Boss Chen’s expression was one of uncertain suspicion.
The moment Li Chonglou stated the price of one hundred thousand, he truly believed he had lost a treasure.
To lose a treasure meant selling it to someone else for a fraction of its worth.
But then, he immediately realized Li Chonglou seemed to be quoting an exorbitant price to provoke Zhou Yacheng.
It was no different than if he had come up and asked for twenty thousand.
"You..." Zhou Yacheng's face turned a ghastly mixture of green and white with anger.
No matter how much money he had, he wouldn't pay a hundred thousand for something he knew was only worth a thousand.
If word got out, wouldn't he become a laughingstock?
He was used to being imposing in Wenmiao.
Whether as a buyer or a seller, people would give him some face.
He never expected that Li Chonglou, who looked unremarkable and dressed plainly, would be so difficult to deal with, impervious to both soft and hard tactics.
This was no longer about a single hairpin.
It was about dignity.
If he couldn't get this hairpin, he, Zhou Yacheng, wouldn't be able to hold his head up in Wenmiao ever again.
"What are you talking about?"
Li Chonglou's gaze swept over him, his stern face admonishing, "A bit of money makes you arrogant."
"Look at your attire, decked out in gold and silver, a garish display, as if you want to show off your entire fortune. You're uneducated and utterly a second-generation rich kid!"
"Your father probably never taught you about not flaunting your wealth."
"So I'll teach you, otherwise, you'll die in the streets one day, with no one to collect your body!"
His voice wasn't loud, but it was deafening.
It was like an invisible slap, forcefully delivered to Zhou Yacheng's face.
Hiss...
The onlookers stared in disbelief, collectively drawing in a sharp breath.
Knowing full well this was the crown prince of Wenmiao, to speak to him in a tone an elder would use to scold a junior.
This...
What was this person's background?
Had he lost his mind?
Zhou Yacheng was completely stunned by the rebuke.
He was contemplating whether to snatch it or resort to soft persuasion when Li Chonglou's attitude suddenly shifted, verbally tearing him apart, making him feel like he was burning inside.
At this moment, it felt as if everyone watching was mocking him.
Growing up, when had he ever suffered such a humiliation?
He had always been high and mighty in Wenmiao; what merchant or boss didn't flatter and serve him?
Now, he was being verbally abused like a dog by an unknown nobody.
It felt worse than being slapped a few times.
How could he possibly swallow this insult?
"You!"
Zhou Yacheng had lost the ability to think, his neck turning purple. He roared, "How dare you speak to me like that? Go and beat this little bastard to death!"
The several burly men behind him had long been impatient.
They surged forward, rushing towards Li Chonglou.
Xu Lie handed the hairpin to Li Chonglou and stepped forward, ready to act.
Just then.
A figure dashed into the shop and walked behind Zhou Yacheng.
*Slap!*
A sharp slap landed on the back of his head.
"I..." Zhou Yacheng, who was fuming, was dazed by the sudden blow and turned to curse.
But upon seeing the face of the person who had arrived, he abruptly swallowed his words.
His eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "Dad? Why are you here?"
The newcomer was a middle-aged man in his fifties, his expression solemn, his eyes deep.
He was expressionless, yet exuded an imposing authority.
It was none other than Zhou Sanping, the Chairman of the Wenmiao Antique Market.
Following behind Zhou Sanping was a bewildered Huang Yongshou.
In an instant, Zhou Yacheng's breathing became rapid, the purple hue on his face rapidly receding, a flicker of fear flashing in his eyes.
He never imagined his father would appear here!
If his father knew he had broken the rules and forcefully tried to coerce a transaction, he would likely beat him to death.
Zhou Sanping's gaze swept over the burly men who were about to make a move, and he roared, "What do you think you're doing?"
None of them dared to disobey; they all retreated to the side.
He then glared at Zhou Yacheng, "You still recognize me as your father?"
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears, I would probably never have known you dared to act like a bully behind my back."
"You truly have some nerve!"
This reprimand made Zhou Yacheng tremble violently. He lowered his head, not daring to meet his father's gaze, his hands and feet shaking.
Pointing at Li Chonglou, he tried to argue, "It's a misunderstanding, Dad... He, this bumpkin, tried to snatch it from me..."
"Silence!"
Before he could finish, Zhou Sanping interrupted him sharply, "Do you know who he is?"
"He is the junior apprentice brother of your Master Lin Ying, my martial uncle, your grand-martial-uncle."
"You little beast, how dare you disrespect your elders and ancestors."
"Now get down on your knees and apologize!"
Whoosh...
As these words were spoken, the entire antique shop erupted.
The esteemed Chairman of Wenmiao, the most influential person in the entire Wenmiao, the richest and most discerning big boss.
Furthermore, Zhou Sanping, Chairman Zhou, the heir of an antique family.
He actually called this unremarkable young man his martial uncle?
This...
How old was this young man?
In his twenties, how could he be this formidable!
Everyone stared at Li Chonglou in shock, their gazes filled with envy and jealousy.
Even Xu Lie was stunned.
After Li Chonglou finished his meal, he had sent Huang Yongshou to find someone, and that someone was precisely this Zhou Sanping.
He had thought it was for business negotiations.
He never expected this familial connection!
Zhou Yacheng looked at Li Chonglou as if he had seen a ghost, his eyes bulging, unable to believe it, his mouth wide enough to fit a duck egg.
He seemed to understand now why Li Chonglou had spoken to him like an elder scolding a junior.
"Sanping pays his respects to Martial Uncle. Before Master departed, he instructed me that you would likely be coming to Wenmiao these few days," Zhou Sanping said, walking up to Li Chonglou, respectfully cupping his fists and bowing. "My unfilial son has offended Martial Uncle; it is my failure in upbringing."
"You are too kind."
Li Chonglou smiled, "You are significantly older than me, and you are the disciple of my martial sister. From now on, we are family."
In his past life, when he had honed his skills in Wenmiao, he had interacted with Zhou Sanping countless times.
His martial sister Lin Ying's disciple, an heir of a prestigious family, a loyal and honest man.
He valued rules immensely.
Therefore, their relationship had been very good.
A few days ago, they had met by chance at Desheng Hotel, and then he had helped resolve the matter with Wu Zhijie.
He had intended to find him today upon arriving at the antique city.
He never expected to encounter Zhou Yacheng beforehand.
When Zhou Yacheng attempted to force a purchase, Li Chonglou took the opportunity to admonish him through the hairpin,
Teaching him a lesson.
"I..." Zhou Yacheng's face burned like fire. He stammered for a long time but couldn't speak.
Being forced to kneel and apologize in public was worse than death for him.
Just as Zhou Sanping was about to reprimand him, Li Chonglou intervened to ease the awkwardness, "One does not discipline their children in public. Take me to your office."
After paying for the hairpin, he left the antique shop directly.
Upon arriving at Zhou Sanping's office.
Li Chonglou tossed the hairpin onto the desk and looked at Zhou Yacheng, smiling faintly, "Do you still want the hairpin?"
"You think I'm swindling you, but you don't know this is a genuine Tang Dynasty gilded phoenix-head hairpin, with a market value of seventy thousand."
"You'd go so far as to break the rules to snatch it from me, likely for some woman, right?"
"Thirty thousand as a tuition fee from you isn't expensive."
Zhou Yacheng hadn't even figured out how to face this grand-martial-uncle who had suddenly appeared and with whom he had fallen out.
These sudden words made him wish he could find a hole in the ground to disappear into.
He looked at his father with a wronged expression, "Dad, this..."
His discernment was considered good, but it was far inferior to his father, Zhou Sanping.
After all, as Lin Ying's disciple, with just a brief glance, his eyes widened, and his pupils dilated: "It is indeed from the Tang Dynasty..."
"You little brat, calling you uneducated is an understatement. You still dare to be arrogant?"
"Martial Uncle Li is teaching you how to be a person."
"Kneel!"