Underground auction house

The two walked through an unnamed alley. Yang Bo became vigilant and said, "If it's too far, then there's no need to go."

"Not far, not far. It's just a little ahead," Li Er explained and added, "Don't worry. I definitely won't take you to those extremely remote and uninhabited alleys. After all, I have to consider the customers!"

Yang Bo nodded and asked, "Why did you choose me suddenly?"

Li Er was slightly taken aback and said, "Oh, didn't you notice? Many people in the market are picking and choosing, but most of them are holding the items they bought. Some even need to use snakeskin bags to hold them. Few people are as carefree as you, with nothing in their hands."

"This indicates a problem. You must look down on the items there. People like you are exactly our customers."

"I don't have much money on me," Yang Bo continued.

Li Er didn't care at all. "If you don't have much money on you, it means your money is in the card. Don't worry. Even if you don't have money, you can just come and have a look this time to get familiar with our operation. Next time, you can come better - prepared."

Yang Bo was surprised in his heart. He guessed that the other party's business was not simple theft - related sales. Many of these transactions took place near the antique city, coming and going quickly. Judging from the other party's tone, this was a long - term business.

Soon, Li Er stopped and pointed to a small courtyard. "Here it is."

Yang Bo looked up. The small courtyard had green bricks and tiles and a simple, ancient style. He had passed by here before but didn't know it had been renovated.

Li Er knocked on the door in a certain pattern. The person who opened the door greeted Li Er, and Yang Bo followed Li Er in.

The room was low - ceilinged. A dim, yellow incandescent lamp emitted a faint light. There were already several people sitting in the room. They sat on chairs calmly, drinking tea and chatting. The fragrance of tea filled the room.

When Yang Bo entered, everyone turned to look at him. But after just one glance, they turned their heads away. Since it was Yang Bo's first time there, he looked unfamiliar to them. Moreover, he was young and came alone, so he didn't attract much attention.

Yang Bo noticed a gaze fixed on him. He looked up and saw a man dressed in black. The man had sparse, shiny hair, neatly combed back. It was Deputy Curator Qu.

Deputy Curator Qu looked at Yang Bo for a moment and soon turned his head away. Yang Bo was very surprised. He didn't expect to meet the other party so soon. Before, he was almost tricked by Deputy Curator Qu, but he had also been following him first, so he was somewhat in the wrong. Moreover, he now wanted to make money as soon as possible and didn't want to cause trouble, but he definitely wasn't afraid of trouble either.

Yang Bo looked around again. There were probably seven or eight groups of people in the room. Some people came alone, and a few had companions.

After Yang Bo sat down, he looked at the layout of the room. It was more like a small teahouse. There was a space like a stage in front, surrounded by seats. Of course, there was no actual stage here. Everyone seemed to be sitting around a table in the north. Yang Bo chose the most remote seat. Since it was his first time there, he hoped to observe first.

In fact, when seeing this situation, Yang Bo had mostly guessed the form of trading here. It could only be an underground auction. However, there were few people here, so the bidding probably wouldn't be too fierce. He just didn't know the quality of the items supplied.

Yang Bo also felt a little regretful. If he had known he would encounter this kind of thing, he should have brought more money.

Soon, with the sound of footsteps, the room became a little quieter. Everyone seemed to be looking forward to something.

A person walked in with big strides from the door, clasping his hands to everyone cheerfully. "Thank you for your support and your presence. The conditions are simple. Please forgive me!"

Yang Bo turned to look and saw that the person had a square face, big ears, and a face as sharp - featured as if carved by a knife. One could see a certain resolute temperament from his face.

Everyone just smiled faintly and didn't reply. The man seemed to be used to this. He walked to the center with big strides. "Okay, no more polite words. Let's follow the old rules."

Then, he turned to look around. When he saw Yang Bo, he was suddenly stunned. "Oh? We have a new friend today. Let me introduce myself then."

"My surname is Mei, and people call me Mei Laosan. Although our trading is relatively casual, the rules still need to be followed. Moreover, any photography or recording is strictly prohibited. If I find anyone doing so, don't blame me for not warning in advance!"

When saying this, Mei Laosan's face became serious. He looked around at everyone again, like a lion patrolling its territory.

Yang Bo didn't show any reaction on his face. These were all reasonable requirements, and he hadn't planned to do such things anyway.

"Laosan, hurry up and start. We're tired of hearing this. I don't know if you got any good items this time," an old man in his sixties said impatiently.

Mei Laosan smiled brightly. "Master Yu, just wait and see. The items this time will surely satisfy you!"

"Okay, let's start now!"

Then, someone brought a tray over. The tray was placed on the central table, and on it was a blue - and - white poetry - inscribed cylindrical vase.

"Those who are interested can come up and have a look," Mei Laosan said with a smile.

The first cylindrical vase, seen from a distance, had a slender neck, broad shoulders, and a white glaze that was white and compact, like a beautiful young woman standing there. The vase had complete poetry inscriptions and was full of literary charm, so many people in the room stepped forward to look at it.

Yang Bo noticed the rules in the room. Most of the time, the elders went first, and everyone went up one by one. So he wasn't in a hurry. After most of the people had gone up, he followed. Participating in this kind of trading was also a rare learning opportunity, and he wouldn't let it go.

After taking a closer look, an aperture appeared in front of his eyes, and a ray of light flew into his eyes. Yang Bo nodded slightly, able to judge that this blue - and - white multicolored figure - and - poetry cylindrical vase should be from around the Shunzhi period, which was extremely rare.

Yang Bo sat back down and calculated in his mind for a moment. He knew it was impossible for him. Even if he used up all the 170,000 yuan in his card, he couldn't get it.

As expected, Mei Laosan said, "The starting price is 100,000 yuan, and each increase must not be less than 1,000 yuan."

The people who could come to such a place were definitely not ordinary. Bids came from all directions.

"105,000!"

"110,000!"

"130,000!"

...

"180,000!"

Yang Bo watched the situation in the room and felt somewhat relieved. His state of mind gradually calmed down. Not every antique had to be a bargain for him to pick up. He would be satisfied as long as he could earn enough medical expenses and didn't want to expect too much.

The price - increasing became less intense, and soon it stopped.

"230,000!" said an old man surnamed Yu.

No one else bid in the room. Mei Laosan smiled and said, "Master Yu, this one is yours!"

Yang Bo estimated that the actual price of this cylindrical vase was tens of thousands of yuan higher. Getting it at this price was considered a small bargain. After all, one had to pay taxes and handling fees at an auction house.