I didn't respond to Jiang Tianyi's proposed cooperation conditions because my doubts hadn't been completely resolved: "Uncle Tian, you just said that all the people you sent to protect me have disappeared. Then who were the people who rescued me and Jiang Man at Victory Bridge last night?"
Jiang Tianyi shook his head slightly: "I only learned about this person from Xiaoman, but I can confirm that he is not one of my people. Perhaps there are others protecting you in secret. I have already investigated this person's identity, but so far I have found nothing."
Hearing Jiang Tianyi's rejection, I sat in my chair and fell into deep thought.
Last night, Iron Fist's attack almost killed me. If it weren't for that Butterfly Man suddenly appearing, I'd probably be in the first furnace by now.
Since that man wasn't protecting Jiang Man, he must have come for me.
But besides Jiang Tianyi, who else can protect me?
Could it be that after the tea party, Mr. Leng was afraid that I would be attacked by those who wanted to curry favor with Lin Jianghao, so he arranged for someone like this to be by my side?
Just as I was considering whether to ask Mr. Leng for confirmation, Jiang Tianyi continued, "Shenxing, I know you have been searching for Duan Jinyan's whereabouts. Although our goals are different, we have one thing in common: both of us have been hurt by Duan Jinyan. I believe you also know that the Four Gates of Fengtian and some other Jianghu forces are also searching for Duan Jinyan. If we don't cooperate, others will seize the opportunity. You should be able to think clearly about the pros and cons."
When Jiang Tianyi mentioned the Four Gates, I suddenly thought of Song Laosan.
The reason I rushed to find Duan Jinyan was not only because of my grudge against him, but also to get revenge on Qu Ruilin and Wei Shengnan. In a moment of impulsiveness, I nodded and agreed: "I agree to your cooperation terms."
"good!"
Jiang Tianyi didn't show any particular joy on his face: "I've arranged for a collector from the capital to come over today. He'll appraise the jade seal on the spot. If you think it's suitable, I'll pay you at that price. Is that alright?"
"Can!"
Although Jiang Tian kept saying that he was my uncle and how deep his feelings were for my aunt, deep down I didn't trust this stranger I was meeting for the first time.
At the tea party, Jiang Tianyi brought me the Zewang Jade Seal, which was valued at 200 million yuan. This gave me an idea of its market value, so my target price was at least 180 million yuan.
The reason I asked for 20 million less is because Jiang Tianyi also agreed to share information about Duan Jinyan with me. Even if there are some fluctuations, I can accept it.
After I agreed to Jiang Tianyi's conditions, we were essentially bound together. I continued to ask him, "Uncle Tian, you said you've found someone who's cooperating with Duan Jinyan, but have you really not gotten a single clue?"
“I know what you’re trying to say, but this matter is far more complicated than you imagine. The person who is in contact with Duan Jinyan is a large family in the Northwest. You won’t get any useful clues using the methods you’re thinking of. Even if I take the Ze King’s Jade Seal, whether I can make contact with them is still an unknown.”
Jiang Tianyi did not tell me the other party's identity, but explained in a very tactful way: "After we complete the transaction, I need to go to the Northwest overnight to negotiate with their people. For the next few days, you can stay here with me. At least your safety can be guaranteed."
I still feel lingering fear when I think about the attack I suffered yesterday: "Well, then I'll have to trouble Uncle Tian."
That noon, I had just finished lunch at Jiang Tianyi's villa when Jiang Man found me in the guest room: "Duan Shenxing, you're not angry with me, are you?"
Seeing Jiang Man's uneasy look, I smiled and asked, "What's making you angry?"
“After all, when we were in the Far East, I told you a lot of lies, including that I didn’t know Uncle Tian.”
Jiang Man blushed slightly when she mentioned this: "I didn't know your identity at the time, and we were alone in the jungle. I was afraid that you might have some improper thoughts, so I could only make up an identity so that you would think that I was still useful to you."
"Your dad is right, you can never be too careful."
I didn't dwell on the matter. Instead, taking advantage of Jiang Man's guilt, I asked, "But I'm curious, what exactly does your Tianxia Group do? How did you manage to get involved with Yannan University and have them provide you with a fake identity?"
"Tianxia Group is a diversified enterprise whose main business is art collection and auction, and education is also one of the areas we are involved in. We are also the largest shareholder of Yannan University."
After answering my question, Jiang Man pointed and asked, "By the way, the collector in Beijing that my father contacted has arrived and is on his way here. He asked me to come and invite you. Please wait in the study first."
Led by Jiang Man, I quickly arrived at the villa's study.
The study was decorated in a Chinese style, and there was a large screen next to the bookshelves. I was seated behind the screen to wait.
After waiting for about ten minutes, the sound of the door opening came from outside, followed by Jiang Tianyi's voice: "Mr. Lin, please have a seat, I'll make you some tea."
Another male voice immediately responded: "No need. Didn't you say you had something good to show me? I'm impatient. How about we take a look at the item first?"
Jiang Tianyi didn't waste any time: "Alright, then please take a look."
When I heard Mr. Lin speak, I felt that his voice was very familiar, so I got up and looked out through the gap in the screen. I found that the person standing in front of Jiang Tianyi was Lin Jianghao, whom I had met at the tea party.
At this moment, Lin Jianghao noticed the contents of the brocade box on the table. After a slight pause, he asked Jiang Tianyi, "Is that kid Duan Shenxing here with you?"
Upon hearing Lin Jianghao's question, Jiang Tian couldn't help but laugh and said, "I really didn't expect that this greenhorn would have such a wide social circle, that even you have heard of him."
Lin Jianghao laughed and said, "It's not just hearsay, we've seen it."
"It seems I went to unnecessary trouble."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Tianyi raised his voice: "Shenxing, since you and Mr. Lin are old friends, then stop hiding and come out to catch up."
I saw Jiang Tianyi call out my name and step out from behind the screen: "Mr. Lin, it's been a long time."
"Haha, the moment I saw this jade seal, I knew it was the one you showed me."
Lin Jianghao smiled at me: "I just returned from abroad today and was picked up by President Jiang. I was originally planning to invite you to my place for tea when I got back to Beijing, but I didn't expect to meet you here. It seems that the domestic antique and collectible circle is really quite small."
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