Chapter 6

Qin Family Tower.

If you were to ask which store on this street is the most famous, it would undoubtedly be the Qin Family Tower at the crossroads.

A standalone three-story building, intricately carved and painted, exuding an ancient charm.

Without mentioning anything else, even though it deals in scrap, Old Man Qin’s storefront is much more impressive than others.

Of course, Qin Hong’s recycling station is not here; the Qin Family Tower is just one of his many properties. When others were still dealing with scrap, Qin Hong had already ventured into the antiques business.

There are quite a few people coming and going at the entrance, mostly tourists from out of town. Stores like this usually don’t serve regulars; they specialize in taking advantage of outsiders. While it’s called an antiques store, it’s hard to find many genuine items inside.

Those who come here hoping to find a bargain are either true experts or people who have read too many web novels.

The store was quite busy, and Chen Muyu, being very ordinary, didn’t get any attention when he entered. He didn’t mind and went straight to the second floor.

"Sir, can I help you with anything?"

The second floor was a bit more elegant. A woman in a dress saw him and approached with a professional smile.

"Where’s your boss?"

Chen Muyu tightened the bag on his shoulder and sized up the woman in front of him. She looked to be in her early twenties, quite pretty, and had a good figure.

The female clerk’s gaze fell on Chen Muyu’s backpack. She had seen many people like him before; most likely, he had something he wanted to sell.

"Sir, do you have an appointment?"

The female clerk asked cautiously.

Chen Muyu shrugged and happened to see a familiar figure coming down the stairs.

"Hey, Fat Tiger!"

Chen Muyu quickly called out.

The man was taken aback, looked up, and saw Chen Muyu, frowning and walking over with a dark face.

"Brother Teng, this gentleman wants to see the boss!"

The female clerk quickly explained, trying not to laugh at Chen Muyu’s nickname.

Waving her hand, the female clerk wisely walked away. Teng Hu glared at Chen Muyu, "I hate it when people give me nicknames!"

Chen Muyu chuckled, "Don’t take it so seriously, it’s just a joke. Where’s Mr. Qin? I’m looking for him!"

Teng Hu glared at Chen Muyu, as if to say, "I’m a cold-blooded killer."

"Follow me!"

With a cold tone, he left Chen Muyu with a cool back view.

Chen Muyu followed, inwardly cursing, "What a show-off! Wait until I make money and buy you, then I’ll make you massage my feet every day."

...

The third floor was more spacious, with a simple layout. The corridor led to an office and a reception room.

The office had several large vases and a few calligraphy and paintings on the walls, looking quite authentic.

No one was there, but voices could be heard from the reception room next door.

"Wait here. Mr. Qin has guests and can’t see you right now!"

Teng Hu pointed to a sofa, left a cold remark, and turned to leave.

"What a rude person!"

Chen Muyu cursed inwardly. Not even a cup of tea or water, am I that unimportant?

He got a cup of water from the water dispenser, sat on the sofa, and waited patiently.

Qin Hong must have an appointment with someone. Laughter could be heard from the reception room.

Chen Muyu didn’t eavesdrop, but his gaze fell on a calligraphy piece on the wall.

"Heaven rewards diligence, people reward kindness, and business rewards trust!"

Twelve characters in cursive script, bold and heavy, with a touch of the spirit of the江湖 (jianghu, a term often used to describe the world of martial arts and chivalry).

It was framed elegantly and hung in the most prominent place. Qin Hong must like this piece a lot.

He walked closer to look. The signature read "Qing Shan Recluse."

Never heard of it!

Although Chen Muyu was a layman, he could tell that while the calligraphy was good, it probably wouldn’t make it into the ranks of famous works.

---

Item: One ordinary calligraphy piece!

Description: Created by Qin Hong in Qing Shan City...

Owner: Qin Hong

Completeness: 100%

Purchase: 20 Wealth Points

Recycle: Not owned by the host, the system cannot recycle

---

A piece of information flashed in his mind. Chen Muyu couldn’t help but smirk. So, it was written by Old Man Qin himself.

Worth only 20 bucks as scrap!

To be honest, he was quite surprised. The old man, who had no education, could write such a piece. It seemed he had underestimated Qin Hong. As the saying goes, "A person’s character is reflected in their writing," and this old man was not simple.

"What are you looking at? Do you understand it?"

A gruff voice came from the side.

Turning around, Chen Muyu saw Qin Hong pushing the door open, followed by a plump old man.

Seeing Chen Muyu looking at his calligraphy, Qin Hong was quite pleased. This was his masterpiece, hung here for his own enjoyment and for others to admire.

Qin Hong didn’t think much of Chen Muyu, a common college graduate who probably couldn’t even recognize the cursive script.

Chen Muyu turned to look at him, not angry, "I can understand a bit. The brushwork is powerful and free, showing some skill. It should be considered a work of some merit..."

The first part of the comment made Qin Hong feel good, but the rest made his face turn dark.

"Hmph, pretending to understand, nonsense!"

Seeing Qin Hong’s dark face, Chen Muyu was amused, "Mr. Qin, don’t be upset. While the calligraphy is bold and grand, it carries a hint of roughness. The brushstrokes are heavy, like holding a weapon, bold and expansive. However, the content is about business integrity, which conflicts with the style. It seems the writer hasn’t fully grasped the meaning, indicating a crude and shallow person..."

Qin Hong’s face turned even darker. It sounded like he was being insulted.

Insulting a monk in front of a temple, this kid seemed to be doing it on purpose.

"Ha ha ha..."

Just as Qin Hong was about to lose his temper, the plump old man couldn’t help but laugh, "A crude person, indeed! The young man is quite right!"

He glanced at Qin Hong, his old eyes filled with amusement.

Chen Muyu pretended to be enlightened, "Old Mr. Qin, could this be your work?"

"Hmph!"

Qin Hong was so angry he could barely speak, walked behind his desk, and glared at Chen Muyu, "At your young age, what do you know about calligraphy? You’re just talking nonsense!"

Chen Muyu was inwardly amused but kept a straight face. Just as he was about to apologize, Qin Hong threw a paperweight to the side, "What do you want? Spit it out!"

This brat, insulting his calligraphy in front of others, had really embarrassed him. He already didn’t like Chen Muyu, and now he was even more displeased.

"Didn’t I say last night? My grandfather left some things, and neither my father nor I understand them. Among the people I know, only you, Old Mr. Qin, have the discernment. I’m short on cash and have brought two items for you to appraise. If they’re suitable, help me turn them into cash..." Chen Muyu smiled.