As they ate and chatted absentmindedly, Bai Yan suddenly said, "The au that only happens once every five years is ing up in two months. It's going to be held in City A this time. I pn to go and see. Do you want to e with me?"

  In fact, Bai Yan was being forced to go. His father's task for him was to buy something of iimable value at this year's au, but he was only given five million for it.

  You should know that even a loiece of jade starts at a huhousand at a national au like this, with the better ones going for millions and the best ones reag the billion mark. And at aus, it's the highest bidder who wins.

  Five million...

  Bai Yan was at a loss. He had already hired several antique appraisal experts from abroad, hoping they would be of some use.

  The Bai family had resources and power in various fields such as food, business, and gover, but they couldn't break into the antique market. This was because everyone in the Bai family roo losing at gambling, even Si Hua. As the eion would say, "No one in this family has the luck fambling."

  But the profits in this industry were unmatched by any other.

  He Ju suddenly remembered the antique market he had stumbled into a few years ago and couldn't help but smile. "Go ahead. It's a good opportunity for you to gain some experience as you're just starting out in society."

  Bai Yan nodded happily. He didn't have high hopes for He Ju, but since He Ju was going to be his brother-in-w iure, there was no harm in him getting some early exposure to this.

  No one besides He Ju himself khat he was good at gambling stones.

  After Bai Ya, He Ju's life became busy again. He was stantly thinking of ways to make money, but this time, it was for himself, so that he would no longer be subject to the judgment of others.

  All his pride and self-procimed dignity meant nothing in the faoney.

  In the past, he had refused to exge his design drafts for money because Su Ran didn't like gambling, and he didn't want anything to do with it either.

  Even though he had araordinary talent in both areas that most people didn't possess.

  A person only have a ce at success if they uand their position clearly.

  The day He Ju was supposed to meet Elder Jiang came around quickly.

  He Ju was io a studio iy ter. As soon as he got upstairs and onto the rooftop, he saw a familiar face.

  It was Elder Jiang. When it came to top designers at home and abroad, Elder Jiang was one of the top ten in the try. He had tless apprentices, most of whom were able to showcase their designs oernational stage and dispy their work to the world, all thanks to their talent and professional training.

  He Ju, oher hand, was just an amateur. He had no teacher to guide him and no professional to point him in the right dire. All his drawings were based solely on his wild imagination.

  A, he had caught Elder Jiang's eye.

  Elder Jiang stood up as soon as he saw He Ju and walked over with his e, his face beaming with joy. "He Ju, my little friend, it's been a long time, a very long time!"

  He Ju shook hands with Elder Jiang. "Elder Jiang, it's been a long time."

  Elder Jiang smiled kindly and quickly pulled He Ju to sit at the dining table, then instructed the bodyguard behind him, "You serve the food now."

  After the bodyguard left, Elder Jiang spoke with a tented expression, "He Ju, I've been waiting for your call for over three years. Let's be frank, are you here today to agree to what I proposed three years ago?"

  Three years ago, Elder Jiang had clearly expressed his iion to recruit He Ju and even suggested that He Ju bee his apprentice, promising to help him showcase his work on the world stage.

  At that moment, the waiter brought all the dishes to the table.

  He Ju said, "How about we eat first?"

  Elder Jiang burst into ughter. "Of course, of course. Let's eat first, and then we talk."

  So, the first meal in three years betweewo of them was quite enjoyable.

  After the meal, He Ju got down to business.

  "Elder Jiang, we hit it off when we first met, so I won't beat around the bush. I value my freedom and don't like being tied down, so I'm afraid I 't be your apprentice."

  Elder Jiang seemed to have expected this and just ughed heartily a couple of times. He didn't dwell oter and instead proposed another pn. "Since you've e to see me, it means you've made up your mind. I'm a businessman, and I don't make losing deals. You have a great talent for design, but you ck guidance, so hardly any of your drafts are pleted successfully. I didn't e alohis time. I've brought the two best teachers from abroad. If you're willing, they will give it their all to help you."

  He Ju smiled. "So, Elder Jiang, why don't you just tell me your ditions and requirements?"

  Elder Jiang squinted his eyes and smiled. "For three years, the cht of all your works will belong to our pany, and we will be responsible for selling, promoting, and auing them. You won't o pay anything, and we'll take a 70% cut of all the royalties your work earns, while you'll get 30%. How about it?"

  He really was a ing old fox.Elder Jiang didn't mention a word about the authorship issue.

  He Ju could guess the wordpy in the follow-up tract after monopolizing all his works for three years.

  He Ju just smiled lightly, without a hint of fear in his eyes: "I only accept a oerm. In that year, I guarantee a submissiowo months. The anizing unit be you, but the authorship must be mine, and the manuscript fee is to be split fifty-fifty."

  Elder Jiang was immediately surprised; he thought He Ju came to him because he had e around, but now it seemed... he really had.

  But the man was shrewd.

  Elder Jiang's face lost its smile: "He Ju, little friend, isn't this a bit unfair?"

  He Ju remained calm and spoke slowly: "Elder Jiang, if I had no value, you wouldn't have hurried back to a the day after I called, would you?"

  Elder Jiang stared at He Ju for a long time, not seeing a trace of cowardi his face or in his eyes.

  Just like when He Ju first ehe antique market and casually pointed out which piece h stone tained a treasure.

  He Ju was smart and ceous.

  Elder Jiang believed that if they couldn't e to an agreement today, it would be even harder to do so iure. Although He Ju was young, he was not at all foolish.

  And that design draft, he had waited three years for it! A full three years, an agonizingly long time!

  He Ju's works, once perfected, could be immediately showcased at a fashion show, and he felt the response would definitely be good.

  It's just that this fifty-fifty split really pained him.

  Elder Jiang gritted his teeth; he couldn't just make a wasted trip, especially sidering the person He Ju was...

  He was never wrong about people.

  Elder Jiang, with a pained expression, said: "Two years? A sixty-forty split!"

  He Ju smiled subtly: "Deal."

  That easy?

  For a moment, Elder Jia he had been tricked.

  He Ju struck while the iron was hot: "So, those two masters you mentiohey're free guidance, right?"

  Elder Jiang fell silent: "..." You really don't let any advantage slip by, do you!

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