Chapter 51: Meticulous Plan

"Of course not!"

Bank President Li jumped up as if someone had stepped on his tail.

"How could they possibly be fake? Could a few old fellows like us really be that blind?"

"Exactly! You little brat, stop talking nonsense!" Old Wang chimed in.

"Little Cheng, what you just said is quite improper," President Zhang added with a sarcastic tone. "What kind of storms haven't we old fellows weathered? How could we possibly stumble over something like this?"

Watching the three of them argue back and forth, Cheng Ziqiu sneered inwardly.

"Since they aren't fake, what's there to be afraid of putting them up for auction?" Cheng Ziqiu pressed step by step. "Or could it be... that you seniors have something to hide in your hearts?"

"You... you..."

Bank President Li trembled with rage, utterly speechless.

"Alright, alright, let's all say a little less," Zhao Qiankun intervened hurriedly to smooth things over. "Little Cheng only has good intentions, everyone let's not ruin the harmony."

"President Zhao, since Master Little Cheng has put it that way, we old fellows will take our leave first."

Knowing that today's affair had completely fallen through and staying any longer would be pointless, Bank President Li sought an excuse to slip away.

"Right, right, right, we have matters to attend to, so we'll be leaving now," Old Wang and President Zhang echoed in unison.

With that, the three of them scurried off in a demeaning retreat.

"Hey, take care, you gentlemen!"

Zhao Qiankun wanted to keep them, but the three bolted like fleeing refugees, not even daring to look back.

Left looking at their departing backs, Zhao Qiankun wore a perplexed expression. He turned his head toward Cheng Ziqiu and asked, "Little Cheng, what on earth is going on here?"

Lowering his voice, Cheng Ziqiu leaned close to Zhao Qiankun's ear. "President Zhao, you almost fell right into a trap this time! Bank President Li, Old Wang, and President Zhang—the three of them teamed up to set you up!"

Zhao Qiankun listened with a blank expression, his thick eyebrows tightly knitted. "A trap? What do you mean? They've been cooperating with me for so long; surely they wouldn't screw me over?"

Cheng Ziqiu let out a mocking chuckle, a trace of ridicule in his tone. "President Zhao, you are truly too naive! Nowadays, people wear human faces but harbor beastly hearts, especially in this antique circle, which is a murky pond of dragons and fish. The three of them colluded long ago, just waiting for you to jump in!

"These antiques are completely fake! They first dangle some genuine items to whet your appetite, and once you take the bait, they sell you this batch of fakes at exorbitant prices. By then, you wouldn't even find a place to cry!"

"What?!"

Zhao Qiankun's complexion instantly turned livid. "Those bastards! How dare they trick me!"

Cheng Ziqiu hurriedly pacified him. "President Zhao, don't be hasty just yet, hear me out. They exploited your love for antiques and your desire to stand out in the circle, deliberately elevating your ego to make you feel like an authority in the antique world, and then—"

Cheng Ziqiu deliberately paused to observe Zhao Qiankun's expression.

As expected, Zhao Qiankun grew impatient. "And then what? Stop keeping me in suspense, you punk!"

Cheng Ziqiu gave a sly chuckle. "And then, they sell you this pile of junk at a sky-high price. By then, your money is spent, your reputation is ruined, and you won't even have a place to cry!"

Zhao Qiankun gasped sharply. Although he loved antiques, he wasn't entirely ignorant of the trade; he was simply prone to losing his judgment when showered with flattery. Now, with Cheng Ziqiu's pointing out, a sudden chill crept down his spine.

"Those old foxes! They've got some serious nerve!" Zhao Qiankun roared, slamming his palm onto the rosewood coffee table.

"President Zhao, calm your anger. Discovering it now isn't too late." Cheng Ziqiu handed him a cup of tea. "Since I'm here, I certainly won't let you suffer a loss."

Taking the cup, Zhao Qiankun gulped down several mouthfuls before regaining his composure. "Little Cheng, thanks to you this time, or I really would have taken a massive tumble. Rest assured, I won't treat you poorly for this."

Cheng Ziqiu patted Zhao Qiankun on the shoulder. "President Zhao, you're too polite. I simply can't stand these con artists corrupting the atmosphere of the antique circle.

"However, don't get too angry either; this sort of thing is all too common in the antique circle. Just think about it: that old punk Bank President Li wears a suit every day, looking all respectable, but who knows how many wicked deeds he's committed behind closed doors!

"And that Old Wang, putting on a pretense of high moral standing all day long, is actually just an old fox! Not to mention that President Zhang, with his weird sarcastic attitude—anyone can tell he's no good bird!"

Hearing this, Zhao Qiankun flew into a rage, spittle flying everywhere. "This is outright rebellion! Those motherfuckers! Daring to pull stunts right under my nose! I'm going to go skin them alive right now!"

He abruptly stood up, preparing to charge out.

With quick eyes and nimble hands, Cheng Ziqiu grabbed him by the arm. "President Zhao, President Zhao! Don't be impulsive! We need to plan this carefully!"

"Plan my ass!" Zhao Qiankun roared. "I'm going to destroy them right now!"

"President Zhao, don't rush, listen to me finish," Cheng Ziqiu soothed hurriedly. "Those old foxes clearly have you pegged. If you go find them now, they will undoubtedly deny everything to the death. By then, your money will go down the drain, and you'll end up losing face as well."

"Then what should we do? Are we just going to let it go?"

Gritting his teeth, Zhao Qiankun clenched his fists until they cracked. In all his life, he had never suffered such a heavy loss!

"Of course we can't just let it go!" A sharp glint flashed in Cheng Ziqiu's eyes. "I have a way to make them spit out everything they swallowed, with interest!"

"Oh? You're that confident, kid?" Zhao Qiankun's interest was piqued, and he hurriedly pursued the matter. "Tell me quickly, what brilliant plan do you have?"

Leaning in close to Zhao Qiankun with a mysterious air, Cheng Ziqiu lowered his voice. "President Zhao, let's play along and send this pile of 'treasures' straight to Bank President Li's auction house!"

Zhao Qiankun froze, his thick eyebrows knotting into a lump. "Send them to that old fox Li? He's cut from the same cloth as those people!"

Cheng Ziqiu chuckled, revealing two rows of white teeth. "President Zhao, have you forgotten? That old fox Li loves putting on airs and fancies himself an authority in the antique world. Let's let him play the 'authority' and hype this pile of junk up to the heavens!"

Listening to this, Zhao Qiankun found it somewhat interesting, but still didn't fully understand. "Hype it to the heavens? And then what? We still won't gain any benefits."

"President Zhao, don't be impatient." Cheng Ziqiu patted his chest with absolute confidence. "Once this pile of junk is auctioned off at an astronomical price, we will publicly expose their scam on the spot. By then, that old fox Li will make a complete fool of himself, and those swindlers will be in deep trouble. Not only will you get your money back, but you'll also vent your anger—isn't that marvelous?"

Hearing this, Zhao Qiankun furrowed his brow tightly. "However, Little Cheng, I bought these items for collection purposes, not for auction."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Ziqiu inwardly cursed him as a complete fool.