227: Chapter 227 Liu Haorui was deceived

Liu Haorui hesitated for a moment and said, "I think we should try other ways to contact him first and see if we can find him. If that doesn't work, we can call the police."

Wang Xiaohua nodded in agreement, "Okay, let's try that first."

So, Liu Haorui and Wang Xiaohua began trying to contact the other party through other means.

They scoured the messages on their phones, but besides the number that was already turned off, they found no other clues.

Wang Xiaohua also tried to contact the person through social media, but there was no response.

As time ticked by, Liu Haorui's anxiety became increasingly apparent.

"Xiao Hua, I think we might have really been scammed."

Liu Haorui's voice trembled slightly; he couldn't believe it.

Although Wang Xiaohua was also very anxious, she did her best to comfort Liu Haorui, "Old Liu, don't panic. Let's calm down first. Things have reached this point, and worrying won't help. Let's call the police; perhaps they can find him through some means."

Liu Haorui nodded, his expression dim, "Okay, let's call the police then."

The two arrived at a nearby police station and described the incident in detail to the police.

The police stated they would begin an investigation as soon as possible and advised them to keep all relevant information.

After finishing their statement at the police station, Liu Haorui and Wang Xiaohua left with heavy hearts.

That evening, Liu Haorui and Wang Xiaohua arrived at Zhang Wei's house as agreed.

As soon as they pushed open the door, a rich aroma of hotpot wafted over, making one's mouth water uncontrollably.

They saw that Zhang Wei and An Xiaoxi had been busy for a long time; a steaming pot of Yin-Yang hotpot sat on the table, surrounded by an dazzling array of ingredients: thinly sliced lamb as delicate as cicada wings, freshly cut beef with clear marbling, various round and cute meatballs, as well as yellow throat, beef tripe, duck intestines, duck blood, and more, all neatly arranged on plates, looking incredibly tempting.

"Old Zhang, this hotpot of yours is really great; it smells amazing."

Liu Haorui praised Zhang Wei as soon as he entered, the fatigue on his face seemingly swept away by the aroma.

Zhang Wei smiled and came to greet them, "Of course, the hotpot base and ingredients were specially air-shipped from Sichuan; I guarantee you'll have a great meal."

An Xiaoxi also warmly greeted Wang Xiaohua, "Sister Xiaohua, sit down quickly. We're all ready and just waiting for you to start eating."

The four sat around the hotpot.

Zhang Wei and An Xiaoxi couldn't wait to pick up slices of beef and put them into the pot.

As the meat rolled in the boiling soup, the whole room was filled with an enticing fragrance.

However, Liu Haorui and Wang Xiaohua, sitting opposite them, seemed somewhat distracted.

Their chopsticks mechanically picked up food, there was no expression of enjoyment on their faces, and the food tasted like wax.

Seeing this, Zhang Wei had already guessed a few things, but still tentatively asked, "Old Liu, how did things go today?"

Liu Haorui sighed, put down his chopsticks, and said with a dim expression, "Old Zhang, Xiao Hua and I have been scammed."

Hearing this, Zhang Wei and An Xiaoxi immediately stopped what they were doing.

The air seemed to freeze, with only the hotpot bubbling away.

"What happened?" Zhang Wei asked urgently.

Liu Haorui sighed and began to recount the afternoon's encounter in detail, "This afternoon, we went to Youyou Auction House, but the receptionist said there was no one named Chen Dong. I showed her the chat history, but she said we had the wrong place and even threatened to call security. When I called again, the other party's phone was already turned off. Xiao Hua said we might have been scammed; I still can't believe it."

Wang Xiaohua added, "Old Liu was still holding onto a glimmer of hope at the time, saying maybe the person had something urgent to attend to, but we tried every method and couldn't reach him. We had no choice but to call the police, but the police also said there weren't many clues."

After listening, Zhang Wei frowned deeply, was silent for a moment, and then asked, "The Tai Sui is still in your hands, right?"

Liu Haorui nodded, "Of course. How could I let it go so easily?"

As he spoke, he took out the black, blob-like Tai Sui from his bag and handed it to Zhang Wei.

Zhang Wei took the Tai Sui and examined it carefully.

An Xiaoxi also leaned in.

The two said nothing, and the atmosphere became somewhat heavy.

Zhang Wei felt some doubt, but couldn't quite put his finger on what was strange.

"Old Liu, where did you get it appraised?" Zhang Wei finally asked.

"A local appraisal agency in X City Name, why?" Liu Haorui asked, confused.

Zhang Wei pondered for a moment, "Tomorrow, let's find an appraisal expert in City Name to take a look. After all, this concerns your personal interests."

An Xiaoxi also comforted him, "Yes, don't worry too much. Things have already happened; we just need to find a way to solve them. Don't think about this tonight, just enjoy the hotpot and relax."

Zhang Wei's words were like a warm current, warming the hearts of Liu Haorui and Wang Xiaohua.

Liu Haorui forced a smile, "You're right. Let's eat hotpot."

Wang Xiaohua also laughed along, "Yes, eat hotpot."

The four picked up their chopsticks again and began to enjoy this hard-won dinner.

Although there was still a trace of disappointment on the faces of Liu Haorui and Xiao Hua, the atmosphere had gradually become harmonious.

Zhang Wei and An Xiaoxi kept picking food for them, trying to use the delicious food to alleviate their low spirits.

"Old Liu, don't worry too much. We'll go to City Name together tomorrow to find an expert and have it properly appraised again."

Zhang Wei said while eating, "As for the scammers, I do have a plan."

"What plan? Tell me quickly." Liu Haorui said excitedly.

Zhang Wei smiled slightly and said, "Since they are scammers, they will eventually look for others to defraud. When that time comes, we'll catch them in the act."

Liu Haorui nodded gratefully, "You really have many ideas. With you guys here, I feel much more at ease."

Wang Xiaohua also echoed, "Yes, thank you. With you here, we feel much more at ease."

An Xiaoxi smiled and raised her glass, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Tonight, we'll just enjoy our meal and figure out a way tomorrow. Come, cheers!"

The four clinked their glasses together, making a crisp sound.

Zhang Wei picked up a piece of duck intestine and put it into the hotpot, "Come, try this, it's very tender."

Liu Haorui also picked up some ingredients and put them into the pot, "Okay, for the sake of tomorrow, we need to eat and drink well."

An Xiaoxi smiled and said, "That's right, only when we're full will we have the energy to deal with those scammers."

Wang Xiaohua also picked up a piece of beef, swished it in the hotpot, and said, "Old Zhang, this hotpot base is really good; the flavor is very authentic."

Zhang Wei said proudly, "Of course, it's spicy enough, I guarantee you'll have a great meal."

Liu Haorui ate a few bites and smiled, "It's indeed delicious; I feel like my mood has improved quite a bit."

Wang Xiaohua also added, "Yes, eat more, and your mood will get better too."

Zhang Wei looked at everyone and smiled, "Don't worry too much. Things have already happened; we just need to find a way to solve them."

Liu Haorui nodded and said, "Hmm, I trust you guys. With you here, I feel much more at ease."

The four sat around the hotpot, eating delicious food and chatting.

Although there was still a trace of disappointment on the faces of Liu Haorui and Xiao Hua, the atmosphere had become relaxed and happy.