These days, Yao Chushun has been busy taking over Tianbaozhai and expanding the business scale of Guxiangxuan, making deals with people at all levels, and using connections to inquire about information.
Xu Zhengyang didn't bother with these matters. When Yao Chushun consulted him, he would almost always nod in agreement, indicating his consent. This made Yao Chushun somewhat frustrated, but also happy, and at the same time, he admired and respected Xu Zhengyang even more. Could it be that he had such a close friend despite their age difference, someone who trusted him so much?
The first snow of this winter finally arrived late, covering everything in a white veil. On that morning, as usual, Li Bingjie did not arrive at Gu Xiang Xuan at nine o'clock sharp, but arrived at almost ten o'clock, just like the snow of this winter, arriving late.
As usual, the two sat quietly at a round table on the inner side of the hall, reading books as if no one else was around.
Xu Zhengyang held a copy of "In Search of the Supernatural," while Li Bingjie held a copy of "Zizhi Tongjian." Of course, these books were Xu Zhengyang's personal belongings.
Xu Zhengyang had never stopped studying the subject of ghosts and spirits, constantly reading books on the subject. He had originally planned to visit the underworld as soon as possible, but considering the immense divine power required and the unknown amount, he kept postponing it, quietly waiting until he was promoted to Chief Judge before making his trip to the underworld. He didn't want to go down now and not be able to return due to insufficient divine power.
What worried him was that so much time had passed, and he still hadn't been officially appointed. This was a far cry from his previous meteoric rise. It had been over two months since he became the acting chief judge.
Yao Chushun sat behind the counter, admiring and studying a pottery jar from the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties. Jin Qiming had taken leave a couple of days ago; his parents missed him and were going back home for a while. He also needed to deliver a message to Jin Changfa on Yao Chushun's behalf. Yao Chushun was determined to take over Tianbaozhai; he was full of confidence. With a larger shop, the need for more people would increase, and Jin Changfa was undoubtedly the first choice to be the manager.
Li Chengzong sat on a chair by the door, admiring the falling snow through the glass. Chen Chaojiang, on the other hand, sat quietly carving his puppets in a corner of the hall near the counter. However, Yao Chushun had replaced the wood he used for carving with rosewood. According to Yao Chushun, this wouldn't be a waste, as Chen Chaojiang's puppets were already ready to be displayed and sold as handicrafts, ensuring the expensive rosewood wouldn't be wasted. Chen Chaojiang, however, seemed indifferent to this; he focused on the carving process, not the final result.
Perhaps because of the snowy weather, there were few pedestrians in the market, and even fewer people came into the shops to buy antiques.
So the store was deserted and quiet.
This seemed rather strange to the average person. After all, there were five grown men sitting in the shop, yet not a single one of them spoke.
The ringing of a cell phone broke the silence inside the Gu Xiang Xuan shop. Yao Chushun took out his phone from his pocket to check the caller ID, and then, seemingly afraid of disturbing the other people in the room, got up and went upstairs.
A moment later, Yao Chushun came downstairs with a big smile on his face, his triangular eyes shining brightly. He laughed and said, "Damn it, we finally got him."
"What?" Xu Zhengyang looked up at Yao Chushun.
"Hehe, Tianbaozhai! We've taken over Tianbaozhai!" Yao Chushun said excitedly. "From now on, the Tianbaozhai signboard will be changed to Guxiangxuan..."
Xu Zhengyang smiled and said, "Yes, it's a good thing. We should celebrate it properly when the time comes."
"Congratulations in advance," Li Chengzong said with a smile, turning his head around.
"Thank you very much." Yao Chushun said with his hands clasped in greeting, "When it opens, we'll definitely make it a big success. You and Bingjie must come and support us then."
Li Chengzong nodded and said, "Definitely."
Li Bingjie looked up at Xu Zhengyang and said softly, "I will come."
Xu Zhengyang was slightly surprised, then smiled and nodded.
"Zhengyang, come here for a moment, I have something to discuss with you." Yao Chushun said, already heading upstairs.
Xu Zhengyang nodded and got up to walk towards the stairwell.
After sitting down at the round table in the small living room on the second floor, Yao Chushun said with a cigarette in his mouth, "It will cost 4.76 million to take over Tianbaozhai this time."
"What? Not enough money in the store?" Xu Zhengyang asked with a smile.
“Nonsense, where would the shop get that much money? You know we’ve acquired a lot of antiques recently, and we can’t be without working capital.” Yao Chushun curled his lip and said, “How much money do you have? Take it out and use it first. If it’s not enough, I’ll borrow some more from Zheng Ronghua.”
Xu Zhengyang thought for a moment and said, "Well, I took another 1.5 million from the store last time, so I still have more than 1 million on hand."
"Well, use it for now. I don't have any money on hand, sigh." Yao Chushun sighed. Then he smiled and said, "Once we move to the new shop, we'll sell some of these antiques we've been stocking up on, and we should be able to get the money back..."
This is the truth. Yao Chushun had started preparing for the new store well in advance, so he spared no expense in purchasing a lot of antiques such as porcelain, jade, calligraphy and paintings to fill the space in the newly opened store. This was unavoidable, because most of the antiques confiscated by Tianbaozhai were not auctioned off, but were placed in the collection of the National Museum of China.
Xu Zhengyang didn't care about it. Anyway, the money wouldn't go down the drain. A few days ago, he and Chen Chaojiang even went out in the middle of the night and dug up more than twenty treasures. Wasn't it all for the sake of the new store?
After a moment of silence, Yao Chushun suddenly sighed and said softly, somewhat saddened, "Tianbaozhai is gone..."
Xu Zhengyang nodded without saying anything. He knew that Yao Chushun was somewhat reluctant, after all, Tianbaozhai was founded by him.
Volume Three, Judge Chapter 117: Arrogance Requires Capital
After a series of tedious procedures, the property certificate for the four-story shop of Tianbaozhai was finally changed to Yao Chushun's name.
That morning, when Yao Chushun went to complete the transfer procedures, Xu Zhengyang and Chen Chaojiang had the "Gu Xiang Xuan" signboard, which had already been ordered, replaced with the "Tian Bao Zhai" name. Thus, Tian Bao Zhai, once a renowned antique shop in the province's antique world, completely disappeared. In its place stood "Gu Xiang Xuan," opened by Yao Chushun, the once-powerful "Master Gu" of the antique world, after his comeback.
The official opening date for the new store is set for next Monday, which is five days away.
Jin Qiming has arrived from his hometown and said that his uncle Jin Changfa will arrive in Fuhe City in two days. He has already discussed the relevant details with Yao Chushun over the phone and is willing to come to Xinguxiangxuan to become the head manager.
In the afternoon, Xu Zhengyang and Chen Chaojiang went to the "Xindu Shopping Mall" to buy dozens of top-tier invitations, as Yao Chushun had suggested. A grand opening ceremony was naturally necessary for the new store, and given Yao Chushun's reputation, inviting some important figures was essential. Besides, Xu Zhengyang also had people he wanted to invite. Enough of the preamble; the two had already decided. Xu Zhengyang would personally write the names on the invitations, as his handwriting was quite presentable. As for Yao Chushun's handwriting… let's not even mention it, let's give Master Gu some face.
When they left Xindu Shopping Mall, in addition to the hundreds of invitations they had bought, the two of them also each purchased two leather jackets.
Xu Zhengyang just couldn't stand the down jacket he'd bought before, no matter how he wore it. Chen Chaojiang was in the same boat on this point; if he had to give a reason, it would be: it was purely a matter of personal preference and taste.
So Xu Zhengyang splurged and spent over five thousand yuan on two tan leather jackets. They had a soft rabbit fur lining and mink fur collars for excellent insulation, and the leather exteriors provided wind and cold protection, preventing the cold wind from penetrating while riding the motorcycle. He also bought two pairs of leather gloves in the same color as the jackets. Helmets had already been purchased, and neither of them bothered to complain about them; they just used them as is.
Chen Chaojiang was in front, and Xu Zhengyang was behind. The two drove their motorcycle westward along Fuxing Road.
As Xu Zhengyang passed by Xinmin Street, he inadvertently saw Zhang Hao, wearing a green military overcoat, standing on the side of the road outside an electric bicycle sales store not far north of Xinmin Street. Zhang Hao was waving his arms and shouting something, and he looked very annoyed.
Xu Zhengyang patted Chen Chaojiang, signaling him to stop the car.
The motorcycle had already passed the Xinmin Street intersection when Chen Chaojiang stopped. He then looked in the direction Xu Zhengyang had pointed, nodded, and turned the motorcycle on the spot, heading towards Zhang Hao's location.
At this moment, Zhang Hao had already walked to the cab of a large truck with high guardrails, opened the door, forcibly dragged the driver out, and rushed into the cab with a face full of anger, slamming the door shut. The truck's engine roared, seemingly shouting something.
The motorcycle stopped in front of the store. Xu Zhengyang and Chen Chaojiang got off, took off their helmets and hung them on the motorcycle's rearview mirror, and then walked together towards the cab of the truck.
Sitting in the driver's seat, Zhang Hao, his face contorted with rage, saw Xu Zhengyang and Chen Chaojiang. He quickly got out of the car and walked towards them, shouting angrily, "Zhengyang, Chaojiang, you've come at the right time! Damn it, I've been ripped off today! I'm parking right in front of their house today, damn it. If any of their family members dare to come out, I'll run them over. If two of them come out, I'll run them over too!"
"Alright, it's not worth it. Is it really worth making such a fuss?" Xu Zhengyang smiled, took off his gloves, stuffed them into his pocket, and then took out a Yuxi cigarette and handed it to him. "Tell me, what happened?"
Two truck drivers, who looked to be around forty years old, approached, their faces showing helplessness and grievance. Although they didn't recognize Xu Zhengyang and Chen Chaojiang, they noticed the two men were dressed in brand-new, obviously high-end leather jackets, driving a Yamaha 250 sports car. One of them was pale and had a cold gaze, while Xu Zhengyang's face was calm, his smile carrying a hint of authority. Therefore, the two honest and kind-hearted drivers assumed these two were probably thugs, or at least had some influence.
Hmm, these two seem to know Zhang Hao and have a good relationship with him. That's good; they might be able to help.
Zhang Hao seemed genuinely furious, pointing at the store and yelling insults and threats. Xu Zhengyang, exasperated, ignored Zhang Hao and turned to the two drivers to ask what had happened.
The two drivers sighed and recounted what had happened, one after the other.
It turns out that this vehicle belongs to Jinghui Logistics Company and is the one Zhang Hao is currently responsible for overseeing. They went to Tianjin to pick up goods the day before yesterday, and yesterday, after picking up the returning cargo, they added thirty bicycles to handle less-than-truckload (LTL) freight in order to increase efficiency and earn more freight fees.
Since Zhang Hao joined Jinghui Logistics as a truck driver, he has indeed been dedicated and responsible. He not only maintains excellent relationships with the drivers, but also, when picking up cargo, he always tries to find ways to add less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments without delaying the company's profits, after securing the main cargo. This time, he loaded thirty bicycles, which only cost five hundred yuan in freight. But this five hundred yuan was essentially free freight income even with the main cargo already secured – a good thing indeed.
It was agreed when the goods were picked up in Tianjin that the recipient would pick up the thirty bicycles themselves after they arrived in Fuhe City, and the truck would not be responsible for transporting them into the city. The reason, of course, is that trucks are not allowed to enter the city. If caught by the traffic police, not only would they be fined 100 yuan, but the driver's license might also be penalized with points.
They had spoken with the consignor beforehand and made everything clear, and the contract also stated that the goods would be picked up by the consignor upon arrival in Fuhe City. However, when they arrived in Fuhe City that morning and contacted the consignor, the consignor insisted that they deliver the goods to their door, saying that it was unacceptable for the consignor to be required to pick up the goods themselves if the delivery was not made properly.
Zhang Hao was furious, but for the sake of the company's reputation, he restrained himself. He tried to remain calm on the phone, saying to the shipper, "Large trucks simply can't get into the city. Think about it, it's 500 yuan in freight. If you hire a small car to bring it back from Tianjin, who would come for you for less than 70 or 80 yuan? If you calculate it this way, hiring a small car to pick up the goods from Jinghui Logistics now would only cost a little over 100 yuan… You should save your money. Besides, we agreed on everything beforehand. It's clearly stated in the contract we signed with the loading station. If you had insisted on having us deliver the goods, we definitely wouldn't have agreed to 500 yuan in freight, right? You'd have to add at least 150 yuan, or we'd even go to the trouble of finding a small car that can get into the city to transfer it for you."
Hearing Zhang Hao's soft tone on the phone, the other party assumed that the truck was probably used by an individual for long-distance transport and was registered under the name of a large logistics company. Therefore, they didn't take Zhang Hao seriously and instead said forcefully, "Stop talking nonsense and deliver the goods to me right now!"
Hearing the other party's arrogant tone, Zhang Hao could no longer control his anger and immediately said with a cold laugh, "Then I'm sorry, if that's how you put it, I'll unload these thirty bicycles into Jinghui Logistics' warehouse. You can pick them up whenever you have time. Let me make it clear first, there's a charge for warehouse storage." After saying that, Zhang Hao hung up the phone.
Soon, a woman from the cargo owner's side called back. She spoke to Zhang Hao in a gentle tone, saying that her husband had been in a bad mood because of some issues at the store. She asked Zhang Hao not to be angry or upset, explaining that they were busy and couldn't find a vehicle right now. She asked Zhang Hao to help them find a car, and they would add 150 yuan to the freight fee...
As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face. Zhang Hao hesitated for a moment after hearing this, but then agreed. After all, working at Jinghui Logistics meant good pay, and the company's boss valued him highly. Even if he wasn't repaying the boss, Zhan Xiaohui, he had to work hard for Zhengyang's sake and not let Zhengyang down, right?
After discussing it with the two drivers, they decided that since they weren't in a rush to haul goods today, they could wait until the traffic police were off duty in the afternoon and drive their truck directly into the city. This would save them 150 yuan, and after deducting fuel costs, they could earn an extra 100 yuan. Even if they were caught by the traffic police, it would only result in a 100 yuan fine, and by talking nicely to the officers, they should be able to avoid getting points deducted. So, they figured they wouldn't lose out no matter how they looked at it. Therefore, they drove their truck to the store in the afternoon.
Unexpectedly, after the goods were unloaded, when it came time to settle the freight charges, the couple coldly said, "Why are four bicycles missing?"
Zhang Hao and the two drivers were dumbfounded. "Are you kidding me?" they thought. "We were right there, counting each bicycle one by one while unloading!" The other party retorted, "If you don't believe me, go check the warehouse in the back and count them again." One of the drivers had been watching the unloading from the warehouse and had counted them one by one, but now he finally understood that the owner was deliberately making things difficult for them. Because there were so many bicycles stored in the warehouse, once they were inside, counting them wouldn't matter; they would simply say they were bicycles that were already stored there.
Well, forget about the 650 yuan shipping fee, I'll have to pay them back.
Zhang Hao was never a good-tempered person to begin with, and he immediately lost his temper and started arguing with the shop owner, showing signs of a fight breaking out at the slightest provocation.
As a result, he was pushed and shoved out of the store by three or four people inside.
Zhang Hao was furious! He'd never been so humiliated in his life. So he grabbed a wrench, stood at the shop entrance, and yelled, "Whoever dares to come out here! Come out and I'll beat you to death!"
Someone actually came out of the shop—the proprietress, a woman in her late thirties, heavily pregnant. She walked briskly out of the shop and slapped the stunned Zhang Hao twice across the face! Zhang Hao was dumbfounded. Damn it, how the hell was he supposed to fight back? Putting aside her status as a woman, the main point was that she was pregnant—she was someone you couldn't touch or mess with.
After the other person turned away with disdain and contempt and went back into the shop, and the glass door closed, Zhang Hao finally came to his senses.
Isn't this like letting someone ride on your neck and poop?
Enraged, Zhang Hao went berserk, yelling, "I'm going to fight you all to the death today! Pregnant women and women, whatever! Anyone who comes out again, I'll beat them to death!" After a long tirade, the shop ignored him completely. Zhang Hao grew even more furious, finally shouting, "Don't you dare come out! If even one of you dares to come out, I'll run you all over with my car!" He pulled the driver out of the driver's seat, who was about to call the boss, and then told another driver to go and block all customers trying to enter the store. He got into the driver's seat, started the engine, and roared...
What they didn't know was that the other party hadn't called the police, nor was it because they were afraid of them; instead, they had called the local thugs.
After listening to the two drivers' accounts, Xu Zhengyang frowned and was about to say something when Chen Chaojiang coldly said, "I'll go in and talk to them."
"Wait." Xu Zhengyang immediately stopped Chen Chaojiang. Would this guy even talk to anyone inside? With his clumsy tongue... he'd probably beat someone up and smash the shop to pieces after just a few words.
Xu Zhengyang had a driver turn off the engine while he pondered how to properly resolve the matter. He wasn't so arrogant as to think he could calmly negotiate with that kind of person just by going in, nor did he expect to resolve the matter by force. That would only be asking for trouble and would also cause trouble for Zhang Hao and Jinghui Logistics.
Just then, two vans roared up and stopped in front of the bicycle shop. The doors opened, and seven or eight fierce-looking men with menacing expressions jumped out. One of them waved to the shop owner and his wife who came out of the shop, then turned and pointed at Xu Zhengyang and his group, asking, "Are these the bastards?"
The heavily pregnant proprietress said, "Yes, it's them!"
"Damn it, you're tired of living, aren't you?" The man said menacingly as he led his group toward Xu Zhengyang and his companions.
Zhang Hao grabbed a wrench and was about to rush forward when Xu Zhengyang grabbed him.
Chen Chaojiang stepped forward to block Xu Zhengyang, his narrow eyes flashing with cold light, and a gleaming dagger appeared in his left hand as if by magic.
Xu Zhengyang stepped forward from beside Chen Chaojiang, squinted his eyes, and calmly said to the newcomer, "Wang Yaowu, how have you been?"
The other party was stunned for a moment, and doubt appeared in their eyes.
The man in his thirties who was leading the group was even more surprised and stared at them, asking, "Who are you?"
Xu Zhengyang remained calm, ignoring the other party's question, and instead looked at Chen Chaojiang and said, "Chaojiang, it seems we went too easy on them last time. They haven't learned their lesson..."
"Will it be heavier this time?" Chen Chaojiang asked without turning his head, his eyes still coldly fixed on the other person.
Xu Zhengyang smiled slightly at the group and said with a playful tone, "What are your opinions? Want to learn a lesson?"
Wang Yaowu and his companions' expressions changed instantly, revealing fear. Clearly, they remembered who the two young men in brand-new leather jackets were. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, on their way back to Wangjia Village from a friend's place in Dongliang Township, they were brutally beaten by the two young men while passing through that rice paddy. They were covered in injuries, and it was obvious the attackers had held back, only making a few small cuts with a dagger. Especially the pale-faced, narrow-eyed young man; his movements were lightning-fast, powerful, and precise, leaving several of them unable to retaliate.
Afterwards, Wang Yaowu thought about it and realized that one of the young men looked familiar. Then he remembered that the man had come to their village to exchange millet before. He had found out the young man was from Shuanghe Village and even considered seeking revenge, but he was too intimidated by the beating he had suffered that day. The young man with the zombie-like, horribly disfigured face was simply too monstrous; to put it bluntly, he wasn't even human.
Now that Xu Zhengyang had revealed his name, Wang Yaowu was even more apprehensive. Well, having this person know his background... it was too dangerous.
Should they take revenge today? Several people hesitated, worried, and felt a little afraid.
Even though they brought machetes and clubs today, everyone was certain they would lose in a fight against this freakish person. Moreover, seeing how calm and collected the other party was, not taking them seriously at all, and considering the brief question and answer between the two just now... these usually fierce and domineering thugs were truly terrified.
"Brother, do you recognize me?" Wang Yaowu finally asked with a stern face.
“It’s not just you, they all know you too.” Xu Zhengyang smiled, took out a cigarette and lit it slowly, and said lightly as if talking to himself, “I’m a coward, afraid of getting into trouble with people I can’t afford to offend, so I looked it up later… Hmm, it’s alright, you can’t cause any big trouble.”
Wang Yaowu and his companions were even more apprehensive. This kid was talking way too big, wasn't he?
Wang Yaowu said with a stern face, "May I ask your surname, brother?"
"My surname is Xu, Xu Zhengyang." Xu Zhengyang still smiled, his expression very amiable, and said, "Wang Yaowu, if you get involved in this matter today, I guarantee you'll all be in jail before dark..."
"Brother Zhengyang, we've become friends through a fight, so I'll give you face today!" Wang Yaowu said, trying to save face, before asking, "What caused this grudge with Luo Zhou?"