Chapter 150: The Price of Deception
Chapter 150: The Price of Deception
Xu Cheng took out his Mobile Phone, glanced at it, and said with a smile, “I thought it was the company calling. I was dreading it, but thankfully it wasn’t. It’s a friend.”
Li Zian just listened, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He was also mentally reviewing his plan. Hank wasn’t part of his original plan. Hank’s appearance had thrown a wrench in his plans, making him feel somewhat passive, so he needed to make some adjustments.
A Divination might offer some insights.
But he had already performed one for Kun Li this morning, and he could only cast one Divination per day. Although he was definitely better at it now than when he first started out, whether a second divination would be accurate was hard to say. If it failed and he got wrong information because of that, he’d be a real idiot.
Furthermore, it was generally best not to perform Divination for oneself. He hadn’t understood this before, but now he had some idea. He had done several divinations for himself, and some unlucky things had happened afterwards. Like with Ma Fuquan, and Hong Baohui. It was hard to say if those weren’t caused by him performing Divination for himself. So, unless absolutely necessary, it was better not to perform Divination for oneself. If some bad karma came back on him, or on his family or friends, it would be too late for regrets.
For now, he would wait and see how things developed.
Li Zian cut a piece of Foie Gras drizzled with sauce and chewed it slowly.
Xu Cheng was on the phone with someone: “Dawson, my old friend, I’ve recovered! I’m in great health. My Master friend truly pulled me back from the Gate of the Underworld… What? You’re in Shanghai already? Why didn’t you tell me sooner… This… Hmm… Let me ask the Master first. Wait for my call.”
Li Zian had just swallowed a piece of Foie Gras. The taste was really quite good.
“Dad, was that Mr. Dawson calling?” Pan Renlong slipped into his role as the straight man.
Xu Cheng nodded, looking at Li Zian with an awkward expression. “Master, well… Ah, I really don’t know how to bring this up.”
Li Zian smiled. “Old Mr. Pan, there’s no need to stand on ceremony. Please speak frankly.”
Xu Cheng said, “It’s like this. I have a friend named Dawson. He called me every day to check on me when I was sick. We are very close. He heard that you, Master, cured me, and he was overjoyed. He specifically flew over from the United States to meet you.”
Li Zian said calmly, “No problem. I enjoy making friends. Tell him to come. I’ll have a drink with him.”
“Dawson, he…” Xu Cheng started but then hesitated.
Li Zian said, “Old Mr. Pan, we are friends. What is it that you find so hard to say directly?”
Xu Cheng smiled. “Yes, yes, you’re right. We are all friends. Then I’ll speak plainly. The situation is, Dawson has also encountered a troublesome matter. He would like to ask you, Master, to help him resolve his difficulties. What do you think…?”
Li Zian smiled. “Old Mr. Pan, your friend is my friend. Of course, it’s no problem. Have him come over.”
Xu Cheng said, “Well, no. He’s unwell and can’t come. He would like to invite you, Master, to his Yacht. He has a Yacht here in Shanghai, docked at the Dock. It’s not far from here. I can have Renlong drive us. We can get there quickly.”
Li Zian stroked his chin, neither agreeing nor refusing.
At the next table, Chen Mei turned her gaze towards Li Zian. Her eyes seemed to momentarily glaze over, but she muttered under her breath, “A dead fortune-teller actually being this handsome… There’s no justice in the world.”
The grapes you can’t reach are always the sweetest. Even if you call them sour with your mouth, deep down you still crave them.
Xu Cheng put on an ingratiating smile. “Master, shall we head over now?”
Only then did Li Zian speak. “Old Mr. Pan, do you think I am the kind of person who can be summoned at will?”
The smile instantly froze on Xu Cheng’s face. “Master, what do you mean by that?”
Li Zian tapped his fingers lightly on the dining table. When he lifted them, he rubbed his thumb against his index finger, giving the impression that there was dust on the table, his fingers got dirty from tapping, and he needed to rub them clean.
Xu Cheng, however, interpreted this gesture differently. The smile returned to his face, softer now. “Master, money is not an issue. Dawson said he’s willing to pay double.”
Nearby, Chen Mei wore a look of disdain and muttered again, “Asking someone to have their fortune told is practically doing you a business favor. You haven’t even performed the Divination yet and you’re already asking for money. How shameless can you be? How could Yu Meilin marry a man like this?”
This comment was also meant for Hank’s ears.
Hank simply smiled and said nothing.
Pan Renlong finally chimed in, “Since that’s the case, Master, let’s set off now.”
Li Zian spoke slowly, “This Master also has his pride. When I came initially to treat Old Mr. Pan’s illness, it was out of respect for President Du’s connection.”
Pan Renlong seemed momentarily confused.
He remembered that he had offered 1 million for travel expenses, and Li Zian had come. During their phone call, he hadn’t even mentioned President Du. For Li Zian to say this right in front of him, didn’t he feel awkward at all?
Li Zian didn’t feel awkward in the slightest.
“I don’t know any Dawson. My willingness to go see him is entirely out of respect for the two Mr. Pans,” Li Zian said.
“Yes, yes, thank you, Master.” Xu Cheng fawned, “Consider this a personal favor I owe you. I will definitely repay it doubly in the future.”
Li Zian smiled. “Old Mr. Pan, please don’t say that. Let me be direct. I can go see this Dawson, but a deposit must be paid first.”
Xu Cheng couldn’t help but glance over at Pan Renlong.
Matters of transferring money were not his decision to make.
Pan Renlong clearly hadn’t expected the Master to ask for money before even meeting the person. He had met thick-skinned people before, but one this shameless and yet this good-looking? Only the man before him.
At the next table, Chen Mei muttered again, “So shameless! If you want money, just say so. Why pretend? Oh no, I feel sick just listening.”
This is the consequence of offending a woman.
Li Zian couldn’t hear Chen Mei’s muttering and gossiping, but even if he had, he wouldn’t have reacted. He said calmly, “What, is it inconvenient?”
Xu Cheng glanced intentionally or unintentionally at Pan Renlong again.
Pan Renlong gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod.
Xu Cheng then said, “That’s certainly no problem. The fact that you, Master, are willing to go is already granting us a huge honor. Naturally, we must observe the proper courtesies in this regard. But Master, how much would be appropriate for the deposit?”
At the next table, Chen Mei let out a soft humph and muttered under her breath again, “Probably just ten or twenty thousand bucks at most. Is it really worth begging for like a beggar? I truly feel sorry for Yu Meilin. A fresh flower stuck right in a pile of cow dung.”
Having vented, she felt much better. She picked up her glass and took a sip of wine.
Li Zian said, “I ask for a deposit merely to gauge the other party’s sincerity. It also involves the courtesy Old Mr. Pan mentioned. Since he is your friend, have him transfer 6 million over. Just a token gesture will suffice.”
Pfft!
Chen Mei spat the mouthful of Red Wine she had just sipped back into her glass.
Hank shifted his gaze to Chen Mei, his brow furrowing slightly. He rarely showed his inner feelings, but this woman had been chattering non-stop, annoying him enough already. Now she spat her wine back into the glass? It was downright disgusting.
The three men at the next table also looked over at Chen Mei.
Chen Mei’s face flushed an ugly red. She avoided the men’s gazes, but then immediately turned her head and glared at Li Zian.
What are you looking at?
It’s all your fault!
You’re just a fortune-teller, and you ask for a 6 million deposit? Charging that much, why don’t you just go rob someone?
Is your mouth plated with gold and diamonds? What gives you the right to charge so much? Who allowed you to charge so much?
Li Zian merely gave Chen Mei a casual glance before looking away.
A woman of her caliber? Even if she stripped naked for him, he wouldn’t feel a thing. As a handsome guy on his level, looking at her again would just be a loss.
Just at that moment, Xu Cheng and Pan Renlong exchanged a glance.
Pan Renlong gave another subtle, slight nod.
Xu Cheng then said, “No problem. Let’s set off now. On the way, I’ll have Dawson transfer the deposit to you, Master.”
Li Zian slightly furrowed his brows. He said nothing and remained seated.
You deceived me, and I came.
I deceive you, and you expect me to get in the car without paying? Do you think this Master’s deception skills aren’t sharp enough, or that this Master’s face isn’t valuable enough?
Seeing Li Zian’s change in expression, Pan Renlong immediately followed up, “Dad, look how you’re speaking. The Master is such an esteemed person. His word is his bond. If the Master says the deposit must be paid first, then it must be paid first. I’ll go make a call now and have someone transfer the money to the Master.”
Li Zian nodded, then picked up the decanter and poured more wine into his glass.
A Lafite costing over ten thousand? It just barely matched his status as a Master. Drinking it didn’t seem like a loss.
Pan Renlong stood up to make the call.
“By the way, when transferring the money, label it as ‘divination fee’, not ‘deposit’,” Li Zian added.
Pan Renlong paused for a moment, then looked at Li Zian, his eyes holding a trace of confusion.
Li Zian explained, “Saying ‘deposit’ sounds vulgar. I detest vulgar things the most. Labeling the payment as ‘divination fee’ feels much better.”
Pan Renlong smiled. “The Master makes a good point. I’ll have them specify it’s for the divination fee.”
As he turned away, his face immediately darkened, his eyes turning frighteningly cold.
Fucking hell!
He had truly never encountered someone this shameless. If it weren’t for the plan to catch him in the trap, he would have long since grabbed a plate from the table and smashed it right into Li Zian’s forehead!
Let you show off!
Let you put on airs as the Master!
“Well, if it’s really too inconvenient, then forget it. It’s getting a bit late. I’m used to going to bed early.” Li Zian let out a yawn.
Pan Renlong immediately offered an apologetic smile. “Master, you exaggerate. There’s no question of convenience. I’ll call right now and have the money transferred.”
Li Zian sat there calmly and composed, sipping his Red Wine while waiting for the money to arrive.
You deceived me, and I came.
I deceive you, and you pay 6 million.
That was the price for deceiving the Master.
Of course, this was just one small goal for the Master tonight.
Beep beep.
His Mobile Phone chimed with a message alert.
Li Zian took out his phone and glanced at it. 6 million had arrived. The transfer came from a corporate account of a foreign trade company, and the purpose was specifically noted as ‘divination fee’.
It wasn’t from the Qinglong Group, but it was likely a subsidiary company of Qinglong Group. This setup was just to make Li Zian believe the money came from that Dawson, not from Pan Renlong himself.
But, the Master was originally here to take the money and be deceived. Pan Renlong was overthinking it.
As Pan Renlong returned, before he even reached the table, Hank and Chen Mei stood up and left.
As she left, Chen Mei threw another deeply resentful glare at Li Zian.
Li Zian remained seated serenely, not even casting a glance in Chen Mei’s direction.
Pan Renlong walked over and said with a smile, “Master, shall we go?”
Li Zian gave a faint nod and stood up.