The second update, asking for subscriptions and monthly votes~~

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Just as Young Master Liang was marveling at Qin Fang's exquisite gambling skills, the two of them happened to pass by the small room for exchanging chips, and immediately a man's sharp voice reached their ears.

Qin Fang's steps paused slightly, and he turned his head to look in that direction…

A man in his forties, dressed in a somewhat worn-out suit, yet fairly neat, with well-groomed hair.

At this moment, he was holding a scroll in his hand, the paper looked somewhat old, clearly something handed down from ancient times…

Of course, this was just the first impression, whether it was truly an antique needed careful identification… In these days, there are simply too many counterfeit antiquities.

"Take it or leave it, if you think the price is too low, you can go somewhere else..."

The pawnshop staff showed obvious displeasure on his face, waving his hand rudely to indicate.

Besides the usual cash, checks, and transfers, the casino occasionally accepts some valuable items for pawn, which is also to cope with some gamblers' urgent need to recoup their losses and make a profit.

In fact, some casinos even offer high-interest loans, but those require local guarantors, generally not allowing outsiders to borrow.

Kailay doesn't offer high-interest loans, but it does have pawning, with both short-term and direct pawning… Gamblers desperate to recoup often do unexpected things in the heat of the moment.

At pawnshops outside, the value of general items will be undercut and underestimated, otherwise, the pawnshops can't make money…

The lower the price is pressed, the higher the interest isn't low at all, so if the customer doesn't redeem it, the pawnshop can immediately sell it and earn quite a profitable margin.

The casino's pawning operates on the same principle, as long as the item is genuine and holds some value, they directly offer a rock-bottom price. Gamblers desperate to recoup, without cash at hand, might indeed pawn valuable items here…

If they win, they'll, of course, redeem their items, albeit with substantial interest, which seems reasonable, as winning makes one not care about that meager interest.

But if they lose, they have no money to redeem, and if they can't raise money within the pawn's time limit, the pawnshop immediately sells the item, recovering the principal and interest, and even making a tidy profit.

To make more profit, the price has to be slashed hard…

The pawnshop staff before him was doing just that, having long noticed the man, knew he'd lost a lot and was eager to recoup his losses, and that his item was genuine, though unsure if it's worth three to five million, but surely not less than thirty to fifty thousand, he directly reduced it to ten thousand. If he could seize it, he'd truly profit, and once the item is sold, his commission would be quite substantial…

"Sir, could I have a look at this item?"

Qin Fang observed the scene, used his Scouting Skill on the scroll, and as the results came back, he was slightly taken aback, then he stepped forward and very politely inquired.

"Uh..."

The middle-aged man was indeed anxious, the casino staff was too frustrating for him, he cursed him thoroughly in his heart, but the guy simply wouldn't raise the price.

"Please, take a look, please…"

Upon seeing someone come to inquire, he immediately felt a change of fortune, eagerly handing the scroll to Qin Fang, speaking with some excitement.

Of course, he wasn't so much a fool to be oblivious; he had already noticed Qin Fang and Young Master Liang's attire, Qin Fang appeared fairly modest but in actuality, his clothes were custom designed by internationally renowned designers… though the clothes, shoes, etc., had no explicit brand logos, so the average person wouldn't recognize them.

Young Master Liang, on the other hand, was a bit flamboyant, wearing Versace clothes, Louis Vuitton shoes, and a Vacheron Constantin watch on his wrist…

The middle-aged man seemed somewhat knowledgeable too, instantly recognizing them, his gaze towards Qin Fang and Young Master Liang altered.

Just from their attire, it was evident that these two men's identities were not simple, and they must have considerable wealth, so if they wanted to see his treasure, if they wished to buy it, surely they wouldn't offer just ten thousand…

Qin Fang took the scroll, slowly unfolding it, revealing its true face.

It was a landscape painting of quite high quality, from the inscriptions on the painting, it should be a Song Dynasty work.

But upon closely examining the few inscriptions, Qin Fang found that most of the names and seals were not of any renowned figures, at least not known masters that he was familiar with.

This being the case, the price of this painting naturally wouldn't be too high, so it wasn't surprising the casino's pawning staff would press the price so low.

The painting was good, and indeed a genuine ancient piece, but unfortunately not by any great masters, at most the work of a somewhat famous painter.

A price of ten thousand was indeed too low, thirty to fifty thousand certainly wouldn't be enough, perhaps it could reach up to a million.

Judging from the quality and age of this painting, it shouldn't be the work of an unknown. If a professional traces its origin, then selling this painting for three to five million wouldn't be a problem at all...

"I really like this painting. I wonder if you would be willing to part with it?"

Qin Fang looked at the painting, showing an expression of "I really like it," and asked with a smile.

"Sure, sure! It's just the price..."

This middle-aged man originally planned to pawn this painting. It is said to have been passed down from his ancestors and has always been treated as a family heirloom.

It's just that he's been tight on money lately, and this heirloom can't be used as food. He once had experts in the field appraise it. Three to five million was an exaggeration, but at that time, the expert suggested it could be bought for eight hundred thousand...

He came here today and gambled a few rounds. At first, luck was on his side, and he won quite a bit, but soon he lost it all back... In his urgency to turn things around, he thought of this painting, planning to pawn it temporarily and redeem it once he won some money!

But the staff member was pressing too hard on the price, and he was naturally unhappy about it.

Now that Qin Fang suddenly expressed interest in buying it, how could he not be pleased?

It's just the price...

"Price isn't a problem. Just name your bottom price, if I find it acceptable, I'll buy it right away..."

Qin Fang waved his hand, speaking in a very casual tone, as if he didn't consider this a big issue, which made the middle-aged man's heart skip a beat.

"Three million!"

The middle-aged man thought for a while with his head down before blurting out a number while keeping a close eye on Qin Fang's expression.

"That's what the expert originally said. I urgently need money now, so I'll sell it to you for three million..."

He didn't forget to explain a bit while speaking.

But upon hearing this price, Qin Fang frowned slightly, showing a hint of dissatisfaction, which immediately made the middle-aged man's heart tense up.

Young Master Liang beside Qin Fang furrowed his brows instantly, speaking in a rather displeased tone, "I say, you have a really black heart. The pawnshop is only willing to give you ten thousand, yet you're asking us for three million, are you sincerely trying to cheat us... Young Master Qin, I think we better not buy it, this guy is too shady!"

"It's because they don't know the real value. This is an ancestral treasure of mine. I'm definitely not randomly asking for three million..."

The middle-aged man had been observing Qin Fang's reaction. He realized that this was the main person in charge. Although Qin Fang frowned, he didn't say it was expensive, indicating there was still hope. Faced with Young Master Liang's accusation, he replied firmly.

"Enough, let's not discuss this anymore..."

Young Master Liang was about to continue arguing, but Qin Fang waved his hand to stop him, then turned to the middle-aged man and said, "I really like this painting, but three million is indeed too high... How about this, two million, if you agree to this price, I'll buy it."

"Young Master Qin..."

Young Master Liang was taken aback, opening his mouth to say something, but Qin Fang gestured him to stop talking.

"Well... okay, two million it is. I'll sell it to you since I urgently need money!"

The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, finally gritting his teeth and agreeing, though he seemed a bit reluctant in his words. However, his slightly raised eyebrows revealed his excitement.

Qin Fang knew this very well; he even understood that the middle-aged man's psychological price was one million. Qin Fang was just unwilling to haggle any further here; securing the deal quickly and obtaining the painting was most important.

The more time dragged on, the higher the chances of something going wrong. He didn't want to delay his matters for a small amount of money...

"Cheque or transfer?"

Qin Fang nodded. The man's agreement was the best outcome, and he immediately asked, preparing to make the payment.

"I'll handle it, I'll handle it..."

Before the middle-aged man could speak, Young Master Liang jumped in, putting chips worth two million directly into the man's hand, "Here are two million in chips, count them yourself..."

Two million, to him, wasn't an insignificant amount. Though he came from a wealthy family, with his uncle being the Chief Executive on Hong Kong Island, his money came from legitimate sources, and he spent it cautiously, unlike other wealthy wastrels who splurged...

But this time was different. Apart from trying to ingratiate himself with Qin Fang, the money was from the winnings he accumulated while following Qin Fang, making it very reasonable for him to pay on his behalf.

After subtracting these two million in chips, he still had over ten thousand in scattered chips, meaning he hadn't lost much at all... (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) and make recommendations or monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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