Sophia sent off that family. She decided not to meet the other one again.
She thought the plan they gave was good enough. The event planning part was just extra.
What really mattered was the main focus of the exhibition.
She had already handed out the small tasks. The next thing to handle was security.
Both of Sophia's properties were protected by a security company. When she had asked them to help move things before, Ronin had already visited the third floor.
This time, when Sophia informed him, Ronin quickly brought his team over.
"Manager Ronin, time is tight. We've worked together many times, so I won't waste your time. We can sign the contract now," Sophia said.
Ronin waved his hand. "No problem, Miss Sophia. Like you said, we've worked together a lot. Let's go see what you need."
Sophia led a group of eight people. She had already requested these specific people before Ronin arrived.
She had worked with them during her last move. They left a good impression.
She actually wanted ten people, but two of them were on another job.
As she led them to the third floor, she spoke, "There won't be many guests at the exhibition, maybe thirty or forty. They are all wealthy, but just in case, I want your team there. Let's put three people in each of the two areas. Is that enough?"
The other two would be placed downstairs on the first floor. Some villagers might come out of curiosity. They only needed to stop them gently and not cause problems.
Ronin and the others understood what to do. Sophia added, "If anyone wants to pay on the spot, just guide them."
After she confirmed the plan with both companies, Sophia left for Pengcheng.
Haiwen had already come back from her business trip abroad.
Since the exhibition was the day after the engagement party, Sophia left a message in the group chat with Professor Zhou and the others. She explained the situation.
She didn't want anyone to show up early and find no one there.
When they found out that Sophia was going to an engagement party, Professor Zhou didn't say much, but Official Yong got excited and joined in the fun.
When Sophia arrived in Pengcheng, Official Yong and a few others were already there.
She was checking into the hotel when they came downstairs to meet her.
"Why did you come so late? We arrived the night before last."
Professor Zhou wasn't there yet. She was busy. Unlike Official Yong, who had mostly retired and spent time relaxing.
"I had things to take care of at home. As soon as I finished, I came here," Sophia said.
She really did everything she could to make time for this trip.
"We're waiting for you. Drop off your bags and come have tea with us."
There were a few new faces with Official Yong. Sophia didn't know them.
She thought about it and felt that since she was the only young person there, she should be more thoughtful.
So she didn't rest. She dropped off her luggage and went with them.
They had already arranged for a car. When she got in, she realized it belonged to Official Yong.
"The Yong family's businesses in Pengcheng are strong. They're probably among the top fifty," said Expert Shuxun. He was riding with Sophia and gave her some background information.
"How about it, girl? Do you have a boyfriend yet? The Yong family has more sons than daughters. There are a few around your age. Last time, Yong even mentioned it."
He brought this up because Official Yong had already talked about it before.
Sophia quickly waved her hands. "I'm not thinking about that right now."
The older folks were always like this. Whether they had education or not, rich or poor, they all loved to play matchmaker. Sophia didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
In about twenty minutes, two cars stopped in front of a teahouse.
The driver went to park the car while Sophia and the group went straight in.
The teahouse had a unique style. It wasn't in a busy area, but the business looked very good.
A staff member led the group upstairs into a private room.
From the outside, the teahouse didn't seem very big, but the inside was cleverly designed. The layout was square with an open space in the middle. There were fake mountains and flowing water.
When they entered the room, they saw that someone was already inside.
It was a young man wearing a deep blue shirt, with his sleeves rolled up.
When Sophia and the others entered, he was carefully explaining something to the waiter.
Since Sophia was the youngest in the group, she walked in last. She saw that Old Mr. Zhou was standing very close to the young man, and it was clear they were close.
Old Mr. Zhou acted angry at first when he saw the young man, but the man said something that made him laugh.
Suddenly, Old Mr. Zhou turned around and looked through the crowd until he spotted Sophia. He waved at her.
"Sophia, come here."
When an elder calls, especially an important client, you should go quickly. So Sophia walked over fast.
"Grandpa Zhou."
Sophia took a quick look at the man in front of her. Their eyes met for a second. His look seemed to be judging her.
"Sophia, this is my grandson, Zhou Haoze. You two are around the same age. You should get to know each other. He's the one who helped us arrange everything for our trip to Pengcheng. If you visit here again, you two should keep in touch."
Old Mr. Zhou smiled kindly as he spoke to her.
After he finished speaking, Zhou Haoze held out his hand.
Looking at his big hand, Sophia reached out and shook it lightly before letting go.
Zhou Haoze said, "Miss Sophia, I heard you and my grandpa met through antiques. My grandaunt is a professor of archaeology at J University, so I've learned a bit from her. Maybe we can share some knowledge while you're here."
Sophia smiled. "I only know a little about antiques. I can't compare with all of you. But I'd like to ask for your opinion on something."
As she spoke, Sophia took out a jade bracelet and a hairpin from her bag.
They were part of a set. The other pieces were left in the hotel.
She took them out mostly to distract Zhou Haoze. She felt that his gaze wasn't very friendly. Even though he was smiling, the smile didn't feel real.
Everyone else had already sat down and started chatting. They didn't notice what was going on here.
Expert Shuxun happened to sit beside Sophia. He took a look too.
"This bracelet has very good color. It's clear with no flaws."
Zhou Haoze took the hairpin and looked at it closely. It was made completely out of jade.
After checking it carefully, he lifted his eyes and looked at Sophia.
Sophia raised one eyebrow slightly, as if asking, "Well? Still think it's fake?"
Zhou Haoze gave a small smile.
The real reason he didn't trust Sophia was because last time, Mr. Zhou and Professor Zhou had spent a huge amount of money to buy antique paintings and calligraphy. It wasn't from a formal auction but from a young girl nobody knew. The whole family thought they had been fooled.