‘I’m finished! I’m really finished this time!’
He was as on edge as sitting on a hot skillet. Behind him, the younger police officer also looked anxious. He knew that he had hit a snag this time.
“Brother… Brother Tang!” The middle-aged police officer greeted him with a forced smile as he handed the phone back to Tang Hao.
“Who’s your brother?” Tang Hao’s face was cold.
The middle-aged police officer could only smile awkwardly at the snub. His face became greener and greener.
“Didn’t President Liu say earlier that you should wait for him? Then we’ll just wait!” Tang hao said coldly. Then, he leaned on his little three-wheeled motorcycle and waited silently.
The crowd of villagers were starting to get confused.
What kind of drama was this?
Were they not trying to arrest Tang Hao earlier? How did the situation develop like this? Why did the police officer look like he was afraid of Tang Hao?
“Hey, aren’t you police officers? If he committed a crime, why aren’t you arresting him?” His aunt yelled.
“Arrest? I’ll arrest you!” The middle-aged police officer roared out of panic.
His aunt was intimidated and kept her mouth shut.
As time passed, the crowd that surrounded them became bigger. Almost half the village had gathered in front of Tang Hao’s house to witness and discuss this uncanny scene.
About twenty minutes later, they heard a commotion at the entrance of the village.
Everyone turned to look and saw a cavalcade of cars traveling along the village road.
All the cars in the cavalcade were luxury cars. The car in the lead was a Rolls-Royce Phantom. Behind it were Mercedes-Benzes and BMWs. Everyone was awed by this opulent spectacle.
“Wow, these cars are so pretty! Each one of them must cost a few hundred thousand!”
“Pah! A few hundred thousand? More like a few million!”
“Where did all these big bosses come from? Why are they here at Tang Village?”
The villagers were confused.
Tang Village was just a small rural village by the mountain. Strangers rarely visited the place. Today, they were visited by a police car, then a cavalcade of luxury cars. It was strange indeed!
The cavalcade paraded down the road and stopped in front of the crowd.
The car doors opened and people stepped out of the cars. Each one of them was dressed handsomely and had an aura of authority.
Almost the entire village was gathered there. The scene was crowded.
“Wow, they’re all big bosses! Why are they all here?”
“Don’t tell me they like this piece of land and want to build a factory here?”
The discussions became more agitated, they almost forgot about the issue with Tang hao.
They did not think that these two incidents were related.
At this moment, the group of big bosses walked toward Tang Hao and greeted him passionately.
Chapter 21
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Don’t fret, Lil Tang! Your Big Bro Liu is here! Ol’ Tang and Ol’ Li also got the news that you’re in some trouble now. You can’t imagine how frantic their faces looked! They’re all here as well.” Liu Dajun walked toward him in big strides.
“Don’t worry, Brother Tang, your Big Brothers are standing with you!”
“Dammit, who dares mess with my Brother Tang? I’ll make sure he’s dead!”
President Tang, President Li and President Biao were all behind Liu Dajun. There were a few others that Tang Hao did not recognize, but he could tell at first glance that they were powerful people too.
All these people rushed over and stood beside Tang Hao.
Everyone in the village was stunned. They all had expressions of bewilderment on their faces.
“Oh my god! Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Lil Hao knows all these people?”
“That’s… that’s right… they even called themselves Lil Hao’s big brothers…”
The villagers’ cries of surprise could be heard all over.
His aunt stood there dumbfounded, unable to say anything. Her eyes were round, and her mouth was wide open. You could put an egg in there.
Her mind was blank at this moment.
‘Isn’t this Tang Hao just a hooligan? Isn’t he doomed to be a delivery boy for the rest of his life?’ In her eyes, Tang Hao was a useless piece of trash. How was he acquainted with so many VIPs?’
‘Acquainted’ was probably the wrong word. They were already calling each other brothers.
His aunt felt a little dizzy. She wondered if she was dreaming.
The two police officers were also slack-jawed.
These people that showed up were famous and respected who would not be seen on a typical day. Now all of them showed up at the same place and were chatting freely with this village kid and even calling each other brothers.
The middle-aged police officer wanted to slap himself hard on the face to see if he was dreaming.
Otherwise, how could there be such a ridiculous scene?
His face turned paler and paler. His legs were trembling like threshing rice.
He knew that his career was already over.
“Big Bro Liu, Big Bro Tang…” Tang Hao greeted them one by one. “Thanks for rushing over to my aid!”
“Eh! It’s no big deal. Whoever dares to bully our Brother Tang will have to go through us!” Liu Dajun spoke gregariously while slapping his chest.
He turned around and looked at the two police officers with hostility.
“You two sure have guts! As the police of the citizens, you dare abuse your power and frame a good person. Mess with my Brother Tang here and you’ll be dead.
“I’ve called your superior earlier to ask about this matter. There is no such incident. The eight hundred thousand in his bank account were all from us.
“Now get lost and prepare to face disciplinary action!”
The two police officers bowed obediently and groveled. They did not even dare to breathe too loudly.
After Liu Dajun finished speaking, the middle-aged police officer’s phone started ringing. His face turned white as a sheet when he saw the name on the call notification. He picked up the call and heard his superior yelling at him.
“Look what you’ve done, Zhang Dong! Get back here at this instant. Haven’t you shamed yourself enough?”
“Yes, yes!” Zhang Dong could only agree. Sweat poured from his forehead.
After he hung up the call, the two police officers defeatedly rode on their police car and left.
The villagers now realized what was going on.
“Oh, so Lil Hao was framed! These two police officers are the bad guys!”
“Eh, I already knew that! Lil Hao is a good kid, why would anyone think that he’s a thief? He must be framed!”
“Oh, can’t you see? Lil Hao is already showing some promise! He knows so many big bosses. We all in Tang Village can share the glory.”
The villagers changed their tone of voice immediately. Their admiration for Tang Hao was evident.
His aunt’s face became pale when she heard that. She did not feel so good.
Tang Hao had been a useless piece of trash in her eyes all along. She could not accept that he had suddenly turned into a popular person.
“Everything’s OK now, Lil Hao. By the way, what happened? Who framed you?” Liu Dajun asked.
“It’s an old classmate of mine. His name is Zhang Tianhao. He’s the son of the principal of First High School,” Tang Hao replied.
He then proceeded to briefly explain the grudge between them.
“Is that so! This Zhang kid is cunning and underhanded. He thinks he’s untouchable just because his dad is a school principal?” President Biao said indignantly.
President Li finally spoke. “I’m quite familiar with First High School. I’m an alumnus of the school. The current pr
incipal is Zhang Hong. I’m acquainted with him, though we aren’t too close.
“Speaking of that, I don’t actually like him. This person has a bad work ethic, and there’s already rumors saying that he harasses the female students there. He’s a pervert, with the face of a human but the heart of an animal.”
“However, no one dared touch him, and that’s why he’s still principal to this day. Now that his son dared to mess with my brother, they have already gone too far. I’ll have to mess with him for a bit, maybe at least get him sacked and let him taste the fruits of his evil deeds.”
“That’s the way to do it, Ol’ Li! I can never stand this kind of hypocrite who abuses his power for his selfish gain. Count me in, too,” Liu Dajun said.
“Count me in too!” President Huang and the rest chimed in.
“Thank you, my brothers!” Tang Hao said gratefully.
“Eh! Don’t mention it. Come here, let me introduce to you a few more friends,” Liu Dajun said. He pointed at the new faces while introducing each one of them.
“I have heard about you, Little Brother Tang!” Those people came forward and shook hands enthusiastically with Tang Hao.
“I say, Lil Tang, why are you still staying in a hovel like this? I’ll recommend a nice house for you some other day.” Li Dajun frowned hard when he looked at Tang Hao’s house in front of him.
“Yes, yes! As your big brothers, we cannot stand seeing you living in such deplorable conditions,” President Biao agreed.
“It’s fine! I’m used to living here. There’s no rush in moving! I guess the matter is settled now. Let’s go!” Tang Hao said.
“Alright, let’s go! You can hitch a ride in my car, Lil Tang!” President Biao said.
“Eh, Ol’ Biao, you must be mistaken. Lil Tang needs to be in my car,” Liu Dajun shouted.
“No, you all got it wrong. Lil Tang has to sit in my car,” President Li joined in the ruckus.
The villagers were once again dumbfounded when they saw the big bosses arguing over who gets to fetch Tang Hao to work.
They could not figure out why the plain-looking Lil Hao was the object of affection for all these big bosses.
“It’s fine, big brothers… I have my own ride!” Tang Hao coughed and pointed at his little three-wheeled motorcycle.
Liu Dajun and the other people were shocked when they saw that. They did not say anything for a while.
“He wanted to keep a low profile!” President Biao blurted while slapping on his thigh.
“Yes, a low profile! He doesn’t want to flaunt his talents!” The other people agreed.
Very soon, a bizarre scene appeared in Tang Village.
On a little three-wheeled motorcycle sat a handsome boy with a clean face wearing a white button-down shirt. Behind him was a cavalcade of luxury cars following the motorcycle closely.
All around them, the villagers looked on with admiration.
Chapter 22
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In the afternoon, Tang Hao went to the medicinal herb market.
His shopping list this time was a lot longer with more than thirty items.
The medicinal herbs in the Scripture of the Divine Herbalist all had archaic names. All the names had changed in the present day and they were hard to find. Some had even gone extinct. Tang Hao went several times around the market and only managed to find about twenty-odd items.
Fortunately, he managed to purchase the essential ingredients. He found equivalent substitutes for those that were not available.
After rounding up all the ingredients, he then went to buy lingzhi and other medicinal herbs. His backpack was stuffed to the brim.
He rode his little three-wheeled motorcycle out of the medicinal herb market and prepared to return to Tang Village.
Next to the medicinal herb market was the antique street.
When Tang Hao passed by the street, he heard someone calling him. “Little Brother Tang!”
Tang Hao was puzzled. He thought he must have misheard. When he turned around to look at who it was, a black sedan stopped nearby. One of its windows rolled down and a head poked out of the window. It was Elder Ma.
“It’s Elder Ma! What a coincidence!” Tang Hao said.
“Yes! What a coincidence! Little Brother Tang, did you just come from the medicinal herb market?” Elder Ma asked.
“Yep!”
Elder Ma smiled, then thought for a bit and said, “Little Brother Tang, since I rarely get to meet you, how about you follow me and gain some knowledge?”
Tang Hao hesitated. He wanted to decline at first, but he thought about the issue for a bit. ‘Antique appraisal is a secretive business. It might be fun. I don’t have any urgent issues at hand anyway, I don’t mind tagging along.’
“Alright!” Tang hao nodded and agreed.
“Then, Little Brother Tang, follow my car. It’s not too far away.” Elder Ma smiled.
After that, the car slowly rolled forward and stopped next to the antique street.
Elder Ma got out of the car. He was neatly dressed in a traditional Chinese suit and looked young and energetic.
The driver got out of the car next. He was a middle-aged man of about forty-something years of age.
“This is my son, Ma Wenyuan. This is the Little Brother Tang that I mentioned to you before.” Elder Ma introduced them to each other.
“So it’s Divine Doctor Tang! Excuse me for my lack of manners!” Ma Wenyuan behaved equally as refined as his father Elder Ma.
“You flatter me!” Tang Hao said urgently.
“Let’s go, Little Brother Tang!” Elder Ma led the way. “There’s coincidentally a trade fair today. I’d like to bring you to take a look.”
“Trade fair? Is it a ghost market1?”
Elder Ma laughed. “No! You’ll see when you get there.”
Tang Hao did not speak any further and followed Elder Ma.
They entered a shop in the middle of the antique street. Someone from inside the shop saw Elder Ma and greeted him politely. “Elder Ma!”
Elder Ma nodded and went farther into the shop. After passing through a threshold and walking through a long and winding corridor, they reached a hall.
The hall was dimly lit. Several tables were arranged next to the walls while several stools were placed in the center. When people saw Elder Ma enter, they stood from their seats and greeted him.
“Let’s sit down!” Elder Ma waved his hands.
The people saw Tang Hao standing behind Elder Ma. “Hey, Elder Ma! You brought a disciple today?”
Elder Ma smiled. “No, this little brother here isn’t in this business. He’s just here to widen his knowledge.”
“Oh,” the man replied and looked elsewhere.
“Let’s sit down!” Elder Ma picked a few stools and indicated Tang Hao to sit down. He retrieved a pocket watch and looked at it. “It’s starting,” he said.
Several people came into the hall. They were all in traditional Chinese suits. The one leading the way was a thin man in his fifties. He had a thin handlebar mustache on his face and looked somewhat like a mouse.
He swaggered into the hall. When he saw Elder Ma, he cried, “Hey! You’re here, Elder!”
Elder ma frowned and replied, “Boss Zhou!” He seemed like he did not have a good impression of this person.
“Please show us your wisdom today, Elder!”
Even though this Boss Zhou said so, his tone of voice was full of mockery and had no hint of respect in it.
Tang Hao also noticed that. He assumed that these two were rivals.
“Who is he?” Tang Hao discreetly asked Ma Wenyuan.
“His surname is Zhou, and his nickname is Bucktooth. His antique shop has been our biggest competitor in the last ten-odd years,” Ma Wenyuan replied.
Tang Hao nodded at the realization.
A while later, one of the ceiling lights lit up. Some people came in a single file from an inner chambe
r. They were all dressed in black, and each of them was carrying an item covered in black cloth. They placed the items on the tables that surrounded the hall.
“It’s starting!” Elder Ma said.
When all the items were in place, the people removed the black cloth and revealed the items underneath. They were all antiques of various kinds, such as terracotta figures, paintings and jade carvings.
There were a total of twenty-five items.
Some of the items looked ancient. Some of them still had dirt on them, as if recently unearthed.
“These items are all collected by dirt-skimmers, and they put it up for auction here exclusively for antique shop owners. All these people here are the shop owners of the major antique shops on this street.” Ma Wenyuan told Tang Hao in a low voice.
Tang Hao was confused. “What do you mean by dirt-skimmers?”
He did not lower his voice and everyone heard that. The other antique shop owners knew that Tang Hao was not in the business, so they did not think it was anything out of the ordinary. As for Bucktooth Zhou, he gave him a side-eye and laughed.
“Why is there a blind greenhorn here? I say Elder Ma, your disciple has a lot to learn!”
Elder Ma was expressionless. “This little brother here is not in the antique business. I brought him here so that he can gain some knowledge.” After that, he walked to one side and inspected a porcelain bowl.
“Dirt-skimmers are those people who don’t run an antique shop but go to rural villages to collect items from the locals. Some of them even buy their items from grave robbers,” Ma Wenyuan said.
Tang Hao nodded and finally understood.
He also knew that ‘grave robbers’ meant those who stole items from ancient tombs.
Tang Hao had never seen anything like this before. He curiously looked at the activity all around him.
Suddenly, he furrowed his brows. He noticed that there was something weird about these items. They had some different intensities of qi surrounding them.
He did not feel the flow of qi when he was standing farther away, but he could feel it when he went close.
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