The man intended to lure them with riches, hoping to persuade Fourth Master Qiao and Wang Guan to release him, but he had grossly miscalculated.

"Seven million!" Fourth Master Qiao's eyes were filled with disdain as he casually toyed with his long opium pipe. "I thought it was truly priceless. Turns out it was just petty cash. What a waste of my time..."

As he spoke, Fourth Master Qiao turned to look at Wang Guan. "Is this the artistic treasure you claimed couldn't be measured in money? It seems rather cheap."

"Elder, that's because your perspective is too lofty," Wang Guan laughed. "When I said priceless, I meant on an artistic level, not in terms of material wealth."

"You're just as bookish as Old Tao," Fourth Master Qiao shook his head. "Now, have you considered my offer? Do you agree to my terms..."

"What offer?"

Just then, the door suddenly opened, and Qiao Yu walked in, curiously asking, "Grandpa, didn't you say you were going for a stroll in the backyard? Why are you hiding here chatting... Ah!"

In an instant, Qiao Yu also saw the bound man in the chair and shrieked in fright. She immediately turned and dove into Bei Ye's arms, not daring to look directly. It was only at this moment that she revealed a more fragile, feminine side.

"What's wrong?" Bei Ye was utterly perplexed, but then she too saw the bloodied man, instantly grasping the situation. Startled, she quickly pulled Qiao Yu back a few steps while holding her.

"Elder, you've gone too far with your games," Wang Guan offered a wry smile and hurried over to comfort them. "Don't be afraid. That man is the one who bought the painting and then tried to flee. The Elder had men bring him back."

Hearing this, Bei Ye was somewhat reassured and didn't look further, instead quietly soothing Qiao Yu.

"Clap, clap!"

At the same time, Fourth Master Qiao gently clapped his hands, and four or five burly men flooded in from outside. He then gave a slight nod with his lips, signaling, "Drag him away. I'll deal with him when I have time."

"Buddha Master..." The man panicked, trying to shout out loudly. Unfortunately, one of the burly men was quicker. He pulled out a dirty rag from who knows where and stuffed it directly into the man's mouth, then, along with his companions, lifted the man and the chair away.

The man naturally struggled violently, but under the restraint of the burly men, his resistance was futile and completely ineffective. In the end, he was carried out and relocated elsewhere.

A moment later, Fourth Master Qiao smiled benignly. "Xiao Yu, the eyesore is gone. Stop hiding now."

"Hoo..."

Qiao Yu cautiously glanced over, then let out a breath of relief. However, noticing the gazes of those nearby, a slight flush crossed her face as she vehemently defended herself: "I wasn't scared, I just wasn't prepared mentally and reacted slowly..."

"I know, I know," Fourth Master Qiao chuckled lightly. "No need to explain; the more you explain, the guiltier you look."

"Who's guilty?"

Qiao Yu snapped, annoyed, "Grandpa, catching the person was fine, but why did you have to make him look like that?"

"He's a major thief. Didn't I tell you? Major thieves are dangerous and carry weapons," Fourth Master Qiao said calmly. "If we weren't ruthless, we wouldn't have caught him."

"Once you found him, you should have just called the [Police]. Why capture him privately..." Qiao Yu was exasperated. "The way you did this, even if you hand him over to the [Police], they'll accuse you of vigilantism and disregarding the law."

Fourth Master Qiao chuckled but didn't argue with Qiao Yu, immediately changing the subject. "Xiao Yu, I found your things for you. How do you plan to thank me?"

"You went looking for them voluntarily; I didn't ask you to," Qiao Yu said defensively. "At worst, I'll have my teacher write something for you, or I can get the precinct to present you with a silk banner of commendation, an official notice of praise, or something..."

"Do you think I care about that kind of thing?" Fourth Master Qiao replied irritably. "You need to be clear: the item that person colluded with outsiders to acquire was worth seventy million. If there's no tangible benefit, why should I return it?"

Beside them, Wang Guan was somewhat speechless. The man mentioned seven million, but in Fourth Master Qiao's mouth, it instantly became seventy million, and now it was being used as leverage in a negotiation with his granddaughter.

"Only seventy million?" However, Qiao Yu was even bolder, simply nodding. "Fine, I'll buy it. I'll write you a check in a moment, and I'll take the item."

In that instant, Wang Guan couldn't help but suppress a smile. Qiao Yu's move was a classic case of getting something for nothing. The money she would use was likely given to her by Fourth Master Qiao, and now she was giving it back—it was like moving money from the left pocket to the right.

Fourth Master Qiao was also amused and feigned anger. "Are you playing with your grandpa? Be careful, or I'll freeze your bank accounts."

"Freeze them then. I'm staying home anyway, I have no use for money," Qiao Yu huffed. "I'll just be a homebody, a dependent leech on the family..."

"Alright, alright, I give up," Fourth Master Qiao waved his hand in resignation. "The painting is on the table. Take it to Old Tao."

"Thank you, Grandpa," Qiao Yu cheered happily.

Wang Guan deliberately reminded him, "What about the Buddha statue?"

"Kid, what are you muttering about?" Fourth Master Qiao glared. "That thing is my spoils of war. It’s not part of the case; there's no reason to hand it over."

As he spoke, as if asserting ownership, Fourth Master Qiao tapped the Buddha statue with his opium pipe, a look of smug satisfaction on his face.

"Not bad, quite solid."

Fourth Master Qiao tapped it again, then stroked his chin. "It's just the right size for tapping the bowl of my pipe..."

"What is this?"

It was then that Qiao Yu noticed the Buddha statue on the floor, looking quite astonished. "Isn't this the Buddha statue from the grottoes? Grandpa, why did you bring it home?"

"I didn't bring it. Someone stole it while on duty and sold it to that man just now, and I managed to intercept it," Fourth Master Qiao said with a smile. "But now it benefits me. Truly, men don't get rich without a windfall, just as horses don't get fat without night grass."

"What? How could you do that?" Qiao Yu frowned. "You know that item is stolen goods..."

"Stolen goods? So what if they're stolen? Once I 'wash' it, they'll be clean," Fourth Master Qiao smiled slyly. "Do you believe me if I say that even if certain people knew this item was in my hands, they probably wouldn't dare say a word, let alone report it?"

Wang Guan believed Fourth Master Qiao spoke the truth. Since the statue was taken by someone on duty, that person would naturally fear exposure and would never expose the matter themselves.

As for the bound man, even if he were handed over to the [Police], if he was smart, he likely wouldn't volunteer any information to avoid increasing his own sentence. In other words, even if the Buddha statue was secretly kept by Fourth Master Qiao, without a civilian complaint, the officials wouldn't pursue the matter. Everyone would be helpless against him.

"Regardless, this is wrong," Qiao Yu said angrily. "Grandpa, you don't even like this kind of junk. Why keep it?"

"Didn't I say? For tapping the pipe bowl," Fourth Master Qiao said casually. "It's mine anyway. I can do whatever I want with it. If I feel like it, I can smash it into pieces."

"You..." Qiao Yu was furious yet helpless. She understood clearly that Fourth Master Qiao was manipulating her. The more she showed she cared about the statue, the deeper she fell into his trap.

At that moment, Wang Guan suddenly laughed. "Elder, is what you said just now still valid?"

"What did I say?" Qiao Yu was momentarily stunned.

Fourth Master Qiao's eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded. "Valid, of course it's valid. Although I didn't study much, I understand the principle that a spoken word is binding. I will absolutely not go back on my promise."

"That's good then."

In an instant, Wang Guan smiled and leaned over to whisper a few words next to Bei Ye.

Bei Ye looked somewhat confused, glanced at Wang Guan, and seeing him nod seriously, she hesitated slightly before turning and softly saying, "Xiao Qiao, we're going to Hong Kong in a couple of days. Do you want to come with us?"

"Hong Kong?" Qiao Yu froze.

Simultaneously, Fourth Master Qiao's smile deepened. "Wonderful idea, going to Hong Kong is great. Didn't you say you were tired of staying at home? Then go to Hong Kong to clear your head."

"Huh?" Qiao Yu was even more bewildered.

"It's settled then," Fourth Master Qiao nodded in satisfaction, then smiled. "Old Tao must be feeling uneasy right now. Don't delay; send the item over to him tonight."

Saying that, Fourth Master Qiao immediately called for men to repack the Buddha statue into its box, load it onto the car, and have the driver take the three of them to Elder Tao's residence.

In the car, Qiao Yu finally caught on and shot Wang Guan a fierce glare. "You sold me out? No wonder you two were hiding in the room whispering—you were planning to team up to trick me..."

"Don't put it so severely," Wang Guan said, torn between laughter and tears. "It hardly warrants the word 'trick,' does it?"

"It does, why wouldn't it?" Qiao Yu huffed. "I only had two days of peace, and now you're shoving me back into the pit of fire. If that's not tricking me, what is?"

"I was forced into a corner, and besides, this is for your own good," Wang Guan explained with a light laugh. "If you stay here, and the Elder makes an arrangement, no matter how reluctant you are, you probably won't have a way to refuse. But once you're in Hong Kong, the sea is vast for fish to leap, and the sky is wide for birds to fly. So far away, do you really think the Elder can control you remotely?"

"That sounds quite logical," Qiao Yu mused, then suddenly grinned. "Grandpa is usually clever, but he made a silly mistake this time, letting me leave so easily. Well then, don't blame me for being unfilial."

"Of course, no matter what excuse you use, it doesn't erase the fact that you betrayed a friend. A capital crime is spared, but a lesser one must be punished..."

Qiao Yu's expression changed instantly. She hugged Bei Ye tightly. "I felt bad enough for intruding on your time together these past few days, but now I realize I was far too kind. There's no need to feel guilty towards someone who betrays a friend like you. So, I've decided: for the next while, I'm staying with Xiao Ye the entire time. I won't give Xiao Ye back to you until you've sorted out all those messy affairs in Hong Kong and allowed me to escape unscathed."

"What are you talking about?" Bei Ye retorted, annoyed. "Why drag me into this?"

"Is the precious class monitor angry?" Qiao Yu smiled wickedly. "It's fine, I'll comfort you. Come here, give me a kiss..."

"Ah, you pervert! Get away from me!"

Amidst the playful commotion, Wang Guan suddenly felt immense pressure. He had just dealt with An Huanqing, and now Qiao Yu appeared. Competitors were emerging one after another; his path ahead was indeed long and arduous...(To be continued)