Chapter 154 Please wait, the boss will be right here!

A flash of insight crossed Pan Ximi’s eyes, and she nodded immediately, saying, "Brother Hu, do you mean we can use Su Li to keep Old Ghost in check?"

I smiled. "Check is hardly the word. We can at least disgust the old ghost. The gap in their strength is simply too vast!"

With that, I slammed on the brakes and brought the car to a halt.

Pan Ximi looked up and realized we had returned to the main entrance of the Bengjian Market.

The car was parked right beneath the teahouse.

Pan Ximi looked at me and asked, "Brother Hu, whose text message was that you just received? Did they ask to meet us here?"

I nodded and said, "Let's go. Get out of the car and head upstairs."

We went upstairs and entered the teahouse. The air was filled with a faint fragrance of tea.

Li Qiang was sitting at a table by the window, with a pot of tea and several empty cups laid out before him.

He looked up and saw us, his expression tinged with a hint of tension.

"Brother Hu, Pan Ximi." Li Qiang stood up, gave a slight nod, and his gaze shifted back and forth between the two of us, as if trying to gauge our tacit understanding.

"Li Qiang, why are you the only one here?" I asked, a vague sense of unease stirring in my heart.

"They told me to come alone." Li Qiang frowned, his tone carrying a trace of anxiety. "They said that for safety's sake, they didn't want a face-to-face meeting with me."

I nodded, pondering the implications behind this.

Li Qiang pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to me. An address for a private room was written on it.

"This is the place they designated. They want you to go and meet them."

"Then let's go meet them," I said, my plan already formed. "However, I hope you can tell them that we will wait for them in the adjacent room."

Li Qiang was momentarily stunned, a puzzled look crossing his face. "Brother Hu, why not go directly to their room? Wouldn't that be much more convenient?"

I smiled faintly, feeling a quiet sense of triumph inside. "For safety's sake. As an insider, who knows if they’ve installed hidden cameras or anything of the sort? If I meet them in their room, even if no fake jade is involved, I'll never be able to clear my name."

Pan Ximi nodded beside me, clearly understanding my concerns.

Hearing this, Li Qiang seemed to grasp my intention. Although still somewhat hesitant, he nodded.

"Alright, I'll pass your request along to them."

We waited in the teahouse for a short while before Li Qiang stood up and hurried away.

Pan Ximi and I exchanged glances, both knowing in our hearts that this meeting was destined to be far from simple.

"Brother Hu, do you think there will be any danger in this meeting?"

Pan Ximi asked in a low voice, her eyes flickering with a trace of worry.

"Danger? Unlikely. People in the forgery business care only about profits."

I thought to myself that since I had decided to confront Old Ghost, I had to be fully prepared for anything.

Pan Ximi nodded, seemingly somewhat encouraged by my words.

Time ticked away second by second. Finally, Li Qiang returned, his expression grave.

"They agreed, but they want you to wait inside the private room. The exact time is uncertain," Li Qiang said, tension underlying his tone.

"No problem," I replied, having already mapped out my response. "As long as I get to see them, I'll find a way to handle it."

The private room we were currently in had a minimalist interior decoration, furnished with only a round table and a few chairs.

A few landscape paintings hung on the walls, giving the space a somewhat eerie atmosphere.

I sat down, while Pan Ximi stood to the side, her gaze sweeping around the room as if searching for any possible listening devices.

She found nothing.

"Brother Hu, are we really going to wait for them here?" Pan Ximi asked, lowering her voice.

"Of course."

Just then, the door to the private room was gently pushed open, and a burly man walked in.

He looked around the room before finally letting his gaze land on me.

"You must be Brother Hu?" he asked in a low voice, a certain solemnity in his tone.

"That's right," I replied, remaining vigilant and ready to deal with whatever situation might arise.

"I’ve heard your name for a long time, and today I finally get to see you in person," he said, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold smirk. "However, according to the rules, we have to inspect the place first before our boss can come in. May we conduct a search?"

I smiled, gesturing around the room, and said, "Please, make yourselves at home!"

The burly man smiled faintly and motioned for his subordinates to begin.

Several subordinates immediately started rummaging through the private room, their movements rough and swift.

They flipped through the tea sets on the table, checked the electrical outlets in the corners, and even took down the landscape paintings hanging on the walls to carefully inspect what was behind them.

"Take your time, no rush. Once the inspection is done, you'll get to see the boss."

Pan Ximi watched quietly from the side, her eyes flashing with alertness.

She knew that this meeting might well determine our fate. At that moment, the subordinates suddenly stopped what they were doing and gathered together, whispering softly.

"No devices found. It seems Brother Hu is quite straightforward. Our boss is generally willing to meet people like this."

The burly man’s voice sounded again, carrying a hint of approval.

"Then please go ahead!" I smiled.

"Certainly." He nodded, then turned and walked toward the door.

"Please wait a moment, the boss will be right here." The burly man smiled slightly, then went out and closed the door.

The atmosphere inside the private room grew increasingly tense. Pan Ximi’s gaze remained fixed on the door, as if waiting for something.

"Brother Hu, what kind of background do you think this boss has?" Pan Ximi asked in a low voice, a trace of unease in her tone.

"Judging from his subordinates' reactions, he's at least someone with a bit of clout. And having been through a lot, he certainly won't be simple," I replied, turning over countermeasures in my mind.

At that moment, the door was pushed open once more, and a lean, gloomy-looking middle-aged man walked in.

His gaze was as sharp as an eagle's. After sweeping the room, it finally locked onto me.

"You're Brother Hu?" he began, his voice low and magnetic.

"Indeed," I nodded, thinking to myself that this person possessed an extraordinary aura.

"I heard you're interested in our products," he smiled faintly.

"I am indeed somewhat interested in your products," I said slowly, trying to keep my voice steady. "However, I care more about your sincerity."

The middle-aged man paused slightly, a playful expression crossing his face. "Sincerity? That's not something I should give; it's something you need to prove. In this circle of ours, everything revolves around profit."

I chuckled softly, thinking to myself, *What an old fox.*

Then, I continued, "I've heard that your jade pieces can pass off the fake as genuine?"

The middle-aged man smiled slightly, sat down opposite me, and said, "In this world, what is fake cannot become true, and what is true cannot become fake. There is no such thing as passing off the fake as genuine. I can only say that fake goods come with fake prices!"

I hadn't expected him to be quite professional, holding a product logic all his own.