East Street, Goldstone Edge Antique Shop.
As the night grew deeper, street lamps cast a soft yellow glow, illuminating the mottled moss on the cobblestones. A gentle breeze carried a hint of chilliness, softly rustling the branches and leaves of the ancient trees lining the streets, whispering in hushed tones.
There were fewer pedestrians on the street; the occasional passerby's figure stretched long and dim in the light of the shop windows.
"Chairman, do you think that person will stand us up?"
The Little Landlady sat inside the counter at the entrance of the shop, pouting slightly.
"Let's wait a bit longer, they said they'll be here soon," Lin Chuan rubbed the Little Landlady's hair, smiling.
At this moment.
It was nearly eleven o'clock at night. Old Zhang was feeling under the weather, so Lin Chuan and the Little Landlady had let him go back first.
Lin Chuan planned to close up shop after completing this last deal and then go back with the Little Landlady.
Wash up and sleep.
"Then I'll wait with you."
The Little Landlady nuzzled against Lin Chuan like a kitten, scrunching up her nose.
Most of the nearby antique shops had already closed for the night.
Only a few shop windows revealed a faint light, making the whole street eerily quiet.
Fortunately, the man in the blue T-shirt from the afternoon didn't stand Lin Chuan up.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, young brother."
The man in the blue T-shirt was still dressed the same, arriving in front of the shop and greeting Lin Chuan with clasped hands, full of apologies.
Behind him were two men in black T-shirts.
The two men were carrying a cardboard box. Inside, no doubt, was the piece of porcelain.
"No worries,"
Lin Chuan laughed, returning the gesture of clasped hands, then turned his attention to the two men in black T-shirts, asking, "And these two are?"
"These two are my cousins, here to help me carry the porcelain," the man in the blue T-shirt replied with a smile, then instructed his two cousins, "Bring it in, watch the step at the door."
"I see, cousins."
Lin Chuan gave the two men in black T-shirts another glance, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes.
Although these two men were smiling, Lin Chuan could tell from their brows that there was a hint of viciousness about them; their hands, carrying the cardboard box, were rough with thick calluses.
It gave Lin Chuan a familiar feeling.
"Would you like to check the goods now, young brother?"
The man in the blue T-shirt stepped into the Goldstone Edge Antique Shop, smiling at Lin Chuan.
"No rush, have a sip of tea first," Lin Chuan mused and then patted the Little Landlady's hand, "Xinxin, go make a pot of tea in the tea room."
"Alright."
The Little Landlady nodded and walked into the tea room to make tea.
The man in the blue T-shirt glanced at the Little Landlady entering the tea room but didn't pay it much mind, his attention remaining on Lin Chuan, "Young brother, you are quite accomplished for your age, with a successful career and such a beautiful girlfriend."
Lin Chuan looked at the three men in front of him and replied with a smile, "I am not as free-spirited as you three, to go wherever I wish."
"Do you know what we do for a living?"
The man in the blue T-shirt's eyes flashed with surprise as he asked.
Lin Chuan shook his head, "I guess the three of you are from the Martial World."
"Ha, you could say we're from the Martial World," the man in the blue T-shirt laughed heartily, though his eyes held a bit of coldness.
His two companions occasionally looked out the window at the empty street outside.
At this time.
The night was pitch-black, and there were hardly any pedestrians to be seen on the street.
The surrounding shops had already closed their doors; all was silent.
Occasionally, a breeze would pass through the streets and alleys, hitting the windows, sounding like ghosts weeping in the night.
"Xinxin, is the tea ready?"
Lin Chuan called out.
"Not yet, the water's gone cold; I have to wait for it to boil to make good tea," the Little Landlady replied from inside the tea room.
Lin Chuan then looked at the three men before him and spoke with a smile, "I'm sorry, gentlemen, the tea might take a while, let's look at the goods in the meantime."
"No problem,"
The man in the blue T-shirt nodded.
The other two men immediately opened the cardboard box to reveal the porcelain inside.
Lin Chuan turned his gaze to it.
It was a blue and white porcelain vase. The vase was tall and slender, with smooth lines. The neck slightly converged, and the mouth was rounded. The body was covered with exquisite blue and white patterns, fresh in color, depicting mountains and welcoming stones, with whirling clouds and mist, as if a water ink painting had been cleverly embedded on the piece of porcelain.
"It is said to be a Ming Dynasty imperial porcelain, known as the Blue and White Landscape Patterned Vase," the man in the blue T-shirt said with a smile.
Lin Chuan nodded, "Just by looking at the body, it indeed resembles a Ming Dynasty Blue and White Landscape Patterned Vase."
"Resembles?"
The man in the blue T-shirt narrowed his eyes.
"It's a fake," Lin Chuan nodded.
"A fake?" The man in the blue T-shirt was taken aback.
Lin Chuan looked into the man in the blue T-shirt's eyes and smiled, "Yes, it's not the same vase you sent me a photo of."
The man in the blue T-shirt laughed, then said, "You must be mistaken, young brother. This is the very one I sent you a photo of; perhaps you should take a closer look?"
"Take a closer look?"
Lin Chuan's lips curved slightly upward, but a cold gleam flashed through his eyes.
"Young brother, do you claim a piece to be fake without even touching it to appraise?" the man in the blue T-shirt's eyes narrowed.
Lin Chuan replied with a smile, "You block the door to appraise treasures; are you afraid I'll run off with your counterfeit piece?"
At that moment.
The two men behind the man in the blue T-shirt had already moved quietly to the door, as if to block the entrance, preventing Lin Chuan from escaping.
"Quite vigilant, young brother," the man in the blue T-shirt crooked his mouth with a mocking smile.
"Your acting isn't bad either; you fooled me this afternoon," Lin Chuan said calmly, shifting his stance and positioning himself to block the way to the tea room.
And in the next second.
Outside the entrance of Goldstone Edge Antique Shop, six or seven men in black T-shirts appeared.
Lin Chuan's glance swept over them. Their skin was a dark, sallow yellow, and their brows were steeped in a heavy murderous aura. In the dark and windy night, they seemed particularly sinister.
"Quite a few peers have shown up," Lin Chuan chuckled.
"Peers?"
The man in the blue T-shirt looked surprised, "You think we deal in antiques?"
Lin Chuan shook his head, "You think I only deal in antiques?"
The man in the blue T-shirt didn't grasp the implication in Lin Chuan's words. He frowned, glanced at the deserted street, and his expression suddenly turned icy, "The boss said to keep him alive—leave him breathing!"
Inside the antique shop.
Lin Chuan looked at the ten men before him without panic. A rush of blood surged and pulsed in his heart, as if instinctively excited, "Then let the killing begin!"
Night enveloped every corner of Anling City like ink, the evening breeze whined, and the shadows of the trees danced, all contributing to an inexplicable sense of fear.
Shen Qianqian was dressed in sportswear tonight, her hair tied in a high ponytail, and she was playing a shooting game with Xue Qiqi at a street-side stall.
The toy gun spun rapidly in her hand before she took aim!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of shots, twenty in total, each hitting a balloon straight on.
Xue Qiqi, already clutching two large plush toys, looked surprised, "Qianqian, how come your gun spinning looked so cool just now?"
Shen Qianqian smiled lightly and asked the stall owner for another twenty bullets, "Learned it from someone."
"From Lin Chuan, right?"
Xue Qiqi laughed heartily, making fun of her.
Shen Qianqian recalled the day on the rural road in Lincang, how she was stunned by Lin Chuan's skillful gun spinning, and his composure when faced with fifteen fraudsters.
Clearly, this was not something an ordinary web novel writer could research and learn about.
It seemed more like an instinct honed through countless real battles.
As she aimed and fired, Shen Qianqian turned to Xue Qiqi and asked, "Qiqi, do you web novel writers usually do a lot of research?"
"Yes, we research a lot," Xue Qiqi replied with a smile.
"And after researching, do you apply it in real life?" Shen Qianqian popped a balloon and asked.
"That's quite rare," Xue Qiqi shook her head.
"That's strange indeed," Shen Qianqian said with a bewildered smile.
"Are you thinking of another web novel writer?" Xue Qiqi teased with a sly smile.
"Of course not!"
"I heard it from Old Wang. That web novel writer now has a little rich lady. Isn't she your love rival?"
"Nonsense, they are sweet together, what does that make her to me—a love rival?"
"We've known each other for so long, do you think I don't know you?" Xue Qiqi said with a laugh.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shen Qianqian hit all the targets once again.
'Ding dong ding dong—'
Right after she finished, her phone rang.
"Is it a message from Lin Chuan?" Xue Qiqi asked with gossipy interest.
Shen Qianqian glanced at the blinking avatar and spat mockingly, "It's from the love rival!"
"What?"
Xue Qiqi was taken aback.
Shen Qianqian opened the Little Landlady's message, and the smile froze on her face.
"Sister Qianqian, please help us call the police!" Zhang Xinxin had sent her a message.
"Where are you?"
"Goldstone Edge."
"Wait for me, I'll be right there!"
Shen Qianqian's complexion instantly turned stern. She turned to Xue Qiqi and said, "Qiqi, lend me your car."
Seeing Shen Qianqian's demeanor, Xue Qiqi didn't hesitate for a second and handed over her keys.
But before she could ask 'what's wrong', Shen Qianqian had already swiftly settled into the driver's seat. Xue Qiqi's Mercedes-Benz GLC roared to life almost instantly, the engine thundering.
Zero to a hundred kilometers per hour acceleration was so important to Shen Qianqian at that moment!
Roar—
The Mercedes-Benz GLC tore down the street at top speed.
Her mobile phone displayed messages from the Little Landlady.
"Three men have arrived."
"Another seven turned up."
"They have knives."
Without hesitation, Shen Qianqian also dialed the chief's phone number.
Usually, she could not report directly to a higher level, but this was about Lin Chuan. She could speak directly with the chief; this was the trust Zhang Biao had in her.
The call connected.
Shen Qianqian skipped any pleasantries and said bluntly, "Chief, Lin Chuan is in danger at Goldstone Edge on East Street!"
"What!?"
"I'll be there in eight minutes at the earliest!"
On the other end, Zhang Biao's anger surged, "Who dares mess with our little grandmaster? Call the police!"
Simultaneously, Anling Police Station rapidly dispatched officers. Zhang Biao, clad in a white shirt, personally took charge, leading the Criminal Police Brigade straight to Goldstone Edge on East Street!
Police cars sped down the streets, their flashing lights piercing the dark night.
After hanging up the phone, Shen Qianqian floored the accelerator. Traffic police nearby, who had already been contacted, quickly joined her to clear the way, racing towards the antique shop on East Street!
There was only one thought in her mind.
Lin Chuan, wait for me!

Comments

Loading...