Around eight or nine in the morning, the sun hung resplendent and bright in the mid-sky. Although it was already October, the southern regions were still enjoying that crisp, clear autumn weather.

Early that morning, Wang Guan rose and took a public bus for over an hour, eventually arriving at Lianshe North Road.

Lianshe North Road was one of the most bustling and thriving areas in the Porcelain Capital. It seemed to have a tradition of morning markets; the street was exceptionally lively even in the early dawn, packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people surging back and forth, resembling a vibrant farmers' bazaar.

Beyond the continuous rows of closely packed shops lining both sides, numerous small stalls were set up along the wide thoroughfare. The vendors, adhering to unspoken customs, had arranged their wares directly on the ground.

Given this was the Porcelain Capital, the majority of the items on display were ceramics. Alongside these were bronze artifacts, jewelry studded with jade and diamonds, bamboo carvings, root sculptures, calligraphy and paintings, ancient coins, old books, and Ming and Qing dynasty furniture—a vast and motley collection of antiques.

In recent years, with the continuous improvement in living standards, a fever for collecting antiques had begun to sweep across the country.

Influenced by this trend, Wang Guan had developed a profound interest in cultural relics and antiques.

In his free time, he would constantly watch programs about antique appraisal and collecting, or view expert video lectures. He had even purchased several sets of books dedicated to appreciating cultural artifacts, spending time studying, comparing, and pondering their value.

However, interest was one thing; Wang Guan understood the necessity of acting within his means. He had set a firm principle for himself: look, but never buy, lest he lose money or be duped.

After all, authenticating cultural relics required a deep foundation of skill and connoisseurship. Wang Guan was self-aware enough to know that with his mediocre knowledge—only "half a bucket" deep—he couldn't realistically expect to unearth any real treasures.

He spent the better part of the day browsing Lianshe North Road, simply looking to broaden his horizons. From early morning until noon, he walked for several hours and finally felt tired.

"Forget it, I’ll rest for a bit, then transfer over to the International Trade Plaza area," Wang Guan gasped lightly, spotting some public seating designated for pedestrians nearby.

He walked over, but before he could even sit down, he heard a loud thud followed by a clattering sound from behind him, as if something had spilled onto the pavement.

"Jingle, jingle..."

Startled, Wang Guan turned to see a large scattering of copper coins and cash spread across the ground. A vendor, looking to be around thirty, was squatting down, frowning, frantically trying to sweep and scoop them up.

Quite a few passersby in the vicinity had stopped to watch the commotion.

Wang Guan was among them, observing from the side, with no intention of stepping in to help. It wasn't indifference; it was a desire to avoid conflict or misunderstanding. After all, when one is near a suspicious situation (literally, "near a plum orchard or under a tilted hat"), one must take care to avoid giving the appearance of impropriety.

Unsolicited help might lead the vendor to suspect that Wang Guan was trying to steal his coins amidst the chaos. In the current social climate, even doing a good deed wasn't always straightforward.

Still, there were ways for the well-intentioned to be helpful. At the very least, the surrounding pedestrians hadn't dispersed, meaning that even if someone harbored ill intentions, they wouldn't dare act under the scrutiny of so many eyes.

"Swish, swish..."

The vendor was quick-fingered, and soon he managed to scoop the bulk of the spilled cash back into the large sack resting beside him. He then meticulously picked up the few stragglers scattered around.

Seeing this, the nearby onlookers gradually dispersed.

A moment later, the vendor finished gathering the last coin, glanced around to ensure nothing was missed, and prepared to leave.

Just then, Wang Guan suddenly called out, "Wait!"

"Hm?"

The vendor turned, looking at Wang Guan with a puzzled expression.

"In the crack, there's still..." Wang Guan gestured.

The street was paved with bricks. Although relatively flat, prolonged use by many people inevitably left behind the subtle marks of age. A rolling coin had happened to slip into one of the narrow gaps between the pavers.

From Wang Guan's vantage point, the situation was clearly visible, but the vendor had failed to notice it. At Wang Guan's prompting, the vendor lowered his gaze and saw the small crevice where the coin was lodged, seemingly requiring some effort to retrieve.

"Thanks, buddy."

The vendor blinked, smiled, and started to turn away, seemingly ready to abandon the trapped coin.

At that moment, Wang Guan spoke calmly, "Think carefully. That might be a Xianfeng Zhongbao."

"What..." The vendor froze, his steps halting immediately. He turned back slowly, looking from the gap in the pavement to Wang Guan, his expression becoming hesitant.

The Xianfeng Zhongbao, as the name implied, was a coin minted during the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. These coins came in numerous varieties, and their values varied wildly—the cheapest worth only a few yuan, the most valuable reaching a hundred thousand.

Because the coin was stuck in such a small fissure, the young man couldn't immediately judge which specific variety it was.

It was important to remember that this bag of coins had only just fallen into the vendor's possession; he hadn't thoroughly examined them yet and naturally didn't know if any particularly valuable ones were present.

After a moment's thought, the vendor rolled up his sleeve, extended a fingernail, and began to gently pick at the gap.

Wang Guan remained seated nearby, watching casually, his thoughts drifting.

After a while, the vendor broke off half a nail but finally managed to pry the coin loose. Before even looking closely, he noticed the coin felt slightly heavy and possessed a faint golden hue.

"Got it."

The moment he touched it, joy sparked in the vendor's heart. Looking down, he saw the four characters Xianfeng Zhongbao inscribed on the coin in regular script, the lines clear, deep, and sharp, without the slightest smudge. On the reverse, there was a prominent numeral 'One Hundred' at the top, flanked by exquisitely detailed script on either side.

"Bao Zhe Ju, Top 'One Hundred'!"

Upon seeing, touching, and weighing it for a moment, the vendor’s face lit up with unconcealed delight.

Based on his experience, he could confirm the Xianfeng Zhongbao was authentic. Furthermore, it was in excellent condition, with minimal surface patina, qualifying it as a 'fine mouth' piece, valued somewhere between twenty and thirty thousand yuan.

"Brother, thank you so much."

However, the vendor hadn't forgotten Wang Guan. After carefully securing the Xianfeng Zhongbao, he immediately turned back towards Wang Guan and expressed his sincere gratitude.

"You're welcome," Wang Guan waved his hand, offering a polite smile.

"I must thank you..." the vendor mumbled, but his expression suddenly grew hesitant. He reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a bright, shimmering coin, and forcibly tucked it into Wang Guan's upper jacket pocket, smiling broadly as he said, "Brother, although this thing isn't worth much, it's been consecrated by a master, so it should bring you good luck. Consider it a token of my appreciation."

Having thrust the item into Wang Guan's pocket, the vendor didn't wait for a refusal. He hurried away, looking as if he were fleeing a beast chasing him from behind.

"Why run off so fast?"

Wang Guan felt a bit bewildered. He casually pulled the coin from his pocket, glanced at it briefly, and then couldn't help but laugh out loud, suddenly understanding why the vendor had bolted so quickly.

This coin, like the Xianfeng Zhongbao, was round with a square hole in the center. However, compared to the imperial coin, this one was thin and felt notably light. Wang Guan weighed it in his hand; it felt about the same as a bottle cap.

Moreover, the material of the coin seemed to be a cheap alloy. Although its surface was a reddish-yellow color, reflecting golden sheens in the sunlight, its weight and texture indicated that very little actual copper was mixed in.

Especially on the obverse, inscribed from top to bottom, right to left, were the four seal script characters Zhao Cai Jin Bao (Attract Wealth and Treasure). Wang Guan instantly knew this wasn't a currency from any historical dynasty; it was a charm coin, a piece of craftsmanship.

In the modern era, copper wasn't a particularly precious metal. It was common practice to use it to fashion exquisite charm coins, which were then taken to Buddhist or Taoist temples to be blessed for fortune, warding off evil, and ensuring peace.

It was likely that the coin the vendor gifted fell into this category. Yet, Wang Guan couldn't help but suspect, given the vendor's stinginess, whether the coin had actually been consecrated.

Of course, Wang Guan wasn't angry, merely sighing at the poor return for a good deed, and understood why the social climate seemed increasingly apathetic.

"Who says doing good always brings good rewards?"

Suddenly remembering his own recent experiences, Wang Guan’s expression darkened. He completely lost interest in browsing and leaned back listlessly on the bench, idly turning the craft coin over in his fingers.

Although the charm coin was thin, its workmanship was genuinely exquisite. The four characters Zhao Cai Jin Bao seemed subtly etched within the metal, and the surface was remarkably smooth.

On the reverse side were patterns of auspicious clouds. Wang Guan's finger traced these cloud motifs unintentionally.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp sting at his fingertip, a sensation like a burning fire that instantly jolted him back to full alertness.

"What was that?"

Wang Guan quickly looked down and saw fine, thread-like filaments of ruddy golden light floating within the cloud carvings, flickering in and out of visibility, constantly shifting.

"Am I seeing things?"

Thinking it a trick of the eyes, Wang Guan rubbed them and looked closely again. He was startled to see the golden threads within the cloud patterns begin to move nimbly, forming two ancient and natural seal script characters.

"Ruyi..." (As You Wish/Good Fortune...)

Wang Guan recognized the characters, and then noticed the coin itself felt warmer, radiating a gentle heat that seemed to flow from his palm inward toward his heart.

"Good heavens."

Realizing this wasn't an illusion, Wang Guan's face paled in alarm. He instinctively moved to fling the coin away.

However, at that exact moment, the coin burst forth with a brilliant radiance. A powerful golden beam shot out with lightning speed, piercing directly toward Wang Guan's Meixin (the spot between the eyebrows).

"Hiss!"

The sensation was like a brief needle prick, vanishing almost instantly.

After a moment, Wang Guan reacted, feeling groggy and dizzy. He shook his head hard, trying to clear his mind. After a long pause, he slowly calmed down and reached up to touch his brow.

The skin on his brow was intact, without the wound he had anticipated. Looking back at the coin in his hand, it showed no abnormal reaction whatsoever—forget golden threads, it couldn't even reflect the sunlight anymore.

"Was it all a hallucination? Was I dreaming in broad daylight..." Wang Guan was utterly confused.