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

"Mr. Shen, please don't get agitated! Our fees are all transparent and open. Actually, I've already waived the exhibition fee and catalog fee for you," Chen Dong said calmly.

"Mr. Shen may think that there are no such fees in a private transaction, but it's hard to say whether you can get such a high price if you find a collector privately. There are also some unknown risks."

"We are China's largest auction house, a state-owned enterprise. We guarantee the safety of your funds, and you don't have to worry about your items failing to sell!"

It was only because Shen Lian's two paintings were truly exceptional that Chen Dong didn't bother to say anything more to him. Many collectors want their pieces included in China Guardian's collection, but without connections, they can't get them in.

"That won't work either, the fees are too high. I've also contacted Christie's and Sotheby's, but they don't seem to charge such high fees." Shen Lian shook his head vigorously. Even a single percentage point could bring in millions. That was more money than he'd earned in ten years, so of course he had to try his best.

Upon hearing Shen Lian mention Sotheby's, Chen Dong and the others' expressions changed. They cursed the Jewish bastards inwardly. Apparently, a few months ago, Sotheby's had introduced a new pricing structure in Hong Kong, which was very favorable to sellers, practically free bidding.

This news is a huge shock to the entire industry. Although it hasn't been fully implemented domestically, everyone has already clearly felt the loosening of restrictions. It's unexpected that even an outsider like Shen Lian knew about it; that's troublesome.

Chen Dong and the two appraisal experts exchanged a glance, then shook their heads slightly. "How about this, Mr. Shen? I'll call the company and see if we can negotiate some discounts for you."

"Alright! Tell your company's boss that these items I'm auctioning are all top-quality pieces, and I'm not worried about selling them at all. Besides, I'll definitely have more items to sell in the future. If we have a good working relationship, I'll definitely come back to you next time."

Hearing their valuation of tens of millions, Shen Lian felt more confident. Although items occasionally fetch hundreds of millions at auctions, those are extremely rare. His item was already top-tier, so he wasn't worried about them not wanting it.

After some more haggling, Guardian finally lowered the commission to five percent. Their calligraphy and painting auction this year was still missing a grand finale piece, and the company insisted they secure it no matter what, which ironically allowed Shen Lian to snag a bargain.

"Alright! For Brother Peng's sake, I'll entrust it to you." Shen Lian nodded reluctantly.

Shen Lian transferred the remaining nine silver ingots to Fatty Peng for 1.7 million each.

After signing the contract, Shen Lian took his collection with him to China Guardian Auction. It was best to be on the safe side for their first collaboration.

After declining Jiade's invitation to the banquet, Shen Lian took a taxi back to the hotel. It was already noon, so he first went to the hotel for a buffet lunch.

Shen Lian had only ever seen the 688-yuan-per-person buffet in videos before, but now he finally got to enjoy a delicious meal. He really wanted to post it on his WeChat Moments, but then thought better of it. He didn't have time for that right now.

Shen Lian ate so much that he was stuffed, but unfortunately, his stomach was too small. He didn't perform well today; he'd try again next time.

Shen Lian, clutching his stomach, returned to his room and lay down on the bed to do some calculations. He currently had over ten million in his account, which should be enough for start-up capital. The auction at Guardian was still about a month away, by which time he should have around a hundred million, enough to do quite a few things.

Shen Lian took out his phone and searched online. He was surprised to find that the largest pearl trading market in the country was in Zhuji, which was also the largest pearl farming base. Without further ado, he went right away. It was only about 200 kilometers from Shanghai anyway.

Moreover, Wenzhou is a major metal lighter manufacturing base in China, which perfectly meets Shen Lian's parts needs. It's only about 200 kilometers away from Zhuji, and I happen to have a classmate from Wenzhou, so I'll go visit him while I'm there.

Having made up his mind, Shen Lian immediately hailed a ride-hailing service on his phone. Then he packed his things and went downstairs. It was a pity about this room; he'd spent over a thousand yuan just to stay for two or three hours.

I had just checked out of the hotel when the car was already waiting outside. It was a nearly new BMW, driven by a young man.

After getting in the car, Shen Lian started chatting with this man named Wang Chuan. This guy was also a graduate of a prestigious university, and his child was only a little over a year old. They got married because Wang Chuan was pregnant, and the house and car were bought on mortgage.

He lost his job due to the bad economy this year, and had no choice but to drive a car. Shen Lian shook his head; this guy wasn't much different from himself in the past.

After offering some comfort and encouragement, Shen Lian drifted off to sleep.

"Boss Shen, wake up, we're here!" More than two hours later, Wang Chuan shook Shen Lian awake.

"Have we arrived yet? Ah!" Shen Lian opened his eyes and yawned.

"Thank you! Wang Chuan!" Shen Lian took his luggage and got off the car, giving an extra two hundred yuan when he paid the bill.

Wang Chuan was overjoyed. "Boss Shen, let's add each other on WeChat! I'll be there whenever you need a car in Shanghai. And I can even give you a discount if we avoid the platform."

"Okay!" Shen Lian thought that he would probably need a car sometime in the future, and he didn't need to buy one now.

Shen Lian took out a bottle of mineral water to wash his face, and after clearing his mind, he pulled his suitcase and walked into the South China Jewelry City.

It's huge; the internet says it's over a million square meters. Shen Lian wasn't interested in the finished jewelry and went straight to the raw materials area.

It's 2 PM now, and it's hot outside. There are very few people in the market; many stall owners are taking a nap.

Having reviewed the information on his phone, Shen Lian had gained a certain understanding of the pearl market and was ready to make a move.

Wang Xiaoyuan's family is in the pearl farming business, and she studied jewelry design in college. After graduation, she had trouble finding a job, so she simply rented a shop in the market, selling her family's pearls and some pearl jewelry she designed herself, and also opened a small online store.

She only realized how difficult business was after becoming her own boss. With the current economic downturn, everyone is tightening their purse strings. Demand for jewelry has plummeted.

She'd been working there for almost a year, and not only had she not made any money, she was almost unable to pay her rent. If it weren't for her family's support, she would have had to quit long ago.

Wang Xiaoyuan had been observing the man opposite her for a while. He was dressed in expensive clothes, and his suitcase was also a designer brand. He wandered around the various stalls, looking but not buying anything.

He looked like a fellow professional, but Wang Xiaoyuan was convinced he was a buyer, and a big one at that. So when he passed by her stall, Wang Xiaoyuan promptly called out to him.

"Boss, don't go yet. Take a look at my pearls. We produce and sell our own, so the quality is absolutely guaranteed. And the price is the most affordable."

Just as Shen Lian was about to make her move, a pleasant female voice called out to her.

Shen Lian turned her head and saw that it was a small shop of only twenty or thirty square meters, one of the smallest shops in the area. A pretty girl stood at the door, smiling at her.