Chapter Forty-Six: His Gaze Was So Sharp, It Took One’s Breath Away

These words, Liu Lu felt as if she had heard them somewhere before. Suddenly, it struck her—yes, Chen Yang had said the very same thing to her once. How strange that the general manager of Huading Corporation would say exactly what Chen Yang had said. Wasn't this coincidence just a little too uncanny?

Liu Lu’s mind buzzed with confusion. After a moment’s thought, her face grew anxious. "President Shen, may I meet with President Chen?" she asked.

"That’s not possible," Shen Dong replied sternly. "President Chen is extremely busy right now and does not wish to be disturbed by anyone."

"I have a friend named Chen Yang," Liu Lu pressed on. "He said the exact same thing as President Chen just now. Could it be that they know each other?" She was probing, hoping to extract some information from Shen Dong Hua. If Chen Yang really did know President Chen, then she could always treat Chen Yang to a meal and ask him to put in a good word for her.

But Shen Dong Hua nearly laughed out loud when he heard this. How could Liu Lu know that the very Chen Yang she referred to was, in fact, the famous Chen Yang himself? Still, following Chen Yang’s instructions, he would never reveal this fact. With that in mind, Shen Dong Hua replied coolly, "I don’t know any Chen Yang, and neither does President Chen. Please, see yourselves out."

With those words, Shen Dong Hua turned and left, leaving Liu Lu feeling terribly embarrassed.

At that moment, her handsome, youthful husband—who looked every bit the fresh-faced young man—asked curiously, "Why did President Chen and that husband from Qin Muxue’s family say exactly the same thing? Could it be that President Chen is actually Qin Muxue’s husband?"

Liu Lu shot him a disdainful look. "Are you feverish? Haven’t I told you before? He’s just a food delivery man. How could he possibly be the president of Huading Corporation?"

Her young husband looked disappointed. "So, if President Chen refuses to cooperate, what are we going to do?"

Liu Lu, who always held sway over her husband in such matters—she made all the important decisions in their company—considered for a moment. She really didn’t want to let this lucrative opportunity slip through her fingers. Her gaze firmed with resolve. "We’re not giving up. We’ll keep trying. I refuse to stand by and watch this chance to make money simply pass us by."

"Alright, I’ll listen to you," her husband replied docilely, seeming more like the wife in their relationship, while Liu Lu appeared every bit the domineering husband.

…

Meanwhile, in Chen Yang’s office.

After delivering Chen Yang’s message to Liu Lu as instructed, Shen Dong Hua returned to report. "President Chen, I said everything you told me to."

"Oh? How did she react?" Chen Yang asked coolly.

Shen Dong Hua smiled faintly. "She was quite surprised and confused—she definitely didn’t expect me to say that to her."

"Is that so?" Chen Yang smiled slightly.

He had specifically asked Shen Dong Hua to add that last sentence, leaving a subtle hint about his identity—just enough ambiguity to hint at the truth, but not reveal it outright. Whether Liu Lu could grasp the meaning was up to her own fortune.

But in any case, neither Liu Lu nor her young husband’s company was anything more than a minor ripple in Chen Yang’s grand plan. They posed no obstacle to his development project in the northern suburbs. After a moment’s thought, Chen Yang said lightly, "Alright. Don’t concern yourself with these trivial matters any further. Go and tend to your own work."

Shen Dong Hua nodded promptly. "Very well."

He turned and left.

Chen Yang then busied himself with his own affairs. In the blink of an eye, it was time to leave work.

As usual, Chen Yang returned home at exactly half past six. However, unlike before, there was now the heavy burden of the development project weighing on his shoulders, and his mood was not as light as it once had been. Even so, he found this new state of being rather agreeable—life should have its ambitions, after all, to feel truly fulfilling.

"Chen Yang, come here," called out Qin Guoshan as soon as Chen Yang stepped through the door, right on time at six thirty. Qin Guoshan was sitting on the sofa.

Chen Yang was a little surprised. He could tell that his father-in-law had something on his mind, so he approached with a smile. "Dad, what’s the matter?"

Qin Guoshan glanced at him, patted the seat beside him, and said, "Sit."

Chen Yang’s face immediately took on a bemused smile. Yesterday it was his wife, Qin Muxue, acting strangely—today, was it his father-in-law’s turn?

He sat down next to Qin Guoshan, who wasted no time in asking, "Chen Yang, do you know about the city’s Antique Appraisal Association?"

"Antique Appraisal Association?" Chen Yang frowned. He had never heard of it, but he could imagine it must be a gathering of elderly men and women who were fond of antiques.

"Never heard of it. Why do you ask?" Chen Yang smiled lightly.

"They called me, inviting me to join. They say their association regularly organizes antique appraisal training. I’d like to join, but the membership fee is rather high—one hundred thousand for the first year, eighty thousand for the second, and seventy thousand for the third. The person who called said the initial fee was high because of the training costs, but once I’ve completed the training, the annual fee will go down."

"Is that so?" Chen Yang’s eyes lit up as he listened.

Now he understood why his father-in-law had sought him out so mysteriously—it was to consult about joining the association.

Chen Yang considered it and laughed. If joining didn’t cost money, it might be worthwhile—he could make some friends. But a hundred thousand for membership? That was a bit much. He thought it wiser for Qin Guoshan to save his spare cash for his own retirement. To put it bluntly, if he fell ill someday, wouldn’t the burden ultimately fall on Chen Yang and Qin Muxue’s shoulders?

With that in mind, Chen Yang smiled and said, "Dad, if you want antique appraisal, just ask me! Why join some association? You’d be better off keeping your money."

"But I want to learn more about it myself. I can’t always rely on you for appraisals—I want to be able to do it myself," Qin Guoshan said.

Chen Yang gave a helpless smile. "Honestly, Dad, antique appraisal takes talent and experience. Do you really think after three years at that association you’ll be an expert? You’re oversimplifying things."

"Then how did you get so good at it?" Qin Guoshan asked, a little envious.

Chen Yang shot him a glance and smiled quietly. "Dad, that’s all about talent."

"What talent? Am I less talented than you?" Qin Guoshan retorted.

Not wanting to argue further, Chen Yang stood up and laughed. "Alright, Dad, my advice is not to waste your money. If you insist on joining, that’s your choice, but you’ll have to get Mom’s approval first—see if she’ll let you spend that much."

Qin Guoshan’s expression turned a bit gloomy. He knew full well that with Han Qin’s temperament, there was no way she’d let him spend a hundred thousand on a membership. Yet he was truly eager to learn about antiques. Deep down, Qin Guoshan had an ambition: to become one of those experts who could distinguish genuine antiques at a glance.

He hadn’t found an opportunity before, and now, when one finally appeared, he was reluctant to let it go. Yet the fee was considerable, and he was torn.

Chen Yang went upstairs, unwilling to debate further. If his father-in-law was truly set on joining, there was nothing he could say to change his mind—why waste the effort?

A night passed in the blink of an eye.

Qin Guoshan considered the matter all night, but Chen Yang had no idea what decision he’d reached.

At eight o’clock in the morning, Chen Yang and Qin Muxue had just come downstairs when someone knocked at the door.

Qin Muxue hurried over and opened it to find two middle-aged men in black martial arts uniforms standing outside, one holding a black briefcase. The man with the crew cut politely asked, "Hello, is this Mr. Qin’s residence?"

"And you are?" Qin Muxue asked curiously. She didn’t know their true identities, but from their attire and bearing, she guessed they were involved in cultural work.

Sure enough, the crew-cut man smiled and introduced himself. "We’re staff from the Guyunchang Antique Appraisal Association. We’re here today to introduce our association to Mr. Qin."

Guyunchang? Qin Muxue wondered. She wasn’t deeply versed in the world of antiques, but she knew the name Guyunchang. He was the only local expert who had appeared on national television, renowned in Linhai City for his expertise in evaluating antique vases and furniture. Qin Muxue held the elderly expert in high esteem.

Thinking for a moment, she stepped aside and said, "Oh, my father is home. Please come in."

The two staff members entered with a smile.

At that moment, Qin Guoshan and Han Qin emerged from the bedroom. Seeing the two association representatives, Qin Guoshan greeted them enthusiastically, as if meeting old friends. "You must be from the Antique Appraisal Association! Please, have a seat."

The crew-cut man waved his hand modestly. "No need for formality, Mr. Qin. We’re here today because you may not fully understand our association. We’d like to introduce you to what we do."

"Oh, is that so? Please, sit," Qin Guoshan said, guiding them to the sofa. Then he turned to Han Qin. "Go pour some water for our guests."

Han Qin was visibly reluctant, but to save face for her husband, she went to the kitchen.

Meanwhile, the crew-cut man took out a large tablet from his black briefcase and played a video of a white-haired elder appraising ten antique vases. "Mr. Qin, take a look. This gentleman joined our association just last year. Last month, we tested him—he was asked to pick out the one genuine antique vase from ten. He did so easily, and not only that, he could identify the dynasty and the kiln it came from. This is the level of expertise our association fosters—even an elderly gentleman can become an appraisal expert with our training."

Watching the video, Qin Guoshan’s heart surged with excitement. How he longed to become like that old man on the screen, able to spot a genuine treasure at a glance.

Just as Qin Guoshan was swept up in enthusiasm, Chen Yang, standing behind the sofa and watching the same video, poured cold water over the moment with a dry laugh. "Aren’t all of those ten vases fake?"

Chen Yang’s words stunned everyone.