My Pretty Campus Queen

Tan Xianglan wasn’t very scared seeing this situation; the Tan Family was not lacking in money. However, losing such a large sum of money so carelessly was truly distressing.

Chen Tianlong, on the side, clearly knew this was a scam. If these were real antiques, they wouldn’t worry about them going unrecognized. There was no need to let these invaluable Song Dynasty vases teeter precariously; it’s obviously high-quality replicas designed to scam people.

"Oh, alright then, boss, how much do you think we should compensate you for these two vases?"

Chen Tianlong said casually. It didn’t matter since they weren’t the real thing. Compensating a few thousand was still okay, but if the boss really asked for millions, Chen Tianlong would surely let him know what the consequences of deceiving people are.

"It’s clearly written on the tag, right? Song Dynasty vases, worth ten million each. Two of them, you do the math." The boss said with a cold smile.

"So that’s twenty million, huh? What if we refuse to pay?"

Chen Tianlong noticed the boss’s attitude was really bad, almost like threatening them to cough up the money.

"Heh, you can try it?"

With that said, and a tilt of his head, two burly men advanced, their fists cracking menacingly. It was obvious the boss wanted to use violence to intimidate them into paying.

"Does it really have to be that expensive? I just looked; the two broken ones seem like high-quality replicas. I’ll give you two thousand, one thousand each, if the boss is sensible. This way, you earn a little, and I consider it a two thousand loss. We can part peacefully, sound good?" Chen Tianlong directly got to the point and spoke the truth.

Clearly, the boss frowned after hearing that, as if he had been exposed. He looked them over, concluding that they were just a young couple touring Guiyang.

So, with a plan forming in his mind, the boss said, "Hmph, do you take me for a street beggar? Two thousand to make me go away?"

"Heh, you know best whether these vases are genuine. Are you so sure, if I go to the police station with you later, you’ll still get your twenty million?"

Chen Tianlong chuckled calmly, not flustered at all. He knew the compensation isn’t just based on what the boss says; it needs a professional assessment before compensation based on actual value can be determined.

If it were genuine, it’d be different; if fake, he’d be caught red-handed by police, facing fines, or even jail time.

"You... alright, let’s both compromise. Give me two hundred thousand, and I’ll let you leave; nothing happened. Otherwise... heh heh, just you wait and see."

The boss was somewhat reluctant and originally thought these two young people were easy to trick, just a bit of intimidation would suffice. But thinking about it, twenty million is a bit too much, not something anyone could readily produce.

"Heh, do you think we have two hundred thousand? Let’s just say we’re unlucky; we’ll give you two thousand. Otherwise, my only option is to see the police."

Now, it was Chen Tianlong turning the threat on them.

The boss was clearly at a loss, considering letting the two henchmen detain them first.

Just then, another person walked in from outside. Holding a fan, he looked a bit like a genteel scholar from ancient times, exuding a certain flair.

"Wow, this place is really bustling, isn’t it? People are even blocking the entrance?" The speaker was Yan Zheng, the young master of the Antique Manor.

"Dear customer, we’re not open today. We’re dealing with something very important. Could you please step outside for a while? Sorry for the inconvenience." The boss felt rather miffed seeing someone suddenly barge in and immediately signaled the two henchmen with his eyes.

The henchmen, realizing, intended to escort Yan Zheng out, but didn’t expect him to dash forward upon seeing the broken vases.

"Whoa, are these the legendary Song Dynasty vases?" Yan Zheng excitedly ran over, but after picking up a shard, he said, "Ah, I thought it was real, but it turns out to be a high-quality replica. Made me happy for nothing."

At this point, Chen Tianlong covered his mouth, trying not to laugh. This young man’s intrusion seemed accidental, but his words turned out to save the pair.

"Boss, you heard it too. We’ve never met before, and he could tell it’s fake at a glance. Yet you claim it’s genuine and worth twenty million, isn’t that a bit unreasonable?" Chen Tianlong asked with a bitter smile, "So, are you taking the two thousand or not?"

The boss knew the situation had changed, feeling a surge of anger. If that fellow hadn’t barged in, he might have managed to hoodwink them for two hundred thousand. Now, he could at most get two thousand.

Nevertheless, doing such business, where opportunities so rarely crop up, how could he settle for just two thousand? If he’s going to earn, he might as well earn big.

"Capture all three of them," said the boss, issuing an immediate order.

The two henchmen, upon hearing, reached for Tan Xianglan and Chen Tianlong. Yan Zheng was largely ignored, as he hadn’t smashed anything belonging to the boss. Detaining him without reason could backfire later.

"Hey, hey, hey, why are you grabbing people? What’s going on?" Yan Zheng, a man of justice, couldn’t stand aside and helped, seeing the injustice.

"Hmph, kid, mind your own business. We’re handling something. Please, step outside," the boss ordered harshly.

"Oh, I get it. They broke your high-quality replica vases and didn’t pay the assumed price, so you’re detaining them, right? How is this different from kidnapping? Alright then, I’m calling the police!"

Without waiting for the henchmen to escort him out, Yan Zheng was ready to leave.

"Quick, stop him. Don’t let him get away." Initially not wanting to capture Yan Zheng, upon hearing his words, the boss knew things were turning sour and hastily ordered his men to detain him.

Sure enough, the two henchmen grabbed Yan Zheng and dragged him back into the room.

"What are you people, bandits? What have I done wrong to be captured? I’m going to file a lawsuit against you,"

Yan Zheng, being dragged back in, was alarmed. He was merely a scholarly young man, a sophomore at Guiyang University, who usually spent weekends wandering antique shops.

Growing up in his father’s Antique Manor, surrounded by these exotic treasures and ceramics, he was now studying gemstone appraisal, hoping to contribute to the family business after graduating.

"You were fine, but now you’re not, because you know too much."

The boss flashed a devious smile, already crafting a plan in his mind; if he could extract two hundred thousand from Chen Tianlong, closing this shop and fleeing with the loot would be a breeze.

"Hmph, in broad daylight, to commit such an atrocity, I’ll expose you for sure," Yan Zheng reacted angrily, having never encountered a shopkeeper who resorted to kidnapping.

"Brother, stop talking; the more you say, the less likely the boss will let you leave. Do you know why?"

Watching for a moment, Chen Tianlong reckoned that although Yan Zheng meant well, his lack of worldly experience in such situations suggested the best strategy was to feign ignorance. Yet, Yan Zheng’s earlier words already marked him for trouble, making escape now impossible.