Chapter 21: The Deal Is Done—A Handsome Profit of Forty Thousand! (Please keep reading!)
Originally, the shop assistant thought Jiang Tao was an amateur. He planned to fool him a bit and spend around ten to eighteen thousand to snag this Kirin series hundred-yuan banknote. But when he heard Jiang Tao’s confident offer, he realized he was dealing with an expert!
“Sir, your price is a bit high, isn’t it? Although this edition of the hundred-yuan note has a lower circulation than the next three editions, there are still over a billion in circulation,” the assistant explained.
“This note itself isn’t worth much; it has little collectible value. It’s the serial number that’s valuable. If someone likes it, they’ll pay a premium.”
“But it’s like QQ numbers or phone numbers. Those who like it really like it and are willing to pay whatever it costs for the emotional value.”
“But if they don’t like it, even a price of a thousand seems expensive.”
“You’re asking for forty thousand right off the bat…”
Before the assistant could finish, Jiang Tao slipped the banknote into his notebook, stood up, and prepared to leave.
The assistant’s long-winded speech was essentially a tactic to haggle and buy the beautiful serial number note at a lower price.
Jiang Tao’s offer was already the low price, and he refused to bargain further.
There were plenty of antique shops on this street. This was just the first one he came to; he didn’t have to sell here.
“Sir, please wait, wait…” The assistant hurriedly called out as Jiang Tao turned to leave abruptly.
“Forty thousand, not a penny less. If your shop thinks it’s too expensive, I’ll try my luck elsewhere. If that fails, I’ll keep it for myself,” Jiang Tao reiterated his stance.
“Sir, please wait a moment. For a transaction of this amount, I have to report to our boss and get his opinion.”
“Wait here, I’ll call the boss right now,” the assistant said, pulling out his phone and dialing.
“Hey, Dad…” Jiang Tao’s face darkened upon hearing the assistant address his boss as “Dad.” He thought, just say it’s your father directly, no need to call him boss!
The assistant murmured on the phone for a few minutes, then returned to Jiang Tao and asked, “Sir, can we show the banknote to our boss?”
“Sure,” Jiang Tao said, flipping open his notebook and taking out the beautiful serial number note.
“Take a photo of the front first, I want to check the number. The number looks pretty good.”
“The condition is acceptable too.”
“Flip it over, check the security features, watermark, the year…”
A man’s voice came through the assistant’s phone.
Following instructions, the assistant examined and flipped the banknote over on the table.
“Ask him if he’ll sell it for thirty-five thousand.”
Hearing the voice from the phone, Jiang Tao’s heart thumped fiercely.
Thirty-five thousand!
Honestly, this price tempted him!
A hundred-yuan note turning into thirty-five thousand yuan—an increase of 350 times!
However…
After the excitement, Jiang Tao quickly calmed down.
The intelligence report said this note was worth forty thousand, which meant it could be sold for that much!
Five thousand yuan difference was a significant amount to Jiang Tao!
He worked odd jobs every month, and after deducting fuel, maintenance, insurance, rent, food, and cigarettes, whether he could save five thousand yuan was uncertain.
Five thousand yuan was nearly his pure profit for a month. If he could strive for it, naturally he would!
“Sir, you heard our boss’s offer. This price is really high.”
“You can walk around this street, I dare say no one will offer you more than us!”
The assistant looked at Jiang Tao earnestly, like a sincere merchant.
“Sorry, thirty-five thousand is not enough. I’ll go look around some more.”
If it weren’t for the intelligence system’s reference price, Jiang Tao might have been tempted to sell already.
But with the system’s guidance, it wasn’t so easy for others to cheat him.
“Thirty-seven thousand,” the shop owner’s voice came again from the phone as Jiang Tao prepared to leave.
Jiang Tao remained unmoved, already putting the notebook with the money into his shoulder bag.
“Alright, alright, I admit it, you really can hold your ground! Forty thousand it is!”
“Son, sign the contract with him and pay up.”
The antique shop owner gave instructions to his son and hung up.
Hearing the deal was about to close, Jiang Tao’s tense heart finally relaxed, and he was overjoyed!
It’s done!
“Sir, let’s go over there to sign the contract. Once signed, we exchange the money and the goods simultaneously.”
“If you ever want to sell anything else, you can bring it here first.”
“Our boss giving you this price also means he wants to make friends with you.”
Seeing his boss had spoken, the assistant stopped haggling and invited Jiang Tao to a nearby desk to complete the paperwork.
Jiang Tao first signed a sales contract, then a liability waiver guaranteeing the legality of the money’s origin.
After signing, money and goods exchanged hands smoothly. Jiang Tao received the forty thousand yuan transfer from Boya Auction House.
“Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Jiang. Looking forward to our next cooperation,” Zhang Bo said with a smile, extending his hand after transferring the funds.
“If you have any old items to sell in the future, be sure to call me first.”
“Certainly, certainly,” Jiang Tao smiled and shook Zhang Bo’s hand.
Though they had just met, Jiang Tao felt Zhang Bo was a decent person.
Today’s transaction was satisfying and comfortable.
“Well, I’ll take my leave now, won’t disturb your business.”
After getting the money, Jiang Tao stood up and prepared to leave.
“Alright, I’ll see you out, Mr. Jiang,” Zhang Bo said cheerfully, walking Jiang Tao to the door and watching him leave before turning back inside.
Jiang Tao didn’t linger and took the subway, transferring a few times before returning to Zhuxinzhuang Station.
After exiting the subway and taking a bus back to the Xiaoshahe urban village, it was just noon.
After a morning’s work, having earned forty thousand yuan, Jiang Tao felt great!
He ordered two dishes and a bottle of Bauniuer at a small street restaurant.
Ding ling ling—
Just as Jiang Tao finished ordering, Xu Li called.
He swiped to answer.
On the screen, Xu Li appeared, sitting cross-legged on the living room sofa, dressed in an off-white sweater and tight blue jeans.
“Husband, how did the morning go?” she asked eagerly as soon as the call connected.
“Ugh… walked around all morning, they said it’s worth at most two hundred,” Jiang Tao suppressed a smile, pretending to be serious.
“Ah? Only two hundred? You got me all excited for nothing! But still, not bad, that’s like getting an extra hundred for free,” Xu Li quickly adjusted her mood, showing no disappointment.
Jiang Tao chuckled, “We agreed to split the earnings half and half. I’ll transfer your hundred to you later.”
“You’re acting weird! You, Jiang Tao, are you lying to me? Are you hiding a stash and keeping a mistress on the side?”
Seeing the mischievous grin on Jiang Tao’s face, Xu Li immediately saw through his trick.
“Hahaha…”
“Alright, no more teasing. Silly wife, we really got lucky this time. Guess how much I sold that note for?”
“Ten thousand?” Xu Li guessed boldly but still too conservatively.
“Be bolder.”
“One million?”
“You really dare think big! It was ten million!”
Jiang Tao was speechless at his wife’s wildly exaggerated guesses.
“Come on, tell me! How could I guess?”
Though Xu Li was already thirty, her coquettish charm remained undiminished.
“Forty thousand.”
Jiang Tao stopped teasing and told her the actual sale price.
“No lies or omissions?”
“Am I that kind of person? I’ll send you the contract and transaction record later, okay?”
“Hehe, no need. My husband, how could I not trust you? Send me twenty thousand later! I said I want half!”
“Alright, alright, I’ll transfer it now!”
“Thanks, husband, you’re the most handsome husband in the world! Muah~”
Xu Li puckered her red lips on the phone screen, blowing Jiang Tao a kiss from afar.
“I just love that you always tell the truth.”
Seeing his silly wife so happy, Jiang Tao’s lips curved into a contented smile.