Chapter 58: Peculiarities

"Evidence? I don't have concrete evidence right now, but that's the only thing that explains why those pieces of junk could sell for sky-high prices! Just think, aside from plants planted in the crowd, what else could possibly explain it?"

The more Cheng Ziqiu talked, the more convinced he became that he was right.

"I'll look into this matter. If you can find actual evidence, that would be best."

With that, Chen Churan hung up the phone.

"Beep, beep, beep..."

Listening to the busy tone on the line, Cheng Ziqiu was left speechless for a moment.

This woman really wasted no time in taking action.

Still, that was for the best; at least she was taking the matter seriously now.

Cheng Ziqiu looked up at the night sky. It was dotted with countless stars, making the evening exceptionally charming.

He took a deep breath, feeling much more relaxed.

He would leave the matter of the plants to Chen Churan to handle.

Right now, his top priority was to find somewhere to have a proper feast!

After running around all day, his stomach had long since started protesting.

Passing by a street barbecue stall, a rich aroma wafted through the air, and Cheng Ziqiu stopped in his tracks.

The sizzling sound of mutton skewers, the charred fragrance of roasted eggplant, mixed with the pungent spices of cumin and chili, instantly stirred the hungry ghosts in his belly.

"Boss, twenty mutton skewers, ten kidneys, and an order of roasted eggplant!"

Cheng Ziqiu dropped onto a plastic stool and shouted generously.

"Coming right up!"

The boss was a burly man who deftly placed the mutton skewers and kidneys onto the grill.

The skewers sizzled as drops of fat fell onto the charcoal fire, bursting into tiny sparks.

Cheng Ziqiu's stomach let out a loud rumble.

He grabbed a mutton skewer and eagerly took a bite.

The savory juice of the meat instantly exploded on his taste buds, mixed with the spicy kick of cumin and chili, forcing a satisfied groan from his throat.

"Boss, these mutton skewers of yours are fantastic, packed with flavor!"

Cheng Ziqiu gave the boss a thumbs-up.

The bearded owner grinned widely at the compliment, revealing a set of slightly yellowed teeth.

"That goes without saying! My barbecue, Old Li's place, is famous all along this street! Young man, I can tell you're a true connoisseur of good food!"

As he devoured the skewers, Cheng Ziqiu chatted casually with the boss.

In the back of his mind, he was still mulling over the auction, feeling that something wasn't quite right.

The frenzy of those bidders was almost as if they had been placed under a spell.

Even if they were plants, there was no need to try that hard, was there?

At this thought, Cheng Ziqiu experienced a jolt in his chest.

Could it be that there was some deeper hidden secret behind all of this?

He took a fierce gulp of his beer, his gaze flickering uncertainly.

If that was the case, things were going to get complicated.

"Boss, give me another ten mutton skewers and ten tendon skewers!"

Cheng Ziqiu shouted loudly, deciding to fill his stomach first and figure things out later.

With his hunger thoroughly satisfied and a belly full of food, Cheng Ziqiu paid the bill and strolled out of the barbecue stall in a leisurely manner.

The night breeze blew gently, carrying away the smell of alcohol and cooking smoke while clearing his somewhat muddled mind.

Cheng Ziqiu decided to visit Zhao Qiankun's house again tomorrow morning to carefully examine those antiques and see if he could uncover any clues.

...

The next morning.

A harsh ringing sound, like a summons from the netherworld, yanked Cheng Ziqiu out of his sweet dreams.

Squinting his eyes, he fumbled for his phone and answered it without even looking at the screen.

"Hello? Who is this? So early in the morning..."

Cheng Ziqiu mumbled indistinctly, his eyes still firmly shut.

"Cheng Ziqiu! Look at the mess you've caused! Pack your things and get lost right now!"

A sharp, shrill voice blasted from the other end of the line.

"Who the hell are you? Did you eat gunpowder or something this early in the morning?"

Cheng Ziqiu recognized that the speaker was a man, but couldn't place the voice for a moment.

"You don't even understand what I'm saying to you? I told you to get the hell out while you still can!"

Hearing this, Cheng Ziqiu woke up completely, and his temper flared instantly.

Who was this lunatic daring to speak to him like that so early in the morning?

"I don't understand? I understand your mother's rotten—"

"Who the fuck do you think you are? Eating shit this early and spraying filth everywhere! My name is Cheng Ziqiu, and I stand by it! If you've got the guts, state your name, and let's see if I don't crush you!"

Cheng Ziqiu unleashed a barrage of curses into the phone.

His imposing momentum was so fierce that anyone listening would have thought he was about to engage in a street brawl.

The other end fell silent for a few seconds before a voice came through, practically grinding its teeth.

"I am Li Qiang!"

"Li Qiang?"

Cheng Ziqiu paused. Why did that name sound so familiar?

Suddenly, a flash of insight crossed his mind, and he remembered.

Wasn't this fellow just a bootlicking lackey thrust into the company by those two idiots Chen Jianguo and Chen Jianguo?

How dare he tell me to get lost?

Had he lost his mind out of sheer audacity?

"Ah, Manager Li. What's got you so worked up this early in the morning?"

There was a distinct tone of mockery in Cheng Ziqiu's voice.

Li Qiang sneered from the other end of the line.

"It's too late for regrets now. Go online and look at what's left of your reputation! You're an absolute embarrassment to the company. I advise you to know your place and clear out!"

Cheng Ziqiu was left staring blankly in utter confusion.

"What reputation? What did I even do?"

Had this Li Qiang taken the wrong medicine, or had his account been hacked?

Li Qiang didn't bother to explain. With a parting shot of "Go look for yourself," he hung up the phone, leaving Cheng Ziqiu utterly baffled.

"What on earth is going on?"

Cheng Ziqiu scratched his head, his mind filled with questions.

He opened Weibo, and right at the top of the trending list was the headline: #ProsperityAntiquesCompanyExpertTurnsOutToBeAConman#. The accompanying photo was none other than a picture of him taken at yesterday's auction.

Tapping into the thread, he found the comment section filled with vicious and vile remarks.

"This kid never looked like a decent human being; he's a total fraud!"

"How does Prosperity Antiques Company hire just anyone? They've made a complete fool of themselves this time!"

"Good thing I didn't buy any of the antiques he recommended, or I would have lost a fortune!"

...

The more Cheng Ziqiu read, the angrier he became. Who the hell was playing dirty behind his back?

He carefully read through a few of the exposé articles and discovered that the content consisted entirely of things he had said at the auction yesterday, completely taken out of context and maliciously twisted.

The articles claimed that he had deliberately driven up antique prices to deceive consumers.

They even alleged that he had tried to snatch another person's successfully bid-upon antique, causing the buyer to suffer a heart attack and nearly drop dead on the spot.

"Damn it! This is pure, unadulterated slander!"

Cheng Ziqiu was so furious he almost threw his phone.

"Snatching someone else's antique? Which brainless idiot made up this crap? Do I look like I'm lacking a few pieces of junk?"

He kept scrolling down and found even more absurd claims.

Some whistleblower alleged that he didn't understand antiques at all and simply guessed blindly!

The few genuine pieces he had authenticated previously were just sheer dumb luck, and now his true colors had finally been exposed.

"Damn it! You really just sit at home, and a black pot falls out of the sky onto your head!"

Cheng Ziqiu couldn't help but curse out loud.

In his past life as a veteran tomb raider, what kind of supreme treasures hadn't he laid eyes on?

These keyboard warriors didn't know the first thing about anything!

The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt. Someone was definitely orchestrating this to smear him intentionally.

Who could it be?

Chen Jianguo, Chen Jianguo's brother?

Or someone else entirely?

Cheng Ziqiu narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in the depths of his gaze.

No matter who it was, since they dared to play dirty with him like this, he would never let them off the hook!

At that moment, his phone rang again. It was a call from Chen Churan.

"Hello, President Chen."

Cheng Ziqiu answered the phone, trying hard to suppress the raging fury burning in his chest.