Chapter 709: 1.1 Million Yuan
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Zhou Ji whispered to Li Du, “Unless you deal with someone else, you’ll lose out. Brother Du, Brother Yao has already laid his cards out on the table.”
Li Du shook his head. “No problem, leave it to me.”
He sipped his tea and ignored Zheng Xilin. Instead, he looked at Yao Zhi Bo and said, “Old devil, do you think you’ll sell this coin for less than 800,000 yuan?”
Yao Zhi Bo was a practical person; he mumbled, “Yes. But with this money, my parents’ illness and my greenhouse would be settled.”
Li Du said, “Give me the account number for your bank card.”
Yao Zhi Bo was not sure what it was for but he still handed him his Agricultural Bankcard.
Li Du took him to the nearest Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) branch. Zheng Xilin and the others wondered what he was doing, and so went along.
Although he used the Wells Fargo bank card in the United States, he’d gotten an international ICBC bank card before returning home. At the ICBC’s counter, he transferred 800,000 yuan directly into Yao Zhi Bo’s card.
Yao Zhi Bo’s bank card was connected to his mobile phone, and when he heard the text message, he took a look. The balance gave him a huge shock—804,508!
Li Du went over and said, “Alright, if you are willing to sell it for 800,000 yuan, then you sell it to me. But I am telling you now, that this antique coin is worth more than 800,000 yuan. We are old classmates, I won’t take advantage of you. It’s now temporarily mine. As to how much it will fetch, I will update you.”
Yao Zhi Bo’s attention was all on his bank card. He stared at the screen of his mobile phone and glanced at it repeatedly.
Zheng Xilin was dumbfounded, and whispered to Zhou Ji, “Hey, this friend is quite something. What’s his background?”
Zhou Ji said, “I’m not too sure. He’s my partner’s former classmate and is based in the US. But, Uncle Zheng, what I can say for sure is, he’s got financial ability.”
As he spoke, he pointed to his left wrist. “Here, what he’s wearing is worth at least two million US dollars and is considered one of the world’s top ten legendary watches.”
Zheng Xilin’s expression changed. “Such a formidable chap could actually have emerged from this small county town?”
Li Du walked toward him, holding the old coin. “Boss Zheng, I’ll quote you the base price: 1.1 million yuan. I’ll have to look for another customer if the offer goes any lower than this.”
Zheng Xilin smiled calmly. “You can ahead and look. Coin collection is not that popular in our country. This coin is really not worth that much.”
Li Du said, “Then I shall look overseas since I’m acquainted with many wealthy compatriots in the US.”
Zheng Xilin shook his head. “Maybe you can find someone with interest in this antique coin, but once they understand the value of this ‘Da Xia Zhen Xing,’ they will never pay such a high price.”
Li Du laughed. “You keep mentioning the value, thinking that I don’t know it’s value? In fact, this is the industry that I’m working in overseas.”
He released the little bug to Zheng Xilin. As expected, the other party was carrying an antique cultural relic with time capability.
The little bug flew to his hand first; on his thumb was a white, glossy thumb ring. Li Du used the time reversal capability and quickly took a look at the ring.
The time of the birth of the thumb ring was very early on, at least during the middle of the Qing Dynasty. There was an introduction about it but what was most important to Li Du was how the jade thumb ring was being described during an exhibition.
Hence, he took a glance at the jade ring, and said confidently, “Boss Zheng, you are not someone who’s short of money. This Qing Dynasty prince’s white jade thumb ring is worth about 800,000 yuan I suppose?
Zheng Xilin looked at him in astonishment and raised his hand. “How could you tell this was the prince’s white jade thumb ring?”
Li Du laughed. “Very simple. By looking at the quality of the white jade, which is pale green, as well as delicate and dewy with good oil content. There is a small number of stone flower impurities, so this was not the first-class jade.
“The thumb ring style was popular in the middle of the Qing Dynasty. The emperor system was strict with the use of the white jade and limited its use to a gift from the emperor for the senior high officials.
“There’s a faint image of a horse on the thumb ring. It was obviously not a gift from the emperor. Usually, emperor’s gifts would be smooth without decoration, so as to remain dignified, so even the senior officials did not dare to add any lines onto them.
“Therefore, this is a prince’s thumb ring. If my assumption is correct, this prince had great achievements in battles, right?”
Zheng Xilin took a deep breath and clasped his hand. “Little brother here is quite the expert—I have underestimated you. Well then, how much do you think this ‘Da Xia Zhen Xing’ is really worth?”
“1.1 million yuan,” Li Du said casually as he tried to portray the demeanor of an expert.
Zheng Xilin didn’t try to bargain any further and agreed readily. “Alright, I respect your expert view. 1.1 million it shall be!
He asked Li Du’s bank card number and then made a phone call to transfer the money to Li Du.
Li Du made the transfer of another 300,000 yuan to Yao Zhi Bo and said, “Fortunately, I haven’t failed in my mission. You should be satisfied with this 1.1 million yuan price?”
Yao Zhi Bo got all hyped up again. “Old Li, you are amazing! You’re awesome! But why did you give me all of it? You should have kept at least 100,000 dollars!”
Li Du put up his hand. “What would I want to keep the 100,000 yuan? You should just take the money.”
Yao Zhi Bo was very stubborn and interrupted him. “No, you have to get at least 100,000 yuan!” He continued haltingly, “I know you are not short of money, judging by how you easily transferred the funds just now. Actually, I should give you the 300,000 yuan that you negotiated for but I can’t spare it. Old Li, don’t despise me but I really can’t spare that!”
He dragged Li Du out to sit with him at the entrance of the bank, and his eyes were filled with tears again. “So d*mn broke, Old Li, I’m so broke! My family’s now in debt. My father’s paralyzed after a brain hemorrhage while my mother wasn’t compensated after she broke her waist from a fall at the construction site and had to borrow just to visit the doctor!”
Li Du comforted him, “Don’t worry about that stuff now. Why would I despise you?”
Yao Zhi Bo wiped his tears away. “Poverty causes one to lose his ambition. Old Li, everyone has been looking down on our family for the past two years. Even relatives did not dare to hang out with us, for fear that I would borrow money.
“But, I don’t blame them. My mother’s lumbar surgery was paid for with borrowed money. I can still remember that up to today, I have yet to pay up the 165,000 yuan!”
“This winter I saved 5,000 yuan from my work in town. Five thousand yuan over a winter—not an easy feat!
“So you see? This instant 300,000 yuan—I really couldn’t spare you! Really, you have no idea how grateful I am to you. I still can’t believe that this worn copper coin could actually fetch 1 million?”
“It’s 1.1 million,” Li Du said with a smile.
Yao Zhi Bo grabbed his hand tightly. “I understand the rules, I really can’t bear to give 300,000 thousand yuan but to thank you, I must give you the 100,000 yuan. Otherwise, I would be an ingrate!”
Li Du waved his hand and said, “I don’t want it. There’s no need, just old classmates helping out—”
“No, you must take it. You have helped me too much—you’ve saved my whole family!”
