Chapter: 6319

Old Teacher Cheng thought for a moment and said, "Ming-era copperware with designs like this, craftsmanship so exquisite... definitely worth auctioning off. Conservatively estimated, it should be in the range of 100 to 200 million yuan."

Shao Changkun asked again, "How much will I have to pay for this set if I want it?"

Old Teacher Cheng said hurriedly, "I won't deceive you, Mr. Mu Dan. We usually charge 30% of the market price for something like this. As I just told you, the conservatively estimated value is between one hundred and two hundred million yuan. Taking an average of that range, it's around one hundred fifty million. Thirty percent of one hundred fifty million is forty-five million."

Shao Changkun immediately said, "No way, no way. Your price is too high. How can I afford forty thousand?"

In reality, Shao Changkun was thinking to himself, "Mom's sake! I have to pay forty thousand just for this thing? Ask Wang Liang Yun how much he wants and maybe it's eighty thousand? He'll probably get that much."

Old Teacher Cheng heard what he said and quickly added, "Oh, Mr. Mu Dan, you're too practical. Don't we always quote higher prices in our line of work?"

He then quickly continued, "I'm not going to play games with you either. This thing I just told you about, its base cost is thirty-eight thousand yuan. We spent sixty thousand on the copper statue, plus labor costs and whatnot. A normal transaction price won't be lower than twenty thousand. Since you're a friend of Mr. Mu Dan's, I'll give you a one-time offer: fifteen thousand!"

Zhang Er Mao immediately said from the side, "Old Teacher Cheng, we've known each other for so long, and this is our first business deal. I'm not going to say anything else. This first transaction will be considered a face-saving gesture. Don't try to take advantage of Mr. Mu Dan's money, you're not just the base at thirty-eight thousand yuan? The copper statue cost sixty thousand, right? We'll give you ninety-eight thousand and consider it a friendly transaction."

"Consider it a friendly transaction..." Old Teacher Cheng sighed, "Of course I want to be friends with Mr. Mu Dan, but we have to make a profit too, and I still need to pay my mentor's tuition fee."

Shao Changkun waved his hand and said boldly, "Since you've said that much, let's just say it's ten thousand yuan, is that enough?"

"Ten thousand..." Old Teacher Cheng was troubled in his heart.

"They may not be able to show off their skills, but these artisans are indeed worth a lot. Doing this kind of job, they at least deserve to earn two thousand yuan as labor costs, otherwise, what's the point of staying here for a few days and not being able to show off?"

"He may have a grudge in his heart, but after careful thought, he realized that in this situation, he wouldn't want to haggle over prices anymore. After all, he doesn't know what kind of person Mu Dan is, but Zhang Ermao is indeed doing well now, and giving him face would be a convenience for himself later on."

"So, he looked at Zhang Ermao and said seriously: 'Ermao, since you're my friend, I'm definitely not going to argue over prices. Let's settle it at 98,000! 98,000 is the final price! It sounds good and auspicious!'"

"Shao Changkun heard this and thought to himself: 'Wow, that's great! I can save two thousand yuan! And this feels like a suitable deal. Selling something worth one or two million on the market would cost four to five hundred thousand or even six hundred thousand. That's not a standard price for someone who just starts out!'"

"As long as he buys it, his seed capital will all be invested, and when Zhang Ermao finds someone to expose this thing, he'll have a hard time getting back on track. He estimates that he can sell it for five or six hundred thousand, which is already the best-case scenario! This is like having the perfect tool for playing tricks!'"

"Then he immediately agreed and said with his mouth: 'Alright, I've settled on this price!'"

"However, he didn't pay too much attention to it and began pretending to be an antique dealer, with most being people who couldn't show their faces. It's quite normal for him to come up with a fake name and meet people like this."

"So, he carefully wrapped the bronze Buddha and its base and handed it over to Shao Changkun, politely asking: 'I'm not sure if Mr. Murong has any other requirements. I have plenty of good things here; let me introduce you to some?'"

Shao Changkun waved his hand dismissively: "No need, just take this one for now. This is our first collaboration, and I'm not sure about the quality of your goods. Let me test it out first, and if everything goes smoothly, I'll definitely bring more next time.""

Program teacher heard these words and felt a sense of disappointment inside, thinking to himself: "Zhang Ermao still claims to be some big shot just because he's willing to pay 98,000 yuan upfront. What kind of big shot is that? If it were in normal times, customers like him wouldn't even have the qualifications to come to my workshop.""

However, due to Zhang Ermao's face, he didn't say much and could only speak politely: "Murong Mr.'s words are correct; indeed, our first collaboration does require a process of verification and understanding. You can take this bronze Buddha back, but remember not to show it to anyone who doesn't know much about it. My things are designed to create confusion, most suitable for deceiving connoisseurs. Of course, too professional people won't work either; only those with extensive experience and knowledge can spot the differences. So, even if you try to deceive general customers, I guarantee that each one will be a sure hit.""

Shao Changkun nodded satisfactorily: "He's just the kind of connoisseur who knows how to appreciate this kind of thing. Not quite a top-tier expert, but indeed more knowledgeable than the average person. It looks like this is tailored-made for him!""

Then, he became somewhat impatient and turned to Zhang Ermao on his side: "Ermao, time is pressing; let's hurry up and leave.""

Zhang Ermao of course knew that Shao Changkun was in a state of great urgency at this moment, so he immediately said: "Okay, Murong Mr., let's go back now."" JrNovels.com