Chapter 89: Is Things Going Wrong? (Second Update, 4K, Requesting Monthly Tickets)
The teacher and student looked at each other across the distance, their eyes reflecting a piercing light.
No matter which powerful family they come from, or how influential their ancestors were, and regardless of how many lifetimes they've lived, whether they've transmigrated or been reborn, let me ask you this: if I gave you an imperial seal, wouldn't you be excited?
The fact that these two managed to keep their hands from shaking and their legs from trembling is already quite remarkable in terms of composure and calmness.
Believe it or not, if someone else were to put on an imperial robe and call out "朕" (the imperial "I"), would they dare to do so?
The two stared at the iron seal, speechless.
Teacher Ma smiled smugly: "How about it, good stuff, right?"
Lin Sicheng sighed and pushed it back: "It looks a bit like the Heavenly Iron Seal of Esoteric Buddhism during the Qing Dynasty, but whether it is or not is still unclear. But Teacher Ma, I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with Dong Qichang!"
The woman was startled: "Why?"
"Dong Qichang didn't become a Buddhist until he was seventy years old, and he believed in Zen Buddhism, which had nothing to do with Tibetan Buddhism. How could he possibly carve Sanskrit seals?"
The woman remained silent.
She had bought the item many years ago and had it examined by experts more than once, so she knew exactly what it was: the Heavenly Iron Seal that Lin Sicheng had mentioned.
Unfortunately, the script is Sanskrit, and it's from before Christ, so nobody knows how to translate it. Even fewer people are willing to discuss it, and those who do only number in the hundreds of thousands.
She was unwilling to sell it cheaply, so she hadn't made a move.
Unexpectedly, in just eight or nine minutes, this little puppy was able to see most of it.
But it could also be a fluke.
The woman persisted: "Who said that believing in Zen Buddhism means you can't carve Buddhist seals? Besides, if it's not Dong Qichang's seal, why is it stamped on his authentic work?"
Lin Sicheng looked helpless: "Teacher Ma, I never said that the scroll was an authentic work by Dong Qichang!"
The woman paused for a moment, then carefully recalled:
Ye Anning asked at the time: Lin Sicheng, whose handwriting does this resemble? Jin Cong, or Dong Qichang?
But the little puppy changed the subject and asked what university Ye Anning attended.
Looking back now: if it were true, he definitely would have said it. The only reason he didn't was out of consideration for Ye Anning's feelings...
Suddenly, the woman felt somewhat discouraged. But then she thought about how Lin Sicheng had given her 800,000 yuan so readily, and her mind started working again:
"At least the item is genuine; it's definitely a Tantric iron seal, and it's certainly been blessed with magical power by a great master... A Tantric Buddha statue, even a small one, can sell for two or three hundred thousand, let alone a seal of a high lama?"
Lin Sicheng was more than willing, wishing he could grab it and stuff it in his pocket immediately. But his expression remained unmoved, and his tone was unhurried, "If it was bought along with the scroll, then it's at least seven or eight years old. Why didn't you sell it?"
With just one sentence, she silenced the woman: Why didn't she sell it? Because its provenance was questionable...
This pretty boy is quite shrewd, isn't he?
The woman rolled her eyes: "You don't know, do you? When I do business, it's all about first impressions: if it's not meant to be, I won't sell no matter how much money you offer!"
Wang Qizhi had just taken a sip of coffee when he almost spat it out: "You're so particular about what you say, aren't you?"
How shameless of him to actually pick up Lin Sicheng's hand?
And so, she hugged it tightly to her chest, even trying to squeeze inside...
For a moment, Wang Qizhi's eyes widened, and a curse welled up in his mouth, but he suddenly swallowed it back: "The imperial treasure is the most important thing, the imperial treasure is the most important thing..."
I'll just pretend I didn't see it...
Not only did she grab his hand, but the woman also flirted with him: "Little brother, you're not actually Assistant Ye's boyfriend, otherwise how would you not know how many years she went to university? Actually, you just feel sorry for her, right? Look, I'm quite pitiful too..."
Even though he knew the woman was doing it on purpose, trying to annoy him, Lin Sicheng still got goosebumps and quickly pulled his hand away: "Teacher Ma, this won't work. Everything should be done reasonably!"
The woman persisted, pulling a chair closer: "I'm just being reasonable: look, this is a genuine Heavenly Iron Seal, and a seal of a Grand Lama at that. A million isn't too much for me, is it?"
It's not really that high; even just the Great Lama's seal would be worth a million.
Why didn't Teacher Ma sell it?
Because Brahmi Sanskrit is a script created in India three centuries ago, similar to the insect and bird seal script of the pre-Qin period in China.
Tibetan Buddhism was introduced to China during the 7th century during the Gökyi Nyima dynasty. By then, the Sanskrit script had evolved from Brahmi script to Gupta script, and then from Gupta script to Siddham script, and was already quite different from the original.
Therefore, even taking it to the Potala Palace wouldn't allow for translation. Domestically, only Peking University and the two academies can translate it, but the problem is, apart from these three institutions, very few people can even recognize the font. It's like carrying a pig's head and still not finding the temple.
In this case, if we don't even know what the inscription on it is, who would dare to say that it is a Dharma seal?
Even if someone is interested, they'll hesitate. Plus, this woman stubbornly refused to lower the price, so they ended up with a bad deal.
Why would Lin Sicheng do that? Because he dug up graves in India...
Seeing Teacher Ma extend her hand again, Lin Sicheng jumped up in a flash: "Teacher Ma, please speak properly!"
“I’m just trying to be reasonable: Look, you clearly think that calligraphy is a fake, yet you’re willing to pay 800,000? But at least this seal of yours is genuine, right?”
You know what, even though it's a fallacy, it actually makes a lot of sense from a woman's perspective.
Seeing that he was standing still, seemingly somewhat tempted, Teacher Ma pressed her advantage: "Judging from your demeanor and character, you're no ordinary person. You must have extensive social connections and be able to find a suitable buyer... I'll lower the price a bit further, 800,000... You'll definitely make a profit!"
Hmm, that makes even more sense now?
Lin Sicheng paused, about to say something, when the woman gritted her teeth and said, "Seventy. Any lower and I'll have to sell my pants to pay for it!"
As she spoke, she rummaged through her bag, pulled out her wallet, and took out a yellowed receipt. "Look if you don't believe me!"
Lin Sicheng glanced at it, and the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily:
The invoice for the cultural relic is from February 2000.
There are only two items for sale: a Sanskrit inscription on a celestial iron seal, priced at 280,000.
An anonymous copy of the Heart Sutra in Sanskrit, priced at 16,000 yuan.
The tax increase was just over 300,000. If it were now, 1 million would be a bit of an exaggeration, but 600,000 or 700,000 would be more than enough.
But that's not the point. The key point is the sales unit: Shenyang Cultural Relics Store.
Looking at it this way, it's possible that this seal and that scroll both came from the Shenyang Imperial Palace.
We can't delay any longer. Even if this woman gets suspicious, we have to buy it first...
Teacher Ma came over and clasped his hands again, and Lin Sicheng quickly pushed him forward: "Okay, okay, seven hundred thousand..."
In an instant, the woman's face blossomed into a smile: "Thank you, little brother... Come on, let's go to the bank..."
"No need for all that trouble, running around like that!" Lin Sicheng waved his hand. "This is fine..."
The woman paused for a moment, then her eyes began to narrow again: Trading through Baoli is certainly a safe bet. But the commission of at least 10%, a full 70,000 yuan, just doesn't seem like a good deal.
But this little puppy doesn't even blink?
How many years has it been since I've encountered such a rich, foolish, and incredibly generous idiot?
Suddenly, the woman looked at Lin Sicheng as if he were a walking banknote: "Okay, I'll protect Li!"
As she spoke, she pushed the box containing the printing material forward again: "Good little brother, this is yours!"
Lin Sicheng didn't move an inch: "No rush!"
He's not in a hurry, but the woman is.
"I'll go to them and get another contract!"
Teacher Ma suddenly stood up, swaying her hips, and went to the office area.
Only the teacher and student remained, speechless in each other's presence.
The atmosphere was indescribably eerie.
Wang Qizhi sat quietly to the side, asking himself if he could sit as steadily and calmly as Lin Sicheng for just a short while.
Of course you can.
But he definitely couldn't act as convincingly as Lin Sicheng; he would give himself away the moment he opened his mouth. He also could never portray Lin Sicheng's character as someone who desperately wants something but whose face doesn't betray any of it.
Lin Sicheng was even quite impatient from beginning to end. But because of his own character, he had to try his best to endure it. In the end, he only reluctantly agreed because he couldn't stand being pestered by that crazy woman and he did feel that he could make some money out of it.
But Lin Sicheng, get this straight, this is an imperial treasure of Emperor Qianlong, how come you can act it so convincingly? Why is your eyes filled with "doubt and a hint of disdain"?
Tone can be faked, and facial expressions can be faked, but Wang Qizhi couldn't understand how he could fake such genuine emotions.
In particular, Lin Sicheng perfectly embodied the qualities of a "truly wealthy person," a "second-generation rich kid," who was both sleazy and cultured, and had a roguish charm.
Wang Qizhi even had some doubts: Who exactly is the second generation?
This is absolutely outrageous...
Just as I was secretly wondering what was going on, a series of "thump thump thump" sounds came as the deputy director and supervisor rushed into the reception area.
The god looked surprised and doubtful, but addressed him politely: "Mr. Lin, Teacher Ma said you are willing to buy her iron seal for 700,000?"
"Yes, we'll need to trouble you two to complete the formalities!"
It's definitely not troublesome. You can earn 70,000 in commission with just one transaction. What's so troublesome about that?
They just couldn't understand it: this thing has no other information besides being made of iron, are you really that rich?
"Let's boost Anning's sales figures!" As if explaining, Lin Sicheng smiled, "Isn't that against company policy?"
It meets the requirements, how could it not?
But this is 700,000, not 700,000... Are you stupid?
Immediately, their expressions turned strange. Then they smiled and said, "Of course, we just came to confirm: should we still use the third-party sales contract?"
"Yes, the commission will be paid as usual!"
The two nodded and said, "Please wait a moment."
The woman followed behind, constantly pouting.
Ye Anning followed behind, exchanged a glance with Lin Sicheng, and then they both laughed.
Wang Qizhi actually understood it:
nice one?
nice one!
No, that's how it was just now?
Putting aside the origin of this inexplicable tacit understanding between the two, let's just talk about their personalities: they're like digging a hole to bury you, and then expecting you to say thank you.
For no apparent reason, Wang Qizhi shuddered...
Teacher Ma's procedures were quick. After receiving the money, all she needed to do was sign a third-party resale contract and a disclaimer with Bao Li: basically, she sold the goods to Bao Li. As for who Bao Li would resell them to, that was none of her business.
But for Lin Sicheng, it was very beneficial: because he bought it from Baoli, and legally speaking, it had nothing to do with Teacher Ma.
Even if this woman changes her mind later, she can only seek help from Bao Li, not from him.
The downside is that the commission is too high; it adds up to 150,000 yuan, enough to buy a house in a slightly out-of-the-way neighborhood.
But it's worth it!
Just like that, in about ten minutes, Teacher Ma came out of the finance office. She even thoughtfully greeted Lin Sicheng, saying that Bao Li had asked her to keep the previous invoices and appraisal certificates.
But he only said a couple of words and then left.
She didn't even dare to sit down, for fear that Lin Sicheng would change his mind.
With a soft "click," the elevator doors closed, and Teacher Ma's figure vanished completely.
"Phew~" The teacher and student both breathed a sigh of relief.
The dust has settled, everything is fine!
All you have to do is wait a moment to sign the resale contract, and the signature and seal will be yours.
Just as I was thinking this, I heard rustling footsteps behind me again.
The same employees had even stranger expressions this time, as if they were becoming increasingly envious and covetous.
But his gaze was also more direct; the way he looked at Lin Sicheng was like he was looking at a fool.
I just can't understand how such a big company can be managed like this?
But the teacher and student had no time to think about that.
Wang Qizhi was thinking: Should I go to the capital tomorrow?
At the very least, we must first help Lin Sicheng figure out what that seal is, otherwise Wang Qizhi will definitely not be able to sleep well.
Lin Sicheng wondered: How many transactions have been recorded for Qianlong's collection seals to date?
The lowest priced one seems to be only around a million?
But that's definitely nonsense: either it's controversial, or the evidence is conflicting.
It doesn't need to be much, at most four to five years. This iron seal cost tens of millions, and Lin Sicheng dares to eat it up.
But relatively speaking, money is secondary, even the least important factor. The reason can be summed up in two words: the Imperial Seal.
Even if it's made of iron, even if it's stamped with ancient Sanskrit characters that no one can understand, it's still an imperial seal. Its symbolic and historical value far exceeds its economic value.
Imagine this: Who wouldn't want to hold up the emperor's seal and shout "I, the Emperor"?
My thoughts were wandering freely when suddenly everything went quiet. I subconsciously looked up and saw the deputy director and supervisor had returned.
One was carrying a box, and the other was holding a container. Ye Anning followed at the back, holding several contracts in her hands.
The manager waved his hand and said, "Mr. Lin, sorry to have kept you waiting. This is the resale contract. Please take a look!"
Ye Anning handed it over, and Lin Sicheng took it and examined it carefully.
Wang Qizhi secretly praised him: If it were him, he would definitely think, "With Ye Anning around, what's there to be afraid of?" He would just glance at the document and sign it.
But believe it or not, if ten experts fall into ten traps, half of them will do so in the same way.
After about ten minutes, Lin Sicheng finished reading the two contracts and signed them.
The director took out the official seal and reprinted it one by one.
Two copies were made, and Lin Sicheng put his copy away. Then, the supervisor opened the box and case and let Lin Sicheng inspect them.
This is called verifying identity to prevent theft.
Don't think it's troublesome; at least seven out of ten seasoned veterans have fallen victim to this very issue.
Lin Sicheng was naturally not bothered by something worth tens of millions; he even took out a magnifying glass again.
But just as they raised it, a loud "bang" came from inside, and everyone turned around at the same time.
The elevator doors opened, revealing a signature chubby face, glistening with oil. Even from more than ten meters away, a smile was already on his face.
Behind Hao Jun was an elderly man in his fifties who looked quite imposing.
Lin Sicheng subconsciously stood up, about to greet them, when he was stunned: Teacher Ma, who had just left, was here too?
A hint of smugness played on his lips as he whispered something to Hao Jun. They seemed quite familiar with each other.
Instinctively, Lin Sicheng had a bad feeling: things were probably going to get bad.
Without hesitation, almost with lightning speed, Lin Sicheng covered the box and the box...
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