Chapter 225: Lapis Lazuli Court Beads

The man got out of the car, touched his bald head, and gave Li Xian a once-over before nodding and smiling.

Seeing this smile, Li Xian also smiled. After confirming the identity, it was indeed the familiar face.

It was none other than the bald character from *Serious Crime Squad Six*. What was his name again?

Li Chengru? 

That seemed to be the name.

Li Xian had been deeply impressed by this person since he was young, especially by his role as a neurotic in *The Big Shot*.

There was a classic line from that role:

"You have to choose the best location, hire French designers, and build the highest-end apartments. The elevator must go straight to the unit, and the smallest unit should be at least 400 square meters... Two thousand dollars? That's just the cost. It starts at four thousand dollars, no discounts! You have to understand the buyer's psychology. Those willing to spend two thousand dollars on a house won't mind spending an extra two thousand. What defines a successful person? A successful person buys the most expensive, not the best!"

"So, our real estate slogan is: not seeking the best, but the most expensive!"

With that wild, neurotic expression, Li Xian was astounded when this aired on CCTV6.

But this wasn't the most impressive part. The most impressive part was that China's real estate boom started in 1999, saw a large influx of assets in 2000, frequent land kings in 2003, and nationwide surges from 2004. *The Big Shot* was filmed in early 2001 and released at the end of the year.

In other words, this line, amid satire, had prophetically predicted the trajectory of China's real estate market for the next decade or so.

During his college years, whenever he thought about houses he could never afford in twenty years of hard work, this line was the only thing that made him smile knowingly about housing prices.

He originally thought Li Chengru was just a third-rate actor, but now, looking at the brand-new Mercedes-Benz 560 in front of him, he was surprised at how wealthy he was at this time.

A tycoon indeed!

Seeing Li Xian constantly scrutinizing Li Chengru, Chen Dongsheng stepped forward and made the introductions. Li Chengru was a man of action; after shaking hands, he patted Li Xian on the shoulder and waved his hand, leading them to the car and driving them to a hot pot restaurant.

The private room seemed to have been reserved long ago, with no outsiders present.

Without seeing the menu, once the three entered the room, the staff respectfully set up a table full of dishes.

Noticing that Li Xian was still looking at him with a smile, Li Chengru touched his bald head and asked, "Little brother, do I have flowers on my head?"

"No, no," Li Xian shook his head, "It's just that you look familiar, and it feels really friendly."

"Ah!" Li Chengru slapped the table, "If that's the case, I'll have to check the family tree when I get back. Hearing that, it's possible that our ancestors might have some connection!"

Seeing the two chat happily right from the start, Chen Dongsheng smiled, "Xianzi, I've brought Ru Ge into Jiade as a shareholder. We've been like brothers all these years. Ru Ge is a broad-minded person; you'll definitely get along well."

"Ru Ge, Xianzi is younger than us this year, but he's a good person. Without the antiques you brought and Xianzi's black pottery furniture, our first auction wouldn't have been possible. You don't know, when I went to the Northeast, it was our first meeting. Those Huanghuali furniture pieces you saw, not only were there no damages, but there wasn't even a single receipt—just sent straight to the capital. That's quite a favor, don't you think?"

Li Xian smiled, but inwardly cursed. He thought to himself that if he didn't know that Chen Dongsheng would become a Huaren tycoon in the future thanks to insurance, who would pay any attention to him!

As the dishes were served, Chen Dongsheng raised his glass, looking at Li Chengru and Li Xian with evident emotion. "This past year, I used over twenty million raised from friends, and I was quite anxious. It felt like a farmer working hard in the fields, unsure if heaven would grant a good harvest. So, the person who gave me my first business was not just giving me a business, but saving my life. You two are my lifesavers. Don't drink this cup; I'll drink it myself."

Li Chengru, however, stopped him. "Don't be so formal. Today, we're here to treat you. Let's have a toast to welcome Xianzi."

After a round of drinks, Chen Dongsheng noticed Li Xian's curiosity about Li Chengru and cheerfully started to introduce him.

According to him, this big brother was selling radios and televisions on the streets of Beijing in the 1980s, then dealt in foreign exchange, and later contracted a state-run store. Now, the special fashion retail space in Beijing was owned by Li Chengru, with daily sales of fifty to sixty thousand yuan. The hot pot restaurant they were in was also one of his properties.

Li Xian was secretly amazed.

Aside from the future value of these properties, just relying on a 2,000 to 3,000 square meter store could earn more than a hundred thousand yuan in pure profit daily. He had invested over ten million yuan, set up three factories, and was now only making around twenty thousand yuan a day.

Even though sanitary napkins, liquor, and toilet paper were selling well, it was still only about twenty thousand yuan in pure profit.

But look at how he was living compared to his own life.

"You are a lump of dung, with a life worse than an ant, and while you drive a Cherokee, he drives a Mercedes-Benz..."

It was hard to compare.

Too discouraging.

While Li Xian was feeling a bit down, Li Chengru and Chen Dongsheng were discussing the next auction.

Feeling he might be neglecting Li Xian, Li Chengru raised his glass and said, "By the way, I saw those antiques at Dongsheng's auction before. They were all top-notch. Little brother, do you also study antiques?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Dongsheng laughed, "Ru Ge, you don't know. This guy has a property in the Northeast. It's quite impressive—three courtyards, complete with a garden. The first courtyard is full of Huanghuali furniture; it's quite grand."

"Wow!" Li Chengru's eyes widened. He made a gesture with his fist toward the sky, "Based on this layout, it's like a prince's residence."

Seeing that they seemed to be flattering him, Li Xian quickly waved his hand, "Ru Ge, don't listen to Chen Ge's exaggerations. It's true that I bought the property, but in the Northeast, it's not worth much. When I got it, the place was in a terrible state. Only the furniture he saw was still valuable."

Li Chengru initially believed this.

Not only in the Northeast but even in Beijing, such prince-like residences were mostly requisitioned by the government after the founding of the country, losing their original charm.

However, as Li Xian waved his hand, a crisp sound came from his wrist. A pair of blue peacock feather-shaped pendants appeared from his suit sleeve, which stunned Li Chengru.

"Don't move!"

He immediately put down his glass, stood up, and pulled Li Xian's right hand. Rolling up his sleeve, he examined the string of beads.

After a detailed look, he returned to his seat, sitting upright and serious. "Little brother, could you take off this bead for me to have a look?"

Li Xian didn't understand, "Is there a problem?"

He casually removed the beads from his wrist, causing Li Chengru to stare in amazement.

Worried that he might accidentally drop them into the hot pot, Li Chengru quickly called the staff to remove the hot pot.

After cleaning his hands, he took the beads and examined them under the light, exclaiming repeatedly.

"Ru Ge, are these Buddhist beads?" Chen Dongsheng didn't know much about antiques, but he knew that Li Chengru was an expert. In Beijing, it was said that Ma Weidu and Li Chengru were both deeply knowledgeable about antiques.

"These are not Buddhist beads." Li Chengru rolled his eyes. "Though Buddhist beads and these beads both have 108 beads, look at the Buddha head, the knot, and the back cloud—these are court beads."

"Court beads?" Chen Dongsheng laughed. "Are they the ones worn by officials in palace dramas?"

"Yes." Li Chengru's eyes never left the beads. "Court beads were used by officials from the fifth rank and above, or those with similar ranks in the Hanlin Academy, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Personnel, the Palace, and the Qing dynasty. Ordinary people couldn't even afford to use them. Even if they could, they were never allowed. Violation meant death."

"Huh?" Hearing this explanation, Li Xian was thrilled. He had liked these beads since high school and was amazed that they had such significance. "So impressive?"

Li Chengru rolled his eyes, "The death penalty was for officials. If you had worn these on your wrist two hundred years ago, your entire family would be executed."

This left Li Xian and Chen Dongsheng dumbfounded.

"Ru Ge, what's the story?" Chen Dongsheng, though running an auction house, was not well-versed in antiques

 and was currently learning. He guessed that the beads were valuable and asked quickly.

Li Chengru spread out the beads, "Look, one hundred and eight lapis lazuli beads! Such uniform color means they must be carved from a single large stone. Why would wearing these beads two hundred years ago have resulted in the execution of your whole family? In the Qing Dynasty, the Emperor also wore court beads, just like the ones worn by officials. However, during ceremonies, the beads had to be flawless. For the Temple of Heaven's sacrificial rites, only this type could be used."

He slowly spread out the beads, "During the ritual at the Temple of Heaven."

Seeing Li Xian's astonishment, Li Chengru chuckled, "Little brother, do you understand now? The price is negotiable. I can come up with three to five million."

Li Xian's throat was a bit dry.

He never expected that a high school student who used to scavenge could acquire such a valuable item.

This was truly eye-opening...

However, he had no intention of selling it.

If what Li Chengru said was true, this bead should be a family heirloom. Besides the family heirloom aspect, the bead was cool to the touch in summer, which he had gotten used to recently.

Seeing Li Xian shake his head, Li Chengru looked regretful and handed the beads back.

"If you don't want to sell, keep it safe. Be cautious of fire, theft, and Ma Weidu. Otherwise, he might outwit you."