As he finished speaking, he picked up a bronze Buddha statue and said to Jacob, “Take a look at this bronze Buddha. We just finished it this week. Its design reflects the typical features of Ming Dynasty bronze Buddha statues, and the craftsmanship is exceptionally fine. However, in reality, this bronze Buddha was collected from thete Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China, created as an imitation of the Ming Dynasty style. The quality and attention to detail are remarkable, yet the previous owner didn’t fully appreciate its value. It was passed down through generations and merely used as a decorative piece at home, receiving a casual dusting now and then. Unfortunately, this care led to the deterioration of its surface, making it lose its aged appearance. We restored it, aged it again, and now it can be represented as a Ming Dynasty piece if sold in the market.”


    Jacob, having limited knowledge about bronzes, asked, “If I market it as a Ming Dynasty piece, will people actually believe it?”


    Teacher Cheng smiled and replied, “We have our own strategies.”


    As he spoke, he picked up a copper base from the side and said, “Check this out.”


    Jacob examined the copper base, which looked quite old. Upon inspecting the bottom, he noticed it was engraved with the words “Xuande Year of the Ming Dynasty.”<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    Teacher Cheng borated, “While our bronze statue might only be about a hundred years old, the base you’re holding is indeed an authentic Ming Dynasty piece. This base was originally part of somethingrger, but when we acquired it, we only had the base. You see, although Ming Dynasty bronzes are valuable, without a deity or apanying piece, their worth diminishes. I purchased this base for 38,000 yuan. By pairing it with this old bronze statue, we create aplete set. And remember, this base genuinely hails from the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty. We crafted the Buddha statue to match the style of Xuande bronzeware. I would confidently say that over 95% of experts would be impressed by thisbination.”


    Jacob quickly inquired, “If this set is genuine, what would its value be?”


    Teacher Cheng paused for a moment and replied, “Xuande period bronze wares have a distinct style and exquisite craftsmanship, making them suitable for auction. A conservative estimate would ce this between one hundred and two million.”


    Jacob asked once more, “If I want this set, what’s the best price you can offer?”


    Teacher Cheng responded promptly, “To be honest, Mr. Murong, in our line of work, we typically charge 30% of the market price. As I mentioned, the conservative valuation of this set is around 1.5 million, so 30% of that would be 450,000 yuan.”


    Jacob quickly replied, “No, no, that’s too high. What if I end up losing more than 400,000 yuan?”


    Internally, Jacob thought, “Wow, I need over 400,000 yuan to acquire this! How much should I ask Zhou Liangyun for? 800,000 yuan? He must have that amount too.”


    Hearing this, Teacher Cheng quickly interjected, “Oh, Mr. Murong, you’re being too straightforward. Aren’t prices usually inted in our profession?”


    He added, “I’m not trying to trick you. The base cost me 38,000 yuan, and the bronze statue itself was 60,000 yuan, plus the craftsmanship involved. The normal transaction price won’t be less than 200,000 yuan. Since you’re a friend of Brother Ermao, I’ll give you a special price of 150,000 yuan!”


    Zhang Ermao (Cade), who had been listening, chimed in, “Mr. Cheng, we’ve known each other for a long time. This is our first business interaction. Let’s just treat this first order as a favor to me, and notplicate matters for Mr. Murong. The base is 38,000, right? The bronze statue is 60,000? How about we settle on 98,000 as friends?”<fn7dcd> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? find(?)ovel</fn7dcd>


    “Make a friend…” Teacher Cheng sighed, “Of course, I want to treat Mr. Murong as a friend, but we have to consider the effort to restore the piece, and I need topensate the craftsman for their work.”


    Jacob waved his hand confidently, saying, “Since you put it that way, let’s agree on a total of 100,000 yuan. That feels fair enough.”


    “One hundred thousand…” Teacher Cheng felt deted.


    Even though the craftsmanship in their field is often overlooked, it is genuinely valuable. The master should at least be paid 20,000 yuan for such work; otherwise, why would theybor for days without recognition?


    Despite his grievances, after some thought, he decided not to push back further. After all, he didn’t know Mr. Murong well, but Zhang Ermao (Cade) had a good reputation, so it was worth giving him a favor for future interactions.


    He turned to Zhang Ermao (Cade) and said earnestly, “Brother Ermao, since I’m your friend, I won’t argue anymore. Let’s stick to 98,000! It sounds auspicious!”


    Upon hearing this, Jacob thought to himself, “Great, I’m saving an extra two thousand! This seems like a good deal. If the market price is one to two million, I could sell it to Zhou Liangyun for four to six hundred thousand. That’s a solid profit! As long as he buys it, all my startup capital will be invested. If Zhang Ermao (Cade) finds someone to verify this piece, he’ll struggle to make a profit, potentially selling it for 560,000. This is an ideal opportunity!”


    With that in mind, he quickly agreed, eximing, “Okay! It’s a deal!”