However, the young master Wu on the other end showed no intention of making any concessions, yet both of them were sincere in wanting to close the deal.
For a moment, the two were locked in a stalemate. At this point, Kawamoto Kuraji, who had been secretly observing from the sidelines for a long time, could no longer hold back.
He coughed lightly, and seeing that everyone's attention had turned to him, he smiled slightly and said, "Excuse me for disturbing you all. Manager Shi and I have met before, we are both regular customers. May I also take a look at this Mr. Wu? Is that alright?"
His meaning was quite clear: he was very interested in the pair of white porcelain vases and wanted to see them for himself.
Upon hearing this, Shi Qiaoshan's expression changed immediately. This unexpected guest was trying to interfere, and he was determined to get his hands on the white porcelain vase.
He said unhappily, "Sir, since you are a regular customer, you should know the rules of our antique business. You cannot interfere in the business between me and Young Master Wu before we have reached a conclusion. Please understand."
This was a firm rejection of Kawamoto Kuraji's meaning; that old fellow actually came to his doorstep to snatch his treasure, he was truly absurd.
But Young Master Wu, who had long been impatient with haggling, suddenly became interested. He gestured to Kawamoto Kuraji and said with a smile, "Since it's the rule, then our business is over. May I ask your name, sir, are you interested in my pair of white porcelain vases?"
Kawamoto Kuraji had initially hesitated after Ishigaki's suggestion, knowing the unwritten rules of the antique trade. However, he was so enamored with the pair of white porcelain vases that he was anxious to part with them, fearing he might miss out on these treasures, which is why he asked. Now that the seller had voluntarily withdrawn from the previous transaction, that was certainly the best outcome.
He immediately beamed and said, "My surname is He, and I have a particular fondness for porcelain. Shall I take a look first?"
Young Master Wu nodded repeatedly and said, "Mr. He, please make yourself at home. I urgently need the money, otherwise I wouldn't be selling this pair of family heirlooms."
Seeing that the two of them had actually left him aside, Shi Qiaoshan was a little annoyed. They were stealing his business right on his doorstep. However, he believed that harmony was the key to making money in business, and besides, he was reluctant to give up these two treasures. He would just wait and see, and it was still uncertain who would ultimately win them over.
Kawamoto Kuraji was delighted to receive Young Master Wu's approval. He took out a clean white handkerchief, wiped the sweat from his hands, and then stepped forward to gently pick up a white porcelain bottle with both hands to carefully examine it.
Seeing his action, both Young Master Wu and Shi Qiaoshan nodded. This Mr. He was an expert. When appreciating porcelain and jade, which are smooth and fragile, one must not have sweat on one's hands. Firstly, one might accidentally drop and break the item. Secondly, one might worry that human sweat could corrode the porcelain or jade. Some objects with rougher bodies could also be damaged by prolonged contact with sweat.
As Kawamoto Kuraji examined the white porcelain bottle in his hand from top to bottom for a long time, then gently put it down, picked up another one to examine it carefully, time passed little by little.
While everyone's attention was focused on Kawamoto Kurashi, the refined middle-aged man who had been standing next to Young Master Wu was scrutinizing Kawamoto Kurashi's body and various features, especially his facial features. Finally, he seemed to move forward a few steps unintentionally, as if he was also paying attention to the pair of white porcelain vases, getting very close to Kawamoto Kurashi. After a long while, he took a few steps back and returned to Young Master Wu's side. However, in the exchange of glances with Young Master Wu, there was a slight disappointment in his eyes, clearly indicating that he was not sure of his judgment.
Young Master Wu remained calm, knowing full well that he needed to create another opportunity for closer contact to be on the safe side.
Just as everyone was getting impatient, Kawamoto Kuraji gently put down the white porcelain bottle in his hand.
He took off his gold-rimmed glasses, gently wiped them with a clean white handkerchief, then let out a soft sigh and said with emotion, "To see such a treasure today is truly a dream come true. This is a masterpiece from the Xing kiln of the Tang Dynasty. It is entirely white-glazed without a single impurity. The porcelain body is delicate, the glaze is even, and it feels thick and smooth to the touch. I am truly delighted to have it!"
Seeing that Kawamoto Kuraji was very satisfied, Young Master Wu was overjoyed. With a look of shame, he said, "These two vases are family heirlooms of our Wu family. My father cherishes them as his life. If it weren't for the family's financial difficulties, he would never have sold them. It's not that I'm being unreasonable, but this time the family's financial shortfall is too great. It will cost at least ten thousand US dollars, so I can't lower the price any further. I wonder what Mr. He thinks?"
Kawamoto Kuraji was also in a dilemma. Ten thousand US dollars was a considerable sum for him. Although he had amassed a lot of wealth in China over the years, most of it had been converted into antiques and cultural relics, leaving him with little cash.
He pondered for a moment. These white porcelain vases from the Xing kiln were indeed rare treasures that one could only dream of. If he missed them, he feared he would never encounter them again. He gritted his teeth and nodded, saying, "That's the price. I just don't have that much cash on me. Please wait a moment, Mr. Wu, and I'll send someone back to get the money!"
"Good! Mr. He is indeed decisive!" Young Master Wu slapped his thigh and stood up. "I'll wait. Don't worry, these two bottles will remain on the table. You can admire them for a while longer, and then we'll exchange the money for the goods!"
Kawamoto Kuraji smiled with satisfaction. This young master Wu was indeed a shrewd man. In the antique industry, there were swindlers who specialized in reselling. They would first present genuine items, and once the transaction was completed, they would carefully pack the genuine items and secretly replace them with extremely similar fakes without the buyer noticing. This would prevent the buyer from carefully inspecting the items in a short period of time, ultimately leading to them being deceived.
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