He had originally planned to return to Shangjing tomorrow.
So when Xiao Yun invited him here today, he thought it was to see him off.
He hadn't expected her to be after his Dust-Avoiding Bead.
Given his current cooperative relationship with Xiao Yun, he could let her pick any jade or antique he treasured.
But not this Dust-Avoiding Bead!
His expression shifting between uncertainty and determination, he stood up and said, "Xiao Yun, we are friends and partners, so I won't beat around the bush with you."
"The Dust-Avoiding Bead is indeed in my possession, but I will not give this item to anyone."
"Its significance, I believe, doesn't need to be explained for Li Chonglou to understand it very well."
As one of the three divine beads in the world, the legend of the Dust-Avoiding Bead, though not as mystical as the Tomb-Dust Bead, was still far beyond that of ordinary treasures.
Back then, his father had almost plunged the entire family into an abyss of eternal damnation to obtain this bead.
He had then passed the bead to him, instructing him never to let it see the light of day.
Its importance was self-evident.
Li Chonglou actually wanting the Dust-Avoiding Bead left him with no interest in further discussion.
Having said that, he turned to leave.
"President Shi, forgive my directness."
Li Chonglou's brow flashed with a red light. As Shi Jianming reached the door, he said in a deep voice, "This bead will cost your entire family their lives."
"Your cardial cancer is already in its late stage; delaying any further will only lead to death."
"If you want to live, let's talk properly!"
With these words, he pinned Shi Jianming, who was about to step out, in place.
Shi Jianming's expression contorted in extreme struggle, his eyes filled with utter horror.
How could Li Chonglou have seen his cardial cancer?
It was because he had been diagnosed with this illness at the hospital, and he had planned to return to Shangjing for treatment. This matter was extremely private; besides the doctor who examined him, no one else knew.
Furthermore, it had only happened yesterday. Unless Li Chonglou was an omniscient immortal, how could he possibly know he was sick?
Amidst his shock and suspicion, a surge of anger coursed through him.
He turned and glared at Li Chonglou, "Are you investigating me?"
"You are not qualified for me to investigate," Li Chonglou met his gaze, his expression remarkably calm, he said lightly.
The people he investigated were scumbags like Tian Shan, who appeared and disappeared like ghosts.
Although Shi Jianming was a prominent businessman, he was not someone Li Chonglou bothered to pay attention to.
If not for the Dust-Avoiding Bead, the two would not have had the chance to meet again.
"What did you say?" Shi Jianming, already burning with rage, was completely ignited by Li Chonglou's words.
His eyes turned bloodshot, he spun around and moved towards Li Chonglou, intending to grab his collar.
"If you're going to make a move, you'll be the one to suffer." Almost simultaneously, Lin Ying, holding a pair of chopsticks, pressed them against Shi Jianming's chin, warning him with a smile.
"Shi Jianming, calm down." Xiao Yun, seeing the tense atmosphere, quickly intervened.
She pulled Shi Jianming back to his seat, holding him down to prevent him from getting up and leaving again.
Although it seemed like she was trying to de-escalate the situation, she was actually helping Li Chonglou.
After all, Shi Jianming's relationship with her was far less intimate than with Li Chonglou.
"President Shi, let's talk after you've calmed down." Li Chonglou's face betrayed no emotion.
Once Shi Jianming's anger subsided, he continued, "The Dust-Avoiding Bead is a radioactive substance. Don't you understand how your father died of cancer?"
"And that worker who swallowed the bead back then, dying of leukemia at such an old age, these are facts laid bare before you."
"Yet, your eyes are blinded by so-called treasures, and you consciously choose not to face them."
"It's not that I'm investigating you; it's just that your illness cannot be hidden!"
These words struck Shi Jianming with profound shock, his eyes filled with utter dread.
Seeing this, Li Chonglou felt a greater sense of confidence.
He had seen Shi Jianming's illness with his Heavenly Eyes; a tumor had formed in the upper part of his stomach, near the cardia, exhibiting typical signs of cardial cancer.
As for Shi Jianming's father's death from cancer, that was information he had learned in his previous life when he had appraised the Dust-Avoiding Bead.
However, this kind of foresight filled Shi Jianming with inexplicable awe.
The most frightening thing in the world was the unknown.
Every word and action of Li Chonglou made Shi Jianming tremble.
He was right; thinking of his father's death from cancer and his own diagnosis of cardial cancer, it was undoubtedly related to him secretly playing with the Dust-Avoiding Bead.
No one was indifferent to their own life. Li Chonglou had seen he had cardial cancer at a glance; could he have a way to cure him?
Thus, he blurted out, "You can see I'm sick; can you cure me?"
Li Chonglou looked at him, not answering immediately.
Curing illnesses and saving lives was beyond his capabilities.
That was the work of divine physicians.
He was merely an appraiser with unique insight and memories from two lives.
Being able to see that Shi Jianming was sick did not mean he could cure him; these were entirely different matters.
Cancer was not an ordinary illness. Even the anti-cancer injection costing 1.2 million yuan per shot could not turn the tide directly. It was not until forty years later that it was completely conquered.
It was impossible to cure completely now.
However, he could see the longing in Shi Jianming's eyes. If he said he couldn't cure him, Shi Jianming might just turn and leave.
In the end, Li Chonglou spoke words against his true feelings: "Yes."
"Good, let's make a deal. You cure my illness, and I'll give you the Dust-Avoiding Bead!" Shi Jianming, without any doubt, agreed on the spot.
After all, he was a successful businessman, and his rationality far surpassed that of ordinary people.
He weighed the pros and cons of everything, choosing the lesser of two evils.
Compared to losing the Dust-Avoiding Bead, his life was more important. At worst, he could find a way to get the bead back later.
If he didn't play with it, wouldn't the risk of developing cancer from radiation be gone?
For now, the priority was to save his own life.
"That won't do; I can't wait that long," Li Chonglou immediately rejected the offer. "Give me the bead first. Your treatment will take time."
He only had three days. If he couldn't find Tian Shan within three days, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"With our relationship with Xiao Yun, aren't you still not at ease?" Lin Ying, knowing Li Chonglou's urgency, chimed in.
Xiao Yun, being adept at handling social situations, immediately caught a hint of the situation.
She also began to persuade Shi Jianming.
She could see it, and Shi Jianming could also see it.
Li Chonglou was in a hurry to get the Dust-Avoiding Bead, but what if he gave him the bead and Li Chonglou didn't cure him or couldn't cure him?
In that case, who would he turn to if he died?
So, he snorted coldly, "Don't try to play games with me. Do you really think I'm an idiot?"
"Even if I don't rely on you, I might not die upon returning to Shangjing with current medical advancements. Since you disagree, I bid farewell!"
After all, Xiao Yun was a woman, and her strength was no match for Shi Jianming's when he pushed her away and stood up again.
Lin Ying attempted to stop him but was held back by Li Chonglou. "Senior sister, let him go."
"With his cardial cancer, no one in this world except me can cure it. Once he steps out that door, he can only await death."
Shi Jianming heard these words clearly, his body paused for a moment, but he still walked out the door.
Xiao Yun's face showed a hint of anxiety, "Chonglou, can you really cure him?"
This situation was orchestrated by her. Now that Li Chonglou's objective had not been met, and he knew Shi Jianming was dying of cancer, it was undoubtedly a blow to her.
Once Shi Jianming died, their cooperation would inevitably terminate.
At that point, she would suffer significant losses.
"Of course," Li Chonglou maintained his composure. "But only within three days. After three days, even an immortal won't be able to help."
Shi Jianming was a suspicious person; he would surely not believe his words.
He would definitely return to Shangjing first for examination and treatment.
Besides, he didn't have the Dust-Avoiding Bead on him, and he had to return to Shangjing anyway, which he couldn't prevent.
Now, he could only hope that after returning, the hospital would give him bad news.
At that time, Shi Jianming, valuing his life, would have to bring the bead back to find him.
But if he truly wanted to live, he could only leave it to fate.
After all, he didn't possess the ability to bring the dead back to life.
All of this was a gamble.
It depended on whose psychological fortitude was stronger.
The banquet ended unpleasantly, and the three had to eat by themselves.
While Li Chonglou appeared composed on the surface, he was actually filled with unease.
After finishing the meal, he decided to wait in Yong'an for two days. Xiao Yun arranged rooms for them. Li Chonglou did not have Lin Ying accompany him and went to Ginza alone.
When he had first had the idea to open a shop in Ginza, he hadn't foreseen how circumstances would change, leaving him no time to manage it, deviating from his original plan.
Fortunately, there was Lin Weiwei, but she was not knowledgeable about antiques, and he didn't know if the shop was ready.
Li Chonglou entered Ginza and saw from a distance that an antique shop on one side was brightly lit.
It had already been renovated.
Two large porcelain vases, each over a meter tall, were placed outside the door, giving an impressive aura, although they were modern crafts.
Lin Weiwei had sent him photos of the shop last time, and these vases weren't in them, so it seemed she had taken the liberty to decorate it herself.
Inside, the display shelves were filled with items, and several customers were browsing.
Lin Weiwei was enthusiastically introducing them.
It appeared she had put a great deal of effort into it, having visited several antique shops to imitate their styles.
It was quite good.
"President Li, you're finally back!" Lin Weiwei saw Li Chonglou as she escorted a customer to the door, her face beaming.
Li Chonglou, the absentee landlord, trusted her immensely.
From the beginning to the present, he had never interfered with anything she did, not even when she sent him photos of the completed shop; he had only replied with an "OK" gesture.
This trust made her feel incredibly honored.
Therefore, she dedicated herself to thinking about the shop's operations for Li Chonglou.
Just as the initial results were showing, Li Chonglou suddenly returned, witnessing the fruits of her labor.
"There are customers, please attend to them first. I'll look around," Li Chonglou said with a smile and walked into the shop, his eyes scanning the items on the display shelves.
As he looked, a hint of surprise arose in his eyes.
Every item on these display shelves was genuine, not a single fake.
Of course, many of them were common items, but Lin Weiwei, being an amateur, must have received significant help from Ning Lang to achieve this.
With a brother like that, what more could he ask for?
Li Chonglou felt a wave of emotion and sat down by the tea table, preparing to send a message to Ning Lang to inform him that he was in Yong'an.
At that moment, a violent shout erupted from outside: "It's this shop, daring to sell fake goods to me."
"Brothers, today, even if the King of Heaven himself came, don't hold back."
"Smash the shop for me!"
With that, a gaunt, sallow-faced middle-aged man, accompanied by a group of burly thugs, barged in.
Their expressions were fierce, and their demeanor was arrogant.
Lin Weiwei's face paled in fear.