Urban Martial Saint

Hearing the rickshaw driver’s words, Ye Qing basically had an inkling in his mind. It seemed that just as Li Lianshan said, the black market for antique transactions in Tianfu City was indeed quite large. Even street rickshaw drivers were aware of so much, and there was such talk of commission, indicating that these rickshaw drivers had more than a little involvement in such matters. Private antique transactions were really quite prevalent in Tianfu City.

A commission of one to five percent could certainly be no small amount for an antique. Even a fairly ordinary antique could be worth tens of thousands of yuan, so even one percent would be several hundred yuan. If it were a better antique, it could normally sell for hundreds of thousands, so a five percent commission might mean the rickshaw driver alone could earn over ten thousand. Such a commission would be unheard of in most places.

Ye Qing knew that this rickshaw driver was just trying to fleece him for a bit of money; however, Ye Qing hadn’t come here to sell antiques in the first place. So the amount of commission was not important to him at all; what was important was finding the Master Craft.

”So, is it one percent or five percent?” Ye Qing casually asked. He didn’t readily agree to anything because if he did, the rickshaw driver might become suspicious.

”The exact amount depends on how much your goods are worth, sir.” The rickshaw driver smiled, ”Generally, the higher the value of the goods, the higher the commission. If an antique is priced over a hundred thousand, the commission would be calculated at five percent.”

”No way!” Ye Qing’s eyes widened as he replied, ”It can’t be that much, right? According to what you said, if I sell mine, wouldn’t that mean a commission of one to eight hundred thousand?”

”You’re funny, big brother!” The rickshaw driver laughed and said, ”Even at five percent, what does one to eight hundred thousand mean? Are you saying your antique could sell for tens of millions? Haha, big brother, you’re really humorous!”

”Who’s joking with you!” Ye Qing pulled the bag closer to him and said, ”Alright, let’s not talk too much. No matter how much it’s sold for, how about one percent commission?”

Actually, the rickshaw drivers in Tianfu often did this kind of business, taking advantage of out-of-towners who didn’t know the local market rules by intentionally taking commission. Truthfully, even one percent commission was quite an extra income for them, as many people didn’t even take commission. Hearing Ye Qing say this, the rickshaw driver felt a surge of secret joy. No matter what Ye Qing’s antique was, it guaranteed at least a few hundred yuan in his pocket.

”Oh my, this breaks the rules!” The rickshaw driver feigned a look of difficulty.

”If you’re unwilling, I’ll just find another rickshaw,” Ye Qing threatened to get out of the rickshaw, but the driver hurriedly stopped him, saying, ”Big brother, don’t be hasty. I never said I wouldn’t take you. Besides, most drivers around here don’t have such connections. Even if they do, their bosses aren’t as powerful. If you really have something good, you’d want to find a boss with money in hand to give you a good price. If you go with them to find bosses without money, whether they can even make an offer is uncertain.”

While blocking Ye Qing, the rickshaw driver gritted his teeth and made a tough decision, saying, ”Fine, I see you’re a good person too. Consider me making a friend, one percent, I’ll take you there. But please, don’t tell anyone else. If it gets out, it would break the rules.”

Ye Qing chuckled to himself; this rickshaw driver was quite the talker, making up nonsense about breaking rules. He was too lazy to argue more and settled back inside the rickshaw. The driver immediately pedaled off to avoid Ye Qing suddenly getting up to leave.

According to Li Lianshan, Master Craft was not only hidden within Tianfu City’s antique trading market but also controlled the entire market. It could be said that everyone in the market was his eyes and ears. Though it wasn’t easy to find him, finding the right way could make the search not too difficult.

The antique market wasn’t far from where Ye Qing was staying, and it took the rickshaw driver less than twenty minutes to bring Ye Qing there. The market was in the old town of Tianfu, on a rather quaint old street lined with some quite old shops. Yet it was precisely these kinds of shops, each one of unimaginable value. Each shop housed antiques worth more than an electronics store.

By night, most shops in the trading market were closed since night time was not the optimal time for antique trading. Leading Ye Qing through the old street with practiced ease, the rickshaw driver arrived outside one shop. The shop was already closed; he got off the rickshaw and knocked on the door firmly.

”Who is it?” came a slightly aged voice from inside, suggesting the shop owner wasn’t young.

”It’s me, Little Zhang,” the rickshaw driver laughed, ”Boss Zhou, there’s something I want you to appraise.”

”So late in the night, what appraisal?” Boss Zhou answered.

Little Zhang laughed and said, ”It’s a good thing. If I wait until everyone else opens in the morning, you might not have a chance!”

”Rubbish, I’ve seen any kind of things before,” Boss Zhou grumbled, but he still came to open the door. The allure of a good item is a strong draw for an antique dealer.

”You may have seen a lot, but this item, I guess you haven’t seen before!” Little Zhang led Ye Qing into the shop with a grin. Inside was a young man polishing some vases, appearing to be Boss Zhou’s apprentice or a younger relative.

”Humph, I’ve been in this line of work long enough, and I’ve seen plenty of big talkers!” Boss Zhou sneered, ”Whether it’s good or not, I can tell at a glance. Come on, don’t waste time, take it out, and I’ll know right away.”

Little Zhang turned to look at Ye Qing, signaling him to take out his item. But Ye Qing acted as if he didn’t notice Little Zhang’s look, just slowly inspecting the antiques inside Boss Zhou’s shop with obvious disdain and contempt.

Having been in this business for many years, Boss Zhou had become quite a shrewd character. He’d been watching Ye Qing since he came in. Seeing Ye Qing’s expression, he felt a little displeased but also somewhat intrigued. For Ye Qing to look down on his collection, there might actually be something good in his possession.

”Boss? Boss?” Little Zhang was feeling awkward. He whispered to Ye Qing and nudged his arm, only then did Ye Qing turn to him.

”Boss, take out your item and let Boss Zhou appraise it!” Little Zhang said, ”Boss Zhou is one of the sharpest in the area, also one of the few with the most clout. If you’ve really got something good, I dare say, apart from Boss Zhou, few here can handle it!”

”Is that so?” Ye Qing gave Boss Zhou a once-over, but instead of taking out his item, softly asked, ”Boss Zhou, what’s the most valuable piece in your collection that you think could be worth?”

Boss Zhou immediately frowned. Such a question was quite sensitive for an antique dealer. Ye Qing’s challenge and disdainful expression only deepened his irritation but also roused his competitive spirit.

”Not very valuable, over ten million,” Boss Zhou said casually, but he had no piece in his shop worth even a million, pure bragging.

”Over ten million?” Ye Qing slowly shook his head, ”Boss Zhou, it seems I came to the wrong place.”

”What do you mean?” Boss Zhou and Little Zhang asked simultaneously.

”If, as you say, Boss Zhou is one of the strongest in this area, then I’m indeed in the wrong place!” Ye Qing sighed, ”I fear that everyone on this street combined couldn’t buy my piece!”

”Come on, big brother!” Little Zhang frowned, for Ye Qing’s words sounded delusional.

”My friend, I’ve seen all kinds in this line of work, but someone like you, this is the first!” Boss Zhou smirked, ”I’ve been in this for years and never seen an antique worth what you claim. You know what the combined worth of every shop on this street is? It can’t be less than several billion. Aren’t you here just for a laugh? Hahaha...”

Little Zhang was also quite puzzled, partly suspecting Ye Qing was out of his mind; how did he run into someone like this?

Ye Qing pondered for a moment and seriously said, ”Several billion is just a drop in the bucket.”

Boss Zhou raised an eyebrow, glanced at Little Zhang, saying, ”Little Zhang, where did you find this guy? Is he alright in the head?”

Pointing to his head, Little Zhang was utterly confused and replied in a low voice, ”He didn’t seem like it when he was talking earlier.”

”Then what’s going on here?” Boss Zhou was bewildered, staring at Ye Qing, ”Dude, you aren’t here to cause trouble, are you?”

”Why would I cause trouble?” Ye Qing laughed, ”Boss Zhou, you’re in this business too. You should understand some things are priceless and can’t be bought, no matter how much money one has. Sometimes, several billion isn’t enough even for a fraction!”