"Brother Wu, that Mr. Zhu, what exactly is his background?" At the same time, Su Wenyi couldn't help but press further, "Is he really that formidable, enough to make you so apprehensive?"

"Not just apprehensive, but reverent."

At that moment, Mr. Wu offered a wry smile. "Mr. Su, you aren't in this line of work, so your ignorance of Mr. Zhu is understandable. Or perhaps, after more than twenty years, people have forgotten. I doubt many outside the old guard of master connoisseurs even know of him."

"Clearly, this young man must have learned of Mr. Zhu from his elders, but that's not how it was for me..."

At this point, a look of reminiscence flashed in Mr. Wu's eyes, his face filled with lingering emotion. "I began managing my antique shop over twenty years ago. I frequently returned to the mainland to source goods, and through a stroke of fortune, I personally experienced that whole tumultuous affair..."

"Wait, that's not right."

As he spoke, Mr. Wu's expression turned doubtful. "You say Mr. Yao is Mr. Zhu? The age doesn't match. After more than two decades, even if Mr. Zhu hadn't passed away, he should be over eighty now."

"He is Zhu the Third Generation."

Wang Guan explained, "Perhaps he was a survivor of that era. After lying low for over twenty years, he meticulously studied the secret formulas left behind by the original Mr. Zhu, finally becoming the new Mr. Zhu, and now, unwilling to remain in obscurity, he has re-emerged."

"Is that so?"

Mr. Wu frowned and sighed softly. "No wonder I kept feeling something was off about that batch of porcelain, yet I couldn't pinpoint any flaw in the appraisal. Back then, I attributed it to the enormous transaction sum making me overly suspicious. Looking back, it seems it was a premonition."

"What a pity. I trusted the appraisal too much and overlooked my intuition..."

"Young man, thank you so much. If not for you, I would have nearly repeated the same mistake."

Hearing this, and seeing Mr. Wu's tearful gratitude, Wang Guan knew he must have suffered a loss at the hands of the former Mr. Zhu twenty years ago, or he wouldn't have possessed such a premonition.

"Really?"

However, unlike the convinced Mr. Wu, Su Wenyi remained skeptical. "Is Mr. Zhu truly that powerful?"

If he hadn't been aware of Mr. Wu's history, Su Wenyi would have suspected him and Wang Guan were colluding to perform a double act, maneuvering him out of this major deal.

"Mr. Su, if you don't believe it, feel free to invite Mr. Yao over..."

Wang Guan seized the opportunity to interject. "We can confront him directly. Everything will be clear then."

"Confrontation?"

Su Wenyi hesitated. Of course, he wanted clarity face-to-face, but he feared being trapped. After all, a confrontation meant admitting his suspicion of Mr. Yao. If Mr. Yao had absolutely nothing to do with any Mr. Zhu, he would certainly be offended, and the big deal would surely fall through.

Yet, failing to clarify the matter left Su Wenyi deeply uneasy. If Wang Guan wasn't lying and the deal proceeded, the loss wouldn't just be minor; it could be crippling.

With this in mind, Su Wenyi was naturally conflicted.

However, Su Yu seemed to possess more decisiveness, or perhaps greater wisdom. She immediately murmured softly, "Dad, he might dare lie to you, but given Elder Qian's standing and prestige, he absolutely wouldn't. Just give him a call to verify."

"You are indeed sharp, seeing things clearly from the outside."

Su Wenyi instantly reacted, grabbing his phone and dialing Elder Qian. What followed was quickly settled; a few brief words yielded positive confirmation, naturally solidifying Su Wenyi's resolve.

"...Rest assured, Elder Qian, with Mr. Su's help, it will be absolutely foolproof."

At this point, Wang Guan took Su Wenyi's phone and chatted with Elder Qian for a few moments before waiting calmly, though he felt a vague sense of excitement, or perhaps anxious unrest. He couldn't help but feel nervous, having never experienced anything like this before, making a certain degree of apprehension inevitable.

Su Wenyi, however, was composed, exuding an unhurried demeanor as he slowly left the private room to invite Mr. Zhu over for a chat. His placid expression betrayed no burden when it came to setting up a scheme.

While Wang Guan was lost in thought, the sounds of movement outside the private room spurred him into action. He quickly concealed himself in a nearby corner, intending to trap Mr. Zhu the moment he entered. Mr. Zhu, completely unaware he was being set up, maintained a jovial conversation with Su Wenyi as he lightly stepped into the room.

In that very instant, something unexpected happened—perhaps Mr. Zhu caught a glimpse of something—his face dramatically shifted, and with lightning speed, he turned, shoved Su Wenyi aside, and bolted toward the exit. He looked like a startled bird, utterly panicked, yet his speed was incredible, vanishing down the corridor in moments.

"What happened?"

Everyone was momentarily stunned, completely baffled as to where the plan had gone awry.

"The mirror."

In his confusion, Wang Guan's gaze swept the room and he spotted the cause, immediately groaning in regret. "Even the wisest can err. I never expected things to be ruined by a mere mirror..."

Wang Guan stomped his foot in frustration, not daring to delay. He hastily gathered several burly men and gave chase.

After they rushed out, Su Wenyi and the others finally reacted. They looked toward the mirror on the wall near the door and could indeed see the interior of the private room with perfect clarity.

Considering that Wang Guan wasn't wearing sunglasses, and several large men were waiting nearby, fists clenched, given Mr. Zhu's sharp instincts, seeing this scene must have instantly revealed the danger. It was fortunate he reacted so quickly; had he hesitated even a beat longer, he might not have had a chance to escape.

However, Mr. Zhu’s flight was tantamount to an admission of guilt.

"Thank heavens!"

Realizing this, Su Wenyi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. This was the final stage; negotiations were almost complete, requiring only the contract signing. If Wang Guan hadn't intervened—no, exposed the truth—the Su Group would have suffered a massive loss.

While Su Wenyi and the others breathed easier, Wang Guan inwardly cursed his near failure and remained perplexed. Logically, Mr. Zhu looked like a man in his sixties, yet his agility far exceeded their expectations.

They didn't take the elevator but ran down the stairs from the high floor, exited the grand hotel, and then engaged in a real-life chase scene on the highway—a game of pursuit and evasion. Within minutes, everyone was breathless and sweating profusely. Mr. Zhu, demonstrating his intelligence, flagged down a taxi immediately after a corner and sped away.

So, by the time Wang Guan and his group reached the corner, all they saw was the rear of the cab disappearing.

Wang Guan felt an urge to curse but controlled it. Thankfully, there were other taxis nearby. He hastily hailed one and urged the driver to pursue.

Naturally, watching the 'cooked duck fly away' infuriated Wang Guan, leaving him flustered.

However, real life isn't a movie or TV show. No matter how urgent Wang Guan was, the driver couldn't dangerously weave through traffic; he maintained a safe distance, tailing the taxi. Wang Guan felt helpless but dared not complain, lest he annoy the driver and be abandoned altogether, which would be even more frustrating.

Thus, amidst the car chase, Mr. Zhu reached the seaside pier and hurriedly boarded a yacht...

At that moment, Wang Guan remembered he had arranged for someone to monitor the pier and the yachts. He immediately called, telling his contact to intercept Mr. Zhu. Unfortunately, they were a step too late; Mr. Zhu was already aboard the yacht by the time the call connected.

Wang Guan sighed in resignation. Once Mr. Zhu vanished like this, finding him again might take an indeterminate amount of time. One wrong step had cost everything, leaving no room for recovery—a source of profound regret.

Thinking this, Wang Guan shook his head, seeing no point in saying more to his contact, merely instructing him to prepare a speedboat for a final effort—doing all he could and leaving the rest to fate.

A few minutes later, the taxi stopped at the pier. Wang Guan paid the fare, got out, and sprinted toward the speedboat with a hundred-meter dash pace. But after running only a short distance, he looked up and was astonished to find Mr. Zhu's yacht still docked, showing no signs of departure.

"What's going on?"

Seeing this, Wang Guan paused, then felt a rush of surprise and joy, exclaiming that heaven hadn't abandoned him.

"Did the yacht suddenly break down?"

Of course, Wang Guan remained slightly wary. Whatever the reason, he certainly wouldn't miss this chance. He immediately increased his speed, reaching the yacht in moments, only to stop abruptly beside it.

Examining the silent vessel, Wang Guan began to mull over the situation, wondering if Mr. Zhu had set a trap to ensnare him instead. If failing to catch the tiger resulted in being harmed by it, that would be truly tragic.

Just then, the burly men caught up. Wang Guan felt somewhat reassured, and out of caution, he immediately utilized his special ability to gaze inward.

At first glance, Wang Guan froze, then a bright smile spread across his face, a look of immense relief.

"Let's go, we're heading up."

Wang Guan now felt completely relaxed, wiping the sweat from his brow before leisurely stepping onto the yacht. His demeanor suggested the vessel was his personal property, showing no constraint whatsoever.

The burly men, however, remained alert, moving cautiously with defensive stances, their faces etched with vigilance. In truth, they weren't wrong. The instant everyone stepped into the cabin, a loud shout erupted from nearby!

"Ah!"

Startled by the roar, the burly men leaped back and quickly surrounded Wang Guan, forming a protective formation.

Wang Guan, however, remained utterly calm and unfazed. He casually remarked, "Feibai, focus on the task at hand; stop fooling around. Where is Mr. Zhu? You must have caught him?"

"Huh? How did you know it was me?"

In astonishment, someone stepped out lightly from the corner—it was Yu Feibai.

"I guessed."

Wang Guan chuckled lightly. "I just figured that with Elder Qian's meticulous nature, he would certainly have arranged a backup plan..."