“Arrogant brat, you claim this pearl is fake?”
Liu Yuanliang’s face turned completely dark upon hearing this. He sneered, “Truly ignorant. If it weren’t for President Kong’s invitation, I wouldn’t even bother looking at someone like you.”
“Fine, if I don’t let you speak your mind today, people will say I, as a senior, am unreasonable.”
“I want to see how you can turn the dead into the living!”
Li Chonglou actually dared to call him blind.
If it weren’t for the live broadcast cameras, he would have exploded right then and there.
However, on second thought, he was here precisely to let this kid make a fool of himself. Previously, he had relied on the fact that this pearl was unrecognizable.
But since it was now being declared fake, wouldn’t that be even better?
With this level of discernment, he was fit to be the vice president of Xingzhi Group?
As long as Li Chonglou’s gilded exterior was exposed, revealing his rotten core, he would have to resign in shame. Otherwise, he would become a laughingstock.
“Vice President Li, you should choose your words carefully. Disaster comes from the mouth,” Kong Mo said, his face also looking extremely unpleasant, issuing a veiled threat.
Liu Yuanliang was his guest, yet Li Chonglou not only showed no respect but also mocked him, causing Kong Mo to lose face.
This greenhorn, who still smelled of milk, didn’t consider the consequences of his actions.
Lü Dong had died by his hand, and he still flaunted his power around the company daily, becoming a thorn in Kong Mo’s side.
He couldn't rest until Lü Dong was avenged.
Although the former vice president had advised against acting against him at this particular time,
far away, Xingzhi Group was nominally still under his control. If Lü Dong’s vengeance wasn't delivered, Kong Mo couldn’t eat or sleep peacefully.
At this moment, Li Chonglou’s phone vibrated a few times. He took it out of his pocket and glanced at it.
A look of arrogance appeared on his face, and he sneered, “Heh heh, the real cannot be faked, and the fake cannot be made real. Truth is not afraid of debate. Liu Yuanliang, since you are here, do you dare to debate with me?”
The message was from Lin Ying, informing him that the event was being live-streamed and watched by everyone in the company.
Li Chonglou understood perfectly. The arrogant aura around him immediately intensified to the extreme.
He was playing the role of a second-generation heir from ancient times, specifically one who had been deprived of his name and status since childhood. He couldn't be gentle and eloquent.
“Why would I not dare?” Liu Yuanliang responded readily.
Li Chonglou’s move was exactly what he wanted.
Both of them having their own agendas, it was perfect to go with the flow.
Kong Mo’s sinister eyes mingled with a sense of triumph as he watched the scene with a cold smile.
He had initially planned to scheme to lure Li Chonglou into a trap, but he never expected him to jump in himself.
How dare he be so brazen in front of Elder Liu? Today, he would surely be ruined.
“Good, then let’s set some stakes,” Li Chonglou said, glancing at Liu Yuanliang and Kong Mo with confidence. “I say this luminous pearl is fake, and you say it’s real.”
“If I win, I will officially take you as my master!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Yuanliang stopped him with a hand gesture. “No need. I, this old man, have no interest in accepting a disciple like you, who doesn’t understand respect for elders.”
“If you lose, you will get out of Xingzhi Group. Can you do that?”
His words were filled with contempt and disdain.
In his eyes, Li Chonglou was, at best, an ignorant junior. Even if his father was Li Shi, so what?
Li Shi was already dead, and the so-called glory of his lineage was nonsense.
As long as Liu Yuanliang was alive, he had the right to speak.
“No problem.”
Li Chonglou was not angered. He readily agreed, then changed the topic and said seriously, “But what if you lose?”
“Heh heh heh, would I lose to a mere boy like you?” Liu Yuanliang was extremely confident.
He hadn't even considered this possibility.
However, since it was a wager, there had to be stakes. He temporarily came up with a wager: “If I lose, I will compensate you with a genuine luminous pearl!”
Wow…
The employees watching this scene from various departments were all astonished, their mouths agape.
Most of them were not well-versed in antiques, only having had superficial contact with them. But who didn’t know the preciousness of a luminous pearl?
Those were treasures that money couldn’t buy!
Just one of them was probably enough for an ordinary person to live their life without needing to strive.
Elder Liu was generous!
It was laughable that the newly appointed vice president had no self-awareness at all, daring to wager with a titan of culture and history like Elder Liu.
It seemed his position as vice president was also precarious.
Seeing this, Xu Bin was anxious, scratching his head, his heart burning like a cat clawing.
He deeply regretted thinking of trying to curry favor with this young vice president.
Now, he was certainly no match for Elder Liu. If he was kicked out of the company, who would he rely on?
If he tried to flatter Kong Mo again, Kong Mo wasn't a fool.
This time, his cleverness had backfired, and he had overplayed his hand.
In the appraisal room, Wu Tao’s face was filled with delight and schadenfreude. Seeing Li Chonglou dare to challenge Elder Liu so recklessly, he felt extremely pleased.
After being suppressed last time, he thought he would be under Li Chonglou’s thumb for life, his future dim.
Unexpectedly, such a scene unfolded immediately.
You little brat, you’ll fall hard today for your arrogance. And he will be completely liberated.
“Why are you so happy?” Lin Ying, standing next to Wu Tao, asked with a smile.
“No… nothing. I was just wondering where Vice President Li got the confidence to compete with Elder Liu? He’s still too young. Elder Liu is a towering figure in the cultural and historical circles,” Wu Tao quickly covered up.
“Some people are blessed with timing, opportunity, and human support, and are called geniuses. You wouldn’t understand,” Lin Ying replied faintly.
However, she also had some doubts in her heart.
After all, she couldn't see the pearl clearly through the screen.
But she knew Liu Yuanliang. He was proud and indeed had sharp eyesight, otherwise, he wouldn’t be a pillar of the cultural and historical circles in Zhonghai.
His visit with Kong Mo couldn’t possibly be for a genuine discussion of Dao and heart with their junior brother.
They must have been well-prepared, and their junior brother had walked right into their trap, yet he was so confident.
What was in their葫芦 (gourd)?
Of course, she had confidence in Li Chonglou, but Liu Yuanliang wasn’t easy to deal with either, and she couldn’t help but feel a trace of worry.
At this moment, in the office.
Li Chonglou had already gently shaken his head and refused Liu Yuanliang’s proposal: “I don’t need a luminous pearl.”
“If you lose, will you then formally become my disciple in front of the entire company?”
Hiss…
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire company gasped again.
Even Kong Mo’s expression froze instantly.
Arrogant, he was simply too arrogant.
This was no longer ignorant arrogance; arrogance was etched into his very bones.
How dared he say such a thing? Who gave him the courage?
Was it the already deceased Li Shi?
To want to take a master like Liu Yuanliang as a disciple, this kid was mad, completely mad!
If he was so shocked, how much more so was Liu Yuanliang, the person concerned.
Upon hearing this, his entire old face turned ashen, his body trembling, wishing he could slap Li Chonglou hard on the spot.
His eyes were filled with venom, glaring at Li Chonglou, as if his gaze could pierce through him.
“What? Do you think you will lose, so you dare not?” Li Chonglou asked without fear, meeting his gaze, speaking calmly.
*Slap!*
Kong Mo slammed the table and stood up, “Li Chonglou, I warn you not to go too far!”
If Li Chonglou continued to be so arrogant, he would lose all face. Before the item was even identified, he and Liu Yuanliang had been thoroughly toyed with by Li Chonglou.
In front of all the company employees, how could Elder Liu salvage his dignity?
As expected, after a few seconds of distorted expression, Liu Yuanliang finally swallowed his anger and said fiercely, “Good!”
“If I, Liu Yuanliang, am inferior to a clueless child like you, I’d rather crash my head into this wall and die!”
He absolutely refused to utter the words about becoming a disciple.
His lifelong reputation was at stake; he would rather die than submit.
“I can’t take responsibility for you crashing your head. I only want you to become my disciple. If you agree, we continue; otherwise, please leave,” Li Chonglou was unyielding.
He had cornered Liu Yuanliang into a no-win situation.
After all, he had already deemed Li Chonglou to have fallen into his trap and was at his mercy.
To retreat without a fight now would not only spare Li Chonglou but also make Liu Yuanliang seem undeservedly famous and all show.
Face, for someone like him who had been respected his entire life, was especially important.
Therefore, even though he wished he could bite Li Chonglou to death, he could only reluctantly agree.
Gritting his teeth, he growled, “Brat, I’ll see how long you can be arrogant.”
“If I lose, I, Liu Yuanliang, will become your disciple!”
“If you lose, you will immediately get out of Xingzhi Group!”
These three sentences were spoken with all the strength he possessed. He had never been forced into such a desperate situation; Li Chonglou was the first.
“Words are not enough, let’s put it in writing.” Li Chonglou called for his secretary, who brought paper and a pen. He quickly wrote out the gambling agreement.
After signing his own name, he had Liu Yuanliang sign and leave his thumbprint.
After taking a photo of the original document, with everything in order, a smile finally bloomed on his face.
He slowly said, “The luminous pearls that have been passed down in our ancient times refer to the crystallization of inorganic salt compounds with activated phosphors within the earth’s crust, ejected to the surface by volcanic eruptions, and formed by geological movements gathering in ore.”
“However, luminous pearls on the market are not just of this type.”
“In terms of mineral-based ones, there are at least two types: one is permanently luminous, and the other is phosphorescent after absorbing light.”
“The former contains strong radioactive elements and can emit light permanently without absorbing any light source. More famous examples include radioactive isotopes like 14C, 3H, 147pm, 226Ra, and 232Th.”
“The latter is the true luminous pearl that has been passed down in China.”
“Because the activator in the phosphor is not radioactive, it must be activated by external ultraviolet light to emit light.”
“All phosphorescent luminous pearls, besides alkali metal halides, have chemical compositions of divalent metal compounds, sulfides, selenides, tellurides, silicates, aluminates, tungstates, phosphates, and halophosphate classes.”
“The one you brought out, I assume you haven’t had its chemical composition tested, right?”
Upon hearing this, Kong Mo and Liu Yuanliang’s expressions gradually shifted from cold smiles to astonishment.
This… this kid was actually using chemical methods to determine the authenticity of the luminous pearl.
How many antique collectors would meticulously study chemistry?
Listening to his words, it seemed he knew a lot about luminous pearls.
Then why would he jump into a trap himself?
Could it be that this luminous pearl indeed had a problem?
Could his discernment be even higher than that of his deceased father?
Impossible.
Li Shi was a renowned master of antiques, and with decades of experience plus resources passed down through generations, he had built such a reputation.
Li Chonglou was so young. Even if he had learned all of Li Shi’s skills, he wouldn’t have had so many resources for him to practice with.
It was highly likely that he was trying to confuse them by twisting concepts.
With this thought, Liu Yuanliang’s heart settled.
He retracted his astonished expression and sneered again, “We don’t understand what you mean by ‘compounds’ and ‘elements.’ Stop trying to be mysterious. We asked you to appraise the authenticity, not to teach us chemistry!”