C12 Restorer

"No, no, I'm just worried I might oversleep and then get an earful from my boss..." The thought of his boss, Ye Tingyu, filled Lee Wen with a twinge of guilt, and he became anxious to return.

"You're free to go, of course, but there's something I need to discuss with you first."

At those words, Lee Wen felt a sense of foreboding and asked with a hint of suspicion, "What is it that you want to discuss?"

"Regardless of where you work or who your boss is, if you quit your job and come work for my company, I'll pretend today's incident never happened..." Liu Xinmei moved closer to Lee Wen, her voice soft and enticing. "You're aware I have no ill intentions toward you. I simply recognize your talent. Your skill in appraising antiques far surpasses those so-called appraisers, and you don't need to be modest about it. I make my living from this and can see your worth... Plus, you're quite easy on the eyes. What do you say? Join me in the struggle?"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Liu, but I must decline your kind offer," Lee Wen responded firmly.

Such an attractive job offer from a boss who was the epitome of a mature, sexy woman would have been irresistible to Lee Wen just three days prior. But now, with newfound wealth and a unique ability to appraise anything, he was doing well at Tingyu House and had to firmly decline her proposal.

"A new home and a Mercedes-Benz!" Liu Xinmei was taken aback by Lee Wen's refusal. After a brief pause, she smiled and added, "An annual salary of one million, with bonuses on top of that, and the work is easy... But it does require signing a contract. How does that sound?"

Lee Wen shook his head, smiling apologetically, "Ms. Liu, your offer is very generous, but I truly cannot leave. I'm sorry, goodbye."

With that, he opened the door and hurriedly made his way downstairs, taking the steps three at a time.

"This young man... he's quite the enigma!" Liu Xinmei mused, standing in the corridor, watching Lee Wen's retreating figure. She found it amusing yet felt a pang of disappointment, questioning her allure for the first time.

Once outside the courtyard, Lee Wen took quite a while to find his way back to Antique City. After enjoying a meal at a restaurant, he mulled things over. Now that money was no longer an issue, he decided to postpone the vase repair and instead headed straight back to Tingyu House.

Upon returning to the shop, Lee Wen was unexpectedly greeted by the absence of Ye Tingyu. Feeling somewhat disheartened, he settled into a corner to peruse some books and materials on jade artifacts.

As the afternoon waned to just past five, Ye Tingyu entered and promptly addressed Lee Wen, "Grab the broken vase and come with me. The Restorer I mentioned has returned from his trip."

"Should we head out now?" inquired Lee Wen.

Ye Tingyu gave a confirming nod. "Yes, let's be on our way."

Meanwhile, Gao Zheng, the appraiser at Tingyu House, lingered by the entrance. Once he saw them depart, he casually ascended to the second floor, stealthily donning his gloves and extracting a specially crafted key from his pocket. He attempted to unlock Ye Tingyu's private office, unaware that the shop was outfitted with state-of-the-art pinhole cameras hidden from plain sight.

This entire scene was discreetly captured and relayed to Ye Tingyu's phone through a covert communication channel.

"The individual we're meeting is Dong Xuehai. His studio is just a short distance away on Cultural Street, and we'll arrive shortly," Ye Tingyu explained as they briskly exited Antique City and hailed a taxi. "Driver, to Cultural Street, please."

Minutes later, the taxi pulled up in front of a building on Cultural Street, adjacent to Antique City. After settling the fare, Ye Tingyu confidently led the way inside and rapped on an office door.

"Ah, Tingyu's here?" The door swung open to reveal a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair, who offered a cursory glance at Lee Wen before warmly greeting Ye Tingyu. "Come in, come in, take a seat!"

"There's no need for formalities, Mr. Dong," Ye Tingyu replied with a smile, taking a seat. "I'm here today hoping you can assist with a matter."

"Mr. Dong? You're being formal with me again, aren't you?" Dong Xuehai feigned annoyance as he brewed tea. "We've been acquainted for three or four years now. Are you really going to be so standoffish with Brother Dong? Just speak up if there's something on your mind. No need to worry about any trouble."

They say no one understands a man better than another man. Dong Xuehai kept his gaze fixed on Ye Tingyu while speaking, subtly swallowing his saliva. Lee Wen, observing this from the side, felt a surge of irritation, as though someone was coveting something precious to him.

"Let's keep things separate," Ye Tingyu said with a continued smile. "Allow me to introduce you! Mr. Dong, a distinguished figure in the restoration field, and Lee Wen, my friend and an appraiser at Tingyu House... I've brought him here today to see if you could assess whether this item can be restored."

"Oh?" Dong Xuehai finally gave Lee Wen a proper look and said, "Show me the item!"

Lee Wen passed the fragments of the vase to him.

Upon examining the pieces, Dong Xuehai lamented, "If I'm not mistaken, this vase has been broken for about a month, right?"

Ye Tingyu and Lee Wen exchanged glances and commended him, "Mr. Dong, your expertise is remarkable. It has been quite some time. Could you attempt to restore it as best as possible? I will cover the costs!"

"Talking about costs? You're being too formal," Dong Xuehai chided with a chuckle. "However, I do need to discuss the repair details with you. Lee Wen, was it? Please, enjoy some tea and watch TV here while you wait. Tingyu, would you accompany me to my upstairs office?"

With that, Dong Xuehai, not waiting for a response, took the vase fragments and headed out of the ground floor office towards his upstairs workspace.

"Lee Wen, just give me a moment," Ye Tingyu said after a brief hesitation, rising to her feet.

"Sure, just be careful," Lee Wen murmured into Ye Tingyu's ear. "I've got a feeling this guy isn't as honorable as he seems!"