The 13th Chapter

Zhao Xueyi said with a smile, "Then it's settled, you can't go back on your word later."

"Of course, don't you trust my word, Old Zhu?"

After Zhu Dafu finished speaking, he turned to Chu Chen and said, "Little Chen, be a good boy, 500,000, let me have this Zigang plaque, how about it?"

When Chu Chen heard 500,000, he was stunned. He knew the jade plaque was valuable, but he didn't expect it to be this valuable. It not only covered his previous losses but also made a profit of 100,000! He had originally planned to work hard for a few more years to buy a house, but now he had the money for a house so easily, it felt like a dream.

Seeing that Chu Chen hadn't agreed, Zhu Dafu immediately got anxious and said, "Little Chen, do you think Uncle Fu's offer is too low? We can discuss the price."

Hearing this, Chu Chen quickly said to Zhu Dafu, "No, no, I'm just surprised this Zigang plaque is so valuable."

Zhu Dafu wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and said, "Such an exquisite Zigang plaque with good jade quality, 500,000 is definitely worth it. Actually, Uncle Fu is getting a good deal. If it were at an auction, this jade plaque would definitely fetch more than this price."

Chu Chen waved his hand with a smile and said, "500,000 is already a lot, and there's no guarantee at an auction."

"Ha, so Little Chen, you agree to let me have it?" Zhu Dafu said happily.

"What's there to disagree with?"

After all, it was a full 500,000. Even if it fetched more at an auction, there would be commissions, taxes, and other miscellaneous expenses. Not to mention how much more money it would be, the trouble would be much greater. Chu Chen felt more at ease with 500,000 in his pocket.

Zhu Dafu's eyes lit up, and he said, "Great! Then let's sign the agreement now."

Uncle Wu chuckled from the side, "I say, Old Zhu, don't you look at the time? Are the banks still open?"

Zhao Xueyi also laughed after hearing Uncle Wu.

Zhu Dafu said awkwardly, "That's right. I guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow." He then cast a reluctant glance at the Zigang plaque.

Seeing this, Chu Chen said, "Uncle Fu, since you like it so much, you can take this Zigang plaque back with you today."

Zhu Dafu was stunned, then his face lit up with joy and he said, "Really! Little Chen, you trust me that much?"

Chu Chen smiled and said, "What's there not to trust? We've known each other for so many years, how could I not trust you, Uncle Fu?"

"Since you say so, Little Chen, Uncle Fu won't be polite. However, I still need a written IOU, otherwise, it's not proper."

Afterward, Zhu Dafu found a piece of paper, wrote an IOU, and handed it to Chu Chen. Then, he happily picked up the Zigang plaque and gently caressed it, as if it were his beloved wife in his hands.

Seeing Zhu Dafu's demeanor, everyone smiled knowingly. It also reminded Chu Chen of the time he got that Tang Sancai, and how similar he looked to Uncle Fu now.

Uncle Wu pointed to the gold bars on the table and asked, "Little Chen, what are you planning to do with these two gold bars?"

Chu Chen took the gold bars and examined them. "These two gold bars are quite exquisite. I plan to keep them as souvenirs."

Seeing this, Zhao Xueyi yawned and said, "Alright, it's getting late. Let's call it a night."

Everyone looked and saw it was past eleven o'clock. Coupled with a day of travel, they were all very tired, so they said their goodbyes.

Before leaving, Uncle Wu said to Chu Chen, "I'll keep this Buddha statue here for now. I plan to show it to Old Liu. After all, it's a treasure left by our ancestors. Let's see if we can revive this craft."

"Sure, no problem."

After Chu Chen agreed, he shamelessly added, "Uncle Wu, when can you let me meet Old Liu? I admire him greatly."

Uncle Wu chuckled and said, "Okay, I'll probe Old Liu's thoughts when I go this time. But you'll have to pass his test first if you want to meet him!"

Chu Chen exclaimed, "Ah! There's a test to meet Old Liu? Is it difficult?"

Uncle Wu said, "Do you think it's that easy to meet Old Liu? Whether it's difficult or not depends on Old Liu's wishes. He sets the questions, but it should be within the scope of antique appraisal."

Seeing Chu Chen's relieved expression, Uncle Wu shook his head and thought, Will Old Liu's questions be that easy? But it's good for the young man to be tempered, better than suffering real losses.

However, if he knew Chu Chen had supernatural abilities, he might not think that way.

After returning home, Chu Chen took out the gold bars and examined them repeatedly. He couldn't help but cheer with joy. He never imagined he could get rich so easily. It was beyond his wildest dreams. In his excitement, he kissed his left hand repeatedly.

After taking a shower, Chu Chen leaped onto the bed. The softness and comfort of the Simmons mattress made him groan with pleasure. The fatigue from a day of running around instantly eased.

Chu Chen rolled over, clasped his hands behind his head, and thought about his future plans. The first thing he considered was how to spend the 500,000. Should he buy a house as he had planned before? But he immediately dismissed the idea.

Since he had supernatural abilities, why worry about not making money? Thinking about how easily he made 500,000 today, were millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions far away?

Instead of spending 400,000 to 500,000 on a two-bedroom apartment, it would be better to wait a while and buy a larger house. Perhaps he could afford a villa by then, or even his dream courtyard house. However, courtyard houses cost tens of millions, so whether he'd be willing to buy one then was another story.

Turning his thoughts back, Chu Chen thought about his supernatural abilities again. The abilities were great, but he could only absorb that kind of energy three times a day, which was too inconvenient. Although it's important to be content, one should also look forward to the future, right?

And what exactly was that energy? Why wasn't it in the gold bars? Could it be that the gold bars were fake? That was unlikely. Uncle Wu and the others wouldn't lack the eyesight for that. Perhaps there was a crucial detail he had overlooked.

Moreover, that energy seemed to be beneficial to his body. It not only improved his memory but also led to breakthroughs in his boxing techniques. He also felt his body had become much stronger. It felt like that energy was a panacea. Since that was the case, he would call it spirit energy.

He wondered what other changes his body would undergo if he continued to absorb spirit energy, and whether the number of times he could use his abilities would increase after a certain period. Thinking about it filled him with anticipation.

As he thought, Chu Chen grew sleepy and gradually drifted off to dreamland.

***********************************

The next day, after breakfast, Chu Chen encountered his landlady, Aunt Zhang, on his way home.

Aunt Zhang pulled Chu Chen aside and said to him, "Little Chen, I heard you made a mistake last time?"

Chu Chen was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Auntie, I didn't expect your news to be so well-informed. Oh, are you worried I don't have money to sign the contract?"

"How could that be?"

Aunt Zhang said with a serious expression, but then she asked, "Then signing the contract on Friday is no problem, right?"

Chu Chen was speechless and said, "No problem at all. If you're not at ease, we can sign this afternoon."

Aunt Zhang said with a smile, "Who can I not trust if not Xiao Chen? But since you say so, Xiao Chen, it would be a shame not to accept your kindness."

Chu Chen felt a bit speechless after hearing this. She truly lives up to her reputation as Aunt Zhang, the stingy one. But then he had another thought, and said to Aunt Zhang:

"Alright then, we'll sign a new contract this afternoon. But there's one more thing I'd like to trouble you with."

Aunt Zhang's face became wary. "What is it? If it's about the rent, we already agreed on the terms, and we can't change our minds now."

Seeing this, Chu Chen felt like a flock of crows was flying through his mind. He said with a wry smile, "Auntie, am I that kind of person? I was just wondering if you could help me get the broadband installed. Don't worry, I'll cover all the setup and material fees, and I'll pay for a full year of broadband service upfront."

Aunt Zhang thought about it. This is a good deal! Even if Chu Chen doesn't rent here in the future, the broadband will still be here. I can just pay the renewal fee to use it. Yes, this is a good idea. She slapped her thigh and said, "Heh, I thought it was something serious. This is simple. We'll sign the contract this afternoon, and then we'll go take care of it."

Afterward, Chu Chen and Aunt Zhang agreed on a place to sign the contract that afternoon and then parted ways.

When Chu Chen returned home, he called Uncle Wu and asked him to inquire about computers. Since he was getting broadband, he needed a computer. But computers were so expensive these days, often costing over ten thousand yuan. He didn't know much about them himself, so without a trusted contact, he was afraid of being ripped off by a unscrupulous merchant and ending up with a flashy but useless machine, wasting his money.

When it was nine o'clock, Chu Chen brought along the Tang Sancai pottery shards and prepared to head to Zhu Dafu's shop.

Zhu Dafu's Yuebao Pavilion was much larger than Uncle Wu's shop. The ground floor alone was more than twice the size, and there was also a second floor, which housed more valuable antiques.

Unlike Uncle Wu, Yuebao Pavilion didn't just deal in porcelain. They accepted all sorts of good antiques. Of course, they had a focus, which was Zhu Dafu's personal hobby: jade ware. It was precisely because Zhu Dafu had such a fondness for jade that he had acted the way he did yesterday.

Entering the shop, he saw two large glass display counters at the front and to the left, filled with various exquisite jade pendants, bracelets, and the like. A few young men and women were discussing jade ware with the sales staff across the counters.

To the right, near the entrance, was a corner reception desk that also served as a cash register. Further inside on the right was a wooden staircase leading to the second floor.

The rest of the space was reasonably arranged with several display cabinets filled with all sorts of exquisite antiques. Chu Chen also saw a few middle-aged and elderly individuals slowly browsing, with a salesperson standing nearby, ready to assist them if needed.