Chapter 697: Chapter 694 Imperial Capital Ghost Market

The so-called “Ghost Market” refers to a night market that disperses at dawn, also known as “Ghost Market Fair.”

Prior to this, Huo Sining’s understanding of the Ghost Market was akin to that of the Tengchong Ghost Market, a temporary venue set up by tomb robbers and cultural artifact smugglers for transactions.

Alternatively, like the antique markets that operate at night or Antique Street, where such purported fairs mainly attract customers seeking cheap deals, thus the stalls there often peddle fake goods to dupe people.

At a night antique market, genuine items are mixed with fakes, and those who find a bargain are either antiques experts or have simply struck it lucky.

However, the Ghost Market in the Imperial Capital was far different from the Ghost Market Huo Sining had envisioned. Throughout the journey, Zhou Shitao explained the rules of the Ghost Market in the Magic Capital to Huo Sining, and she came to understand the ins and outs of it.

The Ghost Market in the Imperial Capital began merely as a gathering of people from ordinary antique circles to exchange their antiques, but it grew gradually and eventually evolved into a large-scale trade fair.

According to Zhou Shitao, the formation of this market took only a few years, developing almost inexplicably.

Huo Sining was not so naive as to be ignorant of worldly affairs, and she could understand a thing or two from Zhou Shitao’s rather ambiguous words.

It’s true that the Ghost Market possessed many rare items, but its very title as a “Ghost Market” indicated that the trade fair was not a formal venue. Most of the goods had dubious provenance, not only from petty thieves urgently offloading stolen items but also from those laundering money through these channels.

Yet, the enduring existence of the Ghost Market in the Imperial Capital proved that its owners had strong backing–someone influential in the Imperial Capital must be providing protection.

Otherwise, the market wouldn’t even need to open before it was shut down.

Of course, this did not mean that anyone could simply waltz into the Imperial Capital Ghost Market.

The allure of the Imperial Capital Ghost Market stemmed from its interesting regulations. Many in the antiques circle knew of the Ghost Market in the Magic Capital, but entry was not so simple. Without an insider to introduce you, it didn’t matter how wealthy you were–you couldn’t get in.

But Huo Sining didn’t have to worry. Since Zhou Shitao was willing to bring her along, it meant there was certainly a way for them to enter.

Not long after dinner, Zhou Shitao received a phone call–someone was coming to pick them up for the market.

Following Zhou Shitao down to the Zhou Family’s entrance, sure enough, they saw a black sedan waiting there.

When the middle-aged man spotted Zhou Shitao, Huo Sining, and Ji Kun stepping out, he briskly walked up and called out, “Mr. Zhou.” Zhou Shitao nodded slightly, and gestured toward Ji Kun and Huo Sining behind him, “Make arrangements for us; this time, I’m bringing my two apprentices with me.”

The man sized up Huo Sining and Ji Kun, gave a slight nod, and then opened the car door to invite the three of them inside.

Huo Sining felt somewhat surprised–this person who had come to pick them up only recognized Zhou Shitao and didn’t show any courtesy to Ji Kun, an expert from the Forbidden City Museum. This indicated that the regulations of the Imperial Capital Ghost Market were indeed very strict.

But this only piqued Huo Sining’s interest even more. The Ghost Market was a jumble of good and bad, and it was not certain to contain many treasures. The stricter the Imperial Capital Ghost Market was, the more likely it was that the items within were of significant importance. Excited at the prospect of seeing quality goods, Huo Sining was particularly exhilarated.

Driving along, taking numerous twists and turns, they finally arrived in front of an unassuming building.

As they got out of the car, the man led Huo Sining and her two companions inside. At the entrance were two security guards in uniform. Huo Sining’s group had not yet entered when they were stopped.

The middle-aged man smiled politely, “Mr. Zhou, I’m sorry for the trouble, but could you please deposit your mobile phones, cameras, and other electronic devices? It’s the rule.”

Zhou Shitao nodded, and the three of them promptly complied, without a word taking their mobile phones out of their pockets.

The security guards, going through routine procedure, saw how cooperative the three were and nodded slightly, stepping aside to let them through.

Following the middle-aged man into the building, they were not led upstairs; instead, they turned to a small, unremarkable door. The man punched in a passcode, and suddenly, the door opened, revealing a small elevator.

Quickly, the elevator descended to the first sub-level. As the elevator doors opened, Huo Sining realized they had arrived at a large underground market. The entire floor had thousands of partitioned spaces, each only two to three square meters, with vendors displaying their goods.

“Those are the booths. This level is a gathering place for ordinary vendors, and the quality of their goods varies. Whether or not you can find a bargain depends entirely on your own skills.”

Seeing Huo Sining curiously looking around, the middle-aged man kindly suggested, “Miss Huo, if you’re interested, why not go to the second or third floor to choose? There are quite a few booths selling jade and jewelry downstairs; you might find something you like.”

The middle-aged man thought that Huo Sining, being a young lady, would be attracted to jewelry. However, he was unaware that her attention was not focused on those items at all.

Of course, the so-called jade and jewelry were not the modern pieces found in typical jewelry stores. The items that made it to the second and third floors of the Ghost Market were at least antiques from the Republic of China era, naturally holding much higher collectible value than ordinary jewelry.

Huo Sining thanked him for his kindness, yet her gaze remained fixed on the myriad of items on display at those small booths.

Zhou Shitao had seen Huo Sining’s ability to authentically appraise the Baiyang Box and knew that this girl had come to find bargains. But, out of a mentor’s duty, he still reminded her:

“The antiquities trade values seasoned experience, so this time I brought you here to broaden your horizon. You are still young and what you’ve seen and heard is just a drop in the ocean. So try to look more and buy less. For items you’re unsure about or can’t properly appraise, remember not to act rashly.”

Zhou Shitao’s warning was not without reason. Since entering the antiques trade, Huo Sining had never made a mistake in spotting bargains, which gave her a sense of pride and complacency. Zhou Shitao was concerned she might go astray, so he made sure to keep her alert.

Even an expert hunter can sometimes be pecked by the geese, let alone in the trade of antiques. He also reminded Huo Sining to be careful and methodical, and not to rush for success.

In Zhou Shitao’s eyes, Huo Sining was still a child, so his concern stemmed from the fear that she might make a costly mistake in her purchases.

If Huo Sining knew what her mentor was thinking, she would surely laugh until her stomach hurt.

Zhou Shitao’s worries were entirely unnecessary. Recently, Huo Sining had been very lucky with money–she had earned a substantial amount in Ruili, and attending Liu Chongren’s birthday banquet brought her another windfall. Her coffers were brimming; she could buy anything she wanted without a second thought.

Huo Sining was an invisible tycoon. Even if she did make a mistake, the loss would be trivial for her.

Besides, with the Heavenly Eye, Huo Sining was confident that there was nobody in this world capable of fooling her eyes–at least, not yet born.