"So that's how it is. Dad, you're still the sharp one. What are your thoughts? I'll follow your plan entirely." Ma Shihao thought about it carefully and felt his father made sense.
If these leaders from the Land of the Rising Sun were truly arrested, who else would rush to the provincial capital now to find the treasure map and dare to disregard the Ma family?
It must be the people who annihilated the withered vines, orchestrating everything behind the scenes.
"We don't know enough about this leader from the Land of the Rising Sun yet. I need you to investigate their leads first, find out this person's identity clearly, and report back to me promptly," Ma Peisheng said coldly.
Although he held a high status and had extensive connections in the provincial capital, and had no reason to fear people from the Land of the Rising Sun, these opponents were absolutely not to be underestimated. He had to be cautious.
Ma Shihao nodded solemnly and said, "Alright, Dad. I'll investigate them thoroughly. You wait here for my news."
With that, Ma Shihao left the office with two bodyguards.
On the antique street, Li Yang browsed for a long time before finally finding the sign for Shenshi Pavilion.
The jade shop was decorated luxuriously, with two majestic lions standing outside and two coiling dragon stone pillars behind them, exuding an imposing aura.
A long red carpet was laid out in front of the entrance, and a constant stream of people came and went, indicating excellent business.
Customers emerging from the shop all wore smiles, appearing very satisfied with their purchases.
Li Yang, unable to contain his curiosity, wanted to see what the shop looked like inside.
The moment he stepped inside, he felt as if he had entered an ancient palace. The decor was resplendent, with walls adorned with gilded paintings, and luxurious ancient solid wood chandeliers, giving off a very high-end impression.
"Sir, welcome."
As Li Yang admired the opulent scene inside, a soft, bell-like female voice suddenly came from all around him.
He turned his head and saw two beautiful women dressed in ancient attire bowing with smiles to welcome him. At that moment, Li Yang's mind and body were completely immersed in the atmosphere.
It was as if he were a distinguished prince!
"Hello. You are all so welcoming. I will definitely spend some money in your shop today." Li Yang smiled at the more beautiful woman on his left.
The woman said nothing more. After welcoming the customer, she stood up, waiting obediently for the next patron.
Li Yang found the shop rather interesting, so he walked further inside to examine the quality of the goods.
He approached a counter in the distance and carefully examined the jade pieces displayed within. The jade stones were crystal clear, devoid of any impurities. The jewelry and ornaments crafted from the jade looked exquisite, and they were clearly priced, with no room for bargaining.
This way, customers wouldn't have to worry about being cheated. Apart from the price, there were no concerns about the quality of items purchased here.
Li Yang understood the shop's business model: honesty was their main selling point.
Although the jade jewelry and ornaments here weren't particularly cost-effective, there was absolutely no deception involved.
"Hey, what are you doing? Let me go! I'm just telling the truth, isn't that allowed? If you sell fakes, you have to admit it and be responsible to your customers."
Just then, Li Yang suddenly heard a familiar shout from behind him.
He turned back in surprise and saw Qian Long being held up by two security guards from the shop, who were about to throw him out.
But Qian Long looked defiant, insisting on arguing with them, which attracted the attention of many onlookers.
"Hmph, you little brat, you have the nerve to cause trouble in our shop. Our shop is the only antique store in the entire provincial capital that absolutely does not sell fakes."
"And to think our sales staff introduced you to good items so diligently. So you were deliberately looking for trouble. Today, I must make scoundrels like you pay. Break his hands and throw him out!"
The middle-aged manager roared. Several more security guards appeared, holding sticks and preparing to attack Qian Long.
"Hey, calm down, calm down! Do you know who this young master is? If you hit me, I'll make sure you regret it."
Qian Long started to panic at this moment and quickly threatened those in front of him.
"Hmph, I don't care who you are. Even if you were the King of Heaven, you can't cause trouble in our Shenshi Pavilion. Attack him." The middle-aged manager commanded without hesitation.
"Stop!"
Just then, a cold voice suddenly cut through the air.
Everyone looked over simultaneously and saw a young man, around Qian Long's age, walking over slowly. Everyone felt curious, as they didn't recognize him.
Li Yang walked up to Qian Long, glanced at him, and shook his head in disappointment.
He then turned to the middle-aged manager and said, "Manager, I apologize. This is my apprentice. He is not skilled enough and has caused trouble here."
"What? You're his master?"
The middle-aged manager sized Li Yang up and couldn't help but burst into laughter, stroking his beard. "I think you're in cahoots with him. You're about the same age, and you're his master?"
"You two reckless youngsters, I think we need to punish both of you today."
With that, he ordered the security guards to apprehend Li Yang as well.
Li Yang frowned. As the security guards approached, he instantly grabbed their arms and flung them together. The two men collided, recoiled, and fell to the ground.
With a yelp, they clutched their foreheads in pain, crying out.
The middle-aged manager was stunned for a moment, then his face contorted with anger, clenching his fists. "How dare you lay hands on our staff!"
"Manager, I'm not here to cause trouble. I just want to reason with you. He said your item was fake, and I'll buy it to make amends." Li Yang continued.
He knew it was unlikely for this shop to have fake items, and he deeply doubted Qian Long's appraisal skills. He had only learned a little and was already being presumptuous here.
As expected, the moment the manager brought out the item, Li Yang saw at a glance that it was genuine. Qian Long had indeed misidentified it.
The middle-aged manager placed the item on the counter and looked at Li Yang. "This is a Ruyi scepter, crafted from fine white jade, valued at one million. If you pay for it now, I can forgive you this once."
"Alright. This card has one million. I'll buy this Ruyi scepter."
Without a word, Li Yang took out his card and handed it to the middle-aged manager.
The middle-aged manager was taken aback, thinking the young man was joking, but he didn't expect him to actually pay for it.