"Hey, boss, you're finally back! If you hadn't come back, they would've killed me. But honestly, your healing skills are amazing. The legendary ancient Chinese medicine can actually cure congenital deafness and muteness. I've learned something new this time."
Moses Adams, who was in the suite when Jiang Hai entered carrying a large bag, immediately greeted him excitedly. Behind him, Aphra and the others looked resentful.
When Jiang Hai left the night before, he had told Moses Adams, but Moses hadn't taken it seriously, thinking Jiang Hai was just going out for fun, like any man would. After all, they had a lot of fun when they were in New York.
For the past few days, Jiang Hai had been preoccupied with his "daughters," leaving no time or energy for leisure.
In Moses Adams's view, Jiang Hai's "daughters" were just Darlene and Marianne. However, under the careful guidance of Aphra and the others, Jiang Hai had shown no interest in them. To Moses, this suggested that Jiang Hai likely saw these women as his daughters. Why else would he ignore their advances? Aphra and the others were undeniably attractive by both Western and Eastern standards, and their bodies were remarkable. If the women were initiating, why didn't Jiang Hai respond? There could only be one reason. Mental cleanliness? Please. Jiang Hai had no problem with other women, so why this sudden restraint? Perhaps it was because, in Western culture, the notion of not "eating the grass near one's nest" didn't hold much weight.
"Why are you back now? Didn't you say it would be safer for us to stay in the hotel? Why did you go out alone and stay out all night?" Aphra, pushed to speak by the others, glared at Jiang Hai with resentment. Though she was reluctant to address him, as the eldest sister, she felt it was her responsibility. Darlene and Marianne remained silent, after all, as his "daughters," they had no ground to voice complaints. Aphra's tone conveyed a clear message: There's so much free stuff at home, but you still went out to have fun. Are all men so unreliable?
"Ah, haha, it's not what you think. I went out on some business. Okay, you all go back to your rooms first, Moses and I need to talk." Jiang Hai said, a little embarrassed but calm. He wasn't doing anything wrong, so he wasn't afraid to speak openly.
At his words, the girls exchanged glances, then left under Aphra's lead.
Only Moses Adams stayed. He could tell from Jiang Hai's serious expression that something important was going on.
"I picked up a few things—real treasures. Help me figure out how to sell them," Jiang Hai said, ensuring no one else was around. He placed the large bag he'd been carrying on the table.
"What?" Moses Adams asked, confused.
Jiang Hai carefully opened the bag, revealing two objects wrapped in newspaper. He placed them gently on the coffee table. Moses, who had initially offered to help, hesitated. These looked like vases, and given the value of antique vases from China, Moses decided it was best to sit back. If these were genuine antiques, the price would be so high that even his life savings couldn't cover it.
"These are good items I just got. I'm sure they're from the Ming Dynasty, but how do we sell them?" Jiang Hai unwrapped the newspaper, revealing the vases. He'd thought about keeping them, but transporting them by plane posed a problem. He hadn't brought them with him on the flight, and if he tried to explain how he'd acquired them, there could be legal issues. Smuggling was not an option, and taking them back to China was too complicated. His own private jet made it easier, but it wasn't worth the risk if the paperwork didn't check out. So, he decided to sell them locally.
"I'm not too familiar with the situation here, but if they're real, we can take them to an auction house. Those guys know what they're doing," Moses Adams said seriously, once the discussion turned to his area of expertise. Moses hadn't questioned the authenticity of the items—if Jiang Hai said they were real, then they were real. But Moses wasn't an expert in porcelain, so he didn't know what to make of it.
"An auction house?" Jiang Hai didn't have a good opinion of auction houses like Christie's or Sotheby's. Due to his pride and historical reasons, he avoided those. Plus, he'd been burned by Phillips before, which soured him on their services. Still, if he needed to sell, they seemed like the only viable option. Selling privately to the rich locals here was too risky—those "local big shots" could easily turn on him if they wanted to take everything.
After a long pause, Jiang Hai decided to contact Phillips's people. His previous dealings with them were enough to make him trust them, despite his reservations. Moses Adams made the call, and within two hours, Phillips's local team arrived—three appraisers and two negotiators.
"Hello, Mr. Jiang Hai, thank you for trusting Phillips again," said the lead appraiser, a man who seemed Hispanic but possibly had Middle Eastern roots. Jiang Hai didn't really know, but his English was impeccable.
"Hello, here's what I have for you. Please take a look and then we can discuss the price." Jiang Hai greeted him and began unpacking the rest of his treasures. The large bag wasn't just for the vases—there were also gold coins, silver coins, and jewelry from his first warehouse. He was also curious about the value of these items, so he decided to bring them along. He'd left some items behind, including a set of armor, because it was too bulky, and he wasn't sure how to price it.
The team began working immediately. One appraiser, a middle-aged Chinese man, began studying the porcelain, while the other two handled the gems and coins. They were efficient and professional.
After an hour of intense evaluation, the appraisers spoke quietly among themselves before sitting across from Jiang Hai.
"Mr. Jiang Hai, congratulations. Everything here is genuine. Are you looking to sell them?" the lead appraiser asked seriously. Jiang Hai nodded—why would he have called them if not to sell?
The appraisers pulled out a sheet of paper and began quoting prices: "Your pair of blue-and-white porcelain vases is worth one million U.S. dollars. These gold coins are valued at one thousand U.S. dollars, the silver coins at 350 dollars, this ruby is worth 150,000 U.S. dollars, and this sapphire is worth 120,000 U.S. dollars..."
Before the appraiser could continue, Jiang Hai interrupted. "Wait, wait, wait. How much did you say the blue-and-white vases are worth?"
For Jiang Hai, blue-and-white porcelain was an item of high value. While Ming Dynasty pieces were certainly valuable, he couldn't believe these vases were only worth a million dollars. Was he being played?
"Mr. Jiang, your vases are authentic, but unfortunately, this is their current market value," the appraiser explained calmly, noticing Jiang Hai's disbelief.
(To be continued...)