Teacher Xie went to make a phone call to coordinate. Bingbing was a bit worried that the hairpin wouldn't sell and she wouldn't be able to cover the deficit of gold bars. I thought for a moment and gave her my room keycard, saying, "There are two pieces of gold on the bedside table. Put them with the gold bars for now."
The mask was also made of gold, and it was much heavier than the gold bars, enough to fill the "Flower House's little treasury."
Bingbing smiled and said, "That won't be necessary. I trust your ability to handle things."
Soon, Teacher Xie returned. She took several high-definition photos of the hairpin and sent them to a WeChat contact named "He Lao Liu." Just by the name, one could tell he was a man of the martial world. His profile picture showed him, a middle-aged man around fifty years old, with a white buzz cut and sharp eyes. He was wearing a dark red Tang suit and sitting behind a tea table, one hand playing with a string of beads and the other fiddling with two walnuts. He perfectly embodied his profession – an antique dealer.
He Lao Liu's side likely had an expert examine the item. After a long wait, he replied: "Our offer is firm, seven million."
I was about to agree, but Teacher Xie replied to He Lao Liu: "The seller said anything less than 14 million is not up for discussion."
He Lao Liu: "Eight million. Not a penny more."
Teacher Xie: "Then I'll have to find someone else."
He Lao Liu pretended to give up. After a short while, he sent another WeChat message: "Ten million, cash. Deal can be struck today."
Teacher Xie: "The seller said twelve million. This is your last chance. If you haggle any further, he really won't sell. Quite a few people are interested in this hairpin."
He Lao Liu: "Heh, I don't believe anyone can produce ten million in cash immediately. To be honest, I only have ten million cash on me. If the seller is interested, I can give him my car as a gift, just to be friends."
"What car?" I asked.
Teacher Xie was clearly quite familiar with He Lao Liu. She blurted out, "A Rolls-Royce Phantom. In the second-hand market, it's worth at least two million. Boss Wu, I think this is a good deal. He Lao Liu is right, not many sellers can come up with so much cash right now."
Fearing any further delays, I nodded and agreed, letting them discuss the transaction location.
He Lao Liu, being the one footing the bill, was more cautious. He chose a curio shop in Shengjing city called "Liu He Tang." The name alone made me guess it was He Lao Liu's own establishment. Upon asking Teacher Xie, it turned out to be true.
Regarding the number of people involved in the transaction, He Lao Liu said two: himself and an appraiser. On our side, a maximum of two people would be allowed.
The transaction time was set for 4 PM. He Lao Liu mentioned that if the deal was successful, they could all have dinner together.
What kind of delicacies could be worthy of a deal worth over ten million?
He was quite amusing. If I took his ten million in cash, he still dared to invite me to dinner, clearly anticipating a robbery.
After the transaction was set, Teacher Xie stated that she didn't want to participate in such a four-person deal, as it was against the unwritten rules of their circle. She then had me write an IOU for "two million commission payable to Xie Ru if the transaction is successful," and then she left.
"Is it a trap?" Bingbing asked, looking at Teacher Xie's retreating back.
"Even if it is, what can we do?" I said with a smile and called Yaoyao to tell her about the situation.
Yaoyao also asked, "Is it a trap?"
"That's why I asked you to come with me," I said. "With you here, let's see what kind of tricks He Lao Liu can pull."
Yaoyao thought for a moment and said, "Let Lao Qi come along."
"But they said only two people are allowed," I replied.
"Then you don't need to worry," Yaoyao said with a smile.
Soon after, she returned with the demons. Just then, Chen Lu and the others also brought their IDs. Chen Lu, Bingbing, and the mentor helped the demons register their identities. I drove Chen Lu's Audi with Yaoyao to the city for the transaction.
As we got into the car, I asked, "Didn't you say you'd bring Lao Qi? Where is she?"
Yaoyao pointed to the scarf around her neck. "Isn't she right here!"
With a rustle, a small head emerged from her scarf. It was the head of that little sable.
"...This is unbelievable!" I exclaimed. Lao Qi's disguise technique had even fooled me. I had thought Yaoyao had bought a new sable scarf from the exhibition hall of the main building. However, the qipao she was wearing was definitely new. It was a deep green, and she was also wearing high heels, looking like the concubine of a powerful warlord.
Qipao were very popular in the Republic of China era, but they were actually a Qing Dynasty garment, "Qi Pao" meaning the robe of a Manchu person.
Driving into the city, we followed the navigation and found "Liu He Tang." It was indeed in a busy area, but the surrounding terrain was extremely complex with many intersections. The buildings on both sides of the street were only four stories high and made of red brick. Judging by their condition, they were about a hundred years old, possibly built by Russians or Easterners.
I felt there was no need for immediate defense. I parked the car not too far from Liu He Tang. By 3:55 PM, we got out and walked hand-in-hand into Liu He Tang.