Just as Xu Zhengyang was filled with doubt, Yao Chushun noticed his questioning gaze. He poured himself a glass of wine with a wry smile, drank it down, and put away his repulsive expression. He said with a touch of sadness and seriousness, "Don't think of me as something despicable. I'm too lazy to put in that much effort. I just live one day at a time and enjoy myself... Actually, I've always wanted to open an antique shop... You know, Tianbaozhai is the shop I opened. Back then, I was completely disillusioned and didn't want to collect any antiques. Those things are just a menace!"
"After a while, and after I learned some things, I did think about opening an antique shop to drive Tianbaozhai out of business. But firstly, I couldn't bear to do it; I built that shop from scratch. Secondly, to be honest, I didn't have the resources anymore. My reputation was still there, but who would trust me? What supply chain would I have? If I relied solely on superficially buying antiques and waiting to die, any antique shop would go bankrupt..."
"Getting old..."
Xu Zhengyang remained silent. He wasn't the kind of person with keen insight into people, nor did he possess a particularly cunning, sinister, or scheming mind. Aside from possessing a divine position and a little bit of ability that ordinary people didn't have, his only virtue was probably his loyalty and trust in his friends. But trust, it seems, is a very dangerous thing in today's world, especially after leaving home and entering society.
“I don’t know anything about antiques,” Xu Zhengyang suddenly said.
“Hmm.” Yao Chushun nodded, then glared at him with his triangular eyes and said, “Damn it, isn’t that obvious? How many people in this industry can truly say they understand it? Let alone a young kid like you who hasn’t even shed his pubic hair yet.”
Xu Zhengyang shook his head with a wry smile, then said very seriously, "I don't have much education, nor do I have a particularly shrewd mind or keen insight... but I'm a loyal and trusting person when it comes to friends. If I open a shop, would you be the manager?"
"Okay!" Yao Chushun answered readily, without the slightest hesitation.
"You're not going to screw me over, are you?" Xu Zhengyang smiled, picked up his glass of wine, and drank it down.
"Money is something you only need enough to get by." Yao Chushun didn't answer Xu Zhengyang's naive and silly question. "You're really direct, kid."
Xu Zhengyang scratched his head, revealing a simple and honest smile, and said, "I... am a kind and honest person!"
"Are you implying that I'm being unfair?" Yao Chushun said angrily.
"At least it looks... cough cough, Mr. Gu, don't be angry, I'm the kind of person who says what I mean." Xu Zhengyang chuckled awkwardly. Sometimes he felt that Mr. Gu, apart from being a bit too cunning, a bit too bad, and a bit too sleazy, was actually quite fun, interesting, and cute, like a child. Especially when he recalled talking to Zou Mingyuan at Tianbaozhai, he couldn't stop saying "Your daddy's ass" every three sentences. Xu Zhengyang regarded it as a classic. There was actually someone who used that phrase as a common expression.
"You son of a bitch!" Yao Chushun laughed and cursed, tearing off a chicken leg and taking a bite. With his mouth full of grease, he chewed indistinctly and said, "You really want to open an antique shop?"
Xu Zhengyang ate his food at a leisurely pace, casually asking, "Is that not allowed?"
"Do you have a sufficient supply for your production line?" Yao Chushun leaned forward and whispered.
"It's alright, but not necessarily." Xu Zhengyang roughly guessed what the so-called "line" was.
Yao Chushun nodded and continued tearing at the chicken leg, seemingly still thinking about something.
Xu Zhengyang wasn't in a hurry. He poured himself a cup of tea, sipped it slowly, and smoked a cigarette while thinking... If he really wanted to open an antique shop, the risks would be huge. First of all, he knew absolutely nothing about rolling pins or blowing on fire, and was Yao Chushun, this expert, really reliable? Xu Zhengyang knew far too little about him.
However, sometimes humans are strange creatures, always trusting their own feelings.
It wasn't that Xu Zhengyang felt particularly fond of Yao Chushun; to be honest, he sometimes found his appearance rather annoying. But deep down, he thought Yao Chushun was a good person. First of all, when he sold the pair of "Blue and White Dragon and Phoenix Lotus Vase," Yao Chushun didn't try to swindle him out of money, nor did he pretend to be doing a good deed without taking any profit. Instead, he made sure to earn his dues openly—the 20,000 yuan that Zheng Ronghua gave him.
Furthermore, this person is never scheming in his speech and actions; he speaks and says whatever comes to mind, without any ulterior motives. He is a straightforward and honest person.
"Why should you believe me?" Yao Chushun suddenly asked.
"Oh, I guess it'll be based on my gut feeling," Xu Zhengyang said honestly, even though he was currently thinking about other ideas besides opening his own antique shop.
"No, when people are going to cooperate, especially in business involving money, it's best to be upfront about the unpleasant things beforehand." Yao Chushun shook his head. "Many friends who were originally very close, even brothers, end up parting ways on bad terms or even becoming enemies when they go into business together..."
Xu Zhengyang was taken aback. He really hadn't expected Yao Chushun to put such things so openly. Then, after thinking about it, he thought it was fine and said with a smile, "Master Gu, it's not certain whether we'll open the shop or not. Since you've made it so clear, it would seem petty of me to be evasive. Let's put it this way: even if we do open the shop, I'll be the boss and you'll be the manager. We're not doing business together; I'll be paying you a salary, right?"
"Oh." Yao Chushun pursed his lips.
"If you valued money that much, things wouldn't be like this now," Xu Zhengyang thought to himself, believing himself to be quite clever.
Yao Chushun, with his eyelids drooping, said, "What the hell? Are you praising me or insulting me?"
"Haha, all of the previous ones were just jokes." Xu Zhengyang laughed as he refilled Yao Chushun's beer, poured himself a glass, and then said, "Master Gu, I think it would be great for you to open an antique shop. At least... cough cough, I wouldn't dare say I'd supply you with goods for a long time, but when you open your shop, I can definitely get you a few things."
Volume Two, Gong Cao, Chapter 44: So what if you're rich?
"You've got some real stuff, kid?"
Upon hearing Xu Zhengyang say that he could supply the goods, Yao Chushun's triangular eyes immediately lit up. He raised his glass and clinked it with Xu Zhengyang's, saying, "I can't understand you anymore. You're not that old, and I can't see any experience in this world. How did you get into this business?"
"You asked again..."
"Ahem, I won't ask anymore." Yao Chushun quickly shook his head with an awkward smile, then said in a low voice, "To be honest, I've long thought about opening an antique shop to squeeze that bastard Zou Mingyuan out of business. Money is not a problem. With my reputation as Master Gu, borrowing a few million is a piece of cake. But I'm out of money. I can't just use money to pay off debts, can I?"
"You have money?" Xu Zhengyang asked in surprise, this was the question that truly concerned him. In fact, he had already guessed and hoped for this, which was why he had gradually steered Yao Chushun in this direction. After all, this old man had connections with a business tycoon like Zheng Ronghua, and it seemed there was more than just Zheng Ronghua. Given Yao Chushun's reputation, if he were of good character, borrowing some money to open an antique shop would be a piece of cake, wouldn't it?
It wasn't that Xu Zhengyang was overly ambitious or had any grand vision, but rather that he felt that since Zheng Ronghua could offer Yao Chushun a bribe of 20,000 yuan, it was clear that the man didn't care about hundreds of thousands of yuan.
Yao Chushun nodded and then said, "How about this, you pay for the initial investment in the shop, and I'll raise the money for the goods. We'll be partners in opening the shop, you get 30% and I'll get 70%?"
"Shouldn't we split the profits 50/50 at least?" Xu Zhengyang said, feigning dissatisfaction, though in his heart he was increasingly impressed with Yao Chushun, thinking he was a decent person with no deep-seated scheming.
"Damn it, how much money do you need to open a shop? A hundred thousand or two hundred thousand is enough; the money from buying and selling goods is the real expense!" Yao Chushun glared like an old man selling vegetables, haggling over every penny. However, he wasn't talking about things that cost a few cents per pound, but rather things that cost hundreds of thousands...
Xu Zhengyang was equally stingy and calculating: "Can I pay for the treasure in cash?"
"able!"
"Don't make too much money off me."
"In the early stages of opening a store, we just need to break even; we're not aiming to make a profit."
"Come on, don't try to fool me. What would you be after if you weren't making money?"
"You don't know anything! You can only do business if you have something in your hands. Once you have something, why are you afraid of not making money?" Yao Chushun spat as he said through gritted teeth, "Besides, I really don't plan to make much money. As long as I can squeeze that bastard Zou Mingyuan out of his life, squeeze his balls out of his head, and make him wish he were dead, I'll be content for the rest of my life!"
"Oh... if you had said so earlier, I would have opened my own shop, and you could have worked for me." Xu Zhengyang sighed.
Yao Chushun's triangular eyes widened. He finally understood that Xu Zhengyang had been rambling on for so long, but it turned out he was just after cash. So he said with dissatisfaction, "Damn it, all you've got is want to sell your stuff to me so you can make some extra money for yourself, fuck..."
"Who told you to say this thing of mine is hard to sell?" Xu Zhengyang didn't deny it at all, and wasn't embarrassed at all.
"Uh..." Yao Chushun picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and then frowned in surprise, saying, "I don't know whether to believe you or not now. Give me the bottom line, how much stock do you have on hand right now?"
"Not many."
"How many pieces are there? What kind of goods do you have? Let me see if there are any good ones..."
"Make time for it," Xu Zhengyang said dismissively.
"Okay, shall we go today?"
Xu Zhengyang hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded and said, "Let's go! I'll take you there."
There was nothing he could do. He'd finally acquired a bunch of treasures he thought were incredibly valuable, only to discover they might not be worth much money at all. They might even be worth less than the two pottery jars he'd sold earlier. This left the previously elated Xu Zhengyang quite frustrated. People are often like this; it's like how a monthly salary of 500 yuan used to seem like a lot, but then one month you get an extra 300 yuan in bonuses, and the next month you give them 600 yuan a month—they won't think it's too much, they'll think it's too little.
That's why Xu Zhengyang immediately agreed to take Yao Chushun home to see the goods and find out how much they were worth.
After leaving the restaurant, Xu Zhengyang got on his black Yamaha 250 and said, "Brother Gu, this bike is fast and the wind is strong when it's going. Can you handle it? If not, you can take a taxi."
"Come on, you dare to drive fast?" Yao Chushun glared at Xu Zhengyang with disdain, then stepped forward without saying a word and sat down nimbly. He was as light as a swallow and very agile, not at all like a middle-aged man.
"Then please sit tight, sir." Xu Zhengyang smiled as he started the fire.
The Yamaha 250 sports car roared as Xu Zhengyang slowly turned around and circled the restaurant entrance. Just as he was about to reach the roadside, a silver-white Audi A6 slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road, then turned right as if it wanted to drive into the parking area in front of the "Yunlai Hotel".
Yao Chushun's expression had changed.
Xu Zhengyang, of course, did not notice Yao Chushun's expression. He simply squeezed the brakes and pulled to the side to make way for the car, thinking that he would leave after the Audi drove up.
Unexpectedly, the Audi A6 stopped after getting close to Xu Zhengyang's motorcycle.
The car window slowly rolled down, revealing Zou Mingyuan's refined-looking face with gold-rimmed glasses.
"You son of a bitch!" Yao Chushun glared at Zou Mingyuan and cursed.
Zou Mingyuan seemed to be deliberately trying to provoke Yao Chushun, smiling as he uttered two words with disdain and contempt: "Trash!"
"Pah!" Zou Mingyuan spat out a mouthful of saliva.
However, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the saliva landed on Xu Zhengyang's pants.
Zou Mingyuan didn't take Xu Zhengyang seriously at all. He didn't show the slightest bit of apology on his face, let alone say anything. He turned his head away, arrogantly closed the car window, and drove to a parking space on the side of the road.
"Damn it, I'll fuck him to death sooner or later!" Yao Chushun didn't even notice that Zou Mingyuan had spat on Xu Zhengyang's pants. He impatiently urged, "Zhengyang, hurry up and leave. Seeing this bastard makes me angry!"
Xu Zhengyang squinted, tilted his head, and thought for a moment. A cold smile appeared on his lips. Then, he twisted the throttle with his right hand, and the motorcycle roared loudly. It suddenly swerved at a small angle and sped off. Before Yao Chushun's exclamation could even fade, he slammed on the brakes, and the black Yamaha 250 came to a stop next to Zou Mingyuan's Audi.
Zou Mingyuan had just gotten off the car when he saw Xu Zhengyang straddling the motorcycle, squinting at him. Zou Mingyuan felt inexplicably nervous.
"Manager Zou," Xu Zhengyang said with a simple, honest smile, as if making a request, "You accidentally spat on my pants just now, could you please wipe it off for me?"
"What?" Zou Mingyuan was stunned, then sneered as if he had heard a very funny joke, turned around and walked towards the entrance of Yunlai Hotel, seemingly too lazy to pay any attention to the young man.
What a joke! He's a multi-millionaire, why would he care about a young man who looks like a petty thug?
Zou Mingyuan no longer recognizes Xu Zhengyang at all.
Xu Zhengyang pushed off with his left foot, tilted his body, and parked the motorcycle sideways. Yao Chushun seemed to realize something and got off the motorcycle first. Xu Zhengyang calmly turned off the engine, took out the key, and then got off the motorcycle, casually putting the key into his pocket as he walked.
Just as Zou Mingyuan was about to enter the Yunlai Hotel, Xu Zhengyang called out calmly from behind, "Manager Zou, wait a moment."
"Hmm?" Zou Mingyuan turned his head, looked at Xu Zhengyang who still had an innocent smile on his face, and said arrogantly, "What do you want?"
"It's nothing." Xu Zhengyang walked up to Zou Mingyuan, smiled slightly, and suddenly tilted his body, raised his right leg, and slammed his knee heavily into Zou Mingyuan's lower abdomen. Before Zou Mingyuan could cry out in pain, and as he involuntarily bent over in pain, Xu Zhengyang had already raised his arm and bent his elbow, slamming it heavily into Zou Mingyuan's bent back.
"Ah!" Zou Mingyuan cried out in pain as he collapsed to the ground. Xu Zhengyang kicked him in the face, sending his gold-rimmed glasses flying.
"What, what are you going to do?" Zou Mingyuan quickly covered his face with his hands, scolding angrily, but he did not resist.
He'd never experienced anything like this before. They attacked without a word, and with incredibly heavy blows, seemingly intent on killing him. Zou Mingyuan's abdominal and back pain subsided a little, and his instinctive reaction was to protect his head and face; he wasn't even thinking of fighting back. He wasn't some seasoned thug.
Xu Zhengyang squatted down, pulled out Zou Mingyuan's shirt that was tucked into his waistband, wiped the almost dried saliva stains on his pants with the corner of the shirt, and said calmly, "Nothing, you vomited on my pants and didn't apologize, you should at least wipe it off for me, right?"
"You..." Zou Mingyuan was stunned. He thought this young man was a relative or crony of Yao Chushun, and that he was acting impulsively to vent Yao Chushun's anger. He never expected that it was because he had accidentally spat on Yao Chushun's pants.
"Being rich is nothing special, is it?" Xu Zhengyang calmly raised his hand, patted Zou Mingyuan's shoulder, then got up, walked unhurriedly to the motorcycle, straddled it, kicked off the kickstand, and greeted him as if nothing had happened: "Master Gu, get on the bike."
"Huh? Oh, I'm here." Yao Chushun snapped out of his daze and quickly got on his motorcycle.
With a powerful roar, the black Yamaha 250 motorcycle carrying the two people drove onto Fuming Road, then accelerated. The roar turned into a long, drawn-out whistle like the low growl of a wild beast, and the motorcycle sped away like an arrow, quickly disappearing into the traffic.
At the entrance of Yunlai Hotel, two security guards and two hostesses stood at the door, staring blankly at the scene.
"What are you all standing there for? Call the police! What are your security guards doing? Didn't you see I was being beaten?" Zou Mingyuan got up from the ground and roared angrily!
The hostess stood motionless at the entrance, while two security guards quickly approached her with smiles, offering words of comfort and asking, "Are you going to the hospital? Do you know those two people?"
After the motorcycle entered National Highway 107, Xu Zhengyang slowed down slightly and drove at a leisurely pace.
"Damn, why were you driving so fast just now?"
"I'm afraid they'll call the police!" Xu Zhengyang didn't feel ashamed at all for saying such a thing.
"Afraid of me? You'll still hit me?"
"I'm afraid of so many things. Does that mean anyone can just sit on my shoulders and shit?" Xu Zhengyang retorted disdainfully.
Yao Chushun was taken aback, then laughed and said, "But you were really tough just now, well done."
"Good my ass! You're really not a good friend. I stood up for you, and you just stood there and didn't come to help during the fight..."
"My old arms and legs are so weak."