Watching the owl carefully place the teacup into his bag like a treasure, I leaned in curiously and asked, "What's so special about this teacup?"
He smiled and said, "What could be special about a Jianzhan from Hetian?"
"Then why do I see you..."
"Attending a feast isn't about finding a bargain; if you get what you want, you have to be happy," the owl chuckled.
Hearing this, I felt a mix of amusement and exasperation, but I couldn't refute him.
"Did you have your eye on anything?" the owl asked.
I shook my head.
"Then why aren't you going to take a look? If you don't find anything you like, they won't refund your deposit," the owl said with a smile. "Don't worry, as I said, if you can't appraise it, I can help you look..."
As he spoke, a flicker of something crossed his eyes, and he seemed to mutter to himself, "Time is almost up..."
I glanced at my watch; it was past five. Dawn would break soon, so I went to look at the items.
However, there was truly nothing that caught my eye. The appraisal fee for Bai Long Yu Ma Tea House was ten thousand yuan, but the items laid out before me were probably not even worth the appraisal fee.
If I took these items to that Ma Xiuyong for appraisal, wouldn't that be humiliating?
I suddenly regretted not buying that piece of yellow jade. Even with its flaws, it was something I could at least present.
With a sigh of helplessness, just as I was about to choose an item, several beams of light suddenly shot from the woods.
Before I could even react to what was happening, the bearded man quickly rolled up the cloth on the ground and shouted, "Leaking! Run!"
Hearing this, everyone's faces changed drastically. They hastily packed their belongings and prepared to flee.
"Leaking" was slang in the underworld, meaning they had been discovered.
Without even thinking, I knew who the people with the flashlights in the woods were.
This was my first time attending a feast, and my first time encountering law enforcement at a feast.
Watching everyone scatter, I also prepared to run, but looking at the surrounding woods, I had no idea which way to go.
Fortunately, at this moment, the owl waved at me, and I quickly followed him.
We plunged into the woods from the west and soon arrived at a ravine. The owl led me down the ravine, and we followed it downwards.
My mind raced as we went, and I kept replaying the owl's words: "Time is almost up."
From the moment those "beams of light" appeared, the owl's reaction seemed almost prescient. And while everyone else fled eastward, he led me westward.
Could it be that this guy knew the feast would be "leaked" tonight?
Thinking of this, I became even more curious about what this guy did for a living.
After walking for more than half an hour, we climbed out of the ravine. My shoes were soaked through.
We reached a dirt road, and the sky was already faintly brightening. Everything around was becoming visible.
"If you keep walking this way, you'll reach the national highway," he said, pointing to a spot not far away.
"And you?" I asked.
The owl smiled and said, "Of course, I have to go back and cooperate with the work."
"Cooperate with the work?" I was a little confused.
He didn't want to elaborate, instead saying, "Alright, hurry up and go. Consider this a lesson learned. Don't attend feasts again next time."
With that, he turned and walked in another direction.
For a moment, I couldn't figure him out. Could he be an undercover agent?
If that were the case, then not a single person attending the feast tonight would escape.
But why would he help me?
If he were an undercover agent, he wouldn't let me go.
While attending a feast wasn't a major offense, being caught would mean being questioned for a long time, and possibly even facing fines or detention.
Looking at the owl's receding back, I decided it was best to get out first.
As I walked, I took out my phone and quickly called Song Bing, telling him my location.
Getting into the van, Fatty excitedly asked me how the feast went. I ignored him, only saying, "We'll talk about it when we get back."
By the time we returned to the guesthouse, it was already noon. After eating something, I went back to my room and told Song Bing and Fatty about what had happened.
They were also somewhat surprised after listening.
Fatty said, "Brother Xiang, so you're saying you attended a feast last night and came away with nothing?"
I replied impatiently, "It's a miracle I even made it back."
"Brother Xiang, you said that person was not much older than you?" Song Bing asked.
I nodded, "Probably only around twenty-three or twenty-four."
"If he were an undercover agent, he wouldn't have let you go," Song Bing said, sounding puzzled.
"That's what I thought too, which is why I find it strange," I replied.
Fatty chimed in, "Brother Xiang, in my opinion, you just have too much personal charisma that attracted him, and that's why he let you go."
"Nonsense," I retorted impatiently. "If that guy were a woman, I might believe that. But a grown man attracting another grown man? What nonsense."
"Brother Xiang, you shouldn't say that. Am I not a grown man? I admire you immensely; you are my idol."
"A target for vomiting, perhaps?" I shook my head helplessly, too lazy to argue with Fatty. I turned to Song Bing and said, "Brother Song, why don't you go ask Mao Dadan about the situation?"
Song Bing nodded, "Okay, I'll go inquire about it later."
"Let's not do it later. We haven't slept all night, so let's rest properly first. There's no rush with this matter," I said. "The priority now is to find an antique..."
Fatty said, "Brother Xiang, there's something I don't know if I should say."
"If you have something to say, spit it out."
"Actually, I brought an antique with me..."
I paused and looked at him, "You brought an antique?"
Fatty gave a sheepish smile, "I wanted to tell you a while ago, but I was afraid you'd be angry, so I didn't dare... That bone flute you asked Hong Yunpeng to keep for you, I got it back from him. I told him you sent me to get it... I was planning to bring this flute with me to Guangbei to have it looked at by someone."
"You sly fatty," I said, a mix of amusement and exasperation. "I know your intentions. You want to find a seller in Guangbei, right? To sell that flute for a good price?"
"Brother Xiang, you say that, but isn't this just preparing for unforeseen circumstances?"
"Alright, where's the flute?" I asked.
Fatty pouted, took out his backpack from the cabinet, rummaged through it, and pulled out a flute.
I took it and looked at the flute in my hand, my heart leaping with joy.
This item would be perfect for appraisal by Ma Xiuyong.
"Brother Xiang, I really didn't intend to..."
Before Fatty could finish, I interrupted him, "Alright, consider this making up for your past mistakes. If you try any more of these little schemes next time, I'll fire you."
"Brother Xiang, don't worry, there will be no next time," Fatty said with a smile. "See, haven't I been a great help to you? Can I get some of that bonus payment in advance?"
"Get lost!"