strictlysupreme Chapter 1361 The Old Expert is Truly Professional
Chapter 1361 The Old Expert is Truly Professional
Director Hu's eyes lit up when he heard this. "Great! Having a reliable appraisal expert at least gives us peace of mind!"
Liu Meilan nodded, "Yes, I've already arranged for him to get a long-term visa so he can live in China!"
Old William had no family left. When he fell on hard times, his friends not only did not help him, but also kicked him when he was down. The area became a place of sorrow for him, so he came to China to start a new life.
Director Hu was even happier to hear this. "Then I will make good arrangements for the old gentleman's life and make sure he is so happy in China that he doesn't want to leave."
Liu Meilan smiled, "Mr. William is currently staying at a hotel, but it's not home. Director Hu, please arrange a place for him to stay. He has difficulty walking, so it would be best if he stayed near the museum. Arrange for a nanny to take care of his meals and a driver to provide transportation."
Director Hu agreed, "President Liu, please rest assured."
After the meeting, Liu Meilan and Director Hu went to the hotel to see Old William.
Mr. William has adjusted to the time difference and is in much better spirits. Although he is in a wheelchair, he can still walk with the help of a cane.
“Hello, Mr. William! We’ve already arranged a place for you. It’ll be more comfortable for you to stay there; it’s near the museum,” Liu Meilan said with a light laugh.
William didn't feel out of place here; all the staff at the hotel spoke English. However, with so many people and distractions, it wasn't suitable for a long stay.
“Thank you!” William said gratefully. “But I’d rather go to the museum and see if there are really as many antiques as in the photos you showed me.”
Liu Meilan nodded, her tone sincere, "Of course! It's all true. I'll have someone send your luggage back to your residence. Now I'll take you to the museum."
And so, Liu Meilan took old William directly to the museum.
Someone specially pushed old William's wheelchair to the exhibition hall. When old William saw the items, neatly arranged in rows on the shelves, he was immediately excited. Without a cane, he stood up and stumbled over.
Director Hu was terrified and broke out in a cold sweat. He quickly stepped forward to help him up, saying, "Mr. William, please slow down. Don't rush. Let's take our time."
This foreign expert is about to be put to work; if he falls, he'll probably have to be hospitalized.
Old William continued forward, took out white gloves from his pocket and put them on. "Could you open them and let me see?"
“Okay!” Liu Meilan nodded, took out a key, inserted it and turned it. Then Director Hu also took out a key and turned it in another hole. Finally, the security captain also used a key to turn it in the third hole.
Only with three keys can the display case be opened.
Old William took out a solid gold goblet, its design featuring rich, old European patterns, both in lines and shapes, all highly representative. He was particularly astonished by the emblem representing a noble family.
“Ms. Liu, this is the coat of arms of the Duke of Lia of Italy. This item should belong to their family. If this item appears at an auction, the Duke of Lia's family will definitely buy it. However, I suggest you do not sell it, but give it to the Duke of Lia instead.”
Director Hu and Liu Meilan were both taken aback. "Why give it to them for free?"
Old William replied, "Because after Duke Leah was assassinated, this cup was stolen. It represents the rightful heir of their family. They have been searching for it all these years, but they never expected it to be taken abroad."
“Since this item is so important to the Lia family, wouldn’t it fetch a higher price? Why would I give it to them? I don’t even know them!” Liu Meilan looked puzzled. “Mr. William, I know you are a highly respected expert. Can you explain why?”
William smiled. "Because the Lia family is a notorious mafia organization in Europe and America! If this item goes up for auction, it's fine if they can get it, but if they can't, you'll be in a lot of trouble! There's a saying in China: it's better to offend a gentleman than a villain, especially a family like the Lia family that will stop at nothing and has a deep and wide network of connections!"
“If you give this to Duke Lia, these items from the museum can be auctioned off without anyone cheating or attacking you! You should be able to figure this out! If you don’t believe me, with your abilities, you should be able to find out about the Lia family’s status in Europe and America through some channels.”
Liu Meilan blinked. "So this is like paying protection money, right?"
Old William shrugged. "You could say that!"
Liu Meilan nodded, "I understand! I will discuss with the others how to properly hand this over to Duke Lia!"
The other party is a triad. Liu Meilan doesn't want to associate with such people, but as the number of projects increases, she has more and more contact with foreign countries, which inevitably leads to contact with all sorts of people from both the legitimate and criminal worlds abroad.
Old William laughed, "Although this wine glass could sell for a lot of money, giving it away will bring you even more! Of course, this is just my suggestion!"
"I will consider it carefully!" Liu Meilan nodded. "Let's continue watching!"
Old William's various items, their histories, and corresponding prices.
Director Hu recorded them one by one and found that they differed greatly from the starting prices given by the auction house, with some even exceeding the starting price by 10 times.
Director Hu was secretly alarmed. Fortunately, General Manager Liu had invited this expert; otherwise, they might have been ripped off by the auction house!
Although Liu Meilan loved these things, she listened with great interest as Old William talked on and on.
These antiques are not only valued for their rare materials and beautiful designs, but also for the stories behind each one. They represent a period of history and bear witness to the lives of many people, the rise and fall of many families, and even nations.
At 5:00 p.m., Liu Meilan and Director Hu escorted Old William to his residence.
Old William loved the quiet courtyard. The driver and the cook/nanny were a couple who took care of him.
Old William was very satisfied, especially with the fish tank in the yard.
"Thank you, Ms. Liu, I really love it here!" Old William smiled. "I can feel your sincerity. I have no relatives left in my country, and I don't want to go back! I will work hard for you and hope to spend my old age here in peace! If anyone here is interested in Western culture or Western antiques, you can introduce them to me, and I can teach them!"
Liu Meilan asked in surprise, "Is it really possible to do this?"
“Of course!” Old William nodded with a smile. “My former students have betrayed me and are no longer my successors! I’m going to find someone else to carry on my cultural knowledge! Besides, you pay me a high salary and you take care of my food, clothing, housing, and medical care, so it doesn’t cost that much money. Therefore, I plan to donate half of it to charity.”