Invisible Security Guard
Chapter 93: Quick Taobao

Chapter 93: Chapter 93: Quick Taobao

In the capital, two places are always bustling with crowds: one is Tiananmen Square where everyone looks up to watch the flag-raising ceremony, and the other is the Ruiz Family Market where everyone is head down in search of national treasures.

That’s what people say humorously. Regardless of how many genuine collectors actually enter the Ruiz Family Market, just watching the throngs of people rubbing shoulders and the lively trading scene, you’ll discover that at the same location and at different times, many visitors are unfolding fascinating stories. Even if you don’t buy anything and merely watch, you’ll find it interesting. And besides, there are plenty of surprises waiting for us to discover!

At 8:30 a.m., Yusuf Zuck arrived on time at the Ruiz Family Market. Perhaps due to it being the weekend or morning, there were twice as many people as the previous afternoon, rubbing shoulders with real closeness.

When Yusuf Zuck arrived at the Ancient Jade Studio, Louise Garrett was already waiting outside. Today she was wearing a tracksuit, with a white cap, white sneakers, and a backpack, looking both fresh and full of vitality.

"It’s the weekend, so the stall area is particularly lively. The early market has just ended, and while there aren’t too many people around, how about we go for a stroll?" Louise Garrett took the initiative to clutch Yusuf Zuck’s arm and started walking while speaking.

"Early market? What is that?" Yusuf Zuck asked in confusion.

"It’s the trade in old items that happens in the morning," Louise Garrett explained. "The stall area opens at 4:30 a.m., and the main customers are antique dealers. They use flashlights to hunt for treasures to stock up. So if you really want to get into this business, you should get up early to find the good stuff. At this time, tourists begin flooding in, making it much harder to find any valuable treasures."

"I see!" Yusuf Zuck had an epiphany. The real antique business is carried out by those who come early to hunt for treasures, while tourists and some collectors wander in after daylight.

"You’ve got a lot to learn," Louise Garrett said with a smile.

"When’s your period over?" Yusuf Zuck suddenly asked in a low voice close to her ear.

"Ah! Why do you ask everything..." Louise Garrett’s face turned red immediately. This Yusuf Zuck was too bold.

"Why be afraid to ask? You’re not a stranger," Yusuf Zuck chuckled.

"I won’t tell you," Louise Garrett let go of Yusuf Zuck’s arm and ran ahead.

Naturally, Yusuf Zuck strode to keep up. As they walked side by side and browsed, Louise Garrett began to impart some antique knowledge to him. If Yusuf Zuck wanted to succeed in this field, he had to quickly get familiar with the rules and the knowledge of collecting, otherwise, he would be a novice who wouldn’t last long in the antique trade.

Soon, the two were laughing and chatting their way to the stall area, which was even more crowded. Various old items at each stall were a feast for the eyes.

The Ruiz Family Market is known as the old goods market because everything here is second-hand. All around, you can see nostalgic items that are deeply embedded in our memories.

In addition to jade and jewelry, common types of old goods, you could also find wood carvings, bamboo engravings, cloisonné, candlesticks, powder boxes, Buddha statues, incense burners, tableware, cloisonné works, old photos, old picture frames, old records, old musical instruments, old clocks, old radios, old cameras, old calendars... The variety was dizzying.

Even Yusuf Zuck saw some foreigners carrying old record players, excited as if they had found a treasure.

These items had long become a thing of the past with the passage of time. What they were buying wasn’t antiques, but memories.

"Who are these people running the stalls?" Yusuf Zuck asked while browsing.

"A large part of them are traders, and of course, traders are also collectors. A smaller portion consists of people from various places who come to sell treasures, such as those from nearby Hebei and Henan. Many local farmers bring their family heirlooms to sell here."

"So what types of antiques are the most valuable right now?" Yusuf Zuck continued to inquire.

"That’s hard to define," Louise Garrett shook her head. "Within each category, there are treasures, and they are undoubtedly priced high. For example, some official kiln porcelain from the Ming or Qing Dynasty—if you can get hold of it, you could make money. But they are rare now, and there are too many fakes."

"Here are some Jade Artifacts; let’s take a look first," Yusuf Zuck still had a warm interest in jade since it had made him a fortune before.

As Louise Garrett followed Yusuf Zuck to squat in front of a stall, Yusuf Zuck casually picked up a Jade bracelet, sensing that it was an ancient item.

"How much for this?" Yusuf Zuck asked directly.

"Eighty thousand, no bargaining," the stall owner gestured eighty thousand with his hands.

"Damn, that expensive?" Yusuf Zuck handed the Jade bracelet to Louise Garrett and whispered, "This bracelet is an ancient item, right? Can you give me an estimate?"

"Whether this bracelet is Ancient Jade or not, I can’t tell at the moment because it can be aged artificially, but I feel that the quality of the jade isn’t good. Eighty thousand isn’t worth it; if I can get it for forty thousand, there might be some profit," Miles O’Brien whispered back.

"Would you sell it for twenty thousand?" Yusuf Zuck asked the vendor.

"Not selling," the vendor refused flatly.

"Then forget it." After Yusuf Zuck glanced over all the Jade Artifacts, he stood up and left. Among all of the Jade Artifacts here, only this Jade bracelet looked decent; the rest were not antiques.

Miles O’Brien followed Yusuf Zuck as they moved forward, and Yusuf Zuck also wondered, "The few pieces I picked up in Shanghai before, why were they so cheap, and yet here they are more expensive?"

"Some people can discern quality, some can’t. The vendor we just dealt with is obviously knowledgeable, while those you picked up in Shanghai were likely gathered by second or third-tier traders who don’t understand much about jade itself!"

"Then let’s look for second-tier traders," Yusuf Zuck suggested.

"Over there, it’s all Jade Artifacts; let’s go take a look, maybe with your ’eye’ you might really be able to find something good." At this point, Miles O’Brien was looking at Yusuf Zuck with renewed respect because Yusuf Zuck had managed to instantly pick out the best piece from a multitude of Jade Artifacts and identified it as antique, which suggested that Yusuf Zuck’s ability to discern quality was no ordinary skill.

Not far away, there was a row of vendors with Jade Artifacts, and after Yusuf Zuck spread his Telekinesis fifteen meters around, he quickly identified four or five pieces of excellent quality and some older good jade.

He squatted nonchalantly in front of one of the stalls, picking up this and looking at that. After a moment, he picked up a Jade Wine Cup and asked, "How much for this cup?"

"Three hundred," replied the vendor, who looked to be in his sixties and was dressed very plainly, not really fitting the image of a trader.

Upon hearing that the cup was only three hundred, Yusuf Zuck didn’t even consider further; he promptly counted out three hundred and tightly held the cup in his hand.

"Have a look at the others; all my wares are gathered up as well, and if you can find something worth hundreds, thousands, or even millions, then I’ll be famous too. What do you think, see anything else you like?" the old man said with a chuckle.

"How much for this Pixiu?" Yusuf Zuck picked up a Jade Pixiu and asked.

"Nine hundred."

"Bought it," Yusuf Zuck again counted out the money promptly.

Louise Garrett hadn’t seen clearly the quality of the two Jade Artifacts that Yusuf Zuck bought, as she was meticulously searching for other Jade Artifacts on the stall.

She was comparatively slower, analyzing everything such as the quality, the clarity, and so forth.

Yusuf Zuck was quick to buy jade, practically taking one glance before immediately asking for the price and then paying for it.

While Louise Garrett was still thoroughly examining a bracelet at the old man’s stall, Yusuf Zuck had moved on to other stalls, picking for a while before he found a Jade Disk. The disk was engraved with pine trees and pavilions; the jade wasn’t great, even had some flaws, and though it was supposed to be white jade, some parts had turned yellow. However, Yusuf Zuck noticed that the carving on this Jade Disk was particularly exquisite.

"How much for this piece?" Yusuf Zuck asked eagerly.

"Two thousand... If you..." The vendor, a man in his forties, had been watching from the sidelines as Yusuf Zuck bought items from other stalls, and had noticed that Yusuf Zuck didn’t bargain, so he pitched a price of two thousand, implying that he might offer a discount.

But he was interrupted by Yusuf Zuck who had already started counting out the money.

After paying, Yusuf Zuck picked up the Jade Disk and moved on to the third stall, where he picked up a large ornamental piece.

He was engaging in pure quick treasure hunting. It was worth noting that Louise Garrett was still carefully evaluating a bracelet at the first stall.

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PS: Thank you to all the classmates for your rewards and recommendation tickets, thank you all.