I watched them show signs of difficulty and couldn’t help but feel curious, so I pressed for more information. The old man beside me knocked a few times, and only then did the two of them reveal a bit. It turned out that the client behind this business had a very peculiar status. They only knew that the person’s surname was Huo, that she was a woman, and everyone called her “Old Lady Huo.” They didn’t provide any further details. Although this woman was mysterious, she was quite famous and had a nickname—”Huo Xiangu,” which implies that everyone knows of her like a deity, but no one has actually seen her.

The old man had obviously heard of her. He gasped and said, “Oh! This is a big shot! She’s the only woman from the Old Nine Gates in Changsha, the one known as Old Lady Huo from Baisha Well. Old Lady Huo has a son who followed Chiang Kai-shek to Taiwan. During the Cultural Revolution, her background was exposed, and the Huo family subsequently went into hiding. I’ve met this Huo Xiangu once; she is Old Lady Huo’s third daughter. What a coincidence!” As he spoke, he took out a business card from his pocket. “Here, gentlemen, this is my business card. Please let her know that it’s Zheng Fuzhong from Xishan; I believe we can arrange a meeting.”

The two nodded. “If there’s a connection, we can certainly give it a try. We’ll be waiting for good news.” With that, they took their leave, not wanting to stay a moment longer.

I found the old man’s old-fashioned approach amusing. Was it really necessary to make it so much like the underworld? Handing out business cards—did he think he was part of the Green Gang?

The old man said that this was the way of people from the Old Nine Gates, who came from the underworld; they relied on such practices. Huo Xiangu, or Miss Huo San, must be over eighty years old now, and her husband was an extremely influential figure. She usually kept a low profile and only dealt with antiques. If you didn’t suit her taste, she probably wouldn’t pay you any mind. Moreover, I should remind you that your grandfather, Old Dog Wu, is said to have a significant connection with Miss Huo San. Whether it’s good or bad, I don’t know, but it’s safer for you to keep your mouth shut.

I acknowledged this and didn’t take it to heart, finding the entire martial arts novel-like scenario rather ridiculous, almost like a film. The old man then said he couldn’t accompany me on this trip, but since I was a descendant of Old Dog Wu, my presence represented the Wu family, and I couldn’t show weakness in public. I should bring a few people along to maintain some stature. If I went alone, and Miss Huo decided to make things difficult, I would inevitably embarrass myself given my capabilities, which would greatly affect my reputation.

What the old man said made sense. Although my experience in the field was already considerable, human nature is far more treacherous than gods and ghosts. I was not familiar with the rules of these underworld matters, and it was indeed difficult to handle things alone.

To be honest, there weren’t many people left on my uncle’s side that I could bring along. So, I had only Wang Meng under my command, but this kid was even less reliable than I was. Bringing him along would only cause trouble, and since he wasn’t from the industry, it wouldn’t be appropriate to drag him into this.

What about Old Hai from Hero Mountain? No, that old rascal was cunning and shrewd. He would never engage in such high-risk matters that brought no benefit to himself.

Panzi was the most suitable candidate, but he had decided to retire. After so many years of ups and downs, he finally found a peaceful end, and I absolutely couldn’t disrupt that.

In fact, there was one person who would have been the most suitable.

However, this person was too unreliable. Dragging him into this would surely lead to unrest, and I truly didn’t want to mention him. Yet, it seemed there were no other options.

After discussing with the old man, he said, “The person you mentioned is somewhat well-known in Beijing. I don’t think he would cause any trouble. Moreover, everyone knows his temperament; if something were to happen, it would be considered normal, and we would have an excuse. I think he is a suitable candidate. But are you sure you can invite him?”

I thought to myself, isn’t he just a fat guy? What’s so difficult about inviting him? I immediately called him for help. He was quite free at the time and readily agreed, saying that negotiations were his specialty and he would handle everything, assuring me that I would have a good reputation by the end. He also asked when I would come and wanted to treat me to drinks first.

After hearing all this, I regretted it. I could only trust half of what he said. Remembering his past behavior, I suddenly felt that this matter was bound to go wrong. But the call had already been made, and there was no way to back out. With no other options, I could only leave it to fate.

To cut a long story short, the arrangements with Huo Xiangu were soon finalized, and three days passed quickly.

Three days later, I met up with the fat guy in Wangfujing, Beijing, and was surprised to see that the sullen oil bottle had also come. The two of them were wearing suits—one fat and one thin, one tall and one short—quite eye-catching, resembling a pair of contrasting monks.

Having gotten used to their casual outfits, I suddenly felt very uncomfortable. The sullen oil bottle had a well-proportioned figure and a blank expression, but he looked very dashing in his suit, drawing a lot of attention. However, the fat guy’s suit was quite ill-fitting, the tie resembling a twisted doughnut, and it was clearly one size too small, making him look ridiculous.

“Is this what you call giving me face?” I said helplessly. “Which shop made this suit for you? I might as well burn that place down.”

“It’s not my fault. Recently, I’ve been a bit well-off, and this suit was just right a year ago,” the fat guy replied, feeling uncomfortable in his own attire. “What size suit we wear is our own business. If I want to wear children’s clothes, that old lady has to let me in.”

“Alright! You have a point, so you go ahead.” I couldn’t be bothered to argue with him, and I increasingly felt that the reputation of the Wu family was about to be ruined by me today.

The place I had agreed upon with Huo Xiangu was called the Xinyue Restaurant, an old establishment that has survived from old Beijing.

I originally thought it would be an ordinary place, but the fat guy informed me that anyone who deals in antiques in Beijing knows that Xinyue Restaurant is where the real experts go. They deal with significant items, and compared to this place, Liulichang and Panjiayuan are just street stalls. Major transactions all happen in the restaurant’s third-floor theater. In the past, this was a place where eunuchs and foreigners conducted business, and everyone was dressed formally when entering and exiting, which is why there is a tradition of formal attire. No matter how wealthy you are, you absolutely cannot enter in shorts.

This was my first time here, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. Entering the lobby, taking the elevator to the third floor, I was greeted by an impressive interior with carved window doors and screens.

The fat guy had been here before, so he was familiar with the place. He called over a waiter and introduced me, saying, “The young master from the Wu family in Changsha.”

The waiter, an older man in his sixties wearing glasses, sized me up without showing much expression. “Please come in. Would you like a private room or the main hall?”

The fat guy asked me what time our appointment was, and I glanced at my watch—it was still half an hour away. Just as I was about to speak, the waiter suddenly changed his expression upon seeing the sullen oil bottle behind me.

“I thought he knew the man in the oil bottle, and just as I was about to ask, I saw someone emerge from behind the man in the oil bottle. It was someone who had followed us in. This person was dressed in a black suit with a pink shirt underneath, and without a tie, looking very casual. The attendant immediately approached and asked, ‘Young master, the usual spot?’ The man didn’t say anything, just glanced at me and stopped. Suddenly, I felt that he looked a bit familiar.”