13: Make money

The first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the bedroom as Lu Fan leisurely woke up.

He had slept quite soundly this time.

Although the conclusion of this first journey through time wasn't entirely satisfactory,

after all, he had genuinely offended the big Traitor couple at Dedale Restaurant.

This was an undeniable hidden danger.

At the time, he truly regretted not bringing those two pistols.

If he had a gun in hand, the Republic's Wang Jingwei and Zhu Lichen would have already been dealt with.

However, overall, it was quite successful.

He found a sucker to collect the 'IQ tax,' opened up markets and channels for dumping goods, and connected with influential people.

As for acquiring a noble title and buying some property—such minor achievements were just a drop in the bucket~

Each of these things laid a solid foundation for his future growth.

Lu Fan rested his head on his hands and began carefully studying the system.

This was his greatest asset for survival and success; he had to master it thoroughly.

[red-top merchant system

Name: Lu Fan

Level: Silver Merchant

Wealth: Debt of 290 million

Equipment: nano bulletproof vest, multifunctional pen

Abilities: Disguise, Mastery of Code Breaking, Mastery of Surgery

Points: 14,300

Space: 0.7 cubic meters

Anchor Location: Building 7/8, Feixia Manor, Xiafei Road

Tasks: None

Time Travel Cooldown Countdown: 2 days, 13 hours, 11 minutes]

The interface was clean and clear, with all other information at a glance.

When Lu Fan focused his attention on [Silver Merchant], information automatically flooded his mind.

[Silver Merchant: Carried goods are calculated by net volume, stacked seamlessly, and mall purchase permissions are upgraded.]

It wasn't an earth-shattering improvement, but it provided tangible benefits.

With a single thought, the interface switched directly to the mall.

The items were indeed diverse and comprehensive.

However, most of them were grayed out—his level was too low to purchase them.

Among the few lit icons, they were divided into two major categories.

What he could afford, he didn't care for, such as type 38 rifles, AK-47s, Mastery of Business Negotiations, Strong Hemostatic Agents, etc.

These things could be obtained with some time and effort; there was no need to waste points.

As for things like Primary Gene Enhancement Potions, Appraisal Skills, Laser Watches—he genuinely liked them.

But the cheapest Laser Watch in the mall cost 37,000 points.

Couldn't afford it, simply couldn't afford it.

The only thing he both liked and could afford was the Space Expansion Rune.

A 0.1 cubic meter expansion rune cost 3,000 points.

The price was acceptable, but it was limited to two per day.

He had bought it before returning; now the icon was grayed out, waiting to refresh and restock.

Annoying.

Nothing was going his way.

"A man should live with ease, the world is full of wonders~~~~"

As the ringtone sounded, Lu Fan exited the system and answered the call.

"Young Master Lu, you finally answered my call."

Liu Zhicheng spoke urgently: "Young Master Lu, in the two days you were gone, someone spread rumors that you had run away.

The bank also demanded early repayment, and my phone was bombarded by suppliers."

Lu Fan didn't address the topic directly but instead asked: "Are you okay? How are the tasks I assigned you going?"

Liu Zhicheng was full of helplessness: "The house hasn't been sold yet. You know the current situation—even at half price, no one is taking it.

However, the salaries have been paid."

Lu Fan was puzzled: "Where did you get the money to pay salaries?"

"Don't worry about that!" Liu Zhicheng changed the subject: "Young Master Lu, more than half of the employees have submitted resignation letters.

The entire livestream department resigned; this is very suspicious!"

"I understand, Uncle Liu. Hold the fort for now; I'll be at the company first thing tomorrow morning.

Have them all come in, and I'll resolve each issue one by one."

Lu Fan hung up the phone, surprised by how much had happened in the two days he was away.

He quickly got up; his top priority now was making money.

After freshening up, he left the budget hotel, drove his car, and headed to Tianyun Pavilion.

This was a state-owned antique and painting trading venue in Shanghai.

The antique business is murky, so for safety, he chose a large company.

Upon returning this time, he had brought back half of the items Tang Jifeng left him.

Among them, he brought back all the smaller calligraphy and painting works without exception.

He couldn't determine the authenticity or value of the other items.

However, even an outsider like him knew these calligraphy and paintings were genuine.

"Prosperity at the Gate, Renewed Vitality," "Swallows Heralding New Joy, Orioles Celebrating a Move," "Tall Trees to Rely On, New Home to Delight In"

These inscriptions were gifts from Tang Jifeng's colleagues congratulating him on his new home.

The dates, names, and reasons were all clearly stated, guaranteeing authenticity.

After all, who would give fake congratulatory inscriptions for a housewarming?

After returning, he analyzed them with Deepseek and found these calligraphy pieces were indeed valuable.

Because among Republic-era officials, there were indeed master calligraphers, and there is current market demand.

Half an hour later, Lu Fan entered this highly modern-styled Cloud Pavilion.

As soon as he entered, a lady in a form-fitting cheongsam, graceful and elegant, approached him.

Her subtle makeup looked fresh and refined.

She extended her hand gracefully: "Good afternoon, Mr. Lu. I'm Lisa, Chen Ying."

"Good afternoon, Miss Chen. Sorry~ I'm a bit early; I hope I'm not disturbing you."

After shaking hands, Lu Fan expressed slight apology; due to urgency, he had arrived over half an hour earlier than scheduled.

Chen Ying smiled lightly: "You're too polite, Mr. Lu. Please come inside~~~"

In the VIP room, Lu Fan first took out four calligraphy pieces.

The necessary communication had already been done earlier, so Lu Fan didn't waste time and had the appraiser start working directly.

The authors of these four works were: Yu Youren, Tan Yankai, Hu Hanmin, and Wu Zhihui.

Based on his own research, the calligraphy works of these four were the most valuable.

The items were exactly as Lu Fan guessed—very straightforward.

The appraiser gave a conclusion at a glance.

However, when it came to price evaluation, things weren't as ideal as he had anticipated.

The highest-priced piece was Yu Youren's "Prosperity at the Gate, Renewed Vitality," offered at only 800,000.

The works of the other three—Tan Yankai, Hu Hanmin, and Wu Zhihui—were valued at 300,000 to 500,000 each.

This left Lu Fan somewhat disappointed; even the most famous works could only recoup about a million.

The remaining, less famous pieces were even lower in value.

Sure enough, the other calligraphy works were even more dismal, generally only worth tens of thousands.

All these calligraphy and paintings, at most, totaled 2.5 million.

For his nearly ten-million funding gap, this was a drop in the bucket.

Chen Ying, being perceptive, noticed Lu Fan's confusion: "Mr. Lu, these calligraphy works are undoubtedly authentic.

However, they were used for congratulatory gifts, written somewhat casually, so their artistic value isn't that high.

If you have doubts about the price and aren't comfortable selling directly, you can choose to consign them for auction."

Lu Fan thought that made sense; no issues there.

As for consigning for auction—forget it. The auction process takes too long.

Not only would it take months to see any money, but the fees are also quite high.

In the end, the net amount might even be less than selling directly.

"No need for auction; I'll sell directly."

"Very well, Mr. Lu. Thank you for your trust."

Chen Ying responded with a professional smile, then glanced at Lu Fan's backpack.

"Mr. Lu, I see you have two short scrolls in your bag. Let me take a look at them for you as well!"