Ning Lang's intention was clear to Zheng Rui.
Framing and falsely accusing, they were from the underworld, not upright gentlemen.
This sort of thing was their specialty.
Just stuff something onto him, and he'd get at least eight years.
These words struck Cheng Daqi with such terror that his heart sank and his spirit scattered.
He finally realized that the man before him was someone he absolutely could not afford to offend.
*Bang, bang, bang…*
He frantically kowtowed like pounding garlic, tears and snot streaming down his face as he begged.
Unfortunately, Li Zhonglou and Ning Lang were annoyed enough, why would they listen to his nonsense? They had Jin Jing, who had fainted, carried into the car and turned to leave the shop.
On the way to the hospital, Jin Jing had already woken up.
The wound had scabbed over. Fortunately, Cheng Daqi was weak and the blow lacked force; otherwise, a severe concussion would have been unavoidable.
"Brother Li… you saved me again, I don't know how to thank you…" Jin Jing said with guilt, her voice gentle.
Li Zhonglou replied expressionlessly, "If it weren't for Brother Ning, I wouldn't have come to the shop today."
"If you want to thank someone, thank him."
Hearing this, Jin Jing quickly looked at Ning Lang, "Thank you, Brother Ning!"
Ning Lang laughed heartily and said, "Little sister, don't worry, from now on Cheng Daqi will not bother you anymore."
"Once your injuries heal, focus on your business."
He was confident in Zheng Rui's methods. That Cheng Daqi would be gone for at least eight years, if not ten.
Let him reform and repent properly inside.
Jin Jing looked grateful. Seeing Li Zhonglou looking out the window and ignoring her, she seemed a bit awkward and could only chat with Ning Lang.
As the car drove onto the elevated highway, a sharp glint flashed in Li Zhonglou's eyes.
He saw a familiar figure sitting in a business van.
"It's her, why is she in Yong'an?" A trace of doubt arose in Li Zhonglou's heart.
But the two cars passed each other rapidly, and it was at the entrance to the elevated highway, so he had no chance to ask the driver to stop and intercept the van.
He could only bury his doubts in his heart.
After taking Jin Jing to the hospital, the two returned to the Ning residence.
It wasn't dark yet, and just as they were about to have dinner, Zeng Wang arrived at the Ning residence.
He had his subordinates carry large bags and packages of gifts into the house.
He then walked up to Li Zhonglou, shaking his hand excitedly, "Master Li, you saved me."
Seeing Li Zhonglou's confusion, he quickly explained.
It turned out that the police had sealed off Li Hanlong's businesses that afternoon and found the real golden Buddha.
The customs enforcement bureau summoned Zeng Wang to record his statement and gave him a stern warning.
If it weren't for Li Zhonglou, he would have definitely bought Li Hanlong's golden Buddha head that day. Although it was a fake, it would have inevitably caused repercussions.
Even negative news would have caused the company's stock price to plummet.
At that time, the loss would not have been tens of millions, but at least hundreds of millions.
Therefore, he specifically brought gifts to thank Li Zhonglou for saving his life.
"It's my duty to take people's money and solve their problems," Li Zhonglou withdrew his hand and said indifferently.
This matter was purely coincidental; no one expected Li Hanlong to actually sell a golden Buddha head.
Through a fortunate turn of events, not only did Zeng Wang avoid a pitfall, but he also obtained what he wanted, and Li Hanlong was eliminated to remove future troubles.
It was just a pity that Zhang Dongxu was imprisoned.
Although Ning Lang had arranged for the most professional lawyers, imprisonment was unavoidable.
He could only hope that he could earn merit and have his sentence reduced, turning a life sentence into a fixed term, and after serving thirteen years, he could be released.
In addition, Li Zhonglou had asked Ning Lang to find someone to help get him into Qin Zhou Prison, to be with his master Lin Zhendong.
This way, he could meet his grand-master in advance and get acquainted.
"Master Li, I came to see you today not only to express my gratitude but also to ask for a favor." After thanking him, Zeng Wang gave a dry laugh and said, "I mentioned before that I wanted to set up a private museum."
"I originally wanted to buy relics from Li Hanlong for the museum, but that's fallen through now."
"I'd like to ask Master Li to help me find some treasures with that kind of weight."
Ning Lang smiled upon hearing this, "You old fox, you never come to my door without a reason. You really treat my brother as your subordinate?"
"Brother Ning, your words make me ashamed. I truly have no other choice." Zeng Wang's face turned red from being spoken to.
Whether it was feigned or genuine, he couldn't tell.
After all, reaching the position of chairman of Ginza, he couldn't be like a child who still knew shame.
"If you want a centerpiece for your museum, it's actually simple," Li Zhonglou said with a smile. "I'm planning to open an antique shop in Yong'an. When I get some good items, I can transfer them to you, can't I?"
"This is a good idea!" Zeng Wang's eyes widened upon hearing this, and he asked, "Have you found a location yet?"
"How about our Ginza Building? I'll allocate twelve hundred square meters on the first floor for you to open your shop."
"Rent-free!"
Zeng Wang was someone who understood immediately.
He instantly grasped the meaning behind Li Zhonglou's words.
When dealing with smart people, the conversation became much more straightforward.
Li Zhonglou smiled and nodded, "Then I thank you, Mr. Zeng."
Originally, it was troublesome for him to find a shop himself. Moreover, antique shops, unlike restaurants, didn't require a prime location.
He was doing business with insiders in his antique shop, not strangers.
Therefore, the location was not important.
Ginza Building was originally a shopping mall, with people coming and going, which wasn't ideal for this type of shop, but it was quite suitable for Li Zhonglou's needs.
Because he planned to link the treasure appraisal platform with the physical store, the foot traffic at Ginza would serve as live advertising.
"But I don't know when your shop will receive treasures. My museum has to open within half a year… this…" Zeng Wang, indeed an old fox, immediately stated his requirements after offering benefits.
Li Zhonglou understood, his confidence unwavering, "Within half a year, I guarantee it."
As for the centerpiece, he already had a plan.
The Shi Qiang plate in Qin Zhou, which had been cooked countless times, although the Shi Qiang plate could not be sold, it could be donated.
"There are policies to counter policies" was an unwritten rule in the industry. Li Zhonglou actually disliked these unwritten rules, but one couldn't be too rigid.
The Shi Qiang plate would be better placed in a museum than in the hands of ordinary citizens.
However, he wouldn't tell Zeng Wang about this until the last moment, to avoid him rushing to seize it through trickery.
Between two intelligent people, there wasn't even a need for an agreement.
Because they both knew their own value, as long as the value remained, the other party would not break the contract.
"There's one more thing, Master Li, please help me." With the heavy burden lifted from his mind, Zeng Wang pressed his advantage, "In a couple of days, a friend of mine wants to sell me a batch of antiques."
"I hope Master Li can help me appraise them then."
He was completely convinced of Li Zhonglou's skills, far beyond his own limited abilities.
That's why he was so generous last time, giving him ten million at once.
Having paid the money, it would be a waste not to use it.
"We'll see when I have time," Li Zhonglou replied noncommittally.
Taking people's money made one soft-handed, and eating their food made one short-tongued; even he was no exception.
Zeng Wang did not probe further, chuckled, and took his leave.
Ning Lang had the aunt unpack the gifts he brought. They were all high-grade Chinese medicinal herbs like old ginseng, saffron, and cordyceps.
He also got Ning Lang a large piece of agarwood, which was quite valuable.
It was clear that they knew Li Zhonglou was injured when he fought Li Hanlong that day, and they had come to show their concern.
So he asked the aunt to stew a chicken with cordyceps, and he and Li Zhonglou had a hearty meal.
The next morning, Xiao Yun, arm in arm with Cao Chunhua, personally visited.
Seeing Li Zhonglou was unharmed, she pulled him to look him over, "It's great to be young, so full of vigor. You're fine after just a few days?"
She had clearly seen Li Zhonglou covered in blood that day and was worried about him afterward.
As soon as she finished reorganizing the Xiao family and regained control, she rushed to visit him.
Without Li Zhonglou, she didn't know when Xiao Qiang would be able to return home, and her conflict with her uncle would not have ended so quickly. Even if she won, the Xiao family would have been severely weakened.
Coupled with Shi Jianming's immense fondness for the three-chain seal after taking it, he immediately signed a contract with her, establishing a cooperation.
With a strong alliance, the Xiao family's future was bright.
All of this was thanks to Li Zhonglou.
"Sister, Elder Cao, I've made you worry," Li Zhonglou said, feeling a little touched.
Cao Chunhua glared, his mustache bristling, "Call me Brother, the generation gap is all messed up. How will Yun'er and I interact in the future?"
Li Zhonglou secretly found it amusing. At his age, Elder Cao was still like an old playful child.
He was indeed a good match for Sister Yun.
"Alright, I'll call you Brother, so please excuse my disrespect," Ning Lang said with a hearty laugh.
He had long admired Elder Cao, this elder of the martial world, but with the new waves pushing the old, Cao Chunhua had long since retired from the Jianghu, and they had never had the chance to meet.
He never expected him to be so familiar with Li Zhonglou.
"Brother, Sister brought you a gift, let's go take a look outside." After everyone had exchanged pleasantries, Xiao Yun pointed to the door and said.
"What gift is it that you have to go outside to see? It's not a car, is it?" Before Li Zhonglou could speak, Ning Lang, full of curiosity, walked towards the door.
Li Zhonglou followed behind.
He didn't really care about any gift. Given Xiao Yun's status and taste, if she were to give him a car, it would be a luxury car.
But he didn't want to drive a luxury car; it was too ostentatious.
So he was thinking about how to refuse.
However, the moment he stepped outside and saw the car parked there, the idea of refusing vanished.
It was a Hongqi, entirely black.
But it was definitely not any model currently circulating in the market.
He hadn't seen this model when he went to the 4S store to buy a Hongqi last time.
Dignified, grand, stable, low-key.
These few words alone were enough to strike a chord in Li Zhonglou's heart.
His own Hongqi had been damaged in an accident and was still at the repair shop. He hadn't expected Xiao Yun to understand his heart so well.
This sister was truly unfathomable.
"This Hongqi was custom-made by Sister. The entire body is bulletproofed. To be honest, I originally intended to give it to Chunhua as a birthday gift," Xiao Yun explained with a smile. "But it really doesn't suit this old man to drive such a car; he's too vulgar."
"Since your car is broken, it suits you perfectly. Don't dislike it, okay?"
Custom-made, fully bulletproofed.
As Xiao Yun said, this car was not originally for him.
But ever since Li Hanlong had said that Li Zhonglou would die within a month,
She had changed her mind, quietly doing her best to ensure Li Zhonglou's safety.
After all, she wasn't calling him brother for nothing.
"Sister, I accept your kindness!" Li Zhonglou said earnestly.
How could he not see what Xiao Yun was thinking? This car was perfectly suited for his current situation.
In the afternoon, he was going to meet the mastermind behind Mr. Zhou with Ning Lang.
With this car, it would reduce his danger by half, and even if he encountered problems, he would at least have a retreat.
It was truly like sending charcoal in the snow.