Chapter 236: Little Devils Are All Ungrateful Wolves
“There’s no need to rush, I can give you ample time. Slow work yields fine results. My only requirement is to do my utmost to make the painting realistic!”
Cao Weida wasn’t in a hurry to get it done, he didn’t want to rush and accidentally lower the quality.
What he wanted was to make it so difficult for professionals to distinguish between real and fake!
He had originally planned to find Tong Fengquan to help with the restoration, following the TV series’ plot.
However, after seeing E Ye, after seeing this counterfeiter, he changed his mind.
In the TV series, Tong Fengquan was initially unwilling to agree to counterfeit, and if it weren’t for Mo He, he would never have agreed to Fan Wu Ye.
Because it was due to counterfeiting that he inadvertently ended up bankrupt.
And his counterfeiting also caused someone’s death.
Now, Mo He was already his concubine, so the other party would naturally not counterfeit for Mo He’s sake anymore.
Originally, he had planned to find Tong Fengquan and then ‘appeal to his emotions and reason’ to persuade him, but now with Lan Gui as a substitute, there was no need to go through so much trouble.
At the same time, he had originally wanted to ask Professor Luo to appraise the painting, but now there was no need for that; it would be better to wait until the Lou family found the antiques.
Seeing Cao Weida say this, how could Lan Gui have any objections? With ample time, he would naturally have more confidence in restoring the painting!
“Mr. Cao, please rest assured, I will not fail to live up to your expectations!”
“Alright, then pack up and come with me.”
Lan Gui’s expression changed, “Mr. Cao, what do you mean by this? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t arrest me!”
Cao Weida rolled his eyes: “Don’t worry, I won’t arrest you if I said I wouldn’t. What I mean is, I’ll arrange a place for you to stay, and for the next period, you’ll stay in the courtyard I’ve arranged for you and diligently help me repair the painting.”
“During this time, I will arrange people for you to command. If you need anything, just tell the people I’ve assigned to you. Your food, drinks, and other needs will also be taken care of.”
“Whether it’s from Fengze Garden or the Eight Great Buildings, just order whatever you want, as long as you don’t waste it.”
Having said this, he paused, patted Lan Gui’s shoulder, and smiled:
“I am never stingy, nor do I mistreat my own people.”
“When this matter is done, and I am satisfied, don’t worry, I will not treat you poorly. I guarantee you a life of wealth!”
Lan Gui was overjoyed to hear this, he knew that he had received Cao Ye’s initial approval!
If he could just handle this matter well, wouldn’t he be able to establish a relationship with Cao Ye?!
“Okay! I’ll go pack my things now!”
“But Mr. Cao, I have a small request.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“It’s just that, for my little courtyard, could you arrange for someone to help take care of it while I’m away?”
“Although the items inside are all worthless fake goods, they still represent quite a bit of my effort.”
“I’m afraid that if I’m away for a long time, some petty thief might break in and carelessly break these things.”
Upon hearing that it was such a small request, Cao Weida laughed heartily, “What’s so difficult about that? Don’t worry, I guarantee no one will dare to come in, let alone touch your things.”
Even if Lan Gui hadn’t said anything, Cao Weida would have arranged for someone to look after it, after all, the items there would be useful in the future.
While Lan Gui went in to pack his things, Cao Weida gave Fan Wu Ye a look: “Fifth Brother, you know E Ye, and now E Ye is living rather… frugally. Please help look after him during this period.”
“I’m borrowing Lan Gui, which means I’m delaying his chance to get rich. I’m at fault for that. You, please entertain him well with good food and drink, and we’ll talk about it after Lan Gui is done.”
“Oh my, Boss, you are too kind! But this is too much trouble, let’s just forget it.” Upon hearing about such a good thing, E Ye was overjoyed, but he was too embarrassed to accept due to his pride.
He could tell that Cao Weida was a generous person, and Fan Wu was probably not short of money either.
If Fan Wu could look after him, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about his daily meals, and he could eat and drink well!
“Ai~~ E Ye, you are too distant with me! You and my father were brothers. Now that my father is gone, how can I, as the junior, not offer some support?”
“Come, come, come, let’s go now. We’ll go buy some crickets and have some fun!”
Saying that, he pulled E Ye out of the courtyard, without any hesitation.
Although he didn’t know why Cao Weida wanted to keep E Ye, since his brother-in-law had made arrangements, there must be a reason, so he naturally supported it unconditionally.
E Ye was already wholeheartedly willing, so he half-heartedly followed him out.
After going outside, he made a call to the police station, and then directly took Lan Gui to the courtyard in Caomao Hutong.
In no time, four men with steady steps arrived at the door.
“Mr. Cao.”
“Yes, come in.”
After calling them in, Cao Weida instructed: “For the next period, you will be responsible for taking care of Mr. Lan Gui, ensuring his safety and his daily needs such as food and drink.”
“Whatever Mr. Lan Gui wants to eat, you just need to satisfy him.”
“When he needs you to notify me, you will come and find me. At other times, you are not allowed to disturb Mr. Lan Gui. Do you understand?”
“Understood!”
Cao Weida nodded with satisfaction and looked at Lan Gui, who was a bit fearful yet also excited.
“For the time being, I’ll have to trouble you. As I said before, there’s no need to rush, slow work yields fine results.”
“When you finish the task, I will absolutely not treat you poorly.”
“If you have any needs, just tell them directly, but you are absolutely not allowed to seek out women, nor are you allowed to tell anyone about the task I’ve given you, including now and in the future!”
Lan Gui nodded hurriedly: “Mr. Cao, please rest assured, in our line of work, the biggest taboo is being loose-lipped. Our mouths are the tightest!”
“It’s good that you know your stuff. Then, that’s all for now. I’ll be going back.”
“.”
He returned to Sesame Hutong by rickshaw and saw a sedan car driving slowly from a distance.
Cao Weida had the rickshaw driver stop beside the sedan, and after sending the driver away, the sedan had also stopped.
The passenger door opened, and a short man in a Japanese Army uniform crawled out: “Mr. Cao!”
“Mr. Fuyong, thank you for your trouble.” As he said this, he slipped a cigarette into his hand.
This Japanese man was Fuyong Xiong Yi, the one Meize Heiba had called to teach driving.
“Mr. Cao is too kind, this is what I should do!” After looking at the cigarette in his hand, Fuyong’s smile became much brighter.
Yōshi, yōshi!
This dispatched errand was truly excellent!
Mr. Cao not only paid him extra salary but also gave him ‘little tokens of appreciation’ daily. If he didn’t teach seriously, he would feel guilty!
At this moment, the driver’s door opened, and Xiangzi emerged from inside.
“Mr. Cao, you’re back.”
“Yes, how’s the driving practice going?”
That’s right, Cao Weida had Xiangzi practicing driving, and it had been eight days.
As for why he wanted Xiangzi to learn to drive, it was actually quite simple, because Xiangzi had been with him the longest and was loyal!
A sedan was naturally much more convenient than a rickshaw. Now that he had a sedan, whether he himself went out or the women went out in the future, a sedan would be faster and safer.
He didn’t have a driver he trusted, so training Xiangzi was the most stable and cost-effective option.
Not only did he want to train Xiangzi to drive, but he even considered training his firearms shooting skills later.
At the very least, he had to learn to use a pistol, so that he could better protect his women.
Xiangzi scratched his head and said with a simple smile, “I’ve pretty much mastered the basics, and all that’s left is continuous practice.”
Cao Weida smiled, “I told you, learning to drive isn’t difficult. You were afraid of this and that at first, but you’re not afraid now, are you?”
When Xiangzi first learned that Cao Weida wanted him to learn to drive, he hesitated and was unconfident.
This was also a common problem for most people in this era, thinking that cars were something high-end, and that people like them, from the lower class and illiterate, definitely couldn’t learn.
It was only after Cao Weida forcefully made him learn that he nervously and self-consciously began to learn.
Perhaps remembering his previous demeanor, Xiangzi scratched his head sheepishly, but his eyes were filled with gratitude towards Cao Weida.
Nowadays, in ordinary households, let alone letting someone like him learn to drive, they wouldn’t even let him touch a car.
It’s important to know that people who could drive in this era were considered skilled workers. With this craft, they would never have to worry about their livelihood in the future!
He felt fortunate in his heart to have encountered a good master like Cao Weida.
Fuyong Xiong Yi chimed in from the side: “Mr. Xiangzi is very smart and picks things up quickly. In another two days, he should be able to try driving alone. After driving for a while to get familiar, he should be about ready.”
Hearing the praise, Xiangzi was a little shy, yet also a little happy, which made Cao Weida chuckle.
“Then thank you, Mr. Fuyong, for your effort.” After speaking, he turned and patted Xiangzi’s shoulder, encouraging him:
“Keep practicing, learn well, and get proficient as soon as possible. Our future outings will depend on you.”
Xiangzi immediately promised: “Master, please rest assured! Xiangzi is wholeheartedly dedicated to serving the Master and the ladies!”
“Alright, then you two continue practicing. I’ll go inside first.”
Having said that, he nodded to Fuyong Xiong Yi and stepped into the courtyard.
Once Xiangzi learned to drive, he would send this little devil away. If his women wanted to learn to drive, he would have Xiangzi teach them.
Compared to the little devil, he naturally trusted Xiangzi more.
He didn’t trust his women to be in a car with this little devil. Devils were heartless, who knew if they would suddenly have wicked thoughts?
