This was my second time on a plane, and I was clearly more experienced. Fatty, however, was a different story.
As soon as we boarded, the guy was jumpy, constantly pressing the call button to summon the flight attendant with all sorts of pointless questions, nearly incurring the wrath of the other passengers.
He’d ask the flight attendant if the plane would crash, then if there were any parachutes…
I originally planned to pretend I didn't know this guy, but after he finished with the flight attendant, he tried to engage me again: “Xiang Ye, if the plane falls, you absolutely have to save me…”
“Can you shut up?” I asked, exasperated.
“Isn’t this me being prepared for the worst?” Fatty said. “You know, things that fly in the sky are so unreliable… If something happens, there’s nowhere to escape.”
“Do you believe I’ll throw you out right now?” I glared at him. “Hurry up and shut your mouth. If you say another word, after we land, we go our separate ways.”
Only after I said that did Fatty finally close his mouth.
Two hours later, the plane landed at Shangdu Airport. I checked the time; it was just past three in the afternoon.
We hailed a taxi and headed for Nanxing Road.
When we got there, I realized Nanxing Road was a massive antique market. As soon as I entered, before even asking anyone, I saw the four large characters of Tianditonggu inscribed on a signboard.
This antique business, compared to Anyuantang, was in no way inferior. The decor was antique and elegant, and the strong aura of antiques could be felt just standing at the entrance.
Upon entering, I surveyed the surroundings. There weren’t many items displayed, and their authenticity was hard to tell.
“Do you gentlemen have an appointment?” a middle-aged man approached us and asked.
“No appointment,” I replied.
The middle-aged man smiled and said, “If you don’t have an appointment, you’ll have to make one first…”
“Didn’t you call me to come?” I asked.
The man blinked, his face filled with confusion.
I said, “I’m here to find Fu Honglang.”
As soon as I said this, the man froze for a moment, then looked at Fatty and me with a grave expression. After a few seconds, he turned and walked into the inner hall.
“Xiang Ye, what’s with this guy?” Fatty asked.
I shook my head. “I’m not sure…”
On the plane, I had briefly explained the situation to Fatty.
In less than two minutes, the middle-aged man reappeared and gestured for Fatty and me with a “please”: “Gentlemen, please follow me.”
Fatty and I exchanged glances, then followed him inside.
I figured that with such a large establishment and in broad daylight, they probably wouldn’t dare to act rashly.
The main reason was that I still didn’t know what was going on, and I felt uneasy.
I had never even met this Fu Honglang before; if it weren’t for Sister Ying, I probably wouldn’t have come at all.
I wondered what trouble he had gotten into to be held captive.
We passed through a courtyard and quickly arrived at a reception room. After we were seated, the middle-aged man asked us to wait a moment and then left.
About five or six minutes later, a man wearing a striped polo shirt, looking around fifty years old, walked in. This must be Chen Jiang, the one who called me.
When he saw Fatty and me, he was clearly surprised: “Are you here to ransom him?”
I nodded.
He sneered, “What is Fu Honglang playing at? Sending two beardless kids to settle things?”
Before I could speak, Fatty interjected, “Hey, what do you mean by ‘beardless’? Does having more facial hair mean you can accomplish great things?”
Chen Jiang gave a cold laugh and said, “If you want to ransom him, did you bring the money?”
“Can I see him first?” I asked.
“Once you give me the money, you can see him however you want?”
“How much is it?” I asked.
“One million.”
Hearing the number, I was stunned.
This was no small sum for me. Right now, I had less than a hundred thousand to my name.
Of course, the money Sister Ying left me was substantial, but I wasn’t in Guangling, so going back to get it was unrealistic.
Most importantly, I hadn’t even met this Fu Honglang, and they wanted me to pay a million for him. Frankly, I felt unsure.
Thinking about it, I smiled and said, “Are you Mr. Chen, who called me this morning?”
“That’s right, it’s me.”
“It’s like this, Mr. Chen. after receiving your call, we rushed over from Yanjing. Since we’ve come, we naturally want to help Fu Honglang resolve this matter. However, before that, I’d like to understand what’s going on and how he owes you a million?”
“You’re from Yanjing?” Chen Jiang raised an eyebrow and asked.
Fatty, with his distinct Beijing accent, chimed in, “What? You don’t believe us? This brother has been hanging around the capital since I was a kid.”
Hearing Fatty’s words, a flicker of hesitation crossed Chen Jiang’s eyes, likely trying to guess our identities.
After a moment, he sat down on a chair nearby and signaled for someone to pour us tea.
“I don’t care what your relationship is with Fu Honglang. Since you’re sincerely here to ransom him, there’s no harm in telling you the story,” Chen Jiang said.
So, it turned out that about half a month ago, Fu Honglang had spread word that he had a green artifact to sell, and a particularly valuable one at that.
Green artifacts, or *lüqi*, referred to bronze wares, and a valuable one meant it had significant provenance.
At the time, several families were interested in this bronze artifact and had all paid a deposit, waiting for Fu Honglang to organize a “cuancaochang.”
A "cuancaochang" was a small auction. Those who wished to participate had to pay a fee to gain eligibility.
However, many people from Nanxing Road had paid. On the day of the cuancaochang, Fu Honglang actually presented a fake, much to everyone’s disappointment. They all demanded he return their deposits.
Who would have thought that Fu Honglang would claim he had already spent the money? Someone investigated and discovered that he had gone to gamble at a “pengzi” in the days after receiving the deposits.
A “pengzi” was a gambling den set up on a fishing boat.
This matter had been unresolved for over half a month and had become common knowledge throughout Nanxing Road.
After that, Chen Jiang intervened, directly kidnapping Fu Honglang and issuing a statement that anyone who wanted to ransom him should bring money.
But to his surprise, days passed without any response. It was at this moment that I happened to call Fu Honglang.
Chen Jiang then used Fu Honglang’s phone to call me back.
After hearing the entire account, I frowned slightly and pondered for a moment before saying, “Boss Chen, how about this? One million is not a small sum. Could you give me some time?”
Chen Jiang asked, “How much time?”
“Seven days.”
“No, seven days is too long. I can’t wait.”
“Then how long do you propose?” I asked.
He held up three fingers: “Three days at most. If you can’t come up with the money after three days, then don’t blame me for not being lenient!”
“Alright, three days it is.”
With that, I stood up and said to Fatty, “Let’s go.”