Du Yun was stunned on the spot.
He really hadn't thought about this matter. He had always assumed the other party needed him, either regarding replicas or some other small secrets!
A wave of regret washed over him.
"You, you don't have any other conditions?"
Li Chonglou smiled. This young man in front of him was very much like his past self, thinking he had the situation under control, when in reality, he was merely overconfident.
This wasn't meant as a criticism, but rather a result of limited experience. Li Chonglou had done many similar things in his previous life, only gaining clarity after learning his lesson.
"I told you, I only came to Wushan Town for this purpose. So, the one who should be considering now is yourself, not me."
Du Yun said with a dry expression, "Um, how about you just pretend I didn't say anything?"
"Can you do that?"
Li Chonglou looked at him quietly. Du Yun looked helpless.
The two fell silent for half a moment, until Li Chonglou broke the awkwardness, "I don't think I've introduced myself to you yet."
After speaking, Li Chonglou adjusted his collar and politely extended his right hand.
"Li Chonglou, President of the Qin Province Antique Association."
Du Yun was immediately surprised, "President of the Antique Association?"
"Yes, so what I told you earlier wasn't an exaggeration. The resources I have access to are far richer than you imagine. I should be able to help you find what you're looking for."
When it came to this, Li Chonglou's face involuntarily lit up with confidence. This was a pride ingrained in his bones, completely separate from martial arts.
Du Yun was indeed tempted.
He had wanted to connect with the Antique Association when he was in Shangjing, but lacked connections. Moreover, his style was somewhat unconventional, and he never had the opportunity.
If he could truly find a reliable person within it, it would be a pleasant surprise for him.
However, the condition was to persuade his grandfather to come out of seclusion, which made him extremely conflicted.
Seeing the struggle on his face, Li Chonglou struck while the iron was hot, "Brother Du, isn't this killing two birds with one stone for you? You can find collectibles and resolve your current crisis. All you need to do is persuade him."
Indeed, from any angle, Li Chonglou was at a disadvantage. After all, he had to agree to the other party's demands, and what Du Yue needed was merely persuasion, which wasn't guaranteed to succeed.
Du Yun frowned slightly and retorted, "You must have investigated me, right? My grandfather dotes on me the most. As long as I ask, why wouldn't he agree?"
"Heh, am I underestimating you, or are you overestimating yourself?"
"What do you mean?"
Du Yun was clearly displeased.
Li Chonglou said frankly, "Brother Du, I've always disliked boasting. I speak the truth. Although I've only met your grandfather once, given his personality, if he has truly decided something, do you think it's really because of you?"
Du Yun fell silent.
Li Chonglou then chuckled, "Brother Du, since you're so conflicted, let me reveal something else to you."
"In my company, there are five individuals at the third layer of the realm and above, one at the second layer, and two at the first layer. And they all belong to me."
Du Yun was surprised again, "Are you talking about the realms within your circle?"
Li Chonglou nodded. He had seen the six experts lurking outside Du Tian's residence earlier, and as his grandson, Du Yun couldn't possibly not know about this.
This meant that Du Yun could understand the weight of what he was saying.
For a moment, after the initial surprise, Du Yun's face showed renewed conflict.
This time, Li Chonglou didn't speak, giving him time to consider.
Fortunately, Du Yun didn't take too long to consider. As Li Congde had anticipated, this was overwhelmingly beneficial for him!
He only had to persuade, with no actual cost. Whether Du Tian agreed to come out of seclusion was entirely up to the elder!
"Alright, deal!"
"But how can I believe what you're saying is true?"
This was merely a verbal promise between the two. After making the decision, Du Yun's mind began to churn with doubts, as he knew very little about Li Chonglou.
Li Chonglou smiled and extended his hand again, as Du Yun had not shaken his hand earlier.
"Although there's no evidence, as long as you speak to your grandfather first, I can get done what you need done."
This was equivalent to complete trust, with Li Chonglou taking all the risk. Du Yun thought for a moment and finally extended his right hand. The two shook hands firmly.
After the matter was decided, both of them visibly relaxed. Li Chonglou took the opportunity to inquire about other matters.
"By the way, it seems people from the General Bureau have come to Wushan Town. I heard they haven't left yet. Do you know what's going on?"
To Li Chonglou's surprise, as soon as he mentioned this, Du Yun's expression turned grim.
"If I'm not mistaken, the ones spreading rumors about me in Wushan Town right now are their doing!"
Li Chonglou's brows furrowed, "You mean people from the General Bureau are targeting you?"
No!
Du Yun's previous implication was that he didn't know the forces behind it, so why was he so certain it was people from the General Bureau now?
Du Yun sighed deeply.
"It's two separate matters."
"The people from the General Bureau also have intentions similar to yours, but they are using forceful methods!"
As he spoke, a cold smile flickered across Du Yun's face.
"I'm someone who responds to softness, not hardness! The more they try to force their way, the more I resist. I want to see what they can do to me in Wushan Town!"
Li Chonglou remained silent.
Damn, he'd been tricked!
"I say, Brother Du, that's quite unethical. Why didn't you tell me this earlier? Now that I've cooperated with you, haven't I also offended people from the General Bureau?"
"Heh, Brother Li, same to you. My grandfather only has me as his grandson. If he doesn't dote on me, who will? Is my opinion really as useless to him as you said?"
Li Chonglou was truly surprised this time. This guy had been playing the fool all along!
He appeared to be a mild-mannered, straightforward young man, but in reality, his mind was sharper than anyone's!
The reason he agreed earlier wasn't because of Li Chonglou's persuasion, but because it was his considered choice!
"Uh, it seems I've underestimated you."
Li Chonglou shook his head, but there wasn't much anger on his face. The process itself wasn't important; he cared about the outcome.
Besides, the General Bureau wasn't a monolithic entity. In a sense, he was now also part of the General Bureau!