"Hmph!"
Seeing Lin Ao's instantly contorted expression, everyone present secretly cheered.
Awesome, right in their backyard, they directly confronted him.
As expected of the young and arrogant Master Li, exactly as the rumors said, he didn't care who his opponent was, completely disregarding them.
Lin Ao usually relied on being Lu Weishen's disciple and acted arrogantly, which annoyed many people. Seeing someone dare to confront him, they were naturally happy.
But some people looked on with schadenfreude.
"Li Chonglou really thinks he's something, actually coming to Young Master Lin's territory to cause trouble. I heard they never got along, so there's a good show to watch today."
"In this area of the Antiques Association, dragons have to coil up, and tigers have to lie low. What kind of..."
"Just watch how Young Master Lin humiliates this clueless kid."
...
Lin Ao naturally had many supporters, and for a moment, the two factions were subtly at odds.
However, Li Chonglou had no backing, so his supporters immediately appeared at a disadvantage.
But many women's eyes were sparkling, gazing intently at Li Chonglou.
In a small place like Qin Prefecture, older women were quite bold, and when they saw a young man with some talent, they wanted to get close to him.
It had become a habit.
"Li Chonglou, what are you so arrogant about?" After Lin Ao's expression twitched for a few seconds, he calmed down, his eyes阴婺 as he walked down the stairs.
He planned to settle the score for the past before his master appeared, making Li Chonglou bow down and yield to him in front of everyone.
But as soon as he finished speaking, he was stopped by Zhou Yacheng.
"Lin Ao, are you talking to my junior uncle?" Zhou Yacheng was not one to be trifled with.
Famous playboy of Qin Prefecture, who had ever feared anyone? Lin Ao was much more restrained than him.
If it came to playing the field, how could he even bother with Lin Ao?
"Zhou Yacheng, this is none of your business today. I can't be bothered to deal with you, get lost... or don't blame me for turning hostile!" Lin Ao glared at Zhou Yacheng, his voice imperious.
When it came to playing the field, he admitted he was inferior to Zhou Yacheng.
But in the Antiques Association, when it came to antiques, Zhou Yacheng was nowhere near him.
Naturally, his presence became much stronger.
"Come on... show me you turning hostile!" A single sentence ignited Zhou Yacheng's temper. He thrust his face towards Lin Ao, pointing and shouting.
He was a rogue who wouldn't even yield when forced to kneel before Li Chonglou by Zhou Sanping, so how could he tolerate Lin Ao?
"Security, throw him out." Lin Ao's eyes twitched, and he roared.
Immediately, two security guards from the Antiques Association rushed in, one in front and one behind, about to grab Zhou Yacheng's arms.
Li Chonglou's pupils contracted. Of course, he couldn't watch his junior nephew be thrown out like this, as it would be too much of a blow to his own prestige.
Just as he was about to speak, he saw Zhou Yacheng dart forward, wrap an arm around Lin Ao's neck, and flash behind him.
Like a bandit holding a hostage, he lightly patted Lin Ao's fair, tender face and chuckled contemptuously, "Lin Ao, you want to kick your father out? No way!"
"Come on, try it. Do you think you can still handle me?"
As he spoke, he tightened his grip.
Lin Ao hadn't expected him to be so hooligan-like. He struggled desperately but couldn't break free, his face turning purple from lack of air.
Everyone in the hall was stunned by this scene.
Wasn't Lin Ao supposed to duel Li Chonglou? How did Zhou Yacheng suddenly interfere and start fighting?
The two security guards stared at each other, unsure what to do.
They were afraid Zhou Yacheng might actually strangle Lin Ao to death.
"Zhou Yacheng, that's enough. If you kill him, you'll go to jail. It's not worth it," Li Chonglou called out at the opportune moment. Zhou Yacheng immediately loosened his arm and released Lin Ao.
The latter immediately coughed violently, leaning on his knees, unable to speak for a long time.
"What are you looking at? This has nothing to do with you. We're just fooling around," Zhou Yacheng shouted at the security guards who were still trying to advance.
His fearless demeanor and reckless actions were indeed a bit terrifying.
Moreover, most people present knew him and knew that his Zhou family was wealthy and powerful and didn't care about compensation or anything like that.
If he hit someone, at most he would just pay some money to settle it.
If the security guards dared to step forward, they would be beaten for nothing.
But the two of them dared not leave, as they were employed by the Antiques Association. If Lin Ao was harassed on their turf and they didn't catch Zhou Yacheng, they would probably be fired.
The two of them made a decision, and charged!
Just as they were about to step forward, a voice came from upstairs: "Enough!"
It was Lu Weishen who had come down.
He had asked Lin Ao to invite Li Chonglou. Not long after, he heard the commotion below, knowing that Lin Ao's stubborn temper had flared up again.
He had to step in personally.
"Master, I..." Lin Ao, who had just recovered his breath and could speak, saw Lu Weishen descend with a stern face and his eyes immediately wilted.
"You can't do anything right, only mess things up!" Lu Weishen said with disappointment. "Apologize!"
After reprimanding him, he looked at Li Chonglou, forcing a smile onto his face. "Chonglou, was your trip to Chang'an smooth?"
"I didn't expect you to come to my humble place. This brat Lin Ao is ignorant, please don't hold it against him."
Lin Ao's eyes bulged, utterly confused.
His master was actually telling him to apologize to Li Chonglou. What in the world was going on?
"Still standing there? Did what I say not matter?" Lu Weishen saw Lin Ao not moving, walked down the stairs, and kicked him in the backside, shouting, "Apologize!"
He had never seen his master adopt such an attitude before.
He probably wouldn't get away with it today. Helplessly, he muttered, "I'm sorry..."
"Are you a mosquito? I can't hear you," Li Chonglou snorted coldly.
He also couldn't figure out why Lu Weishen's attitude had changed 180 degrees for this meeting.
But it didn't stop him from taking the opportunity to put Lin Ao down.
"I'm sorry!" Lin Ao's face turned deathly pale with anger, and he gritted his teeth and shouted.
This time, the entire hall could hear him.
"There are too many people here. Shall we talk upstairs?" Lu Weishen asked softly.
"Let's go," Li Chonglou nodded in satisfaction.
Since Lu Weishen was being so accommodating, there must be a reason. He was very curious now about what had caused him to act this way.
So, he led Zhou Yacheng upstairs.
Before leaving, Zhou Yacheng gave Lin Ao the middle finger, showing extreme contempt.
After the three left, only the black-faced Lin Ao and the stunned crowd in the hall remained.
Who was Lu Weishen? He was the undisputed number one in the Qin Prefecture antique circle, a master renowned nationwide.
Even the arrogant Lin Ao had to be completely subservient to him, yet he was so polite to Li Chonglou. Why?
Could there be some vested interest between them?
For a moment, everyone began to speculate.
Lin Ao's expression was extremely unpleasant. His master's actions were tantamount to publicly slapping his face and humiliating him.
But due to his master's authority, he dared not act out.
He could only glare at the crowd in the hall: "What are you looking at!"
Meanwhile, in the upstairs office, Lu Weishen personally handed tea to Li Chonglou and chuckled, "Chonglou, we had some misunderstandings before."
"Coupled with the matter of the Tang father and son, these misunderstandings only deepened, to the point where we became irreconcilable."
"What I want to say is, it's better to resolve enmity than to create it."
"How about we shake hands and make peace from now on?"
This opening remark was somewhat unexpected for Li Chonglou.
He had expected Lu Weishen to probe him about his trip to Chang'an, or even what he encountered in the Kun Mausoleum.
To his surprise, the old man wanted to make peace with him.
What was this old fox planning?
Li Chonglou didn't believe Lu Weishen was that magnanimous. He replied noncommittally, "Master Lu, if you have something to say, just say it directly. No need to beat around the bush."
"You misunderstand," Lu Weishen laughed heartily. "What could I possibly have to say?"
"I'm just feeling guilty for not being able to help you last time you went to Chang'an. Rest assured, from now on, in Qin Prefecture, our Antiques Association will give way to you."
"If you ever want to visit the Antiques Association, I can even let you be the chairman."
"However, I have one small request: please don't disband the association... After all, everyone still needs a place to huddle together for warmth, don't you think?"
If the previous reconciliation had surprised Li Chonglou, these words utterly confused him.
When had Lu Weishen become so humble?
Had he truly changed his ways?
Even Zhou Yacheng found it unbelievable, but his temperament was much more impetuous than Li Chonglou's. He couldn't help but blurt out, "Hey, old man, what are you up to?"
"Why are you suddenly so polite to my junior uncle? Offering favors without reason means you're up to no good, you know!"
This impolite sarcasm made Lu Weishen's expression stiffen.
Li Chonglou chuckled inwardly, but seeing Lu Weishen's flushed face, he figured there was something he couldn't say in front of Zhou Yacheng.
So he said, "You go play outside."
"Got it. I'll go find some gifts for my girlfriends." Zhou Yacheng was actually quite sharp. Seeing the situation, he crossed his legs, drained his tea, and got up to leave.
Only after he closed the door did Lu Weishen say with a dry chuckle, "Heh heh, your junior nephew is truly unrestrained."
"He's young and reckless. I'm about the same age as him. Now you can tell me what's going on," Li Chonglou said with a chuckle, a subtle warning in his tone.
If Lu Weishen treated him like a youngster, then don't blame the youngster for treating him like an elder who relied on his seniority.
"It's like this. When you went to Chang'an, someone came to see me," Lu Weishen nodded and lowered his voice. "That person has an extraordinary background. I've heard his name before, but I never expected you to be his friend."
"No wonder your discernment is so outstanding. With Lin Zhendong's abilities, he couldn't have taught someone as young and promising as you. Now I understand."
"Rest assured, from now on in the Qin Prefecture antique circle, I, Lu Weishen, will willingly take second place and never compete with you!"
Li Chonglou's temples throbbed as he listened: "What do you mean?"
"What is the name of the important figure you're talking about? I don't remember knowing such a person."
Lu Weishen's words completely bewildered him.
Could it be Fan Lei?
Impossible. Why would Fan Lei come to Qin Prefecture? He was extremely busy with state affairs, and even if he did come, he would definitely inform him.
It wouldn't be so silent and unnoticed.
Then who could it be?