Chapter 89
Fu Yunsheng walked silently through the lobby on the first floor, ignoring the formal greetings from the front desk. He went straight up to the second floor, the clatter of his leather shoes echoing clearly in the empty stairwell.
He went to the appraisal room at the end of the corridor on the second floor and opened the door.
The room was dimly lit, with only the desk lamp on. He took off his black windbreaker and casually draped it over the back of the empty chair next to him, revealing a simple white T-shirt and jeans underneath.
Wu Yu was sleeping on the table, and intermittent snoring could be heard amidst his heavy breathing.
"Wu Yu," Fu Yunsheng called him, pressing his knuckles hard against the square table.
A crisp, thud-thud-thud-like sound like thunder jolted Wu Yu awake, his body shaking subconsciously. Confused, he raised his head, uncertainly looking at the person who had called him. His hazy vision gradually focused, and he was startled to see Fu Yunsheng's expressionless face. A flash of panic crossed his face, and he hurried to his feet, rubbing his hands back and forth in front of him unconsciously, his eyes evasive, filled with embarrassment and awkwardness.
"Fu, Mr. Fu, why are you here today?" Wu Yu's uneasy voice was hoarse from just waking up and trembled a little nervously.
"Don't you want me to come?" Fu Yunsheng asked back.
Such a light sentence made Wu Yu tremble uncontrollably. He quickly forced out a nearly flattering smile, and the muscles on his cheeks were a little stiff due to embarrassment.
Wu Yu waved his hand and said, "I don't mean anything. I'm just a little surprised. Mr. Fu, please take a seat."
Fu Yunsheng glanced at him, the scrutiny and impatience in his eyes not diminishing. He didn't sit down, but got straight to the point, "Have you received any good stuff in the past few days?"
"Yes, yes," Wu Yu immediately seized the opportunity and said to him, "I just received a few pieces and they are in the room inside. They are all in good condition. I will take you to see them."
"Yeah," Fu Yunsheng responded without any extra nonsense.
Wu Yu quickly led the people to the inner room. The light inside was obviously much brighter than outside. In this transparent environment with almost no shadows, several high glass display cabinets stood against the wall, displaying everything from Tang Sancai to bronzes, from famous paintings and calligraphy to Warring States coins. In the center of the room, on the display table covered with black velvet, were placed several pieces of porcelain he had just taken out.
"Mr. Fu, look, these were just collected this week," Wu Yu pointed at the items on the display stand and introduced, "a Ming Dynasty blue and white coiled branch dish, a mid-Qing Dynasty famille rose Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea vase, and this, a Song Dynasty Longquan kiln celadon plate."
Fu Yunsheng's eyes slowly swept over the three objects. He skillfully put on the pair of white gloves placed beside him, first picked up the blue and white dish, rubbed his fingertips over the exposed part of the bottom, and carefully looked at the texture of the glaze and the color of the blue and white.
"It's the right thing," he said, his voice flat, "but the quality is average. There's a big scratch on the body, and the glaze is too weak. It's not a good thing."
He put down the plate and picked up the pastel Eight Immortals vase again. This time, he didn't even look closely at the patterns and colors on it. He just glanced at the proportions of the vase and the way the patterns were handled. He looked up at Wu Yu standing in front of him and let out a clear sneer from his nose.
"You can't even tell it's a new imitation. The heat on the glaze hasn't faded yet. How dare you accept something of this quality? Teacher Wu, your taste is getting better and better."
Wu Yu's face was filled with embarrassment. He moved his lips, wanting to retort, but he didn't know where to begin. An old man in his late twenties was being told off by a young man in his thirties, leaving only embarrassment and frustration on his face.
After looking at the things on the table, Fu Yunsheng was about to leave when his eyes fell on the small pastel dish in the cabinet that Yang Ye had brought earlier. He stopped and pointed at it, "Did you collect this too?"
"Yes," Wu Yu nodded hurriedly, as if to prove that his vision was not completely useless. "Mr. Fu, don't look at this thing because it is small, but its overall shape and picture are very rare. I have been in this business for so many years and I rarely see such a thing. Moreover, its quality is also very good."
Fu Yunsheng raised his eyebrows. "Then how much do you estimate this thing is worth?"
Wu Yu rubbed his hands. "I estimated it to be worth 10,000, but I think if this thing is released and a little bit of manipulation is done, it can be sold for at least 20,000."
Upon hearing this, Fu Yunsheng's lips curled up in a subtle but distinct smile, one filled with sarcasm. He opened the cabinet and pulled out the small pastel dish. His movements were rough, barely even glancing at it, merely weighing it in his palm. Then, he tossed it back onto the display stand as if it were a piece of trash.
The plates collided with the stand, making a frightening sound as if something was broken.
"Teacher Wu," Fu Yunsheng looked at him, deliberately emphasizing the pronunciation of the word "teacher," his tone almost overflowing with sarcasm and dissatisfaction. "If your ability to identify things remains at this level, then I think we need to reconsider our cooperation."
He paused, staring at Wu Yu coldly. "This crappy thing isn't even a basic replica. How did you figure it was worth millions? Did you rely on your imagination?"
Wu Yu lowered his head awkwardly, not daring to meet Fu Yunsheng's gaze. "Really? I think this thing is pretty good."
"Very good?" Fu Yunsheng interrupted without hesitation, his eyes becoming increasingly cold. "Return this thing immediately and have Wang Yue deal with it quickly. Don't leave it here to get in the way."
"It's a bit difficult to return it," Wu Yu whispered, "the imitation one has been taken away."
Fu Yunsheng's face was filled with even more sarcasm. He looked at Wu Yu and almost laughed at him. "Such a fake thing, and you actually forged another fake one for people to take away. Wu Yu, are you here to help me collect the goods, or are you here to make things worse?"
While he was speaking, Manager Wang pushed the door open and came in. He saw Fu Yunsheng and put on a flattering smile. He walked over quickly and said, "Mr. Fu, I have already had the goods shipped to the warehouse. Recently, many people have come to us for appraisal, and several people want to entrust us to sell them. The market is quite hot."
"Hot?" Fu Yunsheng's tone didn't soften at all because of Manager Wang's appearance. His voice was still cold, without any ups and downs. "Without real good stuff, no matter how lively it is, it's just empty talk. Hurry up and get a few more hard goods in. People outside are lining up to get the goods. Don't delay the important business."
"Don't worry, I've already assigned more people to promote the product. I'll try to get you another batch of good products this week."
Fu Yunsheng ignored them, turned around and walked to the window, reached out and lifted a corner of the blinds, overlooking the bustling crowd on the old street downstairs. The bus had just left the station, and the bustling life downstairs was filled with all kinds of sounds.
"Antique collections are our last connection with the past," were the words the old man repeated in his ear before he died. Thinking about it now, it seems so pedantic and ridiculous.
Fu Yunsheng lowered the blinds and snorted in his heart, connecting with the past, how much can the past be worth? How can illusory feelings be as real as real money? If it cannot be connected with money, what is the use of the good things.
The brilliant neon lights of Las Vegas came in from the gap in the curtains of the casino's VIP box, like the tongue of a poisonous snake, slowly wrapping around Fu Yunsheng's already red eyes.
He hadn't slept for too long, but his mind was always in a state of extreme excitement and tension. His brain stopped thinking and his vision became blurred. He could only barely make out the pile of chips on the table opposite him.
He only had a few chips left in his hand.
"J of clubs, three of diamonds, Mr. Fu, do you want to follow again?" The dealer's voice seemed to come from a long distance away from him, mechanical and cold.
"Follow!" Fu Yunsheng shouted, almost rasping from the top of his throat. He strained his tired eyes, trying to clear the blur. He picked up the half-full bottle of Hennessy on the table and downed the rest in one gulp. His brain, spun between the alcohol and the high, had become fuzzy, practically useless, leaving only his instinctive consciousness to drive him.
"Queen of Spades, two hole cards left." The dealer's voice came again. Fu Yunsheng tightly grasped the last few chips in his hand. His knuckles turned white due to excessive force. The card table in front of him and the blurry face of the dealer were twisted and spun under the effect of the crazy secretion of adrenaline, turning into a mass of indistinguishable flesh.
"Mr. Fu, the other party is in trouble," the dealer reminded again, the silver card dealer in his hand reflecting a cold and hard light under the effect of the light.
The dealer asked, "You don't have enough chips. Do you need to add more margin?"
Fu Yunsheng's throat rolled with difficulty. The dryness and pain in his throat felt like a burning fire. He slammed his hand on the card table and said, "Raise, I'll raise any amount!"
He trembled as he took out the bank card that had long been overdrawn from his suit pocket and handed it to the servant beside him with trembling hands.
The waiter returned with the card. He glanced at the dealer first, then said to Fu Yunsheng expressionlessly, "Sorry, Mr. Fu, there is no balance on this card."
"Impossible." Fu Yunsheng stood up, the solid wood table and chairs making harsh and weak friction on the wool carpet. He stared at the Ace of Spades that had just been turned over on the table, his pupils contracted. Just one more card, just one more card and he would be able to turn the tables and get back all the money he had lost before.
He was completely seized by great despair and almost crazy numb excitement. He grabbed the collar of the servant beside him, his face was ferocious, and he had completely lost his mind.
"Mr. Fu, if you cannot replenish the chips, then according to the regulations, we will ask you to leave the table." The dealer's tone was still calm, but if you listened carefully, you could hear the warning in his words.
"I can turn the tables soon, go, get my phone," he roared at the servant.
Fu Yunsheng quickly took out his mobile phone that was charging aside. Fu Yunsheng swiped the screen with trembling hands, flipped to the address book, and dialed number after number. However, what came out of the receiver was either a busy tone or a cold power-off reminder.
"Mr. Fu, are you sure you want to continue?" the dealer reminded again.
"Continue!" Fu Yunsheng roared.
"You guys can get money, give me one million." He has completely lost his rationality.
This time, the dealer didn't listen. He leaned slightly to the side, and after hearing the reminder from his headset, he said to Fu Yunsheng expressionlessly, "Mr. Fu, you owe us $14 million, which has reached your guaranteed limit. We need you to leave the table now. Someone will come to confirm the subsequent repayment agreement with you later."
Fourteen million US dollars.
This number was like a sledgehammer, hitting Fu Yunsheng's nearly numb heart. He stumbled back a few steps, his frantic consciousness finally forcibly pulled back by the number the dealer said. He bumped into the bar behind him, the cold glass table making his lower back chill, but the chill seemed to sober him up.
"Mr. Fu, we have the last three days," the attendant said in a voice without any emotion. "Please settle the debt within three days. Otherwise, we can only follow the rules."
Although the rest of the sentence wasn't explicitly stated, Fu Yunsheng could almost imagine the consequences. He collapsed onto the expensive leather sofa like a puddle of mud. Then he stood up again and paced back and forth in the room, restlessly. The attendants patrolled the corridor. As soon as he opened the door, he could hear the elevator around the corner, the sound of the floor arriving.
He was terrified, but even more so, he was upset that he hadn't finished the last hand. All kinds of emotions were swirling in his head, and finally, he lost control and swept away all the items on the table in the hotel room.
Amidst the scattered mess, he saw the appraisal report he had just received a few days ago. With the mentality of trying everything, he took a photo of the report and sent it to an international antique dealer he was familiar with.
The message he received made his heart skip a beat, and even his breathing stopped. "If the authentic piece is exactly as described in the report and is in perfect condition, the estimated value in the international auction market is conservatively between 1.5 million and 2 million US dollars."
The surprise that fell out of nowhere, at that moment, all the excitement and excitement almost tore him apart. It was also from there that a crazy and dangerous plan took root in his heart.
"Mr. Fu?" Manager Wang called him.
Fu Yunsheng took a deep breath and suppressed his irritation. "How did you handle the previous batch of goods?"
Manager Wang walked over a few steps and lowered his voice, "Everything has been prepared as you requested. It can be shipped tonight. I'll use the old method and mix it with the other batch of handicrafts. I've also taken care of everything at customs."
"This batch is going to be shipped to Europe, and the buyers are waiting." Fu Yunsheng turned around, his eyes sharp, "The procedures must be complete, and no evidence can be left behind."
"Don't worry, I understand the rules and there will be no problems," said Manager Wang.
Fu Yunsheng finally glanced at the small enamel dish on the exhibition stand that was already in pieces and useless, his eyes complicated.
"Things you have worked so hard to obtain should be kept well"
The figure of the young woman just now flashed through his mind. She was obviously dressed very ordinary, but for some reason Fu Yunsheng felt that this woman was a little different, especially her eyes, which made him feel vaguely similar. However, this doubt was soon driven away by the huge benefits that were about to come.
He looked at Wu Yu again and said, "You'd better practice your skills in checking the goods. If you receive such useless things again, you can leave now."
"Oh, yes," Wu Yu responded quickly.
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