Chapter 38 – Buddhist Artifact Exchange Meeting

Heipi’s mention of the time and location being undetermined was not without reason. These privately held cultural relic exchange meetings have a distinct “forbidden” nature. Lower-level events might be overlooked, but at the higher-level meetings, national first-class artifacts like the Simuwu Bronze Ding, the Beast-Head Agate Cup, and the Changxin Palace Lantern are commonplace. If the police were to catch wind of such events, half of the attendees would likely end up in prison. Therefore, the timing and location of these exchange meetings are kept strictly confidential, and only those invited can attend.

However, wealthy and influential collectors in the private sector are equally enthusiastic about such events. For one, they can find genuinely good items, and secondly, the transaction prices here are significantly cheaper than those at auction houses. This price difference isn’t solely due to the prevalence of “black goods” (illegally obtained artifacts) at these events. It’s also because major auction houses have long been known as money-laundering hubs. Many cultural relics are bid up to absurd prices, but the actual private transactions between buyers and sellers are conducted at a different, often much lower, figure. The “costs” involved in these deals are staggering. Without an urgent need for money laundering, participating in a formal auction often means being completely ripped off.

This situation is hardly beneficial for collectors who genuinely want to acquire valuable items. After all, no one’s money grows on trees. That’s why private exchange meetings have become increasingly popular, turning into highly sought-after events in the collector’s circle.

This Buddhist Artifact Exchange Meeting was no exception. However, since it was relatively low-level and specialized, someone like Wei Yang, an outsider to the circle, could hitch a ride and take a look. Two days later, Heipi called early in the morning to inform Wei Yang of the meeting’s time and location.

The venue wasn’t in the city. After driving along the suburban highway for over half an hour, Wei Yang arrived at the secret location in the outskirts of a neighboring county. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary countryside restaurant, with a simple bamboo fence serving as a perimeter wall—nothing out of the ordinary. However, when Wei Yang drove his beat-up minivan into the parking lot, the scene changed dramatically. The lot was already filled with cars. While there were no flashy sports cars like Ferraris, mid-range luxury sedans like Audis, Mercedes, and BMWs were everywhere. For a humble countryside restaurant, this was an unusually luxurious sight.

Parking the company’s old minivan to the side, Wei Yang and the Little Celestial Master walked to the entrance of the restaurant. They didn’t rush inside, though. Heipi couldn’t make it this time and had instructed Liu Qu to guide Wei Yang into the meeting. Without a referral, even if they entered the main hall, they might not be able to participate in the actual exchange. Wei Yang wasn’t in a hurry to go in. Instead, he looked around outside, searching for Liu Qu.

At the moment, there weren’t many people outside. Apart from a few security guards, there was only a young man with dyed yellow hair, wearing a jacket and jeans, listening to music with headphones. He looked like a college student on a day trip, and a non-conformist one at that—completely out of place at such a private exchange meeting. Wei Yang frowned, took out his phone, and dialed Liu Qu’s number. Just then, the yellow-haired guy turned his head, took off his headphones, and walked over.

“Are you Xiao Wei, the one Ah Ming mentioned?” the yellow-haired guy asked casually, chewing gum as he approached Wei Yang. “Follow me.”

Wei Yang was slightly taken aback and gave him a once-over. “Are you Liu Qu?”

“Didn’t my brother tell you?” the guy raised an eyebrow in response.

Wei Yang: “…”

No wonder Heipi hadn’t described Liu Qu’s appearance to him. This guy bore no resemblance to the “most outstanding young master carver of the Liu family.” Calling him an art student would be a compliment. However, the guy’s demeanor showed no hint of deception. Within seconds, Wei Yang adjusted his expression and smiled. “Your brother really didn’t mention it.”

“Tsk,” Liu Qu seemed to know why his brother hadn’t said anything and rolled his eyes dismissively. “What era is this? These old traditions. Enough chit-chat. Come with me to register the exhibits.”

With that, he led Wei Yang inside. The security guards seemed to recognize Liu Qu and didn’t stop them. The three of them walked straight into the hall, winding through several corridors until they reached a side room. Inside, there was a table with two staff members recording something. Liu Qu gestured with his chin. “This is a free trade event. The organizers won’t get involved in the transactions; they only charge for exhibition space. Go ahead and register your items.”

Since this wasn’t an auction, there was no need to deposit the artifacts with the organizers in advance. Wei Yang had brought the items with him instead of leaving them with Heipi. Hearing Liu Qu’s words, he first took out the Maitreya jade pendant and handed it over. “I’d like to ask Master Qu to take a look at this first. I really can’t estimate its value.”

“What Master Qu? Just call me Ah Qu,” the yellow-haired guy replied, taking the Maitreya pendant. He examined it carefully, running his fingers over the head carving and the folds of the robe. He seemed a bit surprised. “This is quite unique. It looks like Xu Zigang’s style, but there’s no signature. It’s hard to tell if it’s an early practice piece or a later imitation. But it’s definitely from the Ming Dynasty. I’d say it’s worth around 200,000 yuan. You decide.”

Wei Yang was shocked. The pendant wasn’t large, and a similar piece of mutton-fat jade would only cost a few thousand yuan. This piece of green jade was valued at several times that. As for Xu Zigang, even someone with little knowledge of antiques would know he was the most legendary jade carver of the Ming Dynasty, known for leaving his signature—”Zigang” or “Zigang”—on his works. All of Master Xu’s surviving masterpieces fetch astronomical prices, making him a benchmark in the jade carving world. The fact that this pendant might be his work was astonishing. It was hard to say whether Jian Ning, who had acquired it, was lucky or unlucky.

With a rough idea of the pendant’s value, Wei Yang didn’t waste time and went straight to the counter to register. At that moment, a man in a suit was ahead of him in line. He wasn’t very old and had the air of a business elite. He seemed to have just finished registering, as his items had already been taken to the display area. He was idly looking around the room and happened to catch sight of Wei Yang and the others. A hint of disdain flashed across his face. It wasn’t entirely his fault for looking down on them. Among the three, only Wei Yang was wearing a proper suit. Liu Qu and Zhang Xiuqi were dressed like college students, especially Liu Qu with his striking yellow hair. He didn’t even look like a spoiled rich kid—more like a non-conformist who had stumbled into the wrong event.

Wei Yang ignored the man’s gaze and placed his items on the table with a smile. “Three exhibits. Please register them.”

The Maitreya pendant, the Guanyin statue, and a small incense burner—none of the three items looked particularly impressive at first glance. The disdain on the elite man’s face deepened, and he let out a low snort. “Has the quality of Shanxi’s exchange meetings fallen to this level? Even flea market junk is being put on display now?”

This was clearly a provocation. Wei Yang remained calm, but Liu Qu shot the man a sidelong glance and chewed his gum noisily. “Exactly. Even dogs are being brought in. How degrading.”

The man’s face immediately darkened, but he couldn’t respond without admitting he was the dog. He glared at the two of them, then picked up his briefcase and stormed off toward the inner room. However, while he didn’t recognize Liu Qu, someone else did. A middle-aged man in a staff uniform quickly walked out and bowed slightly to Liu Qu. “Master Liu, you’ve arrived.”

Liu Qu waved his hand. “Uncle Su, no need to be so formal. I’m just here to have some fun and show my friend around.”

The man named Su, however, didn’t show any sign of disrespect. “Not at all. Having a member of the Liu family here adds a lot of prestige to our exchange meeting.”

At this point, the staff member who was registering the artifacts looked up and said to Wei Yang, “Sir, your items have been recorded. The exchange meeting has prepared dedicated display cases, each with a rental fee of 100,000 yuan. If you’d like, you can rent a display case to store your exhibits now.”

The price made Wei Yang’s jaw drop. It seemed this private event used such measures to filter out unqualified participants. After all, some items might not even be worth 100,000 yuan. If they didn’t sell, the exhibitor would be out of pocket. Liu Qu, however, interjected, “No need for that. Just put them on my side display.”

This statement made Mr. Su’s eyes flicker, and he gave Wei Yang another glance. Then, with a smile, he nodded to the staff member. “Since Master Liu has spoken, place them on his auxiliary display. The meeting officially starts in an hour. Please rest in the next room for now.”

Although it was called a rest, once they entered the next room, Mr. Su immediately brought out a few items for Liu Qu to appraise. He had deliberately chosen jade carvings, knowing Liu Qu’s expertise. Liu Qu didn’t hold back, offering detailed critiques of each piece. He even shook his head at two of them without saying a word. Mr. Su didn’t mind and had his staff record the comments for pricing reference. The organizers did have professional appraisers, but Liu Qu’s identity was special. The Liu family’s expertise was in “faking” artifacts, and the techniques for forging jade items were endless. Even the most experienced appraisers could be fooled. Having a master carver who specialized in fakes was a huge advantage.

An hour passed quickly, and soon it was time for the meeting to begin. Liu Qu finished the cola in his cup and stretched lazily. “Uncle Su, that’s it for today. I need to take my friend to see the excitement.”

Mr. Su quickly nodded and smiled. “Of course, we wouldn’t want to delay your business. Thank you for your help today, Master Liu. We’ll transfer the appraisal fee to your account later…”

Liu Qu waved his hand. “We’ll talk about that later. Ah Yang, let’s go.”

Although he had been a wallflower for the past hour, Wei Yang hadn’t found it boring at all. Witnessing such artifact appraisals was quite fascinating. With a smile, he stood up and followed Liu Qu, along with the Little Celestial Master, into the main hall of the exchange meeting.

The hall had been completely transformed. The doors and windows were shut, and soft fluorescent lights replaced the sunlight outside. Dozens of glass display cases filled the room, showcasing a dazzling array of Buddhist artifacts under the light. Buddha statues, prayer beads, ritual implements, vajras, and even intricately woven meditation cushions filled the cases. Materials like gold, silver, jade, bronze, wood, and gemstones were all represented, giving the exhibition hall a dazzling and enchanting atmosphere. Wei Yang couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. This was just a lower-level event. What would a higher-level one look like?

Liu Qu explained beside him, “This exchange meeting doesn’t have price tags. If you see something you like, you can negotiate directly with the seller. If you have a good eye, you might even find a bargain. If not, just enjoy the experience. Most of the items here are genuine—it’s just a matter of price. My display is in the center. Let’s go take a look.”

Liu Qu spoke casually, but when they arrived, Wei Yang was still slightly surprised. Three massive glass display cases dominated the center of the hall, occupying the most prominent space. They contained three sets of Buddha statues made of gold, bronze, and jade, respectively. The jade carvings had the most onlookers, with many spectators marveling at the statues.

Wei Yang blinked and turned to confirm, “Did you carve that set of the Eight Deities of the Heavenly Realm?”

Liu Qu chuckled. “What do you think? Pretty impressive, right?”