo Xing, you scumbag, are you a bear or what? Can't you walk a bit faster? Why are you dawdling back there, are you a dog? I think you're just scared of spending money, you bastard!"

Ye Ling glared at Mo Xing, who was trailing behind them, grinding his teeth. In his view, this jerk was simply trying to avoid paying, cunning as hell.

Mo Xing wore a pained expression: "Damn it, I feel like my stomach is going to explode. Don't rush me. You hurry up and keep up with those two. If anything goes wrong, I'm going to hold you accountable!"

Having said that, Mo Xing bitterly bit into the lamb, smacked his lips, then covered his bulging belly again in agony.

Ah, I can't handle it anymore, I'm going to burst, but I still want to eat. Damn it, this is the coexistence of pain and pleasure, such a tough decision.

The four of them wandered down this street, which was long and filled with antique buildings. Scattered lights at night decorated the scene, impressively catching the eye of people who had spent a long time in the Imperial Capital and Donghai.

The Bookstore Street was divided into several segments with defined levels: within certain distances, there were regulations about what you could sell. The road was long, but strolling through it left you feeling unsatisfied.

They reached the central area of the street where on both sides, there were dense displays of antiques and the like, laid out on the ground for people to pick and examine.

The group stopped in front of a stall where a man in his thirties, sitting on the ground, watched the passersby with cool detachment.

In front of his stall, there were densely packed ancient jades and small bronzes which attracted many potential buyers looking to make a find.

An old man picked up a bronze tripod about the size of a small basin, with a fair amount of green rust on it.

"How much for this?" the old man asked.

The stall owner glanced at the old man and held up two fingers: "Twenty thousand, no bargaining."

Mo Xing, observing from the side, was momentarily stunned and then muttered, "Damn, that's vicious. I don't think this thing is genuine. This must be a scam."

Ye Ling, however, tugged at Mo Xing, "Don't talk. In this business, even if you spot a fake, you can't say anything. That's the rule. If you get duped, you can only blame your own incompetence."

In the world of collecting, there are many rules, one of which is that bystanders, even if they recognize a fake, must remain silent.

And looking at the old man in question, it was clear he was a novice. Experienced collectors wouldn't ask for the price but would instead make a direct offer, to avoid being taken advantage of by the seller.

It also indirectly signals the seller, "I know my stuff, don't try to fool me."

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The old man shook his head, "Fifteen thousand at most. If that works, I'll take it. Otherwise, forget it."

After speaking, the old man stood up. The stall owner merely lifted his eyes, paying no heed to the old man. Ye Ling chuckled to himself, "Tsk, tsk, this stall owner is quite scheming."

If he had pulled the old man back right now, then the man would surely have haggled further. Regardless of how much the price would be lowered, it would give the impression that the item was not worth the asking price.

By ignoring the old man, however, a different impression is created: perhaps the item really is worth it, and maybe one should buy it considering the money isn't a big issue.

Ye Ling sighed, "Damn, no line of work is easy these days. To deal in antiques, you've got to be a master of psychology."

Suddenly, Ye Ling's eyes lit up, and he chuckled as he squatted down to pick up a piece of ancient jade in his hand, which was clean and white, although there were some abrasions on it.

"Boss, would you sell this for two hundred bucks?"

Ye Ling smiled slightly, and the stall owner, quite unusually, spoke up, "Young man, this ancient jade is from the Warring States period. Of course, I'm not sure about its age, but it should be pretty good, with significant value for collectors."

"Look at you, I'm just asking if you'll sell it for two hundred. If not, forget it, I'll go check out other stalls."

As he spoke, Ye Ling was about to get up when the stall owner immediately waved his hand, "Okay, two hundred it is then. Young man, I'm telling you, you've absolutely scored a bargain this time."

After buying the item, Ye Ling stood up, and Mo Xing on the side quietly laughed, "Hehe, you old fox, you found a real steal, didn't you? How's the item?"

"A small profit, this is genuinely a piece of Warring States jade, worth about eighty or ninety thousand."

Ye Ling smiled faintly, and Mo Xing's eyes went wide in astonishment. Damn, is money that easy to make? No way, I must try my luck too, otherwise, it would disgrace my reputation.

With that thought in mind, Mo Xing directly pulled Li Qi toward the stalls ahead, while Mo Siqing shook his head, "I think he's going to lose money today, what do you think?"

"Mm, you still understand your big brother well. With his luck, looking for a steal? Dream on."

Ye Ling shook his head with a smile, but suddenly, he saw the stall owner take out a bowl from a worn bag behind him. It was adorned with blue flowers and had a clean white glaze.

"Nice piece!"

Ye Ling felt a surge of excitement. This bowl was an authentic piece from the Tang Dynasty kilns. With such good condition, it would definitely go for over five million at an auction.

"Boss, how much for this bowl?"

Ye Ling squatted down again, examining the bowl thoroughly. Its condition was perfect and it looked almost untouched by time, which not every connoisseur could discern. However, Ye Ling's eye was sharp and piercing; even the most illusory items could not escape his discerning gaze.

The stall owner looked at Ye Ling and nodded, "You seem to have some understanding of the market, young man. To be honest, I don't know which dynasty this bowl is from, but it's definitely genuine."

"Considering its pattern and craftsmanship, it's worth a lot. How about this? Take it for fifty thousand."

The stall owner quoted the price straight away. Ye Ling pondered for a moment; he couldn't be too direct and straightforward, or it would arouse suspicion. He then nodded and prepared to transfer the money to the stall owner.

As he was about to do so, someone suddenly squatted down beside him, wearing glasses and looking at the bowl in Ye Ling's hands with eager eyes.

"Boss, I'll take the bowl for sixty thousand," the man slowly said, exuding an aura that seemed impossible to rebut. Ye Ling was taken aback and immediately became anxious. Ah, damn it, someone is messing up the bid?

"Listen, buddy, this bowl is already mine. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to offer a higher price like this?"

Ye Ling frowned, there should be some order of who came first, right? Otherwise, what would happen if two highly observant collectors crossed paths?

"The key point is you haven't paid yet, right, boss?"

The man wasn't in a hurry and smiled slightly, with a determined attitude.