Li Chonglou led the way, followed by the other directors, and they entered the storeroom together.
With a flurry of activity, more than twenty pieces were brought out, and several people worked together to unseal them, their speed being very fast.
Hiss...
As soon as the packaging was removed, many people immediately let out sounds of shock.
"These outer skins are truly from unevenly formed raw stones... not a single one is from a proper mine."
"So, is this really kilogram material? Was President Li telling the truth? Then what's going on with Lin Ao and Lu Weishen..."
"Who knows? Where's Lin Ao? Why isn't he here!"
"He must have run off! If it weren't for President Li, how long would we have been kept in the dark? That scoundrel Lin Ao, find him and bring him to justice!"
...
Among the directors, some had expertise in jade. Upon seeing the outer skins, they knew there was a problem without even cutting them.
The twenty pieces randomly picked out were all like this. Li Chonglou's words were instantly validated.
Everyone became agitated and indignant.
Even their address and tone changed.
"Everyone, quiet down. No need to rush," Li Chonglou swept his gaze over everyone, calming the fervent atmosphere.
This scene was entirely within his expectations.
Man lives for wealth, birds die for food.
Although they were part of the Antique Association, they were all worldly people. Lu Weishen and his disciple's attempt to oust him, once exposed, immediately made them the target of public anger.
Who would refuse money?
Moreover, this was not a small sum.
A full three hundred and eighty million yuan.
Which of these directors did not have a share in this?
Now that it had all fallen through, either going into Lu Weishen's or Lin Ao's pockets, anger was an understatement.
Some even had red eyes, wishing they could stab Lin Ao with a knife.
Unfortunately, Lin Ao, seeing that the situation was unfavorable, had already slipped away.
"President Li, you discovered this matter. We believe you now. Everything is up to you to decide!" Someone, being pragmatic, immediately sided with Li Chonglou.
Others chimed in: "Yes, President Li, what should we do now?"
After all, only those who could protect their interests and rights were qualified to be president.
The abilities of Li Chonglou were evident to the people of Qin Prefecture.
In the past, they simply thought he was too young and were unwilling to accept him. Now, after this incident, his image soared in everyone's minds.
Seeing that the effect had been achieved, Li Chonglou no longer held back and declared loudly, "Let's call the police first. This matter can be big or small."
"At its smallest, Lu Weishen didn't know the goods and was deceived."
"At its largest, he intentionally misappropriated public property and encroached on everyone's interests."
"Everything will be decided after the official investigation. Regardless, I will help everyone get their money back!"
Li Chonglou exuded an innate confidence from his very bones.
Lu Weishen was unwilling to step down, and Lin Ao wanted to put him to death. It wasn't that easy.
This was just a lesson. With Lu Weishen's capabilities, even if they called the police, it wouldn't amount to much.
At most, he would have to return the three hundred and eighty million yuan, a trivial amount for him.
However, Li Chonglou wanted to teach him and his disciple a lesson.
The Qin Prefecture Antique Association did not belong to them privately.
The antique world of Qin Prefecture should not be thrown into such chaos!
Li Chonglou's proposal was met with widespread approval.
In an instant, most of the Antique Association no longer opposed him becoming the president.
After all, opposing Li Chonglou was equivalent to opposing their own money.
There were still a few who were cronies of Lu Weishen. After the meeting, they anxiously dialed Lu Weishen's phone.
"Lin Ao has already told me about the situation. I didn't expect that I had underestimated that kid Li Chonglou," Lu Weishen's voice contained a hint of defeat and unwillingness. "To think he used the trap I set to turn defeat into victory, putting us in such a passive position."
"For now, to protect myself, I can only compensate for the money first. The original batch of stones will be considered my personal collection."
"You few, stay in the association and absolutely do not clash with Li Chonglou head-on."
"This kid might indeed have the eyes of clairvoyance. You are no match for him. Wait for me to return."
"He won't be able to stir up trouble for long!"
Lu Weishen's words were like a reassurance, making the worried few breathe a sigh of relief.
As expected of President Lu, the old ginger is indeed the spiciest.
Although Li Chonglou had broken the deadlock, he remained unfazed. He resolved the situation with money.
He claimed he was deceived and that no one could see through blind stone purchases, so he would cover the deficit out of his own pocket.
This not only saved his reputation but also earned him respect once more.
Killing two birds with one stone, a brilliant move!
Not long after, the secretary knocked on Li Chonglou's office door: "President Li, I've managed to get through to President Lu."
"He said he was deceived by a villain and that the loss to the association is his responsibility."
"He is willing to cover the three hundred and eighty million yuan out of his own pocket."
"The money has been arranged for transfer and will arrive within twenty-four hours."
Li Chonglou nodded upon hearing this: "I understand. You may go."
Watching the secretary leave, a smile curved Li Chonglou's lips.
It was just as he had expected. Lu Weishen was not a reckless youth like Lin Ao. He had deftly accepted his attack.
Three hundred and eighty million yuan was an amount an ordinary person could not earn in a lifetime, but for a collector like Lu Weishen, it was but a drop in the bucket.
Resolving trouble with money while maintaining a good reputation was the most cost-effective.
This old fox was cunning, and it would take more effort to make him comply honestly.
However, as long as he couldn't return to the association, it wouldn't have much of an impact. There was no need to focus too much on him for now.
It was Lv Yunxu's side that was more concerning. Fan Lei hadn't replied yet.
Had something gone wrong?
Perhaps the benefactor had a forgetful mind. It seemed he needed to urge her.
With that thought, Li Chonglou dialed Fan Lei's number.
"Kid, you're doing great now, becoming the president of the Qin Prefecture Antique Association, living happily with your wife. You don't want to return to the team, do you?" Fan Lei's gruff voice greeted him as soon as the call connected.
Li Chonglou's heart skipped a beat.
As expected of the Eagles, their information was incredibly fast, almost infuriating.
He had just assumed his duties today, and they had already reported it. Every move he made was under Fan Lei's control.
Li Chonglou chuckled and said, "What are you talking about, Commander Fan? Whether I'm president or not, I'll always be a member of the Eagles."
"However, there are still some things to finish. We'll return together once Bai Jing recovers. Please be understanding."
"By the way, has there been any progress on that matter?"
Fan Lei let out a couple of sinister laughs: "Ask Liu Ping'er yourself."
Then came the sound of the phone being handed over.
"Hello, Big Brother Li?" Liu Ping'er's voice, as clear as a silver bell, reached him.
"Ping'er, how are you settling in at the Eagles? Have you been bullied?" Li Chonglou asked with a smile.
Liu Ping'er had joined the intelligence department. With Captain Bai Jing absent, Liu Ping'er was naturally involved in tasks like reviewing information and clues.
He hadn't expected her to be with Fan Lei.
"No, no, everyone is very good to me. It feels just like home here," Liu Ping'er replied quickly.
"That's good. Tell me about the clues you've found," Li Chonglou steered the conversation back to the main topic.
"Based on the photos you provided, we traced this person. Since then, he has changed over a hundred fake identities and eventually disappeared from our records..." Liu Ping'er replied. "He is skilled in disguise and often appears with different faces."
"The appearance in the painting is just one of his many faces. The original owner was an ordinary coal miner who died in a mine collapse a few years ago."
"It's not just him; many other faces were made using molds from deceased individuals."
Upon hearing this news, Li Chonglou's brow furrowed slightly.
A cunning rabbit has three burrows. This person had so many contingencies. With over a hundred faces, how long would it take to track them all down?
Furthermore, he was skilled in disguise and could change his appearance at any time.
Even with the Eagles' targeted pursuit, it might not be completed quickly.
Besides, this was his personal matter. The Eagles would not expend time and effort to find this person for his individual sake.
The clues would likely end here.
No wonder Fan Lei hadn't told him himself. He was probably embarrassed that they hadn't found anything significant.
"Ping'er, send the information you found to my phone. I'll analyze it myself," Li Chonglou decided not to trouble the Eagles any further.
"Okay, Big Brother Li. You... take care of yourself. Contact me if anything happens, and don't force anything," Liu Ping'er's tone was filled with concern.
"No need to worry about that brat. He's resourceful and as sly as a monkey," Fan Lei's playful scolding could be heard.
Li Chonglou responded with an "Mm-hmm" and hung up.
A glint appeared in his eyes.
He dialed another number: "Sister Xu, I wanted to ask you about something."
"Chonglou, go ahead," came Xu Qing's lazy voice from the other end.
"I'm looking for someone recently. He's also skilled in disguise. You're an expert in this field, do you happen to know anyone?" Li Chonglou got straight to the point. "Don't hang up, I'll send you his photo."
As he said this, he sent the sketches to Xu Qing.
Xu Qing's disguise skills were passed down from Shen Yishou. However, Shen Yishou was elusive, and it was difficult to find him, so he could only ask Xu Qing.
After a while, Xu Qing's voice came through: "I haven't seen him. The one you sent me should be a disguise, right? Although ordinary people can't tell, it can't fool me."
"Whether it's the skin texture or the hair follicles, it's unnatural."
Li Chonglou praised: "Sister Xu has sharp eyes. I don't even know his real appearance."
"I only have this portrait. I heard he has over a hundred faces and identities. There probably aren't many people in the country with such skills, right?"
Xu Qing fell silent after hearing this, seemingly deep in thought.
After a long pause, she replied, "Find Xiao Yun. You are like dry siblings, and she has my junior brother's contact information."
"Perhaps my master knows this person. That's all I can say. Goodbye."
*Slap!*
With that, she decisively hung up the phone.
Li Chonglou keenly felt that Xu Qing likely wasn't unaware of the person's identity; at the very least, she had a guess in mind.
However, for some unknown reason, she didn't want to tell him.
Indeed, he didn't have much of a relationship with her. What she had said was already out of consideration for his senior sister.
Helplessly, he had to call Xiao Yun.
"Little Chonglou, it's been many days since we parted at Yong'an. It's good that you're alright," Xiao Yun's tone was very affectionate. She genuinely treated Li Chonglou as a younger brother, as there were no personal interests involved between them, making their relationship the purest.
"Sister Yun, I apologize for troubling you to find Shen Yishou. I have something important to ask him," Li Chonglou went straight to the point.
"Okay, you wait. I'll have him call you back within ten minutes," Xiao Yun agreed without hesitation.
After chatting for a few more minutes, they hung up.
In less than five minutes, an unfamiliar number rang.