Chen Fan looked at the fake compass fragment Jiang Tiansheng handed over and chuckled, "Why bother bringing back a fake?"
Jiang Tiansheng gave an awkward laugh and said, "I saw you examining it quite closely, so I brought it."
Taking the item, Chen Fan fiddled with it in his hand and said, "Let the person go. They're worthless."
"Then what do we do next?"
Jiang Tiansheng asked.
"We don't do anything. Someone will naturally come looking for us."
Chen Fan said with a smile, "The fish have already taken the bait. All we need to do is wait patiently."
Jiang Tiansheng asked, "You mean the person who actually possesses the Dragon Mark Compass will come to us?"
Chen Fan nodded, gesturing with the fake fragment in his hand. "Anyone who can make a fake this realistic either has the genuine article or has had it before."
"So, this was just a test to see if we had seen the real thing, how much we cared about it, and how desperately we needed it!"
Jiang Tiansheng suddenly understood.
He hadn't thought that deeply, only realizing how complex the situation was.
The logic was simple: if Chen Fan was unfamiliar with the fake Dragon Mark Compass fragment, he might have been fooled. That alone would indicate that Chen Fan had possessed the real Dragon Mark Compass.
Of course, Chen Fan considered these calculations to be insignificant.
He was determined to get the compass fragment, no matter who the other party was.
The worst thing would have been no news or clues. Now that someone had come to test them, this trip to Jinling was not in vain.
Soon, Jiang Tiansheng's subordinate returned, and they left the Confucius Temple and went back to the hotel.
Not long after they left, another distinguished guest arrived at the Gu Yun Xuan.
It was none other than Gu Zi'an.
After Shopkeeper Zhu explained what had happened, Gu Zi'an tapped his fingers on the table and asked, "A fake? Shopkeeper Zhu, are you sure?"
"Young Master Gu, it's almost certain," Shopkeeper Zhu said with a fawning smile. "The person who came to trade had shifty eyes and crude speech. After being told it was fake, they didn't show much surprise, directly lowering the asking price from thirty million to a hundred thousand, as if afraid Mr. Chen wouldn't want it!"
"From my experience, that person was just a pawn, insignificant."
Gu Zi'an nodded and stood up. "Well done. Keep me informed if you get any more news. Oh, I'll take that pair of large folding landscape screens behind your door. Have them sent to the Gu family!"
"Certainly, Young Master Gu!"
Shopkeeper Zhu agreed with a smile and bowed to see Gu Zi'an off.
After Gu Zi'an left, Shopkeeper Zhu revealed a playful smile, walked into the inner room, and made a phone call.
"Master, just as you predicted, they didn't fall for it and saw through the little trick... Alright, understood!"
As the car pulled up to the hotel, Chen Fan got out and, remembering something, said, "Ask the front desk to send up a bottle of Liu Wei Di Huang Wan."
Jiang Tiansheng was momentarily taken aback, not understanding, but he still instructed his subordinate to arrange it.
Not long after they returned to the suite, Gu Zi'an arrived.
"Mr. Long, you see, my antidote?"
"Wait a moment!"
Chen Fan walked into the bedroom and quickly came out. "Open your mouth!"
Gu Zi'an's face lit up with joy, and he obediently opened his mouth.
Chen Fan dropped a very small black pill into his mouth.
Swallowing it instinctively, Gu Zi'an felt a medicinal taste arise. He smacked his lips, and then his entire body relaxed.
"Thank you, Mr. Long."
Gu Zi'an's posture straightened slightly.
Chen Fan said indifferently, "You may leave."
"Yes, yes!"
Gu Zi'an bowed and retreated from the room.
After leaving the suite, he felt completely at ease, and a look of venomous resentment reappeared in his eyes.
He had never been so subservient in his life.
He could not pretend that this humiliation had not happened.
However, he would need to think carefully about how to retaliate.
He knew he couldn't win in a fight, nor could he resort to commercial retaliation. His only option was to target Jiang Tiansheng and his associates.
He got into his car, made a phone call, and then headed straight to an entertainment club in Shiyun District.
He entered a VIP room in the club and pushed the door open. Inside, a group of rough-looking men and women were mingling in a smoky, chaotic atmosphere.
He frowned and coughed lightly.
A bald man clapped his hands, ushered out the others, and said with a fawning smile, "Young Master Gu, what are your orders?"
"I need you to do something for me."
Gu Zi'an sinisterly threw out a few photos and said, "This person is named Jiang Tiansheng. He's staying at the Jinling Grand Hotel and has been frequently searching for something in the antique market these past few days. The item is in the photo."
"What, you want me to take care of him?" the bald man asked nonchalantly.
"If I wanted to just take care of him, would I need to involve you?" Gu Zi'an said flatly. "I want you to set a trap, spread various false rumors, and lead him on a wild goose chase."
"That's it?"
The bald man sounded surprised.
"For now, yes," Gu Zi'an frowned. "The rest will come after I find the item in the photo."
"What is this thing? What's it for?" the bald man asked.
"I don't know."
Gu Zi'an replied helplessly, then stood up to leave.
As he reached the doorway, he turned back and said, "Remember this: teaching them a lesson is acceptable, but do not take their lives. The consequences would be dire!"
"They're just outsiders, Young Master Gu. Don't worry, it's a small matter!"
After Gu Zi'an left, the bald man looked at the photos, sneered, and gave his orders.
Time passed quickly, and two days went by in the blink of an eye.
What troubled Chen Fan was that for the past two days, there had been a constant stream of false information about the Dragon Mark Compass. Jiang Tiansheng had been going out early and returning late because of it, but all his efforts had yielded nothing.
On the other hand, Sun Ming'en brought antiques to Chen Fan for appraisal every day.
With Chen Fan as his backing, he was quite generous, and the items he brought for appraisal were all valuable.
However, most of them were fakes.
One day, although Jiang Tiansheng knew that someone was deliberately trying to mislead him, he still went out diligently to search.
Not long after Jiang Tiansheng left, there was a gentle knocking at the door.
Chen Fan mistook it for room service and went to open the door, only to see an old man over sixty standing outside.
The old man wore a long robe, his attire clearly classical and somewhat outdated.
"Greetings, Mr. Chen,"
The old man bowed slightly and said, "My name is Ping Yihong. I am here on behalf of my master to invite you to the Fish Dragon Secret Gathering!"
Chen Fan looked surprised. "Fish Dragon Secret Gathering? What is that?"
"The Fish Dragon Secret Gathering,"
The old man chuckled. "You can think of it as a rare exchange meeting for bartering goods, but the exchange is primarily conducted between my master and invited guests. Of course, guests can also exchange among themselves!"
As he spoke, he handed something to Chen Fan.
It was a square jade tablet.
The jade tablet was carved with the patterns of a fish and a dragon, exquisitely done, clearly the work of a master. It exuded a sense of mystery and a faint, ethereal spiritual energy.
Chen Fan looked at the jade tablet, which would be worth tens of thousands on the market, and said, "Why should I attend?"
"Whether you attend or not is entirely up to you!"
Ping Yihong said with a smile. "However, if you have something you desire, something you wish to obtain, the Fish Dragon Secret Gathering can generally ensure that you leave satisfied!"
"Of course, the prerequisite is that you have something to trade. Money is excluded; there is no one attending the Fish Dragon Secret Gathering who lacks funds!"
"This is quite interesting!" Chen Fan examined Ping Yihong and said, "Do you know what I want?"
Ping Yihong replied, "How would I know what Mr. Chen wants?"
He smiled and continued, "Tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, at the Qin Huai River pleasure boat dock, please wait there on time."
"Also, you may bring one friend. More than that will not be accommodated!"
After saying this, he bowed again and turned to leave.
Chen Fan played with the jade tablet without stopping him, a hint of amusement playing on his lips.
The situation was becoming increasingly intriguing.