Debuted right after graduating from high school

In order to film the reality show, Fan Wumian specifically looked for topics that viewers might find interesting.

After lunch.

He took Gong Lingyue, whom he had "coincidentally" met, to visit a Taiwanese businessman who had recently been living in Hong Kong. The businessman had a Northern Song Dynasty Ru ware celadon sunflower-shaped washer.

The news that a genuine Ru ware piece was available for sale a few days ago caused a stir in the antique world. Subsequently, an expert from the Beijing Museum called, hoping that Fan Wumian would pay for it, saying that he wanted to prevent this treasure from ending up overseas.

Years ago, boxes of treasures were transported to that island, where the culture of collecting antiques and collectibles was very popular. Many families whose ancestors were wealthy owned a large number of fine antiques, reportedly totaling more than 70 pieces.

For example, the dragon head from the Old Summer Palace, whose whereabouts have been unknown for a long time, is said to be in the possession of a collector from Taiwan. The ox head, tiger head, monkey head, and horse head were also hyped up by famous local collectors.

These days, genuine national treasures are already incredibly expensive, like "bones that have been gnawed on," lacking the potential for investment and appreciation.

He was slightly interested in Ru ware, but unfortunately the seller was asking for HK$1.88 million, which was prohibitive.

Fan Wumian never intended to buy this Northern Song Dynasty Ru ware celadon sunflower-shaped washer from the beginning. He obtained the seller's consent in advance and it was just for filming a reality show.

It was only during the photoshoot that I learned the seller also had a Qing Dynasty Yongzheng imperial blue and white underglaze red cloud and dragon large celestial globe vase, which was also available for sale. The blue and white porcelain with the red dragon was a style that really appealed to Fan Wumian.

After examining the items and discussing the price, the collector invited Fan Wumian outside to discuss the matter. He held up three fingers and offered HK$3000 million.

During the event, it was noted that in 2003, the prices of collectibles were not high. A Qing Dynasty Qianlong blue and white underglaze red cloud and dragon emerging from the sea celestial globe vase had already been auctioned for about HK$500 million. As the father of Qianlong, Yongzheng had a large celestial globe vase in his possession that was even rarer and more exquisite.

Fan Wumian had a sudden idea. The more he looked at the large celestial globe vase, the more he felt it was suitable to be displayed at home as a decoration. So he bargained the price down to HK$2550 million and mentioned that he would ask an expert to come and take a look. The two sides quickly reached an agreement, which only took a few minutes.

Sending items to auction can take several months and incur high commissions and fees. In addition, with the sluggish economic outlook, it's uncertain whether they will fetch a high price at auction. Direct transactions are obviously more suitable.

Fan Wumian's net worth is getting higher and higher, but there are very few things he wants to buy.

During the continued filming, he learned from the seller that the famille rose nine-peach celestial globe vase and the yellow-ground blue-and-white dragon-and-flower celestial globe vase were also particularly beautiful. Fan Wumian said he would look into them and collect more if he had the opportunity, and put them in his private museum in the future.

It was rare to encounter a powerful buyer like Fan Wumian. After finalizing the deal for the blue-and-white underglaze red cloud and dragon large celestial globe vase, this Taiwanese businessman surnamed Cai asked:

"Mr. Fan, are you free later? If you're not busy, I can take you to my friend's place for tea. They have a lot of good stuff for sale."

Fan Wumian countered, "Oh? For example, what are some examples?"

The implication is simply that if you're interested, go take a look; if you don't find anything you like, don't waste your time.

After the frenzy of 2005 and 2007, and with the subprime crisis escalating and a financial tsunami looming, the antique collecting market is bound to cool down in the short term. Everyone understands the principle of buying when prices are rising and not buying when they are falling.

In previous years, collecting could be very profitable, even extremely so, so everyone rushed in. Now, not only is it difficult for prices to rise, but they may even fall. The trend has changed dramatically.

If it weren't for the fact that the large celestial globe bottle in Boss Cai's hand was so pleasing to the eye and looked quite charming, and that once missed, it would probably be hard to come by again, Fan Wumian wouldn't have made the hasty decision to buy it. He could wait until he had enough money in the future, and when he had nowhere else to invest, he could then acquire a batch of items as part of his "family heritage."

From a return perspective, the returns from keeping the money on hand for investment can easily outpace the appreciation of antiques. In this case, unless you really like it, there's no need to rush to sell.

Mr. Cai told us with a smile:

"For example, the two chime bells with intertwined dragon knobs and cloud dragon patterns made by Emperor Kangxi, and the two bells respectively inscribed with 'Wushe' and 'Jiazhong', are particularly well preserved."

"There is also a Tang Dynasty copy of Wang Xizhi's 'Ping An Tie'. I know the collector of it, and I estimate that its price will not be lower than my Ru ware."

"I also have a pair of Ming Jiajing period polychrome fish and seaweed pattern covered jars. My friend needs money and is selling them urgently. They represent the highest level of porcelain production in the Ming Dynasty, hence the high price."

Whether he genuinely wanted to help his friend or hoped to earn some favor or a commission, Mr. Cai glanced at the camera, took out his phone, and dialed "6000," which meant a pair of Ming Jiajing polychrome fish and algae pattern covered jars were priced at HK$6000 million.

Fan Wumian had a vague recollection of those jars painted with orange fish patterns; perhaps he had seen them while watching short videos in his previous life.

Most of the collectibles that he could access were treasures; otherwise, they wouldn't have become so popular that they were recommended to an outsider like him.

Compared to the pair of jars, Fan Wumian was more interested in the inscriptions on the two Kangxi chime bells. The inscription "Wushe" paired with "Jiazhong" (夹钟), the latter being a homophone for "adding a bell," made him think of many things and couldn't help but laugh.

He is not an archaeologist. Compared to the historical significance of antiques, he cares more about their investment and collection value as well as their aesthetic appeal. For example, two chime bells that can be used to play on homophones are easy to hype up and become popular, thereby increasing their market value. They may even have the opportunity to attract tourists to buy tickets and visit, just like the "Ten Thousand Souls Banner".

So Fan Wumian pressed on, asking:

"Forget about the 'Peaceful Post' (平安帖), it's too expensive for me. How much would those two sets of chime bells cost?"

Mr. Cai said:

"I'm sorry, but since it's not my own property, I can't disclose the price publicly."

Fan Wumian waved his hand and said:

"It's okay, just keep pressing a number, I won't say anything."

The phone then deleted the original number "6000" and replaced it with "3500", meaning that the two chime bells were priced at HK$3500 million.

Gong Lingyue was speechless after reading it. She was thinking about the four or five million yuan debt that almost drove her and her father to their deaths, but Fan Wumian was talking about tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of yuan worth of treasures as easily as shopping for clothes.

Fan Wumian continued to ask curiously:
"I don't know much about these things, and they're much more expensive than I expected. Why are they worth so much money?"

"Because they are rare. Most of the chime bells from the Kangxi period have Bagua patterns, and cloud and dragon patterns are very rare. These two are also gilded, so they look particularly grand."

Mr. Cai continued:

“Around 2005, my friend bought these two chime bells from Japan. It cost him a lot of money at the time, but he’s recently been short on funds and wants to sell them. They were previously in a museum collection and were bought by a Japanese collector in the early 20th century.”

Fan Wumian was worried that if he went out of his way, people would take advantage of him and make exorbitant demands. Now that everyone knew he was very rich, they naturally wanted to make more money off him.

However, for the sake of the show's effect, he still said:
"Today was a bit rushed, let's schedule another time. Mr. Cai, could you have your friend bring the documents over then, and I'll arrange for an expert to take a look?"

"Okay, okay, I'll go and let them know in a bit."

Aside from investing most of his time, Fan Wumian doesn't make many large purchases. However, if he comes across a favorite item, indulging in a luxury purchase of a hundred million or two is no big deal for him. Filling his private museum all at once would be difficult, but if he spends a little money each year to accumulate wealth, he can create a respectable and exquisite private museum in twenty or thirty years.

As we finished filming and were leaving...

Boss Cai shook hands with Fan Wumian, smiling broadly as he asked:

“Mr. Fan, are you really not going to consider my Ru ware piece? You might not get another chance if you miss this opportunity. Ru ware is extremely rare on the market. Once it enters the hands of a wealthy family, it may not be easily sold for hundreds of years. This is a true heirloom.”

Fan Wumian feigned regret and said:
"To say I don't like it would be a lie. The old saying, 'Even with a fortune, it's not as good as a piece of Ru porcelain,' is something even I, an outsider to this circle, have heard."

“But the price that Mr. Cai is asking for means that he has already taken all the appreciation potential for the next 20 years. There is no room for investment if I buy it. Ru ware is scarce on the market, but there are only a few dozen pieces in museums, which is not a small number.”

"From an investment perspective, if I buy some Ming and Qing dynasty porcelain pieces like celestial globe vases or large jars with fish and seaweed patterns now, the price might rise even more."

"Besides, I've heard people say that tomb raiders are rampant in mainland China, and there's a possibility of a blanket ban on trading artifacts from before the Ming and Qing dynasties. If we end up with completely unsold items, how much of the market can collectors in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan support?"

"."

These words struck Cai like a thunderbolt. He was completely stunned. He felt that given Fan Wumian's level, he might have actually heard some inside information beforehand. He asked in surprise:

"Many people's family heirlooms are now being banned from sale just because they're told not to?"

Fan Wumian chuckled and said:

"How many large families can survive from before the Ming and Qing dynasties to the present day? Not to mention that they have not encountered any disasters during that time, and have passed down their family heirlooms from generation to generation. They have directly banned the market, and those grave robbers have lost their source of income, so of course they will not risk digging up graves."

Mr. Cai was sweating profusely, but he pretended to be calm and said:
"I'm asking for a high price, but we can negotiate. We can even talk about lowering it by a few million."

The news of a trading ban hasn't actually come out yet; if things go smoothly, it could be auctioned off next spring.

Fan Wumian remembered that the transactions involved Ru ware and a considerable amount of porcelain, and simply smiled and replied:
"Mr. Cai, you can try selling first. It would be great if you could find a buyer. If you can't sell them, we'll see how things go and discuss it further. In a few days, we can invite more people. I'll treat everyone to dinner, and I'll buy any items they like."

"Alright, the circle is only so big. I'll ask a friend to help inquire. Mr. Fan, you can go ahead and get busy; I won't see you off."

----------

We've already shot enough footage today.

After the film crew left, Gong Lingyue didn't rush to leave. Instead, she stayed by Fan Wumian's side, clearly not wanting to go.

Like a big bad wolf caught in the clutches of a little white rabbit, Fan Wumian was both amused and exasperated. Sitting in the back of the Phantom with Gong Lingyue, he asked, "Where are you going later?"

Gong Lingyue was a little flustered. She brushed her bangs behind her ear and asked softly, "I'm fine with anything. I don't have any other plans today. What about you?"

The atmosphere has been built up to this level.

Fan Wumian thought that whether he was herding one sheep or a flock of sheep, he didn't mind having another sweetheart with a gentle and cute style, and molding her into the shape he liked.

Gong Lingyue is still pretty much like an ordinary person right now, so she might be more accepting of certain things and have lower expectations.

Once she's truly made famous, completely resolved her life's troubles, broadened her horizons, and achieved financial freedom, she might not be so easy to talk to anymore.

For example, Gao Yuanyuan, who dared to take the initiative to break up with Fan Wumian, is confident because she has tens of millions of RMB in savings and a high level of fame. Even if she leaves Sheng Huo Miaomiao's agency, she can still live a carefree life.

There's also Xue Shiyun from Xiamen, who sat in his lap and kept saying she wanted to find Fan Wumian to be her "sugar daddy".

However, after her family secured funding, the girl immediately pretended to be dead, avoiding appearing in front of him as much as possible. It was obvious that she was taking the bait and then spitting out the hook to give back to him, and now she is still a glamorous young lady.

Fan Wumian initially chose to help Xue Shiyun by providing financing for her family's cement, transportation, and mixing plant businesses because he valued the potential of her company, which perfectly aligned with the need to plan ahead in the real estate and infrastructure markets. Therefore, he didn't feel like he had lost out.

Gong Lingyue was different. Fan Wumian had clearly agreed to help her resolve the trouble, but the girl still used some clumsy and awkward methods to get close to him, which was a case of willing takers.

Therefore, after pondering for a moment, he asked:
"How about we go to my place for another swim? I just opened a bottle of Romanée-Conti last night. I was going to compare it with the Auperi Estate Sauternes that I acquired, but after tasting it, I found that my sense of taste isn't that sensitive, and I could hardly tell the difference. You can try it though."

After being branded by Valentino, the sales of its beverages skyrocketed, and it subsequently acquired two French First Growth wineries, Château de la Haut and Château de Blancs-Bellefur, as well as a high-end whisky distillery in Scotland.

True connoisseurs are few and far between. Although Valentino's practice of using private labeling is displeasing, consumers in Asia are particularly receptive to it. Rather than buying quality, they are buying the brand.

Similar to many expensive spirits, if you throw away the bottles and let passersby taste them randomly, the actual difference in quality is far less exaggerated than the price suggests.

Since consumers are obsessed with big brands, Fan Wumian is just going with the flow. Just like many bags made of plastic and recycled materials, they can still sell for exorbitant prices and attract consumers to flock to them.

Gong Lingyue said quietly:
“I know absolutely nothing about red wine, but I can give it a try, and I just bought a swimsuit this morning, which happens to be in my bag.”

After saying that, she realized it was too deliberate and quickly added:

"Didn't we go swimming last night? I need to stay in shape, so I was thinking of finding places to swim more often, not that I specifically bring my swimsuit with me."

Fan Wumian nodded and told the bodyguard to drive him home.

The two swam together, then drank and chatted for a while. When the atmosphere was just right, things naturally happened. It was so smooth that Gong Lingyue found it unbelievable, and she was completely unguarded and incredibly enthusiastic.

She had never done *that* before, but today was her first time, and it was incredibly... well, you know.

Because she was afraid of the pain, she couldn't hold back her tears and cried uncontrollably. Fan Wumian had no choice but to give up and try to teach her some new knowledge instead.

There are advantages to using blank paper.

He taught her exactly how to do it, and Gong Lingyue learned it exactly as he taught her, focusing on being well-behaved and sensible, with an expression full of curiosity.

Occasionally, meeting her bright, clear eyes was incredibly captivating, always leaving Fan Wumian feeling both ashamed and delighted. (End of Chapter)