Chapter 75: The Dao Tree Rustles Loudly

If that Little Wild Cat, Jiang Xue, was clueless about how the world worked, then her father, Jiangnan, was an absolute sly old fox.

He was a silver-tongued diplomat, the kind of man who knew exactly what to say to anyone, flawlessly adapting to whatever situation he found himself in.

Truth be told, Lin Jian still had no idea just how massive the Sanjiang Group really was. He only knew that Green City Real Estate fell under the Sanjiang umbrella, and nothing beyond that. He had even less of an idea about the full extent of the Sanjiang Group’s capital.

However, having met Jiangnan twice now, he had been left with a deep impression. He was a man you wouldn’t easily forget.

After all, Jiangnan was the chairman of the Sanjiang Group’s board of directors, a billionaire. According to the logic of ordinary people, someone of his stature should have been completely unapproachable—someone you’d never even get the chance to speak to.

Yet, Jiangnan could completely set aside his status. He always maintained a warm smile, making you forget you were talking to the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate. Instead, he felt more like a kind, older-brother figure from next door.

It was no wonder he had built such a massive business empire.

"Hello, President Jiang. We meet again!"

Lin Jian didn’t call him Uncle Jiang or anything like that.

Even though Ye Ziqiu and Dongfang Wan both called him Uncle Jiang, he couldn’t do the same! When they used the title, it showed closeness. Lin Jian had absolutely no reason to be that close to Jiangnan, so calling him "Uncle" would come off as a blatant attempt to curry favor.

"How did you and Xue’Er end up coming here together?" Jiangnan asked, looking at Jiang Xue and Lin Jian with curiosity.

Hadn’t Jiang Xue had a terrible impression of this little security guard before? She had been fuming about him, so how were they arriving in the same car now?

"Dad, Lin Jian is the expert I was telling you about. Even though his personality is terrible, he actually knows a thing or two about appraising antiques. I saw it with my own eyes!" Jiang Xue shot Lin Jian a glare, looking utterly displeased.

She still hadn’t forgiven him. He was simply too detestable.

"Oh? You have that kind of skill, Lin Jian? Good, good, good. You’ll have to help me evaluate some things today," Jiangnan said politely.

Right then, several people hurried out from inside Five Directions Studio.

"Hello, President Jiang..."

They took turns shaking hands with Jiangnan, who chuckled and chatted with them amiably. It was obvious they were old acquaintances. After exchanging a few words at the entrance, the group headed into Five Directions Studio.

The interior of Five Directions Studio was incredibly spacious. Past the front storefront lay a wide, open courtyard.

Surprisingly, it was laid out like a traditional courtyard house. Furthermore, the courtyard was covered by a transparent glass roof outfitted with sunshades. With the central air conditioning blowing, the space was wonderfully cool. The area was filled with potted plants, keeping the air fresh, and there was even a pond swimming with goldfish. It truly was a beautiful spot.

"Huh? Lin? What brings you here?"

Just then, two people suddenly spotted Lin Jian. He looked over and saw that it was Old Gu, the porcelain master from when he sold the lidded tea bowl, along with Old Ji, the man who had bought it!

At that time, besides the store owner, there had been Old Gu, Old Ji, and Old Yang. Among them, Old Yang was quite knowledgeable about Ming Dynasty history and was even a history teacher. Old Gu was a true collector, specializing in appraising porcelain within the collecting circles. As for Old Ji, he was an avid collector who didn’t know much about antiques himself, but he certainly had the money for them.

"Uncle Gu, Uncle Ji, you’re here too?" Lin Jian quickly went over to greet them.

"Lin, what are you doing here? That’s Jiangnan, isn’t it? What’s your relationship with him?" Old Gu asked in surprise.

"I know his daughter. She insisted on bringing me over to see the spectacle."

Old Gu nodded. Old Ji smiled as well and said, "I heard you brought a ginseng root and a yellow rosewood box to Old Wang’s place a few days ago. Where’s the wooden box? Let me take a look at it tomorrow."

"I already sold it. The president of my company bought it," Lin Jian replied.

"Ah, what a shame! Next time you get your hands on something good, you have to show it to me first. I guarantee I’ll give you a high price," Old Ji said.

"Sure thing. The next time I unearth something good, I definitely won’t forget about you, Uncle Ji."

Among the four old men he had met, Lin Jian found Old Ji the hardest to read. He didn’t understand antiques at all, yet he wasn’t afraid to casually drop large sums of cash to buy them. But as for what Old Ji actually did for a living, Lin Jian still didn’t have a clue.

Just then, Jiang Xue waved at Lin Jian from a distance. After exchanging a quick farewell with Old Ji and Old Gu, Lin Jian returned to her side.

"Did you run into someone you know?" Jiang Xue asked in surprise. "Not bad. I heard that everyone here today is a major player in the collecting world, big shots. A few of the buyers are quite wealthy too. What do those two guys you know do?"

"They’re antique appraisal experts." Lin Jian didn’t hide anything. He pointed at Old Gu and said, "That old man’s surname is Gu. I don’t know his full name, but he’s an expert in appraising porcelain.

"The other one is Old Ji. He’s incredibly rich, though I don’t know what he does. He’s the one who bought that lidded tea bowl last time for eight million."

"Is that so?" Jiang Xue nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly remembered something. "By the way, did Yang Zhiyuan transfer the money to you?"

"He did. It hit my account a while ago."

"Then why are you..." Jiang Xue trailed off, looking at Lin Jian with a bizarre expression.

This bastard had just received eight million, yet he was acting like it was no big deal. This was far too abnormal, wasn’t it? Most ordinary people wouldn’t even earn eight million in their entire lifetimes. If they suddenly received that much money, wouldn’t they be too excited to sleep? Even if she, Jiang Xue, was given eight million by Jiangnan, she’d be thrilled for days.

But now, Lin Jian wasn’t showing any signs of joy whatsoever. He was acting completely normal, which was incredibly abnormal.

The most important point was that this bastard was still working as a security guard despite being so rich!

"Lin Jian, have a seat. It’s about to start!"

At that moment, Jiangnan gestured for Lin Jian and Jiang Xue to sit behind him. Further back sat Jiangnan’s driver.

Beside Jiangnan sat an elderly man wearing a Mao suit. The elderly man had brought a man and a woman with him, who looked like they might be his assistants. The group was discussing something in hushed tones.

The rest of the attendees also began to take their seats.

A small, temporary stage had been set up in the courtyard. It wasn’t high—only about twenty centimeters off the ground. On the stage sat a table covered with a thick blanket. Even the floor of the stage was covered with thick blue foam mats. Clearly, they were worried about dropping and shattering precious items, so they had implemented comprehensive protective measures.

Below the stage sat roughly twenty-seven or twenty-eight people. Although the courtyard was spacious, once everyone was seated, it still felt a bit crowded.

At this moment, the Shopkeeper of Five Directions Studio stepped onto the stage and cupped his hands in greeting. "Everyone, let’s get straight to the point. The ten collectibles presented today come from two fellow collectors. As for why they are selling these ten pieces, we won’t pry.

"However, there are a few things I must state upfront. First, we do not guarantee that all ten of these items are authentic.

"Second, once an item is auctioned off and the money changes hands, there will be absolutely no refunds. If you have a lapse in judgment and buy a fake, you can only blame your own lack of skill.

"Third, if any collectible is damaged while on display, it must be compensated for at market value.

"Alright, that’s all. Please bring out the first collectible!"

The Shopkeeper was quite straightforward. He moved through the procedures rapidly, introducing the first item after just a few sentences.

However, the moment the first collectible was brought to the stage, Lin Jian’s heart gave a violent thump. Deep within his soul, the Dao Tree unexpectedly began to rustle loudly: RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE!