Huang Yongshou's answer was as Li Chonglou had expected.
Tian Shan was secretive and unscrupulous in his dealings. With the Xingzhi Group gone, his offshore accounts would certainly be investigated and frozen.
How could he possibly reveal his identity if he was using Huang Yongshou to deceive Ren He?
"Can you still contact him now?" Li Chonglou asked calmly.
Huang Yongshou was a self-serving opportunist. He could be used, and effectively so, but he could never be entrusted with important matters.
He wouldn't, and couldn't, speak about Tian Shan's affairs.
"I'll try," Huang Yongshou, understanding the situation, took out his phone without a word and dialed a number.
Soon, a prompt came through: "The number you have dialed is no longer in service."
This was also as Li Chonglou had anticipated.
Huang Yongshou shrugged. "Mr. Li, I'm afraid I can't help. The number has likely been deactivated."
"Chonglou…" Ren He, standing nearby, had a look of concern in her beautiful eyes.
Fortunately, she was a capable leader accustomed to navigating difficult situations and managed to remain composed despite the gravity of the matter.
An ordinary person would likely be tearing their hair out by now.
"Sister Ren, there's no need to worry. If he's going to move the goods, he'll definitely leave a trail," Li Chonglou said, surprisingly calm. "Antiques are different from gold and jewelry; each piece has its own natural markings."
"Even if the other party is incredibly resourceful, they can't achieve absolute perfection. I will follow this lead!"
"Also, release another notice to the people in the industry stating that the remaining half of the antiques in their possession will also be put up for sale."
Ren He's eyes lit up at this. "You mean, wait for him to come to us?"
"No, it's a 'whack-a-mole' operation!" Li Chonglou's lips curved into a slight smile.
"No, Mr. Li, you've been talking for ages. What exactly happened?" Huang Yongshou, overhearing their conversation, looked utterly bewildered.
"You don't need to know. I suggest you return to Qinzhou immediately," Li Chonglou told him, his gaze fixed on him. "If anyone asks you anything about Ms. Ren or me, deny all knowledge."
Tian Shan was naturally suspicious and cautious. The moment he killed Xu Lie and saw Li Chonglou and Shen Yishou appear simultaneously, he fled without hesitation.
This scoundrel had no sense of shame or pride.
Huang Yongshou had already been used once and would not be used a second time.
If he didn't return to Qinzhou, he might even suspect that there was a trap in the subsequent events.
"I… alright, I'll do as you say, Mr. Li." Huang Yongshou was reluctant, but seeing the violet lightning flicker in Li Chonglou's eyes, he had no choice but to agree.
He had come to Yong'an because he could no longer operate in Qinzhou.
Doing business honestly meant earning money too slowly.
Qinzhou was Li Chonglou's territory, and he dared not cause trouble in front of him.
So, he came to Yong'an to find opportunities, but Li Chonglou wouldn't let him stay there.
He felt quite helpless.
Fortunately, Li Chonglou had already allowed him to profit over a million earlier, so it wasn't an entirely fruitless endeavor.
After seeing Huang Yongshou off.
Li Chonglou formally informed Ren He of his plan.
"Tian Shan's appetite is likely not limited to that amount, nor is he only targeting you."
"Give me the details of the antique batch you were swindled out of, and I'll have someone track it. You, on the other hand, should act as usual and release the news."
"Your individual efforts might not be enough to lure him out. I'll need to find someone to help."
In a matter of moments, the plan had taken shape in his mind.
This time, if Tian Shan dared to harbor any greed, he would be unable to escape!
After listening, Ren He's beautiful eyes rippled. "Chonglou, if it weren't for you, I truly would have no way out. I don't know how to thank you…"
"You're too kind, Sister Ren. The matter isn't resolved yet. Let's talk again after the items are recovered." Li Chonglou was startled by Ren He's intense gaze, which seemed to convey a desire to devour him. Recalling her suggestive behavior earlier, he quickly averted his eyes.
Women like Ren He, strong and capable, lacked conventional moral constraints.
For them, everything was weighed in terms of advantage and disadvantage. Their bodies were also one of their weapons, so the concept of "taint" that ordinary people might perceive was of no consequence to them.
On the surface, she appeared intellectual, generous, gentle, and refined, with not a hint of worldly dirt.
But Li Chonglou knew very well that if things went further, the situation would be entirely different.
He had always kept his distance from women with such clear and defined objectives.
With the plan set, all that remained was implementation. He used the excuse of needing Ren He to prepare and sent her away.
Then, Li Chonglou went to Ning Lang's house.
Ning Lang was lounging in a rocking chair, fanning himself with a paper fan, comfortably enjoying a massage from Jin Jing. Upon seeing Li Chonglou, he grinned. "Well, well, back so soon? Missing me?"
Jin Jing smiled a greeting and then discreetly excused herself.
"I need to borrow some of your treasures. About twenty pieces," Li Chonglou stated directly.
"Take whatever you fancy. If you break or lose anything, I'll come to your place and ransack it," Ning Lang said magnanimously, without hesitation.
Li Chonglou smiled. The items in his shop were common goods, for ordinary people.
They couldn't compare to Ning Lang's collection.
In Yong'an's cultural and museum circles, aside from some older, low-profile collectors, there were very few who could rival Ren He and Ning Lang.
Moreover, Ning Lang had a characteristic of not liking to show off.
So, after buying items, he didn't flaunt them, and not many people knew about them.
In this way, by borrowing his treasures and then selling them under the guise of Zhang Chen, he might be able to lure Tian Shan into a trap.
"Where's Zhou Jiao?" Li Chonglou asked, his gaze sweeping around.
"He's elusive, I can't tell you where he is. Call him yourself," Ning Lang said seriously. "Looking at you, has something come of this?"
Not long ago, Li Chonglou's eyes had been filled with hatred and anger.
But now, they had calmed considerably, so much so that it was barely noticeable.
Such a rapid transformation could only be attributed to finding a path to revenge.
Li Chonglou nodded truthfully. "Things depend on people, but it's not a success until the very end."
"These twenty antique pieces are related to this matter. I'll have someone pick them up later."
After speaking, Li Chonglou accompanied Ning Lang into the treasure room and selected twenty exquisite items of medium-high value and significant meaning.
Although Ning Lang was generous, seeing this scene firsthand still pained him.
If it weren't for Li Chonglou, a close friend, anyone else who tried to touch his treasures would only be dreaming!
After selecting the treasures, Li Chonglou left Ning's residence, called Zhou Jiao, and asked him to send someone to collect them.
Then, he used a public phone to notify Zhang Chen, who was still in the hospital, to come forward and sell these treasures.
Finally, with all these arrangements made, the sun had already set.
Li Chonglou took a taxi alone to Xu Qing's beauty salon.
"You?" Xu Qing, who was performing semi-permanent eyebrow tattooing on a client, showed surprise upon seeing Li Chonglou.
She had heard about the battle with Li Hanlong from her master, Shen Yishou.
After that, Li Chonglou had left Yong'an.
His sudden appearance at her shop must mean something.
"Do you know Tian Shan?" Li Chonglou asked her, his gaze meeting hers.
Upon hearing the name, Xu Qing's expression changed slightly. She gently pressed a finger to the client's neck.
The woman immediately lost consciousness.
"You came here looking for Tian Shan? What do you mean!" Xu Qing's voice was filled with anger.