Chapter 79

"Let me take this photo. If I get any news, I'll let you know." Tang Chen took out the photo of the Han Dynasty white jade wealth and good fortune square lock and said.

Yang Kang nodded. Relying solely on himself, it would be unlikely to find the wealth and good fortune square lock by chance. Antiques were highly mobile, and Tang Chen had a wide social circle, so there was a chance he might come across it.

As Tang Chen was about to take his leave, Yang Kang said urgently, "Mr. Tang, give me your bank account number. I'll transfer the money for the jade pendant to you."

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Tang Chen smiled. "In a few days, I might want to look for something, and I'll come to you. Consider it a deposit."

"No!" Yang Kang shook his head. "If you want to look for something, we can discuss the price when you find something suitable. Give me your bank account number now."

"It's already dark, the bank is closed," Tang Chen said with a chuckle.

"Thanks to you, I now have the ability to transfer money 24/7," Yang Kang smiled. "Mr. Tang, don't be like this."

"I really don't need the money," Tang Chen said. "Besides, I don't remember my bank account number."

"The card in your pocket..." Yang Kang smiled. "Give me that card, and I'll transfer the money to that card."

"September 16th is your birthday, it's just a few days away!" Tang Chen said. "Consider this my birthday gift to you. Since your father gave you this jade pendant as a birthday gift when you turned nineteen, I'll buy it from you and consider it your twenty-second birthday gift."

Yang Kang opened his mouth to speak but didn't know what to say.

"You don't have to accept it!" Tang Chen placed the photo on his desk and said, "Return the jade pendant to me. I don't need the money, so there's no need to sell it to you. From now on, we'll pretend we never met."

"Mr. Tang, don't be like this. How can I accept such an expensive gift for no reason?" Yang Kang shook his head.

"It's not for no reason," a hint of sadness flashed in Tang Chen's eyes. "Last time, I mistook you for someone I know. You look a lot like them, and I find some comfort in you. Otherwise, do you think I would randomly offer someone a ride?"

"You look like my friend?" Yang Kang was very curious. Who did Tang Chen mistake him for? How could he be so careless as to mistake someone?

"Not a friend, a close relative!" Tang Chen said. "For you, your father is a source of pain, and for me, this person is also a source of pain. So, don't ask."

Yang Kang nodded. He didn't want to talk about his father to a stranger. From what Tang Chen said, this close relative might already be deceased, so he was also saddened.

Yang Kang saw Tang Chen off and returned inside, closing the door and going upstairs.

It was already past midnight, but Fat Guo still hadn't come back.

Taking out his phone, Yang Kang wanted to call Fat Guo, but then he thought, they weren't that close. They just got along well and spent time together. They had their own lives.

Although Fat Guo didn't say anything, Yang Kang understood that Fat Guo was likely his father's supplier.

Since Fat Guo didn't want to tell him where he was going at midnight, it was best not to disturb him.

Thinking of the three small teacups he left in the storage room yesterday, Yang Kang took the key, opened the storage room door, and turned on the light. As he expected, the milky yellow liquid in the plastic basin was now filled with black impurities, and the originally dull teacups were now bright and white.

Yang Kang put on a pair of plastic gloves, brought in some water and dish soap, and carefully washed the three small teacups with special porcelain cleaner, then rinsed them with clean water and dried them with a towel.

Now, the three small teacups were completely renewed. They were not only white and delicate, with bright and charming patterns, but also clean and free of any impurities, looking as good as new.

The three small teacups were all the same size, fitting perfectly in his hand. Yang Kang played with them for a while, growing more and more fond of them.

He disposed of the liquid, tidied up the storage room, and then put the three small teacups back in the old brocade box, locking them in the storage cabinet under the multi-treasure cabinet.

He liked these three small teacups very much and knew that Ming Dynasty Wanli period doucai was extremely rare in the market. It was a stroke of luck to acquire them, and once sold, they might be impossible to find again.

As a gimmick to attract customers, he already had the three meiping vases, so there was no need to show off these three small teacups.

After tidying up, Fat Guo still hadn't returned. Yang Kang lay on the bed and drifted off to sleep.

Speaking of Fat Guo, he left at eight in the evening, drove out of the city, and headed straight to a certain town. Around eleven, he reappeared near the antique street and the Confucius Temple, drove around for a bit, and then headed to his "Fat Guo's Old Goods Recycling Station."

He stopped at the door and walked in directly.

The door was half-open, and Fat Guo pushed it open and walked in. The already crowded room now had about seven or eight people sitting inside, their shadows flickering under the dim light.

"Fat Guo, why are you so late?" an old man in his fifties, Chen Mo, complained when he saw Fat Guo. "Look at the time now."

"It's only been two minutes," Fat Guo said nonchalantly.

"Sit down. Since everyone is here, let's get to the point," another person said.

Fat Guo plopped down on his bed and said, "Master, you speak!"

The person called "Master" was the one who had just spoken. He tapped his fingers on the table for a moment before saying, "The situation is more complicated than we thought. I'll start from the beginning."

"Then start from the beginning!" Wu Bai squatted on a small stool, squinting his eyes.

If Jiang Yan saw him now, he might eat him alive.

Jiang Yan's family believed that since Wu Bai had deceived him with a high-quality imitation bronze bird zun, he must have fled with the money. But they didn't know that Wu Bai hadn't left at all; he was still in Nanjing.

"Let's start with Yang Chongxuan!" Master sighed. "From the time he was fooled by that painting to his death, it was less than a month. I checked his medical records, and he didn't have any terminal illness. So, there must be another reason for his death."

"Master, what do you mean?" Lin Lan frowned. "I'm a simple man, just speak plainly."

"First, Yang Chongxuan didn't have an incurable disease," Master prepared his words carefully before continuing. "Second, he wasn't in such dire straits. He could have paid off his debts by selling his house and assets. With his abilities, many people would have hired him as a senior consultant, and it wouldn't be hard to find a high-paying job. If he had held on until Old Bai found him, he could have rebuilt his business in time.

"Third, he couldn't bear to part with his beloved son. There was no reason for him to lose all hope and die because of this matter.

"So, I suspect that Yang Chongxuan's death had another cause."

Chen Mo thought for a moment and frowned. "Master, you mean—Yang Chongxuan was threatened by someone and forced to die?"

"The possibility is very high!" Master nodded. "But so far, we have no evidence."

"Anything else?" Fat Guo asked.

"Then there's that painting!" Master looked at Fat Guo and asked, "Have you seen that painting? The eldest son shouldn't have destroyed it, right?"

"He didn't destroy it, but..." mentioning this, Fat Guo became annoyed and undid the buttons on his shirt. "His personality sometimes makes me want to hit him. I asked him once, and he told me not to ask. What can I do?"

"That painting is key," Master said. "Fortunately, he didn't destroy it. If he had, it would have been a problem."

(Seeking rewards, seeking collections, seeking recommendations, seeking all kinds of support, thank you!)

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