Next day. Morning.
The Summer sun was shining brightly, and a few dragonflies were flying around the pond.
In the garden of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, the patients and nurses were envious and admiring a pretty woman pushing a wheelchair. She was wearing high heels and was strolling in the garden, pushing an ordinary-looking man in the wheelchair. They were chatting and joking happily, and these two people are Qu Yunxuan and Dong Xuebing.
“Aunt Xuan, how was the Spring Auction?”
“Hehe, didn’t I tell you over the phone?”
“I am talking about the exact figures.”
“Yes. The standard practice is to make payments within one to two weeks after the auctions, and we had just collected our commission.”
“How much did we make?”
“Haha... Our Auction Company has around 9 million worth of assets, and then you bought a Mercedes Benz for me. After deducting some expenditures, our asset is around 7 million. But because of our successful first Auction, our company become famous in the industry, and many people approached us to sell their items for them in our Spring Auction. Now, our total asset is around 12 million.”
Dong Xuebing was surprised. “So much? That means we are now multi-millionaires?”
Qu Yunxuan smiled proudly. “That’s right. It feels like a dream. Hahaha.”
“Ah... I didn’t expect to be a multi-millionaire!”
Qu Yunxuan and Dong Xuebing were still ordinary folks one year ago. Aunt Xuan’s family conditions are slightly better. She is an Office worker, getting a few thousand months. But Dong Xuebing and his mother were penniless, and for a while, they can’t even have enough for their meals. But one year later, Qu Yunxuan and Dong Xuebing are a millionaire with over 10 million worth of assets.
Dong Xuebing proudly exclaimed. “This is not enough. Our next target is 20 million.”
Qu Yunxuan rolled her eyes. “You think it is so easy?”
“Did you forget that I know stone gambling? Let’s go to your office to discuss.”
Since Dong Xuebing had returned to Beijing and have two to three months of free time, his first thought is to make money. This will make Aunt Xuan happy, and he will have more spare cash to spend. Dong Xuebing still wanted to buy a big mansion in the future, and he might need money for him to progress in his career with the government.
Dong Xuebing will be bored to death if he doesn’t find something to do in the following months.
Yun De Auction Company.
Top floor. Qu Yunxuan’s office.
Qu Yunxuan announced. “Let me introduce. This is Mr. Dong Xuebing, and he will be in charge of the upcoming Jade Auction.”
Dong Xuebing smiled and nodded to the rest of the staff.
The staff consists of mostly middle-aged men, and there were looking at each other.
Qu Yunxuan had no intention of getting their opinions and had held this meeting to make this announcement.
Yun De Auction is still a small company, and all the staff had just joined. Most of them still do not know about the relationship in higher management. They were unhappy when Manager Qu appointed a newcomer to be their supervisor. But all of them could them Manager Qu is very close to that man in the wheelchair from the way they entered the room. That’s why no one raises any objections.
Dong Xuebing did not say anything.
In Yan Tai County, Dong Xuebing is a bigshot. But when he is with Aunt Xuan, he will tone down his imposing manner of a leader. Maybe it is because Qu Yunxuan had taken care of him for too long, and she is like an elder to him.
After the meeting, Qu Yunxuan called out to one of the staff to remain. It is an old man with lots of age spots on his face.
Qu Yunxuan introduced. “Xiao Bing, this is Teacher Wei. He is an expert on Jade stones.”
Dong Xuebing extended his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Qu Yunxuan continued. “Xiao Bing is also very good in stone gambling.”
Teacher Wei shook Dong Xuebing’s hand politely, but he thought nothing about him. In China, seniority is important, and Dong Xuebing is very young. Stone gambling is mainly depending on luck, and no one can claim they are experts!
After introducing them, Qu Yunxuan smiled and said. “Alright. Let’s talk about your plans.”
Dong Xuebing replied. “The plan is nothing special. We will just go to Ruili for stone gambling. Let’s go together.”
Qu Yunxuan said without thinking. “No! How can you travel in your current condition? What if you encounter some mishap on the way? How am I going to answer to Sister Luan?”
“Eh, what can happen to me?”
“No.”
Dong Xuebing shrugged his shoulders. “Then tell me what I should do?”
Qu Yunxuan thought for a while and turned to Teacher Wei. “Is there any stone gambling places in Beijing?”
Teacher Wei smiles awkwardly. “Yes, but the quality of the stones there is not good. Most of their stones are unwanted stones from Ruili and Myanmar. It will be a miracle if someone can find a piece of good jade out of ten stones. Manager Qu, the Jade Auction is nearing, and we don’t have time to acquire good jades from the people, not even the ice grade jade. Every year, there are many Jade Auctions in Beijing, and how many good pieces of jades have you seen? Even if there are good jades in Beijing, no one will sell them.” There’s something which Teacher Wei had not said. Even if someone wants to sell their ice grade jade, they will not choose Yun De Auction Company.
Qu Yunxuan picks up a cup of water and fed it to Dong Xuebing. “Do you have any ideas?”
Teacher Wei shook his head. “I had objected to holding a Jade Auction initially. Many people do not want to hold this type of Auction for a long time. Even those big Auction Houses in Shanghai and Hong Kong avoided this type of Auction. Why? Because good jades are rare, and very few people are willing to put their jades up for auctions. This is a very difficult market to enter.”
Qu Yunxuan used a handkerchief to wipe Dong Xuebing’s mouth and said. “Haha... That’s why we need to go for stone gambling.”
“But the risk...” Teacher Wei sighed. “The risk of stone gambling is high, and the whole company might close down because of it.”
Qu Yunxuan laughed. “That’s why I brought Xiao Bing over.”
Teacher Wei asked curiously. “Mr. Dong, how confident are you?”
Dong Xuebing waved his hand. “Just call me Xiao Dong will do. Errr... how confident am I? I can just say that we will not suffer any losses.”
Teacher Wei shook his head in his heart. This young man is too boastful.
Qu Yunxuan kept her handkerchief and smiled. “We have already advertised, and everyone knows about it. But now, we have only a few low-grade jade ornaments, and should not fetch good prices. My initial plan is to ask Xiao Bing to get a few ice grade or glass grade jades for us. This way, we will not only earn money and also increase our reputation.”
Teacher Wei was speechless. Ice grade? Glass grade? You think it is so easy to find these jades?!
Qu Yunxuan paused for a while and said. “Xiao Bing, how about we check out the stone gambling places in Beijing first?”
“Ok.” Although the stones in Beijing might be lousier, there might be some good jades.
“Alright. Are you going to now?”
“Yes. Don’t forget to bring your checkbook.”
.......
Panjiayuan Antique Market.
Under the scorching heat of the Summer sun, and the crowd, this place feels hotter compared to Yan Tai county.
But Dong Xuebing, who was in a wheelchair, was feeling relaxed. This place has no office politics, and beauty is pushing him around. This peacefulness is something Dong Xuebing likes. He wishes he can just spend the rest of his life with Aunt Xuan like this.
After a while, Dong Xuebing fell asleep.
When Dong Xuebing woke up, he heard someone talking to Aunt Xuan.
“Yes. Manager Feng is also here to look for antiques?” Aunt Xuan asked.
“That’s right. I need to prepare for my next Auction and is here to see if there are any good stuff.” A young man replied. “Who is this?”
“He is my friend. His legs are injured.”
“Oh, you all are also here to look for antiques? I heard your company is going to hold a Jade Auction.”
“Haha... We are here to look for raw jade stones.”
“What a coincidence. Our company is also going to hold a Jade Auction too.”
“Huh?”
Panjiayuan is a crowded and noisy place, and when Dong Xuebing opens his eyes, he realized that he is in the center of the antique market. From Aunt Xuan’s conversation with that young man, Dong Xuebing understood what was going on. This Manager Feng, is also running an Auction House, and he is located not far away from Aunt Xuan’s company. Competition is tough in the Auction industry, and Aunt Xuan and Manager Feng might seem to be having a chat, but Dong Xuebing could tell they are not on friendly terms.
“Eh, you are awake?”
“Yes.” Dong Xuebing turned back to look at Qu Yunxuan.
Qu Yunxuan smiled and said. “Let me introduce. This is Feng Yi. He is the boss of Jia Xin Auction Company. This is Dong Xuebing.”
Feng Yi thought Dong Xuebing is Qu Yunxuan’s relative and did not extend his hand for a handshake.
Dong Xuebing looked at Feng Yi and nodded.
Feng Yi is in his late twenties and is around Aunt Xuan’s age. He is tall, around 1.8 meters, and is carrying a bag under his arm. His hair is combed back, portraying himself as someone successful. Feng Yi ignored Dong Xuebing and chatted with Qu Yunxuan for a while. “Manager Qu, I have an appointment. Let’s catch up some other days.”
“Haha... no problems.”
Feng Yi looked at Qu Yunxuan, pushing the wheelchair away from him and frowned.
Feng Yi’s Auction House is located diagonally across Yun De Auction Company. Both companies are located very near to each other, and at the start, Feng Yi did not take note of Qu Yunxuan. In the auction industry, no auction house can last long if they do not have popularity and a steady flow of goods. Most auction houses will close within a year. But Yun De Auction Company had hosted a few successful auctions, and Feng Yi can feel the threat. He felt Qu Yunxuan is very capable and pretty. Since Yun De Auction Company opens for business, his business is affected. Although he can still survive, who will not want to make more money?
So, Feng Yi starts to think of ways to make Yun De Auction Company out of business. This is not the first time he does something like this.
After walking some distance, Qu Yunxuan also frowned.
“What’s wrong?” Dong Xuebing asked.
Qu Yunxuan took out her phone. “Let me make a phone call first.” She dialed a number and said. “Hello? Xiao Tao... Help me check Jia Xin Auction Company’s website, and see when their Jade Auction is... if it is not stated on their website, ask other people... that’s right. It is urgent, and I will not hang up. You go and find out now...” About five minutes later. “You found out? What? Is it on that day? Alright.”
Dong Xuebing blinked and asked. “What’s wrong?”
Qu Yunxuan rubbed the center of her brows. “That Feng Yi is holding his Jade Auction on the same day as us.”
“The same day?”
“That’s right. They had just announced it on their website.”
It’s hard to get jade, and it’s harder to get good jades. That’s why Jade Auctions are rare in Beijing. But now, two Auction Houses along a street in East Panjiayuan are holding Jade Auctions on the same day. Dong Xuebing frowned and asked. “Is he crazy? Why did he get to pick the same date?”
“He should be doing this on purpose.” Qu Yunxuan smiled. “I had not told you about this. Since the day we open for business, the few Auction Companies around us are unfriendly towards us. Also, our company is growing fast, and our first Auction’s success made those auction houses jealous. Now, they had declared war with us. I thought this would only happen next year.”
Dong Xuebing asked. “We can’t win against them?”
Qu Yunxuan shook her head. “Our foundations are weak and only has around 10 million RMB. Those Auction Houses have been in this long for a long time, and just their operation funds alone, are more than 100 million RMB. Feng Yi’s Auction House is an established brand in the market, and most people will pick them over us. Since we are both holding Jade Auction on the same day, most people will attend his Auction instead of ours. I got to admit that we will not win against him.”
“Since Feng Yi’s company is so successful, why is he trying to compete with us?”
“He is afraid we might grow bigger than him. Prevention is better than cure. Also, his business will be affected when we become more successful. After all, we are located on the same street.”
Dong Xuebing smacked his lips. Rivalry in the government sector... rivalry in the business sector... everywhere is the same!
Damn! Why can’t I get a few days of peace?!
Qu Yunxuan looked at Dong Xuebing. “Do you think we should change our date?”
Although Dong Xuebing does not like rivalry, his eyes opened wide when he heard Qu Yunxuan’s question. “Didn’t you announce the date of the Auction? In business, we must keep to our words, and the date must not be changed! Furthermore, we had set this date first.” Dong Xuebing had never given in to others in the government sector and had competed against many opponents to get to his current position. Xie Huilan might have criticized him on his conduct, but Dong Xuebing felt he had done nothing wrong.
Qu Yunxuan laughed. “I also think so. We will not postpone our Auction.”
“Huh? Really?” Dong Xuebing was stunned. He knows Aunt Xuan is not someone impulsive like him.
Qu Yunxuan explained. “This is bringing harm to both parties, and no one will gain anything from such competition. Feng Yi must have thought that we will change dates and can suppress us. We must not back off from his provocations, but we will not defeat him, and might even lose our company’s reputation overnight.”
Dong Xuebing let out a cold laughter. “He is a bastard!”
Qu Yunxuan raised her hand and pretended she is going to hit Dong Xuebing. “If I hear you swear again, I will hit you!”
“Ok... ok... please carry on.”
Qu Yunxuan lowered her hand and brushed Dong Xuebing’s hair gently. “I am new to this industry and is still unfamiliar with lots of things. But this incident reminded me not to set the date of our auctions so early.” Qu Yunxuan turned and looked at Feng Yi’s back view. “Since he is determined to compete with us, then we shall see who will have the last laugh. We will not postpone our Auction, and if we can get some top-quality jades, we will not be afraid of him.”
Dong Xuebing looked at Qu Yunxuan in surprise. “Aunt Xuan, you are looking more like a boss now.”
Qu Yunxuan took a glance at Dong Xuebing. “I might be a boss, but I am still working for you.” She paused for a while and said. “But I am worried about Feng Yi’s backing. I heard he is the nephew of the Beijing Public Security Bureau Chief.” Feng Xueliang, who is also Beijing City’s Party Committee Member and his rank, is Sub-Provincial (Ministerial) level.
Dong Xuebing was surprised. “Chief Feng’s nephew?”
This is Beijing, and if you drop a roof tile from the sky, it will hit a few officials.
Qu Yunxuan nodded. “I don’t want to offend people like him, but since he started it, we must retaliate.”
“You are right!”
Earlier, Feng Yi might have belittled Dong Xuebing, and Dong Xuebing also does not care about him. But after hearing from Aunt Xuan, Dong Xuebing turned to look at Feng Yi. He is a relative of Chief Feng... no wonder he looks like a snob. When Dong Xuebing and Xie Huilan were dining at Wang Fu, he had met Chief Feng once, and he thought Chief Feng is from Sister Xie’s father faction. It was later on when he found out that Chief Feng is from the City’s Mayor faction.
“Xiao Bing, we must not lose this time.”
“Don’t worry and leave everything to me. I will make sure Feng Yi will change his auction date!”
“Haha... I hope so. Let’s go. The stone gambling place is in front.”