016. Farewell, Luo Bing
In truth, Lin Shan felt that presenting such a large amount of gold might attract unwanted attention, so he immediately accepted Zhang Zhi’s suggestion.
“This is probably for the best. I have time now; why don’t we take the gold over there for appraisal?”
Zhang Zhi nodded. “Alright, let’s head back to your place and pack it up properly.”
The two returned to Lin Shan’s residential complex. The gold had actually been in Lin Shan’s belongings all along, but this secret couldn’t be revealed to Zhang Zhi. They pretended to go upstairs, retrieved the gold, packed it into a large black box, and then carried it downstairs.
After loading the box into the car’s trunk, they left the complex and drove to a high-rise building. Zhang Zhi parked in the underground garage, and they took the elevator down to the second basement level.
Upon exiting the elevator lobby, there was only one entrance, guarded by two tall men in black suits. Seeing them approach, one asked, “Gentlemen, do you have an invitation?”
Zhang Zhi calmly pulled out his phone and showed them a QR code.
After scanning it, one man respectfully asked, “Sir, do you have something to sell?”
Zhang Zhi casually gestured to Lin Shan. “My friend here wants to sell something.”
“Understood. Please follow me.”
The man led the way, with Lin Shan carrying the box behind Zhang Zhi. The décor was richly traditional, the corridor walls lacquered in red, adorned with landscape paintings.
Further along, there was a display of ornamental stones.
Finally, the man brought them to a room and asked, “Sir, what category is the item you wish to sell?”
“Precious metals,” Zhang Zhi replied.
The man smiled. “Understood. Please wait here.”
He opened the door, and Lin Shan and Zhang Zhi entered a room about twenty square meters in size. Inside was a wooden folding screen carved with landscape scenes. Beyond it was a large tea table, set with an assortment of tea utensils.
“Have a seat,” Zhang Zhi said. “The appraiser will be here shortly to examine the gold.”
Lin Shan looked around. The room was filled with a subtle, elegant fragrance.
“This place is quite nice.”
Zhang Zhi brewed a cup of tea for himself and said, “The entry ticket here requires proof of ten million in net assets, but this tier only allows participation in the lowest-level auctions. Your gold fits in this category. Heh, to be honest, I don’t actually have that kind of money—I just got in through some backdoor connections.”
---
Not long after, a gentle knock came at the door, accompanied by a soft female voice asking, “May I come in?”
Lin Shan found the voice strangely familiar. Zhang Zhi chuckled, “This scene is quite suggestive. Wonder if they could use a different voice.”
He shot Lin Shan a mischievous glance.
The door opened, and two women entered, their fragrance filling the room. Lin Shan was stunned upon recognizing their faces.
One was Luo Bing, and the other was his ex-wife, Zhang Wan.
Zhang Zhi’s expression also changed instantly, glancing at Lin Shan as if to ask, “What’s going on?”
Lin Shan replied with a look that said, “How should I know?”
Zhang Wan’s pupils constricted with surprise upon seeing them.
“How is he here?”
She knew Lin Shan’s situation well. Although the apartment was worth three to four million, it was mortgaged and thus didn’t count as net assets. Besides that, Lin Shan only had an old Honda, so he shouldn’t have qualified to enter.
Only after seeing Zhang Zhi did she piece things together.
“He must have mooched on Zhang Zhi’s invitation.”
She knew Zhang Zhi had some clout and naturally assumed this.
The only person who showed no surprise was Luo Bing. She confidently took a seat opposite Lin Shan and asked, “Which one of you is consigning the item?”
Lin Shan collected himself and placed the box on the table.
He thought to himself: Sheng Teng’s boldness is incredible—his fiancée and mistress working in the same place, constantly crossing paths. Doesn’t he fear everything will come to light?
Then he reconsidered—this might actually be thrilling…
Actually, Lin Shan’s intuition was correct. Sheng Teng had arranged this deliberately. Zhang Wan’s job was secured through Sheng Teng, as she had no ambition to rise; she only wanted to extract money from him. After joining, she both kept an eye on Zhang Wan for Sheng Teng and satisfied a twisted desire of his.
As Lin Shan set the box on the table, Luo Bing caught sight of him and showed a flicker of surprise.
“You… you’re Lin Shan?”
---
Recognizing Luo Bing, Lin Shan smiled. “Yes, it’s me, Luo Bing. Long time no see.”
Zhang Zhi blinked, sensing the situation was complex. His mind agile, he wisely chose to stay silent to avoid complications, leaving Lin Shan to handle matters.
After greeting Luo Bing, Lin Shan turned to Zhang Wan and asked coldly, “So you work here?”
Zhang Wan crossed her arms and sneered, casting a disdainful glance at Lin Shan. “Lin Shan, don’t waste our time. What good could you possibly have?”
Luo Bing’s lips parted slightly as she looked between Zhang Wan and Lin Shan, clearly curious.
Lin Shan shrugged. “She’s my ex-wife.”
Zhang Wan’s face hardened. “Enough. What exactly do you want to see?”
Lin Shan opened the box, revealing the gold inside.
Luo Bing and Zhang Wan’s reactions diverged sharply. Luo Bing’s eyes showed curiosity and scrutiny, while Zhang Wan’s filled with disbelief. She suddenly looked up at Lin Shan.
“Where did you get these?”
Lin Shan nodded toward Zhang Zhi. “They’re not mine. I’m just here with Old Zhang to run an errand.”
Zhang Zhi chuckled awkwardly. “Haha, sister-in-law, forgive us. Times have been tough these years, so we had to pull out some reserve assets to turn things around.”
Despite the words, Zhang Wan was utterly skeptical. She looked at Lin Shan and noticed how much the man had changed in just a few days—the exhaustion was gone.
Before her stood a man with a gentle aura, calm and confident as if he controlled everything, much like when they first met. She was certain now—the gold belonged to Lin Shan himself.
Anger surged through her.
“Alright, Lin Shan, you’re good at hiding things. You never told me about this before, and we’re still married! Half of these belong to me!”
Lin Shan, unwilling to waste words on her, snapped, “Are you deaf? I told you, these belong to Zhang Zhi!”