Pulling my gaze away from the painting of the court ladies, I looked at Zhao Wei. “Brother Zhao, this fake is indeed my work, but when it comes to bronze ware, I don’t know much…”
Hearing me say this, Zhao Wei wasn’t disappointed. Instead, he laughed. “Little brother, I heard your calligraphy and paintings have fooled quite a few people. To be able to create such fakes, you’re one of a kind in the entire Guangbei region.”
“Brother Zhao overpraises me.”
“I won’t hide it from you, little brother. The bronze ware business has been declining these past few years, and I’ve been looking for a chance to transform. But having worked with bronze ware for most of my life, if you ask me to do something else, I’m completely clueless…”
Zhao Wei continued, “For over a year now, I’ve been searching everywhere for experts in making old items, hoping to solve my current predicament. But after searching for so long, I haven’t found anyone suitable.”
He then looked at me and grinned, “I spent a lot of money at this appraisal conference, having people keep an eye out for talent in this area. I didn’t have much hope, but I never expected you, little brother, to show up.”
“Brother Zhao wants me to make old calligraphy and paintings?” I asked.
“Exactly! I have established channels. As long as you can create them, little brother, I guarantee we can sell them quickly… You handle the production, I handle the sales. It’s a perfect match!”
No wonder Zhao Wei sought me out immediately. He had been looking for someone like me for a long time.
I also didn’t expect to encounter such a situation.
Fatty blinked and looked at me, seemingly waiting for my decision.
I would definitely not engage in making and selling fakes.
This wasn’t due to moral reasons, but because it was illegal. If something went wrong, I’d likely spend the rest of my life in prison.
Making the Xuande incense burner and the painting of court ladies had already been a huge risk, but fortunately, everything was resolved in the end.
Making a living by creating fakes was absolutely out of the question!
This was a matter of principle. No one in my Xiang family had ever done such a thing.
If I broke tradition, it would be a disgrace to my ancestors.
I could make fakes, but I wouldn’t sell them, nor would I use them to deceive people.
For example, if I made a fake and kept it at home, not selling it or planning to profit from it, no one would bother you.
But if you circulated forged items and profited from them, the nature of the act would be different.
People like Zhao Wei seemed to be “leading enterprises” in Guangbei’s illegal forgery industry. The items they’d fenced were likely countless.
If I collaborated with them, I would truly be abetting evil.
Furthermore, my view on money has always been: enough is enough.
I don’t crave wealth or luxurious living. I’m the type of person content with modest prosperity.
With my current savings and legitimate business in Guangling, there’s no need for me to collude with them.
However, I also knew that if I refused them now, I probably wouldn’t be able to leave so easily.
It seemed I needed to placate Zhao Wei and his group for now, and figure out a plan after returning. If all else failed, I could seek out Yan Hongguang. As the leader of the four major families in Guangbei, he surely wouldn’t ignore such matters.
With that thought, I smiled and said to Zhao Wei, “Brother Zhao, the work is divided, but how should the profits be shared?”
Zhao Wei’s expression brightened at my words. “Little brother, you agree?”
“Brother Zhao, you haven’t answered my question yet,” I replied.
He held up four fingers and said, “You get four, I get six! How about that?”
“Four-six?” I feigned hesitation and pondered, “This profit split isn’t impossible, but who bears the risk?”
“Don’t worry about the risk, little brother. I guarantee that besides those present, no one else will know the items came from you!”
Zhao Wei paused and added, “In this Zhao Family Village, I am the law. No one will leak a single piece of information!”
I pondered for a moment. “Brother Zhao, this matter came too suddenly. My mind hasn’t fully processed it yet…”
Zhao Wei smiled. “I understand. I was too eager. Such a big matter naturally requires careful consideration. How about this, little brother, I heard you are still participating in the appraisal conference?”
I nodded.
“Then perhaps we can discuss how to proceed after you finish the appraisal conference?” Zhao Wei suggested.
Upon hearing this, I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you for your understanding, Brother Zhao.”
“From now on, we are family. You don’t need to be so formal,” Zhao Wei said happily. “Xue’er, take little brother out to relax later. I have some matters to attend to.”
“Alright, I’ll take care of them,” Jiang Xue’er said with a smile.
Zhao Wei nodded, stood up, and came before me. “Little brother, it’s not that I’m not staying with you, but I really have urgent matters to handle. I will definitely make it up to you later.”
“Brother Zhao is too kind. You should attend to your business. You just said we are family, right? Family members don’t need to be so polite.” I said with a smile.
“Yes, yes, yes.” Zhao Wei lightly tapped his own mouth twice. “Look at me, I just told you not to be a stranger, and I’m acting like this myself. Alright, I’ll take my leave first.”
After Zhao Wei left, Jiang Xue’er led me and Fatty into the Crown sedan parked in the courtyard.
I sat in the passenger seat, and Fatty sat in the back.
As the car drove onto a small road, I saw Zhao Wei and his subordinates getting into a minivan, carrying iron pipes and machetes.
“Sister Jiang, what are Brother Zhao and his men going to do?” I asked.
Jiang Xue’er smiled slightly. “A while ago, an accountant embezzled quite a lot of our money. We found him a few days ago. We were planning to settle accounts with him tonight. But then Old Zhao heard that Brother Xiang had come to Guangbei, so he put it off. Now, he’s naturally going to deal with the matter.”
Hearing this, I took a deep breath.
The accountant’s fate immediately flashed in my mind. Then, I glanced at Jiang Xue’er.
Why was she telling me this so clearly?
Was she trying to warn me?
The car left the village and soon arrived in front of a nightclub.
When we saw the nightclub’s signboard, Fatty and I were both stunned. This was the place Liu Jiangmin had brought us to a while ago.
As Jiang Xue’er led us inside, many people greeted her. “Good evening, Manager Jiang!”
Hearing this title, I frowned. Jiang Xue’er turned her head and said, “This place is mine. Little brother, you can come here anytime you’re free. I’ll tell my staff, and all your expenses will be on my tab.”
I smiled. “Thank you, Sister Jiang.”
When Liu Jiangmin brought us here before, we went to the VIP rooms upstairs. However, Jiang Xue’er led us to the basement.
Clearly, the basement was not open to the public, and there were only two VIP rooms down there, each decorated more luxuriously than those upstairs.
After entering the VIP room, Jiang Xue’er asked Fatty and me to sit for a while before she stood up and left.
“Master Xiang, are you really going to cooperate with them?” Fatty leaned over and asked.
I replied, “This is just a temporary measure…”
“Then what do you mean?”
“Isn’t that obvious? Is making and selling fakes something we should do? Do you want to spend the rest of your life in jail?” I asked.
Fatty said with relief, “That’s right. We don’t need to get involved with them. Doing business at our An Yuan Tang is enough to make a living.”
This was the first time I saw Fatty with such a realization. I laughed, “It seems that our Fatty has improved significantly lately.”
“Of course. I’m not someone who only looks at immediate gains,” Fatty grinned.