Chapter 433: 433: Greedy by Nature_1

Chapter 433: Chapter 433: Greedy by Nature_1

The man flipped through the old abacus and even smelled it, while the woman frowned at the yellow-white bracelet, deeming it rather ugly.

“Boss, can you give us a quote?” the man asked, pointing at the old bead calculator.

“One hundred and twenty thousand,” the hat-wearing stall owner replied indifferently, with an expression that showed neither desire nor demand, in a tone that suggested he could take it or leave it.

His voice was extremely hoarse and grating, like a cat’s claws scratching on tree bark.

“One hundred and twenty thousand? Are you out of your mind? For this piece of junk, you dare to ask for so much?”

Before the man could respond, the woman tossed aside the bracelet as if it were bitten by a fly, expressing her disdain.

“That’s just how business is done. I only quote the price, whether you can afford it is your problem, and I’m not forcing you to buy,” the stall owner said nonchalantly.

Having said that, he continued to smoke his dry pipe leisurely, not at all concerned whether the deal would come to fruition.

“...I’ve never seen someone like you in business before. How can you even think of conducting business like this?” The woman shook with anger.

The man, however, showed a contemplative look, glanced at the old abacus a few more times, and said through clenched teeth, “Ah Zi, don’t be angry, it’s genuine.”

Ah Zi, the woman addressed, was taken aback, hardly believing what he said.

The man hurriedly explained in a low voice, “Ah Zi, this stall may look shabby, but the items here are all real. This abacus, it’s not only mixed with gold but it also dates back to the early Ming dynasty.”

“Wow, you can’t tell at all,” Ah Zi pouted.

The hat-wearing stall owner chuckled, “Interesting, turns out you’re an expert.”

The man proudly adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and said, “Don’t judge by my rough appearance. I’m a Zhonghai University archaeology graduate, and I recognize quite a few things.”

“Oh? Then out of these items here, tell me which ones you recognize,” the stall owner finally showed interest, as he had been waiting for a connoisseur to come along.

The man’s eyes twinkled with shrewdness as he smiled, “I wouldn’t dare to guarantee, but they are all authentic. So name your price.”

The stall owner nodded in satisfaction, “Good, I only sell to those who know their stuff, so the prices are fair. The abacus for one hundred and twenty thousand, the wine vessel for sixty thousand, the bracelet for twenty thousand, and the Bronze Ding for one hundred and sixty thousand. If you take them all, I’ll throw in the bronze coins for free.”

After a moment’s thought, the man finally nodded in agreement.

He had also realized that these items were not legitimately excavated, which is why the stall owner was so eager to sell them to him at lower prices.

Well, the price was within his acceptable range.

Once he resold them, he was sure to make a substantial profit.

“The stall owner is right, we bought these items, so you should stop thinking about them,” Ah Zi, seeing the stall owner confirm the deal, spoke out confidently, hands on hips and acting spoiled, with quite the shrewish air.

Xu Fan glanced at the man and woman and said calmly, “Friend, listen to a word of advice. These things carry a deathly aura and will harm people.”

“Are you implying they won’t harm people once they’re in your hands? Could it be that you are some lay Taoist able to perform blessings and consecrations?” Ah Yuan said coldly.

Seeing Xu Fan so persistent, Ah Yuan became even more convinced of Ah Zi’s warning. If the Bronze Ding weren’t worth much more than offered, would Xu Fan be so stubborn, so generous?

Therefore, he planned to study it more carefully after returning home. It might turn out to be a rare treasure that could fetch an astronomical price.

After the fingerprint payment, Ah Yuan picked up his phone and flashed it at the stall owner to indicate that the payment was successful.

The stall owner glanced at it, and immediately turned on his own phone. Seeing the payment credited, he nodded at once, “All these are yours now.”

Anxious, Ah Yuan and Ah Zi bent down to pick up the items one by one. Glancing at Xu Fan, they said, “Buddy, the deal is done; you should leave. Maybe you’ll still find a real treasure if you stroll around this street.”

“Are you sure you won’t reconsider? You’ll be the ones to suffer in the end,” Xu Fan shook his head, his tone carrying a warning.

Ah Zi snorted coldly, “That’s our concern, none of your business. If you keep this up, don’t blame me for calling the police.”

Upon mention of the police, the stall owner with the conical hat hastily pulled his hat lower and swiftly left with his head down.

As for the items from his stall? They were barely worth anything.

He knew very well, that once the police got involved, he would be in serious trouble, possibly ending up incarcerated for a number of years.

In this line of work, what matters is being precise, steady-handed, and quick to let go.

The departure of the stall owner was of no concern to the few present.

Everyone actually had a clear understanding of the dubious origins of these items.

Seeing the other party’s obstinate attitude, Xu Fan had no better option but tried to negotiate, “I have a special use for these items. Their real worth is at most two hundred thousand. If you wish to earn more, I’m willing to add another sixty thousand.”

That would make a total of three hundred and eighty thousand.

To earn twenty-two thousand in just a few minutes—such luck is hard to come by even if you search with a lantern.

But people are never satisfied; greed is in their nature.

The higher Xu Fan bid, the more urgent his need seemed, leading the couple to believe the Bronze Ding was of even greater value, perhaps an unparalleled treasure that could be sold for a fortune.

A glance was exchanged between the two, their eyes gleaming with smug amusement—clearly, a treasure.

Therefore, Ah Yuan smiled at Xu Fan, then promptly shook his head in refusal once more.