In the private room of the tea house.
After seeing off the master, Liu Qing immediately made up her mind.
"Acquire that coin!"
President Li took a deep breath and asked, "At what price and under what guise should we acquire it?"
Liu Qing pondered for a moment, and with an idea in mind, she said:
"You insist that a Fengtian One Tael is unparalleled in the world. Therefore, the one he has can't possibly be a real Fengtian One Tael. However, after expert appraisal, it's been determined that the one he has is a flawed piece from before the creation of the Fengtian One Tael sample coins. Offer one million for it, and let him have a taste of sweetness!"
"Good! I'll contact Lin Chuan right away!"
General Manager Zhao immediately said.
Liu Qing narrowed her eyes and murmured, "This kid, he hit a big one right off the bat!"
In the antiques circle, it's not uncommon for novices to unwittingly stumble upon valuable items.
Many people jokingly call it a 'novice's protection period'.
Before long.
President Li reported back to Liu Qing, "Lin Chuan has agreed to meet at Yueming Tea House tonight. I haven't mentioned the price yet, it's better to negotiate it face to face."
"No problem. You can make some concessions as appropriate. Although this guy is a novice in the world of antiques, he has good luck and some brains in business," Liu Qing said with a smile.
In her heart, she already regarded the Fengtian One Tael coin in Lin Chuan's hands as her own.
Forty-six million!
As night fell,
the lights of Anling City began to shine, stars dotted the night sky, and the windows of high-rise buildings twinkled with the glow of prosperity, while the streets and alleys became more tranquil and peaceful.
This time, Lin Chuan and the Little Landlady had reserved a private room at Yueming Tea House in advance, waiting for President Li's arrival.
President Li was punctual.
At eight o'clock sharp, he pushed open the wooden door of the private room, with a smile brimming on his face, and boasted as he entered, "I didn't expect Director Lin to be a hidden expert in antiques."
Lin Chuan smiled humbly and said, "You flatter me, President Li. I am just starting out, like a blind cat running into a dead mouse."
President Li laughed heartily and took a sip of the tea Lin Chuan had poured for him.
The two exchanged pleasantries for a while.
The Little Landlady sat quietly beside Lin Chuan, with a smile on her face.
Afterward,
President Li got straight to the point: "Director Lin, this afternoon, I made a special visit to Master Zhang, the grandmaster of Anling Antiques. After his appraisal, he determined that the coin you have is a flawed piece from the time the Fengtian One Tael sample coins were being made."
Lin Chuan nodded with a smile, "I was idle this afternoon and also pulled some strings to visit Master Zhou."
"The Master Zhou from Anling Antique Appraisal Center?" President Li was startled, and his brow furrowed slightly.
"Yes."
Lin Chuan simply nodded.
"What did Master Zhou say?" President Li asked.
"Master Zhou's opinion is consistent with Master Zhang's, believing it to be a defective product from when the Fengtian One Tael sample coins were being made. Because this coin has significant implications, he said issuing an appraisal certificate would require multiple evaluations, so he only wrote a brief appraisal note for me.
Please take a look," Lin Chuan said with a smile and then pushed the appraisal note in front of President Li.
President Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said with a smile, "Director Lin, now regarding this coin, are you planning to keep it for your collection, or..."
Lin Chuan sipped his Pu'er tea, shook his head with a smile, and said, "Initially, I wanted to keep it for my collection, but Master Zhou's offer was quite high, and I'm a bit tempted."
President Li felt a pang of anxiety.
He had just entered the room and hadn't made an offer yet, but the initiative was already out of his hands.
Because Lin Chuan had already sought Master Zhou for an appraisal, obtained the appraisal note, and Master Zhou had also made an offer.
Damn it!
President Li cursed Master Zhou in his heart.
Without a doubt, both were harboring the same idea—hoping to acquire the 'genuine' Fengtian One Tael at the price of a defective product.
"What price did Master Zhou offer? Would it be possible to disclose it?" President Li leaned forward a little, looking somewhat curious.
Lin Chuan played with the tea set without speaking.
At that moment, the Little Landlady held up a hand.
President Li was taken aback, "Five hundred thousand? Master Zhou is indeed generous!"
The Little Landlady shook her head, "President Li, it might be a bit of a surprise for you, but the price Master Zhou offered isn't five hundred thousand, it's five million!"
"Five million!?"
President Li was stunned, his brow furrowing sharply as he had not expected Master Zhou's bid to be so high.
"President Li, please have some tea," Lin Chuan said with a smile as he slowly poured another cup for President Li.
President Li chuckled sheepishly, realizing he had been somewhat indiscreet. He leaned back, picked up the blue and white porcelain cup, took a sip, and quickly adjusted his composure:
"Master Zhou's price is five million. Are you thinking of selling, Director Lin?"
Unexpectedly,
Lin Chuan shook his head, "The Fengtian One Tael is one of a kind. As a defective product of the Fengtian One Tael, it could probably fetch tens of millions at auction, right?"
"Tens of millions..."
President Li swallowed hard, as the figure had gone far beyond his and Liu Qing's expectations.
"Not worth that much?" Lin Chuan looked at President Li and asked with a smile.
"According to the current market, a defective coin of the Fengtian One Tael is worth at most five million. It's very difficult, very difficult to get tens of millions," President Li inhaled deeply and said.
"So, Master Zhou is quite conscientious," Lin Chuan awarded Master Zhou with a 'conscience card'.
At this juncture,
the Little Landlady timely asked, "President Li, you mentioned this afternoon that your friend also wants to collect this coin. Does he have a price in mind?"
"It's inconvenient for my friend to come forward, but he is really interested in this coin. He has already given a price range, and he can accept any price within that range," President Li said with a smile.
Lin Chuan looked composed, raising an eyebrow slightly, "What is the price range of President Li's friend?"
President Li's voice deepened, "Up to six million!"
"Is it a cash transaction?"
Lin Chuan asked directly, "Master Zhou over there is willing to deal in cash."
President Li had cursed Master Zhou countless times in his heart already.
According to the law, transactions of antiques between individuals constitute a transfer of property. The money obtained is considered income from the transfer of property and is subject to personal income tax.
If we conducted a transaction of five million through the bank, a simple check from the tax authorities would mean we would have to pay taxes.
At least 20% of that amount would be taken for taxes.
Therefore, President Li's six million, compared to Master Zhou's five million in cash, wouldn't be as good.
Of course, Lin Chuan also knew that for those who specialize in setting up fraudulent schemes, even if the transaction went through the bank and the six million was deposited, it would only be a fleeting pleasure.
Because the six million would appear in his account through special means, and after some time, it would disappear without a trace.
This was a type of fake transaction method.
It was usually used to deceive those who had entered the gambling and "pig butchering" boards.
"Half cash, half electronic, how about that?" President Li tempted.
The Little Landlady held her phone on the side, opened the calculator, and whispered after calculating, "Director, the final profit would be around five million four hundred thousand."
"Alright, half cash, half electronic it is," Lin Chuan quickly agreed, "When can we make the transaction?"
Seeing Lin Chuan agree, President Li breathed a sigh of relief, took a sip of tea, and then lifted his wristwatch to check the time, "Director Lin, it's not very convenient to gather three million in cash right now, how about tomorrow afternoon at three o'clock?"
"No problem."
Lin Chuan said cheerfully.
"Pleasant cooperation!" President Li extended his hand, his heart full of joy.
"Pleasant cooperation."
Lin Chuan shook hands with President Li, smiling brightly.
After leaving Yueming Tea House.
The Little Landlady and Lin Chuan strolled around the mall for a while, then returned to Happiness Community.
Lin Chuan made a point of escorting the Little Landlady to her doorstep.
"Director, come in for a cup of tea, my bed is also very soft and comfy."
The Little Landlady now stood at her doorstep, her slender finger brushing her temple's hair aside, revealing a delicate profile.
Lin Chuan laughed, "I still have work to do tonight."
"I have a computer in my room too, it doesn't freeze, no viruses, very smooth," the Little Landlady winked, her clear eyes almost ensnaring Lin Chuan's soul.
"Cough!"
An untimely cough interrupted the moment.
Old Zhang had arrived.
The Little Landlady pouted, glancing at Old Zhang, while Lin Chuan took the opportunity to slip away.
"Little Landlady, some other time."
Nightfall deepened.
The starry sky outside the rental window was extra profound, speckled with brightness, shining like twinkling gems.
A gust of wind carried whispers of rustling leaves that reached Lin Chuan's ears, swelling into a melody.
Lin Chuan sat in front of the computer, his hands on the worn-smooth keyboard, typing continuously. The sound of the gold powder shaft wasn't as crisp as a mechanical keyboard but was slightly louder than electrostatic, perfectly suited for someone who typed for a living.
At this moment, the computer screen was filled with lines of code and individual dots of light.
"I've traced the call records between President Li and Liu Qing. Next, we'll see their upcoming moves," Lin Chuan murmured to himself.
Lin Chuan's forgery of the 'Fengtian One Tael' coin wasn't just to extricate Old Zhang from an antique scam, but also to investigate whether Liu Qing was involved with the factory area.
He always had a premonition.
This was targeting him!
So, he took the initiative to forge a coin worth forty-six million to draw out the person behind Liu Qing!
Luring the Snake out of its Hole!
The next day, dawn broke, casting a warm glow across the eastern sky.
The Little Landlady got up early, went to Lin Chuan's rented place, and banged loudly on the metal door.
"Director, I'm here," the Little Landlady called out cheerfully.
"Little Landlady, you're so early."
Lin Chuan opened the door.
"I told you to change the first three words to 'Old'," the Little Landlady pouted as she entered, carrying a red packet in her hand.
"What are you holding?" Lin Chuan asked.
"Eels, coming over to cook some eel porridge, to nourish you," the Little Landlady said with a virtuous smile.
"Did you go to the market alone?" Lin Chuan frowned.
"No, there are elderly men and women selling right outside the community, you wouldn't know since you don't shop for groceries," the Little Landlady grinned.
"That's alright then," Lin Chuan muttered.
"Are you showing concern for me?" the Little Landlady blinked.
Lin Chuan gently tapped the Little Landlady's forehead and chuckled, "I should show you some concern since you're coming over to cook porridge for me."
A blush crept onto the Little Landlady's pretty face, and she pressed her lips together, "Then later, you'd better eat more of the eel porridge. It's good for nourishing qi, enriching blood, fortifying the spleen and stomach, and also for revitalizing the yin and boosting yang."
"Revitalizing the yin and boosting yang?" Lin Chuan was momentarily taken aback.
"Yeah, yeah, you stay up late to write every day, your kidneys might get a bit weak, so I specially looked up some dietary supplements for you," the Little Landlady said, lowering her head with a smile.
Lin Chuan's expression darkened: "My kidneys are weak... you underestimate your director far too much!"
"Then... shall we test it?"
The Little Landlady lifted her soft, fair face, blinking and not moving her gaze away from Lin Chuan.
"Demon, take this Mighty Heavenly Dragon, Great Luo Mantra from me!"
Lin Chuan laughed heartily.
Afterward, they cooked the eel porridge together and ate breakfast.
While eating, they discussed the plans for the day.
"Director, let's go to the office in the morning to deal with company affairs, then trade the coin with President Li in the afternoon, and tonight..." the Little Landlady said excitedly.
"For tonight, I already have plans," Lin Chuan laughed.
"What plans?" the Little Landlady asked curiously, "Six hundred thousand, is there a candlelight dinner?"
"What candlelight dinner are you thinking about?" Lin Chuan rubbed the Little Landlady's hair and chuckled, "Tonight, we're going to the police station to turn ourselves in!"
"Ah?"
The Little Landlady was stunned.
Lin Chuan smiled, "Myanmar area Factory Area gives you six hundred thousand, do you dare to spend it?"

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