Lilián's decisive move nearly halved Rick's offer. Yet, Rick remained unruffled. In the realm of business, negotiation was par for the course. "Six hundred fifty thousand for the peony lamp, fifty-five for the dragonfly lamp," he countered. Rick swiftly dropped his price by a hundred thousand to bring it closer to both their bottom lines. Both seasoned negotiators, they had a keen sense of each other's limits. Lilyan's likely bottom line hovered around a million dollars for the two lamps.
"Nine hundred thousand for both lamps," Lilyan quickly floated her counteroffer. Having gauged Rick's psychological price range, she left some distance from the million mark. Thus began a tug-of-war over the price.
This spectacle fascinated Jin Muchen, who witnessed firsthand the cutthroat nature of American antique dealers. Every cent was scrutinized, revealing the shrewdness ingrained in American business culture. The lamps finally changed hands for a staggering one million fifty-eight thousand eight hundred sixty-eight dollars, a testament to Rick's prowess.
"Let's settle this. I'll wire the money to you now," Lilyan swiftly concluded. From beneath the table, Rick produced a laptop. Lilyan transferred the funds from her bank account in Liechtenstein to Rick's. Rising gracefully, she extended her hand to Rick, who reciprocated with elegance. "A pleasure doing business. Remember to contact me if you come across anything similar, Rick."
"Shall we celebrate with champagne?" Rick courteously suggested, but Lilyan declined, citing other pressing matters. Bid farewell to Rick, she glanced back at Jin Muchen, hidden in the background, and offered a faint smile of encouragement. "Keep up the good work, young man. You're quite impressive!" With that enigmatic comment, Lilyan departed, leaving Jin Muchen perplexed.
"Alright, young man, give me your bank account details, and I'll transfer the money to you," Rick said upon Lilyan's departure.
"An American bank account?" Jin Muchen asked with a wry smile. Rick glanced at him oddly. "Are you out of your mind? Willingly pay all those taxes? Oh, right, I forgot. You Chinese folks prefer cash transactions for antique deals. Listen, young man, don't do that again. You need a few bank accounts."
Rick slapped his own head and said, and Jin Muchen nodded in agreement. Indeed, for such large transactions, using cash was highly inconvenient.
"I'll contact my friend to quickly arrange several bank accounts for you," Rick said, picking up the phone. Despite the five-hour time difference between the East Coast of the United States and London, it posed no challenge for Rick, given his extensive network in Europe.
He made a call to Singapore, a financial hub due to its strategic location, and swiftly arranged bank accounts in Liechtenstein and Luxembourg for Jin Muchen. Rick then transferred two million four hundred thousand dollars to Jin Muchen. Though they had agreed on a ten percent commission for the entire transaction, Rick, being meticulous, asked for slightly less, as Jin Muchen had already paid significantly more in intermediary fees than usual. He hoped to foster a long-term business relationship with Jin Muchen.
Jin Muchen didn't mind, his mind swimming with the string of numbers in the bank accounts. "I heard the banks in the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands are also good. Why go through all this trouble?"
As they parted ways, he couldn't resist asking. Rick rolled his eyes at the rookie mistake. "Kid, you think you can evade the IRS by going to those places? Thanks to that damned Obama and the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, even Swiss banks had to cave. What chance do those tiny islands stand? The few banks left in the world that don't give a damn about the US government are in Liechtenstein and those banks in Luxembourg. Otherwise, what's the point of those small European countries? Why should they become the countries with the highest per capita income and the best welfare in the world?"
Rick's explanation enlightened Jin Muchen. There were indeed many intricacies involved. Without mentors like Fang Bo and Rick, he would've stumbled down many wrong paths.
"Alright, kid, it's getting late. I won't keep you. Let's have a fruitful cooperation. But remember, don't forget about me next time!" Rick said with a smile, and Jin Muchen nodded.
"Don't worry, Rick. If there's anything good next time, I'll come to you."
Having such a well-connected and trustworthy partner was quite advantageous. Now, all he needed to do was to maintain this connection. However, when the next opportunity would arise was uncertain.
Parting ways with Rick, Jin Muchen walked to the parking lot a few blocks away from Citybarn Antiques. He had driven here, but finding a parking spot was challenging, so he had to park in a public parking lot several blocks away.
Fortunately, it was Manhattan, particularly the well-regarded SoHo district, so the security was decent. Despite it being past 8 PM, there were still many pedestrians on the streets.
Deciding to take a shortcut from Citybarn Antiques to the parking lot, Jin Muchen turned into an alley. Suddenly, lights flashed from the side of the alley, nearly blinding him. Feeling irritated, he noticed a black Cadillac Escalade silently glide in front of him from the alley.
The rear window rolled down, revealing Lilyan's affluent face. "Where are you going? Shall I give you a ride?"
"Um... Hello, Mrs. Lilyan. What is this about?" Jin Muchen was taken aback.
"Hehe, that's right, I was specifically waiting for you. Come on, don't stand here, let's talk in the car," Lilyan said with a smile to Jin Muchen. Although he felt quite strange about it, he figured she wouldn't harm him, so he simply opened the car door and got in.
"Hehe, I haven't properly introduced myself yet. Lilyan. Nekanski. Nice to meet you," Lilyan said, extending her hand as Jin Muchen settled in the car. Jin Muchen shook her hand gently.
"Jin Muchen, pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Lilyan."
"Let's start with a glass of Mimosa to warm up. I just bought it at HK Coffee!"
One couldn't deny that Mrs. Lilyan had excellent social skills. Such seemingly insignificant gestures could make people feel cared for. Jin Muchen accepted the drink and thanked her.
"If I'm not mistaken, those three lamps should belong to you, right?" Lilyan asked, showing her perceptiveness. Jin Muchen was taken aback but didn't answer directly, which was tacit agreement.
"Can you tell me how you acquired the lamp?" Lilyan remained direct, but Jin Muchen kept silent. It wasn't that he didn't want to answer, but rather he didn't know how to explain. Should he say he picked it up as trash that someone else discarded? That would sound too boastful. If word got out, he'd become famous in New York, and that kind of luck would definitely make headlines. However, he didn't want fame; he just wanted to make money quietly.
Seeing Jin Muchen's silence, Lilyan smiled slightly. "Well, it seems I was too impulsive. To show my apology, Mr. Jin, let me treat you to dinner. It's quite late now, and you've been at Rick's store all this time. I assume you haven't had dinner yet."
Jin Muchen found Lilyan's attitude quite strange, but since she was so enthusiastic, he couldn't refuse her. Moreover, Lilyan was a big figure in New York's antique circle with a vast network. For Jin Muchen, who wanted to make a name for himself in this circle, it was absolutely crucial not to offend someone like her.
"Alright! Please arrange it as you wish!" Jin Muchen replied politely. Lilyan's face showed a satisfied smile, then she turned to the driver in front.
"George, let's go to The Strip House."
After giving the order, she turned back to Jin Muchen with a smile. "We're going for steak. I hope you don't mind?"
"Of course not! Why would I?" Jin Muchen joked. He was already hungry, and as a carnivore, going to a steakhouse at night was just perfect for him.
Mrs. Lilyan's social skills were truly exceptional!