Opposite Cao Gangchuan were a man and a woman. The man was fair-skinned, with long, parted hair, wearing a T-shirt, gray-white jeans, and yellow casual shoes. He was quite a handsome young man. The woman was Liu Xiuyan, with a pretty ponytail, wearing a light blue knee-length dress, high-heeled sandals, and lace socks. She looked youthful, beautiful, and fashionable.
Next to the two of them was a silver-gray POLO sedan.
Xu Zhengyang stopped against the shadow of the wall, bracing himself on one foot and draping the other leg over the bicycle crossbar, frowning as he stared at the spot.
"Hey buddy, what's your relationship with Liu Xiuyan?" Cao Gangchuan asked, his neck stiff and a cigarette dangling from his lips, looking fierce.
The guy seemed somewhat intimidated by this fierce-looking peer in front of him. After all, he didn't know what the relationship was between this person and Liu Xiuyan, so he replied with an awkward smile, "Xiuyan and I are good friends. It's getting late, so I'm taking her home."
Just as Cao Gangchuan was about to ask another question, Liu Xiuyan raised her eyebrows, pouted, and said with her head held high, "Cao Gangchuan, what's it to you if my friend gave me a gift? Why are you asking about her?"
"Hey, what's it to you if I ask who he is?" Cao Gangchuan ignored Liu Xiuyan, turned his head and glared at his buddy, saying fiercely, "Hey, don't say I didn't warn you, don't get any funny ideas about Liu Xiuyan, she's my buddy's girlfriend."
"Bullshit! Cao Gangchuan, stop spouting nonsense!" Liu Xiuyan spat angrily, then pulled the man aside and said furiously, "Gu Lin, let's go, ignore him, this lunatic..."
"Wait a minute." The young man called Gu Lin frowned and asked, "Xiuyan, do you have a boyfriend?"
Liu Xiuyan hurriedly said, "No, don't listen to his nonsense. It's just people from our village spreading rumors. Xu Zhengyang pursued me, but I never agreed to be with him."
"Hey Liu Xiuyan, how can you say that? Are you blinded by this guy's money and car?" Cao Gangchuan glared at Gu Lin angrily, then continued to threaten him viciously: "You son of a bitch, don't think you can fool young girls just because you have some money. You dare to steal my buddy's girlfriend? I'll break your legs, you hear me?"
Gu Lin was disgusted and angry at Cao Gangchuan's rude words, and said coldly, "Whether Liu Xiuyan has a boyfriend or not is not for you to decide, it's for her to decide. What? Does your village still have the custom of bullying men and women? How backward..."
"Damn it, you're so tight-lipped, you want to loosen your skin?" Cao Gangchuan said, about to make a move.
"Gangchuan!" Xu Zhengyang scolded Cao Gangchuan, then rode his bicycle wobbling over to him, braced himself on one leg, and without even glancing at Liu Xiuyan, patted Cao Gangchuan on the shoulder before turning to Gu Lin and saying, "Buddy, it's a misunderstanding, you guys can go."
“Zhengyang…” Cao Gangchuan said anxiously, “This bastard is obviously trying to make a fool of Liu Xiuyan.”
Xu Zhengyang got off, pushed his bicycle with one hand and put the other on Cao Gangchuan's shoulder, and pushed it westward, saying, "That's their business, it has nothing to do with us, don't meddle."
Cao Gangchuan grew increasingly angry, but since Xu Zhengyang wasn't going to hold it against him, it would be unreasonable for him to do so as well.
The matter could have ended there, but Gu Lin said to Liu Xiuyan at that moment, "Xiuyan, I think you should come back to the village less often. You won't learn anything good here. It's a bunch of uncivilized people."
"Damn it, who are you calling a jerk?" Cao Gangchuan broke free from Xu Zhengyang's arm, clenched his fists, and walked back.
Xu Zhengyang hurriedly abandoned his bicycle and followed, partly to stop Cao Gangchuan from resorting to violence, and partly because if a fight broke out, he would have to help Cao Gangchuan beat the enemy to a pulp—simply because they were buddies.
If Xu Zhengyang said he didn't care at all that Liu Xiuyan had found another boyfriend, he would be lying. He was a little annoyed and a little jealous, but for Xu Zhengyang, it wasn't a big deal. He knew that Liu Xiuyan's parents had disapproved of their relationship before, and he figured it wouldn't end well. Besides, Xu Zhengyang understood back then that the only reason Liu Xiuyan was willing to date him was because she saw how powerful Xu Zhengyang and his group were, and that being Xu Zhengyang's girlfriend would make her look good.
His willingness to date Liu Xiuyan was purely a result of excessive hormone secretion during puberty, curiosity, and impulsiveness.
It's all just youthful angst.
Gu Lin didn't seem afraid that Cao Gangchuan and Xu Zhengyang would attack him. He just leaned against the POLO car with a cold smile, watching Cao Gangchuan walk over aggressively.
"Cao Gangchuan, what are you trying to do?" Liu Xiuyan stood protectively in front of Gu Lin, her voice trembling with worry as she angrily questioned him.
When Cao Gangchuan was still two meters away from Liu Xiuyan, Xu Zhengyang finally pulled him back and said with a smile, "Gangchuan, don't be foolish. If we fight over this, we can't afford to lose face."
"Hmm?" Cao Gangchuan thought about it and realized it made sense. If word got out that they had fought over a woman with small, flat eyes, their reputation in the village would be ruined. The villagers might think they were jealous of the wealthy city people and that's why they started the fight. Speaking of which, Liu Xiuyan was a famous beauty in the village, and the villagers would say that she and Xu Zhengyang were like toads trying to eat swan meat.
Besides, a rat with a gun is a bully in its own backyard. What kind of skill is it to beat up an outsider at its own doorstep?
"You son of a bitch, you better watch out!" Cao Gangchuan angrily pointed at Gu Lin and cursed, then gritted his teeth and turned to walk back.
Xu Zhengyang naturally didn't say anything more. He simply glanced at Liu Xiuyan calmly, shook his head, and turned to leave.
Liu Xiuyan felt a little guilty after being calmly looked at by Xu Zhengyang, and her face turned red. Then, thinking about what she had just said, which might arouse Gu Lin's suspicion, she gritted her teeth, raised her face and said to Xu Zhengyang, "Xu Zhengyang, you better remember this, don't bother me again. I have never liked you, and there is no way we can be together."
Xu Zhengyang frowned, stopped, turned around, his expression had returned to calm, and said indifferently, "Have I ever bothered you?"
"You..." Liu Xiuyan felt increasingly guilty under Xu Zhengyang's gaze, and she couldn't utter a word.
“Even if you’ve taken a liking to this guy in the city and you two have gotten together, you should at least tell me you want to break up, right?” Xu Zhengyang sighed. “You’re not doing this right.”
"We have nothing to do with each other, why would I break up with you?" Liu Xiuyan retorted.
Xu Zhengyang didn't say anything more. He grabbed Cao Gangchuan, who was about to explode, and didn't even bother to look at Liu Xiuyan again. He walked straight to Cao Gangchuan's house.
Behind them, Gu Lin's voice came: "Xiuyan, who exactly is he?"
"A penniless scoundrel, a local thug," Liu Xiuyan said bitterly. "He's been bothering me ever since I got back; he's driving me crazy..."
Gu Lin seemed to believe Liu Xiuyan's words and stopped talking, only looking meaningfully at Xu Zhengyang's back.
"Zhengyang, are you just going to let it go like this? Damn it! That bitch!" Cao Gangchuan asked through gritted teeth.
"Hehe, it's nothing. A good man doesn't argue with a woman." Xu Zhengyang patted Cao Gangchuan on the shoulder. The two had arrived at the door and walked into the yard together.
After chatting for a while at Cao Gangchuan's house, Xu Zhengyang borrowed a shovel, a bag, and a flashlight, then rode his bicycle out of the village.
His explanation to Cao Gangchuan was that he had just remembered he needed to go to the rice paddies in the south to plug the gaps in the ridges to prevent water from overflowing. He believed that it was better to be humble, especially for someone with divine authority and power; a tall tree catches the wind!
Therefore, it is necessary to keep these things from relatives and friends.
As for Liu Xiuyan's affair tonight, Xu Zhengyang wasn't that concerned about her, but he was still a little embarrassed. He didn't necessarily want to argue with her; he had neither money nor power, so he had no problem with her choosing the best option. However… if I ever become rich, I wonder how much Liu Xiuyan will regret it?
She's a typical opportunist, and if things go wrong, she might get stuck with this kind of thing.
On the dark road at night, Xu Zhengyang shook his head with a wry smile. Why think about these things? That guy is already driving a car. How much money can I make in the next few years?
Volume One, Land Chapter 014: Blue and White Porcelain Jar with Dragon and Phoenix Design and Lotus Entwining Design
In an office on the second floor of "Tianbaozhai," the most famous antique shop in the Fubei Antique Market north of Fuxing Street in Fuhe City, General Manager Zou Mingyuan stood behind a large purplish-brown desk, holding a magnifying glass in his hand, bending over to carefully examine the porcelain piece on the desk.
To be precise, it was a ceramic jar:
The jar is 12.7 cm high, with a mouth diameter of 5.2 cm, a base diameter of 8.2 cm, and a maximum belly diameter of 12.4 cm.
Small straight mouth, short neck, a raised string pattern below the neck, rounded shoulders, gradually tapering lower abdomen, and concave foot;
The vessel is light and elegant, with harmonious proportions between its parts and beautiful lines.
The rim of the jar is decorated with water ripples and ruyi cloud patterns, while the entire body is painted with a scrolling passionflower pattern. A golden dragon is depicted swimming among the flowers on the belly. The composition is well-balanced, and the cobalt blue is vibrant and bright, exuding elegance and refinement within its solemnity.
Zou Mingyuan was in his forties, with a fair complexion and dressed in a well-fitting casual shirt, exuding the air of a refined businessman. At this moment, his brows furrowed and relaxed intermittently, and his eyes shone brightly behind his gold-rimmed glasses.
On a black leather sofa to one side, Xu Zhengyang, with a buzz cut, wearing a black vest and military green camouflage pants, calmly smoked. Judging from Zou Mingyuan's focused and somewhat excited expression, Xu Zhengyang was fairly certain that the pottery jar was valuable. Xu Zhengyang's current worry was that if he sold it for a low price, he would suffer a huge loss. Because Xu Zhengyang had absolutely no idea which dynasty the jar belonged to or how much it was worth.
Xu Zhengyang had put in a lot of effort to unearth these two pottery jars. The night before last, he spent three or four hours wielding a shovel before finally digging them out from among the tangled roots of the large locust tree. Back home, after carefully washing away the grime and grime that had accumulated over the years, the jars revealed their inherent beauty, exuding elegance and exquisite craftsmanship. Even a country bumpkin like Xu Zhengyang could tell they were fine pieces.
Before coming to Fuhe City, Xu Zhengyang had been cautious. He left the pottery jar with a golden phoenix painted on its belly at home and only took this one with a golden dragon painted on it. As the saying goes, even if you haven't eaten pork, you've seen pigs run, right? This dragon and phoenix are clearly a pair. According to experts invited to some "treasure appraisal" programs on television, sets of cultural relics are the most valuable.
Running a small business honed Xu Zhengyang's shrewdness. He knew that having a backup plan would give him an advantage when negotiating.
The problem was that he knew nothing about antiques, had never dealt with antique dealers, let alone knew anyone. So after arriving in Fuhe City, Xu Zhengyang found Zhong Zhijun and asked him to help him find the most famous antique shop that was most likely to offer a good price.
Zhong Zhijun is one year older than Xu Zhengyang. They are childhood friends and the son of Zhong Shan, the director of Huaxiang Police Station.
Zhong Zhijun is currently a police officer at the Fuxing District Public Security Bureau in Fuhe City.
When Zhong Zhijun saw the exquisite porcelain wrapped in cotton in the wine box that Xu Zhengyang was carrying, he asked in surprise, "Zhengyang, where did you get this? You better not do anything illegal!"
Xu Zhengyang explained with a smile, "This thing was dug out from under the foundation of our old house last year when we were renovating the pigsty. You know our house is an old one, probably left by our ancestors. We've kept it for over a year, not knowing which dynasty it's from or how much it's worth. This year we were thinking about needing money to renovate the house, so we wanted to see if it was a valuable antique and if we could sell it for a good price..."
Zhong Zhijun had no doubts after hearing this, and took Xu Zhengyang to "Tianbaozhai".
At the beginning of the year, when handling a case, Zhong Zhijun's task force helped "Tianbaozhai" solve a burglary case involving the theft of cultural relics, recovering antiques worth over one million yuan for "Tianbaozhai." Therefore, Zou Mingyuan was extremely grateful to Zhong Zhijun and his team, and specially treated the task force to a banquet at his own expense. The two had known each other before when Zhong Zhijun worked at the Fuxing Street Police Station, and after that case, they became even more familiar with each other.
Of course, they weren't really friends. Zhong Zhijun even disliked Zou Mingyuan somewhat, but he didn't know any other wealthy and powerful antique dealers, so he had no choice but to bring Xu Zhengyang here.
When Zou Mingyuan saw that the people were brought by Zhong Zhijun, and after glancing at the pottery jar in Xu Zhengyang's box in the lobby on the first floor, Zou Mingyuan immediately invited them upstairs to his office.
Zhong Zhijun smiled and said he needed to use the restroom, and asked Xu Zhengyang and Zou Mingyuan to go upstairs first.
None of the three could have imagined that Zhong Zhijun's urgent need to relieve himself would inadvertently do Xu Zhengyang a huge favor...
“Not bad, it’s a good product.” Zou Mingyuan put down the magnifying glass with a smile, sat back in his office chair, and said with a smile, “Mr. Xu, name your price.”
"No, you're the expert, I'm a complete novice, I don't know anything about this. Why don't you tell me how much this thing is worth?" Xu Zhengyang said politely.
Zou Mingyuan nodded, not particularly surprised. He took off his glasses and gently wiped them, saying, "Since Officer Zhong introduced us, I won't lie. Here's the deal: I'll offer ten thousand for this pottery jar, which isn't low... To be honest, if I were to resell it, I wouldn't get more than eleven thousand."
"Only ten thousand yuan?" Xu Zhengyang muttered to himself, looking dissatisfied.
"That's quite a lot. Let's not beat around the bush. I'm a businessman, you can't expect me to lose money, right?" Zou Mingyuan said with a smile.
Xu Zhengyang shook his head and smiled, "It's still not enough. Could you add some more?"
"Hehe." Zou Mingyuan chuckled, put on his glasses, and said, "Brother, you've really put your older brother in a difficult position... This pottery jar of yours should be a pair, but there's only one left. I really can't afford to pay any higher price. If you had a pair, I'd be willing to pay 50,000 yuan!" As he spoke, Zou Mingyuan's eyes seemed casual, but he was actually paying close attention to Xu Zhengyang's expression.
Xu Zhengyang was secretly delighted and said, "Boss Zou, I have another one at home. The one I'm showing you has a golden dragon painted on it, and the one at home has a golden phoenix painted on it. As the old saying goes, dragons and phoenixes bring good fortune, so they should be a pair, right?"
"Really?" Zou Mingyuan jumped up, looking at Xu Zhengyang with a face full of surprise. He quickly realized he had overreacted, and with an embarrassed smile, he covered his excitement, sat back down in his boss's chair, and nodded, saying, "You can eat too much, but you can't say too much. Alright, alright, I'll take the loss and keep my word. If it really is a couple, brother, bring it over, I'll give you 50,000 yuan!"
"A little less..." Xu Zhengyang said hesitantly.
"Haha, brother, that's not right of you." Zou Mingyuan said with a smile, "I genuinely consider you one of my own, but you treat me like someone who sets up a stall to do small business, trying to haggle? Okay, okay, name your price..." Zou Mingyuan was already certain that Xu Zhengyang was a complete novice who didn't know anything. If he didn't rip off a customer like this, who else would he rip off?
No wonder Zou Mingyuan overcharged his customers. In the antique business, it's all about making a living if you don't make any business for three years, but you can live off what you make for three years.
Xu Zhengyang lowered his head somewhat embarrassed and began to ponder. Zou Mingyuan's words sounded honest, and he realized he had indeed been a bit petty. However, Xu Zhengyang wasn't entirely convinced by Zou Mingyuan's words. He was now considering how much money he should ask for. If he asked for too little, he was afraid of being taken advantage of; if he asked for too much... he was afraid the negotiations would fall apart.
How about 60,000? No way...
One hundred thousand? That's far too many...
Xu Zhengyang was hesitating when a knock sounded at the door. Zhong Zhijun pushed the door open and walked in, saying with a smile, "How about it? Is it something good?"
Behind Zhong Zhijun followed a middle-aged man with messy hair, a stubble beard, a wrinkled face, and small, triangular eyes. He looked like a conman selling broken chess pieces on the street. He was wearing tattered jeans, a dark blue short-sleeved shirt tucked into his pants, a belt with frayed edges, and a pair of dirty white sneakers. He looked as slovenly as could be.
Just as Xu Zhengyang was about to speak, Zou Mingyuan stood up and asked angrily, "Yao Chushun, what are you doing here?"
The middle-aged man called Yao Chushun didn't say anything. As soon as he entered the room, he stared at the pottery jar on the desk. His triangular eyes flashed with a bright light. He walked a few steps to the desk, bent down and leaned over to examine the pottery jar intently.
“Boss Zou, I asked him to come. Hehe, I ran into him when I was using the restroom outside just now,” Zhong Zhijun said with a smile. “So I asked him to come and help me take a look.”
Zou Mingyuan frowned, sat back down at his desk, and snorted in dissatisfaction, saying, "Officer Zhong doesn't believe me."
"Not at all, Mr. Zou is the most famous antique expert." Zhong Zhijun smiled and sat down on the sofa, saying, "But my buddy asked me for help, so I have to do my best, right?"
Upon seeing this, Xu Zhengyang understood the situation quite well. He didn't say anything, but simply smiled and patted Zhong Zhijun's hand.
"Zou Mingyuan, you son of a bitch, how much money did you pay?" The man called Yao Chushun grinned, revealing his yellow teeth, and asked cursingly.
Zou Mingyuan glared at the other party with disgust and coldly replied, "I'll offer 10,000 for a single item, and 50,000 for a pair!"
Upon hearing this, Yao Chushun immediately turned his head and glared fiercely at Xu Zhengyang, asking, "You agreed?"
Xu Zhengyang smiled and shook his head.
"Not stupid." Yao Chushun pulled out half a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, blew two thick puffs of smoke at Zou Mingyuan, and then turned to ask, "Kid, do you really have a pair?"
"Mm." Xu Zhengyang nodded.
"Damn, this is really weird." Yao Chushun spat a mouthful of thick yellow phlegm onto the bright, shining floor.