Hu Bayi nodded when he heard Hu Ming, then thought for a moment and frowned. "But where are we supposed to find him? Fatty's been looking for him for days and still hasn't seen hide nor hair of that Big Gold Tooth."
Hu Ming nodded. Hu Bayi had a point. Unfortunately, after spending more than twenty years in this world, Hu Ming had long since forgotten some of the less important plot details.
Hu Ming said, "Old Hu, let's not rush. We'll be staying in Beijing for a while, so sooner or later we'll catch that bastard."
Hu Bayi nodded. "That's true."
Fatty Wang said, "You two can stop thinking about all that. Come on, let's get something to eat."
Hu Ming immediately agreed. "Right, let's eat. I'm starving."
When Hu Bayi heard Hu Ming say he was hungry, he realized he was getting hungry too. He turned to Fatty and said, "Pedal faster."
Fatty grinned. "You got it, gentlemen."
In the end, Fatty first got Hu Bayi and Hu Ming's luggage settled, then took them to a hot pot restaurant. He picked a nice table by the window.
When Hu Bayi saw the prices, he couldn't help exclaiming, "Good grief! Mingzi, look at these prices. Our military severance pay won't cover more than a few meals here!"
Hu Ming wasn't surprised. "Go ahead and eat. That's just what things cost in the capital."
"Afterward, we'll go take a look around and see if there's any kind of work we could do." Hu Ming grabbed a dozen bottles of beer and set them on the table.
"Sounds good." Old Hu glanced over the menu and prepared to order.
Just then, Fatty, who was busy arranging the bowls and chopsticks, glanced back—and spotted Big Gold Tooth.
Big Gold Tooth was holding his Jade Pendant and haggling with a foreigner, asking for three thousand yuan.
"Mingzi!" "Old Hu!" "That's Big Gold Tooth! Damn it, I'm gonna crack his skull today!" Fatty grabbed a beer bottle from beside him and was about to charge over.
Hu Ming immediately stopped Fatty, then glanced at Old Hu and said, "Old Hu, let's go take a look."
"Sure!"
With that, they went over to Big Gold Tooth, took seats on either side of him, and surrounded him with chairs.
Big Gold Tooth sensed that something was wrong, so he sent the foreigner on his way first. Then he looked at the three of them, visibly flustered, before pretending to be calm and asking, "What do you want?"
Hu Ming just smiled at him without replying. Big Gold Tooth glanced at Fatty Wang beside him and said, "The rule in the antiques trade is that once a deal is done, it's done. Paying a little tuition is perfectly normal."
Hu Ming took out three hundred yuan and set it on the table. Smiling at Big Gold Tooth, he said, "My brother doesn't want to sell this Jade Pendant anymore. It's a family heirloom. I'm a reasonable man, so give it back and I'll return your three hundred yuan."
Big Gold Tooth said, "And what if I refuse?"
Hu Ming smiled. "The three of us might not let you walk out of here." Behind him, Hu Bayi and Fatty Wang cracked their knuckles.
Big Gold Tooth panicked. "You think I won't call the police right now?"
Hu Ming replied coolly, "Go ahead. But whether you'll still be standing here in one piece when the police arrive, I can't say. I know you, Big Gold Tooth, have connections on both sides of the law, but I guarantee I can knock out your gold teeth and break all three of your legs before your people get here. Believe me?"
After saying that, Hu Ming stared at Big Gold Tooth with a dangerously intense look. His imposing presence left Big Gold Tooth barely able to breathe.
Big Gold Tooth was terrified. Who is this guy? How can his presence be so intimidating? And when he looks at me, it feels like I'm being watched by a ferocious beast.
Seeing how things stood, Big Gold Tooth could only say, "Fine. Three against one—I can't win. I may not like it, but I admit defeat. I'll take the loss." He set the Jade Pendant on the table, picked up the three hundred yuan, and immediately turned to leave the mutton restaurant.
"Heh, nice one, Mingzi!" Fatty took back his Jade Pendant and couldn't stop turning it over in his hands. "Damn, it's worth three thousand yuan! How many years would I have to work to earn that much?"
Hu Ming smiled at Fatty Wang's greed.
Hu Ming knew that back in 1980, even the best annual salary was barely a thousand yuan—and that was really pushing it.
Three thousand yuan would definitely save Fatty a few years of hard work.
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