I work as a security guard at a cemetery, and I overhear the dead chatting about getting rich quick.

When Lin Ye turned around, his first reaction was to press his phone down.

This movement is very natural.

It was as natural as someone secretly taking pictures of a mural outside a restroom, only to be caught red-handed by the shop owner.

Although he was indeed taking pictures of the mural.

However, the combination of "at the toilet entrance" and "secretly taking photos" can easily lead to misunderstandings.

The man stood at the entrance of the corridor, holding a rag in his hand, wearing a coffee shop apron, and smiling.

But Lin Ye was still a little guilty.

He locked his phone, trying to make himself look like a normal customer.

"This painting is quite interesting."

The man walked over and glanced at the landscape painting on the wall.

"You studied fine arts?"

Lin Ye shook his head.

"no."

The man asked again, "A designer?"

Lin Ye continued to shake his head.

"No, not exactly."

The man's gaze towards him began to become subtle.

He wasn't an art student or a designer, yet he stood at the bathroom door with a cup of Americano, taking pictures of the details of an old landscape painting.

Anyone would find this a bit strange.

Lin Ye immediately took remedial action.

"I'm thinking of opening a bed and breakfast recently, and I'm looking for some old paintings to decorate it. I just happened to see this one, and I felt it had the right atmosphere."

He made that up on the spot.

But after he finished writing it, he felt it was quite reasonable.

B&B.

Old paintings.

Atmosphere.

Once these three terms are introduced, many inexplicable consumer behaviors can be explained.

The man did relax a little.

"A guesthouse."

He looked at the painting again.

"Many people like this kind of style now, old-fashioned, with a sense of nostalgia."

Lin Ye nodded.

"Yes, that's the feeling I'm looking for."

After he finished speaking, he silently added a sentence in his mind.

The weathered feel of the toilet entrance, in particular, is hard to replicate.

The man smiled.

"This painting has been hanging here for quite a while. It was given to me as a gift during the renovation."

Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat.

Right.

Mr. Liang was right.

My nephew used the money to pay for renovations, and the coffee shop owner used it to hang on the wall.

This line matches perfectly, very accurately.

The accuracy made Lin Ye's heart beat a little faster.

But he couldn't show it on his face.

The boss must not be able to tell that this painting has any special value.

He picked up his coffee and took a sip.

It was so bitter it made my tongue go numb.

The 28-dollar American-style drink finally came in handy at this moment.

Its bitterness serves as a reminder to the forest that one must remain calm.

"Is this painting for sale?"

The man was clearly taken aback.

"You want to buy it?"

Lin Ye pretended to be casual.

"That's something to consider. The walls of the guesthouse are quite bare; buying some old paintings like these to hang up would have more character than those reproductions online."

The man looked at him.

"You really like this one?"

Lin Ye did not agree immediately.

He took another half step back and looked at the whole painting.

"I like it, but the visuals are a bit somber."

Upon hearing this, the man felt as if he had found a kindred spirit.

"Right? I also think it's heavy. A customer once said that every time he came out of the restroom and saw this painting, he felt like he wasn't there to drink coffee, but to do a Chinese reading comprehension exercise."

Lin Ye almost laughed.

He tried his best to hold it in.

If Mr. Liang heard these words, he would probably remain silent in his grave until dawn.

The man added, "I've wanted to change it for a while now. Young people these days like brighter, more relaxed things. This painting hanging here does feel a bit oppressive."

Lin Ye felt more at ease.

The boss doesn't understand.

And I don't like it.

well.

You have more room to negotiate the price if you don't like something.

Lin Ye nodded.

"It is a bit cramped. But it's a guesthouse, and some rooms need to have this kind of feeling."

The man glanced at him.

Where is your guesthouse?

Lin Ye's heart tightened.

He doesn't own any guesthouses.

His biggest fixed asset right now is the anti-floating bottle in the corner of the security booth.

But the story has already been told, so we can only keep making it up.

"Still in preparation."

These four words are safe.

Most projects that don't actually exist can be glossed over by saying they're "still in the planning stages."

The man indeed did not ask any further questions.

"When this painting was used to offset the renovation costs, the other party said it was an old painting. I don't know much about it, but I'm just hanging it up as decoration. If you really like it, I can sell it to you."

Lin Ye was overjoyed.

But he kept his composure on his face.

"Boss, name your price."

The man stroked his chin.

As soon as this action was made, Lin Ye immediately became alert.

It's highly likely they're going to ask for an exorbitant amount.

Sure enough, the man looked at the painting.

"This painting isn't small, and it's been hanging here for many years, so it's quite an antique. If you really want it, it'll cost 30,000."

Lin Ye almost choked on his coffee.

Thirty thousand.

He asked for 30,000 for a painting hanging outside the restroom.

Human pricing power is indeed not limited by the context.

Lin Ye looked at the man and remained silent for two seconds.

Don't rush.

You can't curse.

You absolutely cannot show an expression that says, "Why don't you just rob me?"

Because if he reacts too strongly, the shop owner will know that he is not just buying decorative paintings casually, but is seriously considering their value.

Lin Ye placed the coffee cup on the small table beside him, trying to remain calm.

"Thirty thousand is a bit too high."

The man smiled.

"If you're doing renovations for a guesthouse, spending 30,000 yuan on an old painting isn't expensive."

Lin Ye thought to himself, "Let alone folk-style decorations, even a star-rated hotel would be expensive at 30,000 yuan for a painting!"

He shook his head.

"I really like this style, but it's been hanging outside the bathroom for so long, and the picture is getting old. Taking it back will require reframing, and shipping will be a hassle."

The man glanced at the picture frame.

"I can give you the frame too."

Lin Ye looked at the old picture frame.

The edges are a bit worn, so it does look quite old.

"This framework might not work. The guesthouses need to maintain a consistent style, so we'll have to redesign it."

He almost believed it himself.

He had meticulously planned the interior design of a non-existent guesthouse.

The man hesitated for a moment.

"Then how much will you say?"

Lin Ye did not immediately offer a price.

He glanced down at his phone's lock screen.

The anti-drift bottle displays a vibrant and stable image on the screen.

It was as if it was telling him through its colors.

Lin Ye, don't get carried away.

Don't let the landscape painting at the entrance of the toilet distract you.

Lin Ye took a deep breath.

"Ten thousand."

The man smiled.

"Young man, this isn't a poster."

Lin Ye also laughed.

"That's why I offered 10,000. If it were a poster, I'd offer a maximum of 28,000."

The man glanced at the coffee in his hand.

"Is twenty-eight for coffee?"

Lin Ye nodded seriously.

"Yes, it has already been paid out."

The man chuckled at his words.

The atmosphere relaxed a little.

This is very advantageous for Lin Ye.

When negotiating prices, the worst thing is when the other party is too serious.

If the other party smiles, it means the price is still negotiable.

The man looked at the painting again.

"How about this, 25,000. If you really want it, I'll have someone take it down for you."

Lin Ye shook his head.

"Twelve thousand."

The man frowned.

"You added far too little."

Lin Ye said, "I still need to frame it, transport it, and figure out where to hang it. The guesthouse hasn't even opened yet; all the money has been spent on renovations."

He spoke very fluently.

In the end, even I had a vague feeling that starting a business was difficult.

The man stared at him for a few seconds.

"It's not easy for you young people to start a business."

Lin Ye nodded.

"really."

Starting a business isn't easy for him now.

It's not easy to cover up a lie.

The man looked at the painting, then at the unavailable space next to the restroom.

"I really want to change this painting. Last month, a customer said that hanging a landscape painting next to the restroom makes it look like a public toilet in a scenic area."

Lin Ye almost lost his composure.

If Mr. Leung could hear this, the East District might be completely silent tonight.

The man continued, "But twelve thousand is too low. Twenty-two thousand."

Lin Ye wanted to send photos to Lu Zhixia.

But the man stood right next to him, watching him.

In this situation, posting photos would be too obvious.

Moreover, he has confirmed the secret mark this time, so the clue is highly credible.

He decided to continue pushing the price down.

"Fifteen thousand."

The man shook his head.

"Twenty thousand."

Lin Ye looked at the painting.

The small boat in the lower right corner is very quiet.

The character "梁" (Liang) was hidden very well under the boat awning.

If Mr. Liang hadn't said it himself, he might not have noticed even if he had stood here for half an hour.

This is the information gap.

This is also the true value of this painting.

But he couldn't let the boss know.

Lin Ye picked up the cup, making a gesture as if he was about to leave.

"I'll think about it some more. I still have a few walls to decide on, so I'll go back and take the measurements first."

The man got a little anxious when he saw that he was about to leave.

"Hey, if you really want it, let's talk about it some more."

Lin Ye stopped walking.

Don't turn back too quickly.

It's too fast; it makes it seem like he was waiting for those words.

He slowly turned around.

The man said, "Ten thousand nineteen thousand, you can take it, I'll have the shop assistant help you open it."

Lin Ye did not agree immediately.

Nineteen thousand.

The price is not low.

But it's much better than 30,000.

Moreover, if Lu Zhixia confirms that the painting is truly valuable, then 19,000 yuan is the entrance fee.

Lin Ye glanced at the anti-floating bottle on the lock screen.

It is still very eye-catching.

This time, he asked himself three questions.

First, are the clues specific?

specific.

Second, can it be verified?

Yes, the secret mark has been seen.

Third, can we bear the risks?

can.

He currently has over 100,000 yuan in his account.

Losing 19,000 yuan will hurt, but it won't hurt as much as the time I was with the anti-flood bottle, to the point that I wanted to call an ambulance.

More importantly, Mr. Liang is not like Mr. Ma.

This old man is honest, but he doesn't boast.

Lin Ye put down his coffee.

"Eighteen thousand."

The man's face showed a clear moment of hesitation.

Lin Ye added a sentence.

"I'll transfer the money now. Also, give me the frame; don't damage it when you take it apart."

The man looked at the wall, then at the woods.

"You're really good at chopping, young man."

Lin Ye was very sincere.

Starting a business is not easy.

The man remained silent for a moment.

"Okay, eighteen thousand it is."

Lin Ye breathed a sigh of relief.

But on the surface, things remained stable.

"Then I'll transfer it to you."

His hand didn't shake when he made the payment.

This is very important.

The anti-floating bottle made him realize that when a person's hands are shaking, they are usually no longer rational.

This time he didn't shake.

This indicates that your mindset is basically stable.

Of course, it's also possible that the coffee was too bitter and woke him up.

After the payment was successful, the man called over a shop assistant.

Two shop assistants brought over a ladder and carefully took the painting down.

After the painting was removed from the wall, that section of the wall became noticeably whiter.

The man looked at the empty seat and suddenly smiled.

"It's really a bit strange."

Lin Ye thought to himself, this is the emptiness left after the toilet navigation sign was removed.

As the shop assistant wrapped up the painting, Lin Ye glanced again at the small boat in the lower right corner.

Before it was wrapped in paper, it rested quietly on the water.

Like a seal hidden deep inside.

The man asked, "Do you want me to find you a car?"

Lin Ye nodded.

"This is troublesome."

The painting isn't particularly large, but it's not suitable to carry around on a crowded bus.

Especially now that he suspects this thing might be very valuable.

Valuable items should not be taken on public transportation.

This is new common sense that Lin Ye has learned recently.

The shop owner helped him contact a small truck.

After Lin Ye got into the car, he immediately sent the photos to Lu Zhixia.

The entire painting.

The small boat in the bottom right corner.

The character "梁" under the boat awning.

And the back of the picture frame.

After sending the message, he typed it out.

"Teacher Lu, could you please take a look at this painting?"

After sending the message, Lu Zhixia did not reply immediately.

Lin Ye looked at the wrapped paintings in the carriage, and his heart began to warm up little by little.

He tried to calm himself down.

Eighteen thousand.

Another 18,000.

This number has been very unkind to his recent life.

Last time, I bought a modern craft item for 18,000 yuan.

This time it's 18,000; hopefully, I won't teach him another lesson.

When the small truck arrived downstairs at Jiahe Auction House, Lu Zhixia finally replied.

"Where are you?"

Lin Ye replied: "Downstairs."

This time, Lu Zhixia didn't ask any questions.

She called me directly.

Lin Ye picked up.

On the other end of the phone, Lu Zhixia's voice was a little faster than usual.

"Don't go upstairs, wait for me to come down."

Lin Ye was stunned for a moment.

"What's wrong?"

Lu Zhixia paused for half a second.

Don't leave your paintings lying around.

Lin Ye gripped his phone, his heart suddenly racing.

The tone is different.

She was puzzled by the anti-floating bottle incident.

This time, she said not to leave the paintings lying around.

Lin Ye turned to look at the landscape painting that had been wrapped up in the carriage.

Sunlight streamed in through the car window and fell onto the wrapping paper.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that the painting might be more valuable than he had thought.