Although Rick's words weren't particularly polite, Lily Anne wasn't offended, especially after seeing the three lamps on the table.
She had a few clients who truly adored such items.
The development of her art gallery to its present status owed much to these Tiffany lamps.
Her connection with Tiffany lamps goes back over twenty years when she worked in a large financial institution in Manhattan. Despite earning only a modest salary, she was the bottom of the hierarchy. Her annual salary was modest, and the bulk of her income came from year-end bonuses. Life was not easy back then; recently divorced, she had to raise two children on her own, all while striving to provide them with the best education. It all began with her father's illness and subsequent passing. He operated a small antique shop, and his dying wish was for her to carry on the business. Thus, she reluctantly took over the shop, struggling to make ends meet for six months until one day a customer took interest in a Tiffany lamp her father had acquired years ago. That marked the turning point in her business, setting her on the path of studying the origins, history, and preferences of collectors regarding Tiffany lamps.
In the revival of the antique market, she smartly specialized in Tiffany lamps rather than aiming for broader horizons. Over the decades, she has acquired and sold dozens of Tiffany lamps, earning her the title of Tiffany lamp expert and transforming her father's modest antique shop into one of Manhattan's most renowned art galleries.
Now, almost every Tiffany lamp enthusiast in the United States knows that if they want a high-quality Tiffany lamp, they should seek out Lily Anne. She's undisputedly number one in this circle.
"Let me take a closer look at your treasures," Lily Anne murmured to herself as she took out a tortoiseshell magnifying glass from her pearl-studded handbag, examining the lamps on the table intently.
"Oh my, goodness! These are truly exceptional, Rick. Where did you find them? You managed to locate a Peacock Turtle lamp? That's remarkable!"
Her initial focus was on the Peacock Turtle lamp. It was recorded that there were only four such lamps, one housed in the National Art Museum of the United States, two held by prominent collectors, and the whereabouts of the fourth remained unknown. To see it here, in Rick's modest antique shop, was an exhilarating moment for Lily Anne, the self-proclaimed Tiffany lamp expert.
Even as she excitedly examined the lamps, Lily Anne couldn't maintain her usual composure.
"Rick, do you have a cigarette? I need to calm my nerves. I'm positively beside myself..."
Even Jin Muchen was surprised by Lily Anne's reaction upon seeing the lamp, finding her enthusiasm somewhat uncharacteristic.
Rick merely smiled faintly and retrieved a pack of cigarettes from a drawer, offering one to Lily Anne.
At that moment, Lily Anne's attention was fully absorbed by the Peacock Turtle lamp, leaving her with no inclination to inspect the other two lamps.
"Give me a price, Rick. I want this lamp."
With hardly a moment's hesitation, Lily Anne cut to the chase, her words carrying a decisive and brisk tone—a characteristic that had enabled her to carve out a niche for herself in Manhattan.
As someone who had devoted her life to studying Tiffany lamps, it would be inconceivable for her not to possess a decent collection of them. In the past two decades, she had sold numerous Tiffany lamps, but none had captivated her as fervently as the one before her today!
This lamp could be considered the pinnacle among all Tiffany lamps, an absolute masterpiece among masterpieces. Encountering it today was an opportunity not to be missed. It was the first time she had felt such a strong possessiveness upon laying eyes on a lamp, reminiscent of the feeling she had when she first saw her long-lost lover decades ago.
Regardless of the price, she was determined to take this lamp home and place it by her bedside, allowing it to accompany her day and night.
"One million eight hundred thousand," Rick stated bluntly, devoid of any expression. Meanwhile, Jin Muchen, who had been pretending to tidy up behind them, was left somewhat dumbfounded. He had only witnessed Fang Bo's manipulative pricing tactics before but had never expected Rick, who appeared kind-hearted, to be even more cunning.
Fang Bo had claimed that even at an auction, the Peacock Turtle lamp would only fetch between one million four hundred thousand to one million five hundred thousand, yet here was Rick demanding one million eight hundred thousand from Lily Anne. It was evident that he saw Lily Anne's determination to acquire the lamp and thus raised the price sky-high!
It was said that antique dealers were the most unscrupulous of all merchants, adept at exploiting others, capitalizing on their attachment to certain items, and flouting market norms by inflating prices.
"One million six hundred thousand, deal! Done deal!" Lily Anne countered with equal decisiveness, offering a price that was almost irresistible. It was nearly ten thousand dollars higher than Rick's estimated auction price, leaving him with no reason to refuse.
"Deal!" Lily Anne didn't even bat an eyelid. Spending one million six hundred thousand dollars was akin to spending one hundred and sixty dollars for her, especially for such a rare treasure!
She extinguished her cigarette in the ashtray and reached out to shake hands with Rick, her calm demeanor restored.
"Alright, now let me take a look at the other two lamps."
Now fully back in her element as the formidable businesswoman she was, she picked up the magnifying glass once again and began examining the other two lamps with meticulous care.
This time, her first focus was on the Peony lamp. As a connoisseur, she knew it was one of the most popular Tiffany lamps on the market. Its design was particularly unique, featuring stained glass in four colors—purple, yellow, and blue as background hues, complemented by vibrant red peonies as the focal point. Just based on its colors and composition, the lamp was exquisitely beautiful.
Inspecting the quality of the glass shades and the brightness of their colors, Lily Anne marveled at how impeccably preserved the lamp was, almost as if it had just been manufactured. For a lamp over a century old to be in such pristine condition indicated that its previous owner had taken great care in maintenance.
Observing the lamp's ingenious Eiffel Tower-inspired base and its beautiful brass color, Lily Anne couldn't help but admire it as another rare gem. If she hadn't already acquired the Peacock Turtle lamp earlier, she would have been tempted to keep this one for herself. This lamp would undoubtedly be highly sought after if put up for sale, as it embodied all the elements cherished by collectors of Tiffany lamps.
Next up was the Dragonfly lamp, which paled somewhat in comparison to the previous two in terms of both design and quality. Tiffany's most widely circulated lamp design nowadays is the Dragonfly lamp, and while there are many more beautiful versions out there, what sets this lamp apart is its status as the original progenitor of all Dragonfly lamps. Almost all subsequent designs were inspired by it, imbuing this lamp with special significance and thus a hefty price tag!
Having appraised the remaining two lamps, Lily Anne didn't immediately haggle with Rick this time. Instead, she meticulously took multiple photos of the lamps with her phone and sent them off. After a short while, her phone rang, prompting her to leave the table discreetly and engage in discussions with the person on the other end of the line at the store's entrance.
After a series of calls lasting an hour, Rick and Jin Muchen kept their distance, knowing that Lily Anne was contacting her clients to gauge their interest in the lamps.
When Lily Anne finally hung up, she returned to Rick with a smile on her face.
"Alright, Rick, let's talk about the prices now."
"Sure, I'll start with an offer. Seventy thousand for the Peony lamp and sixty thousand for the Dragonfly lamp."
Hearing Rick's offer, Jin Muchen couldn't help but cringe from afar. This guy was indeed shrewd; his previous quotes were nowhere near this high. However, this time, Lily Anne displayed her formidable demeanor.
"Eight hundred thousand for both lamps, final offer!"
Her response was as decisive as ever, but this time, it was accompanied by a cold, rational assertiveness. The woman who had been flustered by her attachment to the lamp was nowhere to be seen—Lily Anne, the formidable businesswoman, had officially returned!