What surprised Xiao Ran were two flower stools placed in the foyer.
They are placed in front of the screen at the end of the hall, one on the left and one on the right, standing side by side, with a pot of orchids on each.
The two pots of orchids seemed to be of good variety, but they were neglected and grew like weeds.
Even the two flower benches below had a lot of stains on their surfaces, but fortunately they were not cracked.
Seeing this scene, Xiao Ran couldn't help but feel distressed.
Just as he was about to step forward to check the two flower stools, four or five people suddenly came out from the depths of the antique store and came straight to greet him. Everyone had a look of surprise on their face.
These guys are all Chinese, both male and female, ranging in age from thirty to fifty, and their facial features seem to be somewhat similar.
And they all wore masks and gloves, and took good protective measures.
As they came closer, a man in his fifties led by him immediately said politely:
"Good morning, Mr. Xiao, welcome to Songshizhai"
"I'm Wang Yude, nice to meet you"
“I didn’t expect you to come here, it’s so exciting”
This person spoke Mandarin, which sounded a bit stiff and had a bit of a Bayan accent.
Obviously, this family is an immigrant from Baodao, and it has been passed down to the second or even third generation.
With that said, this guy was ready to shake hands with Xiao Ran.
Xiao Ran bent his elbow forward, nodded with a smile and said:
"Good morning, Mr. Wang, nice to meet you too"
Wang Yude was stunned for a moment, and then he came to his senses.
Immediately afterwards, he bent his elbow and touched Xiao Ran, and then took a step back to maintain sufficient social distance.
Next, the two parties introduced each other.
Through introduction, Xiao Ran learned.
The people opposite are brothers and sisters. This Songshizhai belongs to their family and has been run by their father.
The Wang family are immigrants from Taiwan and came to San Francisco in the 1940s.
This antique shop was opened by their grandfather and has a history of more than 70 years.
After getting to know each other, Xiao Ran asked pretending to be curious:
"Mr. Wang, when I visited San Francisco three years ago, I came to Songshizhai."
"Mr. Wang was still there at that time, and Songshizhai's business was very good, with many customers."
"This time it's like revisiting the old place, but things have changed!"
"Songshizhai is an antique store with a long history. Why don't you continue to operate it and choose to go bankrupt and liquidate it? Isn't it a pity?"
Hearing this, laughter suddenly erupted in the live broadcast room.
"When have you been to Songshizhai? It sounds like it's true!"
Wu Yidian's ruthless laughed and complained.
"Yeah! Xiao Ran is acting again!"
"You love acting so much, why don't you go to Hollywood to act?"
Jiujiu Guiyi smiled and continued.
As they joked, the laughter in the live broadcast room suddenly became louder.
Fortunately, neither Elaine nor Smith at the scene could understand Chinese, otherwise they would have laughed out loud.
Looking at Xiao Ran again, he looked as if nothing had happened, as if he didn't hear the fans' teasing.
The faces of the Wang brothers and sisters all turned red, and they seemed a little embarrassed.
Afterwards, Wang Yude explained a few words.
"We don't want to close Songshizhai. After all, it is an industry left by our fathers and it once maintained our family's life."
"But there is no way. Several of us are either doctors, teachers, or work in the IT industry, etc."
"We don't know anything about how to run an antique store. We have been losing money in the past two years and have been deceived a lot."
"Coupled with the current special situation, there are no tourists at all, and it can't continue to operate at all. That's why we thought of closing this antique store."
Hearing this, Xiao Ran suddenly realized.
Like the Chinese antique stores in Los Angeles, the Chinese antique stores in San Francisco have been relying on the influx of domestic tourists in recent years, and they have made a lot of money.
Now that the flow of domestic tourists has completely stopped, the same goes for Chinese tourists from other places. These Chinese antique shops have suddenly become deserted and business is bleak.
In addition, the Wang brothers and sisters each have their own careers and do not know how to run an antique store business.
Rather than keep losing money, eventually losing all the money and making the whole family turn against each other, it is better to end the business as soon as possible.
In this way, you can avoid continued losses, and you can also sell a sum of money and share it among everyone, so why not do it!
This is a typical cub selling field!
While they were talking, everyone walked into the antique store.
The antique store is quite large, nearly 200 square meters, and there are many kinds of goods in the store.
The goods displayed in antique shops are basically Chinese antique cultural relics and works of art, or so-called antique cultural relics and works of art.
From bronzes to ancient stone carvings, from calligraphy and painting works to exquisite porcelain, to Ming and Qing furniture, and all kinds of miscellaneous items, there is a wide range of varieties.
As for the authenticity and value of these things, benevolent people have different opinions.
But in Xiao Ran's eyes, it was something else.
As early as outside the antique store, he already knew through perspective what treasures there were in the antique store.
When you walk into the antique store, you can see it more clearly.
His eyes, which were covered by sunglasses, were flashing with excitement, but his expression was calm.
At this time, there were many people in the antique store, looking at the many goods displayed in the store for appreciation and evaluation.
These guys are either professional treasure hunters or other professionals, as well as some antique art collectors.
And most of them are Chinese, there are a few old men in their 50s and 60s, and there are more than a dozen treasure hunters of other ethnic groups.
No need to ask, these guys came here just to pick things up.
In addition to these guys, there are several young men and women in their twenties, all of Chinese descent, scattered throughout the store.
It can be seen from their position that they are supervising the buyers at the scene, and they are probably descendants of the Wang family.
Because all universities are on vacation or taking online classes at home, they are all drawn here.
Among these guys, there is a familiar face.
That was a guy in his mid-20s who I had met at the University of Southern California before. He was one of the so-called Feng Shao's losers.
The moment he saw Xiao Ran, the guy's expression suddenly changed and he looked quite embarrassed.
Xiao Ran turned a blind eye to him and just smiled and nodded at everyone present as a greeting.
At the same time, the guys who were looking for treasure in the antique store also looked at him.
Although these guys were very polite, nodding and saying hello, their faces were not pretty, and everyone had worried eyes.
"Wow! It's actually Sean. Why did he come to San Francisco? This is not a good thing!"
"They must have been recruited by those guys in Smith. They worked together in Las Vegas and made a lot of money. Is it possible that they want to do the same thing again?"
There was a buzz of discussion at the scene.
Several professional treasure hunters who had been to Las Vegas were filled with fear and even despair.
They all witnessed with their own eyes how Xiao Ran killed everyone at the auction venue and how ruthless and determined his attacks were.
The kind of momentum that carries a lot of money to despise and crush all opponents and treat all opponents as if they are nothing can simply make people despair and lose any fighting spirit to resist.
Look at Xiao Ran again.
After greeting everyone, he turned to Wang Yude and others and said:
"Mr. Wang, go ahead and take a look around the store. I hope I can find something."
"You don't have to accompany me. I will ask you for advice if necessary."
The Wang brothers and sisters looked at each other and nodded in unison.
"Okay, Mr. Xiao, please watch first. If you have any questions, please feel free to call us."
After saying that, the brothers and sisters stepped aside.
They don't understand things about antiques, cultural relics and works of art, so naturally they can't talk to others and can only stand aside and wait for the results.
However, they also hired professionals in advance and knew the approximate prices of all the goods in the store, so they were not too worried about losing money.
For them, as long as they can sell these items in the store at the appraised price, they are satisfied and do not expect too much.
Of course, it would be better if it can be sold at a high price.
After they left, Xiao Ran turned to look at a sea of blue and white brushes placed on the display stand next to him.
At this moment, Mr. Jin suddenly sent several barrages.
The first time she saw the barrage, Fang Yufei read it out immediately.
"Xiao Ran, Mr. Jin reminds you to pay attention. There are several professionals on site. I'm afraid it won't be that easy for you to pick up the leaks."
"The old man wearing a white silk shirt and a rosewood ring on his hand is the owner of another famous Chinese antique store in San Francisco."
"The Chinese man in his fifties next to him is also the owner of an antique shop. He obviously came from Taobao."
Following Fang Yufei's introduction, Xiao Ran immediately glanced at the professionals.
At this time, those people were admiring a landscape painting and discussing it in low voices.
That's a treasure that belongs to my buddies, so don't think about it, just go home and rest early!
