What Do You Have to Compare?

"Like it?"

The junior apprentice looked at the few Japanese men entering the teahouse, and his expression quickly turned cold.

His gaze chilled as well.

"Yes, we very much like Dragon Country's Peking Opera culture!"

Ignoring the junior apprentice's icy stare, the short man at the front hurriedly nodded. Smiling, he abruptly changed the subject:

"However, Peking Opera culture has only remained in its past glory!"

"What do you mean?"

The junior apprentice gritted his teeth and asked.

He had no good feelings toward these Japanese men.

Especially not toward these people who knew nothing yet casually criticized the national cultural treasure. He could not muster even a trace of respect for them.

"Haha, forgive my bluntness, sir! Your Peking Opera is outdated. It occupies the best location, yet Dragon Country people ignore it in every possible way. That shows this culture has already been eliminated by modern culture. Haven't you noticed that everyone passing by here is going shopping or watching movies? That proves Dragon Country needs the impact of trendy new culture!"

"To be honest, we are major investors from Japan, and we are very interested in your teahouse. If you are willing to cooperate with us, we can transform your Peking Opera and jointly create a new venue for cultural exchange between our two countries! I believe our arrival will greatly promote your economic development and cultural prosperity!"

The short man spoke with great confidence.

From the sound of it, he even intended to bring Japanese culture into the teahouse?

The junior apprentice's face completely darkened as he asked unhappily:

"What the hell do you know about Peking Opera?"

"What the hell? What does that mean?"

The short man did not catch on and asked.

But the two people behind him changed expression and hurriedly explained.

After the explanation, the short man's expression darkened as well. His little mustache twitched as he snapped:

"Baka! I have shown you sufficient respect from the very beginning. Don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Being chosen by us investors is your honor! It is also the teahouse's good fortune! Who is in charge here? Come out! I want to have a proper talk with him!"

"Get out! Why don't you piss in a puddle and look at yourself? Do you think you're qualified to discuss this? Before I lose my temper, get the hell out!"

The junior apprentice's temper flared as well, and he directly cursed at the three of them!

Even under the three men's furious glares, his imposing manner did not diminish in the slightest as he threw them out!

Leaving aside how excessively the short man had disparaged Peking Opera culture, where did a little short man like him get the nerve to babble nonsense on Dragon Country's soil?

"Hmph, idiot!"

Unable to swallow his anger, the short man rattled off a long string of nonsense in his own language before snorting and leaving.

Though they were furious at the junior apprentice's behavior, they still did not dare make a move here.

After all, Dragon Country was no longer a place where people from Japan dared act arrogantly as they pleased.

Before long, the Japanese investment company that had hit a wall at the teahouse found Mei Liangxin.

At an international hotel, inside a suite.

Led by an acquaintance, Mei Liangxin saw three short men in the suite.

He had heard they were a powerful investment group, but he had not expected them to be from Japan.

Upon seeing that they were three Japanese men, Mei Liangxin froze for a moment and looked at his friend beside him in surprise.

His friend gave an awkward smile and quickly introduced them with a guilty look:

"These three are the investors I mentioned. They are famous investors from Japan and have considerable resources!"

"Hano-kun, this is the teahouse's senior apprentice, Mr. Mei Liangxin. He is the beloved chief disciple of the teahouse master! If he helps connect the right people, our investment plans will surely achieve twice the result with half the effort!"

After hearing his friend's introduction, Mei Liangxin's expression grew even uglier.

He had never wanted to get involved in the teahouse's affairs, yet this guy had actually introduced business to people from Japan?

"Yoshi, with Mr. Mei's help, our cultural investment will surely proceed smoothly! I look forward to working with you!"

The leading short man, Hano-kun, sat there arrogantly and spoke to Mei Liangxin with a smile.

That was what he said.

But the suspicion in his eyes was impossible to miss.

After carefully sizing Mei Liangxin up, he felt that Mei Liangxin looked more like a businessman, without even a trace of an opera performer's appearance or bearing.

Mei Liangxin looked at his friend's awkwardly outstretched hand. The three short men clearly had no intention of shaking it.

He immediately understood that these three were no ordinary people, and that his friend was being rather sycophantic.

He could not be bothered with pleasantries and directly waved his hand.

"Not interested. I already said I won't touch the teahouse's affairs! Why are you still fussing over this? You talk. I'm leaving!"

As soon as he spoke.

The three short men's expressions immediately changed, and they frowned deeply at him!

His friend hurriedly stopped him.

"Hey! Don't be like that! Brother Mei, why not at least hear the price they're offering? It's double the acquisition price you were previously entrusted to handle!"

He did not understand why Mei Liangxin, who had always been so eager for money, would turn hostile the moment he saw people from Japan.

Where had such intense hatred come from?

"Yes, we greatly admire your Peking Opera culture. As long as you are willing to cooperate with us in acquiring the teahouse, we will bring in our excellent culture and successfully advance cultural exchange between Dragon Country and Japan! We'll give you double!"

Hano-kun chimed in.

He wanted to use money to move Mei Liangxin.

Hearing that,

Mei Liangxin glanced at Hano-kun in surprise, then suddenly smiled.

"Heh, I do like making money, especially money from you people! But I will absolutely never do this. And let me remind you of one thing: Peking Opera is not something people from Japan can lay their hands on whenever they please! You want to spread culture? I advise you to give up those crooked ideas as soon as possible!"

The three short men looked at one another, anger appearing on their faces.

Seeing this, his friend grew anxious as well.

"Hey! Mei Liangxin, you've already switched careers and become a businessman. Can't you be realistic? I'm trying to help you make money out of kindness! Haven't you always wanted to promote Peking Opera culture? These three bosses want to help you too! You can make money, and maybe you can even use it to boost Peking Opera culture!"

"So making money means you can have no bottom line? Why don't you kneel and call them father, then? Let me advise you: don't forget your ancestors or your identity!"

Mei Liangxin sneered. Looking at the three short men, he continued:

"You keep talking about Peking Opera culture. Do you truly understand it?

As a national treasure, Peking Opera has witnessed Dragon Country's darkest times, and it has also witnessed its flourishing golden age!

Across the long river of thousands of years of history, it has absorbed the strengths of countless schools and gathered the essence of many forms of opera!

It tells of Dragon Country's long and enduring history; it tells of the spiritual inheritance passed down over centuries and millennia!

That spiritual inheritance is loyalty, filial piety, propriety, and righteousness!

Loyalty comes first: though one's position may be humble, one must never forget to worry for the country!

Filial piety follows: where there is a country, there is a family; respect those above and treat those below with kindness!

Propriety comes next: a nation of rites for thousands of years, containing not only courtesy, but dignity as well!

Righteousness brings it to a close: it embodies benevolence, righteousness, and morality!

At the source of this thousand-year history, did your so-called culture even exist?

With the timeless masterpieces passed down through centuries and millennia, what do you have to compare!?"

His words carried a fierce, razor-sharp presence!

The force bursting forth from every word and sentence made the three Japanese men feel as though they could barely breathe under the pressure.

The source of that history and inheritance, spanning centuries and millennia, was a past they had never possessed!

The pride and glory in his words also left them speechless!

They could only watch helplessly as Mei Liangxin's resolute figure departed.

Leaving the three of them behind to curse in humiliation and fury.