Xia Ruofei finally understood. When Carl first met him, the old man had been quite haughty. However, the moment he laid eyes on those two pieces of premium oak, learned they belonged to Xia Ruofei, and realized that more of such top-tier wood could be sourced, his attitude completely flipped. He became incredibly attentive and eager to please.
Carl's sudden shift from arrogance to sheer obsequiousness did not annoy Xia Ruofei. He knew the old man wasn't just a snob who judged people by their status. Rather, Carl was simply obsessed with crafting oak barrels; he was the type who couldn't tear his eyes away from top-quality wood. His flattery was purely driven by the desire to secure the barrel-making order, which would allow him to work with even more premium oak.
