Looking at the bustling street, Brian Carter squinted his eyes. After all, he was just a young man in his early twenties—how could he not have a youthful temperament? Even though this was just a rather childish way to vent.

Chapter 2: The Benefactor’s Disciple

Dongtai Antique Market.

One of the most renowned antique markets in the Magic City, often called the Liulichang of the Magic City.

Dongtai Antique Market covers an extremely large area, stretching from Dongtai East Road to West Road, lined with vendors all the way. From ancient ceramics, gold and silver wares, jade artifacts, carvings, calligraphy and rubbings, to modern books, stamps, currency, daily utensils, and arts and crafts—everything imaginable could be found here.

There were even some of the earliest experts in the Magic City who ventured into the antique business here, holding a pivotal position in the city’s antique world.

Dongtai Antique Market was packed with people. Besides those hunting for treasures, there were also many tourists who came just to look around.

“Hua Bao Lou, this is the place Master mentioned.”

Getting out of the car driven by Laura Bennett’s family chauffeur, Brian Carter headed straight for Dongtai Antique Market, finally arriving at the entrance of a two-story antique shop called Hua Bao Lou.

Unlike those vendors with open-air stalls, Hua Bao Lou not only had a two-story building, but the entire structure was modeled after Ming and Qing dynasty architecture. Unlike many other retro buildings, Hua Bao Lou exuded an authentic sense of antiquity.

On either side of the entrance stood two stone drums, carved with exquisite images of a qilin lying under a pine tree. When Brian Carter saw these two stone drums, he smiled, because he knew he had come to the right place.

These two stone drums had a well-known name: “门当” (door piers), as in the saying “门当户对” (a good match in social status).

“Hey, young man, want to pick out something nice? Our Hua Bao Lou has everything from Ming and Qing porcelain to Han and Tang jade. Come on in and have a look.”

Two young male attendants dressed in traditional long gowns stood at the entrance of Hua Bao Lou. Seeing Brian Carter standing at the door, they immediately tried to attract his business.

“Excuse me, is your boss named David Clark?” Brian Carter asked.

The two attendants glanced at Brian Carter suspiciously, then nodded and replied, “That’s right, our boss is called that. Do you know him?”

“I’m here to see your boss.”

The two attendants exchanged another suspicious look. If Brian Carter hadn’t mentioned their boss’s name, they wouldn’t have paid him any attention. But since he knew the boss’s name, maybe he really did know him.

“Please have a seat inside. We’ll go ask the manager if the boss is in.”

As Brian Carter followed one of the attendants into the shop, he suddenly stopped, looked down at his feet, and asked, “Was there originally a threshold here? Why was it removed?”

“Oh, that? Several customers tripped over the threshold, so the boss had it taken out. It’s been three or four years now.”

Everyone who came to Hua Bao Lou was here to buy antiques, and antiques are valuable—especially fragile items like porcelain and jade. They can’t withstand any bumps. If someone tripped over the threshold and fell, everything could be lost.

Hua Bao Lou wasn’t just retro on the outside; the entire interior was decorated in the same style. The old wooden rattan chairs and the display cabinets on both sides were all in a vintage design.

As an old shop with over thirty years in the antique business, Hua Bao Lou’s first floor alone covered more than 300 square meters, with everything from jade to calligraphy and paintings.

The two attendants didn’t keep Brian Carter waiting long. Soon, a young man followed them over to Brian Carter.

“This is our young master.” After introducing the young man to Brian Carter, the two attendants left—their job was to attract customers.

“You know my old man?” Kevin Clark sized up Brian Carter. From what he knew of his father’s social circle, everyone was older—rarely someone this young.

“No, I don’t,” Brian Carter answered truthfully.

Kevin Clark was stunned. He’d come out because the attendants said someone was looking for his father and even knew his father’s name. He hadn’t expected such an answer.

There are people who can shut down everything others want to say with a single sentence, and Kevin Clark was in that state now—he didn’t know what to say next.

Taking a deep breath, Kevin Clark continued, “Since you don’t know my old man, why are you looking for him?”

Before Brian Carter could answer, Kevin Clark’s eyes suddenly lit up as he looked past Brian Carter toward the entrance.

“Oh, Old Thompson, what brings you here? What wind blew you in? Please, come inside and have a seat.”

Kevin Clark immediately bypassed Brian Carter and went to greet several people who had just entered. Leading the group was an elderly man with a full head of white hair, clearly over seventy, and beside him was a bespectacled middle-aged man holding a wooden box.

“I’m here to bring you something good. This is my student. His family recently ran into some trouble, so he has no choice but to sell something.”

Old Thompson spoke, and after a brief pause, Kevin Clark’s face lit up with delight. “How should I address you, sir?”

“No need for formalities, my surname is Bolton.”