The Longfengxiang flagship store in Magic City was completely different from the grand Longfengxiang branches that had sprung up across China like bamboo shoots after the rain.
This century-old shop retained a design style closer to that of the old Magic City from the last century.
There were no exaggerated colors or dazzling lights here—low-key yet luxurious, restrained yet extraordinary. Everything felt understated, yet unmistakably refined.
It resembled the ancient Magic City of a bygone era, preserving its unique, time-worn elegance amid banquets and revelry.
The shop itself was not large—a three-story building with a total area of less than one thousand square meters.
Above the entrance hung an old wooden plaque bearing three large characters:
"Soaring Dragon and Phoenix."
In front of the store was a massive parking lot covering several thousand square meters.
Putting practicality aside, in a place like Magic City—where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold—having such a vast ground-level parking lot in front of a gold and jewelry store was, in itself, a symbol of immense strength and status.
As the flagship and original store, its business model naturally differed from that of the branches.
The old shop focused primarily on high-end Chinese custom orders.
Diamonds and jewelry—best-sellers elsewhere—were not sold here.
Gold, silver jewelry, and jade pieces were available only through customization.
This year's newly released Rolls-Royce Phantom, finished in rosewood trim, slowly came to a stop at the entrance of the Longfengxiang flagship store.
Before the driver—dressed in a black suit and white gloves—could even step out, the doorman hurried forward and skillfully opened the rear door.
"Welcome to Longfengxiang's century-old flagship store!"
The bell rang as a young man in casual clothes stepped out of the car.
Slippers, shorts, and a white linen shirt.
An extremely relaxed outfit.
Yet with a single glance, the sharp-eyed doorman could tell that every piece of clothing on the young man was a limited-edition summer item from a luxury brand.
Even the slippers on his feet cost nearly a month of the doorman's salary.
His smile immediately grew brighter.
"The first floor displays finished jewelry and jade pieces. The second floor is dedicated to custom services. We have the best designers and craftsmen in the industry. Would you like to browse the first floor, or go upstairs for tea?"
"Take me to the second floor and call your manager. This time I want to do something special, so I need to discuss it with him personally."
Qin Xiao smiled and nodded.
Naturally, someone escorted him upstairs.
The corridor walls on the second floor were lined with the names and photographs of designers and sculptors, along with their past works, awards, and honors.
Top-tier designers and master craftsmen here rarely sold their works—unless the client paid an astronomical price or provided exceptional materials.
After being guided around the hall once, the store manager hurried over.
He led Qin Xiao into a small room beside the main hall.
Each room was designed like a private tea chamber, specifically for receiving high-end custom clients.
The manager invited Qin Xiao to sit, asked him to choose a tea, and a young girl stepped forward to prepare it.
She poured a full cup and waited for Qin Xiao to take a sip.
Only then did the manager slowly begin discussing business.
"Mr. Qin, are you looking to commission jewelry or ornaments, or do you perhaps have rare materials that require our craftsmen's expertise?"
Qin Xiao pushed his empty teacup gently toward the girl, waiting for her to refill it.
Then he smiled at the manager and said,
"I don't need master-level craftsmanship. I want something made of pure gold. It's very large and requires a lot of gold, but the carving doesn't need to be intricate."
A large quantity?
The manager sensed that the deal might not be as impressive as he had initially thought.
Gold was just gold—what could he possibly want to make? A chair? A table? A decorative piece?
"May I ask what you'd like to commission, Mr. Qin? Furniture? A Buddha statue? Or something else?"
Though slightly disappointed, the manager remained polite.
"A coffin."
Qin Xiao drained the tea in one gulp and set the cup heavily on the table.
…
Qin Xiao gave them five days.
The craftsmanship didn't matter—just that it was square and shaped like a standard coffin.
Logically speaking, Longfengxiang would never accept an order for a solid gold coffin.
But Qin Xiao offered to pay market price for the gold plus an additional one million as a service fee.
That made it impossible for the broker to refuse.
They had plenty of factories producing Buddha statues, furniture, and large custom items.
This was nothing more than manufacturing a large smelting mold.
Once the money was in place, everything became easy.
After agreeing on delivery within five days, Qin Xiao calmly left the store.
"Uncle Wang, find somewhere to eat first, then take me to a nightclub. Bigger venues are better, with more diverse crowds. It doesn't have to be downtown."
As soon as he got into the car, Qin Xiao spoke to the driver.
This was Qin Xiao's third day in Magic City. He had just bought a car, and the driver—Uncle Wang—was an elderly local hired temporarily through his hotel. The man knew every corner of the city, and his wages were settled daily.
After grabbing a casual meal, Uncle Wang drove the car to a cluster of buildings in the eastern suburbs.
"This is one of the messiest areas in Shanghai. Bathhouses, KTVs, nightclubs—you name it. As long as you have money, you can find any service here."
Perhaps because Qin Xiao had been generous, polite, and respectful these past two days, Uncle Wang hesitated, then added,
"Mr. Qin, let me say one last thing. You come from a good family, you're young and capable. It's fine to have fun, to indulge a little, even to daydream. But there are some things you must never touch. Once you do, your life is over."
Uncle Wang meant well.
He thought Qin Xiao was looking for places with shady dealings, perhaps assuming he had certain bad habits—
Such as drug use.
Qin Xiao smiled and patted Uncle Wang on the shoulder.
"Thank you. Don't worry. I'm just looking for people to help me with something."
As he spoke, he casually pulled out a small stack of cash and slipped it into Uncle Wang's hand.
"You can clock out for today. I'll drive myself back to the hotel. Just come pick me up tomorrow."
Uncle Wang was only half-convinced, but he had said what needed to be said.
He sighed softly, took the money, and got out of the car.
It was just past dinner time, and the nightclubs hadn't opened yet.
The bathhouse and KTV were relatively quiet.
After parking the car, Qin Xiao walked straight into the bathhouse.
A thunderous welcome echoed from the entrance.
A server led Qin Xiao toward the main hall.
The bathhouse was high-end—the lobby alone was nearly ten meters tall.
The server guided him to a sofa.
"Sir, if you'd like to bathe, I'll help you change your shoes first."
Holding a pair of slippers, the server spoke respectfully.
"I'm not here to bathe. I'm here to talk business with your boss. Can you call someone who has the authority to make decisions?"
Qin Xiao smiled faintly.
It was clearly unrealistic to expect to meet the boss just by walking in.
The server froze for a moment, then maintained his smile.
"Brother, I can't just call the boss out. If you have something to say, you can tell me. If I can't decide, I'll bring the manager over. Does that work for you?"
The words were polite, but there was an unmistakable firmness beneath them.
Qin Xiao didn't mind.
He reached out and picked up the ashtray from the table.
"I plan to make a mess."
"As for whether you can handle that—why don't you decide?"
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