Siheyuan: Pretend to be a Pig and Eat the Tiger

He Yuzhu immediately shut Huo Shao up. This thing was no ordinary item, so it couldn't be sold. However, he had also prepared some gifts for these people.
During that special period, the two warehouses contained not only yellow goods but also some antiques and paintings, which were stored in a courtyard house.

After Han Chunming sorted out the porcelain and calligraphy and paintings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, these items still have value if sold, but compared with others, their collection value is much less. After careful consideration, He Yuzhu decided to give them as gifts.
"Well, Mr. He, I thought our friendship was already quite deep, but it seems it's still not quite there yet. Disappointing!"

Huo Shao was surprised to be rejected before he could even speak; this was unthinkable in Hong Kong, but unfortunately, this was Beijing…

"No, we're already very close friends, but I'm planning to keep this as a family heirloom and can't sell it. Emotional appeals won't work, so don't bother trying!"

Afterwards, He Yuzhu saw the young men off to their car, then hurriedly went home carrying the Heaven and Earth Death Incense Burner and the Ge Kiln Brush Washer!

Meanwhile, on the other side of the capital, a group of people had their eyes on these young masters, or rather, they had been watched ever since they entered Panjiayuan.

"How did it go? Did it succeed?"

"Don't worry! Most people can't tell the difference between what I make and what I produce. Even if it's tested, the conclusion will be that it's genuine!"

"Chen Jianjun, are you that confident? These people are not to be trifled with, and there's also He Yuzhu. If we're discovered, we'll be in deep trouble!"

"Of course! This skill has been passed down through generations. If my master hadn't been without a successor, he wouldn't have been able to teach me!"

"That's good. Let's test this thing out first. If we don't find anything wrong, we'll mass-produce it. Our chance to make a fortune has arrived!"

"According to my master, only two people might be able to tell, and if those two people find out and then reveal it..."

"Oh? Which two people?"

“I know both of them. One is Uncle Guan, who was a tax official during the Qing Dynasty and called himself the ‘Nine Gates Admiral’. The other is a prince’s grandson who is known as the ‘Robbery Marquis’. They are both famous collectors in the capital and have a lot of good things.”

These two are my master's mortal enemies, and they have a long-standing feud with him. If the news leaks out, and they team up with others to expose the fraud, we might not be able to withstand it!

However, I'm not too worried. There are so many people in the capital, I might not run into them, and even if I do, I might not be able to tell.
My master warned me to be careful, but with my skills, I don't believe they won't be fooled. My master failed decades ago, but now... hehe!

Li Huaide was also curious. There were indeed many strange people and events in the capital. That's right, this was Li Huaide, who had been released from confinement.
Upon learning that You Fengxia had swept away all the assets stored in Yuezhou and left him penniless, Li Huaide had no choice but to return to the capital!

Hearing that items were starting to appreciate in value, he tried to snag a bargain with the money he'd managed to get from Teacher Song. Unexpectedly, he ran into these rich young men from Hong Kong. This guy was quite something; seeing this scene reminded him of someone, and his eyes lit up – what a great opportunity!
That's right, Li Huaide saved someone by chance. This guy's specialty is making antique replicas. These people from Hong Kong are not short of money and are interested in old objects. Isn't this a golden opportunity to make a fortune?
If you want to make a comeback, conventional methods won't work. You'll have to take an unconventional approach: quickly accumulate wealth and once again live a life of extravagance and debauchery...

Unfortunately, the person he saved was over eighty years old and unable to work. However, to repay the life-saving grace, he introduced him to an apprentice!
"Alright, I'll provide all the necessary supplies and equipment. Your task is to focus on replication. You must replicate enough old items within a week. These people from Hong Kong aren't ordinary people. Once they leave, we'll lose such a big spender!" "Hehe, Mr. Li, there's another big spender. We can do this and that..."

"Alright, we must fight the tiger, but we can't let the flies go either. Young man, whether you can become a man of high status depends on your skills!"

"Don't worry about that. Why did my master take me as an apprentice? It's because I was born for this line of work! If it weren't for my background, I could have done it in three days!"

"Since that's the case, why not take a leave of absence without pay and work full-time in this line of work? Don't worry, I'll handle the paperwork, and it won't affect your ability to go back to work later, right?"

Li Huaide's eyes lit up. Antique and imitation products could form an entire industry chain. With the continued reform and opening up, more and more foreigners and overseas Chinese are coming to Beijing. These people don't have such good eyesight...

"Will this work? My dad would kill me if he found out!"

"You're wrong about that. These days, tons of people are quitting their jobs to start their own businesses. Look at He Yuzhu, he was among the first to quit. Now, how big is the He Family Restaurant? It's not just hype, it's the number one restaurant in Beijing. And then there's..."

Seeing Chen Jianjun hesitate, Li Huaide became interested. This guy wasn't very bright, but he was very shameless and despicable. It wasn't good to be too upright in business.

Throughout history, those who achieve great things are invariably those who stop at nothing. Upright gentlemen and saints can only be admired, not accomplished. This kid is a talent!

Chen Jianjun thought of his arch-rival Han Chunming. This guy hadn't even gone to university, yet he had achieved financial freedom and was driving a car. And what about him? He was still riding a bicycle. Why?
An illiterate nobody, a ragpicker, suddenly rises to prominence after finding a good master. Perhaps this is an opportunity, a chance to catch up with Han Chunming!
"Okay, let's do it. We need to agree on this: I'll only be responsible for production, and you'll handle the rest. I'll take 40%!"

Chen Jianjun didn't want more; this man was his master's savior and the former director of the steel rolling mill, with a powerful background. Asking for too much might not be a good thing!
"Sure, but you're an official in the Industry and Commerce Bureau. Are you going to agree so easily? Don't you want to think it over carefully?"

After Chen Jianjun agreed, Li Huaide hesitated. Wasn't this too easy?

"My mortal enemy is He Yuzhu's apprentice, Han Chunming!"

"So it was him. I never expected that after all these twists and turns, he would still be involved with the He family. I have to say, fate is truly amazing!"

Li Huaide naturally knew Han Chunming. He was now basically certain that a young man had indeed entered the steel rolling mill as an apprentice to He Yuzhu. He hadn't expected it to be that person.
That young man is very clever. Since that's the case, it's easy to handle. As long as you have a goal, you'll have motivation. It makes sense that he readily agreed to resign. He deserves to make a fortune!
Li Huaide's idea was simple: the antique market was better than the television market because the antique market relied on a discerning eye.

Whether selling this thing would be a rip-off was not his concern; all he wanted now was to achieve financial freedom, then go to Hong Kong Island to enjoy life and live out his retirement in peace! (End of Chapter)