“Zhìgāo, what’s wrong?” Zhu Yǒuzhēn, still immersed in the joy of acquiring the treasure, asked curiously upon seeing Mò Zhìgāo’s troubled expression.
Mò Zhìgāo’s face flickered with emotions, but he managed to suppress them. He took a deep breath and said, “Nothing, I was simply outmatched.”
“You’re getting on in years, you should be more open-minded. What’s the point of arguing with a child? Besides, thanks to you, we were able to obtain this treasure today. You’ve earned great merit!” Zhu Yǒuzhēn chuckled heartily.
Every word he spoke felt like a sharp knife piercing Mò Zhìgāo’s heart.
It made him want to spit blood, yet he dared not reveal the slightest hint of his feelings.
He could only stare intently at Lǐ Chónglóu, his eyes bloodshot and filled with boundless hatred.
The so-called "Eight Trigrams Bronze Mirror of the Dog-Blood Sect from the Wang Mang era" was nothing but a fabrication by Lǐ Chónglóu, who had correctly identified his unfamiliarity with the archaic script.
He had transformed an ordinary bronze mirror into an artifact tied to a shocking historical event, inflating its value a hundredfold.
In the end, Zhu Yǒuzhēn gladly paid the exorbitant price.
And he was forced to suffer the humiliation in silence, utterly powerless.
It was a profound and utter disgrace!
An absolute and crushing humiliation.
He never imagined that in his entire life, he would be played for a fool by Lǐ Chónglóu.
“Mr. Mò, do you have any further advice?” Lǐ Chónglóu met his gaze, his expression unwavering as he asked.
He had learned this tactic of striking at the heart from Lǔ Wèi Shēn.
Of course, he had adapted it slightly, relying on his grasp of history and details. Upon seeing Mò Zhìgāo’s handwriting on the stack of yellow paper, he had deduced that Mò Zhìgāo's understanding of calligraphy was merely superficial.
Thus, he had concocted a story on the spot, using the "Dog-Blood Sect" as a pretense.
As for the bloodstains on the bronze mirror, which were revealed under ultraviolet light, he had discovered them back in Donglin. However, it was not "dog blood" but rather the blood of the deceased.
That mirror was a funerary object.
It had been thoroughly soaked in corpse blood years ago, making it perfect for his fabricated story.
Mò Zhìgāo, being arrogant and conceited, had never suspected that Lǐ Chónglóu would dare to make things up right in front of him, leading him to believe the lie so readily.
If he hadn’t signaled Mò Zhìgāo with his hand, the man would have remained oblivious his entire life.
A mirror worth at most eighty thousand had been sold for eight million right before his eyes.
How ironic, how absurd!
He could not afford to let this incident become public, for the first person to turn against him would be Zhu Yǒuzhēn.
Therefore, even though he loathed Lǐ Chónglóu to the point of wanting to devour his flesh, he had to pretend as if nothing had happened.
“Green mountains remain, and the flowing water continues. We have plenty of time ahead,” Mò Zhìgāo said, cupping his fists, his teeth grinding audibly.
With that, he picked up his backpack and bid farewell to Zhu Yǒuzhēn, “Director Zhu, I’m not feeling well, so I’ll take my leave.”
In this encounter, he had lost completely, utterly deceived by Lǐ Chónglóu.
He had no face to linger any longer.
“Very well, very well. Director Lǚ, please arrange for him. I’ll find you after I’ve concluded my business,” Zhu Yǒuzhēn said, carefully placing the Eight Trigrams mirror into his bag with a smile and a nod.
As soon as Mò Zhìgāo stepped out of the hotel and had walked only a few paces, he could no longer restrain himself. He coughed out a mouthful of fresh blood,
His vision swam, and he collapsed to the ground.
Startled hotel staff immediately called for an ambulance, rushing him to the emergency center.
Lǚ Yúnxù stared for a moment, then accompanied a round of drinks before giving Lǐ Chónglóu a knowing glance.
“Dad, you and Uncle Zhu have a good chat. We’re leaving now.”
With that, she pulled Lǐ Chónglóu out of the private room.
This was clearly not a suitable setting for Lǐ Chónglóu, being a serious business discussion with a superior present, requiring him to accompany guests for drinks.
She had tactfully extricated him from the situation.
After leaving the private room with Huáng Yǒngshòu, Lǚ Yúnxù couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Lǐ, what exactly was going on with Mò Zhìgāo just now? I feel like it was more than just him losing to you?”
She was naturally intelligent and adept at social interactions.
With her attention focused on Lǐ Chónglóu, how could she not notice the anomaly?
The way Mò Zhìgāo looked at Lǐ Chónglóu was like that of a mortal enemy who had stolen his wife and murdered his father; there had to be a reason for such intense animosity.
“Yes, Mr. Lǐ, I also feel that it wasn’t that simple. You should be wary,” Huáng Yǒngshòu chimed in, nodding repeatedly.
“Understood. I’ll transfer the money to you. You can report back now,” Lǐ Chónglóu said calmly, gesturing for Huáng Yǒngshòu to take out his phone. Two million instantly appeared in Huáng Yǒngshòu’s account.
“I knew following Boss Lǐ would lead to good fortune! So generous! If you need anything else, just let me know. I’ll be going now,” Huáng Yǒngshòu exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement.
He had estimated the value of that pile of bronze mirrors to be around one million at most.
He never expected to receive two million from Lǐ Chónglóu’s dealings.
Even after splitting it with the thugs who had hired him, he would still make a substantial profit.
After Huáng Yǒngshòu left, Lǐ Chónglóu smiled slightly and explained, “The Eight Trigrams mirror I sold to Zhu Yǒuzhēn was actually just an ordinary mirror. However, it was stained with corpse blood, and there was an incantation on the front, which provided the conditions for fabricating a story.”
“As for the Dog-Blood Sect incident, I merely made a few modifications, and he readily believed it due to his preconceptions.”
“However, that man was too arrogant. I can be arrogant myself, but I don't like others being arrogant towards me. So, in the end, I pointed out the truth to him.”
“Imagine how you would feel if you were in his shoes?”
His explanation left Lǚ Yúnxù’s beautiful eyes wide with admiration.
“Brother Lǐ, you are simply a god! No wonder you sold the ‘treasure’ so cheaply. I thought it was truly for our Lǚ Corporation. That Mò Zhìgāo really brought his misfortune upon himself by provoking you.”
Love makes the beloved beautiful. To Lǚ Yúnxù, right and wrong no longer mattered; whatever Lǐ Chónglóu did was undoubtedly the correct thing.
As for Mò Zhìgāo, he was merely asking for trouble.
“I had no choice,” Lǐ Chónglóu said with a wry smile. “Mò Zhìgāo is somewhat capable, but I don’t take him seriously. His mockery and humiliation are like a toddler waving a stick at me; they are not worth mentioning.”
“But I need to make money. Remember I told you about opening a hotel?”
“The two million for equity transfer, plus subsequent renovations and ingredients, are considerable expenses.”
“Moreover, the development and construction of the live-streaming platform, and the subsequent publicity, all require substantial investment. I have to earn what I can.”
Lǐ Chónglóu concealed nothing from Lǚ Yúnxù; openness was essential for future cooperation.
He was still counting on her to bring in customers for the hotel.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be the first to patronize the hotel,” Lǚ Yúnxù declared, her beautiful eyes shining with a strange light. “Uncle Zhu thinks he’s stumbled upon a great bargain, and with Mò Zhìgāo also convinced, he won’t suspect anything is amiss. This cooperation with our Lǚ Corporation now seems secure.”
“We've gained face, earned money, and smoothed the cooperation. It’s truly a plan with three benefits.”
“Brother Lǐ, I sometimes genuinely wonder, what kind of extraordinary soul resides within you?”
“Why do you always give me the impression of being over fifty years old? You are so mature and steady, nothing like someone your age.”
At this stage of their relationship, Lǚ Yúnxù spoke with less reservation.
With her mask removed, she was like a curious child in front of Lǐ Chónglóu.
“It’s an illusion, don’t make me sound old,” Lǐ Chónglóu said, slightly startled but maintaining a calm exterior.
Lǚ Yúnxù was absolutely right. He was indeed over fifty, no, seventy-four when he transmigrated back in his previous life.
A true elder.
But precisely because he was so old, his mindset had shifted. They say the old become childish; the older one gets, the younger they become, unlike the forced maturity of someone in their forties or fifties.
Besides his exceptional composure and calmness, he would sometimes reveal a childlike innocence.
He had simply not shown this side to Lǚ Yúnxù.
After leaving the hotel, he declined Lǚ Yúnxù’s offer to drive him home and took a taxi instead.
A new need arose in his mind: "I need to find time to buy a car. It’s inconvenient to keep running around every day. I can also give it to Brother Xu to drive."
He planned to handle this after Xǔ Liè finished his last fight at the end of the month and officially became his bodyguard.
He now had eight million in hand.
Part of this would be given to Tián Shǒuchéng as payment for the goods. He had initially intended to give him two million, but given the unusual circumstances, he increased it by one million, more as a form of psychological comfort.
It was also a way to account for the matter.
The rest was his legitimate income.
Part of it was reserved as backup funds for Wú Hào. With the two million for the hotel, he was left with only about a million for immediate use.
For purchasing antique collections, a million was merely a drop in the bucket.
Opportunities like this were rare and unpredictable; he couldn't rely on them.
He had to find new avenues of wealth.
Upon returning to Donglin, Lǐ Chónglóu called Tián Línglì again.
She was at home, accompanying her uncle, Tián Shǒuchéng, who was pacing anxiously like an ant on a hot pan.
He had lost the items and dared not report them to the police, fearing he might be breaking the law.
After all, a quick search online revealed that dealing in bronze artifacts was prohibited. He couldn't believe Lǐ Chónglóu's words.
He was so worried he was close to falling ill.
Upon hearing from Lǐ Chónglóu that the items were found but had already been sold, and that he had helped recover the money, Tián Shǒuchéng immediately rushed to Donglin.
“I’ve helped you recover three million through a friend. Give me your account number,” Lǐ Chónglóu said directly, not wanting to explain the entire situation to Tián Shǒuchéng, which would be time-consuming and lead to misunderstandings.
“Brother Lǐ, you’ve saved my life. I will never forget your immense kindness!” Tián Shǒuchéng knelt on the ground with a thud, tears streaming down his face.
He had inquired about the items at several antique shops in the market, and the highest offer he received was eighty thousand.
Only then did he realize Lǐ Chónglóu had spoken the truth.
Now that Lǐ Chónglóu had helped him recover three million, how could he not be overjoyed?
“Get up. I did this for Tián Línglì’s sake. Take the money and go home,” Lǐ Chónglóu gestured for Tián Línglì to help him up and quickly transferred the money.
This matter had finally been resolved.
Ordinary people are driven by wealth; anything that can be solved with money is not a problem at all.
People like Tián Shǒuchéng could be difficult to deal with, but they were also easy to appease.
Seeing this, Tián Línglì’s eyes sparkled, “Chónglóu, then I’ll take my uncle home first.”
“I will repay you slowly for this matter later.”
Looking at her amorous gaze, Lǐ Chónglóu felt a prickle of unease.
He knew without asking what kind of repayment she meant.
Last time, it was due to overwhelming emotions, and he had almost succumbed. Thinking about it now sent a cold sweat down his spine. Such a relationship brought more harm than good.
If Tián Línglì were to have a substantive relationship with him, her love might lead to possessiveness, which could cause a major crisis in his marriage.
From now on, he must never let the previous situation happen again.
After seeing them off,
Lǐ Chónglóu spent some time fiddling with gold and was about to rest and make some tea when a petite figure darted into the shop.
Her eyes met Lǐ Chónglóu’s, and she exclaimed with extreme surprise, “Oh, big brother, what are you doing here?”