Tang Jingde had not examined it carefully before, but now, as his gaze swept over it, his face revealed a look of surprise.
"This is actually made of century-old沉木 (chenmu), no wonder it has been preserved so well."
"This wooden table alone is probably worth no less than a million, and the craftsmanship is also extraordinary."
"It seems they have truly given you a treasure. Don't delay, sell it to me directly!"
Lin Xiaotian said with a smile, "Old man, I'm afraid you can't afford it."
As soon as he said this, the people around cast their gazes towards them, with a hint of mockery in their eyes.
Tang Jingde was the foremost collector, and within the Songzhou region, his appraisal skills were unmatched. Financial strength was secondary; he could easily borrow billions with a single word.
After all, those collectibles were extremely valuable, and no one doubted his ability to repay.
Laughter suddenly erupted from the crowd.
"Where did this country bumpkin who's never seen the world come from, daring to question if Master Tang can afford it?"
"Even if that wooden table were made of gold, Master Tang could buy it with a flick of his wrist."
As the voices faded, the person walked in.
He had a smile on his face, then bowed to Tang Jingde, "Old Master Tang, I am Ye Wenqiang. Do you remember me? I previously gave you a Xuande censer."
Tang Jingde frowned, "So it's you. The Ye and Chu families are as close as one family. You openly mocked Xiao Tian. Do you have a grudge between you?"
He said what he thought, without holding back.
Ye Wenqiang maintained his smile, showing no signs of anger. He straightened up, his gaze fixed on Lin Xiaotian, but his words carried a sharp edge.
"I would say it's a blood feud."
"Old Master Tang, you know I'm just an adopted son of the Ye family. My second brother took care of me the most since I was young. But my second brother had an accident a few days ago, and the final investigation result pointed to him."
"Although there was no direct evidence, I believe my intuition. He is the culprit."
Tang Jingde snorted, "You keep saying your second brother took care of you, and now that he's gone, you're smiling. I don't feel even a shred of sadness from you."
Having lived so long, how could Tang Jingde not see that Ye Wenqiang was trying to tarnish Lin Xiaotian's reputation?
Speaking out in public, regardless of whether it was true or false, would have a significant impact on Lin Xiaotian once the rumor spread.
And his retort directly implicated Ye Wenqiang.
"Old man, this matter has nothing to do with you. I came here today mainly for him."
Ye Wenqiang's expression was slightly displeased. He hadn't expected Tang Jingde to be so dismissive. He had intended to seize an opportunity to say a few words.
This was indeed a very good opportunity.
Lin Xiaotian's earlier remark about Tang Jingde not being able to afford the wooden table made him appear arrogant and disrespectful.
Adding his words now would further damage Lin Xiaotian's reputation.
The most important objective was to prevent further cooperation between the Ye and Chu families. Otherwise, once Ye Wantong gained full control, his position would be precarious.
Lin Xiaotian walked over with a smile, "Old man, this fellow is here for me."
"He wants us to lose face at the exhibition today. And since he dares to show up, he must have planned it all along."
After speaking, he looked at Ye Wenqiang, a half-smile on his face, and asked, "Who gave you the courage?"
"What?" Ye Wenqiang wondered if he had misheard.
In broad daylight, Lin Xiaotian still intended to make a move against him?
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Lin Xiaotian took a step forward, directly in front of him, grabbed his neck, and lifted him off the ground.
"I asked who gave you the courage?"
"If I have to repeat myself, the consequences will be severe."
"If you don't want to answer, I'll make you shut up forever, so you can't utter another word in your life."
The strength in his hand slowly increased.
Ye Wenqiang tried desperately to pry Lin Xiaotian's fingers open but found it futile.
He never expected Lin Xiaotian to act so unpredictably, making a move outside the door. After all, dealing with a mere nobody could be easily resolved.
But to make a move against him in front of so many people was equivalent to slapping the Ye family in the face.
Moreover, Ye Wantong was standing right there.
A suffocating sensation gradually emerged, and Ye Wenqiang's mind began to falter.
Chu Nianxue quickly came forward to persuade him, "Let go first, you're almost choking him to death!"
Lin Xiaotian smiled and said, "Don't worry, he won't die."
"Even if his heart stops, I can save him."
"As long as I'm here, even Yama will have to step aside. If I don't let him die, no one can take his life."
At this moment, Ye Wenqiang felt his head spin, his eyes rolled back, and his body went limp.
His limbs hung down.
Everyone was horrified. Was he really going to choke him to death alive?
Just as Chu Nianxue was about to speak again, Lin Xiaotian slowly released his hand.
Ye Wenqiang had lost all consciousness and collapsed on the ground, his breath completely gone, as if he were a dead man.
"You didn't actually choke him to death, did you?" Chu Nianxue's voice trembled slightly. It was fine to injure him, but if someone died, it would be a huge problem.
Lin Xiaotian produced a few silver needles and flicked them, piercing Ye Wenqiang's acupoints.
"Look!"
Ye Wenqiang suddenly coughed violently, then gasped for air, his breathing like a bellows.
Blood vessels appeared in his eyes, which were almost blood red. He turned his head sharply to look at Lin Xiaotian. He had truly walked through the gates of hell just now and almost died.
The hatred in his eyes was almost tangible.
"You want to kill me?"
"You lunatic, you tried to commit murder in front of so many people."
Lin Xiaotian walked over and kicked him directly in the shoulder, sending him sprawling backward. He then placed his foot directly on his face.
"I gave you a chance to speak, and this is what you say?"
"It seems I've given you too much face."
Ye Wenqiang struggled desperately, only to find that he couldn't push away Lin Xiaotian's foot. He could only let out muffled groans, "Let go!"
"You want me to let go, so I'll let go?"
"Wouldn't that make me look like I have no dignity?" Lin Xiaotian said with a wicked smile, took out a cigarette, lit it, and asked, "That feeling just now wasn't pleasant, was it?"
"Want to try it again?"