The price of an artwork is directly tied to the auction house handling it. The larger and more reputable the auction house, the more wealthy clients it can attract.
Eddie believed that if the Perseus and Medusa bronze statue were handled by Sotheby's or Christie's, he would receive at least 10% more money than through BT's Auction House.
However, he still decided to give the auction rights to Lisi Auction House for three reasons: first, he had a good impression of Bob; second, Lisi was willing to reduce the auction fee by 7%; and most importantly, Lisi Auction House was willing to pay him an advance of ten million.
Eddie was in desperate need of money—he couldn't even afford the inheritance tax.
After Eddie agreed, Bob visibly relaxed. He unbuttoned his suit and asked, "Buddy, shall we go to the bank now to transfer the funds and sign the contract?"
Lisi Auction House placed great importance on this bronze statue. They were currently expanding into the fine art sector and badly needed a flagship piece to attract high-end clients. There was no doubt that the Perseus and Medusa statue was the perfect fit.
After they struck the deal, Bob immediately took out the auction contract and invited Eddie to get in his Mercedes S600. Together, they headed to the town bank to make the transfer.
Eddie didn't bother with the details. Creeper glanced at the contract and said, "Robert, this won't do. My boss is Chinese, so the contract needs to be in both English and Chinese."
Canada, as an immigrant country, is known for its multiculturalism. Its population includes significant numbers of Chinese, Indian, European, Asian, and African descent. As a result, language use is diverse, though English remains the official language with the largest number of speakers.
Bob Black cursed under his breath. "D*mn, that's our oversight. Don't worry, I'll call our head of legal right now. By the time we get to the bank, the Chinese version of the contract will be ready."
Eddie gave Creeper a thumbs-up. The latter smiled casually and said, "Boss, now you need to choose a bank. Where do you want to store the money?"
Although Farewell Town wasn't large, it had four bank branches: Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank, Bank of Montreal, and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.
On Creeper's recommendation, Eddie chose the Bank of Montreal.
It's the oldest bank in Canada, with nearly 200 years of history. It issued the country's first paper currency and is one of the top ten banks in North America—very reliable.
While opening his bank account, Eddie presented his Chinese ID and passport. Seeing this, the bank manager, Tyron, asked, "So, you haven't immigrated?"
Bob Black also looked surprised. "Eddie, my man, I thought you had already immigrated. That could be a bit of a problem."
Eddie asked, "Why's that?"
Creeper explained, "Auction items are taxable. If you sell this statue as a Chinese citizen, you'll need to pay taxes to the Newfoundland government, the Canadian government, and your own country's government. You might end up with less than half the money."
"I recommend you immigrate to Newfoundland," Tyron suggested. "That way, you'll save a lot on taxes—not only avoiding taxes from your home country but also significantly reducing what Canada collects."
Changing citizenship is a big deal. But Eddie didn't mind much. He wasn't a party member or a government official, just a regular guy. Going wherever life was better made perfect sense to him.
After a brief hesitation, Eddie gave Creeper the go-ahead to help him with the immigration paperwork. Still a bit uncertain, he asked, "I heard Canada has tightened immigration policies. They mostly take in skilled workers now—am I even eligible?"
Creeper smiled. "Don't worry. The Farewell Town government is practically begging for immigrants. Too few people are willing to take over these fisheries. If you agree to manage the BE fishery, you'll bring tax revenue and jobs. The government will welcome you with open arms."
Eddie asked about the immigration process. Creeper replied, "You don't need to worry. I've already got everything prepared. You just need to sign a few documents this afternoon."
Eddie was confused. When did he prepare immigration documents?
Creeper pulled a stack of paperwork from his briefcase, smiling like an old fox. "I knew you'd eventually immigrate, so I handled the paperwork when I got your passport ready."
Eddie was speechless. Dude, are you psychic or what?
After about half an hour, the temporary bank card was ready—a gleaming golden Bank of Montreal savings card. Once Eddie's immigration process was complete, he'd need to come back and upgrade to a checking-savings combo account.
He checked the balance at an ATM. The long string of zeroes almost blinded him.
It all felt like a dream. Just moments ago, he had been struggling to pay a ¥1,000 monthly rent in White Wave City. Now he owned a massive fishery and had ten million Canadian dollars in the bank.
"Life is but a dream. This must be the unpredictability of it all," Eddie sighed as he stared at the golden card.
He transferred 100,000 yuan to his parents—not too much, in case it scared them. He told them it was a relocation bonus from his company, as he might be working overseas from now on.
Technically, the ten million was a loan from Lisi Auction House. Since the artwork hadn't been sold yet, there was no tax due.
After transferring the money, Eddie happily signed the contract. By noon, he was treating Bob Black and the others to lunch at Old Hickson's restaurant.
Creeper introduced the place: "This is the oldest restaurant in Farewell Town. The owner and chef have been in the same family for generations. It represents the most authentic seafood flavors of our island."
Clearly, the old folks all knew each other. When Hickson saw Creeper, he gave him a big bear hug and greeted Eddie warmly. "What can I get for you today? Ah, dear Eddie, so glad to see you!"
Once pleasantries were exchanged, Old Hickson brought out his signature appetizers: poutine, coffee jelly, dry cheese and veggie salad.
Though they were just starters, each dish was crafted with care. The fries were golden and crispy, the gravy rich and aromatic—so fragrant you could taste it before even lifting a fork.
As for the coffee jelly, Old Hickson had chopped it into small cubes, placed them in a glass cup, and garnished with mint leaves. It looked beautiful, and the taste was even better.
Bob Black savored the coffee jelly and salad, praising, "Absolutely delicious. Guys, I have to say, this is divine!"
At that moment, the wine was served. Creeper raised his glass of ruby-red wine to Old Hickson. "To the God who gives us food, to Hickson who helps Him run the kitchen, and to the generous Eddie!"
Everyone raised their glasses, while the old man with the braided beard beamed.
After the appetizers came the main course: geoduck sashimi, Canadian-style fried chicken chunks, smoked salmon in secret sauce, Brome Lake duck, blueberry dumplings—dishes kept coming like a flowing river. The group feasted heartily.
Eddie's favorite was Old Hickson's homemade icewine. This type of wine was practically Canada's national liquor, especially popular in the colder Newfoundland region.
Seeing how much Eddie enjoyed the wine, Old Hickson proudly explained: "This is a secret family recipe passed down through generations. The grapes are left on the vine until they're overripe. Then we wait for a cold snap—when the temperature drops below -8°C, we harvest. By then, the water inside is frozen and the sugar content is at its highest. That's when we press the juice and ferment it. The taste is unmatched!"
Icewine has a lower alcohol content than the hard liquors common in cold regions, but since it's also a type of white wine, it retains a floral aroma. Made primarily from grape juice, it has a rich fruit fragrance intertwined with the wine's scent—a natural, exquisite pleasure.
Eddie could hold his liquor well. Seeing him enjoy himself, Creeper smiled and said, "Just like old Eddie. He loved Hickson's icewine too, especially with desserts, blue cheese, Chinese-style roasted suckling pig, BBQ, and candied meats. Next time, let Hickson make those for you."
Old Hickson scratched his head. His restaurant was struggling a bit lately, and exotic items like suckling pig and candied chicken weren't in stock.
The meal was a delightful affair. After lunch, Bob Black headed back to Toronto to prepare for the upcoming auction, while Eddie went home for a long nap.
Once he sobered up, Eddie began planning the grand development of his fishery. With ten million Canadian dollars in hand, he now had the confidence to take action.
But the first priority was getting internet access. For a 21st-century young man, living without the internet was unbearable.
Eddie did some research. Canada's top telecom providers include ROGERS, TTC, TELUS, FIDO, and KOODO.
ROGERS is like China Mobile—largest, most resources, most customers, but also the most expensive. TELUS is more like China Unicom—slightly worse signal, but cheaper plans targeting regular folks. FIDO and KOODO are weaker but frequently offer promotional deals, winning them a loyal customer base.
Eddie wasn't short on cash, so he went straight to the local ROGERS store and signed up for a one-year fiber internet plan. He also bought an Apple all-in-one desktop.
He chose the Apple iMac – MF886CH/A model. In China, it would cost nearly ¥20,000, but in Farewell Town it was less than CAD 2,500—just over ¥10,000. The only reason it wasn't cheaper was the Newfoundland provincial tax.
It's true—money gets things done in capitalist countries. After Eddie paid at the ROGERS store, an engineer immediately brought workers to his fishery to lay down fiber-optic cables.
That cable alone cost more than the Apple computer—CAD 500 more, in fact. The fishery had been abandoned for over a decade and only had regular broadband cables. The town's infrastructure upgrades hadn't yet extended to such remote areas.