Many guests gave Douglas their gifts. With the painting in tow, Charlie walked towards Douglas and said, “Congratulations, buddy. This is a little gift from us to celebrate your opening ceremony.”Claire said with a smile, “Douglas, congratulations and best wishes on your grand opening. May your business be prosperous with many years to come!”“Thank you, thank you!” Douglas said hurriedly. Then, he leaned to Charlie’s ear and whispered with a mischievous smirk, “Hey, I see that you and our belle have a pretty close relationship, unlike what the rumors say! When do you plan to have a baby?”Claire blushed timidly when she heard the whisper. Charlie answered, “Stop it. If we are pregnant, you’ll be the first to know and I expect a gift from you!”“Of course!” Douglas laughed and nodded. “I’ll give the kid a big present!”At this moment, an average-looking woman with heavy makeup came up to Douglas and asked, “Douglas, who are they?”“This is my college buddy, Charlie! This is Clai
Charlie, Claire, and Loreen sat together at the same table. Clinton joined them and sat beside Loreen.He asked Loreen with a wide smile as soon as he sat down, “Loreen, I heard that you’ve come to Aurous Hill to work for Emgrand Group, is that true?”Loreen nodded. “Yes, I just started.”Clinton smiled even wider. “What a coincidence! My dad is the deputy general manager of a department in Emgrand! I’ll ask him to look after you at work.”Many people exclaimed in surprise, “Wow, Clinton, your dad is the deputy general manager of Emgrand Group?”“Yup!” Clinton nodded proudly. “He was promoted last year.”Someone quickly said in a flattering tone, “The annual salary of a deputy general manager must be several million dollars, right? That’s amazing! It’s no wonder your family is so rich!”Clinton laughed and said, “That’s just the wages. My dad has quite a vast authority and a lot of side incomes. You guys must have heard about the luxurious hotel project from Emgrand Group, right
Douglas had no intention to do such a thing, but Lily was overpowering his decision and he had no choice but to compromise to her shenanigans.However, the attendees were not surprised at all. When she announced how much each gift was worth, they could judge how well or bad their old classmates were doing after graduation. After all, comparison and jealousy were human nature.Then, Lily started the announcement.“Thank you, Jack Brown, for your one thousand dollars!”“Thank you, Bella Walsh, for the pair of gold ingots!”“Thank you, Ola Rivers, for the beautiful vase!”“Thank you, Clinton Tucker, for your ten thousand dollars!”The first few gifts, whether money or physical items, were mostly worth around one thousand dollars. Suddenly, when it came to Clinton, his ten thousand dollar monetary gift sent a shock wave across the restaurant.Ten thousand dollars were a big amount for the opening ceremony!Many people looked at Clinton with amazement and praised his generosity.C
When everyone heard that Lily’s father was a cultural relic appraiser, they immediately cast a contemptuous and sympathetic gaze at Charlie.All of them shared the same thought—Charlie was so unlucky!His show-off moment was interrupted by the presence of an expert! It was like a slap right across his own face!It would be so humiliating if Lawson Lewis, Lily’s father, came downstairs!Claire blushed timidly. She leaned closer to Charlie and whispered, “So many people are watching you. You’d better not be stubborn, it would be so embarrassing otherwise!”On their way here, Charlie did tell her about the painting he bought but he said that it didn’t cost him a lot of money. Right now, however, he changed his attitude and claimed that it was very expensive. His sudden change of reaction made Claire a little doubtful and skeptical, figuring that Charlie might have lied for the sake of his reputation.On the contrary, Charlie was indifferent. He blurted, “If you don’t believe me, let
“Yes,” Lily answered. “They’ve been buddies since college!”As she was saying this, in her mind, she was thinking, ‘Charlie, you and Douglas are good buddies but you have the nerve to give him a worthless piece of sh*t, let my dad expose and humiliate you in front of everyone!’However, beyond everyone’s expectation, Lawson said with a grateful sigh, “Indeed, it seems that he is a good friend! Why would one give such a precious gift otherwise?”Everyone was dumbfounded upon the statement!What did he mean by ‘precious’? Was he saying that the yellowish drawing was expensive?Exasperated, Clinton cursed inside his head, ‘F*ck you! I can go to Antique Street, buy a fake painting, pee on it to make it look old and yellowish, and it will still look more authentic than that piece of sh*t!’Lawson cleared his throat and said in an earnest tone, “This is the authentic work of Rachel Ruysch, a painter from the Dutch Golden Age. Although she is not as famous nowadays, she was one of the m
At this moment, Clinton felt like he wanted to die right there and then!D*mn it!What was going on!He couldn’t catch a break, could he?How did he get repeatedly humiliated by Charlie the loser?Never did he expect that the painting would turn out to be authentic and worth two hundred thousand dollars!He had already given his word, what should he do now? Did he really have to eat the table?That was absolutely impossible!He could buy a new car after his car perished in the fire, but how could he eat a table?He would really die if he did!The crowd teased him, “Hey, Clinton, you said it yourself that you will eat the table if you lose. Do you want to break your promise again this time?”“That’s right! Everyone is still waiting for your freak show!”Someone slapped on the table hard. “Hey, please start your act now!”Clinton’s face turned into an ugly shade of red and green. He blurted sheepishly, “We’re all friends, do you guys really have to kick me when I’m already d
More importantly, he had to find a way to clean up his reputation among his former collegemates. Otherwise, how could he show off in front of his friends in the future after being humiliated by Charlie twice?Just when he was pondering about how to restore his dignity, there was a sudden commotion at the main entrance of the restaurant.The noise attracted everyone’s attention and they looked towards the door.A group of youngsters with malicious looks barged into the restaurant. They had tattoos all over their limbs and body, holding baseball bats, galvanized water pipes, and the like in their hands. They didn’t look like they were here for a meal at all.Everyone was extremely shocked upon the horrid sight, especially Douglas and Lily, their eyes full of fear.A man with the visible scar on his face was obviously the head of the group. He stepped forward, scanned the hall, then pointed at Douglas with an evil grin. “Boss, why didn’t you come and say hi before the opening ceremon
Clinton was extremely dumbfounded by the abrupt reaction from Mr. Lee and was very annoyed, but as his friends were still watching him, he gritted his teeth and searched for another contact.This time, he called the director of the district police branch.He remembered that this person also had a close relationship with his father.When his call was answered, he immediately started, “Hi, Mr. Kent, it’s me, Clinton, Clinton Tucker. I have some problems in the redevelopment zone…”He illustrated the matter all over again.The man at the other end of the line cleared his throat awkwardly and said, “Clinton, he is Bill’s guy, and Bill is Don Albert’s guy, I think you’d better not get involved in this matter.”Clinton asked in confusion, “Don’t you want to do something about it?”“You should know Don Albert’s status in this city, it’s not within my control.”Clinton was a little flustered by the response that he said, sounding panicked, “Can’t you do me a favor and talk to him for a
Zachary nodded repeatedly. "Mr. Montague? Very well!""Yes!" Jacob grinned smugly. "Longer last names are simply better—it just sounds so authoritative."With that agreed upon, both men alighted, where the master was waiting nearby.Seeing them get off, he hurried over to them, smiling, "Please, follow me."Zachary looked around and huffed, "Honestly, Mr. Cardensky, isn't this way too far from the highway? The road is narrow and terrible, and I have to park my car all the way out here. Just coming here is taxing."Mr. Cardensky smiled in turn. "My friend, that's exactly why we picked this place. Do you remember seeing a couple of cars parked by the road, occupying half of it?""We arranged for them to be there. Anyone coming by car would have to slow down that way, buying time for us to see who they truly are. If it's cops, our watchers would quietly text us while we clean the house and bail."Zachary exclaimed in realization, "You boys really run a tight ship!""For sure," Mr.
After working in Antique Street for years, Zachary's connections and influence were naturally special. And yet, though he was acquainted with some of the more impressive individuals, he was not that close with them either.For example, the forgery masters who worked specifically to deceive experts only accepted jobs from major clients, usually antique traders high in social status and wealth.In contrast, they wouldn't ever be interested in frivolous people like Zachary. Even if he could reach them, they might not look at him twice.If one would describe them as the cartel boss, then Zachary would be a low-level enforcer, managing night joints or goofing off.But now, Zachary had turned over a new leaf—he worked under Don Albert, so one of those masters was pleasantly surprised when he called one of them, inviting him to his own workshop for a visit and further discussion.As such, Zachary picked up Jacob and went over to the master's hideout where the latter worked on his count
Zachary was naturally shrewd enough to read Jacob's intention.In reality, he wasn't offering to pay just because he wanted the profit. He merely wanted to get in Jacob's good graces. After all, wouldn't Jacob be even more grateful that he wasn't just helping his revenge but also helping him make money?As such, he didn't hesitate to tell Jacob, "Well, chief—since you'll be paying, I will make sure that you will get every cent of profit that you deserve."Jacob was grinning ear-to-ear, but he said, "Oh, you don't have to! If we really are making a profit, there's no way I would let your good work go unrewarded!"Spreading his arms, he continued generously, "How about this? I will pay the full cost while you get twenty percent of the net profit!"Zachary laughed. "Now, that can wait, chief. We need to pay as soon as we decide on the item we want, and there's no time for buyer's regret. But if Raymond doesn't take the bait, all that money will go down the drain, and whether we can s
Zachary chuckled and continued, "Well, I went to Antique Street and asked around. Turns out our mutual friend only brought a few hundred thousand grand with him. If he messes up and loses all his money, won't it be over for him?""He won't just be broke either—he'd be humiliated and forced to fuck off from Antique Street. You'd get even then!"Jacob was at once excited.Just yesterday, Claire and Charlie were warning him that assault meant doing time.As the vice president of the Calligraphy and Painting Association and the next presidential-hopeful, he would lose his place if he was charged with assault or being an accessory to a case.However, Zachary's plan was much better. Jacob wouldn't have to take responsibility, and the damage on Raymond would be even worse!In comparison, slapping Raymond meant nothing. Watching him go broke and get humiliated would really ease his heart!With that in mind, he promptly pressed Zachary, "Are you sure that prick will mess up?""I can't a
Jacob Wilson was in his office at the Calligraphy and Painting Association, planning his itinerary in Dubai.Still, he was immediately thrilled when Zachary told him that there was progress, and he quickly said, "Come see me at the Calligraphy and Painting Association. We'll talk in my office!""Alright!" Zachary agreed to it happily. "Just wait, Mr. Wilson. I'll be right there!"Jacob then quickly told him, "By the way, remember to address me as the vice president when you're here. Got it?"Zachary was naturally sharp enough to understand why, especially around other members of the Calligraphy and Painting Association.Smiling, he said, "Don't worry, chief. You can always be at ease when I'm on the job!"Once he hung up, he drove to the Calligraphy and Painting Association at top speed.There were just a dozen people around the dozens of work cubicles although Zachary was curious about the personal effects or office tools in the cubicles.After asking around, a staff member le
Then, Mick continued, "I won't lie—Moore Group's bean counters have been eager to get rid of Vintage Deluxe for a while now. It's only Miss Moore's insistence that keeps them at bay, even occasionally coming to check on how business is going. That means she holds sentiment for this place, but if she knows that Raymond is back and doing well, she might hire him again!"Zachary could laugh right then. After all, Mick was terrible at gathering information—he could worry about anyone taking his palace, but not Raymond. The man was fired because he had insulted Master Wade's father in-law, and Miss Moore was endlessly respectful—even obedient to Master Wade. There was no chance that she would hire Raymond back after what he had done, and Mick was just being paranoid.However, Zachary did not tell Mick that.As Mick was begging him to intervene and thus owing him big time, he would also be helping Jacob Wilson get even.Two birds with one stone, so why not?With that in mind, Zachar
Zachary then said, "By the way, I have some friends who have a lot of stock. How much capital do you have, Mr. Cole? I'll check if they have stuff that suits you, and you can partner with them."When Zachary asked how much capital, he was basically asking Raymond how much he would invest in his own business and how much he could spend on taking new stock as he was buying.As such, Raymond replied modestly, "I've been chasing my tail for a while, so I didn't earn more than a few hundred thousand. I definitely would have no issue taking items with rebates, but I'm afraid I can't afford premiums.""Alright!" Zachary nodded, having discerned the scale of Zachary's capital."I'll check on what's available and see if we can get a few personal deals."Raymond nodded. "Thank you, Zachary!"Zachary smiled, shaking his head. "Mr. Crane, please buy another fruit basket for Mr. Cole—I'll pay you later."Mick quickly said, "Oh, you don't have to, Mr. Evans! It's my pleasure, no worries!"Zach
With the last stroke, Raymond got on a ladder to reach the old signboard, pasting the banner over the old shop sign.Then, he added a notice by the entrance: We buy all antiques and measure all treasures.As soon as the makeshift sign and notice were up, Mick was the first to arrive with a fruit basket to celebrate the occasion.The instant they met, he greeted Raymond warmly, "Ah, Mr. Cole! You sure are efficient—you just came back yesterday evening, and you're already setting up shop today at noon!"Raymond smiled, "Doing a small business by myself is naturally much quicker."Mick shook his head disapprovingly as he put the fruit basket by the door, "Now, now. Don't be a stranger, Mr. Cole—almost everyone in Antique Street is a friend, but you didn't tell the gang when you opened the shop! It'd hype things up when everyone comes bringing you gifts!"Raymond quickly shook his head. "Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't know if this humble trade will last. It's better to keep m
To not lose three months' worth of rent on top of that, Donald called over the owner at top speed while getting some of the friends in the antique trade to appraise what merchandise he had left.Taking losses had always been the hardest pill to swallow, but once the decision was made, there really was nothing that couldn't be given up.The owner was plenty pleased as well since that meant someone was picking up on his rental. He promptly had Donald sign the agreement transferring the last three months for the rental to Raymond while signing a new rental contract with Raymond.Raymond didn't have to pay up immediately either—he just had to start paying rent to the owner once Donald's three-month rent was up.Once the agreement was signed, every stall owner as well as owners of businesses resembling the Pearl House swarmed the premises.After all, they loved to take stock from people in the same line of business. Once a business owner decided to close shop, they wouldn't be bothered