chapter 9 A backup plan to deal with a love rival

"Heh, are you scared now? Can't afford to pay?" Stanley Du gave Willy Liu a sidelong glance, scoffing, "You were so cocky just now, throwing money right in my face! Why are you backing down now?" Willy Liu was left speechless, instantly deflated. Stanley Du couldn't be bothered with Willy Liu any longer. He turned to Charlie Ma and others, explaining, "This watch of mine was once a cherished item of Li Hongzhang, a powerful official during the late Qing dynasty." Upon hearing this, the crowd gasped in surprise! Who was Li Hongzhang? He was one of the top figures of the late Qing dynasty, the founder and commander of the Beiyang Fleet! People like Yuan Shikai, Duan Qirui, and Feng Guozhang, all from the Beiyang military clique, were all Li Hongzhang's disciples! In the eyes of foreigners, Li Hongzhang held more weight than even Empress Dowager Cixi! And Stanley Du claims this watch was once Li Hongzhang's prized possession! If Stanley Du is telling the truth, his watch could be auctioned for tens of millions! "You claim Li Hongzhang wore this watch? What evidence do you have?" Willy Liu asked loudly. Stanley Du countered, "Do you know Li Hongzhang's personal and courtesy names?" Once again, Willy Liu was left speechless by Stanley Du. He didn't know Li Hongzhang's personal and courtesy names, which wasn't really shameful. In reality, only a few of the over twenty people in the shop knew them. "Li Hongzhang, personal name Jianfu, courtesy name Shaoquan. In the late Qing dynasty, seeking ways to strengthen the nation, he revisited Western powers. During his visit to the Netherlands, the sixteen-year-old Queen Wilhelmina warmly welcomed him." Stanley Du lifted his watch, explaining, "This watch was a gift from Wilhelmina to Li Hongzhang." The crowd was deeply moved. Some believed Stanley Du, while others were skeptical. "Boss, is what he's saying true?" Richard Xu whispered to Charlie Ma. "It probably is." Charlie Ma nodded, "During Li Hongzhang's second visit to Western Europe, he received much attention from the Western media. The story of Wilhelmina gifting him the watch was published in newspapers across Europe." Hearing this, the crowd became more convinced by Stanley Du's story. Stanley Du continued, "Li Hongzhang's descendants weren't successful, but Zhang Peilun, one of his close aides, was truly talented. Zhang Peilun later married Li Hongzhang's youngest daughter, Li Juou. This watch was Li Hongzhang's wedding gift to Zhang Peilun." "Zhang Peilun? I've heard of him," Charlie Ma interrupted, "He's Li Hongzhang's son-in-law. His nephew, Zhang Renjun, was also very influential. Zhang Renjun was the Viceroy of the Two Jiangs in the late Qing dynasty. Moreover, Zhang Renjun was related by marriage to Yuan Shikai." "Mr. Ma, I'm truly impressed by your knowledge," Stanley Du complimented Charlie Ma, then continued, "A few years after Zhang Peilun's death, the Qing dynasty fell. This watch ended up in the hands of Zhang Ailing, Zhang Peilun's direct granddaughter." "Zhang Ailing? She was the top female writer during the Republic era! Even Lu Xun didn't earn as much as her in royalties," A wealthy woman remarked. The crowd was once again shocked. Stanley Du's watch had been worn by three great personalities: Li Hongzhang, Zhang Peilun, and Zhang Ailing! It must be worth a fortune! Perhaps, this watch could fetch hundreds of millions at auction! Then, Stanley Du added, "About three decades ago, Zhang Ailing's stepmother passed away. Zhang Ailing returned to Shanghai for the funeral, fell seriously ill, and was bedridden. My grandfather, entrusted by someone, cured her illness. Grateful, Zhang Ailing gave this watch to my grandfather." The crowd was stunned again. A nearly bald wealthy man eyed Stanley Du's attire skeptically and asked, "Who's your grandfather? Did he really know Zhang Ailing?" "Heh, if you don't believe me, then pretend I never said anything," Stanley Du replied disdainfully. The one who cured Zhang Ailing was actually Stanley Du's master, The Bouldering Taoist Priest. But to avoid criticism, in public, Stanley Du referred to The Bouldering Taoist Priest as his grandfather. The bald man wanted to say something more, but Charlie Ma interrupted, "Mr. Liu, it doesn't matter whether this young man is making up a story or not. The watch he holds is indeed a royal watch from the Netherlands. That's enough!" The bald man nodded and remained silent. Having smoothed things over, Charlie Ma smiled at Stanley Du, "Mr. Du, I know a skilled watch repairer. If you trust me, I can ask him to help replace the damaged case." Before, he referred to Stanley Du as a 'young man.' Now, he addressed him as 'Mr. Du'. From this, it's clear that Charlie Ma now sees Stanley Du as a friend with valuable treasure and deep knowledge. "How much?" Stanley Du asked. "For the repair and materials, it should be about 5,000," Charlie Ma replied. Considering the price, it was already a friendly rate. In Ning City, the cost to repair luxury watches starts at a minimum of 10,000. Stanley Du nodded and gave Charlie Ma a gesture of thanks, saying, "Thank you, Mr. Ma." Then, turning to Willy Liu, he said, "Time to pay up, Willy Liu." "Hmph, how much do you want?" Willy Liu replied disdainfully. Instead of giving a price, Stanley Du turned to Charlie Ma and said, "Mr. Ma, you're the expert here. Please give a fair price." "If this watch were mine, I'd ask Mr. Liu for at least 3 million," Charlie Ma explained. "Mr. Du, your watch case is cracked. Even if you replace it, the watch's value will diminish. 3 million seems fair." "Alright, I'll go with Mr. Ma's suggestion," Stanley Du agreed, then looked back at Willy Liu, "Pay me 3 million, and the watch is yours." "I won't give you a dime!" Willy Liu retorted. "If you can't afford it, don't pretend to be rich in front of me," Stanley Du replied with a cold laugh. "I knew you'd try to dodge this. How about this? As long as you stop harassing Dinah Yang, I'll only ask for the repair cost, 5,000." "I won't even give you five bucks! What can you do about it?" Willy Liu said menacingly. "Don't forget, our Liu Corporation is the main supplier of medicines to the Yang family hospital. Our Liu Corporation will cut off your hospital's medicine supply if you dare offend me. Your Yang family will go bankrupt!" Hearing this, Stanley Du's eyes narrowed, and Dinah Yang looked both anxious and angry. The others also condemned Willy Liu, saying he was going too far. Far from being embarrassed, Willy Liu continued to taunt Stanley Du, "You and Dinah Yang aren't married yet, so I have the right to pursue her. Even if you get married in the future, you'll be a son-in-law sponging off the Yang family. Even if I made you cuckolded, the Yang family wouldn't dare do anything to me. Hahaha!" With that, Willy Liu walked out, acting like he was the only one in the room. Stanley Du's hatred deepened. Stanley Du and Dinah Yang left the Old Relics Shop an hour later. His watch had been repaired and looked as good as new. Dinah Yang covered the cost of the repair. "Stanley Du," she asked, "Is it true that Li Hongzhang, Zhang Peilun, and Zhang Ailing once wore your watch?" "Absolutely true. This watch was a gift from Zhang Ailing to my grandfather. When he passed away three years ago, I inherited it." "Just by selling that watch, you could easily become a millionaire," Dinah Yang observed. Looking intently at Stanley Du, she probed, "With that money, you could start a business, or even find a prettier wife than me. I believe many beautiful women would line up for you. Why are you still clinging to me? Let's cancel our engagement." "No way!" Stanley Du firmly took Dinah Yang's hand and said, "The watch is a memento from my grandfather; I can't and won't sell it. You're going to be my wife. Even though we're not officially married, I won't let you be with anyone else." Dinah Yang's expression changed rapidly, a blush appearing on her cheeks. "He's so cheesy," she thought, "but somehow, it makes me happy. What's happening to me?" Dinah Yang thought wildly and then realized Stanley Du was still holding her hand tightly. "Let go!" She pulled her hand back and quickly walked ahead. Stanley Du, pushing his bicycle, happily followed behind. We've held hands now; a kiss can't be far off, right? After dropping Dinah Yang off at the Greenview Courtyard Community, Stanley Du returned to school. Along the way, he took out his phone and dialed a number he hadn't contacted in a long time. "Who are you? How do you know my number?" A young man's voice came from the phone. "Wesley Meng, it's me, Stanley Du." "Du... Oh, the famous young doctor! It's been so long. Where are you?" Wesley Meng's voice was clearly excited and happy. His family was the most prestigious in Changyang City, which, like Ning City, is in Province A. But Changyang City, the provincial capital, was far wealthier than Ning City. Six years ago, on his master's orders, Stanley Du cured Wesley Meng's father, Zachary Meng. During the treatment, an assassin tried to kill Wesley Meng. Luckily, Stanley Du intervened, capturing the killer and saving Wesley Meng's life. As a result, the Meng family was deeply grateful to him. "I'm in Ning City. Do you have friends here?" "Of course. Our Meng family has friends in every city and county in Province A." "Do you know Willy Liu from Liu Corporation? They run a pharmaceutical factory." "I don't know him. Why, did he offend you?" Wesley Meng inquired. "Hmph, he tried to make me cuckolded and even threw money in my face," Stanley Du replied coldly. Willy Liu hadn't even compensated Stanley Du a penny for the watch repair. He was always trying to make Stanley Du cuckolded. If Stanley Du let Willy Liu off the hook now, he'd really be a pushover.