Chapter 89: Raising Funds
After experiencing the promotional upheaval in the antique market, Fang Yi and his companions truly made a name for themselves. Each day, as they walked through the market, both familiar faces and strangers greeted them warmly.
The day following Deputy Director Zhao's inspection, the market administration implemented a reward scheme for Fang Yi, Wei Jinhua, and Peng Sanjun, deciding to waive their stall rental fees for an entire year, in addition to granting each of them a bonus of five hundred yuan.
Upon the announcement of this notice, many expressed their envy, for the annual stall fee amounted to three or four thousand yuan, a sum equivalent to a month's income for some vendors with modest sales.
Under Fang Yi's guidance, the portly man and San Pao adopted a low-profile approach. With their reward money, they treated several fellow stall owners to a few rounds of drinks, rapidly fostering camaraderie, and within days, they were embracing each other as brothers.
Thanks to the endorsements from these local stalwarts, the reputation of Fang Yi and his companions as considerate and straightforward individuals gradually spread throughout the antique market. Whenever Fang Yi's name was mentioned, it was often accompanied by remarks about their integrity and reliability.
In recent days, their business thrived. After erecting a sign advertising their bead-stringing services, not only did numerous tourists purchase strands of beads, but even some local enthusiasts frequented their stall, seeking Fang Yi's assistance in knotting their beads.
For such customers, Fang Yi never charged a fee, generously providing them with string for free. This gesture attracted an increasing number of visitors, and in recent days, Fang Yi found himself dedicating much of his time to knotting beads for others at no cost.
"Yi Ge, you can't keep helping them for free tomorrow…" As they were about to close up, the portly man looked at Fang Yi with dissatisfaction and remarked, "Tomorrow and the day after are the weekend; we'll be too busy with our own business to cater to them!"
"Come on, your perspective is rather narrow…" Fang Yi retorted, slightly exasperated. "Right now, I'm doing them a favor. When they decide to purchase beads in the future, don't you think they'll remember my kindness?"
Through the lessons of the past few days, Fang Yi understood that collectors often had diverse interests, ranging from jade to animal bones and ivory, with beads being just one aspect of their pursuits.
By offering free services, Fang Yi aimed not only to sell beads to them in the future but also believed that his companions should not limit themselves to selling beads for a lifetime. Building good relationships with these enthusiasts would make them potential buyers when new merchandise arrived.
"So, you're playing the long game to catch bigger fish?" The portly man finally grasped Fang Yi's strategy and remarked, "With someone like you, who always thinks several steps ahead, how could you possibly help others without a motive?"
"By the way, how's your Double Shuang?" Fang Yi, having gathered all the beads into the glass cabinet, inquired, "Tomorrow, I have plans with Man Ge, so you and San Pao should work a bit harder. You two can leave early today; I'll handle the cleanup…"
As San Pao's girlfriend had the weekend off, they had arranged to watch a movie together. Even before five o'clock, he kept checking his phone, and Fang Yi intentionally delayed granting him permission to leave until just now.
"Yi Ge, I'm heading out now…" San Pao, impatiently waiting, seized the opportunity when Fang Yi nodded and hurried off, anxious not to keep his girlfriend waiting.
"What a lecher…" The portly man muttered under his breath as he watched San Pao's retreating figure. Meanwhile, he himself had made little progress, while San Pao had boasted about his conquest just a few days prior, leaving the portly man feeling frustrated and taking several cold showers that night.
"Fang Yi, how come they haven't been caught by the police while renting rooms in that small inn?" The portly man's tone carried a hint of bitterness.
"Watch your words; San Pao is not an outsider. Mind your manners…" Fang Yi shot the portly man a glare and replied, "Don't you have your own Double Shuang? You're no longer needed here, so hurry up and leave…"
In truth, Fang Yi was the only one truly solitary. Although he encountered many beautiful girls at his stall, he was far too busy to entertain romantic pursuits, often feigning a naive demeanor to politely decline their invitations.
"Alright, I'll be off then…" Seeing Fang Yi usher him out, the portly man clapped his hands and prepared to leave. He had indeed made some progress with a university student named Meng Shuangshuang, as she no longer rejected his company when he walked her back to school each night.
Typically impatient, the portly man had been surprisingly dedicated, consistently waiting outside the mobile phone store every evening for a week, becoming a familiar face to everyone from the manager to the temporary sales staff.
"Hey, Fang Yi, I almost forgot to tell you something…" After taking a few steps, the portly man turned back and said, "I had originally arranged to meet Officer Bai on Saturday, but she just called to say she's busy tomorrow; we'll have to reschedule for Sunday…"
"As long as it's not during the afternoon or evening, any day works for me…" Fang Yi replied nonchalantly. Initially, he intended for the portly man and San Pao to show the items to the officer, but Officer Bai insisted on seeing the owner of the items before proceeding with the transaction, which is why the string of beads remained on Fang Yi's wrist.
"Alright, I'll set it for Sunday morning. I heard she's bringing an appraiser along…" The portly man was quite invested in this matter, as a deal worth fifty thousand yuan was significant; if successful, it would provide ample funds for their next inventory purchase.
"An appraiser? I wonder if they're genuinely skilled or just a charlatan?" Fang Yi shook his head in disbelief at the portly man's words, growing increasingly skeptical about tomorrow's transaction.
It's worth noting that aside from individuals like Sun Lianda and Zhao Hongtao, who frequently engaged with ritual artifacts, few collectors in the community truly understood these items. The value of the beads stemmed from their nature as ritual artifacts, and if the other party couldn't recognize their worth, the deal would be impossible.
"Whatever, if they don't buy, I'll just give them to Brother Zhao…" Fang Yi pulled out the antique pocket watch left to him by his master and checked the time. Oddly enough, while such a piece might seem out of place in other contexts, it blended seamlessly into the atmosphere of the antique market.
Zhao Hongtao had previously appraised this watch for Fang Yi, concluding after extensive research that it was crafted for members of the Russian royal family in the late eighteenth century, with only six pieces ever made, rendering it priceless.
Fang Yi would never value his master's legacy in monetary terms; he hadn't even inquired about the watch's worth, leaving Zhao Hongtao, who had intended to tease Fang Yi, momentarily speechless and coughing for quite some time.
"Man Ge, why are you at the shop today? What's with the locked door?" After tidying up, Fang Yi arrived at Man Jun's store, only to find the door bolted from the inside. He had to knock several times before Man Jun finally came to let him in.
"I just withdrew some money from the bank and didn't feel safe being alone in the shop…" Man Jun walked into the back room and retrieved a black bag, opening it briefly for Fang Yi to see. "I've managed to raise three hundred fifty thousand in total; let's see if we can find some good items tomorrow."
Man Jun hadn't been at the shop much this past week, not because he was lazily lounging at home, but rather because he had been gathering funds for the upcoming underground auction. However, most of his cash was tied up in several difficult-to-sell items, and it took him several days to gather the three hundred fifty thousand.
"Three hundred fifty thousand! How much good stuff can we buy with that?"
Although Fang Yi had previously declined Sun Chao's exorbitant offer of a million for an antique agarwood bracelet, that was merely a verbal figure; he had never grasped its tangible implications. The sight of an entire bag of cash, however, struck him with a profound impact.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone