At this moment, the waiter, gathering his courage, tentatively reminded him, "There are many guests in the hotel, please be mindful…"

"Hmm?"

Young Master Cai made a subtle move; the gleaming Knight's Sword drew a swift flourish in the air. He then slanted his eyes toward the waiter, causing the young man to appear rather tense and uneasy.

"Did I startle you?"

A moment later, Young Master Cai handed the sword back to the attendant beside him. He then reached into his pocket, pulled out a thick wad of cash, and without looking, stuffed it into the waiter's pocket, casually asking, "This is compensation. Is it enough?"

"Thank you, Young Master Cai." The waiter quickly bowed low. With this 'compensation for mental distress,' the apprehension and fear vanished completely from his face.

"As long as it's enough." Young Master Cai carried an air of pronounced arrogance. He pinched the cigar between two fingers, removed it from his lips, exhaled a wisp of faint smoke, and then finally cast his full attention toward the others.

At this point, Young Master Cai's gaze swept over Sha Qingfeng, Old Meng, and the others. Finding no one familiar, he concluded that these people weren't worth his notice… Just as he thought this, his eyes suddenly halted, fixed on a figure in the crowd that seemed vaguely familiar.

The first time he saw that person, Young Master Cai felt an undeniable familiarity. Looking again in the next blink, he finally remembered who this person was. In that instant, Young Master Cai’s previously haughty expression simply dissolved. He opened his mouth as if to say something, yet hesitated, unsure how to begin, leaving him momentarily frozen, displaying a rather vacant look.

The bystanders naturally noticed, leading to a wave of confusion and bewilderment. After a long pause, one of the attendants finally whispered urgently, "Young Master Cai, Young Master Cai…"

"Ah!"

Young Master Cai snapped back to awareness. Noticing the strange looks directed at him, a flicker of embarrassment crossed his face. However, he quickly masked it. He then strode forward rapidly, shaking the person's hand with genuine warmth. His tone was exceedingly cordial and friendly: "Big Brother, why didn't you let me know when you came to Hong Kong? I should have come to welcome you…"

"Oh?"

Everyone present was quite surprised and astonished, turning their attention over.

At this time, Wang Guan felt a strange mix of amusement and chagrin. He wasn't sure when he had acquired a 'cheap little brother,' but he somewhat understood Young Master Cai's intentions.

Yes, this Young Master Cai was the same one Wang Guan had encountered during his trip to Macau. That, of course, wasn't the main point. The crucial issue seemed to be that this Young Master Cai had borrowed a sum of money from him, which he still hadn't repaid.

In other words, Wang Guan was currently Young Master Cai’s creditor, and one with a promissory note to prove it.

Though Wang Guan himself couldn't recall exactly where he had put the IOU, Young Master Cai didn't know that. Moreover, he didn't possess the mindset of certain domestic individuals who believed owing money made them the master. Suddenly coming face-to-face with his creditor, his confidence naturally plummeted.

Of course, it wasn't that Young Master Cai couldn't afford to repay the money. After all this time, his financial woes had eased, and he could write a check to settle the debt at any moment.

The problem was that Young Master Cai dared not let anyone know about owing money. Where would his dignity lie then? He would rather repay double the amount than suffer such public shame, and certainly didn't wish to become the subject of ridicule. Thus, while warmly greeting Wang Guan, he also hurriedly whispered, "We can discuss that matter in detail later. Please, don't mention it carelessly to anyone…"

"Fine." Wang Guan was quite direct. In reality, he didn't much care about the debt itself; after all, his purpose for lending the money wasn't to curry favor with Young Master Cai, but for the Seven-Colored Pearl. Once he obtained the pearl, he had largely forgotten the matter, even losing track of the IOU.

However, Wang Guan was clear that his indifference didn't imply Cai Shao felt the same way. If he wasn't given a chance to repay, Cai Shao might overthink things, suspecting Wang Guan was trying to leverage the situation for greater gain.

Receiving this affirmative answer, Young Master Cai smiled even more brightly, delight evident on his face. "Big Brother is here for a meal? Excellent! Why don't we dine together…"

As he spoke, Young Master Cai gave Wang Guan no room to refuse, hooking his arm around his shoulder and pulling him along toward the front.

Wang Guan was tugged forward two steps, his expression somewhat resigned. "Young Master Cai, I came with friends…"

"My name is Cai Peng; just use my name, don't let it slip!" Young Master Cai cautioned, then turned back with a smile, "No problem, bring your friends along too. My treat!"

Hearing this, Old Meng and the others exchanged glances, then someone stood up, laughing, "Since Young Master Cai has insisted, we certainly won't refuse."

"Good." Cai Peng nodded slightly and continued to lead Wang Guan away. His immediate concern was to resolve the debt issue properly and quickly; he had no patience for trivial matters right now.

Meanwhile, Old Meng frowned slightly and quietly inquired, "What's the background of that Young Master Cai?"

"The son of a Taiwanese tycoon," an informed source whispered back. "He's been in Hong Kong for a while, spends money lavishly, often dropping thousands on a whim…"

At these words, many eyes lit up. Although not explicitly stated, the underlying meaning was clear: Young Master Cai represented a potential high-value client, someone they should try to court.

After all, in the art auction market, there weren't just Chinese antiques and Western oil paintings; there was also a vast array of jewelry, precious stones, and various luxury items. These were precisely the things that interested the 'Second Generation Rich,' and their presence was frequently noted at auctions. In a way, they had gradually become the main driving force in the auction scene.

As professional agents, encountering such clientele meant there was no reason to let them slip away. Never mind that Cai Peng had personally extended an invitation; even without that, some people might have shamelessly followed along. For those who live off this trade, lacking thick skin was a sure recipe for failure.

Just then, someone sighed softly, "But speaking of which, that Brother Wang seems quite extraordinary too."

The others nodded one after another, then invariably looked toward Pi Qiushi, hoping he could offer an explanation.

Indeed, birds of a feather flock together; this was an eternal truth. While there might be some who could command Young Master Cai to address them as 'Big Brother,' such people were certainly not numerous. They had some understanding of the temperaments of the 'Second Generation Rich'—to say they were arrogant was an understatement; describing them as looking down on everyone and being brazenly overbearing wouldn't be too far off the mark.

A personality that places no one above the influence of their own father—would they call someone else Big Brother for no good reason?

"Don't look at me like that."

Pi Qiushi shook his head at this moment. "I don't know how they met, but I can confirm that Brother Wang is definitely not one of the 'Second Generation Rich.'"

"Of course…" Pi Qiushi paused, then under the expectant gazes, finally smiled and said, "Brother Wang seems to have quite good connections with many descendants of established families."

"Is that so…"

"If you don't want to say, then don't. Why emulate Old Meng and hold back."

"Alright, we have his name, address, and contact details. We can investigate on our own later."

A few people muttered amongst themselves, clearly not trusting Pi Qiushi's explanation, which left him feeling rather helpless, lamenting how no one believed the truth these days.

While they spoke, the group slowly followed Cai Peng into a private room.

At this juncture, Cai Peng had already secretly written out a check. While everyone was distracted, he quietly handed it to Wang Guan, even adding interest, hoping Wang Guan would be satisfied.

Wang Guan didn't even look at the specific amount, just pocketed it casually.

Seeing this, Cai Peng secretly let out a breath of relief. He appreciated Wang Guan's straightforwardness even more, and the gesture of offering to treat them, which had started as mere politeness, now held more genuine sincerity.

"Order whatever you like…" Cai Peng declared expansively, waving his hand as if the establishment belonged to him.

Naturally, after some back-and-forth polite refusals, Cai Peng ultimately took charge, ordering a lavish spread of cuisine unique to Taiwan that suited his own tastes. The others didn't object; since the food was all of a similar style, there was no reason they wouldn't enjoy it.

During the serving of the meal, Sha Qingfeng and the others engaged in animated, low-voiced discussions.

But Wang Guan and Cai Peng, seated centrally, remained somewhat taciturn. The main reason was that the two weren't truly familiar with each other and didn't know what they should talk about.

However, Cai Peng realized this silence couldn't continue, or others would grow suspicious. He cleared his throat, a smile spreading across his face, and initiated small talk: "What have you been busy with lately?"

"The things I'm busy with, you probably wouldn't find interesting," Wang Guan smiled, then suddenly pointed at the Western Knight's Sword held by one of Cai Peng's attendants behind him. "I'm rather interested in that item. May I take a look?"

"Of course, no problem at all."

Waving his attendant to hand the Knight's Sword over, Cai Peng exhibited a touch of pride. "Well? Have you seen anything like this? This is one of the most famous in the Western world…"

"A Knights Templar Sword!" Wang Guan chuckled softly, taking the sword to examine it closely. The pommel featured the head of a knight, and the blade was exceptionally long and straight. The body was covered in patterns and inscriptions; the patterns depicted scenes from the Crusades, and the inscriptions were in an alphabetic script.

Overall, the sword’s hilt was ivory, and the scabbard was gilded, rendering it exquisitely crafted and opulent. It felt less like a weapon of war and more like a refined piece of art.

"It’s a fine piece, isn't it?"

Cai Peng beamed, unable to hide a hint of boastfulness. "I paid a great deal of money for this. It's supposedly the personal sword of a Knight Templar from the Crusades around the 10th century in Europe. It was later passed down to the American Masonic Knights Templar. It’s already a thousand years old…"

It should be noted that although Sha Qingfeng and the others were chatting merrily, they were still keeping an eye on the interaction between Cai Peng and Wang Guan, naturally overhearing Cai Peng’s self-satisfied narration.

After hearing Cai Peng's introduction and seeing the physical sword, Sha Qingfeng and the others had varied reactions, but their eyes all showed traces of suppressed smiles—the kind of expression one makes when trying desperately not to laugh.

At this point, Wang Guan sighed slightly, a hint of pity coloring his eyes. "Although I really don't want to tell you the truth, but out of consideration for… our connection, I've decided to tell you the cruel, stark truth. I hope you can bear it…"

Wang Guan uttered the words 'Seven-Colored Pearl' vaguely, so Cai Peng didn't pay them much mind, instead asking inexplicably, "What truth?" (To be continued.)

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