The bargaining seemed to greatly satisfy Mr. Wang, who briskly clapped his hands.
"Excellent, deal done."
Standing up with a hearty laugh, he extended his hand to Fang Bo for a firm shake.
With Mr. Wang's approval, the sycophants beside him eagerly reached for their wallets, vying to cover the bill for Mr. Wang. This gesture hinted at Mr. Wang's considerable background.
However, these matters were of little concern to Jin Muchen. What concerned him was the simplicity of selling a mere bowl for $28,000.
The speed at which money flowed in was far beyond his expectations. After all, risking life and limb delivering takeout in Queens or toiling at the distribution center, he could barely save $4,000 in a month.
Quickly, the buyers selected several other jade carvings and ornaments, paying in cash and leaving their contact information with Fang Bo before departing contentedly.
Once they left, Fang Bo promptly closed the shop and handed Jin Muchen a thick stack of cash amounting to $28,000.
"Take it, lad."
At this moment, Jin Muchen had yet to recover from the shock. Was it really this simple? Had he truly earned $28,000?
No wonder they said the antique trade was the most lucrative among the three hidden violent industries!
As he stared at the stack of crisp dollars in his hand, Jin Muchen felt a mix of excitement and bewilderment. He had never expected to earn so much money just by spending half a day with Fang Bo.
With $28,000, coupled with the $4,000 he had saved last month, he had enough to cover his tuition and living expenses for the next semester.
The headache-inducing problem that had plagued him for over a month was solved in just half a day.
"Fang Bo, this money..."
Jin Muchen looked at the money, then at Fang Bo, unsure of what to say.
According to the shop's rules, his bowl was consigned to Fang Bo's store. Upon its sale, Fang Bo was entitled to a commission. However, Fang Bo hadn't taken a single penny and had given him all the money, leaving Jin Muchen touched yet conflicted.
"What's wrong? Afraid of holding money? Take it. You need it now, don't you? Hold onto it. Opportunities like this come once in a blue moon. Next time you think my appraisal skills are inferior, think again. Go back, think it over. When you've come to your senses, come find me. I don't want this skill to die with me."
Fang Bo didn't even lift his head, speaking calmly from behind the counter. Yet, in Jin Muchen's mind, Fang Bo's stature suddenly grew larger.
Jin Muchen didn't protest; he simply pocketed the money.
"Enough hesitation. You've been busy all week, and it's not convenient for you to come here. It's getting late; you should head back and rest. Don't squander the money. Plan and manage it well. You're not a child anymore; you shouldn't let your family worry about you. When you've figured things out, come find me."
Jin Muchen stood there in silence. This scene had brought him so much excitement today, and more importantly, through this validation, he realized his eyes indeed possessed extraordinary abilities. These abilities could bring him the wealth he urgently needed, undoubtedly a shortcut to prosperity.
Perhaps with a few more lucky finds, he wouldn't need to work as a deliveryman at the risk of his life or toil in Queens anymore.
"Fang Bo, I understand now. I'd like to learn more about antique appraisal from you in the future."
Jin Muchen looked at Fang Bo, who smiled in delight. He had been searching for an apprentice for a long time but had yet to find one.
"Good, that's settled then."
Having never married or had children, and with distant relatives' children born and raised in America, unable to even speak Chinese, what could he discuss about the inheritance of Chinese antique appraisal skills with them? In Fang Bo's eyes, Jin Muchen was a perfect candidate. Unfortunately, Jin Muchen had previously shown little interest in this path, despite Fang Bo mentioning it. Now that Jin Muchen had finally seen the light, Fang Bo couldn't be happier.
"By the way, you mentioned wanting to find a place to stay around here? Don't bother looking elsewhere; why not just stay here with me? I have plenty of space, and you've stayed upstairs before; your room is still there. Come and keep me company!"
Fang Bo waved his hand generously, settling Jin Muchen's housing issue. Jin Muchen had stayed with him before, but later moved out due to school and his girlfriend. However, the two had always gotten along well.
Moreover, Fang Bo lived alone and was getting older. Living alone was inconvenient, and he had actually wanted Jin Muchen to come back to stay, especially after hearing about Jin Muchen's breakup with Ma Ling. After all, he was very familiar with Jin Muchen's temperament and could rest assured with him around, plus, he would have someone to take care of him.
Jin Muchen thought for a moment, then agreed without hesitation. Fang Bo's antique shop occupied the ground floor for business, and the second floor was quite spacious, with three or four rooms. There was also a half floor above. Fang Bo lived on the second floor himself, so the third floor was enough for Jin Muchen.
Without further ado, Jin Muchen rented a small truck the next day and moved his belongings. He didn't have much—just two suitcases of clothes, books, a computer, some bedding, and kitchenware. Of course, he couldn't leave behind his large bed.
This bed, bought brand new from a furniture store at Ma Ling's insistence, cost over $2,000, though expensive, it was definitely worth it. Sleeping on it was incredibly comfortable, so Jin Muchen had no intention of parting with it.
In the past, Jin Muchen would have hired movers to help, but now, strength was the one thing he wasn't lacking. Handling everything alone was quite easy for him. Even the king-size bed, he effortlessly loaded onto the truck by himself.
An hour later, he returned to Fang Bo's home in Flushing. Fang Bo had initially wanted to help, but Jin Muchen declined. Seeing Jin Muchen handle everything alone in less than an hour, Fang Bo was impressed. He had been Jin Muchen's moving worker for the past month, and it had certainly built up his physique.
Fang Bo came over with a hearty laugh, patting Jin Muchen's shoulder. "Good lad, this month of moving has finally paid off; you've built up quite the physique."
Jin Muchen chuckled and flexed his biceps. "Of course."
That evening, Fang Bo wanted to cook and celebrate, but Jin Muchen insisted on taking him out to dinner. After all, two grown men, no matter how good the food, could only do so much.
After leaving the restaurant, Fang Bo received a call from an old friend inviting him to a card game. Jin Muchen, feeling a bit full, decided to walk back alone to digest his meal.
The streets of Flushing at night were filled with neon lights and bustling crowds, predominantly Asian faces with occasional appearances by
Caucasians and African Americans. If not for the broken English of the shop owners and the neon signs flashing English phrases, one might mistake it for a city in China.
It's no wonder they say Flushing, besides Manhattan, is the only area in New York that never sleeps and is always bustling with activity.
Walking along Main Street for half a mile, one would encounter a string of banks—HSBC, Bank of America, Citibank, among others—followed by Asian banks like Cathay, Hua Tai, Asia, and Guan Dong.
Just looking at these numerous banks, you wouldn't be surprised why Flushing is known as the second financial center of New York.
Three hundred and seventy years ago, Flushing was inhabited only by scattered Native Americans. It wasn't until 1683 that significant numbers of Dutch settlers began to settle here. After the founding of the United States, large numbers of Jews and Italians moved in.
It wasn't until over thirty years ago that Chinese began to move in, primarily immigrants from Taiwan at the time. However, the main residents here now are immigrants from the mainland.
As for the traces left by the Dutch settlers who opened up this place, you could probably only find them on Berni Street, where some classical buildings remain.
And you couldn't deny that the Chinese are adept at settling down. Apart from San Francisco and Los Angeles, this is evident here as well. If you open the map and look at Flushing's location in the New York area, you'll find that you can take the No. 7 subway from here to Manhattan in half an hour, or take the Long Island Rail Road directly to Long Island.
If you're driving, the I-495 highway takes you directly to Manhattan or Long Island. The two major airports, Kennedy and LaGuardia, are conveniently accessible, one to the south and one to the north.
So, it's no wonder that more and more Chinese immigrants are flocking here, and property prices are skyrocketing.
Ten years ago, it was hard to find a house here for over $100,000, but now, not to mention the core area of Flushing, even if you look at some of the surrounding areas, detached townhouses fetch no less than $300,000.