Old Yanbei Mutton Hot Pot.
It was an old restaurant that had been open for more than thirty years.
It had quite a reputation throughout Yanbei City.
To welcome his good buddy Hu Bayi back and treat him to a proper homecoming meal, Wang Kaixuan had brought him here for a feast.
"Whoa, Fatty, you're doing pretty well for yourself! A meal at a fancy restaurant like this must cost a fair bit, huh?"
Hu Bayi looked around and teased him.
Wang Kaixuan raised his eyebrows smugly. "Of course! Who am I? The famous Lord Fatty! Here in old Yanbei, I'm somebody, you know. When I welcome my brother back, I've got to do it in style."
Hu Bayi gave his childhood friend an amused look.
"Oh, so you're Lord Fatty! Looks like I, Hu Bayi, failed to recognize greatness when I saw it today!"
Wang Kaixuan kept boasting. "Stick with Lord Fatty from now on, and I'll make sure you live the good life."
"Sure thing! Looks like coming to Yanbei was the right choice. I'll be sticking with Lord Fatty from now on. Here's to you, Lord Fatty."
With that, Hu Bayi raised his glass.
They clinked glasses and drained them.
Then they both burst out laughing.
They began chatting as they cooked slices of mutton in the hot pot.
"Old Hu, did you really think this through before coming here?"
"That job at the Public Security Bureau was a secure gig for life. You're just going to turn it down?"
Hu Bayi sighed. "I spent ten years in the army. When I came back, I felt like I'd almost lost touch with society."
"A job at the Public Security Bureau isn't for me."
"I'd rather get out there and see if I can find work that suits me."
Wang Kaixuan patted his shoulder and clinked glasses with him.
"What about your folks?"
"Your mom and dad aren't getting any younger."
"Ah, there's no need to worry about them."
Hu Bayi smiled. "They're in great health. They eat more than I do at every meal, and their pensions cover their expenses. They don't need me worrying about them."
"All they want now is for me to hurry up and find a wife, get married, and have kids so they can have a grandson sooner."
"Hey, doesn't that sound pretty good? Find a pretty girl, get married, have kids, and live a quiet life."
Wang Kaixuan felt envious.
"Fatty, we've been brothers for so many years. Don't you know me by now?"
"I'm just not the type to settle down and play by the rules. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been forced to leave the army for civilian work."
Hu Bayi downed a glass of beer.
"No worries. I recently met a big-time boss in the antiques business. I'll take you to meet him sometime..."
Just as Fatty Wang was halfway through his sentence.
A hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.
"Hey! Kaixuan, buddy, there you are!"
Wang Kaixuan and Hu Bayi turned to see a middle-aged man with a pointed mouth and pinched, monkeylike cheeks.
Wang Kaixuan immediately frowned. "What's it you for?"
The middle-aged man grinned, revealing a gleaming gold front tooth.
"They say every meeting is fate. We must have quite a connection."
"I'm here for dinner too, with a foreign client. That man really knows how to spend."
"By the way, Kaixuan, have you given that matter from last time any thought?"
"As it happens, that foreign client is the buyer. I've been pestering him these past couple of days, putting in plenty of good words for you. He's willing to offer you this much now!"
As he spoke, he held up an open hand.
Wang Kaixuan gave a faint smile. "How much is that? Fifty thousand?"
The middle-aged man's smile turned strained. "Oh, come on, Kaixuan, don't pull my leg. That piece of jade of yours isn't worth fifty thousand. He's offering five thousand!"
"Five thousand?!"
Wang Kaixuan laughed.
Then he suddenly grabbed the middle-aged man by the collar and glared at him. "Who the fuck do you think you're fooling? That jade was worth a hundred thousand, and you want to trick me into selling it for five thousand? What the hell are you thinking?"
The middle-aged man panicked as his collar was seized.
"Hey, hey, hey! Kaixuan, what's this all about?"
"What do you mean, a hundred thousand?!"
"Kaixuan, we can still be friends even if we don't make a deal. Even if you don't want to sell, there's no need to get violent!"
"You're still trying to bullshit me?"
Seeing that the man was still spouting nonsense, Wang Kaixuan raised his fist to punch him.
But Hu Bayi caught his wrist.
"Fatty, that's enough."
"You don't want to move my welcome dinner to a detention center, do you?"
Wang Kaixuan looked at Hu Bayi and let go.
"Hmph, you old bastard. Did you think Lord Fatty was an idiot?"
"Let me tell you, I've already sold that jade!"
"The buyer offered a hundred thousand straight up."
"Look at him-the young owner of the Treasure-Hiding Studio, worth over a hundred million."
"Then look at you. All you can do is cheat and swindle."
"Know what the difference between you is?"
"Vision!"
"The way you are, you'll never get rich!"
With that, Wang Kaixuan sneered and sat down.
At the mention of the Treasure-Hiding Studio, the middle-aged man's face filled with surprise. "Kaixuan, are you saying Young Master Gu of the Treasure-Hiding Studio paid a hundred thousand for your jade?"
"That's right!"
The middle-aged man lowered his head and considered this for a moment, then turned and left.
Hu Bayi watched him leave.
Then he immediately asked, "Fatty, what's going on? You sold the jade your father left you?"
Wang Kaixuan looked a little embarrassed. "I've been a bit short on cash lately."
"Who did you sell it to? Let's go buy it back!"
As he spoke, Hu Bayi took hold of him and tried to leave.
"Hey, don't rush! Keeping that jade wasn't doing me any good. Better to turn it into some cash."
"Besides, I asked loads of people before. That guy just now gave me the highest offer, and it was only three thousand. I guess he raised it to five thousand because I'd ignored him for two days."
"Boss Gu took one look and offered me a hundred thousand straight away. Tell me, wouldn't I have been an idiot to turn that down?"
After hearing that, Hu Bayi didn't know what to say either.
"Stop worrying and eat. Once we're done, I'll show you around Yanbei City for a couple of days, then we'll go meet Boss Gu."
"I'm telling you, his business is huge."
"I've got a feeling you can't go wrong sticking with him!"
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