Chen Fan's eyes narrowed as he saw Shen Tinghao and his group enter, appraising a man behind Shen Tinghao.
The man was short, sporting a thin mustache, yet his gaze was sharp and his aura deep and prolonged.
He was clearly a martial artist, and not a weak one.
Chen Fan found it strange that Li Qian's birthday banquet had bodyguards who were martial artists.
Looking at Shen Tinghao again, his face wore a smile, but his eyes held a trace of gloom and malice.
"Young Master Shen."
Chen Fan greeted him with a nod.
"It seems the bond of being saved is truly different. Young Master Wu and Mr. Chen now have such a close relationship!"
Shen Tinghao remarked.
"Naturally."
Wu Zhaoyang smiled. "It was a life-saving grace for me. I, Wu Zhaoyang, am quite a person, and my life is invaluable, wouldn't you agree?"
"That's true. Given Young Master Wu's status, whoever saves you achieves instant elevation, wouldn't you say?" Shen Tinghao chuckled.
"That's an exaggeration. My brother Chen here is no ordinary person. He doesn't expect repayment from me, and anything I can give him is merely icing on the cake."
Wu Zhaoyang smiled, handing his cue stick to Shen Tinghao. "Tinghao, would you like to play a few rounds?"
"I don't play."
Hearing Wu Zhaoyang's words, a hint of gloom flickered in Shen Tinghao's eyes, but he smiled as he took the cue stick. He then looked at Chen Fan and said, "However, I happen to have a master with me. How about we play for a wager?"
Chen Fan's expression turned subtly thoughtful.
Shen Tinghao, bringing a martial arts master and immediately proposing a wager, seemed to have ill intentions.
This was a stark contrast to his behavior during their previous meal.
The only logical explanation was that he already knew Chen Fan's true identity.
This was not surprising. Given Shen Tinghao's influence and the flow of information from Yuzhou to the capital, it was not unexpected that he would realize the truth.
Smiling, Chen Fan deliberately said, "We're all friends here. Why play for stakes? If Young Master Shen is interested, we can just play a few casual rounds."
"What's the fun in that?"
Shen Tinghao said indifferently. "Chen Zhuo, are you perhaps afraid? If you are, that's fine. Just give me one thing, and I'll be content. I'm determined to have that item."
Chen Fan asked, "What item?"
"The Longevity Kettle."
Shen Tinghao's tone turned colder. "If I, Shen Tinghao, set my sights on something, I will find every way to obtain it. Chen Zhuo, if you refuse, I cannot guarantee I won't resort to other methods. It would be unpleasant if things got awkward, wouldn't it?"
"Tinghao, what do you mean?"
Wu Zhaoyang looked at Shen Tinghao, then at Chen Fan, with some surprise.
"Zhaoyang, if we're playing, let's add some excitement,"
Shen Tinghao said with a smile, without revealing Chen Fan's identity. "Otherwise, how dull would it be?"
Wu Zhaoyang pondered for a moment and understood. He then looked at Chen Fan.
Chen Fan smiled. "Young Master Shen is indeed persistent. Fine, if you want the Longevity Kettle, you can use it as the stake. But what will you offer as the stake? You know this kettle is extraordinary. It should be of equivalent value, at least!"
"One hundred million!"
Shen Tinghao replied without hesitation.
The utterance startled even Wu Zhaoyang.
What kettle was worth a hundred million? An antique? This antique was quite remarkable.
At the entrance, Fang Qiong also arrived. Hearing the figure, her heart skipped a beat.
One hundred million! This was a sum that a newcomer like her in the entertainment industry could not even dream of. Many big-budget films didn't even have that much investment.
And this Young Master Shen was directly offering a hundred million as a stake?
The feeling of inferiority grew even stronger.
Of course, her perception of Chen Fan's status immediately soared.
But what was even more unbelievable to her was that after hearing Shen Tinghao's words, Chen Fan chuckled dismissively and shook his head, saying, "Young Master Shen, do you think I lack a hundred million from you?"
Shen Tinghao's face darkened at this.
Now that he knew Chen Fan's identity, he also knew that a hundred million was indeed insignificant.
To minor figures like Fang Qiong, a hundred million was money that would take years to earn even after becoming a top star, and one would need luck to amass such wealth in a lifetime.
But to him and Chen Fan, it was worth next to nothing.
"Then what do you want?"
Shen Tinghao asked, his annoyance evident.
"No need for anything else. You just need to promise me one thing."
Chen Fan pondered for a moment and said, "This matter will be within your capabilities, and it will not harm your Shen family's interests. You cannot refuse. How about it?"
"What matter?" Shen Tinghao frowned, feeling a bit anxious.
"Not yet, but when the time comes, I will find you," Chen Fan stated.
"Neither you nor I lack a hundred million or two. Using that as a chip won't move me."
"As for the Longevity Kettle you desire, it's not that important to me, but it's not something I'll part with easily."
Shen Tinghao would rather lose a hundred million than make such a promise.
Given the Shen family's standing, some promises were not easily made.
However, he not only wanted to obtain the Longevity Kettle, crafted by the master of the Fish Dragon Society, but he also wanted to defeat Chen Fan and thoroughly humiliate him, unwilling to let Chen Fan off the hook so easily.
The thought of Chen Tianjiao deceiving him under his nose as the manager of Longteng's branch filled him with anger.
It was a good thing he had a change of heart and considered using Chen Fan against Chen Tianjiao. If he had acted on it, he would have truly become a laughingstock.
"If Young Master Shen agrees, I will act as the mediator!"
Wu Zhaoyang said with a playful tone, his address to Shen Tinghao also changing as he spoke leisurely.
Shen Tinghao snorted coldly and looked at the man with the mustache beside him, his gaze inquiring.
The man tilted his head back, nodded proudly, and spoke a sentence.
He spoke in Japanese: "Shen-san, there are no problems. No martial artist is better at billiards than I am!"
Chen Fan suddenly understood. He had felt something was off about this man; he was from the Land of Cherry Blossoms, likely here to observe a grandmaster's duel.
"Agreed, I accept!"
Shen Tinghao still felt a bit unsure, but after a brief consideration, he spoke in a deep voice.
He didn't want to appear timid before Chen Fan.
If possible, he would have preferred to humiliate Chen Fan with brute force.
However, firstly, Chen Fan was the eldest young master of the Chen family, unlike his ignorance in Jinling.
Secondly, he lacked the ability. Even a martial grandmaster of the Liuhe Sect had fallen to Chen Fan, reportedly killed within a few moves. Even if he invited Watanabe Kaimyo himself, it might not be effective.
This was where he felt a sense of powerlessness.
This Chen Tianjiao, in terms of financial resources, influence, and combat power, was actually more formidable than himself, the young master of the Shen family. He was already at a loss on how to deal with him.
"Good!"
Wu Zhaoyang clapped his hands. "I'll be the referee. Snooker or pool? Best of how many frames?"
Chen Fan spread his hands. "It's up to Young Master Shen to decide."
Shen Tinghao glanced at Chen Fan, spoke a few words to the person beside him, and said, "Snooker, best of nine frames. Alternate breaks. Mr. Shibano from my side will break first for the first frame!"
Chen Fan was unfazed. "Alright!"