Chapter 167 - No Comparison, No Hurt
The fat man raised the bracelet to his eyes and said, “How much is it?”
As the young miss of the Qi family, Qi Waner had no talent for being a salesgirl except for her beauty. She answered impatiently, “30 million. It’s written on the tag, sir.”
“30 million! Are you guy`s robbers? Beautiful as you, miss, you can’t make 30 million working on the streets even for another hundred years!”
After saying this, the fat man held the bracelet high and threw it on the floor. Obviously, he was there to make trouble.
Reckless and truculent, he intended to screw it up with Lin Momo because he had received a great deal of money from Lin Pingchao, who had also guaranteed him that he would get out of jail soon if he was put in.
To the man’s surprise, there was no sound of breaking jades. He looked down, only to find that a foot caught the bracelet in the air safely and steadily.
Qin Haodong had experienced all kinds of things during the 500 years in the Cultivation World that he had known Lin Pingchao would play some tricks in the competition, so, he had kept an eye on the fat man after who entered the shop, and caught the bracelet with his feet when the fat man threw it.
He gave a kick in the air and caught the bracelet that flew to him with his hands.
At the same time, Qi Waner was in an outburst of anger for the fat man dared to talk her, an exalted young miss, as a whore. With a flash of her white, long leg, she landed a mighty kick on the man’s belly.
“Ah...!” The man screamed in pain and was sent flying, and slammed on the floor at the door seven or eight meters away.
On hearing the noise, Zhang Tieniu, who was on standby with ten guards from Daddy Security Company under Qin Haodong’s order, went up and grabbed the fat man by the collar. He slapped the man’s greasy face and beat him up before kicking him out.
Qin Haodong put the bracelet back on the counter, glanced at Lin Pingchao, and said to Zhang Tieniu, “Anyone dare to make a mess here, break off his legs.”
“Yes, boss.”
Zhang Tieniu and the guards answered with one voice. Hearing that, the fat man outside the door struggled up and ran away quickly.
Though his first plot failed, Lin Pingchao looked calm just like before.
The business in the shop went on, and about ten minutes later, a gentleman, wearing glasses and suits and seeming to be a successful man, walked in.
He first went to Pingchao Jewelry and cried in surprise when seeing the jades sold there, “How beautiful are they! They look so exquisite and superior. I must buy one for my wife.”
After the words of admiration, the man finally bought a jade ruyi with 400 thousand yuan.
However, the man didn’t leave after that but went to Daqin Jewelry.
This time, he had a totally different expression on his face. He looked at the jades in the counter, shaking his head, and said, “Tsk-tsk, doing the same business, Pingchao Jewelry is much better than you. I can’t believe you really sell these rough things at such a high price. It’s cheating!”
At the moment, everyone present could tell this man was a shill hired by Lin Pingchao. Zhang Tieniu looked at Qin Haodong with querying eyes, and with a nod of whom, he would break off the man’s legs.
Qin Haodong shook his head slightly, smiling. He could not have the man beaten just because the man, who was not a rogue as the fat man, said something to disparage his jades. If he did that, no one would dare to do business with him anymore.
He went forward and said to the man, “Gentleman, buy it or not, you can’t make irresponsible remarks. Quality prevails all in our Daqin Jewelry. You might think it expensive, but it worth the price.”
“Quality? Worth the price? Not at all!” The middle-aged man laughed out loud and said while pointing at the jade ruyi in his hand, “Look at this. The pattern is so elaborate and beautiful. I could tell it’s a masterwork.”
The man then pointed to a jade ruyi in the counter in Daqin Jewelry and scoffed, “Then take a look at this one of yours, sir, it’s totally a piece of trash. Obviously, you guys are trying to cheat your customers with this rough stuff.”
A scornful smile tugged at the corner of Qin Haodong’s mouth as he thought, “Obviously, this shill has a poor taste, knowing nothing about jades. Great art always conceals itself and is expressed naturally, just like this jade ruyi, a great piece of work from Master Su Haichuan, and an embodiment of whose super skills. It’s superior to the one in his hand more than a level.”
As an expert of jades, Lin Momo could not help but chime in, “Sir, save your breath please, or you will make yourself a fool. The jade ruyi in your hand may look nice, but it’s nothing compared to the one of ours.”
“Are you trying to doubt my taste? Funny! I certainly have an eye for jades! Even those who know nothing about jades could tell the one in my hand is a piece of masterwork.”
After finishing his words, the man turned to a salesgirl of Pingchao Jewelry and asked, “Girl, may I ask who made this jade?”
The girl answered, “Master Zhou Hailiang, sir. If you doubt my words, I can invite this master out to meet you face to face.”
The middle-aged mand cried in excitement, “Great! Please do it, girl. Let this well-known carver tell us who turns out to have no taste.”
Qin Haodong watched the man acting on the side in silence, and he knew Lin Pingchao arranged all this. Just as he expected, when the salesgirl led a man about 30 into the shop, four or five reporters immediately rushed in carrying their cameras, ready to cover the event.
Qin Haodong recognized one of them, Li Yuanyuan, whom he had met at the board meeting of Lin’s Group.
When Zhou Hailiang stepped in, Li Yuanyuan interviewed him at once. “Master Zhou, is this jade ruyi made by you?”
“Yes,” Zhou Hailiang answered, “It took me three days to make it. It’s good.”
“Are all the jades of Pingchao Jewelry made by you, Master Zhou?” Li Yuanyuan asked again.
“You could say so. Some of them are made by my apprentice though, they are all of good quality.”
The cameras whirred and the flashbulbs popped as Zhou Hailiang gave his answer of confidence.
The shill pretended to persuade him, “Master Zhou, I was said to be having no taste when I gave my opinion, that the jade ruyi made by you was much nicer than the one of Daqin Jewelry.”
Zhou Hailiang smiled conceitedly. “There is an old saying, two of a trade seldom agree. Maybe, their works do surpass mine.”
Everyone could tell it was a left-handed compliment, whose real meaning was to disparage the jade ruyi of Daqin Jewelry.
Li Yuanyuan also said, “Master Zhou, we’re laymen of jade art. Could you please tell us the exact differences between these two jades?”
Lin Pingchao stayed where he was, watching the show with a complacent smile.
What had happened yet was his plot, to best Daqin Jewelry with Zhou Hailiang’s reputation and skills, and he would make it known to the public.
Zhou Hailiang pretended to be embarrassed with saying, “It’s not kind to make comments on those of my profession.”
The shill pretended to persuade him, “Please don’t feel so, Master Zhou. Since they dared to sell their jades at such a high price, they should be open for the comment from an expert.”
“Yes,” Li Yuanyuan echoed with the shill. “Can’t agree more. Master Zhou, the laymen like us are looking forward to enlightenment.”
“Okay, since you’re asking.”
After saying that, Zhou Hailiang went straight to the counter of Daqin Jewelry with everyone’s company. Zhang Tieniu tried to stop them, but Qin Haodong told him not. He was curious to know how Master Zhou would say about Su Haichuan’s works.
Zhou Hailiang strode to the counter with a proud face, but soon, he was caught by shock when he took a clear look at the jade ruyi. Wordless, he had a dull look on his face.
However, the shill paid no attention to Master Zhou’s expression but triumphantly urged him to speak. “Master Zhou, this is the jade ruyi I mentioned to you. Though I’m not an expert, from the looks of it, I can tell it’s too rough compared to the one you made. They really did shoddy work.”
Li Yuanyuan also said, “Say something, Master Zhou, Tell us the difference between these two jade ruyis.”
Zhou Hailiang remained silent. Right then, a snort was heard before someone’s voice sounded. “You feel free to be called master, don’t you, loser!”
Everyone looked back only to see a man about 50 come behind Zhou Hailiang. The man was no other than Su Haichuan.
“Who are you, old man? the shill asked in a displeased tone, “How dare you talk to Master Zhou like that? Are you a master good enough to criticize him?”
“Yes,” Li Yuanyuan echoed with the shill. “Be polite when you talk to Master Zhou, this gentleman. He is a famous master in our city.”
However, Su Haichuan sneered. “Does he deserve my respect?”
“Watch your mouth, man. Of course, Master Zhou does...”
. The shill tried to say something more but held his tongue when he saw Zhou Hailiang go to bow deeply and respectfully to Su Haichuan. “Pay my respect, master.” The shill then heard Zhou Hailiang say.
The words caused a stir among the onlookers, the customers in the shop included. No one had thought that the arrogant Master Zhou was this old man’s apprentice.
Both the shill and Li Yuanyuan were rendered speechless seeing the scene.
. “In fact, I’m looking forward to hearing your precious comment on these two jade ruyis. So, tell me, what’s the difference between them?”
Zhou Hailiang answered respectfully, “I’m not qualified to make comments on your works, master.”
“How couldn’t you make any progress after so many years of learning! Look at the trash you worked out!” Su Haichuan pointed at the jade ruyi in Master Zhou’s hands and continued in a cold tone, “Go back to work harder and don’t get out until you could make your works more simplified and natural.”
“Yes, master.”
Zhou Hailiang bowed to Su Haichuan like a pupil bowing to his teacher and left without looking back.
historical
Lin Pingchao was dumbfounded. He never thought that the man he hired at a cost was Su Haichuan’s apprentice while Su Haichuan happened to have made all the jades Qin Haodong sold. So far, his plan of besting Qin Haodong with Su Haichuan failed.
No comparison, no hurt. To him, it was such a big shame!