Chapter 400: Don't Let My Dad Swindle You!

Led by Xiao Zhang, Cheng Lin and Tang Ye knocked on the office door and stepped inside.

"Have a seat. Xiao Zhang, brew two cups of Longjing!" Director Gao specified the type of tea; though not top-tier or rare, it carried a sense of well-placed goodwill.

Xiao Zhang smiled as he brewed the tea for the two of them; amidst the mist rising from the celadon cups, the green tea buds slowly unfurled.

Director Gao's gaze fell upon Cheng Lin. "It's been a while. Your look has changed quite a bit; did you cut your hair short?"

"Yes, it's hot, so I wanted something refreshing." Cheng Lin's lips curled into a smile as she turned to introduce him to Director Gao. "This is Tang Ye, my colleague. He wrote the material for the Hanxing Group project."

Director Gao nodded in acknowledgment and tapped his fingertips lightly on the desk. "I've read the material; the foundation is evident. However, the site selection for a project cannot be decided by a single report alone; it requires a comprehensive weighing of all factors."

Hearing this, Cheng Lin immediately replied, her tone carrying a touch of intimacy. "Uncle Gao, your opinion is crucial to whether Suiyuan can secure this project, so I specifically brought Tang Ye here to report to you in person."

Director Gao tapped the edge of the desk and said readily, "Fine, I'll give you ten minutes."

Tang Ye secretly breathed a sigh of relief—he had thought it was just a courtesy visit, never expecting to actually get a ten-minute opportunity to report.

He quickly took the materials out of his briefcase and handed them over, then proceeded to explain the locational advantages, policy compatibility, and economic expectations of Hanxing Group settling in Suiyuan.

Director Gao's fingers paused from time to time as he flipped through the materials, a growing surprise in his eyes: this young man's report was logically clear, and he managed to make the dry project data sound quite organized, completely lacking the stiffness of a typical report.

Just as the ten-minute mark arrived, Tang Ye finished with his final concluding sentence.

Director Gao put down the materials, his eyes now filled with appreciation. "Xiao Tang is very well-prepared and has truly put in the effort. I will prioritize considering Suiyuan for the project, but I cannot make any guarantees; the Expert panel review is a critical step."

The heart Cheng Lin had been holding in her throat finally settled.

In truth, she had been very nervous while Tang Ye was reporting, and only now did she feel truly at ease.

Tang Ye's professional ability had truly never let her down.

"The report is finished, so we won't disturb your work any further." Cheng Lin smiled as she stood up, preparing to take her leave.

Director Gao suddenly called out to stop Cheng Lin.

"When your father was drinking tea with a few of my old friends yesterday, he brought out a set of the Four Treasures of the Study. He said you were the one who found it?"

"Yes, that was a set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. We happened to discover it while browsing the antique market. My dad likes calligraphy, so we bought the set. Uncle Gao, do you like it? I'll get you a set next time, too."

Director Gao waved his hand. "That set of the Four Treasures of the Study isn't something you can just buy whenever you want."

Cheng Lin said with a smile, "Uncle Gao, I didn't realize you liked it so much. If I had known, I would have given it to you."

Director Gao laughed heartily. "Giving it to me is unnecessary. I like it very much and wanted to buy it from your father, but he couldn't bear to part with it."

A look of surprise appeared on Cheng Lin's face. "I understand what you mean now; I'll call him right away."

Having said that, Cheng Lin dialed her father's number.

"Dad, Uncle Gao really likes that set of the Four Treasures of the Study I gave you. Why don't you transfer it to him?"

A troubled voice came from the other end of the line. "Wasn't it a gift for me?"

Cheng Lin said with a smile, "I'll get you a better one next time. For this set of the Four Treasures of the Study, just let Uncle Gao have it for now!"

"This Lao Gao really knows how to find a way. I saw the look in his eyes when he looked at the item that day. Fine, I'll have a good chat with him later; I'll have to make him bleed a little."

After hanging up, Cheng Lin smiled and told Director Gao, "My dad agreed."

Director Gao's eyes lit up. "How much did you spend on that set of the Four Treasures of the Study at the time?"

Cheng Lin said with a smile, "Eight thousand. Uncle Gao, don't let my dad swindle you!"

Director Gao shook his head. "No way!"

"Uncle Gao, it's just a regular set of the Four Treasures of the Study; how could it be as exaggerated as you say?"

"Still lying to me!" Director Gao was caught between laughter and tears. "This inkstone is from Big Head Liu's shop on Antique Street. I asked about the price earlier; it's worth tens of thousands!"

Cheng Lin covered her mouth and chuckled. "Perhaps your eyes deceived you? I just bought it in Yanjing; I'll find the receipt and show it to you later."

Director Gao thought for a moment and dialed Big Head Liu's number.

When Big Head Liu saw that it was Director Gao calling, he immediately realized it was about that Duan inkstone his father had sold by mistake.

"Director Gao, I'm so sorry! That set of the Four Treasures of the Study you had your eye on the other day was sold by mistake by my dad for eight thousand!"

"Sold by mistake? What do you mean?"

Big Head Liu gritted his teeth and said with regret, "My father sold it for eight thousand. The buyers were a man and a woman. If only I hadn't gone out drinking that day. That Duan inkstone was definitely a fine piece; my cost price alone was fifty thousand. If I had known, I would have sold it to you for thirty thousand back then."

A sense of secret joy welled up in Director Gao's heart. If Big Head Liu knew that the Duan inkstone was going to end up in his hands after all, he would probably be so angry he'd spit three liters of blood.

However, he still feigned regret and said, "Look at how this turned out. I finally managed to scrape the money together, but the item is gone. Don't be so greedy next time, Boss Liu."

Director Gao hung up the phone and gave Cheng Lin a faint, bitter smile.

"You girl, you really know how to lie!"

Cheng Lin looked surprised. "Uncle Gao, I didn't lie to you!"

Director Gao laughed heartily. "Still saying you didn't lie! To tell you the truth, I had actually looked at that set of the Four Treasures of the Study long ago. I asked the boss there about the price at the time, and it was tens of thousands, so I didn't have the heart to buy it. I never expected you to pick up such a bargain."

Cheng Lin told the truth. "I don't have that kind of ability. Tang Ye was the one who spotted the bargain. Is it really worth tens of thousands?"

At this moment, Cheng Lin admired Tang Ye's eye for antiques to the point of prostration.

Eight thousand turned into tens of thousands.

With this kind of skill, he could just stroll around the antique street every day; why bother sitting in an office!

Director Gao said with great certainty, "Christie's auctioned a similar inkstone a few days ago, and the quality wasn't even as good as the one you found, and it sold for one hundred and fifty thousand."

"That means the item is fated to be with you. I'll make sure my dad transfers it to you later." Cheng Lin's tone was light.

"The item is quite valuable; should I add some money?"

"Why don't you discuss it with my father? Or perhaps you can find a treasure he likes." Cheng Lin said with a smile.

Generally speaking, bartering is the rule among antique enthusiasts.

Hearing that the treasure was obtained by the two of them through a stroke of luck, Director Gao's concerns largely vanished. He finally smiled and said, "Very well, then I will have a good chat with your father. If he is willing to let it go to me, I will painfully part with that late Qing Dynasty fan and trade it to him."

Director Gao was not the type of person who liked to take advantage of others!

"Then my dad will definitely be very happy!" Cheng Lin felt it was about time, so she stood up to take her leave. "Uncle Gao, we're leaving now; we'll be bothering you again in the future."

"Take it slow on the road!"

A smile appeared on the corner of Director Gao's mouth.

Big Head Liu made plenty of money opening his shop, and he didn't do any less cheating, swindling, and deceiving.

Now that he has suffered a setback in silence, it can be considered the Dao of Heaven turning in a cycle, giving him a lesson!

Tang Ye did not expect that the Duan inkstone would be so expensive!

As for Cheng Lin, she also did not expect that after gifting the Duan inkstone to her father, Director Gao would be quite interested in it.

One can only say!

There are too many coincidences hidden inside this.