Wang Shuhuan's words were quite blunt.
He couldn't possibly be unaware of Chen Fan's identity, yet he showed no enthusiasm or politeness.
This was certainly rude, but Chen Fan didn't seem to mind much.
There wasn't much of a relationship between the two parties to begin with; forced politeness would only be hypocrisy.
Ye Yunchen paused, then opened the items he had brought, which consisted of a blue and white porcelain plate, a jade carving, and a scroll of calligraphy and painting.
After a glance, Wang Shuhuan asked, "What do you mean, Gang Leader Ye?"
Ye Yunchen quickly gestured to Chen Fan.
"It's like this, Young Master Wang," Chen Fan explained, "Gang Leader Ye wishes to inquire about the whereabouts of an item. That item is called the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Black Jade Ruyi. It was originally a family heirloom of Gang Leader Ye's family, but it was lost years ago and was collected by your esteemed family."
"This item holds special significance for Gang Leader Ye, which is why he has come to you!"
Chen Fan spoke on his behalf.
Wang Shuhuan's gaze sharpened. "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Black Jade Ruyi?"
"Precisely!" Ye Yunchen replied.
Wang Shuhuan said, "I didn't expect this item to be Gang Leader Ye's family heirloom."
"But I cannot make the decision regarding this item."
Chen Fan glanced at Ye Yunchen, whose expression was a little anxious, but he managed to suppress it.
"Even you cannot make the decision, Young Master Wang?"
Chen Fan asked with a smile.
"This item is a spiritual artifact," Wang Shuhuan said, glancing at the items on the table. "It's priceless, not to mention that my father is quite fond of it and naturally would not give it away."
"Is there no room for negotiation?"
Chen Fan was not surprised and said, "What conditions are required? Young Master Wang might as well state them. Price or other items in exchange are not out of the question."
"It's not about the price," Wang Shuhuan replied. "The Wang family is not short of money. My father values this item greatly, and I truly cannot make the decision."
Ye Yunchen finally couldn't hold back any longer and said, "Young Master Wang, can you grant this favor? Consider it making a friend. We can discuss anything else."
Wang Shuhuan frowned slightly.
"Young Master Wang, a gentleman helps others fulfill their wishes," Chen Fan continued. "If your family is willing to part with it, I, Chen Fan, will owe you a favor."
Wang Shuhuan pondered for a moment and said, "Mr. Chen's status is extraordinary; he is someone who can defeat a martial arts grandmaster. Normally, if you asked, I couldn't refuse. However, I am truly in a difficult position!"
"How about this, Young Master Wang? Shall we find a quiet place to discuss this in detail?"
Wang Shuhuan glanced back at his gaming teammates and thought for a moment before saying, "Mr. Chen, how about this. It's not that I'm not giving you face. We'll play a match. If I can help me win three consecutive games against our opponents, even if I displease my father, I will have the item brought to the capital."
"If we cannot achieve this, then I am very sorry, but I cannot help you!"
This time, it was Chen Fan's turn to be taken aback.
Wang Shuhuan's condition was rather peculiar.
However, upon closer thought, Chen Fan realized that Wang Shuhuan's action was actually quite clever.
Ordinary martial artists, let alone young masters from influential families, did not typically enjoy playing games.
Even in this era, e-sports games were considered a frivolous hobby by ordinary people, something only shut-ins would enjoy.
As a scion of a martial arts family, Wang Shuhuan was quite unique and strange in this regard.
By proposing such a condition, neither Chen Fan nor Ye Yunchen could possibly meet it.
This was a rather tactful refusal, and neither Chen Fan nor Ye Yunchen could blame him for it.
The reason behind this was that Wang Shuhuan was somewhat wary of Chen Fan's identity and strength and did not wish to offend him too much, hence resorting to this method.
Ye Yunchen was stunned, and then speechless.
He didn't play games and knew nothing about them; he didn't believe he had any chance.
Chen Fan, however, smiled with a hint of helplessness and said, "Alright, since Young Master Wang has said so, I'll give it a try."
Wang Shuhuan blinked in surprise and said, "The game I'm playing is 'Hero.' Our opponents are waiting for me, and they are a professional team."
"My team's chances of winning are not high. I wanted to enjoy a game today, and we've already lost five consecutive matches. If Mr. Chen isn't good at games, it's best not to waste your time."
Chen Fan smiled and said, "Let's give it a try. It's just a game; the most important thing is to participate."
"Alright," Wang Shuhuan said. "Come over here, Jiu Xuan, give up your seat."
A young man wearing glasses got up and asked, "Brother Wang, who is this? How good is he at playing?"
"Don't ask so many questions," Wang Shuhuan said. "We'll play a few more matches, and I'll give each of you an extra thousand yuan."
Upon hearing this, several young men playing games cheered.
So, Wang Shuhuan was paying these youths to play games with him.
Chen Fan sat down and looked at the game interface.
The ID displayed on the interface was Jiu Xuan.
Chen Fan was indeed not very familiar with this game, as he truly didn't have a hobby for gaming.
During his three years as a live-in son-in-law, his survival was difficult enough; playing games was even less of a priority.
However, to say he knew nothing about games would be incorrect.
Computer experts often enjoyed playing games, and so did 'Diver,' a member of the Dark Night organization. That fellow played games in his spare time and reached the top in many of them.
This included competitive games similar to 'Hero.'
Chen Fan had been dragged by 'Diver' to play a few times when he had nothing else to do.
Besides that, during one particular mission, the target was extremely passionate about games, and Chen Fan had put in some effort to understand them.
"Get ready!"
Wang Shuhuan said.
Chen Fan nodded, preparing for the game.
Several lines of text popped up on the interface.
"Old Wang, haven't you lost enough? Thanks for the money!"
"Haha, Old Wang, you truly are a patron of the arts, generously gifting us your wealth. Thanks to your selfless contribution, I can buy my girlfriend a bag."
"..."
The opponents were clearly old rivals of Wang Shuhuan and his team, and their messages were rather impolite.
As the countdown ended, the game entered the character selection phase.
While both sides were selecting characters, Chen Fan quickly scanned the descriptions of a few heroes.
"Brother, what are you playing? Coordinate with us!"
"Mr. Chen, what do you want to choose?" Wang Shuhuan asked.
"You guys choose first; I'm flexible," Chen Fan replied casually, selecting a character that looked relatively agile.
Chen Fan also observed the heroes chosen by the opponents and his teammates, keeping them in mind.
Games like these, in essence, boiled down to operation, awareness, and coordination.
In these aspects, Chen Fan's only concern was coordination.
However, Wang Shuhuan and his teammates were not of poor skill, otherwise, they wouldn't be competing against professional teams.
The game quickly began, and Chen Fan controlled his hero, starting the match.
Initially, he familiarized himself with the skills, then cautiously guarded the minion waves, playing the game methodically.
His skill level didn't seem very high. The young man who had given up his seat kept directing Chen Fan.
Ye Yunchen watched from behind, his expression bewildered.
Wang Shuhuan had proposed a truly exasperating condition, and Chen Fan had actually agreed to it.
Thus, a dignified martial arts expert, capable of overwhelming martial arts grandmasters, was now earnestly playing a game.
In short, it looked incredibly bizarre.