Emerging from the warehouse, Zhao Wei insisted I join him for a late-night snack. I couldn't refuse, as he had just helped me out.
We arrived at an open-air food stall, and the owner rushed out to greet us warmly as soon as Zhao Wei arrived.
During the meal, Zhao Wei boasted, "Little brother, no offense, but in Guangbei, I, Zhao Wei, fear no one. If you ever need anything in the future, just give me a call. There's nothing I can't handle."
"Brother Zhao, were those people from earlier tomb raiders?" I asked.
Zhao Wei replied, "Not exactly. Those guys were just a bunch of thugs."
"Then won't they cause you trouble?"
"They dare! In Guangbei, there are very few people who can cause me trouble," Zhao Wei said, glancing at me. "Even the four major families of the Guanggu Association wouldn't dare to do anything to me."
"It's my honor to know you, Brother Zhao," I said with a flattering smile.
"Little brother, if you come work for me, we brothers can achieve great things! By then, the Guanggu Association won't even be worthy of carrying our shoes."
Zhao Wei then looked at Liu Zaixi. "You're Liu Zaixi from my wife's nightclub, aren't you?"
Liu Zaixi nodded, "Yes, Brother Zhao."
"Go make a call to my wife and ask her to come over and keep my brother company."
Liu Zaixi nodded, stood up, gave me a look, and walked away.
I knew Zhao Wei was making an excuse to send her away. As expected, once Liu Zaixi left, Zhao Wei lowered his voice and said, "Little brother, I'm not afraid to tell you the truth. I've recently found a way. As long as you're willing to come help me, we'll definitely make a fortune."
I feigned interest. "What's this way Brother Zhao is talking about?"
He smiled mysteriously. "It's not that I don't consider you family, but if you're truly interested, just agree to cooperate with me, and I promise I won't hide anything from you."
"Brother Zhao, you know what I'm worried about..." I said with a wry smile. "Counterfeiting is being strictly cracked down on lately, and the risk is too high. We're making money now, but over time, we'll inevitably encounter many problems. To put it bluntly, Brother Zhao, please don't be offended."
I paused. "There's a saying: 'He who walks by the river will eventually get his shoes wet'... It's crude, but true."
Zhao Wei laughed. "Little brother, you're worried about that?"
"Aren't you, brother?" I asked.
"What's there to be afraid of? Little brother, I've been in this business in Guangbei for over ten years. If anything were to happen, I would have been caught already. Why wait until now?"
He lit a cigarette and took a slow puff. "Little brother, you don't need to worry about this at all. Although I deal in counterfeits and sell them, I'm not breaking the law."
"Not breaking the law?"
I was a bit confused. How could counterfeiting and selling them not be illegal? What a joke.
Seeing my confusion, Zhao Wei hesitated before saying, "This is my foundation. I wouldn't tell anyone else, but since you're curious, little brother, I don't mind telling you..."
He paused. "Most of the items that leave my possession are not sold domestically. They are all exported, sold to foreigners."
I was surprised. "Sold abroad?"
"Exactly!" Zhao Wei grinned.
Hearing this, I finally understood. No wonder Zhao Wei had been doing this for so many years without any trouble – his goods were never sold domestically.
It was no wonder the four major families didn't bother him. By selling fakes abroad, he wasn't disrupting the local market in Guangbei. It was like they were minding their own business.
But were foreigners really that easy to fool?
I didn't think so.
Zhao Wei seemed to sense my doubts and said, "Not many foreigners are interested in antiques. They are more interested in things of value. What things have value?"
I shook my head.
He chuckled. "Of course, things you consider valuable are valuable."
Isn't that a tautology? I muttered to myself.
"Antiques are called works of art abroad, and most buyers of art fall into two categories: merchants and genuine collectors. However, collectors generally don't have much money, while merchants buy the largest quantities of art," Zhao Wei said with a smile. "And what do these merchants do with art? They simply want to make money from it."
"There are countless ways to make money from art, but ultimately, the most profitable is to wash the black into white..."
At this point, Zhao Wei gave me a meaningful smile.
I still didn't quite understand. What did he mean by washing black into white?
There had to be something fishy going on, or else the profits wouldn't be so astronomical.
Although I didn't fully grasp it, I had a clearer picture of Zhao Wei's situation now. If what he said was true, cooperating with him wouldn't be impossible.
However, to be safe, I still needed to get a complete understanding of things.
After finishing our late-night meal, Liu Zaixi and I bid farewell to Zhao Wei. He had intended to have someone escort us back, but I refused.
As we were leaving, Zhao Wei gave me an ambiguous smile and said to Liu Zaixi, "Little Liu, you must take good care of Brother Xiang, understand?"