7: Chapter 7: Hijacking the Deal! Millions of Yuan Worth of Imperial Green!

Chen Fan stood under the streetlamp, watching the direction where Su Muyang had disappeared, the cigarette butt on the ground crushed fiercely under his foot.

That two thousand eight hundred yuan was money that silly boy had saved by skimping on everything.

Now, for the sake of a woman who used a mobile phone as an excuse, he was going to ask for a salary advance, and might even resort to taking out a loan.

"zero." Chen Fan's voice was heavy in the night air. "Investigate that girl named Qian Li, and also that Wang Hao. I want all their dirt, including hotel check-in records and chat logs—even the deleted ones, I want you to recover them."

"Understood. Data mining has started. Expected completion within six hours."

Chen Fan turned and got on his dilapidated electric scooter.

It was normal for his son to hate him.

Nineteen years of absence could not be smoothed over by a simple "I had my reasons."

To make amends, words were useless. He needed strength and tactics to chop off the claws of anyone trying to drag Su Muyang into the mud.

Just then, that cold, mechanical voice exploded in his mind again.

【Ding! Random investment mission triggered!】

【Detected that the "Child of Destiny" Long Aotian is about to obtain a major opportunity.】

【Mission Objective: Intercept! Host, please go to "Treasure Pavilion" on Jiangcheng Antique Street within three days and buy the raw stone containing the Imperial Green jade before Long Aotian does.】

【Mission Reward: Combat Mastery (Grandmaster level), 50 million in startup capital.】

Chen Fan's grip on the handlebars tightened.

Long Aotian?

The name itself reeked of arrogance.

However, that 50 million in capital and the Grandmaster-level combat skills were exactly what he lacked the most right now.

Wang Hao must have bodyguards around him. To protect his son, money alone wasn't enough; he also needed fists.

"Tomorrow morning, I'll go to the antique street."

... The next morning, Jiangcheng Antique Street.

This was the most chaotic place in Jiangcheng, where antiques of dubious authenticity and legends of uncertain truth attracted countless people dreaming of getting rich.

Wearing his faded delivery uniform, Chen Fan looked completely out of place among the "experts" dressed in Tang suits and fiddling with prayer beads.

Following the system's guidance, he walked straight into the largest jade shop—Treasure Pavilion.

The shop was bustling with people, and the center display stand was surrounded by a crowd.

"Young Master Long, look at this piece. The python-like pattern wraps around the waist, and the pine-flower patterns enter the moss—this is definitely a sign of a huge profit!"

A boss with a beer belly was smiling obsequiously, bowing and scraping before a young man.

The young man was in his early twenties, dressed in a well-tailored white Tang suit, playing with two lion-head walnuts in his hand, his expression arrogant.

He was Long Aotian.

Chen Fan stood on the periphery of the crowd and focused his mind. "Scan."

【Scan complete.】

【Target 1: Priced at 800,000, half-polished material. Inside is full of cotton-like inclusions; waste material.】

【Target 2: Priced at 3,000,000, windowed material. Green on the surface, but the interior quality changes; value is 10,000.】

Chen Fan's gaze swept over the stones in front of Long Aotian that were being hyped up to the heavens, and he sneered inwardly. It was all a trap.

Just then, the system's red cursor suddenly locked onto a black Wusha-skinned stone in the corner of the display stand that was being used to prop up a table leg.

The stone was only the size of a basketball, with a rough skin and full of cracks, looking just like a piece of garbage from the side of the road.

【Target locked!】 【Item: Black Wusha Jade Raw Stone.】 【Price: 50,000.】

【Internal details: Glass-species Imperial Green, weighs about 1.2 kg, no cracks, no cotton, perfect for processing.】

【Market valuation: 30 million - 50 million.】 【Warning: Target "Long Aotian" will buy this stone in two minutes to vent his frustration from being in a bad mood, thereby uncovering a peerless jade.】

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes. Two minutes.

At this moment, Long Aotian seemed dissatisfied with the stones the boss had recommended, his brows furrowed deeply.

"Boss Liu, is your Treasure Pavilion out of good stock? Why is everything here obvious garbage?" Long Aotian squeezed the walnuts in his hand until they clicked, his tone unfriendly.

Boss Liu broke into a cold sweat. "Young Master Long, this... this is already the new stock that just arrived. How about you take a look at the ones over there?"

Long Aotian's gaze wandered aimlessly over the display stand, and it was about to land on the black stone propping up the table leg. Now!

Chen Fan shoved through the crowd, strode forward, and pressed his hand firmly onto that black Wusha stone. "Boss, I want this stone."

This shout drew the attention of everyone around.

Boss Liu was stunned. Looking at the middle-aged man in a delivery uniform, smelling of sweat, a flash of disgust crossed his eyes.

"Go, go, go, delivery drivers use the back door. We don't order delivery here."

"I'm here to buy a stone." Chen Fan didn't let go, pulling out his phone and opening the payment code. "The price is 50,000, right? Where do I scan?"

Before Boss Liu could speak, a bodyguard in black behind Long Aotian stepped forward and reached out to shove Chen Fan.

"Where did this beggar come from? Don't you see Young Master Long is picking stones here? Get lost!"

Chen Fan dodged to the side, avoiding the bodyguard's hand, and looked calmly at the so-called Young Master Long.

"When you open a shop for business, you should respect first come, first served. I've taken a liking to this stone, and I'm ready to pay for it. Is there a problem?"

Long Aotian stopped turning his walnuts. He looked Chen Fan up and down, as if he had seen an ant that didn't know its place, and suddenly laughed. "Interesting."

Long Aotian walked up and tapped the black stone with his fan. "Fifty thousand for a piece of waste used to prop up a table leg? I'm afraid you're dumping your entire year's earnings from delivering food into this, aren't you?"

The crowd burst into laughter. "These days, even delivery guys want to try their luck at gambling on stones to get rich?" "He must be crazy for money. That stone is full of cracks; even a dog wouldn't want it."

Chen Fan ignored them, just held up his phone and stared at Boss Liu. "Are you selling it, or not?"

Boss Liu glanced at Long Aotian. Seeing that the other party had no intention of stopping him, he snorted contemptuously. "Sell! Why wouldn't I sell? Since you want to throw your money away, I'll grant your wish."

"Beep!" Payment successful. The sound of the 50,000 transfer was exceptionally crisp in the noisy shop.

Chen Fan picked up the heavy stone, and the heavy stone in his heart also landed. The interception was successful.

Just then, Long Aotian's gaze fell on the stone again. For some reason, the moment he saw Chen Fan pay, his heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of discomfort welled up, as if he had lost something important.

This intuition had helped him avoid countless crises and helped him pick up countless bargains. "Wait." Long Aotian suddenly spoke up.

He walked up to Chen Fan, looked down at him, pulled a checkbook from his pocket, and scribbled down a string of numbers.

"Friend, I suddenly feel like this stone catches my eye." Long Aotian tore off the check, held it between two fingers, and handed it to Chen Fan. "This is 100,000. You make a 50,000 profit by reselling it, enough for a year of delivering food. Give me the stone, take the money, and get lost."

Everyone around gasped. Is this Young Master Long a god of wealth? Fighting over a broken stone?

Everyone thought Chen Fan would gratefully accept the check. After all, for a low-level delivery driver, this was like a pie falling from the sky.

Chen Fan looked at the check held right under his nose, then at Long Aotian's face, which was full of condescension. He smiled.

There was no humility, no sycophancy, only a kind of mockery as if seeing through a clown. "Sorry."

Chen Fan tucked the stone firmly under his arm and pushed the check away with his hand. "I quite like this stone myself. And..."

He paused, looked directly into Long Aotian's eyes, which were gradually darkening, and said word by word: "I'm the type of person who never gives anyone face."