In a manor that leans towards classical style, Bi Quan and his son Bi Junxian sat facing each other in a pavilion, their faces clouded with worry, looking very grim.

The pavilion was built in the center of a pond, where the water gently flowed, with koi occasionally leaping out of the water.

This scene placed in summer or autumn would not be considered any rare beauty, but in winter, it was quite a sight to behold.

However, neither of them had any interest in appreciating the view.

This was understandable. Losing eighty million all at once would make anyone unable to admire even the most beautiful scenery.

After a long while, Bi Junxian suddenly stood up, a fierce look on his face, and said, "Dad, I'll gather some people right now. Those bastards are going to die today!"

"Wait a bit longer, let's talk when Guan Huarong arrives." Bi Quan, with eyes half-closed, seemingly about to fall asleep, said.

Bi Junxian got angry immediately, but dared not voice any objection and could only pace around anxiously.

"Splash! Splash! Splash!"

Three koi fish leapt out of the water one after another, splashing water, with a drop landing on Bi Junxian's face.

Already furious, Bi Junxian seemed to find an outlet for his anger and grabbed a jade teacup from the table, hurling it towards the koi in the water.

Damn it!

I'm so vexed already, yet you little fish dare to make noise without a care.

"Old Lu, get these fish for me, we'll stew them in a pot to feed Montage tonight!" Bi Junxian shouted sharply.

Montage was not a person's name, but a dog he kept.

The butler, Old Lu, who was guarding at the bridgehead answered, "Yes, young master."

As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps sounded from behind: "Young Master Bi has got quite the temper, who upset you now?"

The butler turned back and saw Guan Huarong, leaning on a walking stick, along with his attendant.

"Mr. Guan, the master has been waiting for you for quite some time, this way please." Old Lu greeted politely, then led Guan Huarong and his attendant onto the wooden bridge.

"This place is really nice, renting it for a day mustn't be cheap?" Guan Huarong leisurely walked, glancing around, as if truly admiring the scenery.

However, just as Old Lu was about to respond, Guan Huarong continued speaking to himself, "Oh right, I forgot, your master could spend eighty million to buy two relics; such rent must be nothing, not worth mentioning."

Old Lu frowned slightly, this remark sounded biting.

Bi Junxian looked at his father. According to the earlier plan, inviting Guan Huarong over was to discuss how to deal with the bastards who scammed them out of eighty million together.

Yet as soon as Guan Huarong arrived, he brought up the sore spot, was this a stance?

Bi Quan's expression remained unchanged, he got up and poured a cup of tea, gesturing for Guan Huarong to sit down.

Guan Huarong sat down with a smile, glanced at his attendant behind him, and said, "Take a walk with this gentleman, I'll have a few cups of tea with Brother Bi."

Old Lu looked at Bi Quan, and seeing him nod, led Guan Huarong's attendant away. The two walked off, chatting and laughing, creating an exceptionally harmonious atmosphere, like long-lost friends.

However, both were butlers, sharing a similar nature of work, making it easy to find common ground and get along well.

After the two left, Bi Quan spoke, "Brother Guan, the young man this morning at Anping Temple, what do you think?"

"Quite interesting, haven't seen such a young man in many years." Guan Huarong took a sip of tea, giving a bland evaluation.

Bi Quan cursed the old fox inwardly but couldn't show obvious discontent.

At their age, life has mostly entered a countdown, having weathered storms and eaten losses before. Speaking flawlessly has almost become instinct.

Just like now, although Guan Huarong had given feedback, upon careful consideration, it was clear he didn't actually say anything.

"Quite interesting" could be interpreted in multiple ways, either positive or negative.

Bi Quan leaned forward slightly and said, "Let's not beat around the bush, my son and I suffered a great loss today, and you too are in the same situation, albeit to a lesser extent."

"And so?" Guan Huarong raised his eyebrows.

"So I plan to probe into that person's background to see who he really is."

Seeing Guan Huarong not express an immediate stance, Bi Quan wasn't surprised and continued, "Brother Guan should understand, it's not simply about how much money was lost. Hundreds of pairs of eyes present today are probably all on us now.

If that person continues to roam free, the reputation of us both for half a lifetime might not be preserved."

"A man's reputation is like a tree's shadow, that logic is certainly not wrong..." After a pause, Guan Huarong said, "However, I must say a word of caution: probing into it is fine, but once it goes too far, it might get us into deep trouble."

Bi Quan frowned, "So according to Brother Guan's view, should we just ignore it as if nothing happened?"

Guan Huarong glanced at Bi Quan and suddenly laughed, "Brother Bi's current behavior indeed reflects the old saying 'not fearing scarcity but unequal distribution.'"

These words were straight to the point.

Thinking from Bi Quan's perspective, both were unlucky, and both fell into the same pit. Why should Guan Huarong only lose hundreds of thousands while he lost tens of millions?

Therefore, from Guan Huarong's viewpoint, this was Bi Quan's inner imbalance, wanting revenge yet fearing encountering a bigger threat, hence trying to rope him in to tread lightly together.

But treading carefully certainly carried risks; if successful, it's beneficial to both, but if not, both could be blown apart together.

"I have several big IPs under me, if Brother Guan is willing to partner with me, I can give you a portion of the development rights." Bi Quan said sullenly.

So-called IP, to put it plainly, are works with high attention on the internet, which could be novels, web dramas, or comics, etc.

There are no limits on the type as long as there is enough fan appeal.

As for development, this signifies expansion into various channels.

Taking novels as an example, they can be adapted into films, comics, games, and also cosplayed figures can be released. A series of these operations generates significant profits.

And Guan Huarong had tried developing in this direction in the past two years, but perhaps due to lack of experience, the attempts had only mediocre results. Although he earned some money, it did not meet his expectations.

"How big is the big IP, and how large is the portion of development rights?" Guan Huarong inquired.

Bi Quan cursed incessantly in his heart, berating Guan Huarong for not releasing the eagle until he saw the rabbit, an old charlatan who wouldn't wake up without profit!

"The IP's popularity exceeds three billion, and I'll give you thirty percent of the development rights. Brother Guan has experience in this field, should know how lucrative this is."

Guan Huarong, after much consideration, nodded, "Pleasure working with you!"

After speaking, the two exchanged knowing smiles, raised their teacups together, and drank their tea in one gulp.

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