Deep inside an antique shop.
Davis slowly opened the vault door and led everyone inside.
It is said that this is a small vault, but it is actually a specially reinforced room.
The door to the room was replaced with a heavy anti-theft iron door. There were no windows. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all specially reinforced.
There are six half-person-high old-fashioned safes in the center of the vault, and several museum shelves stand against the wall, with some so-called antiques and artworks on them. There are not many of them anymore.
There are still several oil paintings hanging on the walls. Some places where paintings once hung are now empty, leaving only the imprints of some picture frames.
Obviously, the three auction houses that came to select the lots before picked up some good things from here and put them up for auction.
What is left here are all the leftover things that they have picked out and considered to be of little value.
But how do those guys know?
They were blind and missed what may be the most valuable treasure in this antique store.
Xiao Ran felt it as soon as he walked into this small safe.
The temperature and humidity in the vault are very good, making it feel very comfortable.
He let out a light sigh and said with a little surprise:
"Davis, have you installed a constant temperature and humidity system here? The environment here is great."
Upon hearing this, Davis's eyes immediately flashed with surprise.
He originally thought that Xiao Ran was just a lucky guy who picked up so many big mistakes, created those miracles, and became rich overnight.
As a result, Xiao Ran instantly discovered the constant temperature and humidity system here, which made him a little surprised.
It’s hard to live up to its reputation.
Davis understood that the young Chinese boy next to him still had some strength, and he did not make his fortune purely by luck as the outside world said.
Thinking of this, the contempt in his eyes immediately dissipated a lot.
At the same time, he also knew that it seemed impossible to use these items in the store to charge exorbitant prices.
"Yes, Sean, a constant temperature and humidity system is indeed installed here to protect the antique cultural relics and works of art stored here."
"If you take control of this place, you won't have to worry about arranging similar systems. Moreover, this vault is very strong and you won't have to modify it."
Davis nodded and explained a few words.
"It can be seen that the conditions here are indeed very good. It is worthy of being one of the top antique stores in Los Angeles."
Xiao Ran smiled and nodded and said a few compliments.
Afterwards, Davis took Xiao Ran to visit the vault and the various things stored in the vault.
David and the other party's lawyer stood inside the door, accompanying the visitor but did not come to disturb them.
Davis took Xiao Ran to a shelf, pointed to a jade pot spring bottle on the shelf and said:
"Sean, this is an antique porcelain from your country. It has a history of more than three hundred years."
"Its shape is very beautiful, its glaze is shiny and its texture is delicate. It is a valuable antique porcelain."
While he was introducing it, Xiao Ran stepped forward and took a look at the jade pot and spring vase.
After Davis finished his introduction, he immediately smiled and nodded.
"This is indeed a beautiful piece of porcelain. Its full name should be called Lang Kiln Red Jade Hu Chun Ping."
"Since it is a valuable piece of antique porcelain, why don't you entrust it to an auction house? It should get a good price!"
Davis' expression immediately froze, somewhat embarrassed.
He knew very well the condition of the jade pot spring vase on the shelf, and he also knew its price.
This is just a Lang kiln red jade vase from the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, and it is from a private kiln, so it is not worth much at all.
What it is imitating is the famous Yongzheng Lang Kiln Red, and the base is also made in the Yongzheng Year of the Qing Dynasty, which looks quite intimidating.
Precisely because this jade pot spring bottle was not worth much, the three auction houses did not want it, but left it here.
Xiao Ran could see the value of this jade pot and spring vase at a glance, but he just didn't point it out.
In an instant, Davis's expression returned to normal.
After all, he is an old fox who has been in the antique shop for decades, and it is just his basic quality to do what he wants.
"It's because those guys at the auction house didn't know the goods and missed such a good treasure."
"Let's not talk about this piece of Chinese porcelain. Let's look at other antiques and works of art. There are many good things here."
As he spoke, he pointed to a small antique clock on the shelf and began to introduce it.
This clock can be considered an antique, but it is a replica produced in the United States in the 1940s.
What it imitates is a classic clock produced in London, England, in the late 19th century.
Since it is an imitation, the production volume is not small, and the age is not long ago, it naturally does not have much value.
Like the jade pot spring vase, this small clock was also abandoned by several auction houses.
In Davis's words, this clock was highly praised and said to be a valuable and rare antique clock.
Xiao Ran had a smile on his face, just listening and watching the other party's performance.
But he didn't express any opinions and didn't expose Davis, which was a bit of a slap in the face.
His performance made Davis feel like a dog biting a hedgehog with nowhere to bite, and he was very helpless.
Soon, the two of them came to an oil painting and stood still to admire it.
This is an abstract expressionist painting with strong visual impact.
At first glance, it looks like countless lines and colors are intertwined together, forming a colorful and incomprehensible mess.
But if you look closely, you can see some restless emotions and some beauty.
"Sean, this abstract expressionist painting was purchased at a high price when I traveled to New York five years ago. It is said to be the work of a Pollock student."
"You can also see a little bit of Pollock in these smart lines. It's a very good abstract expressionist work."
"It's a pity that the guy didn't sign the painting and got drunk and drowned in the East River."
"The provenance of this painting became questionable. Those idiots at the auction house didn't know the product and gave a very low valuation, so I kept the painting."
Listening to this introduction, Xiao Ran's eyes quickly flashed with joy, which was fleeting.
In his eyes, this incomprehensible abstract expressionist painting was by no means as simple as Davis made it out to be.
It is not a painting by a student of Pollock, but the work of another master of abstract expressionism.
The reason why he was so sure was simple.
There is actually a signature on this abstract expressionist painting, but it was hidden in a very special way, making it extremely difficult to find.
The professionals at the auction house gave a low valuation just because they did not discover the hidden signature.
This is normal, don't blame them.
If an abstract expressionist painting is not signed, as long as the quality is good, it will be difficult for ordinary people to identify which artist's work it is.
Because almost all Abstract Expressionist paintings look like a jumbled mess, it’s hard to tell whose work it is by just looking at it.
Such a problem does not exist for Xiao Ran.
In his eyes, the light emitted by this painting was enough to illustrate its value.
And under perspective, he had long discovered the hidden signature of the painter.
Listening to Davis' introduction, a smile flashed in his eyes.
After the introduction was completed, he immediately nodded.
"Since it is a work by a student of Pollock, the master of abstract expressionism, it must be valuable and a rare work of art."
Then, he changed the subject.
"Davis, could you please open these safes and let me see what's inside?"
"To be so closely protected, they must be some valuable antiques and works of art. I really want to appreciate them."
Davis paused. The topic jumped a bit too quickly.
Just as we were talking about that abstract expressionist painting, why did we suddenly jump to a few safes?
Or is that painting not worth mentioning at all?
While secretly complaining, Davis also shook his head.
"I'm very sorry, Sean, I will not take out the items stored in these safes until a preliminary transfer agreement is reached."
"This is for safety reasons, I hope you can understand"
Xiao Ran paused, then nodded and said:
"Of course I can understand it, it's understandable."
"But I would like to ask, when you transfer this property and antique store, do you include the contents of these safes? As well as this vault and everything in the store."
"If included, I need a detailed list before negotiating so that it can be easily valued."
Davis looked at Xiao Ran, thought for a moment, then nodded and said:
"As long as the items in this store are transferable, they are all included in the transaction object. I will provide a detailed list."
That's what he wanted. Xiao Ran secretly clenched his fists excitedly.
