"You scared the hell out of me."
Huang Yongshou cursed with a sinister glare, "Do you know that meddlers have short lives?"
"If you're smart, get out of the way, or you'll spend the rest of your life in the hospital!"
Xu Lie sneered disdainfully, "With just you guys?"
This extremely contemptuous smile pierced Huang Yongshou's pride, and he immediately flew into a rage, "Damn it!"
"Zhu Zi, cripple this blind fool for me."
"How dare you act tough in front of me!"
The burly man grunted, turned, and strode towards Xu Lie.
He threw a punch, swift as lightning.
With his strength, if this punch landed squarely, let alone a person, even a steel plate would deform.
But Xu Lie was no ordinary man.
Just as the fist was about to touch his face, his eyes flashed with sharp light, and he ducked, moving like a ghost.
He advanced half a step, crashing into the burly man's embrace.
Then, he bent his right arm inward, his elbow striking the burly man's jaw.
*Crack!*
The burly man's eyes rolled back, and he stumbled forward, falling to the ground, instantly knocked out.
The entire sequence was fluid and efficient, without any fancy moves, and so fast that the naked eye could barely follow.
"Trash," Xu Lie snorted coldly.
Having frequented underground boxing rings for years, he only practiced killing moves.
Opponents like this, who possessed brute strength but crude technique, didn't even qualify for him to throw a second punch.
Without even looking at the fallen man, he walked towards Li Chonglou.
"You... You stop there, I warn you not to come any..." Huang Yongshou's eyes bulged in sheer terror.
He had never expected Xu Lie to be so formidable.
Zhu Zi couldn't even withstand a single move.
Let alone him.
*Bang!*
Before he could finish speaking, Xu Lie sprang several meters, appearing before Huang Yongshou.
He swept a low kick, whistling through the air, striking the back of his knee.
At the same time, he roared, "Kneel!"
*Thump.*
Huang Yongshou's knees hit the ground with a dull thud.
He felt his knees about to shatter, his face contorted in pain, tears streaming down.
His soul had left his body.
Xu Lie cupped his fists towards Li Chonglou and asked, "Is my benefactor alright?"
"My name is Xu Lie. You saved my sister yesterday, and I've come to express my gratitude."
"It was nothing. Thankfully, you arrived in time." Li Chonglou returned the gesture.
He pulled at his shoulder, which still ached faintly.
Xu Lie was his destined good fortune.
In his previous life, without him, he would have died in a car accident long ago.
This time, he had arrived just in time again.
"Benefactor, how should we deal with this scoundrel? Just give the word," Xu Lie glared at Huang Yongshou.
The ferocity in his eyes plunged Huang Yongshou into an ice cellar, his scalp prickling.
His face was ashen, his voice trembling, "Boss Li, it's a society governed by law now... Hitting someone means going to jail!"
At this critical juncture, he had to resort to the law to protect himself.
The timid feared the fierce, and the fierce feared the ruthless.
Seeing Xu Lie was like a mouse seeing a cat.
"He's not worth your effort."
Li Chonglou looked at Huang Yongshou and snorted, "Since you're talking about the law, let the police educate you."
"Fraud with fake gold bars is enough to get you ten years!"
Huang Yongshou's heart churned, and he collapsed onto the ground.
He regretted it so much his guts turned green.
Zhao Yecheng had said Li Chonglou was young and ignorant, a soft persimmon, but that was utter nonsense!
If this was a soft persimmon, then what was he?
He had also never expected to encounter such a fierce god as Xu Lie.
If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have dared to cause trouble even if he had ten lives.
It was all over now. He hadn't made any money and would have to spend ten years in prison. What hope would he have after coming out?
Thinking of these terrible consequences, Huang Yongshou's face turned ashen, and he begged, "Boss Li, I... I was wrong."
"I'm just a small-time hawker doing someone's bidding. Please spare me."
"It was Zhao Yecheng who wanted to get you. He offered a million to have one of your arms..."
"Otherwise, why would I come looking for trouble with you when we have no enmity?"
Hearing this, Li Chonglou's eyes blazed with cold light, "You were fully involved in the gold bar scam. Do you think the police will believe you if you push all the blame onto Zhao Yecheng now?"
This matter was indeed related to Zhao Yecheng.
Not only had he not left Qin Province, but he had also gone to great lengths to plot revenge.
If such a person wasn't dealt with, he would likely stir up trouble again.
In that case, he would use Huang Yongshou's confession to bring him down completely.
It would be better to send him inside to keep his master company, lest the old man be lonely!
"I'm just a small hawker in the Wenmiao Antique Market!"
Eager to escape punishment, Huang Yongshou spilled everything he knew, "The gold bar incident was planned by him three months ago. I had no idea about the inside story."
"It wasn't until he contacted me yesterday that I found out they were fake."
"Otherwise, how would I dare to do something illegal..."
Huang Yongshou was cunning and adaptable.
He knew that the punishment for an accomplice was vastly different from that of the main perpetrator. He couldn't escape, and the evidence was complete.
His only recourse was to atone for his crimes by exposing Zhao Yecheng.
There was no need to take the blame for him.
Li Chonglou's heart stirred slightly, and he asked lightly, "You say you're a hawker?"
"Hawker" was an ancient profession.
Familiar with people and market conditions, they acted as intermediaries for profit, which was originally blameless.
But in recent years, hawkers had changed. Money came first, and morals and conscience were thrown to the wind, even betraying fellow enthusiasts.
They had become synonymous with glib talk and setting traps to swindle people.
As a result, hawkers, touts, and followers had become the three most unwelcome presences in the antique trade.
However, for Li Chonglou, hawkers were of great use.
At this moment, he began to consider winning over Huang Yongshou.
He didn't care about the person's character, but rather how to utilize them.
"Absolutely true!" Huang Yongshou affirmed, "Don't believe me, I'll take you to Zhao Yecheng. He's hiding in a jade shop in Wenmiao."
"There's no need for you to take me. As long as Zhao Yecheng is still in Qin Province, dealing with him is a piece of cake."
Li Chonglou saw through Huang Yongshou's intentions at a glance and used a combination of coaxing and intimidation, "You helped him with the scam, but I'll consider your remorse."
"It's not impossible for me to let you go, but you must have value!"
"This..." Huang Yongshou was bewildered.
Li Chonglou, facing him, didn't look like a young man in his twenties at all; he was more like an old fox.
Value?
What value could he possibly have?
Seeing Huang Yongshou deep in thought, Li Chonglou didn't rush.
He calmly remarked, "As a hawker, you must have insider information. Have you heard of any treasures surfacing?"
Huang Yongshou's eyes lit up, "Treasure... Yes, yes, yes."
"Do you know Dongshan? It's a place the Qianlong Emperor visited six times on his southern tours."
"That area is scheduled for demolition by the end of the year. I know someone named Chen Zhenghe, and I've dealt with a few jade pieces from him."
"I heard from him that his father has a great treasure!"
Dongshan!
Li Chonglou's heart rejoiced.
How could he have forgotten this treasure trove?
Because in his previous life, by the time he was released from prison, Dongshan had already undergone a major renovation and become a scenic spot.
The treasures had long been looted, but it was different now.
Demolition hadn't started yet, so there might be a great find.
Huang Yongshou's words had completely piqued his interest.
But he still remained calm and said, "This lead is passable. Get up."
"Then... then me?" Huang Yongshou looked cautiously at Li Chonglou's expression.
"You'll be fine."
Li Chonglou reassured him, "Provide more useful leads in the future, and you'll earn more than you do through crooked means."
"Isn't that better than your deceit and trickery?"
"Give me the address of that shop and the pawn ticket, and I can let your brother go."
Upon hearing this, Huang Yongshou felt like he had received a great pardon, repeatedly kowtowing, "Thank you, Boss Li. I'll be at your beck and call from now on. I, Huang Yongshou, will never complain."
He quickly woke up the burly man and left Donglin.
The smile on Li Chonglou's face sent a shiver down his spine.
He had completely fallen into a trap today. With the evidence in hand, Li Chonglou held his life in his grasp.
"Benefactor, your methods are impressive!" Xu Lie couldn't help but praise after they left.
After hearing his sister's account of the incident last night, he had been wondering who Li Chonglou was.
Today, he had indeed proven himself.
In an instant, he had won over a seasoned veteran.
He remained unfazed and handled the situation with ease.
Even with the burly man's hand gripping his shoulder, he remained calm and fearless.
His state of mind was far beyond that of ordinary people.
"It's just a minor trick. Thanks to you for keeping Huang Yongshou in check," Li Chonglou invited Xu Lie to sit and personally brewed tea, placing it before him.
"You're too kind, benefactor."
Xu Lie showed gratitude, "My parents died early, and only my sister and I depend on each other. She's still in college."
"If it weren't for you, benefactor, yesterday's consequences would have been unimaginable."
"May I ask your name?"
Li Chonglou nodded, "My name is Li Chonglou. I'm younger than you. I'll call you Brother Xu, and you can call me Chonglou."
"Alright! Chonglou, I'll repay the money you paid for Qianqian as soon as possible." Xu Lie was not a sentimental person.
"No rush about the money."
Li Chonglou waved his hand and steered the conversation, "Brother Xu, I've seen you fight. You're very skilled."
"But youth is a fleeting advantage. It's not a sustainable path."
"Have you ever thought about finding other work?"
Xu Lie's gaze dimmed, "Besides fighting, I have no other special skills."
"Fortunately, Qianqian is graduating from university soon, and my contract expires at the end of the year. I have five more matches."
"After that, I'll become a security guard or something to make a living and watch her get married and start a family."
Li Chonglou knew that Xu Lie considered his sister his entire life.
Everything he did was for Xu Qianqian.
He spoke frankly, "As you saw earlier, I've offended quite a few people."
"Why don't you follow me? A monthly salary of ten thousand."
"It won't interfere with your fighting. How about it?"
Hearing this, Xu Lie's brow twitched.
How could he not tell that Li Chonglou was helping him?
Becoming a bodyguard could be his ultimate destination, but it was difficult for people to trust and hire someone from an unofficial company.
Li Chonglou had first helped Qianqian, and now he thought so highly of himself, filling him with gratitude.
He said earnestly, "Since Chonglou thinks highly of me, I'm willing to go through fire and water for you!"
"Good!"
Li Chonglou's heart settled.
With Xu Lie, it was like a tiger with wings, and he no longer had any worries.
Asking Xu Lie to wait, Li Chonglou first called the police.
The store had surveillance cameras, and everything that happened had been recorded.
The rest was up to the police.
Zhao Yecheng's actions harmed himself and others; prison was the fate he deserved.
Not long after, the police arrived, took away the four gold bars, and took statements from Li Chonglou and Xu Lie.
As soon as they left, Li Chonglou's eyes flashed with sharp light, "Brother Xu, accompany me to Dongshan first."
There was no better day than today.
Since he knew there was a treasure in Dongshan, he had to act quickly and not let others get there first.
Finding treasures required not only a keen eye but also opportunities and luck.
These two things were fleeting.
He couldn't afford to delay.