Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 285, Chapter 284: The Proud Longan

While Mike was still debating whose car to take home, Feng Xiuhu was discussing a big business deal with Xiong Guiyuan.

In Fancheng, Xiong Guiyuan was definitely one of the closest friends to Feng Xiuhu.

Outsiders either fawned over Feng Xiuhu or avoided him like the plague, but Xiong Guiyuan's feelings for Feng Xiuhu were more complicated.

She was a businesswoman with a naturally sharp eye for people, but the longer she spent with Feng Xiuhu, the stranger he seemed to her.

He seemed to exist somewhere between normal and abnormal, which is why he appeared out of place with everything.

That night, Feng Xiuhu suddenly appeared on Xiong Guiyuan's bed. She didn't sleep all night, and listening to Feng Xiuhu's snoring in the dark, she suddenly understood many things.

This man has his own unique style of doing things and principles of dealing with people, and he firmly adheres to these rules.

Even though these rules were not accepted by the world, he never considered changing them for the sake of the outside world.

On many sleepless nights, Xiong Guiyuan would involuntarily recall Feng Xiuhu's theory about "cows and people," which would then be accompanied by a phantom pain in her buttocks that made her cheeks burn.

The beating wasn't for nothing; it gave Xiong Guiyuan a new understanding of Feng Xiuhu and brought them closer, allowing her to see him as a "strange but normal person" rather than a "crazy worm."

Haven't you made up your mind yet?

Feng Xiuhu's complaining voice interrupted Xiong Guiyuan's thoughts.

She snapped out of her daze, looked at the "clutter" filling the room, and couldn't help but smile wryly: "To tell you the truth, these things are hard to sell—at least not in Fancheng."

Xiong Guiyuan picked up a gold-inlaid handle at random: "Things like this are neither antiques nor complete. The only way to deal with them is to melt them down and extract the gold, but they will not have any additional value."

She took two steps back and gently brushed the dust off a sculpture: "But these kinds of artworks are the most troublesome. They have a distinct Mist Church style. Even if I put them on the auction house's bidding platform, I'm afraid no one would dare to bid."

Feng Xiuhu paced back and forth in the room, worried. If these things couldn't be converted into cash, what was the difference between them and a pile of junk?
He doesn't run a museum; if he can't sell them, these junk items will really be stuck with him.

Besides, Master Feng is a reasonable man. Since Xiong Guiyuan has said so, he can't force others to suffer losses for him.

Seeing Feng Xiuhu so worried, Xiong Guiyuan pondered for a moment and said, "If you can wait, I do have another way."

Feng Xiuhu's eyes lit up: "Tell me quickly."

After a moment's consideration, Xiong Guiyuan explained her plan: "Since no one in Fancheng dares to take these things, let's transport them out and sell them."

"As long as we leave the missionary territory of the Fog Church, there should be no shortage of eager buyers in other cities."

“I have a familiar fleet of ships that I can use to help transport goods. Then I will contact the owners of bidding houses in other cities to act as intermediaries and get a larger share of the profits. The business will then be easy to complete.”

Feng Xiuhu clapped his hands happily: "Good longan! As expected, you are the most capable. Then I'll leave this matter to you."

Xiong Guiyuan raised her hand and said, "Don't be too happy yet, there's still a difficulty involved."

"The matter of having a fleet of ships transport goods cannot be bypassed by the Maritime Department."

“No one will dare to say anything if you have these things, but it will be difficult to transport them out of the country.”

“I also have connections in the Maritime Department, but these things are of great importance. My influence alone is not enough. You need to think of another way.”

Feng Xiuhu waved his hand and said, "Simple, Mike will cover the cost for you."

"Deacon Mike?"

Xiong Guiyuan was taken aback, unable to understand where Mike got the face. Feng Xiuhu, however, did not explain, but told Xiong Guiyuan to quickly call someone to move the things.

Before long, the helpers that Xiong Guiyuan had called were busy at work.

The helpers carried the items to the car outside the door, and eventually they were all transported to Xiong Guiyuan's warehouse in the port area.

Slim Waist stood guard at the door with a notebook, counting each item one by one while keeping a constant watchful eye to prevent any dishonest helper from pocketing the items.

Having studied abroad, Xiong Guiyuan was clearly much more artistically inclined than Feng Xiuhu. While helping out with the work, she would steal a moment to appreciate the artwork that filled the room.

The "Divine Guidance Across the Waves" painting, which is larger than a window, leans against the wall, lying horizontally like a worthless wooden plank.

Xiong Guiyuan felt quite sorry for it and went over to straighten it: "At least give it a piece of silk cloth to cover it up."

She touched the frame, her tone tinged with complaint: "It's all covered in dust. If the canvas gets damaged, the price will definitely drop significantly."

Feng Xiuhu proudly declared, "This is a one-of-a-kind piece!"

Xiong Guiyuan was slightly surprised: "So you knew about this too?"

Feng Xiuhu said, "I don't know, it was Hollis Wu who said it."

Xiong Guiyuan rolled her eyes and squatted down to examine the painting up close.

Feng Xiuhu was more concerned about its value, so he squatted down next to Xiong Guiyuan and asked, "Which is more valuable, it or the painting 'The Devotion of Larante Vé' in your house?"

This question made Xiong Guiyuan laugh. She shook her head and said, "There is no comparison at all. Mine is a copy, while yours is the original. Moreover, even if they are both originals, 'The Devotion of Larante Vy' is far inferior to 'The Divine Guidance of the Waves,' because 'The Divine Guidance of the Waves' depicts the miracle of a true god, while Ms. Vy merely follows the divine."

"It is no exaggeration to say that the value of this painting is almost enough to build another church."

Feng Xiuhu's eyes lit up, his expectations soaring: "Why build a temple? With that money, I'll turn the bottom city into a resort first!"

"Resort?"

Xiong Guiyuan looked completely bewildered: "What is that?"

Feng Xiuhu rubbed his hands excitedly and said, "A place where money can make money—I'm absolutely a business genius."

Xiong Guiyuan was skeptical, but she had no interest in discussing business with Feng Xiuhu; her attention was drawn to an inconspicuous stain.

"What did I say?"

Xiong Guiyuan expressed her deep regret: "Artworks are as delicate as young girls and need careful protection—this is the consequence of not preserving them properly."

She reached out and carefully touched the stain, but froze when her fingertips touched the canvas.

Feng Xiuhu craned his neck and leaned closer: "Where?"

Xiong Guiyuan laughed awkwardly, "It seems I saw it wrong."

Feng Xiuhu looked closely and saw an inconspicuous gray spot in the surging waves. At first glance, it really looked like a stain that had been accidentally stained, but upon closer inspection, it could be seen that it was actually part of the painting.

Feng Xiuhu retorted confidently, "Guiyuan, your art appreciation skills still need improvement. The artist must have had a reason for adding that extra stroke. How can you use your meager knowledge to question art?"

(End of this chapter)