Time flew by. After Li Chonglou dealt with the masked men, their days returned to peace, until the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.
“How do I look in this outfit?”
Jiang Yuxin, dressed casually, twirled in front of Li Chonglou. Li Chonglou scooped her up and said gently, “You look beautiful no matter what you wear.”
Jiang Yuxin smiled sweetly, then helped Li Chonglou adjust his tie, saying, “You look very handsome today too.”
Li Chonglou chuckled. He had also dressed up for the occasion today, wearing a custom-made high-end suit that made him look incredibly dashing.
“Alright, it’s getting late, we should head out.”
Li Chonglou led Jiang Yuxin out of the Jiang family residence. Wu Hao was already waiting outside, and the three of them drove directly to the Qin Prefecture Antique Association.
As soon as they arrived at the entrance, Jiang Yuxin noticed something different.
Audis, Mercedes, BMWs, Maseratis, and other top-of-the-line luxury cars had already filled the venue, and more luxury vehicles were still arriving.
The grandeur and scale of the scene were rarely seen in the entire Qin Prefecture.
However, Li Chonglou was not surprised by this at all.
Those involved in antiques were rarely ordinary people. With the confrontation between the new and old chairmen, it would be strange if there wasn’t such a grand spectacle.
The association had also gone to great lengths for this duel, specifically erecting a new venue on an adjacent open space. The interior was not only more spacious but also more private and secure.
All the spectators this time were either wealthy or influential, and no one dared to take it lightly.
At the venue entrance, Li Chonglou’s arrival caused a stir.
“Look, that’s our current chairman. Damn, he’s even more handsome than the rumors!”
“Such a perfect man, I wish he were my boyfriend.”
“Ugh, you zeroes, get lost!”
…
The onlookers, idly waiting for the main characters to arrive, began to murmur amongst themselves. However, there were also many supporters of Lu Weishen, and their words were full of disdain for Li Chonglou.
“Our association’s biggest mistake this time is choosing him. This pretty boy, in terms of experience and knowledge, how can he compare to our Chairman Lu? I even suspect his chairmanship was rigged…”
“I think so too. Let’s just wait for the joke to unfold later. Such a pretty boy, I’m afraid he won’t even last one round against Chairman Lu.”
Although the people present were just spectators, their identities were anything but simple. Therefore, their comments about Li Chonglou were unrestrained, with some deliberately speaking loudly as Li Chonglou passed by.
Jiang Yuxin felt displeased by this, but Li Chonglou was completely unbothered. Instead, he squeezed Jiang Yuxin’s hand and said softly, “Just consider them flies buzzing around.”
“Mm!”
Jiang Yuxin nodded emphatically. The three parted ways upon entering the venue. Wu Hao accompanied Jiang Yuxin, while Li Chonglou walked onto the stage alone and sat down in his designated seat.
However, shortly after sitting down, Li Chonglou saw a familiar figure pushing someone through the entrance.
“Senior Sister.”
Li Chonglou recognized his senior sister Lin Ying at a glance. Although she was dressed exceptionally beautifully today, and Li Chonglou also saw that the person Lin Ying was pushing was his master, Lin Zhendong.
Li Chonglou quickly got up and hurried forward to greet them. This action also drew the attention of many people below the stage.
“Huh? Who are those two? Chairman Li is personally welcoming them?”
“The one in the wheelchair seems to be Li Chonglou’s master, and the woman… is also quite beautiful.”
“If you don’t recognize them, shut up. That’s Li Chonglou’s senior sister. The one sitting is indeed Li Chonglou’s master, but his senior sister’s figure is really something!”
“Tsk tsk tsk!”
The crowd let out a string of whistles, but it had to be said that Lin Ying’s appearance did attract the attention of many young men.
Li Chonglou quickly approached Lin Zhendong and asked with concern, “Master, are you feeling alright?”
Lin Zhendong waved his hand and said, “It’s nothing. You go ahead with your business, I’ll just be here.”
Perhaps sensing too many eyes on them, Lin Ying also felt a little uncomfortable. Li Chonglou understood his master’s intention, nodded, and then glanced at the time.
“It’s almost time. Wu Hao, help me bring out the items.”
Li Chonglou signaled to Wu Hao, who responded with a hum and left.
Just then, a young figure suddenly approached them.
“Hello, miss. My name is Zhou Wei. May I have the pleasure of knowing you?”
The group turned to look. They saw a man in a dazzling blue suit, acting like a gentleman, extending his right hand to Lin Ying.
Lin Ying was confused. Li Chonglou understood that this fellow was trying to play by Western customs. However, he keenly noticed that something was amiss with the man.
His essence was weak and his yang was insufficient; it was obvious he indulged too much in carnal pleasures.
Therefore, Li Chonglou, without a second thought, refused on Lin Ying’s behalf, saying, “I’m sorry, my senior sister does not casually associate with strangers.”
The man was taken aback. He looked at Li Chonglou and frowned, “Chairman Li, aren’t you overstepping your bounds a bit?”
Seeing that the man seemed intent on lingering, Li Chonglou responded unceremoniously, “You should worry about yourself first.”
The man suddenly let out a cold laugh and said, “I actually thought quite highly of you at first, but now it seems you are far from comparable to Chairman Lu.”
“Oh? Lu Weishen would introduce women to you?”
Pfft, Lin Ying beside him couldn’t help but chuckle, and Jiang Yuxin also looked at Li Chonglou with amusement.
The man’s face turned red and then green from being so sharply retorted. He gritted his teeth at Li Chonglou, “Hmph, you can only be so arrogant now that you’re still chairman. I’m afraid you’ll be utterly humiliated when Chairman Lu arrives.”
At this moment, all eyes turned towards them. Perhaps feeling embarrassed, the man let out this remark and then scurried away shamefully, as if he wasn’t even going to watch the duel.
Li Chonglou was a bit speechless and muttered, “Are there so many brainless people these days?”
Afterward, Li Chonglou gave the three a few brief instructions and then returned to the stage, sitting back in his seat.
The layout of the competition stage was relatively simple compared to the venue. It was just a red cloth-covered platform with two seats facing each other. Li Chonglou sat on the left.
The seat on the other side was naturally for Lu Weishen, but he hadn’t arrived yet, so the right side remained empty.
By this time, most of the audience had arrived. The large venue was already packed with people, all waiting for this grand duel that was destined to be recorded in the annals of antique history.
Wu Hao also brought out the ten treasures prepared by Li Chonglou one by one, all covered with red cloth, making them appear very mysterious and prompting many below to speculate about what they might be.