Chapter 30: The Stranger on the Road

The night passed quickly, and when Liu Dong got out of bed, the sun was already high in the sky.

He opened his sleepy eyes and lay in bed for a few seconds before gradually regaining his consciousness. Turning his head to look at the already blinding sunlight outside the window, Liu Dong reached for the alarm clock on the bedside table.

"Nine thirty! Oh no, I have to go to Uncle Long's place this morning!"

In the past, Liu Dong, who had practiced meditation and martial arts for many years, always had a very accurate biological clock. Therefore, although there was an alarm clock on the bedside table, he had never set a time for it.

However, during this period, he had been working on wood carvings almost day and night, which had exhausted both his body and mind. Additionally, after making a substantial profit from the snuff bottle yesterday and seeing his long-held dream about to come true, Liu Dong had truly relaxed. All these factors combined caused his biological clock to become disordered, making him, who usually woke up at 5:30, oversleep this morning.

Seeing the time on the alarm clock, Liu Dong's eyes suddenly widened as he remembered that Uncle Long had asked him to bring the carved Guan Gong statue over this morning. He immediately threw the alarm clock aside, jumped out of bed, quickly put on his clothes, and rushed out without even brushing his teeth or washing his face.

With a sense of urgency, Liu Dong pedaled his bicycle as fast as he could. Fortunately, although his bike was a bit old, it was very sturdy. If it were a new, small-wheeled bicycle, it might have fallen apart under such intense use.

Racing through the streets, Liu Dong, who usually took half an hour to reach his destination, managed to get there in half the time.

If it weren't for the dense crowd and the special nature of the items sold in the antique market, he might have ridden right in.

"Oh no!" Seeing that Uncle Long's Taiyi Pavilion was not far away, Liu Dong looked at the empty back seat of his bicycle and felt a wave of frustration. He slapped his forehead hard.

It turned out that in his haste to leave home, he had forgotten to take the carved Guan Gong statue out of the Jiezi space. With so many people around and in such a public place, it was not easy to retrieve it now.

Standing on tiptoe, he scanned the crowd and the street. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and a look of joy appeared on his face. He thought to himself, "Right, how could I forget it!"

He then pushed his bicycle to a public toilet at the street corner, parked it, and went inside. After about fifteen minutes, he came out carrying the wooden Guan Gong statue. Although he now had an additional wooden carving, the people around him did not pay much attention. After all, in the antique market, various antiques were common, and it was not unusual for people to carry fragile items like porcelain and ancient paintings with them for safety.

Thus, Liu Dong, holding the Guan Gong statue in his left hand and pushing his bicycle with his right, walked toward Uncle Long's Taiyi Pavilion.

"Hey, brother, wait a moment, wait a moment!"

Hearing the voice, Liu Dong turned his head in confusion and saw a middle-aged man in his thirties, wearing a black and white striped T-shirt, blue-black pants, a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, waving at him.

"Are you calling me?" Liu Dong asked, puzzled.

The middle-aged man first looked at the Guan Gong statue in Liu Dong's arms with a fond expression before raising his head and saying, "Yes, brother! May I ask your name?"

Seeing the middle-aged man and the two men behind him, who were wearing black shirts, sunglasses, and exuding a fierce aura, Liu Dong realized that this person was not ordinary and was likely wealthy or influential. From his gaze, Liu Dong could guess that this person was interested in the Guan Gong statue he had carved.

"My name is Liu, but I don't think we know each other!"

Although this person was not simple, he had no connection to Liu Dong, so Liu Dong remained calm and did not try to flatter him.

Zhou Bin couldn't help but size up the young man in front of him, who, despite his ordinary appearance, exuded a calm and serene aura that made people feel comfortable.

To be honest, apart from his own grandfather and some other retired elders, he had never felt such an aura from a young person before.

However, due to his extraordinary background and extensive experience, his mental fortitude was far above average. Despite his surprise, his face showed no unusual expression.

"Ha ha, brother, don't take it to heart. I have no ill intentions. I just like the Guan Gong statue you have. Could you sell it to me? Money is not an issue!"

"Sorry, I don't want to sell this Guan Gong statue for now! Goodbye!" Liu Dong, who was already in a hurry to see Uncle Long, did not want to waste any more time here. Besides, even if he wanted to sell the Guan Gong statue, he would have to wait for Uncle Long to see it first.

"What, do you think we're going to force you to sell it in broad daylight?" Seeing the two muscular men blocking his bicycle, Liu Dong frowned, and his expression turned cold.

Although these two men looked strong and exuded a military-like aura, and the faintly visible killing intent suggested they were elite soldiers from the battlefield, Liu Dong did not take them seriously. With the martial arts he had practiced since childhood, he was confident that even the two of them together would not be his match.

"Ha ha, little brother, you misunderstood! My subordinates are ignorant, and I apologize on their behalf!" The middle-aged man bowed slightly and then waved to his two bodyguards, "Tiezi, Da Biao, clear the way!"

Seeing the sincerity in his apology and the bodyguards stepping aside, Liu Dong's expression softened. He nodded silently and quickly pushed his bicycle toward Taiyi Pavilion.

"Sir, don't you want that Guan Gong statue? Even though I don't know much about wood carvings, I can see that it's very beautiful!" One of the bodyguards, with a scar on his left cheek, said.

"I do want it. It's the best Guan Gong statue I've ever seen. Although I didn't get to touch it, the material seems to be yinshen wood, though I'm not sure what kind. Additionally, the carving is of high quality. Since I've encountered it, I can't let it go!" The middle-aged man paused, then looked at Liu Dong's retreating figure and stepped forward, "Let's follow him and see if we can get the Guan Gong statue."

At this moment, Liu Dong, who was walking ahead, noticed the people following him but did not pay much attention. After all, it was broad daylight, and the antique market had strong security, so few people dared to rob openly. Besides, he was very confident in the martial arts he had practiced since childhood, and ordinary people were no match for him.

"Xiao Dong, you're here! Come in quickly, Uncle Long has been waiting for you!" At the entrance of Taiyi Pavilion, Liu Dong met Mu Gang, who had been waiting outside for a long time.

"Hehe, I was too tired yesterday, so I woke up a bit late this morning." Liu Dong paused, pointed inside, and lowered his voice, "Brother Mu, how is it? Is the old man angry?"

"Ha ha, as long as you agree to fight me, I'll tell you!" Mu Gang rolled up his sleeves, and a look of excitement appeared on his usually expressionless face.

Hearing this, Liu Dong waved his hands, "Forget it, I won't fight you. That's just asking for trouble. I'll go straight to Uncle Long!" With that, Liu Dong carried the Guan Gong statue and walked inside.