"This isn't right, I need to think about it again," Tian Shoucheng said, shaking his head like a rattle drum.
He reached out, intending to put the bronze mirror back into his bag.
He was just an ordinary farmer.
As soon as Li Chonglou proposed taking 50%, he felt swindled, completely disregarding what Li Chonglou had said earlier.
He instinctively felt Li Chonglou was trying to fool him.
His upbringing deeply influenced his thinking. Why should someone else take half of his possession with just a few words? There was no such logic in this world.
Seeing this, Tian Lingli helplessly advised, "Uncle, he can help you sell it at a high price. If you sell it yourself, you'll only get a low price. Why can't you figure this out?"
"High price, low price, what's that? I think it's all talk. I don't believe I can't sell it myself!" Tian Shoucheng's face hardened, stubborn as a mule.
As he spoke, he repacked the bronze mirror and coins.
Looking at Li Chonglou again, his face no longer held any smiles, only wariness. "You young man, you're not being honest."
"Let's go!"
He stood up and prepared to leave.
Tian Lingli's forehead broke out in a sweat, anxious. She didn't know whether to go or stay.
Meanwhile, Li Chonglou remained calm and unhurried.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Tian Lingli asked worriedly.
"What's there to say? Cognitive dissonance. No point in talking more," Li Chonglou said indifferently. "Take him back. I believe he'll come around within three days."
"When he does, tell him I want 80%!"
"You're that confident? I'm truly impressed," Tian Lingli sighed, picked up her bag, and with the click of her heels, chased after them.
Tian Shoucheng's attitude was nothing new.
Anyone who felt they were being taken advantage of would react the same way.
Eighty percent of people in this world, when faced with a situation, wouldn't analyze rationally but would first protect their own interests.
They didn't understand the concept of "you must give to receive."
What was given away was not truly their loss; everyone yearned to gain more.
That was greed.
Li Chonglou was not a saint; he was greedy too, but he had his principles. He laid everything out on the table from the start.
If Tian Shoucheng understood, they would share the profits 50/50, a win-win cooperation.
If he didn't, when he returned, the split would be 80/20. The offer had been made; whether to accept it was his choice.
Li Chonglou was certain that in the region of Qinzhou, no one would be willing to share such a lucrative opportunity with others as he was.
There was a 100% chance that others, upon seeing this batch of goods, would try to get the best deal and swallow it whole.
Tian Shoucheng, an outsider, trying to sell these goods at a high price in Qinzhou or elsewhere was impossible.
This was the basis of his confidence.
Putting that matter aside for now, he decided to call Lü Yunxu to connect with high-end buyers.
As soon as he took out his phone to unlock it, Lü Yunxu's call came in.
"Brother Li, are you free now?"
"I'm at the shop, just about to discuss something with you."
"That's great. I'll pick you up. My dad had arranged to meet a VIP to discuss an investment today, but that person learned we donated the imperial seal box to the country and specifically brought a master of antiques along." Lü Yunxu's tone carried a hint of unease. "I'm worried something might go wrong and affect the investment, so I wanted to ask for your help to provide some backup."
This matter had come up suddenly.
No one knew the VIP was so interested in antiques.
It wasn't until Lü Chenggong personally picked him up at the airport that he discovered he had brought a friend.
The VIP had casually mentioned that due to the imperial seal box, he wanted to appraise Lü Chenggong's assets and knowledge of antiques.
While said casually, it carried significant weight for Lü Chenggong.
Reluctantly, he had to message Lü Yunxu to ask for Li Chonglou's assistance.
After all, this was a crucial partner for the revitalization of Lü Group, an investment magnate in Yong'an City, and not a single mistake could be made.
"Alright, I'll wait for you at the shop." Li Chonglou's eyes lit up.
It was like a pillow delivered just when he was feeling sleepy.
Just as he was thinking about where to find a big boss to buy Tian Shoucheng's goods, the boss had arrived.
Someone whom even Lü Chenggong took so seriously – how could the VIP in Lü Yunxu's words be ordinary?
As for Tian Shoucheng, he wasn't worried about him not cooperating.
Foresight was his style.
Ten minutes later, Lü Yunxu arrived at the shop, and then Li Chonglou headed for Feng Linxue.
"My dad originally wanted to take the VIP directly to the group and the project for a tour upon arrival. Now that there's an issue, we have to arrange it at Feng Linxue first," Lü Yunxu explained as she drove. "These VIPs, they all neglect their proper duties and are more interested in antiques than making money."
"If you say so, then I'm neglecting my duties all day," Li Chonglou chuckled.
"Brother Li, you've misunderstood me." Lü Yunxu displayed a rare, girlish coquettishness. "It's all up to you this time. The Lü family's reputation must not be lost."
"I'll help you maintain your reputation, but you have to promise me something," Li Chonglou seized the opportunity to make a request. "I plan to open a hotel, styled as a private kitchen, catering specifically to people like you in your circles. I'll help bring in customers."
"A trivial matter!"
Lü Yunxu agreed without hesitation, then looked surprised. "Brother Li, why do you suddenly want to open a restaurant?"
"A gentleman stays away from the kitchen."
"You're not planning to cook yourself, are you?"
A private kitchen, not a high-end hotel themed around extravagance, like Feng Linxue.
Therefore, it would definitely rely on the quality of its dishes.
He wouldn't have guessed that Li Chonglou, a sophisticated cultural figure, possessed such a skill?
"Of course, I won't cook, but I can appreciate good food. As for how it will be made, that's a secret for now. I want to create a gathering place for the wealthy." Li Chonglou said mysteriously. "Your Lü family is one of the top families in Qinzhou, and I also have a junior disciple with a wide network. Covering the expenses shouldn't be a problem."
"The tentative location is the current Desheng Hotel, but the name will have to be changed then."
Li Chonglou had already thought through this series of miscellaneous matters.
He would utilize all the connections he could.
First, he would get the hotel set up. Later, after his mother was discharged from the hospital and recovered, the ownership would be transferred to her.
This would elevate her status and position to be comparable to the Jiang family.
Although he didn't care about such mundane things, ordinary people did. To ensure his mother had a peaceful retirement, he sometimes had to play roles he was unwilling to.
"Alright, I'll be the first customer!" Lü Yunxu didn't pry further.
Her trust in Li Chonglou came from the depths of her heart.
To her, whatever Li Chonglou did, he would do it to the utmost.
Lü Yunxu drove quickly, reaching Feng Linxue Hotel in fifteen minutes.
When the two pushed open the private room door, six people were already seated inside.
Besides Lü Chenggong, whom Li Chonglou recognized, there were two high-ranking officials from a certain department in Qinzhou whom he had seen on television, seemingly invited as escorts.
The others were all first-time acquaintances.
Seeing him enter, Lü Chenggong quickly stood up and personally went to the door to greet him.
He clasped Li Chonglou's hand and introduced him, "Everyone, this is Mr. Li Chonglou, the honorary consultant of our Lü Group."
"It was under Mr. Li Chonglou's recommendation that we donated that imperial seal box to the country."
After speaking, as he was about to lead Li Chonglou to the table for individual introductions, an untimely, disdainful, and sarcastic voice echoed through the room: "I thought Mr. Lü had found an extraordinary master to anchor the event, but it turns out to be a greenhorn who hasn't even grown his whiskers yet."
"If I had known, I wouldn't have come with Mr. Zhu today. There's too much going on in Yong'an."
With those words, the entire room fell silent, and Lü Chenggong's expression became extremely awkward.