The antique shop's door was pushed open before Trule could reply.
A blast of cold wind and rain swept into the shop, accompanied by a petite Japanese woman dressed in a red suit.
"Sorry, we're closed. Please come back tomorrow."
Upon hearing someone arrive, the Old Man called out directly.
But when Trule walked to the door and saw the woman, his eyes went wide, and after a long moment, he managed to utter two words: "Mom?!"
Indeed, the woman before him was Trule's mother. While it was hard to imagine how such a petite mother could give birth to a son as tall as Trule, that was the reality.
Both the Old Man and Chen Long were surprised by Trule's mother.
Trule's mother, however, seemed unfazed by their astonishment. She handed her umbrella to Trule, walked into the shop, and surveyed the antique store with a critical gaze.
Then, she declared with displeasure, "This is where you live?"
She lightly brushed her hand across a table, then disgustedly took out a handkerchief to wipe the dust from her fingers, saying, "Ugh, and for this, you gave up working with dear Mr. Wulong."
Trule remained silent, head bowed, throughout his mother's reprimand. It was evident that the big boy was still quite afraid of her.
"Mr. Wulong? Dear?"
Jade, cupping her ear, made sure she hadn't misheard.
"Heavens, my son is working at a junk shop."
"Junk shop?"
The Old Man had initially intended to ignore Trule's mother, but the mention of "junk shop" instantly made him uneasy.
This shop was where the Old Man had poured all his love and effort; he wouldn't allow anyone to speak of it that way.
"This is an antique shop."
Seeing the Old Man's rising temper, Jade quickly explained from the side.
But Trule's mother's venomous tongue showed no signs of stopping. She pointed at the Old Man behind the counter and said, "The only 'Gudong' I see here is this old goat."
"Old goat!?"
This time, the Old Man could no longer sit still. He stood up and loudly challenged Trule's mother.
Trule tried to speak, but his mother's words quickly silenced him.
Trule might fear his mother, but the Old Man was not one to be trifled with. He put down his book, strode forward three steps, and angrily approached Trule's mother, saying, "Unless you wish to displease me, please speak to me with more respect."
Perhaps only Trule's mother could withstand the Old Man's temper.
Ignoring the irate Old Man, she said, "Ugh, clean this floor for me. It needs a proper scrubbing."
Seeing the rising tension and the verge of a fight, Chen Long quickly stepped in to mediate.
Trying to placate the Old Man, he said, "Trule's mother just arrived after a long flight and needs to adjust to the time difference."
Then he turned and added, "And the Old Man is also very tired after a whole night of deciphering engravings."
*Ring, ring.*
Just as he had soothed the two, the phone rang. He answered and saw it was Sheriff Black.
"What is it, Sheriff Black?"
"Oh, a family reunion."
Hearing Chen Long's voice, Black didn't rush into business but instead teased him.
"No, no."
But as soon as he spoke, Chen Long saw the two of them arguing again over a vase, one calling it a flea market item, the other an antique, their dispute escalating fiercely.
Chen Long shook his head in resignation and asked, "Alright, what is it?"
"The Octopus is going to be exhibited at the fair. I think you should come and assist with security."
"You want me to guard an octopus?"
"Actually, an octopus isn't a fish. They're cephalopods."
Chen Long stopped the Old Man, who was brandishing a ceremonial blade, ready to duel Trule's mother.
After snatching the blade and returning it to its place, Chen Long continued, "Cephalopods? Explain yourself."
"I'm sorry, I was never good at grammar since school."
At this moment, Chen Long recalled a poster Jade had shown him not long ago, which indeed featured an octopus. He understood immediately.
"You mean the Kyoto Octopus? It's a relic passed down from ancient times in the East."
"Yes, something like that. We've had reports that the Yokohawa crime syndicate has its sights on it."
Upon hearing that criminals were targeting a priceless and precious artifact, Chen Long instinctively exclaimed, "We can't let that happen."
Black, being quite cunning, seized the opportunity. "Prepare yourself immediately. Thank you for your assistance."
Without giving Chen Long a chance to respond, he hung up the phone.
"Huh? When did I agree to help?"
Before Chen Long could figure out what was going on, the Old Man's exasperated voice reached him.
"This lady is giving me a headache. I have to get back to work now."
"Alright, Trule, take your mother back to her room."
"Your room? Do you think this is a hotel?!"
"Cockroaches live here."
With that, she turned and left.
Only after Trule had escorted his mother away did the antique shop finally fall quiet.
Looking at the Old Man's furrowed brow, then at the doorway, Jade softly asked, "Doesn't he know Trule lives here?"
Trule, holding his umbrella and his mother's hand, crossed the street and arrived outside a decent-looking hotel. "You'll stay at this hotel."
Trule's mother looked at her son, drenched by the rain, and wanted to say something, but the words caught in her throat. She continued her sharp remarks, "Sigh, you're this age and still don't have a car. You're making your mother walk in this terrible weather?"
With that, she angrily snatched Trule's umbrella and bag and stormed off.
"Ah, well."
Watching his mother's retreating back, Trule sighed helplessly.
After seeing his mother to the hotel, Trule didn't immediately return to the antique shop. Instead, he went to a nearby restaurant to grab something to eat. Sudannovel.com
"Do you have fish?"
The employee, facing this giant figure, scratched his head. "This is a Japanese restaurant, why wouldn't we have fish?"
"I hate fish."
"A bowl of ginger soup," Trule said, digging into his pocket and handing a crumpled bill to the employee. "A small portion."
These simple words conveyed a deep sense of helplessness.
As Trule sat on a small stool waiting for his ginger soup, he heard a few mocking voices from behind.
"Isn't that the big guy who worked for Mr. Wulong?"
A companion beside him chimed in, "Yeah, but now that he's left Wulong, the more people working for Chen Long, the easier they are to deal with."
"Haha, what a filial son!"
It was this last sentence that finally provoked Trule.
He turned around, grabbing two thugs by their collars, one in each hand, and lifted them into the air like little chicks.
Only when the waiter brought the soup did Trule casually drop the two men to the ground, pick up the bowl from the table, and drink it down in one gulp. He let out a few steamy breaths, then turned and left the restaurant.
However, Trule didn't notice that his every word and action in the restaurant was being observed by a man.
After Trule left, the man immediately signaled to his two subordinates.
"Let's go."