As Wei Cheng changed his tone, everyone's attention immediately focused on him.
Wei Cheng smiled and explained, "Mr. Lin likely recognizes this item. As you probably know, this is a 'Lianque Cage.'"
"What exactly is a Lianque Cage? As the name suggests, it's not actually meant for keeping birds, but rather as an ornamental piece for appreciation."
"When the Lianque Cage was originally crafted, it included a copper bird inside, forming an integrated set. But now there's only the cage without the bird, so it can't be considered a complete piece."
Lin Xiao kept his expression neutral, but honestly, he didn't know.
He had no prior knowledge about birdcages. His ability to recognize the antique had come solely from the extensive experience granted by the system, giving him an intuitive sense for valuable items, which allowed him to snag the deal.
However, he genuinely didn't understand the system itself.
This explained why the system valued it at 16 million yuan, while Wei Cheng mentioned a similar birdcage previously selling for 20 million yuan.
There was a difference of 4 million yuan, which puzzled him earlier.
It turned out the missing copper bird was the cause.
Xu Rushan asked curiously, "So it's not actually for keeping birds?"
Chen Wanli replied indifferently, "Well, isn't it up to me how I use it? If I want to keep birds in it, then I'll keep birds in it."
Xu Rushan rolled his eyes, unable to communicate with this kind of nouveau riche mentality.
Wei Cheng laughed, "Mr. Chen is right; its use depends entirely on personal preference. However, from an auction house's valuation perspective, we must value it based solely on the cage itself. Items like these are extremely rare in the collecting world, but missing the copper bird significantly impacts its worth. Considering recent price trends, a complete cage could fetch around 23 million yuan. However, this one lacking the bird, I'd appraise at around 16 million yuan."
"That big of a difference?"
"One bird makes a difference of 7 million yuan!"
"This is seriously scary."
"Seven million for a single bird! That has to be the most expensive bird in the world!"
"Boss Lin has almost cleaned out all the good stuff at Fuzimiao!"
"At Boss Lin's pace, he'll be worth a hundred million within a month!"
Chen Wanli asked, "Little Lin, will you sell this cage?"
"Yes!" Lin Xiao answered decisively.
What's the point of holding onto a bargain like this without selling?
Collect it?
Perhaps he'd develop that hobby in the future, but right now, he certainly hadn't.
Besides, clients like Chen Wanli were rare gems.
Over the past few days, Chen Wanli alone had purchased several of the treasures Lin Xiao found.
Passing up this opportunity might mean losing it entirely.
If he handed it over to Wei Cheng for auction, it'd take months.
Lin Xiao was practical—when it was time to cash out, he cashed out.
Chen Wanli quickly offered, "Then, 16 million yuan."
He took out his phone, instructed his finance department, and soon, 16 million yuan transferred successfully.
Chen Wanli was all smiles since no one else was competing with him.
After confirming payment, Chen Wanli picked up the cage and said, "I'll head back now. Little Lin, be sure to let me know immediately if you find anything else good!"
He had said this many times before.
Initially, it was merely polite.
But now, he genuinely hoped Lin Xiao would reach out to him whenever he found more treasures.
This young man's expertise in identifying antiques was truly impressive!
Luck? Forget that.
Considering how many valuable pieces Lin Xiao had found in just two days, could anyone really call that luck?
It was absolutely pure skill!
Besides, luck was a part of skill too!
If you had the ability to find bargains, others would respect you just the same!
"Sure thing."
Lin Xiao nodded politely, then picked up his own cage and stood up, "I'll head back too."
After leaving the hotel, Lin Xiao said, "No more hunting today. Ending the stream now, see you all later."
"No! Keep going!"
"Yeah, you haven't finished exploring the Flower-Bird-Fish-Insect Market yet!"
"I've got material for my dreams tonight—thanks, Boss Lin!"
Lin Xiao ended the stream.
Carrying the birdcage, he hailed a taxi and returned directly to his rented apartment.
He placed the bird inside, provided food and water, and checked the time.
It was 4:10 PM, still enough time.
He stepped out again, caught another taxi, and headed straight to the tax bureau.
He had taxes to pay.
Twenty minutes later, Lin Xiao arrived at the tax bureau. It was rather quiet with few visitors.
After taking a queue number, it was soon his turn.
Sitting at the window, the clerk asked, "What business are you handling, sir?"
Lin Xiao replied, "I sold some antiques over the past couple of days. How do I pay taxes on that?"
The clerk was slightly surprised, having rarely handled such cases.
Usually, taxes from antique sales were processed by auction companies on behalf of the sellers, handled by specialized departments.
"Please hold on, sir, I'll have to inquire about this."
Feeling slightly embarrassed, the clerk excused herself. Lin Xiao acknowledged quietly; he wasn't in a rush.
Soon, the clerk returned accompanied by a middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man sat down, "May I have your name, sir?"
"Lin Xiao."
"Mr. Lin, you've sold antiques, correct?"
"Yes."
"The current tax policy dictates that selling antiques requires payment of a tax on the appreciated value at a rate of 15%."
Fifteen percent...
That wasn't exactly low.
But then again, the money had come very easily.
The middle-aged man handed over a form, "Mr. Lin, please fill this out. I'll calculate your taxes."
"Alright."
Lin Xiao took the form and began writing.
In these two days, he had found five valuable bargains.
He quickly finished and handed it back.
When the middle-aged man saw the total amount Lin Xiao wrote, his smile froze momentarily.
Holy... so much money?