Li Chonglou knew Huang Yongshou's character all too well.
To be greedy for small gains and suffer big losses, and to seek profit were polite descriptions. His past actions, like taking his subordinates to extort money at a pawnshop, were a testament to his character.
However, Li Chonglou had no intention of harming him, otherwise he wouldn't have invested a million yuan.
This million yuan was for him to spend.
"Alusong, Lu Weishen is not in Qin Zhou. Since the goods have been sold, you don't need to go to Qin Zhou anymore. Let Mr. Huang accompany you to play in Yong'an for a few more days," Li Chonglou said after finishing the accounting. Once the goods were in Huang Yongshou's hands, his heart immediately settled.
This chime rattle didn't catch his eye, as there were too many bronze wares. Although it had some value, it was common merchandise.
The clapper ball on the rattle, however, was no ordinary item.
Few people recognized it, but he was precisely one of them.
Moreover, not long ago, he had gone to great lengths to find this very item to extend his master's life.
That's right, it was Qingyan Shi!
The Western Sea was part of the Tibetan region. It wasn't surprising that Qingyan Shi, a life-saving divine object passed down since ancient times, would be found within Tibet.
This Qingyan Shi was likely hundreds of years old, its exterior coated with a layer of dark yak butter. Without direct contact with Qingyan Shi, no one would be able to discover it.
Even he, if he hadn't obtained Qingyan Shi in the Western Sea and felt its rough, uneven surface, would have missed this treasure, no matter how keen his eyesight was, without his divine vision.
Therefore, his target was precisely this unassuming "clapper ball."
However, he certainly couldn't ask Huang Yongshou for it in front of Alusong. This Tibetan had a straightforward personality, and there was no need to make him sad by revealing the truth.
The three chatted for a while. Alusong regarded Li Chonglou as a deity.
He felt that Li Chonglou's understanding of antiques and Tibetan culture was far deeper than his own, and he willingly bowed down.
It was a pity Li Chonglou didn't take disciples, otherwise he would have subtly tried to become one after probing a few times.
Patiently seeing Alusong back to his hotel, he then called Huang Yongshou aside and returned to his room.
"Where is the chime rattle? Bring it out," Li Chonglou said, extending his hand.
Huang Yongshou's expression immediately tightened, and he instinctively clutched his bag: "Mr. Li, you promised, you won't go back on your word, right?"
He was terrified.
He was truly afraid that Li Chonglou would break his promise and demand the chime rattle back.
Selfish people judge others by their own standards. He was such a person, capable of going back on his word for profit, so he believed Li Chonglou was the same.
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Li Chonglou was too lazy to explain.
His face darkened, radiating an imposing aura that scared Huang Yongshou into silence. Trembling, he took out the chime rattle and handed it to Li Chonglou.
Li Chonglou accepted it calmly, reached into the rattle, directly broke the string that passed through the clapper ball, and then threw the rattle back to Huang Yongshou.
"What... what is this thing?" Huang Yongshou was dumbfounded.
After getting the chime rattle back, his heart instantly relaxed, but his eyes remained fixed on Li Chonglou's hand.
He had witnessed Li Chonglou's abilities countless times and was thoroughly convinced. He had heard that Li Chonglou had now become the chairman of the Qin Zhou Antique Association, even ousting Lu Weishen, which showed his influence.
Anything he fancied, no matter how ordinary it seemed, was absolutely extraordinary.
"Are you regretting it?" Li Chonglou asked with a faint smile, "We had an agreement. You owe me one favor, no questions asked."
"This is a medicinal ingredient, worthless to you."
"But to some people, it can save a life."
He didn't hide it from Huang Yongshou. If this sly fellow wasn't told clearly, he might still be harboring ill intentions behind his back.
As the saying goes, it's better to be robbed than to have someone constantly plotting against you.
When dealing with a petty person, you must make him understand the consequences.
It wasn't worth it to oppose him for something worthless and useless.
Of course, this "worthless" was only in the eyes of ordinary people. If it were someone like Su Yinchuan, the richest man in the Western Sea, it would be priceless.
"This... isn't it just an iron ball? How can it be so mysterious?" Huang Yongshou looked at the Qingyan Shi Li Chonglou had placed on his palm, scrutinizing it without finding anything unusual, and scratched his head.
"Try it," Li Chonglou gently covered the powder scraped from his fingernail with his internal energy and transferred it to Huang Yongshou's hand.
Hesitantly, Huang Yongshou brought it to his lips and licked it lightly.
"Ptooey... ptooey... It's sickeningly salty and bitter! What kind of ghost thing is this? I wouldn't want it even if you gave it to me for free." Huang Yongshou's face instantly contorted like a bitter gourd.
His interest vanished completely.
It wasn't valuable and tasted awful. Li Chonglou's claim that it was a medicinal ingredient now seemed credible.
Anyway, it was just a clapper ball. Its absence wouldn't significantly affect the value, and he had already gained a million yuan for free.
Either way, it was a profit.
After a few more pleasantries with Li Chonglou, he returned to his room with satisfaction.
Li Chonglou put away the Qingyan Shi, thinking he no longer had to wait for Shi Jianming to arrive and resort to force.
With this item, he wouldn't cause Xiao Yun to fall out with him, nor would he implicate Ning Lang.
It was a win-win-win situation, so why not?
After consolidating his cultivation in his room for a while, his phone rang.
It was He Yin calling.
Ever since this female police officer learned of his identity as a member of the Xiong Ying team, she had shown great enthusiasm.
Her call at this hour likely wasn't out of the blue.
Indeed, as soon as he answered, he heard her slightly shy voice: "Senior, are you free? I'd like to treat you to a meal and apologize in person..."
The apology was a pretense; the meal was to foster closeness.
She desperately wanted to join Xiong Ying but lacked the connections and didn't meet the requirements. Thus, she had to bury her dream in her heart.
Now that she suddenly had an opportunity for close contact with a Xiong Ying member, how could she let it pass?
Li Chonglou initially intended to refuse. However, considering that Lin Weiwei's shop was within her jurisdiction, they would encounter each other frequently. As he had nothing else to do, he agreed.
However, he didn't want to go far and suggested meeting at the coffee shop downstairs the Hanyuan Palace.
Half an hour later, He Yin arrived at the hotel wearing a long trench coat. Although it was quite cold outside, she had served in the military and had a good physique, so she didn't feel the chill.
She also carried a bulging bag.
It seemed to be filled with many items, distorting its shape.
Upon seeing Li Chonglou, He Yin respectfully greeted him, "Greetings, Senior."
"Don't call me that. I should be older than you. Just call me Brother Li," Li Chonglou quickly corrected the grating address.
Typically, only those with shallow knowledge liked to be addressed with honorifics. As he learned more about antique appraisal, he increasingly felt his own insignificance.
It was only when facing enemies or rivals that he would exhibit that inner strength; otherwise, he was usually low-key and reserved.
"Alright, I'll call you Brother Li from now on," He Yin smiled, revealing two charming dimples, completely changing her usual stern appearance as a police officer and becoming quite sweet.
As she spoke, she took something out of her bag and said, "By the way, Brother Li, this is my first time meeting you. I know you're in the antique business, so I brought a little trinket. Please accept it."
Li Chonglou suddenly realized that the bulging bag contained a gift for him.
He intended to politely decline, but the moment he saw the item, his eyes lit up.
He hadn't expected a female police officer to possess such a thing!