Zong Ze was stunned. "Hasn't it always been like this?"
Zong Ze was puzzled. To be safe, the Security Bureau had always cleared out nearby residents when important administrative officials were to be received.
Yang Wudi roared, "They just want to earn some money to support their families. What wrong have they done?"
"Lord War God, your subordinate was merely performing his duty. I did not harm them!"
"Enough, you don't need to say more! As the second-in-command of Songhai, you must remember, no matter when or where, the people are paramount!"
Zong Ze understood. The person before him wanted to put him in his place, intimidate the major powers of Songhai, and win over the populace.
It was truly a case of killing three birds with one stone!
Zong Ze nodded. Yang Wudi was two ranks higher than him, so he could only put on a show of "listening to instruction."
Liu Chong even stepped forward, giving Yang Wudi a thumbs-up. "Lord War God loves the people as if they were his own children. He is truly a model for Songhai, and indeed for everyone under heaven!"
"Yes, with Lord War God here, Songhai will surely prosper, and the people will live in peace and contentment!"
"Thank you, Lord War God, for your understanding. This is the largest fish I caught while out at sea. I hope Lord War God will like it."
Those who made a living by fishing, respecting the border guards, offered their catches.
Duan Xiaosi pushed away the fishermen, rubbing his nose with a look of disdain. "Take away your smelly fish and shrimp. The War God doesn't need these inferior goods!"
Duan Xiaosi deliberately glanced at Liu Jiaqi and the other women, as if implying they were also inferior.
Seeing the strong tension among the women, Yang Wudi quickly said, "Alright, alright. I'll be returning to Duan Family Villa today. We shall meet again next time, everyone!"
Yang Wudi ultimately did not accept the fish. He got into the car with Duan Xiaosi and headed for Duan Family Villa.
Zong Ze shook his head and sneered, "Everyone, you should keep your fish to sell. They don't find them appealing!"
Duan Wan Jun, the second sister of the Duan family, took out a stack of bills. "I'll buy all your fish. Please deliver them to Duan Family Villa. The War God's banquet will need these fish for soup."
"Thank you, Second Miss!"
Upon hearing that the War God wanted fish soup, they were overjoyed. They filled several large barrels with fish, preparing to deliver them to Duan Family Villa.
Zong Ze looked deeply at Duan Wan Jun. The Duan family had two remarkable women.
The previous head of the Duan family died young, and shortly after the matriarch gave birth to Duan Xiao Liu and Duan Xiao Qi, she also passed away.
The eldest sister, Duan Ling Long, took over at eighteen, managing the Cultural Relics Association.
The second sister, Duan Wan Jun, managed Duan Family Villa. One handled external affairs, the other internal. They did not interfere with each other, dedicating themselves to the development of the Duan family.
Zong Ze said slowly, "Second girl, some people's nature is hard to change. How much can you do for him?"
"Uncle Zong Ze, thank you for your reminder. I'll be going back now."
Duan Wan Jun still had great respect for Zong Ze.
When her father was alive, he had said that if the Duan family had any troubles, they could find Zong Ze, calling him a reliable person, albeit with a bad temper.
"Take care of yourself!"
Zong Ze flicked his sleeve and ordered his subordinates to return to the Security Bureau.
He, however, walked into the Songhai Wharf Teahouse.
"Disgusting! As soon as he arrived, he acted like an arrogant fool, using me to make an example!"
Zong Ze sat down grumbling, and Su Yang poured him a cup of tea.
"It's probably because I have a close relationship with the Duan sisters, and you're my elder brother, so that Yang Wudi wanted to warn you first."
"Why should you get to flirt with girls while I have to be the scapegoat?"
The more Zong Ze thought about it, the angrier he became. He snatched a bun from Zhou Li and took a large bite, scaring Zhou Li into silence.
"Brother Zong, don't be angry. I'll arrange something for you tonight. Number 088 has excellent skills!"
"I want two, otherwise, I won't be able to vent my anger!"
"Alright!"
Zong Ze said righteously, "I don't have money!"
"Money, I have plenty. Brother, just vent your anger!"
"You know what's good for you!"
The next morning, eight o'clock.
Wan Bao Zhai reopened, attracting visitors from all directions.
As the chief appraiser, Zhang Suqin had sent out many invitations beforehand, inviting people from all over Songhai to visit.
To repay Su Yang's trust in her, Zhang Suqin meticulously arranged the shop and repeatedly checked the goods.
Wan Bao Zhai was now completely new, with treasures displayed on the shelves.
Su Anguo and his wife were busy, greeting guests and enthusiastically introducing the shop's treasures.
At this moment, a fat man pointed to a piece of calligraphy on the wall.
"Boss, how much is this piece of calligraphy?"
"The original price is one million. Today is the opening, so everything is ten percent off!"
Su Anguo happily introduced it. The fat man nodded, took out a card, and swiped it to purchase it.
"The money is paid, but if this is a fake, how will you handle it?"
"This... all the treasures in our shop are genuine. We will compensate ten times the price for any fakes!"
Su Anguo knew that these treasures were all appraised by Zhang Suqin herself, so he was not afraid of fakes.
The fat man unfurled the calligraphy and slowly examined it with a magnifying glass.
"Boss, why is the ink on these few characters not dry yet?"
The fat man pointed to a few characters, the ink on which had not completely dried.
"Impossible!"
Su Anguo took the magnifying glass and looked. He found that it was indeed so.
"Didn't you say you would never sell fakes? What is this then?"
The fat man was furious and slammed the table, attracting the attention of the surrounding customers.
"Oh, it's already gone wrong on the opening day?"
"Very likely. After all, fakes have lower costs and higher profits!"
Su Anguo was stunned. "Sir, the ink not being dry might be due to the weather. That doesn't mean it's a fake, does it?"
"Fine. In that case, I'll invite a professional appraiser to take a look."
The fat man pulled an old man over. "Elder Liu, please help me assess whether this calligraphy is real or fake. I will reward you handsomely afterward!"
"Then, this old man will offer his humble opinion!"
Elder Liu, the appraiser, adjusted his glasses and lowered his head to examine each character.
After a while.
"This is a fake!"
As he spoke, a clamor erupted in the hall.
Su Anguo panicked. "Old sir, please tell us what the problem is!"
"The Tang Dynasty did not have such fine Xuan paper. The paper from that era was very rough. Furthermore, the ink in this work is not of the correct age. If you don't believe me, you can ask your shop's appraiser."
Seeing Elder Liu's confident demeanor, Su Anguo had no choice but to send for Zhang Suqin.
Upon hearing that there was a fake in the shop, Zhang Suqin did not dare to delay and quickly came to the first-floor lobby.
After taking the calligraphy, she knew within seconds that it was a fake.
"It's a fake!"
"This..."
Even Zhang Suqin said so, leaving Su Anguo speechless.
The fat man snorted, "Ten times the price for a fake. Quickly compensate me nine million!"
"Wait! The treasures in Wan Bao Zhai were all inspected by me. This piece of calligraphy must have been switched!"
Zhang Suqin had specifically checked it before going to bed last night before returning home.
She was certain that someone must have secretly infiltrated the shop and replaced the genuine item.
"I don't care about that. You have to pay me!"
The fat man was indifferent. He was overjoyed at the prospect of earning nine million for free.
Su Anguo asked nervously, "Master Zhang, what do we do now?"