Hong Kong Storm: The King of Jobs

Chapter 409, Section 186: Net Worth Soars
Teacher Li does not have a very good reputation among women!
Duffy understood Xiren's attitude, but a businessman wouldn't speak ill of his clients, after all, he was in business by talking.

"Miss Wu, the paintings have been arranged. All the Bada Shanren paintings you requested are there in the small hall on the east side. This way, please!"

Changing the subject, Duffy decided to take Xiren to inspect the goods first.

Bada Shanren is not eight people, but one person, not someone in the art world, and few people know Zhu Da.

Zhu Da was a ninth-generation descendant of Zhu Quan, the seventeenth son of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The name Bada Shanren was a name Zhu Da gave himself after the fall of the Southern Ming Dynasty. He spent the rest of his life in seclusion at the Qingyunpu Taoist Temple in Nanchang.

The four characters "Bada Shanren" are also very particular; when written in a continuous stroke, they resemble the shapes of crying and laughing.

The country is broken, but the mountains and rivers remain; spring has come to the city, but the grass and trees grow deep.

However, Zhu Da shouldn't be so sorrowful. After all, his ancestor, Prince Ning, was badly wronged by Zhu Laosi, Prince Yan, and then another of his ancestors rebelled in Nanchang and was wiped out by Wang Dasheng.

Although Zhu Da was from the lineage of the King of Geyang and actively cooperated with the court and the Great Sage Wang, he still lost two-thirds of his territory. After his birth, Zhu Da was just a minor lieutenant of Fengguo, with a seventh-rank title.

However, because the Geyang King's lineage controlled the salt permits in Nanchang City, they were quite wealthy.

This guy liked to paint flowers, birds, and landscapes, especially his flower and bird paintings. He often painted fish, birds, lotus flowers, etc., with exaggerated and concise images. The United Nations named him one of the ten most famous cultural figures in ancient times, and he still has a great reputation in the international art world.

Zhang Daqian, Qi Baishi, and Wu Changshuo were all influenced by Zhu Da, but these are not the reasons why Bada Shanren was so popular. Zhu Da painted a great many paintings in his life and often mingled among peddlers and laborers. When someone was in trouble, they would ask Zhu Da for a painting and then exchange it for money, just like Zheng Banqiao.

Zheng Banqiao was also influenced by Zhu Da. After selling his paintings, he would give them to the elderly, the weak, the sick, the disabled, the lonely and destitute, beggars, and people attending weddings and funerals. Before he even got home, he had given them all away.

Zhu Da had his own album, and he only signed and stamped his favorite paintings. He would record when and where the paintings were created, and leave a draft of the stamp and the words he wrote in the album.

(This is something Ah Xian saw with his own eyes. I can't guarantee the authenticity of the information, and I haven't been able to find any related materials, but Ah Xian has seen this picture book.)
However, most of Zhu Da's paintings were stolen by the Japanese, and many were exhibited in art galleries around the country. At the beginning of this year, a group of art thieves, armed with submachine guns, robbed five art galleries and stole many of Bada Shanren's original works.

It now appears that these Robin Hood-like figures were hired by the Clijsters family.

Xiren followed Duffy to the East Exhibition Area to view Bada Shanren's paintings.

The first painting is a landscape painting titled "Landscape Album with a Thirsty Brush." ​​Upon seeing this, Xiren frowned. The original painting was in Jinling City, and even if the Cligis family had all the resources, they couldn't possibly acquire this national treasure.

But she didn't make a fuss. Instead, she picked up a single-tube magnifying glass from the table next to her and looked at Bada Shanren's inscription and seal, trying to distinguish between the real and fake.

However, nothing is absolute. The forgery of antiques began as early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, and there are even related records on oracle bone inscriptions. In China, and even the whole world, the forgery of antiques and works of art is a major problem.

Paper, seals, and inscriptions can all be forged.

Just last month, Xiren bought three feet of hard yellow paper from her old acquaintance.

As long as you're willing to pay the price, you can get even two weeks' worth of bamboo slips. Even if the merchants don't have any in stock, the tomb raiders can dig them up for you from underground.

Guanzhong has few other things, but it has a lot of tombs of emperors and generals, layer upon layer, because there are only a few auspicious burial sites.

The seal is correct, but the calligraphy is problematic; it's too soft. Nevertheless, it's still a superior piece.

To succeed in the calligraphy and painting business, it's not enough to just know how to forge; you need to be able to appreciate the spirit of the work, know the artist's life, and understand the painter's mood and style during that period. Most experts in the calligraphy and painting business are historians who are well-versed in the history of an era.

In Liulichang, Beijing, there lived a leading figure in the antique and calligraphy circle named Lan Yigui, nicknamed Lan Banchi. He was currently receiving education, after all, he was once the head manager of Rongbaozhai, and the national treasures bought by foreigners all passed through his hands.

He had a nickname back then, "Half-Zhang Lan," because he could tell the authenticity of a painting just by looking at half of it.

At that time, many forgers would go to Rongbaozhai after they finished copying the painting, hoping to see if Lan Yigui could fool them, but without exception, they all returned empty-handed.

Although Xiren didn't have Lan Yigui's skills, she still noticed that something was off about the painting.

Even though something seemed amiss, she didn't make a sound. Instead, she took the monocular magnifying glass and continued to look.

Duffy is currently just a tour guide, leading clients to inspect the goods. If they like something, the client will naturally make a purchase. That's how the underground art market works; it tests one's eye for quality. After all, the Kreigs family's auctions don't offer after-sales service.

Looking at the paintings one by one, it was hard to tell what was real and what was fake. Eight or nine out of ten were imitations, with only one or two being genuine works.

After looking at the painting, Xiren remained silent, simply handing the monocular magnifying glass to the waiter while maintaining a polite smile.

Duffy didn't continue to promote the artwork. Instead, he took Xiren to the next exhibition area to continue viewing the exhibits. Artworks are a very complex subject, but 98% of these paintings were worthless. After all, it's even more difficult to sell stolen artworks.

Take the first painting, "Landscape Album," for example; the acquisition price was less than 20,000 US dollars.

As Xi Ren looked through the exhibits one by one, she witnessed the power of the Cligis family. There were men and women, young and old, and rare items from ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign, filling the nearly 500-square-meter hall.

The Eight-Faced Buddha, dressed in a well-tailored suit, sat in a chair, staring blankly ahead, seemingly lost in thought.

But what made her most uncomfortable was not the Eight-Faced Buddha, an old acquaintance she had met several times, but a Slavic model who was wearing a collar, a gag in her mouth, and a red dress, kneeling on a mat.

If Xiren wasn't mistaken, this was the supermodel who had just graced the cover of Time magazine last month.

A few Middle Eastern men were pointing and gesturing in front of the tempered glass display case, presumably discussing the supermodel's value.

Chi Mengli's girlfriend, Ruan Wen, is enthusiastically promoting her services to these Middle Eastern men.

But strangely enough, two of the blank tempered glass domes were empty, and she didn't see Chi Mengli's figure either.

"Miss Wu, this is your hand card. Since this is your first time here, let me explain the rules of the auction to you."

“Mr. Wu is one of our family’s distinguished VIP clients, with a credit line of five million US dollars. After all, Mr. Wu is a major shareholder of one of the top three private banks in Europe, and Shui Fang has also issued bank drafts for Mr. Wu.”

"This is the first time an auction has been held in Asia, so the currency used in this auction is Hong Kong dollars. You have a credit line of 40 million. If this exceeds Mr. Wu's credit limit, you can send a telegram to Mr. Wu. As long as Mr. Wu agrees to add more chips, you can continue."

Excuse me! Please make yourself at home!

After explaining the auction rules, Duffy took her leave. She had several important clients to meet with, and whether she could beat her half-sister tonight depended on their efforts.

"This is truly an eye-opener! I also attended the auction in Paris last time, which was nothing new, but this time it's different; they're all valuable items."

After wandering around for a while, Teacher Li returned to Xiren's side. He looked at the waiter beside him, who smiled and tactfully left, giving the two guests space to chat.

"There are genuine and fake items, lots of gimmicks, but the auction prices aren't high. You won't lose money if you buy them as fakes!"

Xi Ren finished her whiskey in one gulp, sat down in the chair behind her, and said nonchalantly.

Teacher Li glanced at the two empty tempered glass cases, smiled, and said, "Your former employer has sent someone. You probably haven't met them before. Look in your ten o'clock direction."

Hearing Teacher Li's guidance, Xiren looked at her ten o'clock defense line and found an old woman in a cheongsam chatting with others. After memorizing the old woman's face, she looked away and said with a slight doubt, "Now that Song Sheng has won over the professor, he should be riding high!"

"There's really no need to make a fuss about it; we can just quietly take over Aoko International's dock."

"I heard that Evergreen Group gave Mr. Song a commission of over 100 million yuan as a thank you for his great help."

"Could there be something at this auction that Mr. Song is interested in?"

"Could it be our handsome guy who wins?"

Handsome guy wins!!!
Do not make jokes!
Among Song Sheng's many rivals, Handsome Sheng was the least noteworthy. Teacher Li smiled disdainfully, then explained, "There is a Workers' Bank in Warsaw that mainly deals in import and export trade, but this bank has been emptied out by the Water House, and now it secretly belongs to the Water House."

"And in this workers' bank, there is a safe deposit box. No one knows exactly what this safe deposit box is, but simply put, whoever controls this safe deposit box can control the water house's bank accounts in Eastern Europe, the funds coming in and out, and the locations where the funds are hidden."

"The waterworks has been operating in Eastern Europe for almost twenty years, helping the Red Goose people make a lot of business. Whoever finds this damn safe can control this huge sum of money."

"When you're out in the game, running errands and dealing with people, it's all about making money!"

"With such a large sum of unclaimed funds right in front of us, no one would give it up, and Song Sheng is no exception."

Teacher Li also came for the safe, but he felt something was off. Since the Cligis family had already obtained the safe, there was no need to put it up for auction. They could just find some experts to slowly crack it and solve the problem.

This was also what puzzled him, which is why he came to attend the auction hosted by the Kreigis family.

Not only was the cunning and shrewd Teacher Li suspicious, but even Xiren felt something was amiss. However, she did not press Teacher Li about what was going on, because the bait was big enough that even with only a one in ten thousand chance, interested buyers would still make a move.

Just as everyone was getting along, the staff received instructions to start moving the food and drinks away, which energized everyone present, as it was a sign that the auction was about to begin.

The door to the basement opened, and Chi Mengli, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, entered the venue under the protection of security personnel. This scoundrel showed no awareness of his imprisonment and frequently waved and greeted everyone present.

"That rascal! He's a superstar wherever he goes!"

When Teacher Li saw Chi Mengli being so arrogant, he cursed under his breath.

Xi Ren's gaze remained fixed on Chi Mengli. She noticed the explosive collar around Chi Mengli's neck and began to ponder how to deal with it.

Under the protection of security personnel, Chi Mengli safely entered the exhibition hall made of tempered glass, sat down in a chair, and continued to smoke.

The person following Chi Mengli was the old man with the white beard. He, too, entered his tempered glass showroom under the protection of security personnel.

Teacher Li stared intently at the white-bearded old man, a question forming in her mind: Was this the water room's safe in Warsaw?!
At this age, it's already a blessing if you don't have Alzheimer's. What can this old bastard protect?
All the final auction items were in place, and the auction host stepped onto the small stage. The band began playing a victory march to create an atmosphere and remind the guests that the auction had begun.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in order not to disturb your precious time with your families during the New Year, the auction will be held one day earlier."

"Welcome to the Cligis family!"

"The auction is now open!"

"The first item up for auction is a top-secret scripture from Tantric Buddhism, containing records about the land of Shambhala."

Mysticism is a favorite among the wealthy and criminals. Immortality is the ultimate pursuit of mankind. After all, everyone has already mastered money, which is the hardest thing to control, and everyone wants to live a life of wealth and immortality.

As for why criminals like it, it's even simpler: it's the best kind of scheme. Even the First Emperor of Qin, Emperor Wu of Han, who was considered one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history, couldn't see through the illusions of the mortal world. Other ordinary people would be even less able to understand it.

This scroll of scripture, made from wolfsbane, sold for a high price of HK$300,000. Duffy made a great start, and she stood to Anna Krejcith's left, looking at everything in the audience with a slightly smug expression.

The first item auctioned has a significant impact on the prices of subsequent items. Bidders use the first item as a benchmark to measure the prices of the following items.

Ruan Wen frowned, remained silent, and continued looking at the next item, because the second item up for auction was hers.

Chi Mengli sat inside the tempered glass enclosure, observing from the sidelines. He took out a Camel cigarette from his pocket and lit another one for himself. This was a helpless move; he only had cigarettes, no lighter, so he could only light one cigarette at a time.

It's outrageous that a tattered scripture could sell for HK$300,000!

Some say Shambhala is Shangri-La, while others say it is a spiritual paradise or a Buddhist kingdom.

Legend has it that Shambhala is located in a secluded place in the Himalayas, surrounded by two layers of snow-capped mountains, with a magnificent palace and lake at its center. Of course, some documents also record that Shambhala is located in the northern part of Jambudvipa or near Mount Kailash.

None of these place names can be verified at present.

Many people believe in this ridiculous legend, including some great figures who have changed the world, such as the painter with the mustache, De San, who sent people to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to search for Shambhala and the fruit of wisdom.

Chi Mengli reluctantly believed these superstitious legends, but he certainly wouldn't be fooled into spending HK$300,000 to buy a scripture.

"What is the amount?"

Anna Kreigis turned her head with difficulty to look at the accountant behind her and asked about the total auction amount.

“Miss Duffy, the total auction amount is currently HK$8.7 million. Miss Duffy still has six items that have not been bid on.”

"As for Ms. Ruan Wen, the total auction amount is currently HK$7.15 million, and Ms. Ruan Wen still has seven items that have not been bid on."

The accountant scribbled in his notebook and then reported the auction amount truthfully.

Although Nguyen Van still had one item left to bid on, it was impossible for a single item to reach 1.5 million. Such a gap was too large. Thinking of this, Nguyen Van looked at Duffy.

"Don't rush, sister! The preceding dishes are just appetizers; the final, grand finale is the decisive blow that will decide the outcome!"

Noticing the gaze of his half-sister, Duffy acted magnanimously, without resorting to petty tricks or kicking someone when they're down. Instead, he told his sister that the outcome was not yet decided and anything could happen.

"Bitch! You little slut!"

Anna Clijsters swore out loud; it's hard to imagine that this is what a mother would say to her own daughter.

Xi Ren, who was sitting in the chair, and Teacher Li, who was standing next to her, did not make a move. Although the fake painting was cheap, it needed to be sold in a package. Besides, Xi Ren was not the real Miss Wu. The quota that had not been exposed was also prepared for Chi Mengli.

The auction proceeded quickly, and it was almost time for the Eight-Faced Buddha.

Seeing the former bigwig looking like a monkey in a cage, Teacher Li suddenly became interested, raised the sign in his hand, and shouted, "Seven million!"

The starting bid for the Eight-Faced Buddha was five million, but Teacher Li immediately raised it by two million.

The eight-faced Buddha, sitting in the chair, glared fiercely at Teacher Li. If he could live his life again, he would definitely take a shotgun and smash Teacher Li's head into a pulp.

Unfortunately, life doesn't offer second chances!

"Ten million!"

Mr. Song's representative, the old woman, also gracefully raised her sign, raising the price to ten million.

"Fifteen million!"

A Slavic man immediately raised his sign and raised it another five million.

Chi Mengli gritted his teeth as he looked at the Eight-Faced Buddha. He finally understood that this deal with the Eight-Faced Buddha was the worst business he had ever done.

Wen Guicai gave him eight million for the successful mission, but now the Eight-Faced Buddha is worth fifteen million, a 50% increase!
"Twenty million!"

Unable to believe her ears, Chi Mengli quickly checked her ears. The Eight-Faced Buddha had already doubled in value!

(End of this chapter)