Chapter 456: A Chance Encounter

In the early days of the twelfth lunar month, at seven in the morning, the sky over Xijing was only just beginning to turn a pale fish-belly white, while the sun in Guangzhou had already leaped above the horizon.

The sky was high and the clouds were sparse, a clear expanse for ten thousand miles, with the morning glow dyeing half the heavens.

In the hotel garden, six men stood in two rows, practicing boxing toward the sun.

They all performed the same movements at a very slow speed; there was no beauty to speak of, and it was even somewhat awkward and strange. But in no time at all, white steam began to rise from the tops of the heads of the five men, excluding Lin Sicheng.

At first glance, it felt quite fantastical, like something out of a movie. In reality, their bodies were too weak; as soon as their Qi and blood circulated a little faster, they began to sweat.

Whether it was the oldest, Zhao Xiuneng, or the middle-aged Wang Qi Zhi, or the relatively younger Zhao Da, Zhao Er, and Fang Jin, there wasn't a single one who wasn't weak.

After practicing another round, the five men looked as if they had been drenched in sweat, and they all went upstairs to change their clothes.

Lin Sicheng was fresh and clean, not even a speck of sweat visible on his forehead; naturally, he did not need to change.

Ye Anning asked the front desk for a wet towel, and Lin Sicheng took it to wipe his hands and face: "Where is Senior Sister Li?"

"She's upstairs organizing data, saying you'll need it in a few days. I wanted to help, but I couldn't really understand it!"

It was all engineering research data, which she truly could not understand well. Even Fang Jin and Li Zhen, who came from a background in Cultural Relics Protection, could not understand it well either; at most, they could categorize it according to the table of contents.

"Call her, and once the teachers and the others have finished changing, we'll go eat together!"

Ye Anning took out her phone: "Still going to the same restaurant?"

5

Lin Sicheng shook his head: "No, today we're having Cantonese morning tea!"

Upon hearing there was good food, Ye Anning licked her lips.

After about ten minutes, the group went downstairs, and as if by appointment, two Benz business vans drove over and stopped at the hotel entrance.

Feng Sanjiang and Ding Aqin got out of the cars and waited quietly beside the doors.

The cars were rented, costing several thousand a day, but having just earned several million from Lin Sicheng, it was not a big problem for Feng Laosan.

The key was the attitude of the two: their manner was filled with obsequiousness and their respect was tinged with humility.

Lin Sicheng had said so many times, but the two just wouldn't change. Since talking was useless, he stopped caring.

Wang Qi Zhi glanced over: "General Manager Zhao, in Beijing, are they like this too?"

Zhao Xiuneng recalled for a moment and shook his head.

At that time, those few were very wary of Lin Sicheng and relatively respectful, but at least they were neither servile nor overbearing.

Unlike now, where they were fawning at every turn.

"Then why are they so servile now?" Wang Qi Zhi looked vigilant: "It wouldn't be: 'offering favors without a reason, there must be a hidden motive'?"

Zhao Xiuneng didn't know how to explain: there is a good old saying, different people have different fates.

Like Wang Qi Zhi, born into nobility, he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and had lived in the clouds since birth.

Whether it was the family atmosphere, the education received from childhood, or his consistent perception, it led Wang Qi Zhi to naturally harbor prejudices against people of the underworld.

What's more, these few were originally low-lifes who set up traps, so Wang Qi Zhi had to be on guard.

But putting oneself in their shoes, precisely because they were low-lifes and because they did dirty work, if there was a chance to wash their hands of it and go straight, to live in peace and earn clean money, who wouldn't jump for joy?

To Feng San, Lin Sicheng was the noble person who could change their fate, who could turn their lives around—a chance they might only encounter once in a lifetime.

It was just that Lin Sicheng didn't like it, nor did he buy into that routine. Otherwise, he would have dared to kneel down and lick Lin Sicheng's shoes.

Sighing inwardly, Zhao Xiuneng sighed: "If I had met Junior Brother thirty years ago, I could have been even more servile than them!"

Thirty years ago?

Wang Qi Zhi recalled and suddenly realized: thirty years ago, it was exactly the end of the special era, and the two Zhao brothers had almost been taken to the firing squad.

Both of their wives had run away, leaving behind an elderly mother and four children waiting to be fed. If it hadn't been for the old lady's skill in mending, the five of them would have starved to death long ago—

Wang Qi Zhi shook his head: "It's not the same!"

Zhao Xiuneng at that time was forced by life and had to return to his old trade, but what about these few?

They had the eye for it and the skill for it, yet they still set up traps; if that isn't being low-life, what is?

Furthermore, when they first came into contact, it wasn't as if Wang Qi Zhi hadn't suspected or guarded against Zhao Xiuneng.

If Old Zhao had even thought of anything crooked back then, Wang Qi Zhi would have sent him in one hundred percent—

Zhao Xiuneng didn't speak: in fact, these two were purely a matter of twists and turns.

Strictly speaking, their main business had not left the proper antique trade, and they still mainly dealt in antiques even now. It was just that they accidentally boarded a pirate ship and were led astray by that fat man from Taiwan.

But it didn't matter, it was a case of each getting what they needed: as long as these few did their best and could help clear up the origins of those Japanese porcelains, Lin Sicheng could absolutely give them a hand.

Having a few less unstable elements in society could also be considered a contribution to the country and society.

In the blink of an eye, Li Zhen came downstairs, and with Feng San and Ding Aqin, there were ten people in total, who boarded the two business vans.

"Mr. Lin, shall we go straight to Xiguan?" Feng Sanjiang was as respectful as ever, and attentive to every detail, "There is Ronghua Building, Panxi Restaurant, and Lianxiang House over there; these are all time-honored brands in Guangzhou, the dim sum is superb, and there is Cantonese opera to listen to—"

Lin Sicheng was noncommittal and looked at Wang Qi Zhi and Zhao Xiuneng: "Teacher, Senior Brother, which one shall we go to?"

"Let's go to Ronghua Building!" Wang Qi Zhi made the final decision, "The food is good, and it's not that noisy."

Ye Anning also raised her hand: "The Duck Feet Bundle at Ronghua Building is delicious, and there's fresh Ginger Milk—"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Then Ronghua Building it is!"

Indeed, the food was very delicious, very distinctive, and the scenery was not bad either.

But it had one characteristic: it was expensive. That was why it was so quiet—

It wasn't far, and since they had left early enough, they arrived quickly.

Four stories high, an old-fashioned brick-and-concrete building, with a large plaque hanging over the entrance: Established in 1876—calculating it, it had a history of over one hundred and thirty years to this day.

There were many electric scooters parked on the steps, scattered in a mess. At the entrance, people were coming and going in an endless stream.

No matter how you looked at it, it was a busy area within a busy area, and it didn't have anything to do with the word "quiet."

Secondly, looking from the outside, apart from having a long history, it didn't seem very high-class?

In fact, everyone who has been there knows the reason: for example, Wang Qi Zhi and Zhao Xiuneng. Those who haven't been naturally had faces full of curiosity:

For example, Zhao Da, Zhao Er, Li Zhen, and Fang Jin.

Seeing Li Zhen looking around incessantly, Ye Anning smiled and said, "Assistant Li, don't let the exterior fool you; the prices inside are quite expensive."

"And don't think the entrance is messy!" Ye Anning pointed at the electric scooters, "At least seven out of these ten are ridden here by elderly men with assets in the tens of millions. The remaining three—they start at over a hundred million—"

Li Zhen was startled, as if to say: Is that for real?

"Don't doubt it!" Ye Anning gestured, "You'll know once you go inside!"

While speaking, everyone got out of the car and swarmed into the shop.

A young girl of seventeen or eighteen years old came over to greet them: "Boss, how many people?"

Feng Sanjiang stated their name: "Xiguan Mansion, surname Feng!"

The server pointed toward the stairs: "This way!"

As they walked, the group looked around: Republic of China-style decorations, simple square tables, blue leather chairs, and yellow, green, and white Three-Color Set Manchu windows.

The chandeliers and the ceiling were even more retro, as if they had been dismantled and brought back from the Republic of China era.

On the second floor, near the back, stood a small stage where several actors were playing music and singing.

Li Zhen listened for a moment; the vocal quality was good, but as for what they were singing, she couldn't understand a single word.

In the middle were open tables, and around the perimeter were private rooms. The space was quite wide, but there were few customers. They were sparse, in ones and twos.

Looking at their attire, most were elderly; there were few young people, and they were dressed quite plainly: short shirts, long trousers, cloth shoes, and a few were even wearing flip-flops.

Furthermore, they had no posture when sitting or leaning, shaking their legs and acting slovenly.

The private room was located near the front. After entering, the server scalded the bowls and asked what tea they wanted to drink.

Assuming Zhao Xiuneng didn't know much about it, and that Lin Sicheng had certainly never been here, Wang Qi Zhi took charge of everything.

They ordered Pu'er tea, and several portions each of dim sum like shrimp dumplings, chicken feet, and red rice rolls.

Out of curiosity, Li Zhen glanced at the menu: thirty-eight, fifty-eight, sixty-eight, eighty-eight—the highest was only one hundred and twenty-eight; it didn't feel that expensive, did it?

The strange thing was, Wang Qi Zhi kept ordering, and he wanted several portions of every item!

But the speed of the food arriving was extremely fast: they were still ordering on this side, while tea and dim sum were already being served on that side.

When she saw what was brought out, Li Zhen was suddenly stunned: one steamer of shrimp dumplings—she remembered ordering what should have been Imperial Shrimp Dumplings—each one was just the size of a thumb, and there were only four inside.

Looking again at the menu in Wang Qi Zhi's hand: sixty-eight—that meant each dumpling cost more than sixteen.

Then there were the chicken feet; there were only two in a steamer, just regular-sized chicken feet, and they sold for thirty-eight?

The most unbelievable thing was that Duck Feet Bundle; no matter how you looked at it, it was just made of duck webs and duck intestines, but the same steamer only had two pieces, and it actually cost one hundred and twenty-eight.

No—was this stuffed with gold thread?

And that Ginseng Porridge, a bowl smaller than a fist, forty-eight—

Really, it was no exaggeration at all. The few young people looked as if they had been stunned: just what had been served so far cost at least six or seven hundred yuan, but for the smallest eater, Fang Jin, it would at most be half-filling.

If it were Zhao Da and Zhao Er, they would have to spend at least two or three thousand to not be hungry. If it were Lin Sicheng, then that was it; he wouldn't be leaving this door without five or six thousand.

"Assistant Li, do you believe it now?" Ye Anning rested her chin on her hand and smiled mysteriously, "Did you see those elderly men? The average consumption per person is seven or eight hundred!"

Looking at the two open tables nearby, Li Zhen looked dazed: with this average consumption, in Xijing, one could go to the Bell Tower Hotel and set up a whole table.

Seeing them stunned and motionless, Wang Qi Zhi picked up his chopsticks: "Don't just stare, eat—eat freely, there's more coming."

With prices this high, how could they eat freely?

Just as they were hesitating, Lin Sicheng pointed at the Duck Feet Package: "Try this first, and see if it's authentic."

"No—Junior Brother Lin, this one costs sixty-four?" Fang Jin looked like he had never seen the world, "How is one supposed to swallow this?"

"Ignorant!" Wang Qi Zhi looked at him with disdain, "A plate of Boiled Cabbage in Consomme at the State Guest House costs two thousand; the cabbage in that plate is worth at most fifty cents, yet people still eat it, don't they?

A can of cola at the Shanghai Peace Hotel is fifty, even though it's a two-yuan can that can pour two glasses, yet people still drink it, don't they?"

Fang Jin choked, not knowing how to refute.

"The teacher is not wrong!" Lin Sicheng smiled and defended, "This is an authentic Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage, which almost went extinct years ago.

It is said that Ronghua Building hired the descendants of the Ye family (the creators of the Duck Feet Bundle); if that's not a lie, then it is indeed worth this much—"

As he spoke, Lin Sicheng took a bite, chewed slightly, and nodded continuously: "Crispy on the outside and glutinous on the inside, the abalone sauce is mellow and rich; it's authentic Hengshan duck feet."

Zhao Er looked curious: "Master, have you eaten this before?"

In his past life, of course he had, but this was his first time in Guangdong in this lifetime; where would he have eaten it?

Lin Sicheng shook his head: "First time eating it, but I've read about it in books!"

Zhao Er opened his mouth, thought for a long time, and didn't know what to say.

He couldn't figure it out: how did his master match what he read in books with what he tasted in his mouth?

Zhao Xiuneng glared at him: "Eat your food!"

There were many things Lin Sicheng hadn't seen, and even more places he hadn't been, but the things he knew and understood were ridiculously numerous.

They were already used to it—

Since Lin Sicheng said it was delicious, the taste certainly wouldn't be bad. Whether it was psychological or if it was truly delicious, they just felt that this thing was indeed quite tasty.

There was no need for a reminder; Wang Qi Zhi ordered five more portions. Finally, Lin Sicheng called the server over, added a few more portions of Barbecued Pork Bun and Shumai, and ordered two portions of Sticky Rice Chicken.

Dim sum was certainly delicious, but it was just for a taste; eating too much was cloying. The key was that the portions were too small and the service was slow; Lin Sicheng felt that the speed of the food arriving couldn't keep up with the speed of his digestion.

These items were all ready-made, served quickly, and the portions were decent. After they arrived, Lin Sicheng greeted them, grabbed his chopsticks, and started eating.

As if infected by the mood, no one cared about being reserved anymore. For a time, there was only the sound of eating, *slurp, slurp*.

Including Ye Anning and Li Zhen, they were eating one bun after another, and one Shumai after another.

What table manners, what reserve—they simply didn't exist.

Wang Qi Zhi had a toothache: whenever he went out with Lin Sicheng, no matter what they ate, and no matter how expensive it was, it would always end up like a battle by the end.

It was like this in Guangzhou, like this in Xijing, and even more so in Beijing.

It was all trained by following Lin Sicheng. It was just that the places were different: some were in the laboratory, like Li Zhen, and some were in daily life, like Zhao Da, Zhao Er, or Fang Jin.

As for Ye Anning, this was purely out of gluttony—

The commotion was truly a bit too much; the key was that three servers were dedicated to bringing them dishes, yet they couldn't even keep up. Every time, the tableware cleared away was more than what was brought out.

Involuntarily, the tables next to them all looked over, and even the sound of the opera singing on the stage grew a little quieter.

No need to guess, they must be outsiders; locals from Guangdong don't eat like this.

But they were also truly wealthy: just this table alone made even a few grandfathers click their tongues in astonishment.

Just as they were marveling, a table toward the back stood up and took a careful look. Then, one of them tentatively waved a hand: "Uncle Wang, Anning?"

Wang Qi Zhi instinctively raised his head, a flicker of suspicion flashing in his eyes: four young people, three women and one man, with decent appearances and dressed appropriately, but he didn't recognize a single one of them.

Ye Anning identified them for a moment and also waved her hand: "Ah Tang, what a coincidence?"

Afterward, she lowered her voice: "Ye Anlan's cousin, Bei Qiutang!"

As for the Ye Anlan that Ye Anning mentioned, Wang Qi Zhi only had a vague impression: she should be the girl's cousin, the second brother-in-law's niece. He should have met her a long time ago, but after not seeing her for many years, he had long forgotten. Let alone her cousin?

But when it came to the surname Bei, Wang Qi Zhi suddenly remembered: "The family that runs a shipyard?"

Ye Anning nodded—

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