Knowing the name Tong Zhaolin, coupled with the business card.
Huang Cheng removed all doubt: "Ah Gou, entertain the distinguished guest well, I'll be right there!"
He feared no one, but he absolutely dared not offend the Xingzhi Group. After all, the money from the bi-annual shipments was not something these small vendors could cheat people out of.
A large quantity of counterfeit copper coins, along with funerary objects unearthed from tombs, would be sent abroad through them.
"Brother, what's the background of Xingzhi Group? They're so ruthless?" Huang Jian asked, dumbfounded, leaning closer to Li Chonglou in a moment of inattention, "What's their deal?"
One moment they were ready to fight and kill, acting like bandits.
The next, they were respectful, treating him like a distinguished guest.
It was a complete change of attitude.
And all Li Chonglou had to do was state his affiliation to achieve this.
This Xingzhi Group was truly terrifying.
"I'll explain it to you later," Li Chonglou replied with a smile.
Of course, he wouldn't tell Huang Jian that he was an undercover agent for Xingzhi Group, the one who dismantled this international cultural relics smuggling criminal organization.
And not long ago, he had personally eliminated its mastermind, Tian Shan.
The police were still processing the case and had not yet made it public.
Tong Zhaolin and his associates had all been arrested and were unable to transmit any messages.
Their network was vast and intricate, rarely seen.
Shuyu County, a small place, had an agent point, which was indicative of their reach.
Initially, he only intended to use the name of Xingzhi Group as an excuse for negotiation. He hadn't expected to stumble upon a lead so fortuitously.
It undoubtedly saved him a lot of trouble.
"Vice President Li, please come upstairs... follow me." Ah Gou's demeanor had completely changed. He bowed slightly and led Li Chonglou and his party to the second floor, which was elevated by trough steel frames.
Upstairs, there was an office decorated in an antique style.
He introduced, "This is our General Manager Huang's office. He'll be here shortly."
Li Chonglou nodded, taking in the office's furnishings.
The chairs and tables made of small leaf rosewood panels, the bookcase crafted from Vietnamese rosewood, all exuded understated luxury.
Without a discerning eye, one couldn't fully appreciate their value.
Unlike the gaudy brilliance of decorations made from gold and jewels, Huang Cheng's office had an aura of antiquity and weathering.
However, it wasn't robust or substantial; instead, a shrewdness permeated every corner.
It was akin to the dimly lit and musty main halls of some rural homes.
Merely using precious wood couldn't imbue a place with a sense of deep history. Of course, this likely had much to do with the use of strong acid to artificially age the first floor.
After all, atmospheres were interconnected.
And first impressions were lasting.
Just as Ah Gou finished preparing the tea, the door opened, and a middle-aged man, portly and dressed in a Tang suit, walked in with a smile.
Upon seeing Li Chonglou, he first paused, then his face broke into a smarmy grin. He extended his hand for a shake, "Huang Cheng, I didn't know Vice President Li would be gracing us with his presence. We were completely unprepared; please forgive us!"
He was ostentatious, rigid in his etiquette, and his words were polite yet insincere.
Despite the oily, fawning smile on his face, a sense of wariness and suspicion still lingered.
Li Chonglou could not miss this.
"General Manager Huang, you have a fine establishment. The times are tense lately; it's best not to give advance notice when visiting anywhere," Li Chonglou replied calmly, deflecting the excessive apology.
His companions exchanged glances at his words.
Ever since Li Chonglou revealed the name of Xingzhi Group, his words and actions had carried an unfathomable mystery.
They dared not interrupt, content to be as inconspicuous as Ah Gou.
"I understand, I understand," Huang Cheng nodded repeatedly.
He was acutely aware of the nature of Xingzhi Group's business and had to proceed with extreme caution.
It was similar to their previous dealings, which were always unilateral, precisely to avoid leaking secrets.
He was accustomed to it.
Li Chonglou's demeanor was indeed in line with Xingzhi Group's style.
"I haven't come to Shuyu specifically to find you, General Manager Huang, but to look for treasures," Li Chonglou smiled. "However, since I'm passing by, and Tong Zhaolin has spoken of your high standing in the local area, I felt compelled to pay my respects."
"And also to ask you, General Manager Huang, if you're interested in undertaking a major venture recently?"
Upon hearing this, Huang Cheng's eyes lit up. He leaned his head towards Li Chonglou and asked cautiously, "What does Vice President Li refer to?"
"General Manager Huang, you know very well," Li Chonglou began to probe directly. "I'd like to know how you managed to replicate those Da Qi Tong Bao coins?"
"While their appearance might not fool experts, it's more than enough to deceive foreigners with a smattering of knowledge."
His objective was the mother mold.
Now that he had met Huang Cheng and had the backing of the Xingzhi Group's vice president title, he couldn't pass up such a golden opportunity.
Huang Cheng's expression flickered slightly, but he quickly smiled again. "Vice President Li has a sharp eye; nothing can be hidden from you. Those Da Qi Tong Bao coins were also my attempts to shift direction."
"Once such high-level treasures are successfully replicated, the profits are simply astonishing."
"Not many, just distributing a few in a province. They won't be exposed in a short period, and each one is worth five hundred million."
"That would be a considerable sum of money. It truly is a big business."
"However..."
As he spoke, Huang Cheng paused, his gaze falling on Zhou Yacheng and the others.
It was clear he was wary of outsiders.
Li Chonglou understood. He waved to Zhou Yacheng, signaling Ah Gou to lead them out for a tour.
The others had been feeling a suffocating sense of pressure sitting there, so they eagerly left the office.
After they departed, Huang Cheng gave a thumbs-up, praising, "Earlier, I was greatly amazed by Vice President Li's youth, but I hadn't expected your discernment to be so keen. Truly worthy of being a vice president."
"Then I shall be candid with you. My Da Qi Tong Bao coins were replicated from high-definition photos from the Palace Museum; I don't have the actual artifacts."
"The information and technology I acquired at great expense turned out to be a poorly made imitation."
"As you said, it can't fool experts, so it's a wasted effort."
"Who would spend this much money without having a few experts appraise it?"
"In desperation, I could only let it fall into the hands of intermediaries like Li Laoqi."
At this, Li Chonglou suddenly understood why those Da Qi Tong Bao coins were so close yet so far from the real thing.
The key elements were not handled correctly, primarily because there was no physical object for comparison. Despite having high-definition images, they couldn't capture the authentic essence.
He thought to himself that he had indeed overestimated Huang Cheng. How precious were the Da Qi Tong Bao coins? It would be odd if he actually possessed the mother mold.
Just as the thought arose, Huang Cheng's expression shifted, and he whispered, "But while I don't have the Da Qi Tong Bao, I do have a genuine Wuyang Yiliang here!"
"Truly?" Li Chonglou's heart gave a slight jolt.
Huang Cheng was a man who dragged out revelations. Just as disappointment set in, he threw out another bombshell.
The Wuyang Yiliang was not a standard copper coin but a large, three-holed spade coin from the Zhao state during the Warring States period, weighing 15.5 grams.
One had previously appeared at an auction in Hong Kong.
It was sold for a high price of 3.53 million.
While not as rare as the Da Qi in terms of survival, it was still a treasure.
He hadn't expected Huang Cheng to actually possess such a gem.
This trip was not in vain!
"Alas, such a treasure falling into the hands of a scoundrel who creates fakes by digging up graves is a great shame," Li Chonglou's eyes turned resolute. He inwardly vowed, "This must be mine!"
Outwardly, he remained nonchalant, offering a slight smile and asking, "A genuine Wuyang Yiliang is also quite rare. It must be a funerary object unearthed from a tomb, right?"
This one sentence made Huang Cheng's expression involuntarily change.