Chapter 5: The Only One Who Can Save Your Son Is You

It is a certainty that forgeries are modeled after the original.

Setting aside the kind of shills like Teacher Haiqing who will call anything genuine for a price, if these counterfeiters want to fool someone of Brother Liang’s caliber, they must study every aspect of the original piece to create a replica that can pass for the real thing. Therefore, I am certain that the original is currently in Zhao Shangde’s hands.

Zhao Shangde’s face darkened. He snorted and cursed, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Clutching his bleeding head with one hand, he stumbled toward the entrance. I didn't stop him; I just said flatly, "Boss Zhao, you know Third Master’s methods better than I do. You might want to see if you can even make it out of Haizhou this afternoon."

Boss Zhao stopped and turned around, glaring at me. "Are you threatening me?"

"Pfft!" I let out a cold laugh and ignored him. I opened the car door and said to Wen Liang, "Brother Liang, want to come sit at my place for a while?"

Wen Liang looked at me with a complex expression. He sighed and obediently got into the car. I turned my head to look at Boss Zhao, saying nothing. After a moment of hesitation, he cursed under his breath, strode over, and got in as well.

When we returned to Yanhui Company, Sister Yan had just seen a client out. She paused in surprise when she saw Wen Liang following behind us.

"Sister Yan, sorry to bother you!" Although Wen Liang wasn't particularly close to us siblings, he didn't harbor the same hostility as Zhao Xiangbo, so he greeted her politely.

Zhao Shangde also stepped out of the car. He glanced at the shop’s storefront and curled his lip in utter disdain. "The location is decent, but it's a pity the business is so low-class. Can’t make much money here—what a waste of a good spot!"

The client, a stylishly dressed young woman, pulled a stack of hundred-dollar bills from her handbag and slapped them into Sister Yan’s hand. "Yanzi, this is a ten-thousand-yuan deposit. If you can clear this up for me, the rest of the payment won't be a problem!"

Sister Yan took the money and smiled. "Don't worry, Shanshan. Leave it to me; I’ll call you in two days."

The young woman snapped her fingers and walked away. I looked at the two men standing beside me, stunned, and gestured, "Boss Zhao, Brother Liang, please, come inside."

Wen Liang looked at me with envy. "Stone, your shop makes a lot of money! A single job is worth more than a month of my work!"

I shook my head. "It’s not that exaggerated. There are times when I work for nothing or even take a loss. Usually, a job only brings in a few hundred; clients this generous are rare."

Wen Liang took this as polite modesty, while the expression on Zhao Shangde’s face was as if he had swallowed a fly; it was painful to watch.

The small shop was less than a hundred square meters. According to Sister Yan’s design, it was split into office and living spaces, with the front area divided into an office and a reception room. I invited them into the reception room, told them to sit, and went out to pour them some water, taking the opportunity to tell Sister Yan the whole story.

***

After I finished, Sister Yan frowned. "This Boss Zhao has shifty eyes and evasive speech; he’s a cunning and deceitful man. It’s going to be very hard to make him tell the truth in just a few hours. Stone, you aren’t usually this impulsive. Why today?"

I smiled bitterly. "Sister, I couldn't just sit by and watch Brother Liang get punished, could I?"

Sister Yan looked at me calmly, saying nothing. I knew it was hard to keep secrets from her. She understood me too well, and over the years, besides practicing Qi, she spent her time reading. Through self-study, she had actually earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Haizhou University! Even a stranger’s lies could be easily detected by her, let alone those of the brother she had raised.

I stopped hiding it and looked at her. "Sister, this is an opportunity for us. If I can help him settle that two-million-yuan debt to Third Master, we will finally be truly free!"

"But..." Sister Yan hesitated. I held her hand. "Sister, don't forget why we came to Haizhou—we’re here to find Dad! We can’t just stay trapped here working for Third Master forever!"

Sister Yan fell silent. After a moment, she nodded. "Alright, then let’s figure out how to make Boss Zhao hand over the original. But remember, ordinary methods won't work on him. We must find his weakness and force him to give it up. Wait outside for a moment; I’ll go in and talk to him."

"Okay!" I nodded and said, "Help me call Brother Liang out!"

Sister Yan took out her phone, walked aside to make a call, and hung up quickly. She then carried the water into the reception room.

Wen Liang walked out, standing by the shop entrance with a blank expression. I followed and stood beside him. "Brother Liang, what are your plans?"

Even if Zhao Shangde paid off the two million, Third Master would never use Wen Liang again. That was Third Master’s style: one act of disloyalty, and you’re out for life. Wen Liang knew this, and he shook his head, filled with worry. He was just a stray child Third Master had picked up at the train station—no father, no mother, no family. Third Master was his entire world. Without him, he wouldn't even know where to go.

I looked at him. "Brother Liang, if you don’t mind, you can stay with me. It’s not far from Third Master’s; if you miss him, you can go visit. Of course, this is just a suggestion. You can think it over; I won't force you."

Wen Liang looked at me strangely. "Stone, what are you after? Our relationship isn't that deep."

I gave a faint smile. "Just consider it me making use of your skills. I’m short-handed here anyway; might as well be you."

Wen Liang went silent.

***

*Bang!*

The reception room door swung open. Zhao Shangde stormed out, shouting as he walked, "Are you both crazy? I said I don't have it, and I don't! Believe what you want! Two wet-behind-the-ears brats, I must have lost my mind to listen to your nonsense and follow you to this hellhole! Who do you think you are, trying to save me? I don't need your help! We live in a society governed by law; I refuse to believe that Third Master Ma can actually do anything to me!"

I glanced at Sister Yan, who followed him out. She just shook her head at me, her expression unreadable. I watched coldly as Zhao Shangde passed by, making no move to stop him.

Just as he stepped off the threshold, his phone rang. Zhao Shangde pulled it from his pocket, glanced at the caller ID, and his face turned deathly pale. His expression was one of pure terror. He wanted to hang up, but he didn't dare. He answered it with a trembling heart, and after hearing the voice on the other end, he froze.

"Xiao Wen? Why are you with Third Master? Third Master! I beg you, spare my son! This has nothing to do with him—he’s still just a toddler in kindergarten! Third Master, you’re a veteran of the trade, please, don't touch a child!"

I couldn't hear what Third Master was saying, but I saw Zhao Shangde trembling as he hung up. He turned around, looking completely shattered, and walked back toward us!

"Little brother, I beg you, save my son! He is my lifeblood; nothing can happen to him! I can see that Third Master thinks highly of you; you’re the only one who can help me now!"

*Thud.* He knelt before me, weeping bitterly.

I looked down at him coldly. "Boss Zhao, the only person who can save your son is you. To be honest, as long as you hand over the original calligraphy and painting, your son will be fine. Debts must be paid—that is the law of the world. Especially when the debt is owed to Third Master! Tell me, Boss Zhao, is the original at your house?"