Seeing the young shop assistant defending Ye Fan, Mr. Zhao became even more enraged, his expression carrying a hint of frost.
"I'll receive these two. You may go about your business."
After dismissing the shop assistant, Mr. Zhao cast a cold glance at Ye Fan.
"Bring out whatever you have. The appraisers at my Xinyue斋 are all first-class experts. There's no item they wouldn't understand."
He looked at Ye Fan arrogantly, his words laced with mockery.
Lu Sheng frowned slightly and glanced at Ye Fan. Seeing Ye Fan's somber face, Lu Sheng knew he had to speak at this moment.
*Bang.*
He slammed his hand on the table, his face suddenly turning grim. "Can you represent Xinyue斋? Do you really think you're someone important?"
Although he wasn't very familiar with antiques and had no dealings with Xinyue斋, Lu Sheng knew that in Taiping Town, no one dared to mess with him.
After all, even the town mayor had to give him some face, let alone an unknown appraiser from Xinyue斋?
"Presumptuous."
Feeling so humiliated by Lu Sheng, Mr. Zhao became furious, pointing at Lu Sheng and shouting.
"This is Xinyue斋, not a place for you to act out. Haven't you inquired about what kind of establishment Xinyue斋 is? Let me tell you, if you know what's good for you, kowtow and apologize to me immediately, or you'll be carried out of here."
Originally, among the appraisers at Xinyue斋, Mr. Zhao's skills only ranked in the middle, which led him to be neither here nor there.
He had no right to touch those treasures, but he found ordinary items beneath him.
Therefore, he had always been unsuccessful at Xinyue斋, which made his personality quite extreme.
Hearing Mr. Zhao's words, Ye Fan was taken aback, then he let out a cold laugh.
"Oh dear, you've truly scared me. Is this a black society or an antique shop? Why is personal safety threatened here?"
He asked Lu Sheng with exaggerated concern.
Lu Sheng shrugged. "There are always some ignorant wretches who are solely focused on dealing with others, but in reality, they are inwardly insecure. I suggest that the best way to deal with such people is to teach them a severe lesson."
Ye Fan nodded incessantly, agreeing with a smile. "That makes sense."
Then, Ye Fan suddenly stood up and slapped Mr. Zhao across the face.
*Slap~*
The slap was crisp and loud, sending Mr. Zhao tumbling to the ground from his seat.
Mr. Zhao was completely stunned. Lying on the ground, he clutched his cheek and stared foolishly at Ye Fan.
He had never dreamed that this young man would be so quick to act, so clean and efficient, without any hesitation.
However, this was not the end. Ye Fan slowly stood up, walked to Mr. Zhao's side, and said, "You want us carried out of here? Are you worthy?"
With that, he kicked Mr. Zhao hard in the chest.
After more than a dozen kicks, Mr. Zhao cried out in pain. His chest had caved in, blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, and his body twitched, on the verge of death.
Knowing that Mr. Zhao would surely die if he continued, Lu Sheng quickly stepped forward to pull Ye Fan back.
"Brother Ye, you can't hit him anymore. He'll die if you keep hitting him."
Hearing Lu Sheng's words, Ye Fan paused and glanced at the disheveled Mr. Zhao before stopping.
He had been blinded by anger just now and couldn't control himself.
However, Mr. Zhao was too weak. After only a dozen kicks, he was half dead. If it were someone else, they might have lasted a bit longer.
The commotion here had already alerted others.
At this moment, the staff of Xinyue斋 rushed over, surrounding Ye Fan and his companions.
Although Mr. Zhao had a bad reputation within Xinyue斋, he was, after all, a member of Xinyue斋.
No matter how unpopular he was, he was still an internal conflict within Xinyue斋.
Now, with someone beating him up, it was seen as slapping Xinyue斋 in the face, so they naturally had to defend him.
Ye Fan showed no fear towards these people, and even a faint smile flickered in his eyes.
"What? Is Xinyue斋 planning to gang up on us?"
Lu Sheng snorted indignantly and asked.
His gaze swept across the faces of the Xinyue斋 staff around them, clearly displeased.
Upon hearing Lu Sheng's question, the Xinyue斋 employees frowned, but they still parted slightly.
After all, if the reputation of ganging up on someone spread, it would be detrimental to Xinyue斋.
"Who are you, sir, and why are you causing trouble in our Xinyue斋?"
As both sides were at a stalemate, unsure of how to proceed, an aged voice called out.
Hearing this voice, everyone froze. The Xinyue斋 employees' faces showed relief, and they all sighed with a breath of fresh air.
Ye Fan and Lu Sheng followed the direction of the voice.
They saw an old man with white hair and a face full of wrinkles walking slowly from among the crowd.
"Boss."
The employees respectfully greeted him.
But the old man's gaze remained fixed on Ye Fan, as if he wanted to see through the young man.
Unfortunately, in his eyes, Ye Fan was like a bronze wall and an iron bastion, impossible to penetrate.
Having already sensed the old man's gaze, Ye Fan was displeased and even smiled.
This person before him was likely Mr. Chen, the owner of Xinyue斋.
"If you have business here at Xinyue斋, sir, I can make decisions. Why trouble the subordinates?"
The old man sighed, glancing at Mr. Zhao, who was still convulsing on the ground.
Ye Fan responded to the old man's inquiry with a disdainful snort.
"I've heard that Xinyue斋 values hospitality, but this Mr. Zhao threatened us, saying that if we didn't kowtow and apologize, we would be carried out. I'd like to ask, is this Xinyue斋's so-called hospitality?"
With a grim expression, a cold glint flashed in Ye Fan's eyes.
Now, the old man also frowned. Although he knew in his heart that Mr. Zhao had an extreme personality, if Ye Fan and the others hadn't said anything, Mr. Zhao wouldn't have acted unreasonably.
"Perhaps what you say is just one side of the story? We will only be able to determine the truth of the matter after Little Zhao regains consciousness. Therefore, we will have to trouble you two to stay for the time being."
With that, the old man waved his hand, and immediately, over a dozen employees surrounded them, clearly intending to detain Ye Fan and Lu Sheng.
Seeing this, Ye Fan's expression grew even more grim, and he narrowed his eyes. "What? Are you planning to forcibly detain us?"
But the old man shook his head. "If my people at Xinyue斋 act improperly, I will naturally give you two a satisfactory explanation. However, if someone comes to Xinyue斋 to cause trouble, I'm afraid Xinyue斋 also deserves an explanation."
The old man's attitude was clear: he wanted to establish who was right and wrong.
Ye Fan's anger was gradually ignited by the old man's stubbornness.
"What if I insist on leaving?"
Ye Fan said coldly, staring into the old man's clouded eyes.
Unexpectedly, the old man smiled slightly. "Heh heh, I'm afraid this matter is beyond your control, sir. While Xinyue斋 is not a dragon's pond or a tiger's den, it's not a place where just anyone can come and go as they please."
As he spoke, those dozen employees firmly surrounded Ye Fan and the others.
If they wanted to leave, they would have to fight their way out.