Chapter 7 Preparation 3

Li Yukun understood what was going on as soon as he heard Wang Shuhui's words. The item did not belong to this young man at all; he was merely a lackey responsible for running errands. Li Yukun had a different attitude towards lackeys. His expression changed slightly, and with a somewhat condescending demeanor, he said to Wang Shuhui, "It is said to be Xuande blue glaze, and that is indeed true. As for whether it is from the imperial kiln, that depends on who is making the claim. As for an approximate valuation, let me round it off for you: one million."

From the remarkable skill of face-changing demonstrated by Li Yukun, Wang Shuhui believes that this individual is a competent unscrupulous businessman. A competent unscrupulous businessman is an excellent consulting subject in this commercial society

Thanks to the many antique novels read by Wang Shuhui, he is also aware of some rules in this industry. For instance, the simplest point is that if you want someone to examine an antique, you cannot hand it over directly; you must place it in a stable and safe location for the other person to pick it up themselves. Wang Shuhui appreciates this rule, as it embodies the rigor of industrial society

His general plan is to prioritize agriculture before industry. Throughout this process, he aims to continuously accumulate human and economic resources. This is merely a rough plan; he has now gathered initial funding with the help of the library and is ready to begin designing a specific plan

A great master once said that individuals who deviate from their class do not have a class that deviates from them. As a key figure in the antique industry of the capital, Li Yukun naturally adheres to the established style of this field, perceiving Wang Shuhui, who is imbued with the fragrance of the earth, as a transparent individual. However, for Li Yukun, equipped with high-standard titanium alloy eyes, when Wang Shuhui presented that exquisite and charming blue-glazed tea cup from the Xuande period, his titanium alloy eyes had already taken digital photographs of this treasure from every angle. Naturally, even if Wang Shuhui, holding this treasure, had a lump of excrement on his face, Li Yukun would still perceive the placement of that excrement as possessing profound artistic significance.

Under the influence of this mindset, even though Wang Shuhui's base attire looks decent, he adheres to two principles regarding his clothing and grooming. One is the issue of comfort, and the other is the issue of economy. In a place like the capital, which places great emphasis on personal appearance, Wang Shuhui resembles a salesman from a remote area on a business trip to the city. From a distance of one hundred zhang, one can smell the earthy fragrance emanating from him, and when he speaks, there is a nostalgic scent reminiscent of corn husks. One can imagine the attitude that the antique dealers, who are particularly attentive to subtle cues, would have towards him. From a distance of one hundred zhang, one can smell the earthy fragrance emanating from him, and when he speaks, there is a nostalgic scent reminiscent of corn husks. One can imagine the attitude that the antique dealers, who are particularly attentive to subtle cues, would have towards him.

Ten million, how much is that? Wang Shuhui has no intuitive concept of it. He works as a teacher at a university, and when he adds it all up, he earns just over three thousand yuan a month. If ten million yuan were to be squandered recklessly, it could certainly last for quite a while in modern times. However, what Wang Shuhui needs to do is to change dynasties during the late Ming Dynasty. He has no idea how much such a monumental undertaking would actually cost.

Wang Shuhui was born into a poor family and has spent over twenty years of his life in educational institutions. From kindergarten to graduate school, and finally into the workforce, he has never left the campus environment. Regardless of how society critiques universities as being problematic or chaotic, the interpersonal relationships within schools, as places of teaching and nurturing, are significantly simpler and cleaner than those in society.

Wang Shuhui is a rather honest and introverted person, who has never paid much attention to his attire. He has always believed that the notion of dressing beautifully as a form of respect towards others is merely a fabrication by the clothing industry in a commercial society. If a person is focused on accomplishing tasks, spending time on dressing up is such a waste. During his university years, he once heard his roommate talk about his girlfriend, who reportedly spends over forty minutes in front of the mirror every morning. If a person is focused on accomplishing tasks, spending time on dressing up is such a waste. During his university years, he once heard his roommate talk about his girlfriend, who reportedly spends over forty minutes in front of the mirror every morning.

"Boss, this teacup is not an ordinary item; it resembles the official kiln style from the olden days." Upon seeing Wang Shuhui holding the Xuande blue-glazed teacup and treating it like an ordinary glass, pouring cola into it and drinking, Li Yukun, the owner of Zhenbao Studio, felt as if his heart was bleeding profusely, as if ten thousand auspicious mythical beasts were roaring through his mind.

Li Yukun carefully scrutinized Wang Shuhui once again. Seeing his nonchalant demeanor, he felt a sense of a precious treasure gathering dust. However, he would not let his momentary greed influence him; instead, he engaged in a subtle game of Tai Chi with Wang Shuhui, saying, "Sir, this item is indeed a fine piece and a genuine article, but my skills are limited, and I truly cannot discern its specific age." This was a process of establishing rapport, as he wanted to see if Wang Shuhui knew exactly what he had in his hands.

Wang Shuhe and Shu Hui have always lacked patience when dealing with people. He particularly dislikes the vague and convoluted communication process. With a stern expression, he directly told Li Yukun, "Boss, don't give me those platitudes. I am not from your industry. I have been wandering around Liulichang all day today just to inquire about the market value of these items. This is a blue glaze from the imperial kiln during the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty; the owner of the item told me this directly. I know what this is. I came here today just to ask how much this item is worth in the antique market."

Li Yukun did not utter any nonsense; he took out a pair of glasses with a magnifying lens and put them on his face, carefully examining the blue-glazed teacup marked with the Xuande official kiln. He first determined that this was a genuine item. Furthermore, he felt that this teacup was quite rare. Unlike most antique porcelain he had encountered, this teacup seemed to possess a rare, vibrant, and lively quality, possibly due to its foolish owner using it frequently.

Wang Shuhui felt reassured; one million. He had four of such teacups, and with one teapot, he could sell them for over five million. He carefully placed the teacups back into his bag and turned to walk out of the Treasure Pavilion, leaving Li Yukun in a state of astonishment.

Wang Shuhui has always believed that everything should revolve around how to better accomplish work, so he holds no grudges against Li Yukun's earlier indifference. He finished the cola in the Xuande blue-glazed teacup in his hand, placed it on the counter, and calmly said to Li Yukun, "Boss, you have a good eye; please take a look, Boss."

Li Yukun felt as if a pot of boiling water was churning in his stomach, and his heart was ablaze with fervor. Unlike in earlier years, it has become increasingly rare to encounter true treasures. The vast majority of fine items are already owned, and those collectors exhibit a tendency akin to the legendary dragon guarding treasures in Western folklore, fiercely protecting their possessions from public view. It is seldom that one can come across such well-preserved and rare artifacts.

Wang Shuhui's family business is also located in Liulichang, and it took about four to five minutes to find it. His classmates, knowing Wang Shuhui's temperament, were naturally aware that he must have already inquired about the market conditions. Therefore, they did not engage in any pretense and directly offered him a set of porcelain, including a teapot and teacups, with a quotation of 10 million. This was beyond Wang Shuhui's expectations. He happily accepted the deal. By the evening, Wang Shuhui had already raised 10 million in startup capital.