Kong Mo felt a faint, bad premonition.
Liu Yuanliang was too old and had no concept of chemistry, but this middle-aged man, Kong Mo, was being overly cautious. Many appraisals of jade and gemstones now relied on their chemical composition.
However, he knew very well that a night-glowing pearl, in a way, also belonged to the category of precious stones.
Li Chonglou analyzing its chemical composition was not an improper approach.
Moreover, what did his words mean?
Was it just to introduce them to the formation of night-glowing pearls?
With trepidation in his heart, he forced himself to answer, "Although a night-glowing pearl is a precious stone, this one is an antique. Taking it for chemical composition testing would inevitably damage its integrity."
"Besides, you're not a machine; can you discern chemical composition with your naked eye?"
"This is a laughable absurdity!"
He was deliberately cutting off Li Chonglou's words.
After all, the company didn't have testing equipment. If Li Chonglou wanted to talk about chemical composition, there was no way.
Furthermore, this night-glowing pearl was genuine. If Li Chonglou wanted to prove it was fake, he had to provide convincing evidence.
Words without proof—he himself had said that.
Therefore, Kong Mo felt relatively calm at the moment.
"If I say I saw it with my naked eye, I'm afraid you won't be convinced," Li Chonglou had anticipated Kong Mo's response.
After speaking, he got up and pulled the blackout curtains.
The light instantly dimmed.
Although it wasn't pitch black, it was no different from seven or eight o'clock in the evening.
Then he prompted, "Open the box and take a look."
Liu Yuanliang and Kong Mo exchanged glances, their eyes filled with bewilderment in the darkness.
Soon, Kong Mo opened the box. The night-glowing pearl inside immediately emitted a soft, green glow, looking like a firefly.
Before the two could express their confusion, Li Chonglou spoke, "If it's a phosphorescent night-glowing pearl that stores light, regardless of whether it's natural, it must be exposed to light for at least fifteen minutes before it can glow."
"This is called phosphorescence, which produces the quasi-effect of a night-glowing pearl."
"But your pearl has been kept in the box and only exposed to light for a few seconds, yet it continues to glow."
"What does this indicate?"
"There are three possibilities: either it's a permanently luminous type, or it's artifically filled with fluorescent powder, or it's a fluorite imitation."
"But from its material appearance, it doesn't resemble fluorite."
"From the position and brightness of the glow, it doesn't look like filled fluorescent powder either."
"Then what's left, do I need to say?"
"Liu Yuanliang, Kong Mo, calling you blind is an understatement. You've been holding a radioactive source and congratulating yourselves every day. Disaster is imminent; you are incredibly foolish!"
The last sentence struck like lightning from a clear sky.
Although the room was dark, the live broadcast could transmit the sound to the entire company.
Everyone's eyes widened, their faces filled with astonishment.
According to Li Chonglou, this night-glowing pearl was made from a permanently luminous radioactive ore. Prolonged contact with this substance could lead to radiation poisoning and cancer.
This...
Wasn't this seeking death?
Liu Yuanliang and Kong Mo were dumbfounded, fear flashing across their faces.
*Crack!*
The next second, Li Chonglou turned on the lights. The two immediately concealed their fear and pretended to be indifferent.
Kong Mo swallowed, unable to speak, his heart trembling.
Liu Yuanliang's face turned pale, but he had to stubbornly retort, "Even if it has radioactivity, it doesn't negate it being genuine."
"Could the ancients have distinguished chemical substances?"
Faced with the situation, his own life was less important than his reputation; he couldn't let Li Chonglou gain the upper hand.
As for the radiation, he would go to the hospital for a check-up immediately after this.
If cancer cells were indeed found, he would promptly spend 1.2 million to get that anti-cancer injection.
Hearing this, Li Chonglou smiled faintly and said unhurriedly, "That's where your ignorance lies."
"Although the ancients didn't have precision instruments, their wisdom was no less than ours. Firstly, let alone the periodic table of elements, which was discovered by Mendeleev in 1869, during the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty."
"Even if the Qing imperial family didn't have anyone studying abroad, what about the artisans who made precious stones? Couldn't they distinguish which stones were harmful?"
"Why was Hetian jade so highly valued historically? Precisely because its properties were beneficial to people. These artisans were not fools."
"If there was an error in this matter, the consequences would extend to the entire clan!"
"The main pearl on Cixi's phoenix coronet is now displayed at the Central Museum. Compare it, and you'll know how ignorant you are."
His words were like knives, showing no regard for a figure of Liu Yuanliang's stature, a respected elder.
Every sentence struck at Liu Yuanliang's heart.
He turned pale and swayed precariously.
Kong Mo, seeing the situation was bad, quickly supported him.
He berated, "Li Chonglou, you are too presumptuous! You are here to disprove it, why are you personally attacking Elder Liu!"
"If anything happens to him, can you take responsibility?"
Seeing Li Chonglou presenting one piece of strong evidence after another, Kong Mo began to panic.
So he tried to shift the conversation elsewhere.
To stall for time and think of a countermeasure.
Unfortunately, Li Chonglou was not someone they could control.
He saw through their feigned composure at a glance, reached out, and took the box directly from Liu Yuanliang.
The next second, he took out the night-glowing pearl and placed it on the table.
*Crack!*
He struck the pearl directly with his palm. The entire office shook.
It also shocked Kong Mo and Liu Yuanliang.
"You... what are you doing?" Liu Yuanliang asked, his eyes wide and his voice trembling.
Li Chonglou lightly moved his palm away, revealing the night-glowing pearl, which had turned to powder under his palm.
He snorted coldly, "I'm saving your life. Did you really think I didn't know?"
"Your body has clearly been affected by radiation. This night-glowing pearl doesn't belong to Kong Mo at all, but to you. Am I wrong?"
"After all, if you lost this bet, you were supposed to become my disciple. How could I let my disciple be in danger?"
"As for this powder, feel free to take it to an appraisal institute to test its chemical composition."
"Now, it's time for you to fulfill your promise."
His casual tone carried an immensely heavy force, pressing down on Liu Yuanliang's heart.
He felt dizzy and unstable, and if Kong Mo hadn't supported him, he would have collapsed on the ground.
His lifelong reputation, unexpectedly lost in his old age to an arrogant junior.
And he had been so boastful and confident before.
Most importantly, all the employees of Xingzhi Group were watching, and it might even be posted online.
His reputation in his later years was ruined.
As for why Li Chonglou could shatter the night-glowing pearl with a single palm, no one paid attention to it at this moment. All focus was on Liu Yuanliang.
"Li Chonglou, you're going too far!" Kong Mo roared. "Elder Liu merely agreed casually, why are you being so insistent?"
"Don't forget, you are only the vice president of our Xingzhi Group. I am the president. Do you believe I can fire you!"
At this point, the matter was completely irreversible.
The only way was to deny the agreement and stubbornly refuse Li Chonglou.
Otherwise, he would have even less control over Li Chonglou in the future.
He, the president, would once again become a mere figurehead as before.
This was something Kong Mo absolutely refused to see.
"It's in black and white, precisely to guard against scoundrels like you. Do you want me to post this entire process online for everyone to see?" Li Chonglou calmly opened his phone and showed a photo of the recorded wager.
With that single sentence, Kong Mo's face turned pale.
He never expected that he, who thought Li Chonglou had fallen into a trap, would be outmaneuvered by him.
It was too late to go back on his word now.
"Alas, alas..." Liu Yuanliang sat back in his chair dejectedly, waving his hand and muttering, "I never thought I'd hunted eagles my whole life, only to be pecked by a sparrow in the end."
"Today, whether I take you as a master or not, my lifelong reputation is ruined."
"Kong Mo, let me go, let me be alone."
As Kong Mo's mind wavered, he heard this and obediently let go of Liu Yuanliang's arm.
The next second, a resolute look appeared in Liu Yuanliang's eyes. He stood up and fiercely rammed his head against the wall.
The momentum and force were unlike that of an old man.
This impact, even for a young person, would at least result in severe concussion, let alone an old man.
He was determined to die rather than lose face.
"Elder Liu..." Kong Mo cried out, but it was too late; he couldn't stop him.
A sharp glint flashed in Li Chonglou's eyes.
This old man was risking his life for face. If he died in his office, regardless of who was responsible, the entire Zhonghai cultural and museum circle would never tolerate him.
At that point, the mission would definitely fail, and he would likely be disgraced throughout the country.
After all, the accusation of forcing a respected elder to his death was no small matter.
He didn't want to bear such misfortune without reason.
As the thought crossed his mind, he raised his hand, and a book turned into white light, striking Liu Yuanliang's shoulder fiercely.
*Crack!*
The perfectly executed lateral force caused Liu Yuanliang's body to twist, completely counteracting his forward momentum. His body slumped to the ground with a thud.
A narrow escape, an extremely close call.
Kong Mo was horrified and, still shaken, quickly went to help Liu Yuanliang up.
Liu Yuanliang was stunned, his eyes vacant. He looked as if he had aged ten years.
"If you want to die, go die somewhere else, don't die here," Li Chonglou's voice was devoid of emotion. "If you don't take me as your master today, you will die with infamy!"
"If you become my disciple, consider everything that happened today as if it never happened, and we'll move on."
For someone like Liu Yuanliang, kindness was unnecessary.
Someone who valued face more than life, he had to bend him and crush him.
"I've lost... completely lost..." After a long pause, Liu Yuanliang finally came back to his senses, his voice filled with despair. "Li Shi certainly bore a good son!"
He knew that Li Chonglou would do as he said. After all, he was the one who had come looking for trouble.
Yet, he hadn't expected to encounter such a formidable opponent.
He and Li Shi were rivals and friends, mutually unconvinced. Now, he had been defeated by his illegitimate son.
One could imagine his despair.
But he hadn't died. He knew he had no chance. If he continued to be stubborn, he would truly be ruined and humiliated.
By becoming a disciple, perhaps it could be kept from public knowledge.
Thinking of this, Liu Yuanliang trembled and hesitated for a full three minutes.
Finally, under the gaze of all the employees of Xingzhi Group, and with Kong Mo's horrified expression, he knelt down before Li Chonglou.