"My sister is out of danger!"
"The doctors said she suddenly developed acute nephritis, and her levels were bad. If it couldn't be controlled, it might have led to kidney failure... but somehow, she suddenly improved."
"Now, her condition is stable."
"Dad, has everything at home been resolved?"
"Dad? Dad?"
Su Mingxuan's anxious voice was loud and clear through the phone.
Su Liguo felt his spinning mind finally settle. He took a deep, relieved breath and said, "It's all good now. Take care of your sister."
More calls soon followed, all from people at the hospital with good news.
Almost simultaneously, all four Su family members who had been critically ill in the ICU began to recover.
The doctors were amazed, calling it a miracle.
The moment Lu Fei secured the evil object, the effects were immediate.
The legendary Evil Pawnshop was truly living up to its name!
Placing the entire family's fate in the hands of a stranger was a risky move, but he had gambled correctly. He was thoroughly impressed!
In less than a day, he had experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. From starting from scratch to facing the ups and downs of the business world, he thought he had seen it all.
But none of those business highs and lows compared to the dangers of today.
At this moment, he couldn't hold himself together any longer, feeling utterly drained.
If they had been even a little later…
The consequences would have been unthinkable!
It wasn't just one or two lives at stake; it was the entire Su family!
His mother, his brother, his wife, his children, and even he himself would have been slowly consumed by the evil creature, with the Su family ultimately becoming its sustenance…
Thinking about this, Su Liguo still couldn't shake his fear, feeling as though the white hair at his temples had increased.
What a blessing!
The Su family had truly been protected by the heavens to have encountered the heir of the Evil Pawnshop.
Summoning his remaining strength, Su Liguo gripped Lu Fei's hand tightly, his expression serious.
"Little Lu, you are the Su family's savior! Words cannot express our gratitude. I, Su Liguo, will remember this debt and repay it generously!"
"You're too kind, Mr. Su. The Evil Pawnshop deals with evil objects, and since I took on this business, I'm obligated to see it through," Lu Fei said with a smile. "If Mr. Su has the time, shall we discuss the details of pawning this item?"
"Little Lu and Mr. Liu have been through so much. Please, both of you, rest in the main hall first; we'll talk more in a bit," Su Liguo said, pulling himself together and making the arrangements.
The housekeeper, though he had scraped his knee in a fall, was so thrilled he hobbled off to instruct the maids to serve tea and refreshments.
They returned to the hall, where refreshments were quickly served.
"Enjoy, both of you. I'll be back shortly," Su Liguo said as he excused himself and hurried to his room. His clothes and hair were soaked; he needed to freshen up.
After all the commotion, Lu Fei was indeed thirsty and somewhat tired, so he didn't hesitate to help himself to the food and drink.
"Top-quality West Lake Dragon Well tea!"
"Crab dumplings, rock sugar bird's nest…"
Liu Fugui gobbled up the food like a pig feasting on ginseng fruit, a delighted smile practically plastered to his face.
Finally, he had secured a connection with the Su family.
And it wasn't just any connection—it was one of life-saving gratitude.
With the wealth and status of the Su family, from now on, wouldn't Liu Fugui be able to strut around Jiangcheng with impunity?
Of course.
None of this would have been possible without Lu Fei.
Without Lu Fei to hold onto, how could he have latched onto the Su family?
From now on, he would have to cling even more tightly to this invaluable connection.
With that thought, Liu Fugui picked up the teapot and poured tea for Lu Fei.
"Little Lu, you've really worked hard today!" He didn't address him as manager anymore but rather as a close friend, hoping to bridge the gap.
"I knew it! I was sure you'd have no trouble with this! Compared to your grandfather, you're truly even more outstanding!"
"With the Evil Pawnshop in your hands, it's bound to become even greater, a real legend!"
"No, not just a legend… an even greater legend!"
He showered him with praise.
Seeing the fawning smile on Liu Fugui's face, Lu Fei couldn't help but laugh.
How could someone be so shameless?
Still, having acquired his third evil object, Lu Fei was in a good mood and didn't mind accepting Liu Fugui's attentions.
"Uncle, there's something I'm really curious about."
"Go ahead."
"How many horses did you raise in your past life?"
"Huh?"
"Otherwise, how did you get so good at flattery?"
"Haha! Not at all, I'm only speaking the truth…"
Liu Fugui didn't mind the teasing in the slightest.
To him, Lu Fei was his lucky star, his personal god of fortune. Who would ever hold a grudge against their god of fortune?
Respect!
Lu Fei gave him a thumbs up; it was no wonder Liu Fugui had managed to survive on Antique Street for so long.
The two laughed for a while.
Then, Liu Fugui rubbed his hands together, glanced at the housekeeper nearby, and lowered his voice excitedly, "By the way, Little Lu, is that snake skin from the Su family really a treasure? Is it worth something?"
"This isn't any ordinary snake skin. It's definitely valuable," Lu Fei replied without hesitation.
"Fantastic! What kind of value does it have? How much could it sell for?" Liu Fugui's eyes sparkled.
"Why are you in such a rush? Let's talk it over with Mr. Su first," Lu Fei said, stretching and settling back to rest after finishing his food.
Liu Fugui, however, was getting antsy, shifting around in his seat.
Fortunately, Su Liguo soon returned.
After a shower and a change of clothes, with his hair freshly styled, he had regained much of his composure, looking sharp and refreshed.
"Have you both had enough?"
"Yes, thank you for the hospitality, Mr. Su."
Su Liguo instructed his staff to clear the table and brought out a fresh pot of tea.
The scent of the tea wafted through the room.
Lu Fei took out the large bundle of grayish-white snake skin and the pawn ticket.
"Mr. Su, how would you like to pawn this? As a live pawn or a dead pawn, and at what price?"
Su Liguo eyed the snake skin warily and confessed, "Little Lu, this is my first time dealing with the Evil Pawnshop. Could you explain the rules and specifics?"
Lu Fei smiled. "It's the same as with any other pawnshop."
"With a live pawn, we set a term and conditions, and at the end of the term, you can redeem it under the agreed conditions."
"With a dead pawn, the snake skin becomes the Evil Pawnshop's property and cannot be redeemed."
"Which would be better for the Evil Pawnshop?" Su Liguo asked.
"It makes no difference; the Evil Pawnshop doesn't do losing business! The choice is entirely up to you, Mr. Su. If the snake skin has any value to you, or you'd like to keep it as a memento, you can opt for a live pawn…"
"No need!" Su Liguo quickly waved his hand with a wry smile. "This thing brought disaster upon my family. Why would I keep it as a memento? I'll go with a dead pawn!"
"Very well. And the price?" Lu Fei picked up a pen.
"Price?" Su Liguo hesitated. Normally, others would demand high fees for their services, but here Lu Fei was offering to buy the evil item instead.
The Evil Pawnshop's way of doing business was indeed unique.
Could an evil object that drains people's life essence really become a treasure in his hands?
"Any amount is fine. I leave it up to you, Little Lu." He truly had no idea what amount would be fair to Lu Fei, so he said this.
"Mr. Su, since this is a business transaction, it would be better if you set the price." Lu Fei didn't want to appear as though he were taking advantage.
"In that case…" Su Liguo pondered for a moment, glancing at Liu Fugui.