"Thirty thousand? Zhang Yang, what are you going to do with something you can't even eat or drink for thirty thousand yuan?"

As soon as he emerged, Hu Xin shouted, staring at Zhang Yang as if he were some kind of strange creature.

They wouldn't object to Zhang Yang's actions, but they certainly wouldn't hide their confusion. Hu Xin was just the type to say whatever was on his mind.

"Is thirty thousand very expensive?"

Zhang Yang suddenly laughed, a slightly enigmatic smile playing on his lips.

Hu Xin immediately nodded, exclaiming loudly, "Of course it is! That’s enough for my living expenses for a hundred months!"

Zhang Yang immediately laughed and chided him, "You're just a glutton. Let me tell you, I'd buy this thing even if it cost fifty thousand, even a hundred thousand!"

As he spoke, Zhang Yang lifted the ivory Guanyin statue he was holding.

Hu Xin froze dead in his tracks, staring fixedly at Zhang Yang, shaking his head repeatedly.

"What a spendthrift! Truly a spendthrift!"

"What spendthrift? This ivory carving is only thirty thousand now, but in ten years, I wouldn't sell it for three hundred thousand!"

At this point, Zhang Yang paused, then gently swung the body of the ivory carving, a strange smile reappearing on his face.

"Alright, let's talk about ten years from now, ten years from now. I won't argue with you. Where are we going now?"

Hu Xin waved his hand, looking utterly defeated by Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang chuckled lightly and said softly, "Of course, we're going to get my money. My phone is still over there; I need to pick it up!"

The phone plus the SIM card had cost over seven thousand. Zhang Yang wouldn't just abandon it. Furthermore, returning to repay the money was a matter of reputation; he didn't want the seller to think he was going to default.

The nearest bank wasn't far, and they soon found a China Construction Bank branch. Zhang Yang immediately went in to withdraw the cash.

All his funds from the Industrial and Commercial Bank had already been transferred to Construction Bank; he was now a major client there. The moment they saw his card, the service became exceedingly warm.

Moreover, the Construction Bank staff kept covertly studying Zhang Yang. The story of a customer getting enraged at the ICBC and immediately transferring twenty million yuan in large sums to the CCB had already begun circulating among the banks. Seeing Zhang Yang's card now, they instantly realized the protagonist of the rumor had arrived.

He was indeed as young as the rumors suggested. They took him for a student, not realizing that Zhang Yang actually was a student—they just couldn't believe a student could possess such wealth.

Of course, Zhang Yang was oblivious to all this. He only felt that these people were acting a bit strange.

After withdrawing the money, Zhang Yang and the others headed back the way they came.

As a major client, especially after the ICBC incident, Zhang Yang received a very high standard of service inside the bank. Ordinarily, at this time of day, he could only withdraw perhaps thirty or forty thousand yuan; anything more required prior notice. Zhang Yang, however, directly took out eighty thousand. This was considered a small courtesy from the bank to Zhang Yang.

Seeing Zhang Yang's eighty thousand in cash, Hu Xin and the others’ eyes widened again, though Mi Xue and Nannan reacted less dramatically, as they were already aware of Zhang Yang's true net worth.

"Let's go!"

With the money withdrawn, there was nothing left to do at the bank. Zhang Yang gestured to everyone.

"Zhang Yang, you really did strike it rich! No way, you have to treat us! You're treating everyone today!"

Hu Xin immediately scrambled over, his lips trembling slightly. The sight of those stacks of cash he'd withdrawn had stimulated him greatly. He was now thinking about how he could work harder using his own abilities to earn a lot of money. At least then, he could buy the things that 'Little Die' liked.

"No problem. How about the Triumph Tower (Kaixuan Lou)?"

Zhang Yang smiled slightly, slung his bag over his shoulder, and lightly shook the newly purchased ivory Guanyin in his hand. As he shook it, he deliberately infused his internal energy into the statue to sense its interior, and a familiar smile returned to his face.

The ivory carving was hollow, and based on his sensation, there was something else inside it. If it was truly what he suspected, then buying this ivory carving for thirty thousand was an incredible bargain—it was worth at least a hundred thousand profit.

Returning to the antique shop, paying the balance, and retrieving his phone, the afternoon was nearly over. Hu Xin and Gu Cheng exchanged a few quiet words; no one knew what they discussed, but both showed a look of grim determination, as if they had made some major decision.

After finishing their shopping, the group walked out of the old city together and took a taxi away.

Zhang Yang, Mi Xue, and Nannan took a taxi to the hospital. Hu Xin and the others headed to Triumph Tower first, as Zhang Yang's car was still at the hospital, and he needed to retrieve it. Nannan was also stopping by to check on her mother; she had bought some clothes for her mother earlier that day and wanted to deliver them.

As dusk began to settle, the group finally gathered at Triumph Tower. Zhang Yang was now considered a regular customer, possessing a VIP card, so the restrictions were not as tight as before. They requested a medium-sized private room where they could order freely.

When ordering, Liang Yan, the floor manager, approached them. She had always sensed something different about Zhang Yang, and that feeling was now stronger than ever. Every time Zhang Yang visited, she made a point of attending to him personally.

"Let's start with these. Bring them out for us!"

After finalizing the order, Zhang Yang handed the menu back to Liang Yan. The dishes Zhang Yang selected were all favorites of the group. While he was ordering, Hu Xin and Gu Cheng were still murmuring quietly beside him.

Liang Yan wanted to say something, but she glanced at Mi Xue before smiling and leaving with the menu. She was a smart woman; she could sense the clear hostility Mi Xue was directing toward her. Women were inherently territorial, and Mi Xue also felt that this woman seemed to harbor intentions toward Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang was unaware of all this. Neither in his past life nor this one had he experienced a true romantic relationship. At this moment, Zhang Yang took out the ivory Guanyin and placed it directly on the table.

This carving was not entirely identical to the one he possessed in his previous life; the only difference was the base. The carving Zhang Yang had in his past life had a base that was replaced later; it wasn't the original one. However, the current base was also not original; it had been added by a previous owner. The patient who had given Zhang Yang the carving had told him a story about it.

What was a story back then should still be a secret now.

Carefully turning it over, Zhang Yang examined the base closely. The base was indeed different, but it was expertly matched—even better than the one he later acquired.

"Zhang Yang, what are you looking at?"

Mi Xue leaned in curiously and whispered, "It's nothing. I was just wondering if there might be something hidden inside the ivory, since they are hollow."

Zhang Yang smiled slightly. If the story the patient told him in his past life was true, then the treasure inside this ivory had not yet been discovered by others; it was still there. This treasure was an extremely rare item, and it was also quite useful to Zhang Yang. In his past life, the patient had regretfully mentioned that he hadn't had the luck to discover the hidden treasure inside first, otherwise he would have gifted it to Zhang Yang.

...........

His wrist suddenly ached sharply, so Xiao Yu soaked it in hot water for a while.

The word count for this chapter is a bit low, so I'm posting it now for you all to read. There are four more chapters coming, one of which will be four thousand characters long. I will rest for a short while, and even if I don't sleep tonight, the next four chapters will be here. Friends who have things to do can sleep early and read tomorrow. (To be continued)