Chapter 13

When Guo Bapi returned, Cao Yuande had already left. Before that, they had gone to a nearby bank branch, where Cao Yuande transferred 25,000 yuan to Yang Bo. This price was extremely high; in the market, such a string-patterned爵 (jue) would typically cost between 10,000 to 15,000 yuan. Even with three additional inscriptions, 20,000 yuan would be the absolute maximum. Yet, Cao Yuande directly transferred 25,000 yuan.

Cao Yuande was very generous. According to him, he was buying a gift for someone who wasn't short of money. This item was just right, and a little extra didn't matter.

When Cao Yuende left, Yang Bo clenched his fists, feeling one step closer to his goal!

When Guo Bapi returned, he saw Yang Bo leaning on the table and couldn't help but tap the table, "Hehe! Yang Bo, don't sleep. Hurry up and clean the place!"

Yang Bo lifted his head, his eyes feeling sore, "I've already cleaned it."

In reality, he hadn't cleaned at all. The antique shop was cleaned every day, but there weren't many customers, so it was hard to tell if it had been cleaned.

Guo Bapi clearly wasn't going to let him off that easily, "Even if you've finished cleaning, you can stand outside to welcome customers!"

Yang Bo couldn't help but frown. He knew that every boss didn't want their employees to be idle, but the antique business wasn't about attracting customers from outside. This was just a way to make things difficult for him. Unwilling to argue with his boss, he asked, "Boss, did you go to Zhan Garden Road? Is that stall still there?"

Mentioning this, Guo Bapi's anger flared up, "Don't mention it. When I got there, the owner was packing up. I said I wanted to take a look, but the owner ignored me and ran off with the package!"

"Guess what? When I turned around, I saw two city management officers walking behind me! The vendor was clearly scared off. Sigh!"

Yang Bo smiled lightly, "Boss, don't be discouraged. Think about it, what time was it? It was almost nine, and the city management officers were starting their shift. The vendors naturally ran away. If you go earlier tomorrow, you might catch them."

Guo Bapi was taken aback, then became excited, "You're smart, kid. That's right, if they were there today, they should be there tomorrow!"

"But, those street vendors are really annoying! We work hard to rent a shop and pay tens of thousands in rent and utilities every year, while they can just set up anywhere. It's really unfair!"

Guo Bapi decided to go early the next day but continued to complain.

Yang Bo didn't say anything. He didn't stand at the door but instead sat on a small stool, reading a book. After their conversation, both seemed to forget the earlier order and didn't mention it again.

Another day passed, and Yang Bo stayed in the shop, reading a book, feeling increasingly anxious. He even wanted to rush home and persuade his father to get treatment, but he knew that doing so would likely fail. If he had 500,000 yuan, he could take his father to the hospital!

Before five in the afternoon, Guo Bapi left in his old car. Yang Bo hesitated for a while but finally couldn't resist the temptation. He locked the door and headed towards Chaotian Palace Antique Market!

Chaotian Palace Antique Market is a flagship in the antiques and collectibles industry in Nanjing and even nationwide, on par with Panjiayuan. Its brand can be traced back to the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty, with over a hundred years of history. The market is always open, but Yang Bo knew that only on weekends, when it was bustling with people, would the vendors bring out their best items.

For the past few days, he had wanted to go and take a look, but he had been delayed by watching the shop or other miscellaneous tasks. This time, he was determined to go, even if Guo Bapi found out he had closed early. Time was of the essence!

As he approached the antique market, he heard a cacophony of noise. A square came into view, filled with hundreds of stalls, bustling and lively.

Yang Bo's heart raced. With so many items, there should be a good harvest!

He walked and stopped, the items in front of him constantly changing. Yang Bo felt his eyes starting to blur. There were many types of items, but many were of little value, more like souvenirs for tourists. No wonder there were people from all over the country.

After wandering for a while, he found no significant items. Yang Bo felt his eyes becoming sore. Even though he had only examined a few antiques, his eyes could only handle a short time and couldn't maintain it for long.

"Da Bo!" A voice called from behind. Yang Bo didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"Da Bo, why are you here? Don't you need to watch the shop?" Li Ling patted Yang Bo's shoulder and said with a smile.

"I snuck out," Yang Bo said frankly.

Li Ling didn't believe him, shaking his head, "Come on, don't lie to me. How could you have the nerve to sneak out? You really locked Gu Dezhai?"

"I locked the door and came," Yang Bo replied briefly.

Li Ling was taken aback, "Really? Da Bo, you're getting bold!"

Yang Bo smiled helplessly, "I've been here too long. I just wanted to take a walk and clear my mind."

Li Ling thought Yang Bo was under too much pressure about his father and tried to comfort him, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. This kind of thing isn't something you can solve by stretching your toes. Just let it be!"

Yang Bo smiled bitterly but didn't say anything. Li Ling was about the same age as him, and they had been in frequent contact over the past two years, becoming very close. However, he didn't want to tell him about his situation, feeling he needed to be cautious until he was more established.

"Oh, right, yesterday at our shop, didn't you say you would come by later? I waited for you until late, but you never came!" Li Ling stared at Yang Bo, suddenly asking.

Yang Bo's heart skipped a beat but explained, "Something came up, and I got busy and forgot. I'm really sorry!"

Li Ling's smile faded, and he didn't ask more, just hurriedly said, "Oh, that's how it is. Business at Gu Dezhai is really good! It's nothing like Bogu Tang, where business is terrible, and we haven't had a customer for days."

Yang Bo cursed Jia Huairen in his heart for being a ruthless businessman, but he said, "In this business, it's common to go three years without a sale, but one sale can last three years."

The two exchanged polite words, but both felt the distance between them growing!