No Merchant Without Deceit: The Heart-winning Strategy for Antique Sister

If this sale goes through smoothly without any scams,

and if the system generates other treasures in the future,

Lin Yu can confidently bring them to Shen Buyao again.

No need to worry about being questioned about their origins—saving a lot of trouble.

"College kid, let me give you some friendly advice."

"These days, people would pull a knife over a thousand bucks."

"You’re walking around Ghost Market Street with a treasure worth millions…"

"If you run into someone with both the eye for valuables and the guts to steal, you might not even make it out alive!"

After saying this,

Shen Buyao waited to see Lin Yu’s panicked expression.

Only then could she play the role of the "good big sister" and offer him her protection.

But Lin Yu’s reaction was eerily calm.

Was he just naturally clueless?

Or completely unfazed?

Even when he heard the treasure was worth millions, his excitement flickered and vanished in an instant.

If he claimed his family had no other treasures, Shen Buyao would never believe it.

Her warning might not have been pleasant to hear,

but Lin Yu knew she wasn’t joking.

In the past,

his frail frame wouldn’t have stood a chance against ruthless thieves.

But now?

It’d take dozens of people just to pin him down!

Of course, that wasn’t the main point.

"Buyao-jie, can you help me sell this?"

"I need the money. Do you take this lacquer plate?"

Lin Yu cut straight to the chase.

Shen Buyao’s surprise lasted only a second.

Based on her life experience,

99% of people who brought treasures to Ghost Market Street for appraisal intended to sell them.

And this was just some ordinary college kid.

What young person could resist the temptation of becoming a millionaire?

Shen Buyao stared into Lin Yu’s eyes and pressed further:

"Kid, are you sure you want to sell?"

"Do you know its value as a collectible?"

"Do you understand the impact this treasure could have if it hits the market?"

Lin Yu smiled and shook his head.

"Buyao-jie, I don’t know any of that."

"All I know is that in my hands, its only use is as a nut dish—basically worthless."

"I don’t know any other antique dealers. Just you."

Shen Buyao suddenly flicked Lin Yu under the chin.

He winced and rubbed the spot.

"Damn you, using an antique as a snack tray? You’ve got some nerve!"

"And stop playing the sympathy card—‘I only know you’—making this shady businesswoman feel guilty!"

"Honestly, I can’t afford to take this off your hands myself."

"Ghost Market Street has plenty of capable dealers, but if they take it, they’ll slash the value by half."

Lin Yu didn’t interrupt.

From Shen Buyao’s tone, it was clear she had more to say.

"But… if you really trust your big sister here,"

"I can introduce you to someone who can help you sell it!"

Just as Lin Yu expected.

This was exactly what he was waiting for.

"Really? That’s perfect!"

"Buyao-jie, I really want to sell it."

"If you have connections, could you help me out?"

Lin Yu pleaded earnestly.

Shen Buyao pulled out her phone and snapped a few photos of the hibiscus-patterned plate.

She kept talking as she did:

"We’re neighbors—helping each other out is only natural."

"I’ll take some photos for reference. Come back to my shop at this time tomorrow night, and I’ll introduce you to an auction house contact."

"But let’s get one thing straight, kid…"

"Going through a middleman means they’ll take a cut."

"For a treasure of this value, expect at least a 7% commission."

Fair enough.

Nothing in this world comes for free.

Lin Yu had no connections of his own. If he went to someone outside their circle, he’d likely get scammed even worse.

Even if the cut were 17%, he’d still agree.

If the other party asked for nothing, that’d be the real red flag—

it’d mean they were after something much bigger.

The only question was…

How much of that 7% would Shen Buyao pocket?

Given her personality and the fact that they’d only just met,

it could be anywhere from 1% to 7%.

In his past life, Lin Yu had worked at a "client-facing" company and lived comfortably.

He knew all the unspoken rules of business negotiations.

On the surface, Shen Buyao had only mentioned the auction house’s 7% cut, framing herself as just doing a favor.

If Lin Yu naively agreed without addressing her cut, there’d be no chance of future deals.

She might not have brought it up because he was just a "college kid,"

or maybe she was testing his social awareness.

If she wouldn’t mention it,

he couldn’t play dumb.

"Buyao-jie, I have no problem with the auction house taking 7%."

"But I’d like to offer 10% total—the extra 3% is for you."

"This will definitely be a hassle for you. I can’t let you work for free."

[Ding!]

[Masterful social maneuvering! The Heavenly Craft Pavilion’s elder is impressed by the newly promoted inner disciple’s worldly wisdom!]

[Reward: 20 spirit stones.]

Just as expected.

It wasn’t just about the spirit stones.

Lin Yu also noticed that after his words,

Shen Buyao’s favorability toward him rose from 20% to 25%.

"Kid, you… really know how to make a girl feel guilty!"

"Now I can’t even bring myself to scam you!"

"Damn college kids and their high EQ—I almost want to wring your neck!"

"But let’s keep it at 7%."

"The auction house will take their 7%, but thanks to my connections, they’ll only dare take 4%."

Shen Buyao frowned.

For a moment, she couldn’t tell if Lin Yu was genuinely sincere or just playing the long game.

Lin Yu wasn’t surprised.

Greed was human nature.

What else would two strangers talk about if not money?

The more a girl talked big, the harder she was to pin down.

Lin Yu wasn’t arrogant enough to think his looks alone could win over every woman.

"Buyao-jie, thanks for being upfront, and thank you for helping me."

"If—and I mean if—I have other things to sell in the future, I might need your help again."

This last line was the most important.

He needed Shen Buyao to realize that the "ordinary college kid" in front of her might have countless treasures hidden at home.

When dealing with "big players," you didn’t need upfront capital—you just needed to be useful.

Shen Buyao waved him off casually.

"No problem, leave it to your big sister!"

"If you’ve got any other questionable items, just bring them to me on this street."

"Now that business is settled… how about that game?"

Lin Yu: "…"

They’d just finished discussing a deal worth eight figures,

and without even pausing for breath, she switched to gaming.

Was money that unimportant?

Did a million-dollar treasure really have so little presence?

It made Lin Yu wonder—

Just how powerful was Shen Buyao’s background?

What he didn’t know was…

Her calm demeanor was just a front.

The moment Lin Yu left to play games,

Shen Buyao immediately sent the photos of the hibiscus plate via WeChat.

The recipient?

Someone Lin Yu would recognize—

his online "wife" from earlier.