Bai Yiling understood perfectly that Cheng Xiaofan would not be indulging in frivolous games on such an occasion; he must have his own calculations.
Therefore, she said to Shen Ruobing, "Alright, Ruobing and I will participate!"
Guandan is a card game that evolved from local card games like "Run Fast" and "Eighty Points."
The most distinctive feature of this card game lies in the variations generated by the combinations of cards, used to counter opponents' plays. Playing this game relies entirely on one's ability to adapt.
As they said, so they did.
When Luo Cheng brought out the deck of cards, the four of them immediately sat down on the ground, gathered around, and began to play Guandan.
Of course, Cheng Xiaofan's purpose in doing this was naturally for Huang Dao Ren to see.
At this very moment, the exhibition area for Lu Xiaofei's furniture was packed with a large crowd, all queuing up and eagerly admiring the latest furniture showcased by the Lu family corporation.
"Wow, look at the design and structure of this bed. It's typical Qing Dynasty style. It looks exactly like something made by a master craftsman from the Qing Dynasty!"
"Heavens, the moment I saw this bed, I felt a thrill of awe!"
"There's no suspense in this furniture exhibition competition anymore. Anyone can see that the championship belongs to the Lu family!"
"And look at these stools. Aren't they all masterpieces?"
"Indeed, I never thought that in this era, there could be a master capable of creating such flawless furniture. It's simply unbelievable!"
"I love it so much. I heard that the furniture that wins the championship will be publicly auctioned. I must find a way to bid for this set of furniture!"
The onlookers chattered amongst themselves, discussing animatedly.
Everyone's gaze seemed to be glued to the furniture, unable to move away.
The furniture exhibited by the Lu family had been treated with dark arts by Huang Dao Ren. It not only looked beautiful and elegant but also, the longer one looked, the more their soul seemed to be captivated by it.
This morning, Huang Dao Ren had performed another soul-capturing technique, filtering these pieces of furniture. As long as people looked at them for more than a couple of glances, a small portion of their soul would be snatched away.
Those whose souls had been partially captured would develop a strong possessive desire for this furniture.
Currently, behind a screen, Huang Dao Ren was seated in a rattan chair in a private room. Listening to the discussions from outside, while enjoying massages from two beautiful women on his shoulders and legs, he smiled and said to Lu Xiaofei beside him, "Xiaofei, look at the crowd's reaction. The championship of this furniture exhibition competition is definitely yours!"
"Master, isn't this all thanks to you!" Lu Xiaofei quickly clasped his fists in a salute to Huang Dao Ren.
Early that morning, the two had agreed that in order to create an atmosphere of legitimacy and expand the publicity effect of the furniture, Huang Dao Ren had transformed into Lu Xiaofei's master.
Moreover, Huang Dao Ren claimed to be a direct disciple of the master craftsman Lu Ban.
How could he possibly be a direct disciple of Lu Ban?
It was due to a chance encounter. Huang Dao Ren met Lu Ban in a dream. Lu Ban saw his inverted triangle face, a facial feature he had never seen before throughout history. Therefore, he judged that Huang Dao Ren would achieve great things in the future and specially accepted him as a disciple in the dream.
The ability to concoct such a story from having an inverted triangle face was something only Huang Dao Ren could imagine.
For this reason, Lu Xiaofei had specifically hired someone to write this story on a signboard and hang it at the entrance of the exhibition area.
After admiring the furniture introduced by the Lu family, some people gathered around the signboard to look.
"No wonder they created such marvelous furniture. It turns out Chairman Lu's master is a direct disciple of Lu Ban!"
"Are there really such mystical things in the world? Do you believe it?"
"What can you do if you don't believe it? Can ordinary carpenters make furniture as wonderful as what the Lu family has introduced?"
"Right? If he wasn't Lu Ban's direct disciple, he absolutely couldn't teach such a master craftsman!"
In the blink of an eye, Lu Xiaofei had become a master craftsman in the eyes of others.
At this point, Huang Dao Ren said to Lu Xiaofei, "I can confidently say that the furniture introduced by the Lu family has already caused a sensation in various exhibition areas."
"Send someone to check on Shen Ruobing. See what they are up to!"
"Heh heh, if I'm not mistaken, that woman Shen Ruobing must be as anxious as an ant on a hot pan right now, scurrying around!"
Lu Xiaofei smiled and said, "Alright, Master. I'll send someone over immediately to check!"
Immediately, he said to a scarred man beside him, "Go over and see. If there's any development, call me immediately to report!"
"Yes, Chairman Lu, I'll go right away!" The scarred man turned and left.
Huang Dao Ren continued, "Xiaofei, through today's exhibition competition, as long as we suppress Shen Ruobing's arrogance, you'll have beauties coming to your door tonight."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiaofei became ecstatic and said, "Master, thank you so much. For years, I've dreamed of having Shen Ruobing!"
Huang Dao Ren nodded and said, "Actually, I know your father, Lu Guangtao, has also always hoped you would win Shen Ruobing's heart. Do you know why?"
Hearing this, Lu Xiaofei's expression changed drastically. "He's not also got his eye on beautiful Shen, has he!"
*Slap!*
Huang Dao Ren slapped the top of Lu Xiaofei's head. "How can you have such thoughts, boy? Even a tiger doesn't eat its cubs. No matter how much of a scoundrel your father is, he would never plot anything against the beauty you fancy."
"Then why?" Lu Xiaofei asked, utterly bewildered.
Huang Dao Ren said word by word, "He wants you to obtain the Shen family's ancestral secret manual, 'The Thirty-Six Styles of Wedding Beds,' from Shen Ruobing!"
"That is a miraculous book. If you can obtain that book, and with Shen Ruobing working for you, you will become the true overlord of the global furniture industry!"
Lu Xiaofei asked, "Master, is that ancestral book of the Shen family really that powerful?"
Huang Dao Ren replied, "I haven't seen the book myself, so I don't know its exact power, but it's widely rumored in the martial world. It is said that men and women who cannot conceive, if they lie on a bed made according to this secret manual for one night, they will be able to conceive."
"Couples who are not in love, if they lie on it, they will immediately become devoted to each other."
"Furthermore, beds made with that secret manual can also cure various difficult ailments for men and women!"
Lu Xiaofei said, "If Shen Ruobing exhibits such a bed in the competition this time, can we still compete with her?"
Huang Dao Ren squinted his triangular eyes and smiled, "Haven't you heard the saying 'strike first and thrive, strike later and perish'?"
"Xiaofei, our furniture has already captured people's souls. Shen Ruobing's exhibited furniture has already lost its competitive advantage to us!"
Just as he was saying this, Lu Xiaofei's phone rang.