Returning to the county opera troupe in 77

"Could this guy surnamed Lin be a conman?"

Upon hearing this, both Liu Dezhu and Lin Datou's expressions changed.

As if caught in a mousetrap, Liu Dezhu rushed forward and covered Chen Xiangdong's mouth, glancing nervously towards the warehouse door. Seeing no one had heard, he breathed a sigh of relief and glared at him in a low voice, "What nonsense are you spouting! You coward, you can't say anything like that! It'll be terrible if someone hears you!"

Lin Datou quickly chimed in quietly, "Exactly! How can you just blurt out anything like that! Haven't you seen all those high-ranking officials hanging around his back every day? How could he possibly be a fraud!"

"You don't believe me?" Chen Xiangdong retorted, scoffing, "How about we make a bet?"

"What kind of bet?"

Liu Dezhu and Lin Datou looked at each other, wondering if this idiot had taken the wrong medicine or what, why did he insist on going against that foreign businessman?

Chen Xiangdong smirked and said mysteriously, "If he's not a scammer, he'd definitely pay us for our costumes. But if he refuses to pay and instead makes us pay for the authentication upfront, then he's definitely a scammer!"

Liu Dezhu was taken aback, blinking rapidly: "Pay the appraisal fee in advance? What do you mean by that?"

Chen Xiangdong glanced back at him, then slowly said, "Think about it. That guy surnamed Lin said he wanted to take the old costumes back to Hong Kong to have them appraised. But who's going to pay for the appraisal? True collectors pay for their own appraisals, that's only fair. But if he takes the items and then tells us, 'You guys pay the appraisal fee first, we'll settle the bill when the items sell...' then I reckon the money our troupe has put in will most likely be wasted!"

Liu Dezhu and Lin Datou exchanged another glance, seeing the same hesitation and worry on each other's faces. Lin Datou's brows furrowed even more deeply: "Then... what if we really have to pay for it ourselves?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiangdong couldn't help but chuckle coldly: "Would a real big boss in Hong Kong be short of a few measly coins?"

His gaze swept across Liu and Lin's faces: "If he really said that, do I need to say anything more? You two should already know what's going on, right?"

"this……"

Liu Dezhu hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at the warehouse door, his tone uncertain: "It shouldn't... be possible, right?"

"Then let's go and hear what they have to say."

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Xiangdong had already turned around and walked to the warehouse door, pressing his face against the door frame to observe the activity inside.

Seeing this, Liu Dezhu and Lin Datou quickly followed and stood behind Chen Xiangdong. They looked at each other, their minds already a bit confused by Chen Xiangdong's analysis.

In the warehouse, Lin Zhaotang stood in front of the boxes with his hands behind his back, watching Jia Dafang bend down and pick out costumes, while still trying to make a promise to Pan Lanxiang: "Miss Pan, I'll say it again, with your voice and beautiful appearance, if you come to Hong Kong with me, I guarantee you'll become an instant star."

Pan Lanxiang's eyes and brows were filled with undisguised joy: "Mr. Lin... I've never even left Shaanxi Province in my entire life, let alone gone to Hong Kong... I never even dared to dream of it before."

"Then you should definitely give it a try!" Lin Zhaotang completely ignored Chu Shengli beside him, turned slightly to the side, and leaned his head close to Pan Lanxiang's ear as if no one else was there. His eyes, hidden behind his glasses, were practically glued to her collar: "You're young, beautiful, and have a good voice. In Hong Kong, that's your biggest asset. It would be such a waste not to give it a try. After all, everyone has a first time..."

His thick lips were almost touching Pan Lanxiang's face, and the hot breath he exhaled from his mouth and nose hit her cheeks, making her blush instantly, even the roots of her ears turned bright red.

The theater troupe was a small society, and she was not an innocent little girl. How could she not understand the deeper meaning in Lin Zhaotang's words? For a moment, her heart was pounding like a drum.

Chu Shengli turned his head to the other side at the right moment, pretending not to see the intimate behavior between the two.

Pan Lanxiang lowered her eyes, her small hands twisting together, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. Then she raised her head, her gaze falling on Lin Zhaotang's face, which was so close to hers: "Mr. Lin...you really didn't lie to me?"

Seeing that the fish had finally taken the bait, Lin Zhaotang was overjoyed.

In the past two years, relying on his "Hong Kong businessman status," no woman he set his sights on could escape him. He deceived women all the way from the south to the north, and he never failed.

He pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and softened his voice: "How could I lie to you? You'll know everything once you get to Hong Kong. However, getting the necessary documents to go to Hong Kong is a bit troublesome... How about this, come find me at the guesthouse tonight, I'll write down all your personal information, and then take it to the provincial capital so my friend can help you with the process."

He spoke casually, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

Pan Lanxiang bit her lip, leaving a faint white mark on her lower lip from her teeth. She seemed to have mustered the courage to make some difficult decision, her voice even softer than before: "Then... what time would be suitable for me to go tonight?"

Lin Zhaotang's smile widened: "Anytime after eight o'clock is fine."

While bending over to pick out costumes, Jia Dafang became suspicious. He quietly stuffed the large black dragon and python costume back into the wooden box, and then pulled out a black pleated old woman costume, draped it over his arm. Even Chu Shengli didn't notice that the clothes had been switched.

It took them quite a while to pick out four old costumes that looked decent. The group locked up the storeroom and headed towards the troupe's backyard.

Chu Shengli rubbed his hands together, a forced smile on his face: "Mr. Lin, what do you think about us going to the state-run restaurant in the East District again tonight? Shall we have Xiao Pan accompany us?"

Suddenly, the image of that imposing figure, as strong as a black bear, flashed through Lin Zhaotang's mind, and he couldn't help but shudder. He quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, no, I'm really tired today. Why don't we just grab a bite at the theater troupe's canteen and talk about appraising the costumes?"

Chen Xiangdong, Liu Dezhu, and Lin Datou, who had been closely following behind them, all pricked up their ears.

Lin Zhaotang cleared his throat, carefully considered his words, and then began, "Experts in Hong Kong charge a fee for authenticating old opera costumes. The fee isn't high; it mainly covers the expert's appraisal fee and some material waste..."

He paused briefly, glancing discreetly at Chu Shengli and Jia Dafang's expressions, before continuing, "Four costumes would cost around two thousand. According to local custom in Hong Kong, this expense needs to be paid in advance by your local authorities, and then we'll proceed with the appraisal..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jia Dafang, who was always stingy with money, suddenly tensed up, as if pricked by a needle, and staggered back half a step, almost blurting out: "What? Two thousand yuan! We have to pay for it ourselves!"

Chu Shengli also looked surprised and puzzled as he looked at Lin Zhaotang: "Mr. Lin, what about the appraisal fee..."

Lin Zhaotang seemed to have anticipated this question and calmly smiled, "This is the usual procedure. We appraise thousands of antique items from all over the country every year, and we always follow this process. You can pay the appraisal fee in advance, and we'll settle the account once the item is sold."

Upon hearing this, Chu Shengli and Jia Dafang frowned and exchanged a glance. Two thousand yuan was no small sum.

Upon hearing this, Liu Dezhu and Lin Datou, who were following behind, stared wide-eyed in astonishment and instinctively looked at Chen Xiangdong.

How come this guy surnamed Lin said exactly the same thing as Dongwazi?!

Chen Xiangdong stared intently at Lin Zhaotang's profile, letting out a very soft, cold snort. He turned his head and lowered his voice to Liu Dezhu and Lin Datou, saying, "How about that? I guessed right!"