Chapter 1020: Local Big Shot

Zhang Qiang was already familiar with this place; he led Chen Yu and the others to a side hall behind the temple.

At the entrance of the side hall, several monks were now sitting, but these monks were gathered around a table eating meat and drinking alcohol, shouting loudly and swearing profusely.

Seeing Zhang Qiang approach, one monk stood up and barked, "Zhang Qiang, you're here."

"Wu Ge, I had an appointment to meet Boss Zhou here," Zhang Qiang said with a smile. His attitude was respectful; it was clear that these monks belonged to a force not to be underestimated.

"Alright, go on in. Huh, these two chicks are not bad." The monk glanced at Lili and Zhang Yanxi, his eyes lighting up.

Ji City was a small place to begin with, and the climate was relatively dry and cold, so the girls here were not as delicate and pretty as those in the Zhongyuan region.

"This is my girlfriend, and these two are a pair. Wu Ge, we're going in," Zhang Qiang said with a smile.

"Go ahead." The monk stared at the two women for a long time before waving his hand and sitting back down to drink with the others.

"Who is Wu Laoda?" Lili asked.

"A local snake. His boss is Mr. Xu, the most powerful person in Ji City. It's said he has guns and deals in smuggling and drugs. He's very formidable," Zhang Qiang said proudly.

"These people are very powerful." Lili's vanity was satisfied; she felt that her boyfriend knew many big shots, which gave her a great sense of face.

Zhang Yanxi, however, was grabbing Chen Yu's arm nervously; she was a bit afraid.

"It's okay, I'm here," Chen Yu comforted her, then led her inside.

Inside this side hall, a group of people were already sitting. These people were bald, tattooed, or had scars on their faces, sitting together and making a noisy racket.

Furthermore, there were many antiques laid out on the ground, some of which looked like they had just been unearthed. Among them, a man wearing sunglasses with several lackeys behind him was Wu Laoda.

"Wu Laoda, I've brought you a friend. This brother is in the herbal medicine business, but he's also interested in antiques. I heard you have good goods here, so I brought him over to take a look," Zhang Qiang said with a smile.

"Zhang Qiang, haha, good. Your friend is one of us. Sit down. If you see anything you like, just say so; I'll give you the fairest price," Wu Laoda said with a chuckle.

"Chen Yu, take a look and see if there are any items you like. Wu Laoda specializes in this; the things he gets are all newly unearthed, I guarantee you'll be satisfied," Zhang Qiang glanced at Chen Yu.

"Alright, I'll take a look." Chen Yu nodded. He understood Zhang Qiang's intent; today, Zhang Qiang was clearly out to fleece him. With this group of fierce-looking people guarding the place, he wouldn't be able to leave without shedding some blood.

After looking at a batch of items, Chen Yu shook his head and said, "I'm not satisfied with this batch. Are there any others?"

"Yes, I have plenty of things here." Wu Laoda snapped his fingers, and a lackey dragged another box over from the back. Opening the box, one could see a full box of ceramics; these ceramics were mostly artificially aged imitations and had no value.

Chen Yu really took a serious look around, then shook his head and said, "These won't do. Do you have anything else?"

"Brother, do you know your stuff?" Wu Laoda laughed. He casually picked up an imitation porcelain piece and said, "Look at this, it's from the Qing Dynasty imperial court, something used by the Qianlong Emperor. I won't ask for much, take it for 500,000."

"Or this bead, also unearthed from a large tomb. As for which dynasty it's from, you can figure that out yourself. 800,000," Wu Laoda said with a chuckle. "Since you've come today, buy something and take it with you, otherwise I won't be able to save face."

"Chen Yu, Wu Laoda is personally receiving you today to give me face. Otherwise, how could you possibly meet a figure of Wu Laoda's level? I'm the one who brought you here today; if you don't spend a cent, I'll lose some face too," Zhang Qiang also spoke up.

"These things are guaranteed authentic. Just buy a few million worth; you're not short on money, right?"

"Money is a small matter, of course, but when I buy things, I buy for peace of mind. I don't think these items are worth this price. If Wu Laoda is sincere about doing business, then show some sincerity. To be blunt, these things are all trash," Chen Yu smiled slightly.

Yes, he did indeed want to follow Zhang Qiang's lead to uncover the trail of the Brahma Sect, but that didn't mean Chen Yu was going to be a sucker.

Wu Laoda looked at Zhang Qiang, and Zhang Qiang gave him a look. The two went to the side.

"Qiangzi, what's his background?" Wu Laoda asked.

"The boyfriend of my girlfriend's best friend. It's said he's from Shengjing and has a big background and lots of money. But he looks like an expert; bring out some real stuff, otherwise we won't be able to fleece him," Zhang Qiang said.

"That's the only way. It's not easy to find a fat sheep," Wu Laoda chuckled, then waved to his lackey.

One of his lackeys understood, nodded, and walked out. A moment later, he returned with a box.

When the box was opened, it did contain quite a few items, and these items were indeed quite old.

Chen Yu took out a piece of porcelain, held it in his hand for a moment, then nodded with satisfaction and said, "Alright, this is more like doing business."

"Hehe, my Wu Laoda is famous for being fair in business. Brother, whatever you fancy, just pick it out," Wu Laoda said with a chuckle.

Chen Yu picked for a long time and selected a few special items: a piece of Blue and White Porcelain, a Jade Buddha, and a Jade Ruyi.

"Just these few. Wu Laoda, name your price," Chen Yu said with a smile.

"Good eye, brother." Wu Laoda's spirits lifted. He walked over and said, "These few items are my shop's treasures. I don't usually show them to people easily. If it weren't for you, brother, I wouldn't have brought them out at all."

"How about this, one price: 5 million, and you take them."

"5 million?" Chen Yu nodded and said, "Alright, the price is fair enough. Pack these items up. If you have any good things in the future, just call me."

"Good, straightforward." Wu Laoda gave a thumbs up, then ordered his lackey to pack these items up and offered to have them delivered to Chen Yu's hotel, but Chen Yu refused.

Chen Yu left first with Zhang Yanxi, while Zhang Qiang and Lili stayed behind.

After Chen Yu left, the room full of people burst into laughter: "Qiangzi, this fat sheep is quite fat, hehe. Is he staying here for a few days? Should we get some similar stuff to fool him again later?"

"He might stay for a few days. He says he's a medicinal herb merchant here looking for things. Haha, Wu Laoda, this kid is really rich. Those things just now weren't worth much, right?" Zhang Qiang laughed heartily.

"Not worth much, picked them up for a few tens of thousands. They have some age, and I added some aging craftsmanship. I thought he was an expert, didn't expect him to be nothing more than this," Wu Laoda laughed heartily, then turned his head and said, "Transfer 500,000 to Qiangzi as a referral fee."