Chapter 361: At Worst, a Fight

Chapter 361 -195: At Worst, a Fight

Wan Ze’s method was, compared to the average person, more… how should I put it… “thorough,” but it wasn’t exactly out of the ordinary.

Dong Hui was even calculating in his head… ‘Looks like Uncle Dou is really going to take a huge loss this time.’

The more meticulously this Mr. Wang examined the items, the more serious he was. The more serious he was, the more likely he was to make a move. And if he made a move, the item he chose wouldn’t be cheap.

Thinking of this, Dong Hui felt a subconscious flicker of anticipation.

However, the reality was beyond everyone’s expectations.

Wan Ze finished touching nearly a hundred collectibles.

From the top shelf of the Treasure Pavilion to the bottom, from porcelain to jade, to bronzeware, to miscellaneous items—he had handled nearly every single old artifact in Qu Shuixuan, big and small, of all kinds.

Then, he pulled back his hands and turned around.

Empty-handed.

“Is this everything?” Wan Ze asked.

Boss Qu froze for a moment, a little confused, but mostly uneasy.

The color instantly drained from Dong Hui’s face.

‘It’s over.’

‘I’ve offended this big shot!’

He instinctively looked toward Uncle Dou.

Uncle Dou’s expression hadn’t changed. He still had that faint smile on his face, his fingers still tapping on the armrest.

But Dong Hui noticed Uncle Dou’s gaze flicker away from Wan Ze for a second, sweeping over the items on the Treasure Pavilion before returning to Wan Ze.

Dong Hui quickly turned his head to Boss Qu and offered a pointed reminder, “Boss Qu, if you’re hiding any good stuff, hurry up and bring it out for Mr. Wang to see! Uncle Dou is here too, so don’t hold back!”

As he spoke, his tone was not just urgent, but also tinged with nervousness.

He might as well have just said, ‘Don’t drag me down with you!’

Dong Hui knew perfectly well that on the surface, he was the one who brought Wan Ze here to look at items. But in reality, it was the two titans, Boss Zhao and Uncle Dou, who were backing this visit.

If Boss Qu was really hiding his best wares and let Mr. Wang leave empty-handed, he wouldn’t just be slighting Mr. Wang; he’d be slapping Boss Zhao and Uncle Dou in the face.

Uncle Dou had ten thousand ways to make it impossible for Boss Qu to do business in the black market.

Boss Qu’s face was already pale.

He was panicking.

His lips trembled. He felt incredibly wronged!

“Uncle Dou, M-Mr. Wang… my humble shop’s entire inventory is right here. Truly, I haven’t hidden a single piece. Everything you see is my entire collection, built up over the last ten-odd years. My Qu Shuixuan might not compare to the big shops, but I’m always straightforward and never do anything sneaky.”

Every word came from the heart.

Wan Ze waved his hand and said bluntly, “This has nothing to do with Boss Qu. When I buy things, it’s purely about the connection I feel. If something catches my eye, I’ll buy it even at a sky-high price. If it doesn’t, I wouldn’t take it even if it were free. I just didn’t find anything that spoke to me today. It means fate hasn’t brought us together. When Boss Qu gets new stock in the future, you can have Boss Dong let me know, and I’ll come again.”

Hearing this, Boss Qu let out a sigh of relief and quickly agreed, “Of course, of course! Rest assured, Mr. Wang, the moment I get new stock, I’ll inform Boss Dong immediately.”

Without further delay, Wan Ze left Qu Shuixuan.

The underground street outside was a bit more bustling than when they had arrived.

Lamplight shone on the bluestone pavement, and the signboards of the shops on both sides cast long shadows.

There were many more people coming and going than before.

Dong Hui followed behind, his worn-out briefcase tucked under his arm. The big gold chain around his neck bobbed up and down with the rhythm of his steps.

Uncle Dou and Wan Ze walked side-by-side at the front.

“Would you like to keep looking, Mr. Wang?” Uncle Dou asked, turning his head and looking at him inquisitively.

Wan Ze pondered for a moment. “Are there any other similar shops here?”

Uncle Dou thought for a moment, his gaze extending down the street. “There are a few others. To the east, there’s a ‘Baorui Pavilion,’ and to the north, a ‘Treasure House.’ Neither is small in scale. But when it comes to the variety and quality of items, Qu Shuixuan is considered the largest. That Boss Qu, his skills aren’t exceptional, but he does have a good eye. Things he doesn’t rate, the other shops probably won’t either.”

Wan Ze nodded, glanced at the shops lining the long street, and smiled. “I’ll go take a look by myself. If you tag along, Sir, I’m afraid you’ll scare away all their business.”

Uncle Dou chuckled, nodded, and stopped, turning to face Wan Ze. “Very well. It is indeed inconvenient for me to follow. You can look around on your own, Mr. Wang. If anything comes up, contact me anytime. On this street, my word still carries some weight.”

‘The old man is so modest.’

Wan Ze gave a slight nod to Uncle Dou. “Then I’ll take my leave.”

With that, he departed.

Dong Hui hurried to catch up. As he passed Uncle Dou, he stopped, bent over respectfully, and said, “Uncle Dou, I’ll be heading over then.”

Uncle Dou glanced at him and gave a slight nod without a word.

Dong Hui didn’t dare to linger and quickly hurried after Wan Ze.

His pace was much faster than before. His portly body squeezed through the crowd, clutching his briefcase even tighter as if afraid someone would snatch it.

Uncle Dou stood in place, watching the two of them grow more distant until they completely disappeared into the crowd.

Only then did he slowly turn around, clasp his hands behind his back, and walk away in the opposite direction.

The people all around greeted him as he passed.

…

…

Dong Hui followed Wan Ze, making introductions as they walked.

“This Baorui Pavilion, the owner’s surname is Liu. He used to be based up north in Pan Garden before moving here. So his items have more of a northern style, with a lot of bronzeware. As for the quality… it’s a mixed bag. You have to use your own judgment.”

Wan Ze entered the shop, took a lap, touched a few items, and came out empty-handed.

Dong Hui wiped the sweat from his forehead. ‘This big shot is so decisive, not a single wasted word.’ He had no choice but to continue leading the way.

“The owner of Treasure House is a woman with the surname Sun. Don’t let the fact that she’s a woman fool you; she’s sharp and doesn’t mess around. I heard she graduated from National University and later studied under a famous domestic collector, so she learned quite a lot. Her shop specializes in jade, especially smaller pieces with very fine craftsmanship…”

“I’ll know when I see it,” Wan Ze said, and went inside.

This time, he stayed a bit longer, about seven or eight minutes. But when he finally came out, Dong Hui was completely floored.

Because Wan Ze was still empty-handed.

Dong Hui couldn’t hold back any longer. After they were out the door, he asked cautiously, “Mr. Wang, this one was no good either?”

“The items are good, basically all authentic. It’s just… they don’t have what I’m looking for,” Wan Ze said casually, without offering any further explanation.

His gaze shifted from Dong Hui’s awkward expression to his data panel.

A dozen or so new instances of Stealing Celestial Secret had been added.

[Stubborn Stone +280%]

[Tiger and Wolf Momentum +350%]

[Sword Momentum +900%]

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[P.S. We’ve broken into the top 200 on the overall bestseller list! Monthly tickets are super important, I’m on my knees thanking you all~ Lastly, thanks to Sister Qing for the red tickets~ and thanks to Big Bro ‘The Persistent Researcher’ for the donation!]