Chapter 64: Is a Security Chief Worthy?

“This… this…”
Everyone’s eyes seemed ready to pop out of their sockets as they stared fixedly at the white porcelain bowl that continued to tremble.
“Incredible! Absolutely incredible!”
“Master Xu is truly a master!”
Li Changong, standing to the side, slapped his thigh with excitement, his eyes glued to the porcelain bowl as if he’d seen a stunning beauty, utterly unwilling to look away for even a second.
There was no denying that Master Xu had come well-prepared.
A porcelain bowl, a bowl of clear water, and a small goldfish bought at the market for a few yuan.
And that was enough to fool everyone?
“As my master always said, charlatans are the most common breed in the world.”
Ye Fei couldn’t help but shake his head.
Even Tang Sheng, known for his shrewdness, couldn’t help but tremble slightly, greed flickering across his face.
Seeing the crowd’s joy, a trace of inexplicable mockery flashed in Master Xu’s eyes.
He put down the porcelain bowl and sat back with his hands behind his back, his sleeves only just coming to rest.
Gradually, the crowd began to regain their composure.
“Well? Now you know what a true master is,” Shi Jin said with a smug smile.
The wealthy men finally managed to calm themselves, their gazes at Shi Jin and Master Xu now completely changed. Some had already decided to make Master Xu’s acquaintance as soon as possible.
This was real skill. Far beyond what Master Hong could offer.
Sure enough, Master Hong gave a wry smile, stood up, and bowed respectfully. “Ashamed, truly ashamed. Master Xu is indeed a man of talent. I made a fool of myself before everyone.”
Hearing this, Master Xu was immensely satisfied, his eyes returning to their half-closed, inscrutable state. He replied coolly, “You could at least recognize the significance of the imperial robe. Your decades have not been wasted.”
Master Hong could only smile bitterly in response. Outclassed, he could do nothing but accept the criticism. Sighing, he sat back down, looking as though he had aged decades in an instant.
After this incident, his reputation in Tang Sheng’s eyes was as good as gone.
“It seems that these business tycoons, sharp as they are, are easily hoodwinked by such tricksters. If something this amateurish can fool them, maybe I could make a fortune as a charlatan myself,” Ye Fei thought, shaking his head inwardly.
His master had warned him never to exploit his own skills for deception, theft, or fraud. If the old man ever caught him doing so, there’d be hell to pay.
Besides, he’d thought he might meet at least one or two true experts in antiques here. Yet all he found was a band of mediocrities.
Right now, Li Changong, who sat beside Ye Fei, looked utterly grim.
His nemesis Shi Jin had actually brought a real master!
With just a simple demonstration, he’d convinced the wealthiest men present. Even if Li Changong paid any price for the imperial robe, it would be meaningless now.
His reputation was in shambles.
All he’d done was bring along some clueless kid who couldn’t even assess the value of the imperial robe. If he bought it for a fortune, wouldn’t that be a gross waste?
For a moment, Li Changong seethed with anger.
At that moment, Boss Zhang spoke up. “Gentlemen, since you’ve all witnessed the extraordinary nature of my imperial robe, isn’t it time to make your offers? Let’s not waste any more time.”

No sooner had he finished than people rushed to speak:
“Last year, a Qing dynasty imperial robe fetched fourteen million. Today, I’ll offer twenty million!”
“I’ll offer forty million!”
“I’ll bid forty-five million!”
Besides Li Changong and Shi Jin, there were three or four unfamiliar magnates present. Each was worth over a billion, and now, faced with such a mysterious imperial robe, how could they remain calm?
They were nearly ready to offer their entire fortunes.
Of course, they weren’t fools.
There was only one robe, after all.
So the bidding, though fierce, was restrained.
After forty-five million, the price inched up by only a few hundred thousand each time.
Even so, Boss Zhang was grinning so widely that his eyes were nearly swallowed by his fat cheeks.
From time to time, he exchanged subtle glances with Master Xu beside him.
Ye Fei caught all this.
“So that’s how it is.”
Ye Fei sneered inwardly.
Of course.
Snakes and rats, partners in crime.
The seller and Master Xu were in cahoots, playing off each other to snatch away tens of millions.
Next to him, Li Changong watched the others fight for the robe, torn by desire and pride. He coveted the imperial robe but didn’t want to be mocked by Shi Jin—truly caught between a rock and a hard place.
“Hold on!”
At that moment, Shi Jin seemed to sense something, suddenly standing and pointing at Ye Fei with a laugh. “All our experts have demonstrated their skills, except for Master Ye, who has yet to say a word.”
“How about we wait for Master Ye to appraise the robe before deciding if it’s worth the price?”
At those words, the crowd erupted in murmurs.
What was this about?
Hadn’t Shi Jin’s Master Xu already authenticated it?
Everyone had seen the miracle with their own eyes.
A bowl of clear water with a goldfish appearing out of nowhere—if that wasn’t luck, what was?
And now, they wanted to let a greenhorn determine the imperial robe’s authenticity? Wasn’t that a joke?
Everyone now looked strangely at Ye Fei and Li Changong, knowing full well Shi Jin’s move was meant to embarrass Li Changong—making him too humiliated to bid.

Li Changong’s face was ashen; he said nothing.
“Wait—”
“I have a question.”
At this moment, Boss Zhang, eyes narrowed, suddenly spoke.
“What is it, Boss Zhang?” Tang Yushu asked, puzzled.
“I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
Boss Zhang stared at Ye Fei, racking his brains.
“Seen me?”
Ye Fei was equally confused.
He didn’t know this Boss Zhang at all.
“I remember now!”
“Aren’t you the newly appointed security captain at Wangu Group?”
“I was at your company on business two days ago and saw your duty roster!”
Boss Zhang slapped his thigh, his face full of surprise and ridicule.
“What’s this?”
“A security captain?”
“And at Wangu Group, no less?”
“Hahahahahaha…”
Upon learning Ye Fei’s real identity, everyone present looked at him with open disdain, and Shi Jin burst out laughing.
Li Changong was so furious his eyes turned red, glaring at Chen Yu beside Ye Fei, blaming her for bringing along such a clown.
Damn it!
A security captain—what was that worth?
And to think he’d praised him so much upon arrival!
“What a mess,”
the elderly Tang Sheng sighed, shaking his head.
At his level, he’d met plenty of people from humble backgrounds.
But for a security captain to serve as the appraiser at such a grand event, with tens of millions on the line—Li Changong had well and truly lost face.