The anti-Qing movement began with the looting of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

“Mr. Peng, you yourself said that my variety is rare and of good quality. Isn’t your price too low? I’ve looked at previous auction records, and none of the ones that sold for over a million have a quality as good as mine.”

"How much do you want to sell it for, brother?" Peng Laifu hadn't expected to get it for a fixed price.

"Two million!" Shen Lian said, flicking his cigarette ash.

“Brother, I’m in business too. You can’t let your older brother not make any money at all! You know, I don’t know when I’ll be able to sell something like this once I’ve bought it.”

The two then began to haggle over the price.

“Brother Shen, I’ll take the 1.8 million. But you have to agree to one condition,” Peng Laifu said through gritted teeth.

"You need to find an auction house for your batch of antiques, and it just so happens that one of my brothers works at China Guardian. His company is also collecting items for its autumn auction. Do me a favor and let them take a look first. You should know China Guardian, right? It's one of the largest auction houses in the country, so you can rest assured."

"Alright! Since you've put it that way, Brother Peng, it would be unreasonable of me to refuse!"

Seeing Shen Lian nod, Peng Laifu breathed a sigh of relief. Although he couldn't acquire those antiques, he could still earn a considerable commission if he could introduce them to China Guardian.

A contract was quickly written, and after Shen Lian signed it, Fatty Peng immediately transferred the money.

"Boss Peng, I have something to attend to right now. Contact me later!" Shen Lian said as he walked out.

“Don’t call me Boss Peng. If you think highly of me, you can call me Brother Peng or Fatty Peng, whatever you like,” Peng Laifu said with a smile.

“Okay, Brother Peng!” Shen Lian nodded.

“I see that Brother Peng has quite a few stamps, copper coins, and silver dollars here. How is the market now? I should have quite a few at home.”

"The market for copper and silver coins seems quite lively now, but there aren't many valuable ones. It's mostly about volume. Stamps are also not doing very well."

"Okay! I'll see when I get back and see if I have time to get you a few hundred kilograms! So they don't take up space at home."

"Thank you very much, brother!" Peng Laifu didn't take it to heart; a few hundred pounds of ordinary copper coins wouldn't be worth much. Of course, he didn't know Shen Lian's plan.

Shen Lian left the antique market and immediately took a taxi to the Hilton Hotel, checked into a room, put his things down, and went straight to the mall.

Less than half an hour later, Shen Lian emerged looking refreshed, pulling a suitcase. "These T-shirts that cost several thousand yuan are nothing special," he thought, "and they don't feel that great to wear!"

Shen Lian had just returned to the hotel and taken a shower when Fatty Peng called. That guy was really eager. Shen Lian gave him his room number and then quickly started packing his things.

Put the paintings, calligraphy, porcelain, jade, and nine silver ingots from the space into the box.

Less than twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Shen Lian opened it and saw Fatty Peng standing outside with three other men. One of them was in his thirties, and the other two were elderly men in their sixties or seventies.

"Brother Peng, you've arrived! Please come in."

"Brother Shen, we came in a bit of a hurry, we hope we didn't bother you! Hehe!" Peng Laifu nodded secretly, now that's how a rich second generation should act! He must have been pretending when he went to the store earlier.

"It's nothing, I just finished my work!" Shen Lian touched his nose and invited them in when he saw the scrutinizing look in Peng Pangzi's eyes.

"I already had an appointment with Christie's! But I have to give Brother Peng face, so I'll let you see the items first!"

Shen Lian didn't say much, and simply placed the box on the coffee table and opened it.

"Hehe! We were presumptuous, thank you Mr. Shen! I am Chen Dong from China Guardian Auction Company, and these two are our appraisers, Mr. Dong and Mr. Li," the young man introduced.

"Yes! Everything is here, take a look!" Shen Lian nodded.

All four of them turned their gazes toward the box. The three from Jiade's eyes lit up, while Fatty Peng wore a wry smile.

He hadn't expected Shen Lian to have nine identical silver ingots; they were clearly from the same batch. He should have offered a lower price if he had known.

"What's wrong, Brother Peng? I was just about to offer to sell you these silver ingots too. It seems you're not very happy!" Shen Lian asked knowingly.

“Brother Shen, that’s not fair! The value of antiques lies in their scarcity. If I were to take these ten identical silver ingots, I don’t know how long it would take to sell them for a good price.” Peng Laifu shook his head with a wry smile.

"Oh, is that so? Then forget it, let's just hand it over to the auction company!" Shen Lian said nonchalantly.

"No, give them all to me! But you have to give me a lower price, brother, so I can have some room to maneuver," Fatty Peng quickly said.

He can only operate smoothly if he has all the materials in his hands. Although it's a bit hard work, he can still make money. Of course, complaining is inevitable.

"Let's wait until they've finished reading it before we talk about it!" Shen Lian nodded. He then took out cigarettes and started handing them out.

"Tsk tsk, I never expected it to be an authentic work by Bada Shanren. The condition is excellent, original and untouched, without a single trace of repair. It's truly remarkable! Old Li, what do you think?" Old Dong's words attracted the attention of Shen Lian and the others, and Chen Dong immediately got up and went over.

"Regardless of the ink color, paper, technique, or inscription, there are no problems. I also believe it is undoubtedly genuine!" Old Li said confidently.

Fatty Peng quickly squeezed through; "Is this the painting by Bada Shanren that sold for 60 million for a single bird two years ago?"

“That’s right, and this pine and crane painting is even better than the one at auction, with richer content.” Old Master Dong nodded.

Shen Lian's heart pounded when he heard this. Did that mean his painting was worth over 60 million? Was he about to become rich?

I never dared to dream of this before! Shen Lian took a deep drag on his cigarette, trying to remain calm and suppress his excitement.

"Brother Shen, you're really willing to sell such a family heirloom? If I had a treasure like that, I would definitely hide it away carefully," Peng Laifu said enviously.

"Hey! Things are just empty shells, what's the point of leaving them there? It's better to exchange them for money. Besides, I have plenty of paintings like these at home. I just grabbed a couple at random." Shen Lian waved his hand dismissively, feigning a playboy attitude.

Fatty Peng: If you don't show off, we can still be good friends!

Another half hour passed, and the appraisal was complete. The representatives from China Guardian Auctions believed all of Shen Lian's antiques were genuine and were willing to bid. Next, they would discuss the terms.

"What? A 10% commission, plus personal income tax? If it sells for the price you estimate, I'll have to pay tens of millions! What's the point of bidding then? I might as well sell it privately to a collector!"

Upon hearing their terms, Shen Lian nearly jumped up in frustration. "I went through all that trouble to bring these antiques here, only to have them make money off you guys!"