Chapter 190: 【190】Compared to you, I am still too modest_1

Tang Feng went to Ya Garden the next day just as he usually did.

He didn’t try to keep a low profile and still drove his Ferrari F8.

He simply couldn’t understand those who were clearly rich but pretended to be poor.

Wasn’t that like taking a secret walk in your finest clothes at night? Was it just for ghosts to see?

Of course, showing off wealth definitely had its risks.

Someone harboring ill intentions might take notice.

But now, with his Martial Arts Mastery, he actually hoped to be kidnapped, so he could rid the people of a public nuisance.

He parked his car at the parking spot in front of Ya Garden and swaggered into the store.

“Mr. Tang, good morning.”

Ge Hui was quite observant and was the first one to come up and greet him.

This guy sure knew how to ingratiate himself.

The other staff members were a bit slower but still followed suit and called out “Mr. Tang”.

Especially since some of the appraisers there were in their forties or fifties, almost older than his parents, yet they still called him “Teacher” which gave him a strange feeling.

But it’s hard to slap a smiling face. They respected him, and he couldn’t be cold from a thousand miles away, so he nodded humbly in response.

“Ahem, Feng, come in with me for a moment.”

At that moment, he heard his master, Zhang Jicheng, say sternly and then walked ahead into the back hall.

Tang Feng didn’t know what he was up to, but followed him anyway.

“Feng, you’re famous now. Everyone on the Antique Street knows your name,” as soon as he entered the back hall, he saw his master, Zhang Jicheng, sitting on a chair with a stern face and starting with that.

“Really? How do they praise me?” Tang Feng was very curious about this.

“You seem quite pleased with yourself,” Zhang Jicheng seemed dissatisfied with his apprentice’s demeanor.

“Isn’t it right to be proud of fame? Should I pretend to be angry instead?” Tang Feng didn’t quite understand.

Zhang Jicheng’s face grew even uglier. “Feng, you need to understand that notoriety brings trouble. Gaining fame at a young age might not be a good thing for you.”

Tang Feng, however, didn’t take it to heart and sat down opposite him. “Master, I know the proverb ‘When people fear being famous as pigs fear fattening’. But since I’m already famous, there’s no need to fear wolves before and tigers behind. I’ve earned this reputation through my own abilities, not by stealing or robbing. Why should I feel guilty?”

Seeing his attitude, Zhang Jicheng frowned even more. “I just want to remind you not to get carried away. I’ve seen too many talented young people who forget themselves as soon as they get a bit of fame. Often, these are the ones who end up suffering a loss.”

“Is it that exaggerated?”

“Alas, you don’t understand the treacherousness of this industry. Don’t be fooled by this industry’s polite faces; behind the scenes, conniving and power struggles abound. It’s fine if you’re not famous, but once you are, you become a target. I don’t know how many people want to step on you to get ahead.”

Zhang Jicheng advised his apprentice earnestly.

“Don’t worry, Master. Although I’m proud, I won’t lose my head. If someone really thinks I’m an easy target and wants to gain fame through me, let them come and try,” Tang Feng felt his master was being overly cautious.

When he had first made over ten million through gambling on stones, he might have been a bit carried away.

But he had long since moved past that phase and wouldn’t let a little fame go to his head.

He didn’t show off deliberately, but he also wouldn’t intentionally keep a low profile; that would be too tiring.

If anyone didn’t agree, they were welcome to challenge him.

Zhang Jicheng also knew he couldn’t change his character in the short term, so he didn’t press the issue any further.

He just hoped trouble wouldn’t find its way to him.

But the more you fear something, the more likely it is to happen.

Around ten in the morning, an uninvited guest suddenly appeared in the store.

This man appeared to be in his thirties and had an unruly look in his eyes.

“Bring Tang Feng to me.”

He started shouting as soon as he walked in.

Ge Hui, who greeted him with a smile, was taken aback by his tone. Was this a shop-smashing visit?

The other staff members also stopped their work and looked at the man in bewilderment.

Tang Feng, who was helping his master tally the inventory in the back hall, heard someone calling his name and lifted the curtain to come out.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“What do you want with me?” He sized up the man, feeling somewhat puzzled.

The man looked him over as well and asked, “Are you the Tang Feng who beat Qi Maocai’s apprentice?”

“That’s me. And who might you be?” Tang Feng could tell from his tone that this guy was up to no good.

“My name is Xue Yingjie. You should have heard of me,” the man said, holding a cloth bag with something inside it.

“Xue Yingjie? Never heard of him.” Tang Feng wasn’t being pretentious; he truly hadn’t heard the name.

“You…” The man felt insulted, thinking Tang Feng was deliberately shaming him, and anger flared up in him.

Tang Feng acted as if he didn’t see the man’s fury and turned to sit on the Taishi Chair.

Ge Hui, ever the sycophant, quickly served him a cup of tea.

“You can go around the Antique Street and ask about my name, Xue Yingjie. Among the younger generation in Zhonghai Antique Street, I claim second place, and no one dares claim first.”

Xue Yingjie carried an air of arrogance akin to the “complacency” that his master spoke of, which Tang Feng scoffed at.

“Zhonghai? Antique Street? Younger generation? With so many qualifiers, how insecure are you about your ‘first place’? Why don’t you add ‘in your family’ to the front? Then you’d really have no challengers.”

“Pfft…”

The store’s staff and a few customers couldn’t help but burst into laughter at Tang Feng’s comment.

Xue Yingjie’s face darkened. “Tang Feng, you’re really arrogant.”

Tang Feng heard him accuse in return and laughed, “I may be arrogant, but at least I haven’t gone into someone else’s shop to cause trouble, nor have I kept saying I’m the first, right? Compared to you, I’m still too modest.”

Xue Yingjie was left speechless by the retort and after a long pause continued, “I may not be as good with words as you are, so let’s settle this with our skills.”

“I am here to challenge you today. As long as you can beat me, I’ll acknowledge you as the number one among the young generation on the Antique Street…”

“I refuse your challenge.”

Tang Feng interrupted him before he could finish.

“Gah…”

Xue Yingjie had to swallow back his words, which was incredibly frustrating.