At this, Yu Feibai speculated, "Perhaps he wanted to borrow Lu Zigang's jade thumb ring to study for a while, but felt he wasn't close enough to you to ask comfortably."

"Is that so?" Wang Guan looked a bit troubled. "If it were before, it certainly wouldn't be an issue, but with the exhibition tour starting now, it's not convenient to move them. It'll have to wait at least two or three months, until the craze for the treasures has died down."

"I'm just guessing; it might not even be that," Yu Feibai said casually. "Besides, he might have been hesitant precisely because he understood the situation."

"Very well, I'll talk to him later," Wang Guan laughed. "Tell him to be patient and wait a few more months."

"Since that's settled, you two sort it out amongst yourselves then."

After chatting for a while longer, their communication ended. Coincidentally, just as Wang Guan was about to look up Lu Chongming's contact information, his call came through.

After some pleasantries, they agreed to meet at a nearby teahouse. Wang Guan arrived first, ordering a pot of West Lake Longjing tea and some tea snacks. Just as the waiter set everything on the table, Lu Chongming arrived. Having spent time together before, they were not strangers, and thanks to Yu Feibai, there was a degree of closeness between them, so there was no awkward silence.

Shaking hands and ushering Lu Chongming to a seat, Wang Guan took a moment to observe him before smiling, "You look leaner. That period of intensive secluded cultivation must have been tough."

Wang Guan’s observation wasn't baseless. Lu Chongming used to exude the air of an artist, complete with a slightly longer beard that gave him a dashing aura. But now, his beard was gone, his skin was tanned, and the man seemed scrubbed clean of any superficiality, looking exceptionally vigorous and radiating a robust spirit.

At first glance, he looked less like an artist and more like a soldier just returned from duty.

"I endured quite a bit of hardship, but the progress has been immense," Lu Chongming admitted readily, offering a slight smile. "At least my master agrees that I can reluctantly be considered graduated."

"Oh."

Hearing this, Wang Guan immediately clasped his hands together. "Congratulations, Master Lu! You must look after me well in the future."

The reason Lu Chongming needed to go into secluded cultivation was because he had hit a bottleneck, unable to advance further from his quasi-master level, feeling utterly lost without a direction for breakthrough. He eventually realized his foundation was unstable, too reliant on modern machinery, which is why he decisively chose to start learning from the basics again.

After half a year of rigorous training, combined with Lu Chongming’s inherent talent, the results were clearly significant: he had transformed from a quasi-master into a true master. Of course, perhaps he had only just barely reached the master realm, but with continued effort, possessing a master's skill would only be a matter of time.

"It's still early days," Lu Chongming smiled. "Next is practical application; it’ll take another year or two of practice to stabilize everything."

"Regardless, this is certainly cause for celebration," Wang Guan said sincerely. "You should have told me sooner. Otherwise, we wouldn't have picked a teahouse; we should have gone to a restaurant."

"We can celebrate tonight," Lu Chongming chuckled, then smoothly transitioned to the main topic. "You're in Hucheng for the exhibition tour, correct?"

"That's right," Wang Guan nodded. "The items arrived under escort tonight. I'll take you to see them later."

"That’s wonderful! I won't be polite then," Lu Chongming beamed, clearly delighted.

"Of course. Don't forget, among the treasures on the exhibition tour, there's one of your works too," Wang Guan said with a smile. "How about we announce it during the tour?"

"Absolutely not! You'd be throwing me into the fire," Lu Chongming immediately shook his head, foregoing a prime opportunity for fame without hesitation.

The work in question was naturally that Changhua stone sphere. While Lu Chongming carved and shaped it, the concept originated with Wang Guan. Lu Chongming had no intention of claiming that credit alone.

People should know their own worth. A wonder like the Changhua stone sphere was inherently a divine treasure, requiring only slight artistry to shine; the treasure was shaped by the artisan's hands, not the other way around—the artisan didn't create the treasure from nothing.

These were two vastly different concepts, and Lu Chongming understood the distinction clearly, certainly not wanting to become a laughingstock among insiders.

"If that’s the case, then forget it," Wang Guan shrugged. "Think about it—a chance to become instantly famous. Don't miss it now only to regret it later."

"I have faith in myself; I won't lack opportunities for fame in the future," Lu Chongming stated confidently.

"Alright, consider it unsaid."

As they spoke, Wang Guan's gaze happened to drift, and he was surprised to spot a familiar face in the teahouse. He quickly called out, "Uncle Song, over here..."

"Who?"

The man looked over and, upon seeing Wang Guan, seemed somewhat unexpectedly delighted. "Wang Guan! What are you doing here?"

The deep voice, rugged features, and full, bushy beard belonged to Song Youdao, an engraver from the Xiling Seal Society and an expert in gambling for Changhua stones.

"That’s what I was about to ask you."

Wang Guan quickly rose to greet him, made the introductions, and then smiled, "Uncle Song, are you in Hucheng on business, or are you planning to view the treasure exhibition?"

"Is that even a question? Of course, I’m here for the exhibition," Song Youdao laughed. "It seems I don't need to ask you the same thing; you're here for the same purpose, right?"

"More or less," Wang Guan nodded. "I'm indeed here because of the exhibition." This wasn't entirely untrue, though he wasn't there to view it, but to organize the exhibition matters.

"I figured," Song Youdao sighed. "The organizers are too stingy. The entire Yangtze River Delta region is huge, yet they’re only holding one exhibition in Hucheng. Naturally, the crowds from Jiangsu and Zhejiang are all converging here. It’s a good thing the exhibition was extended by two days, or there might have been some real trouble brewing."

"Are there many people?" Wang Guan asked, slightly surprised.

Considering the developed coastal economy, it was somewhat understandable.

"Many—too many to describe. It rivals the period of the World Expo."

Song Youdao shook his head, then asked, "By the way, did you manage to get tickets? These exhibition tickets are harder to acquire than Spring Festival train tickets, and there are so many restrictions, it’s a nightmare!"

To prevent scalpers from price-gouging, there was a rule limiting purchases to two tickets per person. This largely curbed the scalpers but caused widespread grumbling among others. People were annoyed because they couldn't pay high prices to scalpers and get tickets, leaving them frustrated. In a way, it was an unavoidable outlet for their complaints.

"We have tickets," Wang Guan said lightly. "Uncle Song, what day is your ticket for?"

"Three days from now..."

Song Youdao was just saying this when someone else called out to him. Wang Guan naturally looked over and saw a middle-aged man approaching, likely a friend of Song Youdao's by the look of it.

But as the man drew closer, he glanced at Wang Guan, and not recognizing him, walked straight past, then spotted Lu Chongming. The man paused for a moment, then showed a mixture of surprise and delight. "Brother Lu! Long time no see."

"Oh..."

Lu Chongming was also slightly surprised. He studied the man carefully, suddenly realizing who it was, and broke into a smile. "It's Boss Hu! It really has been a long time. Business booming, I trust?"

"It really is you, Brother Lu! You’ve changed so much, I almost didn't recognize you," Boss Hu said with a full smile, then sighed with mock distress. "But business hasn't been booming since I lost the supply source Brother Lu provided..."

Hearing this, Wang Guan understood. This Boss Hu was likely one of Lu Chongming's main clients, someone who used to procure goods from him regularly. However, since Lu Chongming went into seclusion to improve his craft for over half a year, the channel was cut off, inevitably affecting Boss Hu to some extent.

"Why did your studio suddenly close?" Boss Hu asked with concern. "Did you run into some trouble? Feel free to tell me, Brother Lu. If it's within my power to help, I won't shirk my duty."

Birds of a feather flock together; those who could be friends with a straightforward man like Song Youdao must also be loyal. More importantly, Boss Hu understood Lu Chongming’s background and skill, so he wanted to curry favor, hoping to deepen their relationship.

"Nothing much, just some personal matters," Lu Chongming waved his hand and smiled. "I felt my technique wasn't up to par, so I decided to go back and relearn everything from scratch."

"Ah?"

Boss Hu was momentarily stunned, truly surprised by the answer. Lu Chongming was already a provincial-level Master of Arts and Crafts! To say his skill wasn't good enough—did that mean everyone else was just messing around?

"It wasn't relearning from scratch; it was advanced training," Wang Guan chimed in with a smile. "He went for deep study, and now he has achieved success, elevating his strength to a new level."

"I see," Boss Hu realized, quickly offering congratulations and proposing a toast with his tea.

Now there were four of them, all acquainted with each other. They chatted amongst themselves, occasionally exchanging opinions, and the atmosphere naturally became very harmonious. It just went to show that people really are part of small circles, and you might run into someone unexpectedly. Strangers one second could become friends the next.

Without realizing it, it was already noon. Boss Hu immediately stood up, clapping his chest, and insisted on treating them to a meal—not at a restaurant, but by inviting the other three to his home.

Generally, inviting someone to your home signifies treating them as a true friend. The other three naturally accepted, happily following Boss Hu to his residence. Boss Hu’s home was located on a busy, bustling street. Environmentally speaking, it certainly wasn't the best, but from a commercial perspective, it occupied a prime location.

Indeed, Boss Hu capitalized on this location, opening a jade ornament shop right at his doorstep. Thanks to good management and the heavy foot traffic, business was quite prosperous.

However, it wasn't like he was making astronomical profits. Jade belongs to the luxury category, and even if the industry boomed, costs were constantly rising while profit margins were actually decreasing.

Of course, regardless of the profit margin, having this shop meant Boss Hu lived a comfortable life—at least firmly in the high-income bracket, free from worries about food and clothing, something many ordinary people aspired to... (To be continued.)