The speaker was a middle-aged man, around forty, with eyes as sharp as arrows.
He had a hooked nose and his skin was well-maintained, appearing rosy and luminous.
His expression was filled with disdain.
As he spoke, he didn't even spare a glance at Li Chonglou.
Lu Chenggong's face instantly turned grim.
This man was Mo Zhigao, the antique expert specially brought by the important figure, President Zhu. He spoke with a condescending air, exuding a disgusting sense of superiority and self-confidence, looking down on everyone. It was as if the place, Qinzhou, held nothing worthy of his attention.
To think he would be so impolite to Li Chonglou.
If not for President Zhu's sake, Lu Chenggong wouldn't have shown such a person any pleasantries.
But now, they were in need of his help, and he couldn't afford to get angry.
Just as he was about to smooth things over.
The elder seated in the main position said, feigning concern, "Ah, Zhigao, we are guests after all. How could Director Lu possibly try to fob us off with some ignorant novice? You must have misunderstood him."
This man was the main guest of the day, President Zhu.
His words carried a hidden meaning.
The implication was that regardless of whether Li Chonglou possessed any skill, it was not Lu Chenggong's fault.
Instead, it was that Li Chonglou had, through some method, deceived Lu Chenggong's judgment, causing him to be misled.
This not only protected Lu Chenggong's feelings, preventing him from speaking out, but also made Li Chonglou the center of attention, putting him in a fiery spotlight.
It was a ruthless move.
"President Zhu, you might not be aware, but in the antique business, even if one starts from the womb, it takes thirty to fifty years to become accomplished," Mo Zhigao said, his cold contempt unconcealed. He gestured towards Li Chonglou with his chin, "He's barely out of his teens, his beard hasn't even grown in. What kind of exceptional discernment could he possibly possess?"
"It's one thing to fool an amateur like Director Lu, but coming here to make a fool of yourself is utterly unnecessary."
"I've lost all interest."
With that, he waved his hand as if shooing away a chicken, signaling Lu Chenggong to have Li Chonglou leave the room.
This gesture was one of extreme contempt.
Even for someone with Li Chonglou's steadfast heart, a flicker of suppressed anger arose.
Lu Yunxu, who had remained silent since entering the room, could no longer tolerate it and retorted, "You call him a liar, but what are you?"
"If you have the skill, show it. Anyone can talk big."
"I'm just worried President Zhu might accidentally be misled!"
Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.
Lu Yunxu was naturally beautiful, possessed an extraordinary aura, and as Lu Chenggong's daughter, held a special position in this room.
Furthermore, as a junior, no one would take her angry words too seriously, even if she insulted someone.
"As expected of Director Lu's daughter, a heroine who is no less capable than a man," two department leaders chimed in subtly, offering support.
President Zhu's expression remained unchanged. Instead, he looked at Mo Zhigao and said, "Hahaha, Zhigao, the little girl says you lack ability. I can't help you there. You'll have to prove yourself."
"President Zhu, you're actually taking a young girl's provocation seriously? There's no need." Mo Zhigao said with a half-smile, "In the entirety of Qinzhou, only Lu Weishen is qualified to have a conversation with me. Everyone else is a junior!"
These words were unbelievably arrogant.
Yet, those present nodded in agreement.
It was as if Mo Zhigao's words were the natural order of things.
Only Lu Yunxu's pretty face turned purple, her beautiful eyes blazing with anger.
She subtly kicked the impassive Li Chonglou from behind and whispered, "Aren't you going to say anything? They're clearly here to stir up trouble."
"What is there to argue with an incapable person?"
Li Chonglou replied calmly, "Many people in this world believe they possess the world, only to find they are merely looking at the sky from the bottom of a well."
"It's pointless to play the lute for a cow."
"Since this situation today is based on age determining superiority, I have nothing to say."
Li Chonglou's words, though a response to Lu Yunxu, were not spoken in a hushed tone.
Everyone could hear them.
Instantly, the entire private room fell silent.
All eyes shifted back to Li Chonglou.
Even President Zhu was no exception, though this time, a hint of surprise flickered in his eyes.
Who he was, Li Chonglou didn't know, but everyone present knew clearly. He was the chairman of the Dongwu Chamber of Commerce from Huizhou.
Even in a city like Yong'an, where influential figures gathered, he had a prominent reputation.
When he came to a small place like Qinzhou, he needed leaders to accompany him to show due respect.
Having been in a high position for decades, ordinary people wouldn't dare to breathe too loudly in his presence. Yet, this Li Chonglou, no more than twenty, had remained unfazed from the beginning.
He endured Mo Zhigao's ridicule and then, with a single sentence, utterly put both Mo Zhigao and himself in their place.
Setting aside his skills, his courage alone was extraordinary.
"What did you say?" Mo Zhigao was not President Zhu and was already arrogant and conceited. He hadn't expected Li Chonglou to openly mock him as ignorant and provincial.
How could he tolerate this?
He immediately stood up and pointed at Li Chonglou, angrily shouting, "Ignorant junior, I originally didn't want to bother with you."
"Since you are blind and don't recognize true talent, I will teach you, on behalf of your master, what it means for there to be heaven beyond heaven!"
For any antique appraiser, there must be a lineage; otherwise, many things would remain inaccessible.
Before Li Chonglou arrived, he had heard Lu Chenggong mention the matters of the sweet white glaze and the jade seal box.
Naturally, he knew Li Chonglou wasn't self-taught.
The so-called "teaching him on behalf of his master" was merely a way to place himself on a higher moral ground and to suppress Li Chonglou.
If it were an ordinary person, they would either be intimidated or erupt in anger.
Unfortunately, he overestimated himself and underestimated Li Chonglou.
Upon hearing this, Li Chonglou's expression remained unchanged. Instead, he unhurriedly walked to the table, sat down, and declared with a powerful voice, "I await your instruction!"
The antique circle was too small. So small that the number of nationally renowned figures could be counted in the hundreds.
But in his previous life, he had never heard of a figure named Mo Zhigao, which meant one of two things.
Either Mo Zhigao lacked talent and thus his reputation was not widespread.
Or, by the time he gained fame in his previous life, this person had already passed away.
Once a person dies, even great fame fades.
Regardless of which was true, Li Chonglou felt no fear. Instead, he felt a subtle excitement.
After all, he had no true rivals in Qinzhou.
Seeing this, everyone's eyes lit up.
"We've been listening to Old Lu talk about Li Chonglou's skills all along. I didn't expect to witness it firsthand so soon."
"This Mo Zhigao is no ordinary person. To boldly claim that only Chairman Lu in our Qinzhou can match him, it seems Li Chonglou is still a bit lacking."
"Alas, don't boost others' morale and dampen our Qinzhou's spirit. Let's wait and see!"
Several Qinzhou leaders whispered amongst themselves. Although they didn't hold much hope for Li Chonglou,
they still wished for Li Chonglou to have some skill for the sake of Qinzhou's reputation, at least to avoid a complete humiliation.
*Snap!*
As soon as the words fell, Mo Zhigao pulled over his bag and took out a stack of yellowish-brown paper, a thick wad.
The size was similar to ordinary A4 paper.
On it were densely packed lines of small, regular script.
At first glance, it appeared to be a poem.
"You speak so boastfully. Can you tell what kind of item this notebook of mine is?" Mo Zhigao said, his mouth twisted into a smug grin.