"But... six million is a bit steep, isn't it? It's not that much by weight," Lu Xuan’s beautiful eyes were filled with longing, though her face feigned reluctance.
From the first glance, she had fallen for this Tang dynasty hollow gold sachet.
She had only seen it mentioned in historical records before.
It was said that Yang Guifei used this kind. The exterior was two hollow, semicircular gold spheres, about the size of a ping pong ball.
Inside was a gold censer for burning incense, along with two balancing rings.
Connected by the rings, no matter how it was shaken, the gold censer holding the spices would remain balanced due to its own gravity and the mobile balancing rings.
It was the most ancient gyroscope, a marvel of craftsmanship.
She had seen one at the Capital Museum and was captivated by it.
She never expected to encounter such a precious artifact within three days of arriving in Chang'an.
She immediately felt she had struck a massive bargain.
"I can see you're sincere, otherwise you wouldn't have haggled with me for so long. I'll give you a discount then," the horse-faced man’s eyes darted, pretending to concede, "Five point eight million, for good luck."
"If you want it, pay with card. I'm busy, and many people want to see this sachet."
As he spoke, he made a move to stand up and leave.
Seeing this, Lu Xuan became anxious. Without further thought, she made up her mind, "Alright, I'll buy it!"
Five point eight million wasn't a small sum for her, but it was merely a few days' profit for her company.
The crucial point was that she had wanted this sachet for a long time.
Now that she had finally found it, how could she let it go?
After speaking, she took out her bank card from her bag, about to hand it over to the smug horse-faced man.
A voice leisurely drifted over, "Fellow collector, you dare to sell this? I think you're in for it, as in 'punishable by law'!"
The horse-faced man's face suddenly stiffened. He turned and looked at Li Chonglou, who was being pushed by Xu Lie and approaching him.
His pupils constricted, and a sinister look rose in his eyes. He braced himself and let out a cold snort, "Who are you? I advise you not to meddle in other people's business."
"My grandmother lived to be a hundred and five, precisely because she never meddled in other people's business."
"Seeing you in a wheelchair at such a young age, don't you have any self-awareness?"
His words carried a veiled threat.
He had been haggling with this beauty for a long time, and they were about to finalize the deal when suddenly two people popped out and disrupted his plans.
Who wouldn't be angry?
Moreover, his item wasn't real at all, no matter what "punishment" Li Chonglou was talking about.
He wasn't afraid of Li Chonglou reporting him for selling cultural relics.
But if he scared away this potential wealthy customer, his losses would be significant.
When it didn't concern him, he was indifferent. But once his own interests were involved, the horse-faced man was not one to back down.
"Then your grandmother lived her life in vain," Li Chonglou's expression turned cold. "I'm going to meddle in this. Do you really think you're not committing a crime just because you're selling a replica? This is fraud!"
As expected of someone in the deceit business, his mouth was truly sharp. However, his being in a wheelchair had nothing to do with meddling.
Besides, he really didn't like to meddle.
It was just that seeing his old friend being deceived, he couldn't just stand by.
Lu Xuan was a female entrepreneur he had met in the capital in his past life.
At that time, after the power struggle within the Fan family in Zhonghai, he had felt disheartened and broke up with Fan Meng, leaving alone for the capital.
He was far from home and had no one to rely on.
He wanted to make a name for himself but had nowhere to turn. Fortunately, he met Lu Xuan at Panjiayuan, and she helped him immensely.
It was only then that he gradually settled down and eventually forged a path to success.
It could be said that in his past life, besides his senior sister, Lu Xuan was the one who had taken the most care of him.
How could he not repay such great kindness?
"You... are you saying this gold sachet is fake?" Lu Xuan's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Li Chonglou.
She believed she had extensive research on Tang dynasty gold sachets, having read countless records and information.
That's why she was so confident, thinking she had found a bargain and had haggled with the seller for so long.
Then suddenly a disabled young man appeared and called it fake.
This...
It was no different from a slap in the face.
Fortunately, Lu Xuan had good temperament and composure, otherwise, she would probably have lost her temper by now.
This wasn't about whether it was real or fake; it was about destroying her confidence and understanding.
Seeing her like this, Li Chonglou couldn't help but smile wryly.
He knew he had been rash. Many people, especially successful businessmen, unconsciously brought their business judgment and confidence into the antique world.
This led to the emergence of many "national treasure enthusiasts."
Exposing these people was a thankless task.
He had forgotten that before meeting him in his past life, Lu Xuan was an absolute "national treasure enthusiast."
This was also why he was reluctant to meddle, but today, he really had no choice.
"Don't listen to this kid's nonsense. Do you think someone like him can tell if it's real or fake?" The horse-faced man's pupils contracted sharply, a hint of panic clearly showing, but he quickly covered it up and shouted, "He's not even fully grown and he dares to come out and embarrass himself. This is a family heirloom!"
"Kid, loose talk is punishable by law. You say I'm committing fraud, and I'll sue you for defamation!"
As he spoke, the horse-faced man unlocked his phone and quickly sent a message.
Seeing the two arguing, Lu Xuan retracted the hand holding the bank card and looked Li Chonglou up and down.
This young man appeared very thin, as if malnourished.
But his eyes were exceptionally bright, like stars in the night.
They say eyes are the windows to the soul, and when Li Chonglou's eyes met hers, she felt her heart become clear.
She involuntarily felt a sense of familiarity, as if they had met before.
It was as if she knew him from a past life.
But she clearly remembered never having met this person before, so why did she have this feeling?
Could it be true what Master Huizhen said, that people have affinities with each other?
It couldn't be this strange, could it?
In an instant, Lu Xuan's mind raced with possibilities, her thoughts unsettled.
"There's a difference between gilded and real gold," Li Chonglou, unperturbed by the horse-faced man's reprimand, pointed at the sachet. "The style of this sachet imitates the Tang dynasty hollow gold sachet in the Shuzhou Museum."
"And this type of sachet was a palace exclusive item. To signify nobility, it was made of only one material: pure gold."
"You used gilded gold to save costs. Although it looks no different from the outside to the untrained eye, an expert can tell the authenticity with just one glance."
"The deliberately aged oxidized color gives you away."
His words struck the horse-faced man with a look of grimness.
What Li Chonglou said was indeed true; he had indeed faked the gold sachet using gilded tungsten wire.
He had successfully scammed several people in high-end hotels using this method.
He never expected to be seen through by this young brat.
This deal was likely over.
Blocking someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents. He had a group of brothers to support, and Li Chonglou's actions were undoubtedly threatening his livelihood.
He was seeking death!
In a fit of rage, he furiously yelled, "Kid, you've got guts! I've warned you repeatedly not to meddle, but you won't listen."
"Your accent isn't from Chang'an, is it? Aren't you afraid you won't be able to leave once you're here?"
"You can still sit in a wheelchair with two broken legs. If your hands are also broken, you'll need someone to feed you!"
Rustle...
As soon as he finished speaking, seven or eight people emerged from the surrounding woods.
Each with thick gold chains and jade rings, dressed like thugs with fierce expressions, staring menacingly at Li Chonglou.
Seeing his subordinates arrive, the horse-faced man couldn't help but show a smug look.
This was the first time something like this had happened on his turf.
He had warned this kid repeatedly, but he still wouldn't back down, so he would make sure he never left.
After all, the hotel garden had no surveillance, and the few intimidating subordinates he had would usually hide far away, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.
Even Lu Xuan's beautiful eyes flashed with a hint of panic and astonishment.
Although she felt a strong sense of familiarity with Li Chonglou, she still trusted her own judgment and felt there was nothing wrong with the sachet.
This was the businessman's unique ability to separate emotions from rationality.
But she didn't expect the horse-faced man to call his cronies. Such behavior undoubtedly indicated his guilty conscience.
Could the sachet truly be fake, as this disabled young man claimed?
Thinking this, Lu Xuan's heart ached.
She was an excellent entrepreneur, but she lacked practical experience in the antique field; she was not an idiot.
Seeing the situation, she finally understood.
But understanding was one thing, what should she do now?
Just leave?
But she had almost been scammed, and it was all thanks to this young man's reminder. If she just left now, he would be in dire straits.
Even two of them couldn't possibly be a match for so many people, could they?
Lu Xuan's mind raced through dozens of possibilities in a short moment.
Finally, her gaze gradually became resolute.
She called out crisply, "Wait!"
"You two are arguing over this sachet; there's no need to make things so tense."
"We're all in business. I'll buy this sachet, regardless of whether it's real or fake."
"Five point eight million, right? I'll pay now, can you have your men leave?"
Lu Xuan's instantaneous decision stunned the horse-faced man.
Not only him, but Li Chonglou and Xu Lie also looked surprised.
However, Li Chonglou immediately reacted, thinking it was indeed Sister Xuan's usual style, willing to take a loss herself to protect others.
It was precisely this character trait that allowed her to build her business in the capital, the emperor's seat, and receive various forms of support.
This was a virtue possessed by the vast majority of businessmen.
"Sister Xuan, you don't need to compromise. Fake is fake. Money is secondary, but fostering such behavior is unacceptable!" Li Chonglou said decisively.
However, in his indignation, the word "Sister" slipped out, a term he used in the past.
This caused Lu Xuan's beautiful eyes to widen in disbelief.
She asked, "You... you know me?"
"Stop yapping! Cripple this kid for me. I want to see where he gets the nerve to be so arrogant!" The horse-faced man's eyes glinted with malice. He would rather not make the deal and earn no money, but today he had to break Li Chonglou's hands and legs.
The seven burly men who had been itching for action, upon hearing their boss's command, immediately started rubbing their fists and preparing to pounce.
Several large feet were kicked through the air towards Li Chonglou, who was sitting in his wheelchair.
Startled, Lu Xuan hurriedly closed her eyes and let out a scream.
Li Chonglou, the person involved, remained completely calm, not even bothering to blink.
With Xu Lie behind him, these insignificant thugs were nothing.
Bang, bang, bang!
The next second, the few men who had rushed to the front felt a blur of motion before their eyes. They were instantly sent flying back with screams,
crashing into their own men.
This scene left the horse-faced man’s eyes wide open, dumbfounded.