A man, rather plump, wearing a worn denim jacket and with long hair, appeared at the entrance, sporting a sly grin.
Dust clung to his clothes, and his face was fleshy with a prominent belly.
Zhang Tian found him vaguely familiar.
“Boss, I have a piece of jade here. I wonder if you’re interested in buying it.”
The胖子 (pàngzi - fat man) beamed, his smile as secretive as a thief’s.
Zhang Tian frowned slightly, looking at the man before him. So much…
“Let’s go out and explore. Maybe we’ll find something special?”
Zhang Tian's curiosity about this world grew with each passing moment.
There hadn’t been so many events or people appearing before. Today alone, so many figures had emerged.
How could he not pay attention?
Meanwhile, those watching the trial winced in pain.
“Holy crap, are you insane? That antique porcelain clearly has age, and you sold it for thirty thousand?”
“It’s like, they get swindled and then have to count the money for the swindler. That old man really has no eyes, selling it for so little and praising the boss for his good heart.”
“I’m dying of laughter. In that era, was money that easy to make? Thirty thousand, how much is that equivalent to now? Back then, a person’s annual salary was only three hundred and sixty-five yuan.”
“If I’m not mistaken, this jade pendant should be the key to Jing Jue Ancient City, right?”
“Hey? How do you know?”
“I read a recently released novel, Gui Deng. It seems to be based on real events.”
“Haha, life is getting more and more interesting.”
A clamor rose from the audience.
Wang Pangzi (王胖子 - Fatty Wang) puffed out his chest with pride.
“If it weren’t for Fatty Ye being smart back then and selling the jade pendant to the boss, would I have this status now? Don’t make me laugh.”
Wang Pangzi muttered to himself.
His face was full of pride,
as if he had made a huge profit by selling the jade pendant.
Zhang Qiling and Hu Bayi, standing beside him, watched Fatty Wang. Zhang Qiling kept his distance,
while Hu Bayi acted as if he didn’t know him.
At this moment, Chen Xi, standing on the stage, looked at the screen.
Her voice was cold.
“I have some research on ancient ceramic artifacts. This jar should be a Tang Dynasty blue and white porcelain, which would have been worth around a million at the time.”
Chen Xi didn’t elaborate, her implication clear.
As soon as she finished speaking, a commotion indeed erupted from the audience.
“Something worth a million was bought for tens of thousands?”
“As expected of tomb raiders, truly sinister.”
“I actually think this price is already quite good. In that era, holding onto this item wouldn’t bring fortune, but disaster. It could lead to death at any moment.”
“The person above, that era wasn’t as terrifying as you imagine. Weren’t there laws back then? Really, what’s there to debate.”
“Killing people randomly, tomb raiding, that’s just what happens on TV. Why take it seriously?”
The audience debated among themselves.
Fatty Wang scoffed at their words.
“Old Hu, tell me, what would be the fate of an old man holding onto a treasure and being seen with it?”
Hu Bayi answered calmly.
“Death.”
That single word made Fatty Wang chuckle.
Chen Xi clearly understood this outcome, which was why she hadn’t stated it directly, allowing the audience to speculate.
“Old Hu, wasn’t Fatty Ye’s entrance just now cool?”
Fatty Wang was still reminiscing about his grand entrance.
“Cool, cool, cool.”
Hu Bayi replied perfunctorily.
The screen continued to play.
Zhang Tian walked down the street.
He planned to go to the train station or the market to try his luck.
Perhaps he could find key characters from the plot.
“Since Gui Deng and the tomb raiders have joined forces, based on Fatty Wang’s appearance timeline, Hu Bayi should have just retired from the military, right?”
Thinking this, Zhang Tian’s lips curled into a smile.
In this complex and interwoven area of Panjiayuan,
Zhang Tian’s Xiao Zhang Family needed to stand out and become the strongest force in Old Beili. For this, a team was essential.
Hu Bayi was Zhang Tian’s designated recruit.
After all, Hu Bayi possessed the sixteen-character Yin-Yang Feng Shui technique, a skill Zhang Tian had long coveted.
He had initially thought he wouldn't be able to learn this book in the tomb-raiding world. To his surprise, they had joined forces.
Wouldn’t that be a great advantage?
Although Zhang Tian was generally magnanimous, he was quite cautious when it came to his own interests.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, Young Master Wu walked with a bored expression.
He was accompanied by two men, likely his guards.
“That Zhang Tian has such audacity, even I don’t get his attention. If it weren’t for Third Uncle having matters to attend to recently, I would have exchanged a few more words with him.”
Wu Xie muttered to himself, his gaze drifting towards Zhang Tian, who was also walking nearby.
Suddenly, their eyes met, and it felt as though sparks flew.
Both men broke into smiles almost simultaneously.
“Haha, Young Master Wu, it’s been a long time.”
Zhang Tian, the old fox, walked directly towards him, as if they truly hadn't seen each other for ages.
Wu Xie wasn’t very adept at feigning ignorance. He smiled.
“It truly has been a long time.”
He said, also walking over.
Lin Tian ignored him and instead looked at the tall, lean man with long hair beside Wu Xie.
Xiao Ge?!