Su Yinchuan was not E Jimu.
There is an old saying in the antique industry: players are not as good as experts, and experts are not as good as collectors.
When it comes to antiques, one must constantly handle genuine items to develop an eye for them. Learning from books or the internet is extremely difficult.
Who is Su Yinchuan? The richest man in the West Sea, with a net worth of tens of billions.
He had also been obsessed with antiques for many years, and the decoration in his living room showed that he was a true collector.
Even with all the dirt, it was not difficult to see the value of this golden silk snow silkworm blanket.
"A good thing, indeed a good thing..." Su Yinchuan reached out and caressed the dirty surface of the blanket.
This well-dressed and distinguished businessman did not show any aversion to the thick patina on the blanket at this moment.
However, after touching it a few times, he withdrew his hand and shook his head, saying, "Qingyan Shi has a special meaning to me. Although your blanket is precious, it is not enough."
He recalled that to save his daughter, he had almost lost all his possessions, and three bodyguards had died before he obtained this Qingyan Shi.
It was stained with blood.
His daughter ultimately could not be saved, and he did not wish to look at the Qingyan Shi again.
But even so, after paying so much, how could he easily let go?
He was an outstanding person, but he was still human, unable to escape the confines of human nature.
"You speak, as long as it is within my ability, I will comply!" Li Chonglou saw the reluctance in Su Yinchuan's eyes, and that he was not truly trying to extort them.
Since they had come, they had to take this life-saving treasure, no matter the cost.
Su Yinchuan did not expect this young man to be so straightforward.
He had initially thought he was in league with E Jimu, a scumbag, but it seemed he had misjudged.
After a moment of silence, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "How about you be my consultant for a year?"
"I see your young age but possess extraordinary discernment. Given the current state of this golden silk blanket, one would be hard-pressed to discover it without a sharp eye."
"Since that is the case, you will be my Baofulu Zhai, finding me good items for half a year."
"And for this year, I must be able to summon you at any time. Do you agree?"
These words left everyone present looking at each other in bewilderment, especially Xu Lie and Yang La, who had no idea what he meant.
"Chonglou, what is Baofulu Zhai?" Xu Lie asked in a low voice.
"Baofulu Zhai refers to someone with a good eye in the industry. In the old society, if one didn't have the capital to open a shop, they would use a blue cloth bag to collect goods from various antique shops and then resell them to the big bosses," Li Chonglou explained slowly, looking at Su Yinchuan, "Boss Su wants me to work for him for half a year."
"That's right, you are indeed an insider. Rest assured, I will not treat you unfairly this year," Su Yinchuan chuckled, "As long as you bring me items, I will give you appropriate compensation."
"If you breach the contract, I have my ways of dealing with you."
Su Yinchuan's confidence was immense; the West Sea was his domain.
Even if Li Chonglou, an outsider, ran away, as long as he remained within this country, he would find a way to make him pay the price.
"Half a year is not possible, three months at most," Li Chonglou bargained, "And I will not stay in the West Sea for long."
He still had to find his father, and the Eagle was also waiting for his return. Time was pressing.
"Three months, I can agree to that, but you must promise me one more thing!" Su Yinchuan's pupils contracted slightly.
What he valued was not Li Chonglou's ability, but the person himself.
Qingyan Shi was an item that saved lives and also took lives.
He had given a Tugu Hun golden silk blanket without batting an eye, indicating that this person valued sentiment over possessions, making him a kindred spirit.
If he gave Li Chonglou the Qingyan Shi, it would be a clean slate.
But it was different now; the three-month period established a connection. Li Chonglou was still young, and given time, who knew how much he would grow.
His rise to become the richest man in the West Sea, unchallenged for over twenty years, was due to his superior eyesight and knowledge.
This young man was no ordinary person.
"Boss Su, please tell me." Li Chonglou remained composed.
"In a few days, someone has invited me to the old site of Xihai County. You two will accompany me," Su Yinchuan said, dropping a bombshell.
Li Chonglou and Xu Lie exchanged glances, seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.
Their master had been shot and injured at the old site of Xihai County by Liu Zhibo. Why was Su Yinchuan going there too?
The old site of Xihai County was actually long buried by sandstorms and unknown to many.
For hundreds or thousands of years, it had rarely been mentioned.
Why would Su Yinchuan suddenly go to this place?
"Boss Su, if I may be so bold as to ask, what are you going to the old site of Xihai County for?" Li Chonglou asked cautiously.
"There is an archaeology expert named Liu who claims to have made a major discovery there. Knowing my passion for collecting, he contacted me. Perhaps only I in the entire West Sea have this financial capability," Su Yinchuan did not hide anything, saying generously, "Since you have agreed to be my Baofulu Zhai, you must help me assess the items. I do not trust that person, but I trust you!"
Upon hearing this, E Jimu's eyes almost bulged out.
From his understanding of Su Yinchuan, he was extremely arrogant. Many people in the West Sea wanted to get close to him, but he disdained them. Why was he valuing Li Chonglou so much today?
This young man indeed had some skills, but not enough to warrant such praise from the richest man in the West Sea.
Moreover, his emphasis on that Qingyan Shi surpassed everything.
At that time, he had even risked bankruptcy and his life to obtain it.
This was why he had never dared to mention it before, fearing he might anger Su Yinchuan and lose his life.
But now, he had given it to Li Chonglou so easily, in exchange for a blanket from his own home.
This feeling almost suffocated him.
"Alright, we'll accompany you!" Li Chonglou asked no further questions and agreed, "My name is Li Chonglou, you can just call me Chonglou."
"Contact us before we go."
Su Yinchuan was no ordinary nouveau riche; the game with him was not about maximizing value.
It was clear that he valued Li Chonglou's worth, and these three months were just a formality.
Of course, he did not reject befriending someone like Su Yinchuan.
Mutual benefit.
In the antique and cultural relics circle, without the help of friends, the path would become narrower and narrower, eventually leading to isolation.
Of course, Li Chonglou had already passed that stage, but humans were, after all, social creatures who needed regular emotional and spiritual exchanges.
So it was with parents, spouses, and friends.
One true friend was better than a crowd of fair-weather friends.
This was the first point. The second was that the person named Liu was most likely Liu Zhibo, whom he was looking for.
This person actually wanted to sell cultural relics to Su Yinchuan. It was truly a case of searching high and low and finding it unexpectedly.
Even if Su Yinchuan had not invited them, he would have gone upon hearing the news.
It was a good opportunity to avoid alarming the enemy.
"Wait." After the two reached an agreement, Su Yinchuan went upstairs and took down a dark box.
It was palm-sized.
He walked up to Li Chonglou and handed him the box.
A peculiar fragrance wafted over. It wasn't exactly a fragrance, but it was clear the box was made of agarwood.
"Qingyan Shi is a condensation of Qingyan essence, with only one produced every sixty years. To prevent moisture and allow for air circulation, an agarwood box is indeed the most suitable for storage," Li Chonglou said, holding it in his hand, full of admiration.
Su Yinchuan was indeed generous. He gently opened the box and saw inside a lump, similar in shape to a lychee but much smaller, irregularly round.
Its surface was rough and pockmarked, entirely ice blue, with a swirling mist within.
It was very dreamy.
"Wow, it's so beautiful," Yang La couldn't help but exclaim.
Even Xu Lie praised it.
This was Li Chonglou's first time seeing the actual item. He had only heard about it before and had never seen what Qingyan Shi looked like.
He was indeed greatly impressed.
Such a divine object, condensed by heaven and earth, indeed possessed extraordinary qualities.
"Whoever you want to save, just have them swallow the Qingyan Shi. Although the legends are exaggerated, you will also suffer great side effects, and whether they live or not depends on fate," Su Yinchuan said, casting a final wistful glance at the Qingyan Shi before ushering them out, "You have the item, leave your phone number and go."
Back then, he hadn't even had time to put the item into his daughter's mouth before they were separated by death.
Looking at it again now only increased his sadness.
Li Chonglou was not one to dally. After exchanging numbers, he glanced at E Jimu, who was still kneeling.
There was no trace of sympathy in his eyes.
He had seen some of Su Yinchuan's character, and he also knew something of E Jimu's conduct. The reason E Jimu was made to kneel must have been due to some conflict.
And this conflict was likely caused by E Jimu's greed.
However, this time, E Jimu had helped him with the Qingyan Shi, so he couldn't just stand by and watch.
"Boss Su, this person..."
"Let him roll. Don't let me see him again," Su Yinchuan turned his back and waved his hand.
E Jimu immediately looked as if he had been granted a great amnesty, his face filled with joy. He kowtowed three times and fled.
After leaving Su's villa, Li Chonglou asked E Jimu and Yang La to go back first.
He, along with Xu Lie, rushed back to the hospital with the Qingyan Shi.
Upon returning to the hospital, he immediately fed the Qingyan Shi into Lin Zhendong's mouth. The item was like a piece of rock candy, melting slowly, a process.
Although Qingyan Shi was said to be able to bring the dead back to life, it damaged future lifespan. How much of his master's lifespan this one item would shorten was unknown.
He had not told Lin Ying about this matter.
He was a man, and some things had to be kept in his heart, to be borne by himself.
Telling her would only increase his senior sister's worries and self-reproach.
There was no need for it.
After administering the medicine, Li Chonglou recounted the day's events to her: "Senior Sister, Su Yinchuan has invited us to the old site of Xihai County in a few days. He said someone named Liu contacted him."
"That person is likely Liu Zhibo, but for specific information, we will have to wait for the investigation from the Eagle detachment."
"I believe there will be news in the next two days. As soon as we confirm it's that scumbag."
"Brother Xu and I will accompany Su Yinchuan there to make him pay for his blood debt!"
Lin Ying's beautiful eyes flashed with cold light upon hearing this: "I really want to go with you and personally kill Liu Zhibo, but..."
"Don't seek revenge as soon as you see him. We haven't scouted the old site of Xihai yet. We were originally going to find clues there, but Liu Zhibo disrupted it."
"Let's take this opportunity to go down and take a look, and deal with him when we come out."
Li Chonglou nodded in agreement.
Finding clues about Shi Boqiong was the primary mission. Revenge was a must, but not at the expense of the mission.
Liu Zhibo was destined to die!
But before he died, his value needed to be maximized.
Only by finding Shi Boqiong's clues could his master's injuries be avenged.