Lin Xiaotian was not in a hurry at all. He lit a cigarette and slowly drew on it, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes. He knew very well that in the end, President Zhao would make a clear choice.
After half a minute of thought, President Zhao's expression changed noticeably, and a look of determination appeared on his face.
"Mr. Lin, I was a bit thoughtless about the previous matter."
"But I had no choice. If I hadn't done as they said, they would have directly exposed my leverage. Then, without them lifting a finger, those people would have sent me away, and I might never have gotten out."
"What I did back then was out of desperation. Now I realize how wrong my actions were, but it's too late. There are no regrets in this world. I can only be controlled by them."
"If they knew I sold them out, they would undoubtedly hand over my leverage to the Six Doors without hesitation. The people at the Six Doors wouldn't reason with me; they'd send me straight to prison."
"I don't want to go to prison. This world is so beautiful. I've worked hard for over a decade, from starting my business to now. No one knows the hardships I've endured. I've finally built a career for myself. I'm only in my thirties and a wealthy bachelor. I don't want to die before I've spent all my money."
Hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Lin Xiaotian's lips. "Just state your decision. I know you've already made up your mind."
"This decision concerns your future and how far you'll go. I'm too lazy to say more. I told you I could protect you, and I will."
President Zhao forced a bitter smile. "Mr. Lin, I'm sorry, but I can't tell you their information. Although I know you mean well, I have no choice. I don't want to end up sewing clothes in prison."
Lin Xiaotian nodded with a smile. "Good. Since you've made your decision, you must take responsibility for it."
"Now, tell me, what kind of cooperation are you looking to establish with our company?"
President Zhao quickly said, "I want to cooperate with your company on auctions."
"Our auction house here used to be very famous, but after the last incident, it suffered a crisis of trust. They auctioned fakes, while your company has never presented a single fake antique. Moreover, I heard that your company recently acquired a batch of extremely valuable antiques."
"We just need to set up an auction. If I put all those precious antiques on the auction block, you'll definitely make more profit. We won't charge any commission, and we can even give you all the revenue from advertising during the auction."
"You can consider it a thankless task on my part. We'll build up anticipation beforehand. We'll also accept items from anyone who wants to consign them for auction, and we won't use your company's name. We can even let you appraise the items."
Lin Xiaotian's eyes narrowed slightly, a simple smile in his gaze. "If it's about that kind of cooperation, you can go back now. Our company's antiques are never short of buyers, and I'll tell you something else: our company's true treasures will never be easily sold."
"If you want to cooperate, perhaps in other areas, there might be an opportunity."
At this point, a look of surprise flashed in President Zhao's eyes. His purpose for coming here was to establish a cooperative relationship with Lin Xiaotian, essentially to offer him benefits.
Because the people behind him had made it clear: "He who eats shortens his mouth, he who receives shortens his hand."
They wanted to use these benefits to appease Lin Xiaotian's anger. Although he knew some information, figuring out how to cooperate with the company became his challenge.
After all, very few people truly understand the antique industry; the waters run deep.
Lin Xiaotian smiled. "Our company is planning to build a museum. We'll charge admission fees to earn money. I haven't finalized the construction plans yet, partly because land prices are too high locally, and partly because I want to make it grand."
"A small one won't be able to house our precious antiques. The treasures we've collected will never be sold. The biggest reason is that they are too precious. If they were to fall into foreign hands, wouldn't we become sinners again?"
President Zhao's eyes showed immense surprise, but he quickly said with admiration, "I finally understand why your company never holds auctions. It's because you keep all the real treasures for yourselves, preventing antiques from flowing abroad."
"After all, it doesn't matter if ordinary items are lost. Those are historically less significant artifacts. But each precious antique is a treasure of our ancestors."
"While everyone understands this principle, I believe there isn't another company in the entire industry that practices it as diligently as yours."
"Regardless of anything else, building a museum, I'll take care of it. No matter the cost, I'll manage it. My company already has a professional construction team, so this is the most suitable task for me."
"This is exactly my area of expertise."
Lin Xiaotian nodded with a smile, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "When you go back, tell the people behind you that if they handle this matter well, I can reluctantly let them off. They may escape capital punishment, but not punishment. It's best if they come to receive their punishment themselves. I'm giving them only one day. If I don't see him within a day."
Lin Xiaotian paused slightly, and then the smile on his face became even more pronounced. "I have a bad temper and little patience. Even if he were to pluck the stars from the sky and give them to me, it would be useless."
"Alright, you can leave now."
President Zhao immediately stood up, his face filled with pleasant surprise. "Thank you for your consideration, Mr. Lin. I'll go back immediately to convey this message to him."
Lin Xiaotian waved his hand, a barely perceptible curve at the corner of his mouth.