Huang Delai liked this kind of private conversation that represented intimacy and trust the most, so he whispered in her ear:
"Mr. Lin, you're wrong. This auction should be more successful than the last one. Because the antiques you brought out last time were all rare treasures, rarely seen in the antique market. But because the exhibition time was too short, many buyers didn't have time to attend.
Now our reputation has spread. Although we did not say that it was the Lingnan Hall collection, last year we held 10 antique auctions in the Forbidden City in Hong Kong, and our reputation spread all over the world. This time, we will receive even more attention and more wealthy people will participate.
And I heard that your collection this time also includes European antiques? This is a big name in the international antique world. Those foreigners don't even blink when they buy oil paintings.
Lin Sanqi felt relieved when he heard this:
"Yes, this time I'm planning to auction off some of our ancestral oil paintings and other European antiques. They're absolutely exquisite. Come, I'll take you to the warehouse to have a look."
Lin Sanqi then shook hands with the antique appraisal experts.
Last time, because experts from the Dongguan Museum participated in the appraisal, the secret was leaked and everyone who should know knew that the collection was provided by Lingnan Hall.
Therefore, this time Sotheby's specially invited appraisal experts from Beijing and Chang'an, and signed a strict confidentiality agreement.
Among the expert group, there are several white experts who are specifically here to identify Western antiques.
The group arrived at the underground warehouse in Plaza de Mayo, passed through three security doors, and when they arrived in front of the antiques, they immediately started cursing.
"Damn, you prodigal son! This is a Qi Baishi painting, why are you just leaving it on the table like that? No, this table is also a treasure. It's made of golden nanmu wood from the Forbidden City? Why don't you take care of it at all?!"
"Your calligraphy and paintings are at least on the table. Look at these famille rose vases. This one's from the Qing Dynasty, this one's from the Ming Dynasty. These are all rare and exquisite pieces. Why are they piled on the floor like pickle jars?"
"Oh my god, is this Qiu Ying's 'Spring Dawn'? It's a national treasure, why is this corner moldy? How did they preserve it? This is a crime!!!"
The old men went completely crazy, and there was no trace of their previous elegance. They all turned into shrews.
Lin Sanqi shrank his neck and waved his hand at Huang Delai: "Hurry up and go over there."
He was afraid that if he didn't leave, he would be beaten to death by these old men.
Many of the cultural relics in the warehouse were damaged, but he was not responsible for the improper preservation. That was all the fault of the Huadu Cultural Relics Store in 1962.
When the three white appraisers saw the Chinese experts shouting and yelling, they felt a little contempt in their hearts, thinking that they were too ungraceful.
But when they saw the paintings lying flat on the ground, they screamed:
"This is, this is Vincent Van Gogh's 'Painter on his Way to Work'? Fuck, how could you just throw it on the ground like that?"
"Oh my God, is this Claude Monet's 'Water Lilies'? Wasn't it rumored to have been destroyed in a fire? How did it appear in China?"
"It's a crime, absolutely a crime. These are Picasso's 'Stroller' and 'Mother'. These national treasures should be displayed in the most prominent position in the Louvre, but in your country, China, they are just covered in dust."
Lin Sanqi saw the three appraisers grabbing their hair, their eyes red, blinking innocently, then quietly took a few steps back.
He is not an antique lover, and he hasn't even figured out the traditional cultural relics in the country. Who would care about these foreigners' antiques?
Especially oil paintings.
If you say it's a classical style, he might appreciate it.
But what the hell were those paintings of Impressionism, Abstractionism, and even Fauvism?
There is an episode in Mr. Bean where a famous and rare painting is bought by the National Museum of the United States, and Mr. Bean is sent to transport the painting to the United States.
In the safe of the National Museum of the United States, when Mr. Bean was admiring the famous painting up close, he sneezed and his saliva sprayed on the painting, and eventually the precious painting was destroyed.
So Mr. Bean repaired the painting himself, painting it with random colors and even spilling snacks all over it. He smeared it with his hands and feet, and finally created a rubbish painting.
But when this rubbish painting was exhibited, it was praised by various artists, appraisers, celebrities, etc., and they all commented on it, saying that it was a world-class masterpiece and very artistic.
From this story, we can see that Europeans know nothing about art appreciation and are just pretending to be cultured.
This world is just a makeshift team.
Lin Sanqi only cares about whether these oil paintings can be sold and how much they can be sold for.
As the manager of one of the world's top auction houses, Huang Delai has a unique vision. After seeing so many antiques and curios, he already has an idea in his mind.
Every antique piece this time is a fine piece. He only needs to pick out some of them for auction like last time, and he will definitely set a record.
Huang Delai excitedly grabbed Lin Sanqi, which scared Lin Sanqi. He thought that everyone who came to the basement today had some problems.
"Mr. Lin, Mr. Lin, don't worry. I'm confident I can help you get a sky-high price. Furthermore, I can hold auctions for you in Europe and the United States. We're going to hold global exhibitions, and we're sure to attract the attention of wealthy people all over the world."
Lin Sanqi also decided to keep the auction house manager hanging.
"Mr. Huang, as long as Sotheby's satisfies me, we can have a long-term cooperation. As you can see, there are tens of thousands of exhibits in my warehouse, so I can auction them for decades without any problem.
But I need the money badly for a special reason. So you should start the auction as soon as possible, but the terms need to be changed. Last time you charged me 20% including tax, this time I'll only give you 17%. What do you think?
Don’t underestimate these three points. When the total bill is calculated, it may be tens of millions of dollars.
Huang Delai was obviously well prepared. If it was any other order, they would definitely not do it if it was 3 points less.
But quantitative change can lead to qualitative change. When a single order can earn over a billion dollars, a 3-point profit margin is acceptable. After all, they are making too much money.
So Huang Delai didn't hesitate any longer, stretched out his hand, and didn't even bargain:
"OK, Mr. Lin, 17% is fine. You will always be our most reliable friend at Sotheby's. We are sincerely willing to serve you."
It took Chinese and Western appraisers a full week to select 500 Chinese antiques and 100 European antiques, and then began to prepare for the auction.
From preparation, to inviting wealthy people, to preview, and finally to the auction, the entire process takes at least a month, and that is already expedited.
Sometimes theme auctions are prepared one or two years in advance. The more complicated the process is, the more valuable the auction items are.
Lin Sanqi had other things to do.
Lingnantang Group, in the conference room.
Lin Sanqi frowned when he saw the jewelry store managers from China and Hong Kong in the conference room.
These people are from Lao Feng Xiang, Yuyuan Group, Jinyu Group, Hehe Jade, Heyuyuan, Guoyu Group, Beiyu Group, Chow Tai Fook, Chow Tai Seng and Ciyuan Pavilion.
These ten are currently the largest jade companies or jewelry stores in China.
What Lin Sanqi was dissatisfied with was that the people who came were all ordinary department managers, who had no power to make the final decision. It was obvious that these ten major jade companies had underestimated Lingnan Hall.
It’s no wonder that Lingnan Hall gives people the impression of selling ginseng and cordyceps. They also sell jade, but in small quantities. The goods are good, but the prices are very high.
This time, receiving the invitation from Lingnan Hall, these ten major jade companies were able to send department managers to participate, which was already a face for Lingnan Hall.
But Lin Sanqi prefers those company bosses or group heads who can really make the final decision.
These little Karami are clearly not up to standard.
After all, I am a big shot who pays more than 5 billion in taxes every year, and this is it?
Manager Liang of the National Jade Group was the first to ask:
"Hello, Mr. Lin. What's the matter with calling us jade merchants here?"
Lin Sanqi didn't want to offend these little devils, so he said politely:
"I've called you all here to Huadu because there's something great waiting for you. You've all worked with Lingnan Hall before, and I'm sure you're all satisfied with the Hetian jade and Huangtian jade we provide, right?"
Manager Liang smiled and said, "I'm satisfied. To be honest, they are all top-quality jades, which are rare in the market in recent years. It's just that the price is too high, which results in our profit not meeting our expectations."
The other managers also agreed with a smile:
"Yes, Mr. Lin, your Lingnan Hall is a wealthy family, please give us some of the profits!"
"Director Lin, could you please put out a larger amount? You only put out a few kilograms each time, which is not enough for us to use."
Lin Sanqi chuckled and asked:
"If you want high profits, that's easy. Start with quantity. The more top-grade Hetian jade you have, the more money you can make, right? If I had hundreds of tons of Hetian jade, could you handle it all?"
Lin Sanqi finally reveals the real reason for inviting them. (End of this chapter)
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