“Isn't this evidence?” At this moment, Yu Feibai pointed at the metal fragment, certain: “This must be the item.”

“Whether it is or not is really hard to say.”

At this juncture, Elder Qian was more cautious: “Besides, our word doesn't count. It’s only real if others acknowledge it.”

Wang Guan and Yu Feibai naturally understood that the ‘others’ Elder Qian referred to were the Jews.

“Alas, that’s true.”

Just then, Yu Feibai also realized the situation and shook his head: “No matter how precious the item is, due to cultural differences, at least here in China, its value won’t skyrocket.”

“Doesn't matter, I’m not selling it anyway.”

Wang Guan said with a slight smile.

“Knew it would be like this.”

Yu Feibai quipped: “Just like a Pixiu, it only takes things in and never lets them out.”

“Wang Guan…” Meanwhile, Elder Qian hesitated for a moment before finally speaking: “It’s fine if you don’t sell it. However, have you considered using this item to trade for some Chinese cultural relics back?”

“What do you mean?” Wang Guan was slightly taken aback.

Elder Qian smiled and suddenly asked, “When you think of Jews, what’s your first impression?”

“Wealthy.”

Wang Guan answered immediately without a second thought.

Yu Feibai beside him nodded repeatedly at the response.

It was, after all, the general consensus: Jews were exceptionally good at business, thus accumulating vast fortunes. This was also why some nations always expelled them, much like the overseas Chinese in Nanyang back in the day—achieving prosperity through hard work, yet receiving no basic respect and even facing persecution. To put it bluntly, this was the inherent flaw in human nature: envying and hating what one cannot achieve oneself.

“Exactly, they are extremely wealthy, perhaps even rich enough to rival a nation,” Elder Qian strongly agreed. And this wasn't just a mere description; the net worth of some Jewish billionaires certainly surpassed that of certain moderately developed countries.

“In capitalist countries, wealth means status, position, and being a major collector,” Elder Qian explained. “Perhaps because they profoundly understand the unique nature of finance, Jews often distrust the currencies issued by various nations. Instead, they prefer collecting gold, silver, or various antiques and artistic treasures.”

Wang Guan nodded in understanding. Perhaps, in the eyes of some great capitalists, the so-called currency was merely paper produced by the printing presses of banks under their control; distrusting it was understandable. Gold and silver were different; they were natural currencies, likely to remain valuable even a thousand years hence. As for antiques and art, they went without saying—their value only increased after being collected, making them excellent investments. Why had the transaction prices for world art soared in recent years? Unquestionably, it was driven by these capitalists from behind the scenes, as ordinary people simply couldn't afford to play in that league.

“So?”

At the same time, Elder Qian said softly, “As far as I know, some private top collectors possess several national treasure-level relics. If you trade this item, they will certainly agree.”

Wang Guan naturally didn’t doubt this. During the period from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, an incalculable number of items were looted from China; detailed statistics were impossible to compile. What was currently in European and American museums was only a fraction of the whole. The rest were naturally held by the super-rich.

Considering this, Wang Guan immediately nodded: “Deal.”

“However,” Wang Guan hesitated slightly, choosing his words carefully, “trading one item for several of theirs… isn’t that a bit of a loss for us?” This ‘loss’ was certainly for himself, not a consideration for others.

“Yes, it’s a huge loss,” Yu Feibai concurred from the side. “This item is comparable to the Heshibi; it’s exceptionally significant. Wouldn't it be a disservice to ourselves if we didn’t fleece them severely?”

Wang Guan immediately gave him a thumbs-up; this was exactly what he meant, just phrased more subtly.

“Of course, that’s not a problem,” Elder Qian smiled. “But that falls into the realm of haggling. Even if the other party is willing to trade, a final agreement will only be reached after thorough negotiation and compromise.”

“Understood.”

Wang Guan nodded: “In that case, Elder Qian, I’ll trouble you with this matter.”

“No trouble at all,” Elder Qian shook his head and smiled. “Actually, you can contact them yourself. You should know people in that circle already; you can find someone yourself.”

“What?” Wang Guan was momentarily stunned before suddenly realizing: “Mr. Anderson.”

“Exactly, him,” Elder Qian explained. “Mr. Anderson is deeply familiar with China and is a collector himself. Using him as an intermediary to connect the parties couldn’t be more perfect.”

“That’s true.”

Wang Guan agreed: “I’ll contact him later.”

“Remember to bring me along,” Yu Feibai patted his chest at this moment. “Haggling is what I do best.”

“Asking you is worse than asking Qinghua…”

“That kid might not be better than me.”

Amidst their banter, evening arrived, and Elder Qian had prepared a feast to welcome them. After eating their fill and taking a hot shower, they went to bed.

Nothing happened overnight. The next morning, at Wang Guan’s urging, Yu Feibai reluctantly got into the car, rubbing his sleepy eyes: “Where are we going so early in the morning?”

“Banshan Temple,” Wang Guan chuckled. “Since I’m back, I definitely have to go offer incense and pray.”

“Huh?” Yu Feibai paused, then realized and expressed disdain: “Offer incense and pray? You mean going to see your girlfriend. Fine if you want to show off your affection, but why bring me along?”

“The resort center is about to open,” Wang Guan explained. “You bought shares in it too; don’t you want to take a look?”

“It’s opening already? So fast?” Yu Feibai sounded surprised.

“It’s been half a year, is that fast?” Wang Guan laughed. “Actually, the construction was almost finished earlier; it just needed the topping out and decoration. Plus, with three shifts working 24 hours non-stop, the speed was naturally fast. I heard the place is already buzzing with activity, and some shops have even opened early with excellent business.”

“That’s good then,” Yu Feibai nodded. “It means your investment isn't losing money.”

“When have I ever lost money…”

“Hey, haven't seen you in a while, and you’ve become so arrogant.”

“Learned it from you…” As they spoke, the car left the outskirts of the capital and gradually approached the vicinity of Banshan Temple.

It was around ten in the morning. The warm winter sun shone down, rendering the lush mountain peaks even more verdant and imbued with a fresh, clear atmosphere. Faintly, one could even hear wisps of chanting drifting down, ethereal and serene.

However, when Wang Guan drove to the foot of the mountain, he found it surprisingly bustling. It wasn't exactly shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, but many tourists could be seen at the stalls and shops at the base of the mountain, buying incense, candles, prayer beads, bracelets, and small Buddha statues… People were going up the mountain, and people were coming down. The comings and goings interspersed a little clamor into the quiet, making it no different from some famous Taoist or Buddhist temples in the capital.

“Not bad,” Yu Feibai praised. “It’s only been open six months, and it already has this much traffic. It seems the Monk of Banshan really knows his business.”

Wang Guan also nodded in agreement. After all, a few rare treasures could only cause a momentary sensation, having a limited shelf life. If the popularity relied solely on those treasures, that traffic would likely be as fleeting as mist, unable to last. To put it plainly, if the temple were a restaurant, the grand opening discounts would naturally draw crowds like a tidal wave. But once formal operations began, without promotional offers, attracting repeat customers depended entirely on the inherent quality and service.

It had to be admitted that, thanks to the previous owner’s willingness to spare no expense in its construction, the physical quality (hardware) of Banshan Temple was certainly up to standard. As for the software, that was the service provided by the Monk of Banshan. Of course, it could also be termed as preaching, teaching, resolving doubts, and guiding the lost… In short, anything that could attract believers and make them feel a sense of belonging to Banshan Temple depended on the Monk of Banshan’s methods. If they could survive the first three years, the foundation would be stable, and the temple could naturally establish itself.

Wang Guan was confident about this. Moreover, given the current excellent situation, he was even more optimistic.

“Let’s go,” Yu Feibai waved, saying, “Let’s check out the resort center.”

“Okay.”

Wang Guan readily agreed and turned the car into the resort center. Compared to the intense construction and lively atmosphere half a year ago, the resort center was now much quieter. And since the decoration was mostly finished, the interior architecture appeared much more elegant and magnificent.

‘Elegant,’ of course, referred to the environment. Vast expanses of flowers, grass, and trees had been transplanted. Although it was winter and most foliage looked somewhat withered, one could imagine that when spring arrived next year, this place would be a riot of color. ‘Magnificent’ naturally referred to the resort center’s architecture. After the meticulous decoration and the cleaning up of the construction site, followed by a thorough wipe-down, the marble floor, illuminated by the crystal chandeliers, shone like a mirror, dazzlingly brilliant.

“How does it feel?” Tang Qinghua asked with a hint of pride. He had every right to be proud, as he was the one who supervised the completion of the decoration for this building. Even if he didn't deserve full credit, he certainly deserved compensation for his hard work.

“Excellent, truly magnificent,” Wang Guan praised without reservation.

In contrast, Yu Feibai snorted dismissively: “Superfluous.”

“What do you mean?” Tang Qinghua frowned. “How is it superfluous?”

“The flooring is superfluous, of course,” Yu Feibai was nitpicking. “In a high-end place like this, the floor is supposed to be covered with a thick rug. No matter how well you fix or polish the floor, nobody will see it, so isn't that being superfluous?”

“…Too lazy to argue with you,” Tang Qinghua rolled his eyes. “You simply don't understand what striving for perfection means; details determine success or failure.”

“Tsk, I’m starting to suspect you were intentionally wasting our investors’ money,” Yu Feibai said cheekily. “I heard you were in charge of supervising the construction here. Did you skim off any kickbacks?”

“Get lost!” Tang Qinghua directly gave him the middle finger.

“Getting defensive like that means I hit the nail on the head,” Yu Feibai yelled. “I’m demanding an audit, an audit!”

“Audit what?”

Just then, someone approached, their voice laced with curiosity.

“It’s nothing, they’re just fooling around,” Wang Guan recognized the voice as that of Beiye and responded naturally while looking over.

In that split second, his gaze wavered for a moment…〖Book Network ∷ Fast Updates ∷ No Pop-ups ∷ Pure Text ∷ www.〗RT