Seeing that I wasn't angry and was even so calm, Su Jialiang laughed and said, "I was being petty. To be honest, the real reason I asked you to come to Luoyang was to use your identity to bring up Duan Jinyan to scare these people. With his bad reputation in the industry, Uncle Gen would never dare to go against us unless he's stupid!"
Similarly, I know you've been searching for your father, which is why I haven't told you the truth! To be honest, I was afraid you'd suddenly change your mind and deny it, and then we'd be completely finished!
"Mr. Liang, what are you saying? Since I've taken your benefits, I naturally have to work together with you. I understand your predicament and can sympathize with your difficulties!"
I feigned loyalty and changed the subject, saying, "But since I've helped you, shouldn't you reciprocate in kind, Master Liang?"
"That makes sense! Absolutely reasonable!"
Su Jialiang laughed heartily: "Shenxing, just tell me what you want. As long as it's within my power, I'll do it without hesitation!"
"It's not a difficult thing, I just hope you can help me find Duan Jinyan."
I then stated my conditions: "I missed him on my trip to the Far East. Although I found traces of him, I didn't actually see him! You told me before that you couldn't find him, but I think that's just because we're not familiar with each other, right?"
"This matter is really putting me in a difficult position."
Su Jialiang rubbed his hands together, thought for a moment, and said, "To be honest, I do have a way to contact Duan Jinyan, but it's not through him. It's through his 'Leopard' gang. All our dealings are business-related. I've never contacted him privately. Moreover, Duan Jinyan always takes the initiative to contact me for these deals, rather than me going to him."
I pressed further, "Could you give me Leopard's contact information?"
"cannot!"
Su Jialiang shook his head without hesitation: "Xiao Duan, you've helped me so much today, so I would agree to any condition you ask for. But there's one exception. Although you are Duan Jinyan's son, you don't understand him at all. If I give you Hua Bao's contact information, the price will be my life."
I frowned: "Is it that serious?"
"In the struggle for territory in the south, Uncle Gen has already caused several deaths. He is a seasoned veteran who has walked a dangerous path. So why is he so terrified when he hears the name Duan Jinyan? Because Duan Jinyan is an absolute dominant figure in this circle! If Uncle Gen were the one who brought up Duan Jinyan today, I'm afraid I would have acted the same way as him."
As Su Jialiang spoke, a chill ran down his spine: "You have to understand, people in the antique business are all seasoned veterans, the cream of the crop. In this line of work, rumors won't scare anyone. Duan Jinyan's power comes from countless blood debts! Little Duan, I can't risk my life to help you. I hope you can understand!"
I smiled and said, "Then aren't you afraid that Duan Jinyan will find you if you bring him up as your backer?"
"What's there to be afraid of? Trust me, Uncle Gen will absolutely not ask Duan Jinyan to do the verification, much less risk going head-to-head with Duan Jinyan! So this matter won't get out, otherwise his other partners would be in an uproar if they knew he had offended Duan Jinyan."
Su Jialiang revealed a shrewd smile: "Besides, even if this matter gets out, it's because of you. Your blood relationship isn't something I made up. Do you think he would harm his own son? Haha!"
When I heard this, I laughed too, but it was a bitter laugh.
If Su Jialiang knew that I found Duan Jinyan in the tomb, and that the other party wouldn't even meet with me, and didn't care whether I lived or died, I wonder what he would think.
Since I couldn't get Leopard's contact information, I had to settle for second best: "Mr. Liang, since you've put it that way, I won't make things difficult for you. But I still hope you can help me find Duan Jinyan to the best of your ability. If he comes to you in the future because of business matters, I hope you can let me know. I know the rules, and I won't interfere with the details of your business."
"Okay, I agree to your conditions."
Looking at my expression, Su Jialiang couldn't help but sigh: "Sigh... You're quite pitiful, kid. You're in your mid-twenties and you've never even met your father! No wonder Duan Jinyan is such a ruthless person. He just threw away such a good son like that. If my son had half your ability, I'd be overjoyed! What a pity, my good-for-nothing son of mine only knows how to drink, chase girls, and buy luxury watches and sports cars when he's abroad!"
Last month, I received a call from my housekeeper abroad saying my son had been arrested and taken to the police station. When I asked why, it turned out he'd attended some kind of orgy and had been on drugs! What's worse, I heard a ticket to that party cost $100,000! I'm back home working hard to earn money, and this little bastard is just thinking about how to spend it all day!
"He's in this state, aren't you going to do anything about it?"
I frowned slightly: "Spending money on a child is one thing, but drug addiction is no small matter. If we don't stop it, it could lead to someone's death!"
“I have contacted doctors abroad to force him to quit. I started out on my own in my twenties. To avoid being hunted down by my enemies, I sent my child abroad as soon as I had some money. I have hardly ever seen him since he was a child.”
Su Jialiang chuckled self-deprecatingly: "To outsiders, I, Su Gouzi, am already a big shot in the industry, holding a mountain of gold in my hands, with money flowing in like a tide. But who knows my hardships! When I first started making money, I thought about getting out, but I always felt that I could make a little more. Now, I can't get out even if I want to! Speaking of which, my family's situation is similar to yours, but I'm starting to regret it now. I just don't know what Duan Jinyan is thinking."
The thought that even someone like Su Jialiang could feel distressed because of the lack of family affection brought back the scene in the Ze Wang Tomb where Duan Jinyan refused to see me. I immediately shook my head and said, "Master Liang, the negotiations are over now. What should we do next?"
Su Jialiang also calmed down and looked out the window: "You just arrived in Luoyang today and I dragged you to negotiate, and you successfully scared Uncle Gen and the others. Of course, it's time to welcome you and celebrate your success! I've already booked the hotel. Look, we've arrived!"
I looked in the direction Su Jialiang indicated and saw a grand and magnificent hotel outside. When I saw the person standing on the steps in front of the door, I was immediately stunned: "Why is Song Laosan here?"
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