Chapter 183: Just an Employment Relationship!

“Chairman Duan, you really do live up to your reputation as a big spender! Hahaha!”

Shen Fei shook Duan Guo’an’s extended hand with a smile.

Duan Guo’an, the first-generation mining magnate, wore gold and silver jewelry, exuding a flamboyant air of a nouveau riche. Yet Shen Fei didn’t feel any dislike. Instead, seeing Duan Guo’an’s cheerful expression, he even felt a sense of admiration.

In his previous life, the Duan family had become a household name across the country. Although Duan Guo’an loved to show off his wealth, whenever the nation faced hardships, the Duan family was always at the forefront, led by Duan Guo’an himself.

Even though the Duan family wasn’t among the wealthiest families nationwide, their patriotic spirit was second to none.

Shen Fei still vividly remembered a particular interview with Duan Guo’an, where he declared, “If the country faces difficulties, the Duan family will give everything to save it, even at the cost of all our lives!”

This statement revealed the Duan family’s broad-mindedness and earned them widespread respect and love from the people. Shen Fei had admired Duan Guo’an ever since.

“You’re being too kind! Oh, by the way, I just opened two new BMW and Toyota dealerships. When you have time, come by and pick out a car—consider it a gift from me!” Duan Guo’an said heartily.

“Dad, can you stop this? You’re embarrassing me!” Duan Guxiang said awkwardly.

“Brat! Watch how you speak! I’m serious here!” Duan Guo’an scolded.

Duan Guxiang smiled bitterly, ignoring his father and turning to Shen Fei. He apologized with an awkward smile, “Brother Fei, I’m sorry. My dad’s always acting like this—a typical show-off!”

“Don’t say that, Guxiang. Chairman Duan is just generous and hospitable,” Shen Fei replied.

“Haha, young Shen, you get me! Oh, and stop calling me Chairman Duan—it sounds so awkward. Just call me Uncle Duan!” Duan Guo’an laughed heartily.

This exchange left Liu Rulie and Huang Jing utterly stunned.

Jiang Shengcai was surprising enough, and now Duan Guo’an had shown up too! Just who on earth was Shen Fei?

Leaving Jiang Shengcai aside for now, both the Wanke Group and Liu Group were very familiar with Duan Guo’an.

Especially the Liu Group—Duan Guo’an was one of their key clients. Many business leaders followed Duan Guo’an’s lead, and the Liu Group did substantial business with him every year.

But seeing Duan Guo’an’s close attitude toward Shen Fei made Liu Rulie incredibly uneasy. What if Shen Fei decided to retaliate and badmouth them? If Duan Guo’an stopped working with the Liu Group, his father might kill him.

In his nervous state, Liu Rulie didn’t even dare to look at Shen Fei.

But Shen Fei didn’t care. In fact, to deal with someone like Liu Rulie, he wouldn’t need to act personally at all.

“Alright, Uncle Duan! Go ahead and take a look around—I’ll see you later,” Shen Fei said, nodding to Jiang Shengcai and Duan Guo’an as they left.

Seeing this, Huang Jing’s heart began to race. Shen Fei clearly had an extensive network of connections. If he could seize this opportunity to connect with such influential figures, the Wanke Group would undoubtedly rise to new heights.

“Mr. Shen, do you know Duan—” Huang Jing began, but Shen Fei cut him off immediately.

“Mr. Huang, as I’ve said, we only have an employment relationship. Let’s just focus on appraising antiques.” Shen Fei smiled.

“Ah… alright!” Huang Jing replied awkwardly, forced to laugh it off.

“Let’s go look at those antiques over there,” Shen Fei said, unbothered, as he strode toward the display of ancient artifacts.

Liu Rulie watched Shen Fei’s departing figure in a daze, his previous arrogance completely gone. Now all that remained was fear and relief. Whatever happened, he no longer dared to provoke Shen Fei or Huang Jing.

The two groups finally quieted down and wandered through the exhibition hall.

After browsing for a while, Shen Fei lost interest. Although there were many decent antiques, none were worth his time. Shen Fei was looking for a big find, not minor trinkets.

However, while Shen Fei wasn’t impressed, both Huang Jing’s and Liu Rulie’s appraisal teams were engrossed in examining the artifacts. Other experts and collectors attending the exhibition were also visibly excited.

The excitement reached a peak when the event introduced three highlighted treasures:

1. A Tang Dynasty White Porcelain Bowl (from Emperor Xuanzong’s reign).

2. A Gilded Silver Pot with Dancing Horse Design.

3. The Qin Dynasty Heirloom Imperial Seal.

These items instantly became the center of attention, their value practically inestimable.

Duan Guo’an’s eyes lit up with excitement when he saw the three treasures, a broad smile spreading across his face.

Shen Fei, however, frowned deeply. The Gilded Silver Pot was genuine, but the other two were undoubtedly fakes. Worse still, they had been recently produced with crude craftsmanship.

After carefully examining the pieces, Huang Jing turned to an elderly expert and asked quietly, “Mr. Wang, what do you think?”

The elderly expert nodded slightly. The other appraisal team members exchanged looks and gave their silent agreement.

Seeing this, Huang Jing couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Why would the Liu Group be so generous?

“Mr. Shen?” Huang Jing asked, seeking Shen Fei’s opinion.

“Nothing here catches my eye,” Shen Fei said, shaking his head.

“Huh?” Huang Jing was stunned. Their appraisal team experts had come to a completely different conclusion.

“Mr. Huang, trust me. Don’t make a bid. But if you want to play a trick on Liu’s side, you’re welcome to try,” Shen Fei said with a faint smile.

Huang Jing glanced at Liu Rulie’s group. They were deep in discussion, clearly just as confused.

Recently, rumors had spread that the Tang Dynasty White Porcelain Bowl and the Qin Dynasty Heirloom Seal were being returned to China. This led Liu Rulie to suspect the items were fakes, but his experts insisted they were genuine.

This left Liu Rulie thoroughly puzzled.

At that moment, Huang Jing turned to the staff member managing the Gilded Silver Pot and asked, “Who is the seller of this piece?”

“Mr. Huang, we can’t break industry rules. You know that,” the staff member said with a smile. However, he added, “I can tell you this: all three items come from the same seller. They want to see how the Wanke Group and the Liu Group compete in bidding.”

Hearing this, Huang Jing and Liu Rulie exchanged uneasy glances.

But recalling Shen Fei’s words, Huang Jing quickly regained his composure. “So, the seller wants to sell these pieces?”

“Yes, Mr. Huang.”

“How much for the Gilded Silver Pot?” Huang Jing asked with a mischievous glint in his eye.