Chapter Twelve: The Zhou Family’s Kindness

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"Wait, amidst these counterfeits, there's actually a layer tucked inside—could he really have stumbled upon a genuine piece?" The crowd looked on, all slightly surprised. Their gazes toward Xiao Chen were tinged with envy. Such people could not bear to see others do well, especially someone like Xiao Chen, whom they believed lived less comfortably than themselves.

However, Deng Xue, the girl who had previously shifted the conversation toward Xiao Chen, scoffed at this, "What are you thinking? If there's something hidden among the fakes, it’s obviously another fake."

"Maybe it’s meant to trick those who pretend to know better, those who think they’re clever," she added, casting a subtle glance at Xiao Chen. Clearly, her words referred to him.

Upon hearing Deng Xue, everyone burst into laughter. But in the next moment, the laughter died away.

"This… this is truly a work by Master Yan… My God, this piece is worth at least three million. If it were taken to auction, it could fetch even more," Liang Yong said, holding the piece up and staring intently at the powerful strokes.

"What?" Instantly, all laughter stopped; Deng Xue, Li Xiang, and the others stared at Liang Yong and the artwork in his hands. "Liang Yong, are you sure?"

"Two thousand yuan, and you could buy a genuine work by Master Yan?"

Liang Yong grew displeased. "What do you mean? Am I trying to help Xiao Chen trick you? You can question my character, but not my expertise! If I say it’s real, then it’s real."

Deng Xue and the others exchanged awkward glances, embarrassment written across their faces. Many looked at Xiao Chen with changed expressions.

Three million!

To them, this was a fortune.

Li Xiang’s face alternated between pale and flushed; he never imagined Xiao Chen would benefit so greatly.

"Psh, just lucky, that's all. And besides, it’s only three million—what’s the big deal?" Liu Feifei, standing nearby, scoffed disdainfully.

The others snapped back to their senses and echoed, "Exactly, just three million."

"And besides, it wasn’t earned by his own ability—just luck."

Yet, their voices sounded unmistakably sour.

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Xiao Chen couldn’t be bothered to argue with them.

Three hours later, after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill and sung a few songs, they all went their separate ways.

As they exited downstairs, they saw Liu Feifei stepping into a sports car and speeding away, stirring another wave of envy among the group.

That was the real high life; Liu Feifei was in a world apart from them. Only Li Xiang could barely touch that world, but even then, it was just barely. The Li family had assets worth tens of millions, but in Linzhou, tens of millions hardly made one a true wealthy person.

Leaving Galaxy KTV, Xiao Chen didn’t linger and headed straight home. For the past three years, he’d frequently been on missions, leaving early and returning late, sometimes not returning at all, which had long displeased Xu Qingran and Sun Ling.

These past few days, he finally had some free time, so Xiao Chen made sure to return early.

"Hmm?" Just as Xiao Chen was about to take the bus, he seemed to notice something, paused, and changed direction, heading into a secluded alley nearby.

Once inside, Xiao Chen stopped, his gaze cold, glancing sidelong at a corner of the wall. “Come out,” he said icily.

But the wall corner remained silent, seemingly empty.

"Do I need to force you out?" Xiao Chen sneered, a cold glint in his eyes, flicking his finger.

Bang!

There was nothing in Xiao Chen’s hand, yet a fist-sized hole exploded in the wall corner with a loud bang.

Immediately, a figure flickered into view—a spirited old man, hair and beard white, but vigorous.

He walked toward Xiao Chen, laughing heartily. “Mr. Xiao, your skills are indeed extraordinary. I am impressed.”

At the same time, a young maiden appeared from around the corner, studying Xiao Chen with curiosity.

Xiao Chen’s gaze was icy, tinged with a trace of killing intent.

His identity was top-secret; few in all of Linzhou knew of it. He hid it not only because regulations required it, but also out of concern for Xu Qingran’s safety should his secret be exposed.

Now, those people had found him. How could Xiao Chen not be alarmed or angry, not harbor murderous intent?

Sensing Xiao Chen’s killing intent, the old man paused, then quickly understood and gave a wry smile. “Mr. Xiao, please forgive me. I mean no harm.”

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"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Zhou Wangtian of the Zhou family. This is my granddaughter Zhou Shuang’er."

"The Zhou family?" Xiao Chen’s eyes flickered. Indeed, Linzhou had a Zhou family, one of the city’s four great clans.

Could he have misjudged? Were these two not the people he suspected?

Xiao Chen’s expression relaxed somewhat, but he remained cautious. "Why are you looking for me?"

"It’s like this. This morning, near the Linjiang River, I sensed a surge of powerful energy. Curious, I checked the surveillance footage to see who could wield such strength. That’s when I discovered it was your doing, Mr. Xiao. Your martial prowess is remarkable—I admire it and wished to make your acquaintance. Earlier was merely a test. Please forgive me."

Xiao Chen finally relaxed; it was about the morning’s incident—he had indeed been careless.

His expression remained cold. "Now that you know me, you may leave. In the future, I hope you won’t investigate or follow me. It will do you no good."

With that, Xiao Chen turned to leave.

"Wait, Mr. Xiao!" Zhou Wangtian hurriedly stopped him. "Your martial skill is astounding, and I wish to be closer to you."

"This is our Zhou family's transfer agreement for Hongyu Entertainment—a small token of my regard, a gift for our first meeting."

As he spoke, Zhou Shuang’er promptly produced the agreement.

An entertainment company as a greeting gift—Zhou Wangtian was indeed generous.

Yet Xiao Chen didn’t even spare Hongyu Entertainment a glance.

"Not interested," he said, not even looking at the document, walking away.

Zhou Shuang’er was visibly displeased. "Hey, my grandfather kindly offered you this, how can you be so rude?"

"Shuang’er, don’t be impolite!" Zhou Wangtian quickly stopped her, then with a wave of his hand, a name card shot toward Xiao Chen like a flying blade.

Xiao Chen caught it, and Zhou Wangtian said, "No need to keep your distance, Mr. Xiao. This is my card. You may contact me anytime."

"The more friends you have, the more paths open to you. I sincerely hope we can become friends, Mr. Xiao."

Xiao Chen made no comment, striding away without another word.