"Hmph, some people do call me Old Brother Hou, but I don't know if it's the same Old Brother Hou you're talking about."
Old Brother Hou sneered, staring at him. "As for you, Boss Li, instead of minding your own antique shop, you've come to meddle in such trivial matters, causing us great suffering. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Are you trying to justify buying stolen goods?" Li Yang asked with a chuckle.
Old Brother Hou said coldly, "If that's the case, does Boss Li intend to offer no explanation?"
"An explanation? I have one," Li Yang said, walking towards them with a smile.
A smug look appeared on Old Brother Hou's face. It seemed this kid was scared and ready to compromise.
However, the next moment, he realized how terribly wrong he was.
Li Yang grabbed a high-end wine bottle nearby and smashed it directly onto his head.
With a *bang*, the glass bottle shattered. The blood-red wine, mixed with who knew how much of Old Brother Hou's blood, splattered outwards!
"Ah!" Qi Fei cried out, instinctively taking a few steps back, almost falling to his knees.
Old Brother Hou's eyes rolled upwards. He slowly raised a hand to touch his head, unable to believe Li Yang would suddenly do such a thing. "You, you brat..."
"This is the explanation I'm giving you. Do you find it satisfactory?" Li Yang asked with a smile, tossing the broken glass bottle to the ground.
Old Brother Hou touched the wound on his head and immediately screamed in pain, "You damned brat!"
"You cost me a major client like Xu Zhongding, then you run here to meddle, and you even dare to lay hands on me! I will kill you!"
"Curator Qi, let's go together and take care of this kid!"
"This, this..." Qi Fei looked at Li Yang fearfully, hesitating to make a move.
Old Brother Hou was furious. He didn't care about Qi Fei anymore. Grabbing a golden ornament, he charged at Li Yang. "I'll kill you, you brat!"
"Get lost!" Li Yang kicked him in the face.
With a scream, Old Brother Hou, completely unable to resist, was sent flying backward, crashing into the sofa beside him, his legs sticking up in the air.
Seeing this, Qi Fei immediately raised his hands in surrender. "I surrender! Mr. Li, we can talk!"
"Can we talk about anything?" Li Yang asked with a smile.
Qi Fei nodded quickly. "Anything, anything at all!"
"Then, give me the evidence of this guy fencing stolen goods, and report him, and I'll let you off the hook," Li Yang said, looking at him.
Qi Fei's face turned pale. "Mr. Li, I've known him for so many years. If I report him, I'll be in trouble too."
"I beg you, for the sake of my elder brother being the director of the Jiangcheng Museum, spare me this once?"
"Your elder brother is Qi Tongwei?" Li Yang raised an eyebrow, not expecting these two to be brothers.
Although they both had the surname Qi, their appearances and temperaments were vastly different. Even standing together, it was hard to imagine they were brothers.
Qi Fei nodded immediately. "Yes, my elder brother is Qi Tongwei. Mr. Li, please give me a chance. If you ever need my help in the future, I will definitely assist you."
"Do you think your elder brother will let you off if he finds out about this?" Li Yang retorted.
Qi Fei's expression changed. Given his elder brother Qi Tongwei's personality, he would most likely uphold justice and turn him in!
"Mr. Li, I..."
"It's still ten seconds. If you think my offer isn't good enough, I can help you call your elder brother to have a chat," Li Yang said.
Qi Fei's mouth filled with bitterness. He lowered his head and said, "Yes, I have seen the error of my ways. I choose to report this guy, repent, and start anew!"
"Then hurry up," Li Yang said.
Although Qi Fei and Old Brother Hou had collaborated for many years, Qi Fei himself was mostly a buyer, and it was entirely possible for him to claim he had bought some items unknowingly.
Only in a few cases was he actually selling stolen goods.
Furthermore, by providing evidence and voluntarily reporting Old Brother Hou, he was turning from darkness to light and making a great contribution.
As long as he was willing to compensate the victims later and have them agree to let it go, he might be out in a year or two.
However, Old Brother Hou's situation was different. The value and quantity of the antiques he dealt in were enough to get him executed eighteen times over.
If he went in this time, he was certainly doomed!
"Mr. Li, I've already called the police," Qi Fei said bitterly.
Li Yang nodded. "You'd best not hide anything, otherwise, if it's discovered, the meaning of surrendering yourself will be greatly diminished."
"I know, don't worry, I will tell them everything, truthfully," Qi Fei said immediately.
When they arrived at the Public Security Bureau, Qi Fei indeed confessed everything clearly.
Upon learning that his younger brother had committed a crime and been arrested, Qi Tongwei, though furious, still went to visit him.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered, he saw Li Yang. "Boss Li, why are you here?"
"Curator Qi, you've come at the right time. You can ask your brother about what exactly happened," Li Yang said.
Qi Tongwei immediately had a guess. "Did Boss Li help catch him?"
"You could say that," Li Yang nodded. "You won't blame me, will you?"
"No, I should thank you instead. If you hadn't exposed him in time and made him surrender, he might have committed many more wrongdoings in the future. By then, being caught might have meant more than just a few years," Qi Tongwei shook his head, expressing his gratitude.
He was a sensible person. If his brother were caught again in the future, his brother would either die or be imprisoned for decades.
He was already middle-aged, how many decades did he have left?
His entire life would practically be spent in prison!
Li Yang smiled. "Since Curator Qi says so, I'm relieved. Go see your brother quickly."
"Alright, Boss Li, I'll head over now." Qi Tongwei quickly walked forward.
As he moved away, a beautiful woman in a Public Security Bureau uniform approached. Her expression was cold, but when she saw Li Yang, a hint of softness flashed in her eyes. "Li Yang, why are you here?"
"Team Leader Murong, aren't you out on a case?" Li Yang turned his head and said with a smile.
Murong Xue said, "I just got back from a case. By the way, my mother said she wants me to invite you to dinner. When are you free to come?"
"I'm free now," Li Yang said with a smile.
Murong Xue glared at him. "Do you think my home is a cafeteria? Do you think we can prepare a meal whenever you want to come?"
"Then how about later, tomorrow?" Li Yang asked with a smile.
Murong Xue hummed. "Then tomorrow night. Don't forget, otherwise, my mother will definitely nag me again."