bantayden Chapter 1442: Each chapter is bigger than the last; even the calligraphy and paintings can no longer
Chapter 1442: Each chapter is bigger than the last; even the calligraphy and paintings can no longer
Although the news had already spread, for some time afterward, there were still some people hoping to find a bargain and coming to the purchasing station to take a look at Li Long's things.
Li Long was open to all comers; as long as they wanted to see it, he would let them.
It's not good to turn away customers when you're in business.
Some middlemen also joined in the fun, treating Li Long's warehouse where he stored these antiques like a street stall.
Therefore, Liang Shuangcheng had to send more people to help keep an eye on things. Li Long himself had nowhere to go either. He had to estimate the value of these items. He was the one who handled most of them. When it came time to sell them, he would definitely not sell them unless the price was five to ten times higher.
Of course, he might miss out on some good stuff, but it doesn't matter. Money can't be earned by one person alone, and Li Long is very open-minded about it now.
In this kind of situation, you should only eat what you are capable of. If you store your money in the warehouse for a few years and earn five or ten times that amount, that's already pretty good.
The amount of stuff in the warehouse visibly decreased, and Liang Shuangcheng thoughtfully tidied it up every day, spreading it out on a large plastic sheet in the warehouse for visitors to choose from.
Even if no one comes specifically that day, those middlemen who have nothing better to do like to come and take a look, hoping to find a bargain.
The magazine "Story Collection" has started featuring stories of people finding a rare ancient coin at an antique stall, only to discover that beneath the thick patina it was actually a gold coin. Of course, there are also stories of people exchanging a gold coin for a jeep. Most of these stories are ones that people have seen or heard before.
So although the term "finding a bargain" hasn't become popular yet, stories like these, just like gambling on jade in later generations, have successfully aroused the enthusiasm of dealers.
Moreover, the only place in Ma County where they could fulfill similar wishes was the purchasing station, so the purchasing station inexplicably became popular, and many stamp collectors even came to see it.
Ultimately, there was no other way. The warehouse couldn't accommodate so many people, so Li Long had Liang Shuangcheng and his men take the items out early and put them in the backyard. They set aside a special space, arranged the items in a long strip, and had four or five employees watch over them. The people could choose what they wanted and then settle their accounts with Li Long.
Another reason why there are so many people here is that the front yard provides free watermelons. Just because of this, some people will come over even if they don't want to buy any, just to watch the excitement.
This lively event lasted until the end of July. Sun Jiaqiang, Liang Shuangcheng, and others had been complaining about the pile of junk in the warehouse for a long time. Even Li Qingxia, the old man, felt that these things were taking up too much space. Unexpectedly, this event turned into a small but significant event, which boosted the popularity of the place.
In the end, not counting what Mr. He took away in advance, the last pile of "junk" sold for more than 100,000 yuan.
Li Long wasn't stingy either; he took out 10,000 yuan to give as bonuses to the management and staff here, and everyone received a share.
Nothing was wasted; it was all scrap metal. It was collected and sent to a scrap yard, and the warehouse was cleared out. Everyone was happy.
In early August, Li Long called Lao Du.
Factory Director Du wasn't too busy; he even joked with Li Long while answering the phone.
"Boss Li, what are your instructions?"
Li Long said, "How dare I give any instructions? I've come to you for help—did you update your cotton harvester after you finished it last year? Have you manufactured any new ones? Give me one. Didn't I tell you before that we're going to get some machine harvesting done this year?"
Factory Director Du said, "Sure, you can either find someone to drive it over, or I'll drive it over for you. If you do, you'll have to reimburse my technicians for their travel expenses."
"That's definitely no problem." Li Long knew Lao Du was joking, but he still said confidently, "Don't worry, I'll definitely treat your people well when they come over."
Factory Director Du said that the current cost price of a cotton harvester is over one million yuan. Even if Li Long is one of their own, it is impossible to pay him exactly at cost price. Therefore, the final price is one million four hundred thousand yuan.
Li Long knew that this price was already very cheap. After all, at this time, an imported two-row cotton harvester would cost more than 100,000 US dollars, which would be equivalent to one million yuan. The cotton harvester that Director Du had produced was a five-row cotton harvester, which was incomparable.
This price is already very reasonable.
Li Long asked Factory Director Du if he wanted him to pay in cash, but Old Du said no, his third-quarter dividends would be coming out soon, and if it wasn't enough, he could just discount the fourth-quarter dividends together.
There may be some left over.
Li Long is now waiting to receive the cotton harvester.
The cotton ginning plant is all set up and is just waiting for the cotton harvester to collect the cotton before cleaning.
Current national policy still prohibits private individuals from purchasing cotton, but there are no restrictions on ginning one's own cotton.
Moreover, the cotton from Li Long's cotton ginning mill was ultimately sold to the county cotton and linen company, so basically no one cared about it.
On August 10th, several customers came to the purchasing station, specifically looking for Li Long, who was still at the cotton ginning factory at the time. Li Long's father, Li Qingxia, then called the cooperative and asked them to notify Li Long.
Li Long was inspecting the fire safety equipment at the cotton ginning factory. Last year, they harvested seven tons of cotton, and didn't pay much attention. This year, at least 500 mu (approximately 33 hectares) will be harvested, and machine-harvested cotton will yield at least 150 tons—the situation is completely different.
Therefore, fire safety facilities must be in place, as this is cotton worth hundreds of thousands of dollars!
Upon hearing the phone call, Li Long instructed Li Junhai, who was in charge of the factory, to continue the inspection, while he hurriedly went to the front yard to answer the call.
Li Long answered the phone, saying "Hello," and a middle-aged man's voice came from the other end:
"Mr. Li? My name is Meng Haichuan. I deal in art and I'm from Yanjing. I'd like to discuss a business deal with you."
"Yanjing?" Li Long was somewhat surprised. "An artwork?"
He instantly realized that the calligraphy and paintings he had bought in Yanjing might have been exposed as fraudulent.
Hey, what a perfect timing!
It makes sense when you think about it. In the 1990s, the prices of artworks, or rather, paintings by famous artists, had already risen significantly. 1994 was a peak period, with works by the great painter Qi Baishi fetching hundreds of thousands per square foot, and many volumes selling for millions.
However, 1996 was a low point, and some people who bought paintings as investments began to become more rational. Even so, the cheapest of these paintings were still worth tens of thousands of dollars.
The calligraphy and paintings that Li Long bought for a few dozen yuan have increased in value by thousands or even tens of thousands of times, which is considered a huge success.
As for how these people found Li Long, it's probably through the store's receipts or invoices. After all, Li Long bought quite a lot, and more than once, so it's possible to trace him back to the source if they wanted to.
Decades later, many of the invoices and receipts from antique shops will be posted online. It's likely that nobody paid much attention to them during the buying and selling process, since they weren't expensive and management wasn't strict.
After thinking things through, Li Long smiled and said, "Hello, hello."
"Mr. Li, can we talk in person? I think you probably already guess what I want to talk about."
“Okay, wait a moment, I’ll be there soon,” Li Long said. “Please have my person answer the phone.”
Sun Jiaqiang answered the phone.
"Please invite the guests to the reception room and treat them well," Li Long said. "Serve them fruit and tea. Have your people wait at the door. Do whatever they ask for. I'll be there soon."
After hanging up the phone, Li Long returned to the cotton ginning factory, explained the situation to Li Junhai, and then drove back to the county.
When Li Long arrived at the purchasing station, he saw a Mercedes-Benz parked in the front yard, but it had a license plate from Wucheng, Northern Xinjiang.
It seems that Meng Haichuan is quite influential; it's no small feat to be able to get such a vehicle after arriving in northern Xinjiang.
I don't know if I sold this car myself.
The middlemen in the front yard were all speaking in hushed tones, glancing inside every now and then. They were clearly wary or curious about the people who had come to talk business with Boss Li.
As Li Long got out of the car, the dealers greeted him one by one, and some of the more daring and curious ones even asked him what kind of art business he was involved in.
Li Long mumbled a few words and went inside.
Meng Haichuan and the others were somewhat surprised to see Li Long enter.
When Li Long was heading this way, they visited the front and back yards of the purchasing station.
Sun Jiaqiang didn't make things difficult for them. Anyway, there was nothing to hide in the front and back yards. All the good stuff was in the warehouse, and he couldn't possibly open the door for them to see it.
Outside, there are trucks and cars parked, as well as dried mushrooms and leather being dried and sorted.
There are also some antelope horns, but not many, so few that they don't attract much attention.
Sure enough, Meng Haichuan and his companions lost interest after seeing it. Although the business in the front and back yards seemed large to ordinary people, it was filled with a rustic feel, making the two who had come with Meng Haichuan wonder if they had come to the wrong place.
But Meng Haichuan remained unmoved.
All the information points to Li Long as the person who bought over a thousand paintings and calligraphy works; it is none other than Li Long.
Now we can only hope that Li Long's purchase of the calligraphy and paintings was just a momentary impulse, and that those works are still around today.
Calligraphy and paintings are not ordinary antiques; they require certain conditions to be preserved. What he was worried about was that if they were not preserved properly, it would be a real waste.
When Li Long entered, Meng Haichuan's two attendants—or rather, an appraiser and a bodyguard—looked at him and both thought he was just a plain-looking, dark-skinned country bumpkin. Meng Haichuan, however, was not one to judge by appearances. Seeing Li Long's tall stature and lack of scholarly air, he guessed that Li Long's purchase of calligraphy and paintings was probably casual.
This guy got off too easily!
Meng Haichuan was filled with envy and jealousy. After all, it wasn't an ordinary person who could come up with so many US dollars back then, and it wasn't an ordinary person who could use US dollars to buy calligraphy and paintings that seemed useless.
Li Long shook hands with Meng Haichuan, and then listened to him introduce the two people beside him: one was named Li Zhongping, who was a bodyguard, and the other was Hou Yueming, who was a technician.
It seems they are certain that Li Long possesses calligraphy and paintings.
Li Long had already framed and categorized the calligraphy and paintings he purchased. He carefully collected some of the more impressive and complete sets, not to mention passing them down to future generations, but to save them for when they would fetch a higher price.
Some of the more common items are kept in large metal cabinets and taken out to air out from time to time, as long as they don't get damp or moldy.
So if the other party offers a good price, he'll sell it.
After Meng Haichuan sat down, he said to Li Long with emotion:
"I never expected Mr. Li to be so young! I heard that Mr. Li went to Yanjing more than ten years ago to buy a large number of calligraphy and paintings. I thought that Mr. Li must be a learned man and must have a lot of knowledge in this area."
"I never imagined Mr. Li was so young and accomplished. It makes us feel like we've wasted half our lives!"
Hey, here comes the compliment!
Li Long knew that Meng Haichuan's words were half true and half false. Part of them were genuine feelings, while the other part was flattery to lull Li Long into a false sense of security, making things easier when it came time to negotiate the price.
To Li Long's surprise, Meng Haichuan, who thought Li Long might be out of touch with the times, started analyzing the current state of the art market for him.
"Back then, we sold so many famous calligraphic works and paintings as ordinary works of art to exchange for foreign exchange. Although it was for the sake of construction at the time, to be honest, it was a real waste of resources!"
So many precious artifacts sold for just a few dollars, or even tens of dollars. If they were in China, how much would they be worth now? How many students could they support to admire and study them!
Li Long curled his lip, thinking, "It's easy for someone standing there talking like that."
This stuff only starts to rise in price during prosperous times; in times of chaos, it's not as valuable as a handful of rice.
What is the price of a prosperous era? It's exchanging currency for US dollars, which allows you to buy foreign technology, advanced materials, and machinery for national construction.
Li Long is a pragmatist, so his feelings about Meng Haichuan's words were obviously different.
Seeing Li Long's expression, Meng Haichuan asked in return, "Does Mr. Li have a different opinion?"
Since Li Long was on his home turf, he naturally didn't need to go along with what he said, so he said, "I've heard that Van Gogh's paintings only started to become valuable after he died. When he was alive, they were worthless."
Was it that his artistic level was unappreciated by people at the time, or were there people who deliberately invested in and hyped him up after his death, or engaged in other maneuvers? Artworks are just like that. Whether they're valuable or not is just a matter of opinion among industry insiders. If they become popular, they're worth more than gold. If they don't, they're just a pile of worthless paper.
Hearing his vulgar language, both of his henchmen showed expressions of disapproval.
Meng Haichuan chuckled, knowing that Li Long was not someone to be easily fooled. In fact, being in the industry himself, he must understand the ins and outs of this business.
It's just some unspoken rules, something everyone knows but doesn't say; it would lose its meaning if spoken aloud.
Li Long has made it clear here, so he really doesn't know how to respond.
So the conversation turned to the calligraphy and paintings.
To Li Long's surprise, Meng Haichuan revealed the current state of the calligraphy and painting market, half-truthfully and half-jokingly.
It's not entirely authentic, but the market is pretty good this year, with very high-quality paintings selling for hundreds of thousands of yuan.
When Meng Haichuan said the number, he carefully observed Li Long's expression. However, after seeing that Li Long's expression was unusually calm, he knew that the man in front of him was probably not short of money.
It makes sense when you think about it; the cars sold in this front yard include Mercedes-Benz W14s worth over a million yuan, as well as SUVs worth hundreds of thousands.
Money shouldn't be a problem.
Meng Haichuan then started thinking about how to win him over.
Li Long was thinking about the excellent paintings he owned, which he believed would fetch hundreds of millions at auction in twenty years.
But whether I can hold onto these things is hard to say.
It is only natural that some of the funds should be used to attract the attention of outsiders.
Just like letting the outside world know that you've sold jade, you can't keep it all to yourself.
In that case, the target would be too large, and even if someone were behind you, they might not be able to protect you.
The cunning and ruthless exploitation in the capital market is something a small farmer like myself cannot resist.
So he listened, waiting for Meng Haichuan to tell the truth.
Meng Haichuan spoke for a while, but seeing that Li Long remained unmoved and not at all clueless, but rather seemed confident, he simply stopped talking and said:
"It seems Mr. Li already has a plan. So I'll be frank. I've come here to buy back the calligraphy and paintings that Mr. Li purchased from the Yanjing Antique Shop. What do you say?"
“Mr. Meng should know that those paintings and calligraphy works on the market aren’t cheap these days,” Li Long countered Meng Haichuan’s words. “I have quite a few paintings and calligraphy works here. Does Mr. Meng have enough money with him?”
Meng Haichuan was confident in this regard, and said with a smile, "I'm here on behalf of the company. Our company has been dealing in art for several years now, and we've had transactions worth tens of millions."
As for the funds, Mr. Li, please rest assured, as long as you're willing to sell, we can afford the price!
Seeing Meng Haichuan's confidence, Li Long smiled.
Hey, then don't blame me for asking for an exorbitant amount!
"Please wait a moment, everyone. I'll go get the things." Li Long stood up. "It'll be quick."
"Should we go over and take a look? After all, those paintings and calligraphy are quite old; will it cause any problems if we bring them over?"
"No," Li Long said confidently. "The calligraphy and paintings are framed by me, so they're not that fragile."
His words made Meng Haichuan a little worried.
The other two looked at Li Long as if he were an old-fashioned farmer talking about some fancy things in the city.
Li Long didn't care. He had always considered himself a farmer and wasn't afraid of being laughed at.
Back home, he took out dozens of paintings and calligraphies from a large iron cabinet in a locked side room, put them in a large suitcase, and carried it back to the purchasing station.
When Meng Haichuan saw him casually carrying the things over, his heart jumped into his throat. If these things weren't properly preserved, wouldn't his trip have been in vain?
They made some big promises when they came!
Fortunately, when Li Long opened the box, Meng Haichuan looked at the scrolls and felt slightly relieved.
Thankfully, it wasn't folded up and stored away.
Although the mounting technique is mediocre, at least the surface looks well preserved.
No mold or damage—this first finding put Meng Haichuan at ease.
"Shall we do it one at a time?" Li Long looked at Meng Haichuan, wanting to see, but he deliberately didn't let him.
He intended to do business with the other party, not just have them visit.
Meng Haichuan felt somewhat helpless, but he had no choice but to do as Li Long suggested.
Li Long took out a scroll, looked at the small note pasted on the side, and said, "Hey, this first one is a good one, Qi's 'Lotus Flower'. Come on, take a look."
He unfurled the scroll, and Sun Jiaqiang, who was standing nearby, helped carry the suitcase to the side to watch over it.
Two employees were helping out on both sides; it was quite a lively scene.
Meng Haichuan hurriedly looked at it and also called Hou Yueming over to take a look.
The two of them looked at it for a while and then confirmed that it was genuine.
All that's left is to negotiate the price. (End of Chapter)