novelaction 76
76
Chen Hao and some of the old servants had worked at the villa for many years, knowing each other's secrets and covering for each other, from embezzling food to replacing fakes.
You don’t know until you count it clearly, and you’ll be shocked when you do.
The villa contains valuable items such as Yuan blue and white porcelain jars, summer breeze fan designs, jade pendants carved from Hetian jade, Ru kiln celadon string-patterned vases, or polychrome openwork revolving vases...
Everything was replaced.
When Li Yuechang came out with a long list, his face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He muttered, "When did the boss buy so many antiques that look good but are useless?"
Now it's been replaced with a fake, all that money has gone down the drain.
Seeing that the man didn't even address him as "boss," Li Huiwen knew he was angry and replied in a clear voice, "My purpose isn't these antiques. If I didn't buy antiques, I would have bought something else."
Most antiques come from auctions, which are either ostensibly for charity or involve shady deals.
Some money has an unclear origin and can only be laundered through other means.
Therefore, antiques are secondary.
On the contrary, to put it another way, the boss is actually the one who profits.
The incident appears to have ended with 126 servants facing legal trouble.
The day after the typhoon passed.
Excluding those who were not respectable, only eight people remained in the Changgu villa, two of whom were children from outside the area.
Especially now at nine in the morning, the villa is eerily empty.
Last night, Li Taihe ordered takeout for them and rushed to the company, while the two children ate breakfast at seven o'clock and went to school.
Gu Xinglan was left alone in the villa watching TV and scrolling through her phone.
"Recently, shocking news broke that several antiques in the collection of Mr. Li, a renowned philanthropist in Wushui City, were secretly replaced with fakes by his servants, with estimated losses exceeding 100 million yuan. It is understood that Mr. Li has long been committed to philanthropy, making generous donations in various fields such as education, poverty alleviation, and medical care, and his good deeds have won widespread praise from society..."
Hearing the background noise of the television, Gu Xinglan sat on the sofa and looked up at the TV.
After the news narration finished playing, Lee Tae-ho appeared soon after, surrounded by cameras.
The man faced various television microphones, with flashes of light shining on his face one after another. In particular, the man's voice was weak and feeble, as if he had suffered some unbearable grief, yet he wore a suppressed smile on his face. It was nothing more than a forced smile.
...This person was clearly in a good mood last night.
After watching TV, Gu Xinglan looked at her phone.
Today's trending topics on social media aren't about a celebrity being slapped in public on a popular dating reality show, but rather:
Philanthropist loses hundreds of millions of yuan worth of antiques
Villa's priceless antiques were switched by the servant.
[My goodness, over a hundred million! So many antiques just swapped out by the servants? This is outrageous! Are the villa's security guards just sitting around doing nothing?!]
[A plot so daring even TV dramas wouldn't dare portray this; reality truly doesn't need logic, it's utterly tragic...]
[Speechless. Good people are always on the path to being betrayed. Why censor this kind of person? They should be exposed.]
[Has everyone seen that interview video...? He's the epitome of a beautiful, strong, and tragic woman...]
I read several comments, and most of them were about security and faces.
Philanthropist, handsome face, burglarized by the family's maid—these three keywords are practically a walking data pack.
If it was a case of playing the victim, then Lai Tae-ha succeeded.
Even the interview article published today by the Outlook Weekly, which he closely follows, is full of praise for Lai Thai Ho, and there is not a single thing he wants to criticize.
The Outlook Weekly enjoys a high status in the internet and news industries.
As soon as this article came out, it immediately elevated Lai Thai Ho to a god-like status.
Especially in this age where appearance matters... people tend to make preconceived notions about others based on their eyes.
"You've got a good plan..." Gu Xinglan murmured a few words.
System: [Why? Isn't this called "giving and receiving" in your human world?]
"No, for this person, it's all gains..."
In his memory, the Li family had grown from an unknown small company into a towering giant almost overnight.
The Li family suddenly appeared in Wushui out of nowhere. They have almost taken over the local market, monopolizing it, engaging in malicious competition, and making malicious acquisitions. They certainly didn't get there cleanly. In fact, you could say that most of their profits are ill-gotten gains.
He dared not think about it too much and did not want to get involved, but in short, Li Taihe was the kind of person who would not let himself suffer a loss.
Gu Xinglan absentmindedly opened the book, scenes flashing through her mind.
Based on his interactions with Li Taihe over the past few days, it seems that this man has no attachment to anything.
To put it nicely, they are carefree; to put it bluntly, they are indifferent. They have their own set of procedures for dealing with people and things, and they judge the value of a person or thing more from the perspective of self-interest. They speak to people in a way that suits them, and they are shrewd and adaptable, as if they are living under the spotlight while wearing a mask.
She's someone who only loves herself.
The "bang" interrupted the jumbled thoughts in my mind.
The door to the entrance was opened, and a travel-worn man entered; it was someone's assistant.
"Good morning, madam."
Gu Xinglan nodded.
When his gaze fell on the other person's face, Xu Mufeng quickly came to mind.
The child didn't stay overnight at the villa last night. After finishing the takeout ordered by Li Taihe, he was sent back. However... the way the child looked at him hesitantly before leaving probably meant he had discovered his identity.
Gu Xinglan slightly raised the corners of her mouth and asked, "Did you send that child back safely?"
"Hmm." Li Huiwen lowered her eyes, adopting a businesslike attitude, placed the folder on the crystal table, and said solemnly, "Let's get to the important stuff first. Your rented apartment has been completely renovated. For the sake of the show's authenticity, all the appliances were second-hand. Little Xu is living there now. Also, you..."
Halfway through his sentence, Li Huiwen adjusted his glasses and looked directly at the person sitting on the sofa. One hand was flipping through a book called "The Biography of Freud," while the other held a mobile phone. The TV was on, and the person was languid and unrefined, lacking any elegance or manners.
The gaze is too direct
Gu Xinglan: "?"
"When the show starts, you must have a reasonable reason to temporarily hide your identity."
hide?
The production team will install cameras in the villa. At that time, Li Taihe, as the child's father, will most likely appear, and he, as the child's mother, will also need to appear.
But if he reveals his face, anyone who investigates or netizens with a magnifying glass will definitely discover his identity.
Then his host persona will have to be completely removed from the internet, and he will face a wave of criticism from netizens.
"How exactly will it be hidden?" Gu Xinglan closed the book.
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Huiwen placed his phone on the table and moved it in front of him.
"When the time comes, I'll have someone tell you how to hide it, but for now, you need to complete your profile."