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Chapter 408: Everyone Acts and Pretends
After returning to Earth, Tang Xiu’s personally had undergone subtle changes. He was no longer a pure ascetic who had few desires. Instead, he was much closer to a human who was true to life, with seven emotions and six sensory pleasures constantly affecting his every action.
At this moment, Tang Xiu gently looked at his cherished disciple who fell into slumber. Despite having been prepared for it, sorrow and grief emerged inside his heart, the hatred toward Shade Demon Zhu Wushou turning more intense.
While gently holding Gu Yan’er, Tang Xiu placed her on the bed, watching her slumbering form, seemingly suffering a painful torment. Tang Xiu couldn’t help but softly whisper, “Yan’er, Master will definitely cure you. And I will certainly make Shade Demon Zhu Wushou live a miserable life for thousands of years, for ten thousands of years, even millions of years.”
Amid the cold, sitting cross-legged beside Gu Yan’er on the seventh floor of the exquisite pagoda, Tang Xiu quietly watched her beautiful face for a very long time.
Finally, the dusk came and the dawn arrived. As the new day approached, he floated and decided to leave the seventh floor. When he came to the first floor of the exquisite pagoda, he saw Ji Chime sitting cross-legged on the rush cushion in the middle of the room, cultivating silently. There was a very powerful fluctuation of Immortal Origin Qi coming out of her.
“Lord.”
Noticing Tang Xiu, a sorrowful look flashed in Ji Chimei’s eyes, as she said respectfully.
Tang Xiu’s expression was icy. He lightly nodded and said, “Chimei, take care of Yan’er. Protecting her safety is of the utmost importance. The next time she wakes up, I’ll teach you a top-notch cultivation technique from the Immortal World, as well as a type of divine combat art.”
“Understood!” Ji Chimei reverentially said.
Tang Xiu left the exquisite pagoda. He didn’t have the intention to stay in the Everlasting Feast Hall. Asking someone to drive him to the airport, he then took a flight to Shanghai.
It was already noon when he arrived at Shanghai. Because he kept thinking about the “Buried Diamond”, Tang Xiu got a cab and directly went to Glory Auction House.
The auction house was in a magnificent building with about 40 floors. On the way back to Shanghai, Tang Xiu had browsed information about Glory Auction House through his mobile phone. He found that, apart from someone named Hou Qingmin who was the Glory Auction House’s General Manager, he couldn’t find who the secret Big Boss was.
“Hello, Sir. You need to show your staff tag and swipe your work card to enter. If you’re not an auction house’s staff, please enter from the adjoining line. There’s a registration desk over there.” It was like the MetroCard machine in subway stations, with six entrances sealed. On the other side, the one who spoke was a woman wearing a blue suit and wearing a staff tag.
Tang Xiu looked at her and then entered the next doorway according to her instructions.
“Hello, Sir. May I ask for your intention in coming to our Glory Auction House?” One of the two female staffs sitting inside the registration desk asked with a professional smile.
“I want to see Hou Qingmin.” Tang Xiu said.
“What?”
The two female staffs were stunned, strange expressions emerging on their faces.
“I want to see Hou Qingmin. I’d have to trouble to you to help me inform him about my request.” Tang Xiu repeated.
One of the staffs forced a smile and said, “Sir, you need to make an appointment in advance if you want to see our General Manager. Additionally, you also need to register here and find the Lobby Manager for that. As to whether she can help you, we don’t know.”
“Alright. I’ll register then!”
Tang Xiu took the registration book and wrote his name and contact information on it. He then strode into the first floor lobby. There was a row of tables and chairs inside the lobby, whereby two middle-aged man and a woman were sitting.
“Excuse me, who among you is the Lobby Manager?”
Tang Xiu looked at one of them and asked.
The middle-aged woman stood and nodded with a smile, “I am. May I ask who am I speaking with?”
“I’m surnamed Tang, Tang Xiu.” Tang Xiu said, “My purpose in coming to Glory Auction House is to see your General Manager, Hou Qingmin. If it’s convenient, I’d like you to inform him about my request.”
The Lobby Manager forced a smile and said, “Mr. Tang, our General Manager is unable to see guests for the time being. Can you leave your contact information and your ID, please? I’ll submit your information after our General Manager has finished with his job.”
“So much trouble?” Tang Xiu knitted his brows.
“It’s the rule of our Glory Auction House, Mr. Tang.” The Lobby Manager said.
Rule?
Tang Xiu was silent for a while. He then dialed Chi Nan’s cell number and said, “Help me find Glory Auction House’s General Manager—Hou Qingmin’s contact. The sooner the better.”
“I have it, Boss!” Chi Nan’s voice came out of the phone.
“You are acquaintance with Hou Qingmin?” Tang Xiu asked, a bit surprised.
“We have a bit of a friendship.” Chi Nan said with a smile, “He once tried to break through our Thousand Revolution Array in Jingmen Island’s Everlasting Feast Hall’s HQ. Pity that he failed, though. Later on, he came to dine at Everlasting Feast Hall’s Shanghai branch many times, hence we knew each other and exchanged contact information.”
“That’s just right.” Tang Xiu said, “Come to Glory Auction House, I’ll be waiting for you here.”
"Affirmative!" Chi Nan responded and hurriedly hung up the call.
In the long table, the Lobby Manager observed Tang Xiu with an odd expression. She didn’t know the person Tang Xiu had called. But listening to the conversation’s content, it should be related to the General Manager, Hou Qingmin.
“Mr. Tang, might I ask what is your job?” The Lobby Manager thought for a moment before she inquired in a soft tone.
“I’m a student.” Tang Xiu said.
A student?!
The Lobby Manager forced a wry smile inwardly.
Pointing to the chair nearby, Tang Xiu asked lightly, “Can I sit here while waiting for my friend?”
“Please, have a seat.” The Lobby Manager nodded and said with a smile.
After taking a seat, Tang Xiu then calmly waited. He then pulled out an economics book from his travel bag to kill the time, and then read it in silence.
More than 20 minutes later.
“The Principles of Economics? What a good young man. So young, yet you actually read this kind of book. To think that you’re also reading the english version. Can you understand it?” A voice sounded near Tang Xiu, awakening him from his immersion of the book.
Tang Xiu looked up and saw a tall, middle-aged man with a cool appearance. He immediately lowered his head to continue reading and lightly replied, “It’s just fine!”
Looking at Tang Xiu’s actions, the middle-aged man immediately grinned, “The Principles of Economics; published by Mechanical Industry Press in 2003; N. Gregory Mankiw. The book should be a relatively basic economic textbook for teaching materials. At the present stage, the more commonly used are written by Mankiw, Soros, Van Ryan, and they also have corresponding English and Mandarin versions. As a matter of fact, many businessmen in China also seem to have seen the “Western Economics”, which are suitable for our country’s national conditions. Thus, the contents are roughly similar as well.”
Tang Xiu once again put down his book. He looked up at the middle-aged man and said, “Are you showing off your education level or something? If so, I would like to ask you a question.”
The middle-aged man couldn’t help laughing, “A young man shouldn’t be so easy to offend. Anyhow, what do you want to ask? I should be able to answer one or two things in regards to the economic field. Though I know more about things in regards to the business aspect.”
“Then, please answer my question.” Tang Xiu said lightly, “Which dark horse domestic company group you think will come to prominence in the business world in the next few years?”
“This
” The middle-aged man was speechless.
Despite having been in the business world for several decades and having huge assets and owning many types of enterprises, he really couldn’t tell which group company would come to prominence in the business world within the next few years.
After waiting for more than ten seconds, and seeing that the man couldn’t answer it, Tang Xiu then said lightly, “Since you’re unable to answer my question, then don’t disturb my reading time, would you? Judging from your neat and well-dressed suit, you seem unlikely to be an ordinary person. Don’t you know that it’s very impolite for you to disturb others but not introduce yourself?”
The middle-aged man couldn’t help laughing, “I’m sorry for my rudeness. Anyways, I’m Yang Zhenpan, a businessman. I’m one of the stakeholders of this Glory Auction House. May I ask how I should call this little brother?”
“Tang Xiu!”
With a change in expression, Tang Xiu then stood up and asked, “You have shares in this Glory Auction House? May I ask a favor from you?”
Yang Zhenpan’s brows slightly furrowed, though it quickly went back to normal. He carefully observed Tang Xiu, and then said, “I don’t have a problem with lending you a hand. I naturally can help you as long as it is something within my capability. However, you have to answer a question before I help you, though.”
“Please, do tell!” Tang Xiu nodded.
“You just asked a question that I was unable to answer.” Yang Zhenpan said with a smile, “Because I really can’t find any powerful company groups in the recent years who can become a dark horse, let alone in the coming few years, hence I want to hear it from you. Which one do you think it will be?”
“The Magnificent Tang Corp.” Tang Xiu calmly said.
Staring blankly in response, Yang Zhenpan hesitantly said, “This group’s name sounds familiar, I think I’ve heard it from somewhere, yet I can’t remember it. Can you tell me about the Magnificent Tang Corp?”
“I don’t think you need to ask me.” Tang Xiu chuckled and said, “You just need to send someone to investigate it and it will be clear to you.”
Furrowing his brows yet again, Yang Zhenpan thought for awhile. He then took out his mobile phone and dialed a cell number. After his phone was connected, he said, “Help me investigate the Magnificent Tang Corp’s situation. I want to know the result within three minutes.”
"Yes!"
After ending the call, Yang Zhenpan directly sat on a chair nearby, and then said with a smile, “Little Brother, let’s wait for three minutes. It shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
Tang Xiu nodded and then also sat.
The Lobby Manager and the middle-aged man nearby were at a loss whether they had to laugh or cry, a strange expression on their faces when they looked at Tang Xiu.
They were speechless. It was because Tang Xiu was looking for Hou Qingmin, the Glory Auction House’s General Manager, whereby the person sitting beside him was actually the Glory Auction House’s Big Boss, the immediate superior of Hou Qingmin. However, they could only sit at the long table, since their Big Boss himself already hinted for them not to say anything. Hence, feeling vexed inside, they busied themselves with their own affairs.