At this juncture, hearing that Cai Peng intended to formally apprentice for instruction naturally struck Wang Guan as rather amusing.

"Big Brother, I can endure hardship exceptionally well. I trained in martial arts movements and techniques with a renowned master when I was young, so I already have a solid foundation," Cai Peng declared excitedly. "As long as you are willing to teach, I promise to study diligently until I graduate, and I absolutely will not give up halfway..."

From these words, it was evident that he had, in fact, given up halfway during his previous martial arts studies.

"We'll talk about apprenticeships later," Wang Guan replied with a gentle shake of his head, then gestured. "Go take a look at those rush mats; something seems off."

"Off? What could be wrong?" Cai Peng asked, mystified. "Haven't they all been severed?"

Despite his words, Cai Peng walked over to inspect them. A single glance was enough to inflame his expression, and he immediately spun around, shouting curses. "You lowlife, Hu! How despicable of you to pour water inside the rush mats..."

Rush mats—the material is dried straw, meticulously woven into a mat. Dried straw is inherently supple, but once thoroughly soaked, its toughness is beyond question; rolled up tightly, it might even resist a standard handgun.

However, among these three connected bundles of mats, the very middle one had been stealthily wetted down. Being only semi-soaked and then tightly rolled, the deception was naturally undetectable from the surface.

But now that Wang Guan had severed the three linked bundles with his sword, the cross-section clearly revealed the distinct difference between the three mats.

Seeing this, how could Cai Peng not be enraged? He launched into a torrent of abuse: "Despicable and shameless! Treacherous and cunning..."

Hu Shao’s face naturally darkened at this, appearing as if overcast by storm clouds. Yet the facts were laid bare, and he couldn't argue against them. Who could have possibly anticipated that the Gongbu Sword was so razor-sharp it could slice through even mats secretly treated this way? Otherwise, if the blade had gotten stuck in the matting, no one would have seen through the ruse.

"Hahaha..."

Just then, Cai Peng grasped this point, his anger dissipating as a gloating smile spread across his face. "You calculated everything perfectly, only to have your own scheme backfire spectacularly! You certainly never expected the treasured sword could cut through specially treated rush mats, did you? Feeling quite surprised?"

Hu Shao remained silently gloomy, but his dark, malicious gaze confirmed his profound irritation.

Naturally, Hu Shao’s vexation was Cai Peng’s delight. Describing the sheer exhilaration Cai Peng felt watching that face, black as the bottom of a pot, is unnecessary; it was as sublime as savoring ice cream on a scorching June day.

"I won't waste any more words with you," Cai Peng declared at this moment, adopting the posture of a proud rooster, chin thrust toward Hu Shao, his tone exceedingly arrogant. "The evidence is right there. What have you got to say now? Are you going to admit defeat immediately, or are you planning to default on the wager?"

"Hmph."

Hearing this, Hu Shao's face grew darker still, though not so much that he would actually default on the debt.

After all, losing this round meant he could reclaim his honor next time, but defaulting would destroy his reputation. Do not doubt it; even among the circle of rich wastrels, there were established rules. Those who failed to honor their commitments would naturally earn universal disdain.

For this reason, no matter how displeased Hu Shao was, he offered no rebuttal, implicitly accepting the outcome. Of course, getting him to admit it verbally was out of the question. Furthermore, unwilling to look upon Cai Peng’s smug, detestable grin any longer, he shot a harsh glare and decisively waved his hand. "Let's go..."

"Don't be so hasty."

At the same time, Cai Peng smiled broadly. "Have you forgotten something?"

Just then, Hu Shao paused, but without turning back, he tossed a set of keys over his shoulder. His pace quickened immediately, and within moments, he was out of the coffee shop, driving away angrily.

"Losing to me on his own turf! See how arrogant he dares to be in front of me next time," Cai Peng crowed with satisfaction. Of course, he didn't forget the primary contributor to his victory, calling for someone to retrieve the keys before happily presenting them with both hands.

"What is this?" Wang Guan asked, now curious.

"Lamborghini," Cai Peng supplied in English, then smiled slyly. "A global limited edition, brand new, still sealed in its warehouse down at the docks."

"What car?" Wang Guan had never cared much for foreign languages.

"Lan Bo Jian Ni!"

Upon hearing this, Cai Peng quickly supplied a Chinese name that Wang Guan was slightly more familiar with.

Seeing Wang Guan’s blank look, Sha Qingfeng, standing nearby, immediately laughed. "That’s the term they use in Taiwan. In Hong Kong, it’s called Lin Bao Jian Ni, and in the mainland, I think it’s Lamborghini."

"Oh." Wang Guan finally understood. He had certainly heard of such a car.

In ancient times, it was like never having eaten pork but having seen pigs walk; in modern terms, even if you hadn't seen a pig walk, you'd at least eaten pork. Even if Wang Guan knew little about fine automobiles, he possessed basic general knowledge and naturally understood that a Lamborghini was incredibly expensive. As for precisely how expensive, he had no clear conception.

In the past, lacking wealth, he naturally never bothered to inquire. Now that he had money, he traveled constantly, making a car useless, so Wang Guan waved his hand and declined Cai Peng’s offer. "You should keep what they gave you."

"That wasn't a gift; it was what he lost to me in the bet," Cai Peng quickly clarified. "But since Big Brother helped me win this wager, the spoils naturally belong to you."

"I have no use for this," Wang Guan smiled. "I'm heading back to the mainland in a few days. It would be troublesome to take it with me."

As he spoke, Wang Guan ignored Cai Peng’s persuasion and walked over to the pile of mats. It wasn't the bundle he had severed, but the stack left untouched by Hu Shao's bodyguard. Perhaps in his haste, the katana hadn't been retrieved and remained stuck in the straw.

"Aha, looks like he was so enraged he forgot his sword," Cai Peng remarked, walking over. "But this proves Big Brother was right—this sword probably isn't much. If it were truly precious, he would have taken it no matter what."

"It might not be worthless," Wang Guan mused. He carefully pulled out the katana and examined the grip. Finding the silk wrapping secured by a knot, he felt a flicker of disappointment.

"Big Brother wanted to check if there were characters on the hilt?" Cai Peng, perceptive as always, noticed Wang Guan's hesitation. He immediately grabbed the Gongbu Sword nearby, sliced through the threads on the katana’s hilt, and quickly tore the wrappings away, as if severing a tangled mess.

Seeing this, Wang Guan didn't stand on ceremony. After glancing at the inscription on the hilt—which he had already fully absorbed—he turned and smiled. "Does anyone here know what year Heisei 20 is?"

"Heisei?"

Old Meng pondered for a moment before smiling. "I actually do know that. The Heisei era name is used by Japan's current Emperor; he ascended the throne in 1989. So, Heisei 20 should be 2008."

"What? There really is a date inscription on the hilt!" Pi Qiushi and the others crowded around to look, immediately spotting several lines of text. Besides the date, there was the true name of the katana and the name of the swordsmith. The sword’s name was largely ignored, but upon seeing the smith’s name, they all showed a touch of surprise.

"Tsukiyama Sadatoshi!"

Wang Guan murmured, "That should be the person from the Tsukiyama family, the one Hu Shao mentioned as dominating the Japanese sword-forging world, right?"

"Heh, who cares if he is or not," Cai Peng said with a laugh. "We won anyway! If I'd known, we wouldn't have even needed the second round. That fellow actually tried to trick us with a fake sword! Next time I see him, I must mock him thoroughly."

"The sword isn't fake; it's just rather new," Wang Guan corrected with a smile. "It should be quite valuable. It’s a shame Hu Shao didn't cherish it, carving characters haphazardly into the blade, creating flaws on a perfect surface. What a waste of a treasure."

"If Big Brother likes the sword, just keep it," Cai Peng enthusiastically suggested. "He certainly won't have the face to ask for it back now."

"How can we just keep someone else's property?" Wang Guan shook his head. "Later, tell someone to rewrap the hilt properly and send it back to him..."

"That works too," Cai Peng conceded after a moment's thought, then chuckled knowingly. "With your treasured sword, Big Brother wouldn't care about some mere broken blade. Heh heh, I’ll send it back to him myself later."

Judging by Cai Peng’s smile, he clearly had mischief in mind; he was likely looking for another chance to show off.

Of course, Wang Guan didn't intend to involve himself in their feud. He returned the Gongbu Sword to its sheath and said with a smile, "This matter is settled, and I’ve helped as much as I can. We should head back now; we still have things to attend to."

"What things? Maybe I can help," Cai Peng offered readily.

"Serious matters that you wouldn't be able to assist with," Wang Guan replied dismissively, then motioned for Pi Qiushi and the others to leave.

Cai Peng naturally followed along, stammering slightly. "Big Brother, about learning the sword..."

"Do you know Mount Wudang?" Wang Guan brushed him off. "There are many swordsmanship training camps there, taught by masters of the art. You can sign up there; they will certainly be delighted to take you in and guide you carefully."

"I've been there. Those masters are all just showing off their fancy moves; even my bodyguard could beat them," Cai Peng sighed dejectedly.

"Uh..."

Wang Guan paused momentarily, then quickened his pace. Who knew if Cai Peng would impulsively ask his bodyguard to spar with him? A person must know their own limits, and Wang Guan was aware he couldn't defeat a well-trained professional guard.

As for Cai Peng wanting to learn the sword, Wang Guan treated it like background noise, not bothering to pay any further attention.

After some circling around, the group returned to the hotel. However, as they entered the lobby, someone approached them head-on.

It was a man and a woman. The man was dressed in a Western-style suit, wearing a small bowler hat, and carrying a delicate, slender wooden cane—the exact attire of a British gentleman. His strikingly retro appearance naturally drew some surprised glances.

Of course, that wasn't the main point. The focus was the beautiful woman beside him: it was Beiye.

At this moment, Beiye was radiant. Clad in gorgeous attire and wearing light makeup, she exuded an even more captivating charm than usual. Moreover, she was clinging lightly to the gentleman's arm like a gentle dove, her eyes seemingly holding a sweet, tender smile.

Seeing this scenario, Wang Guan instinctively frowned, then just as quickly relaxed his expression...RS