Chapter 67

Tianjin, one of the earliest three municipalities in China, is located in the northern part of the North China Plain. It has flourished since ancient times due to its canal transport. The city was officially established on November 21st of the second year of the Yongle period in the Ming Dynasty, making it the only ancient Chinese city with a precise record of its founding date.

In 1860, after Tianjin became a treaty port, many Western countries established concessions in the city, making it the forefront of openness in northern China and the base for the "Self-Strengthening Movement" in modern China.

In the early years of the Republic of China, Tianjin played an important role in the political arena. Due to its proximity to the capital, hundreds of retired officials and politicians, as well as the remnants of the Qing Dynasty, entered the Tianjin concessions to seek refuge and plot a restoration.

Therefore, in Tianjin, one can see many buildings that blend Eastern and Western styles, including Western churches and large, deep courtyards similar to the quadrangle courtyards in the capital. The entire city exudes a sense of deep historical heritage while maintaining a modern feel.

Not far from the Hai Zhu Grand Hotel where Qin Feng and his companions were staying, there is the famous Chongren Palace Antiques Street, which is the earliest place for antiques trading in Tianjin. It has been a gathering place for literati and connoisseurs since before the founding of the People's Republic of China.

"Boss Feng, what are we doing here? We've been wandering around the street for two days now..."

They had been in Tianjin for three days. Apart from the first day when Qin Feng slept all day, he spent the next two days wandering around the antiques street.

The first day was fine, with Xie Xuan accompanying him. However, Xie Xuan went home today, leaving Li Tianyuan to follow Qin Feng, which made him very uncomfortable. After walking all day, he felt more exhausted than after a day of martial arts practice.

"Yuanzi, can't you use your brain a bit?"

Qin Feng looked at the tall and muscular Li Tianyuan with a hint of helplessness and pointed to the bustling crowd on the antiques street, saying, "What do you feel when you see these people?"

"Feel?"

Li Tianyuan blinked in confusion, looking at the tourists on the antiques street and said, "They're just people, a bunch of idle folks with nothing better to do."

"Well, with your attitude, I really doubt how you managed to be a boss without getting killed."

Qin Feng lightly tapped Li Tianyuan on the head, lowering his voice, "Crowds mean money. This place has a lot of foot traffic, making it a treasure trove of wealth. Do you really think the money we have is enough?"

"Hehe, Brother Feng, I know I'm dumb, but I'm not going out to cause trouble anymore."

After being hit by Qin Feng, Li Tianyuan didn't get angry. After spending a few years in the correctional facility, he realized that being a boss outside meant he was the one to take the fall when things went wrong.

This is why Li Tianyuan no longer associated with his old friends after being released from prison. Following Qin Feng made him feel secure. He knew that this leader, who was a year younger than him, would at least not harm him.

"Brother Feng, do you want to make a big score here?"

After thinking hard for a while, Li Tianyuan's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, "There are more people here than on the antiques street in Shijiazhuang, and there must be more rich people. But there are too many people, and it seems there are some security guards around..."

Li Tianyuan had been in society for a while, and after a day of wandering, he noticed things that others might not have seen. He realized that, besides the market administrators, there were also some burly young men maintaining order on the antiques street.

"Right, you're not completely dumb. This place is probably under someone's protection," Qin Feng nodded, but his brows furrowed slightly.

Wherever there are crowds, there are thieves. As a well-known antiques trading place almost on par with Beijing's Panjiayuan, Chongren Palace naturally attracted many thieves.

However, after two days of observation, Qin Feng noticed that the thieves mostly targeted wallets of tourists from other regions, but rarely targeted locals who came to hunt for treasures.

Yesterday, an elderly man who looked like a retired teacher claimed his wallet was stolen. Within ten minutes, his wallet was returned to the management office, with not a cent missing.

From this, Qin Feng deduced that the antiques street was controlled by a certain power, much like a local warlord in ancient times. To make a living in this area, one needed the approval of the local boss.

"Brother Feng, why don't we take over this place? With so many shops, we could collect a lot of protection fees every month."

Hearing Qin Feng's words, Li Tianyuan's eyes lit up. His mind wasn't as sharp as Xie Xuan's, and he didn't know what else he could do to help Qin Feng besides fighting.

"Are you kidding? How many people can you take on with just your fists? They could drown you with their spit!"

Qin Feng glared at Li Tianyuan and lowered his voice, "Don't cause trouble. This isn't Shijiazhuang. Be careful, or they might put you in a sack and throw you into the river."

Qin Feng wasn't trying to scare Li Tianyuan. Initially, he believed that society was governed by law, and his imprisonment was a manifestation of the rule of law.

However, after becoming a disciple of Zai Shi, Qin Feng learned what the real world was like. Most people in the underworld operated outside the law, not that the law had no power over them, but the constraints were weak.

For example, everyone knows that murder is punishable by death, but after a murder, the victim's family must report it, and then the police will investigate. This is the normal procedure.

However, in underworld feuds or gang wars, the victims' families often dare not come forward because they must follow the rules of the underworld, which dictate that matters should not be brought to the authorities.

As a result, even if some serious cases are reported to the police, the investigation often lacks the cooperation of the victim's family, making it difficult to solve the case.

Despite the significant resources invested, many cases remain unsolved, and over time, they become cold cases.

Since the Qing Dynasty, Tianjin has been a place of mixed elements, with countless outsiders being thrown into the Haihe River each year.

With Li Tianyuan's limited skills, if he rashly interfered with someone's interests, he would likely disappear without a trace in a few days.

"Brother Feng, I'll listen to you from now on, okay?" Li Tianyuan was startled by Qin Feng's words and no longer walked with his chest puffed out.

"We won't cause trouble, but we won't be afraid of it either..."

As he spoke, Qin Feng saw a "For Rent" sign outside a shop selling stationery and calligraphy supplies. His eyes lit up, and he walked in.

The shop was about twenty square meters, with a hollow redwood cabinet in the center, dividing the room into two parts. The walls were lined with calligraphy, paintings, and writing materials.

A young man in his twenties sat behind the cabinet. Hearing someone enter, he didn't even look up and said, "What do you want? Look around yourself. Everything is 20% off!"

Qin Feng sized up the shop and nodded, saying, "Brother, I want to buy some calligraphy paper. Can you recommend some?"

"Do you really need calligraphy paper for school practice?"

The young man came out from the back room. He seemed normal when he saw Qin Feng, but his expression changed when he saw Li Tianyuan. He said, "I'm already planning to transfer this shop. What do you want? Are you trying to bully me because my grandfather died?"

"Bully you?" Qin Feng was taken aback and shook his head, "I don't know what you're talking about. I just came to buy something..."

"You... you're not from the Yuan family?" The young man's eyes were fixed on Li Tianyuan, muttering, "Looking like that, you're obviously no good!"

"Hey, kid, can you speak properly? My appearance is given by my parents, not my fault!"

Li Tianyuan was immediately angry and rolled up his sleeves to attack, but Qin Feng held him back and turned to the young man, saying, "My brother may look fierce, but he's a good person. You can't judge a book by its cover."

"Good that you're not from the Yuan family..." The young man seemed embarrassed by Qin Feng's words, "I'm sorry. You can pick anything in here for free as an apology."

"Brother, your shop seems to have a good location. Why are you transferring it?"

Qin Feng's face showed curiosity as he asked, "And who is this Yuan? Is there someone bullying you? You can report it to the police!"

"Reporting to the police is useless. In this place where no one cares, who dares to provoke the Yuan family?"

Qin Feng's words seemed to stir up the young man's grievances, and he ignored Qin Feng's youthful appearance, shouting, "They hung a dead dog in front of my house yesterday. What can the police do? Killing a dog isn't illegal..."

The young man's words were a bit incoherent, but under Qin Feng's guidance, he explained the situation.

It turned out that the young man's name was Xin Nan. His parents died in a car accident when he was eleven, and he was raised by his grandfather. Influenced by his grandfather, Xin Nan developed a strong interest in antiques and calligraphy from a young age. He studied archaeology at Peking University and graduated this year.

However, just two months after his graduation, his grandfather passed away, leaving behind a shop that had been in business for nearly twenty years.

To fulfill his grandfather's wishes, Xin Nan reluctantly gave up the opportunity to join the Peking University Archaeology Institute after graduation. After handling his grandfather's funeral, he returned to the antiques street to manage the shop.

What Xin Nan didn't expect was that on the second day after the shop, named "Wenbaozhai," reopened, he encountered trouble.

PS: Second update. Your support with recommendations and collections on Monday is very important. Thank you for your support.