66: Chapter 66 Mutant Totoro

At the entrance of the notary office, sunlight lazily spread across the steps.

Jiang Chen looked down at the stack of property rights certificates in his hand, still warm from the printer.

Including the ten he had received earlier, there were exactly fifteen units.

He did a rough calculation in his head.

Fifteen commercial shops, with a total acquisition cost of six million.

After the demolition, each unit would receive compensation between 2.4 million and 3 million; by a conservative estimate, he could get over 36 million.

Turning six million into thirty-six million—a sixfold return.

No matter how he looked at it, the math was beautiful.

But that was something for a month later.

Right now, he had less than two million in liquid cash available.

Jiang Chen walked unhurriedly to a corner of the parking lot, pulled open the car door, and sat in the driver's seat.

Just as he placed the property rights certificates on the passenger seat, he suddenly remembered he hadn't checked today's intel yet.

So he pulled out his phone, and today's intel popped up on the screen.

[Today's Intel: Jiangcheng Flower and Bird Market in the Old City District, Stall B12 "Old Zhao's Exotic Pets." A new batch of imported chinchillas arrived at this stall this morning, among which is a rare blue-white mutant individual.]

[This mutant variety is the product of a recessive combination of black and white genes, with an occurrence probability of about one in thirty thousand. The fur color features a unique blue-gray base paired with pure white patches, and the eyes are deep red jewel-like eyes. It is of perfect quality with no stray hairs.]

[Current Price: 800 yuan (The shopkeeper doesn't know its true value and is selling it at the price of a regular chinchilla.)]

[True Market Value: This variety is highly sought after in the exotic pet collection circle. A perfect blue-white Mutant Chinchilla can fetch a transaction price of 1.8 million to 2.2 million RMB in the Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Southeast Asian markets.]

[If it undergoes professional appraisal and obtains a pedigree certificate, its value could increase further.]

[Best Operation Window: Before 3:00 PM today. The shopkeeper, Zhao Defa, is stubborn but honest. If someone offers a price higher than the listed one, he will become suspicious, which would ruin the deal. It is recommended to purchase directly at the listed price without haggling or showing excessive interest in the mutant characteristics.]

[Estimated Profit: Over 2 million yuan.]

Jiang Chen stared at the screen, his pupils slightly contracting.

A blue-white Mutant Chinchilla.

It looked like he could make another small fortune.

He checked the time.

10:20 AM.

The Flower and Bird Market opened at nine; that batch of goods should still be there.

Driving there would take forty minutes at most; there was plenty of time.

Jiang Chen pocketed his phone and started the engine.

The panamera's V8 engine gave a low, deep roar. He shifted into gear, and the car smoothly glided out of the parking lot, merging into the traffic of Jiangcheng.

He drove at a moderate pace, but his mind was constantly calculating.

Two million.

This money was coming at just the right time.

Although the demolition compensation was the lion's share, distant water cannot quench a nearby thirst.

Currently, he didn't have much liquid capital. If he could really secure this Mutant Chinchilla and flip it for two million, it would give him much more room to maneuver, whether for cash flow or further investment.

Forty minutes later, the car drove into the Old City District.

The Flower and Bird Market was hidden in a narrow alley where cars couldn't enter.

Jiang Chen parked the car at the mouth of the alley, pushed the door open, and walked in quickly.

Morning in the Old City District was very quiet. The alley was paved with bluestone slabs, the walls of the old houses on both sides were mottled, and ivy hung down from the tops of the walls, swaying gently in the autumn wind.

The Flower and Bird Market was tucked away deep in this alley, the air filled with a mixture of birdseed and floral scents.

Occasional crisp bird chirps added a touch of life to the quiet alley.

Jiang Chen quickened his pace.

He had been here a few times and was fairly familiar with the layout.

Section B was on the east side of the market, a row of stalls selling exotic pets and small mammals.

He rounded a corner and saw the sign for Section B.

Stall 12.

The words "Old Zhao's Exotic Pets" were written in red paint on a wooden sign. The writing had faded somewhat, and a few yellowed price tags were stuck to the corners of the sign.

The stall wasn't large. Two rows of iron cages were placed against the wall, containing various small animals.

Hamsters, rabbits, chinchillas, hedgehogs... the bottoms of the cages were lined with wood shavings and hay, and they were kept reasonably clean.

A man in his fifties sat on a rattan chair behind the stall, holding an enamel teacup. He was squinting while listening to a storytelling program on the radio, his toes tapping along to the rhythm.

Jiang Chen's gaze swept over those iron cages.

On the lower level of the innermost row of cages, he saw a small group of chinchillas.

Gray, white, and beige ones were huddled together, fluffy and looking no different from the common chinchillas on the market.

Then he saw that one.

It was curled up in a corner of the cage, mixed in with several ordinary chinchillas, looking unremarkable at first glance.

But when Jiang Chen crouched down to look closely, his breathing noticeably hitched.

Its fur was that extremely rare blue-gray—not the gray of an ordinary chinchilla, but a cool gray with a silvery-blue luster, like the morning mist on a winter day, or the ghostly blue hue reflected off the surface of a deep pool under moonlight.

Several pure white patches were distributed across its back and the top of its head, irregular in shape but evenly spread.

It looked like paint deliberately splashed on by an artist, creating an indescribable harmony between the white and the blue.

Its eyes were deep red, gleaming like jewels in the sunlight. The pupils were crystal clear, darting around as it curiously observed the world outside the cage.

Perfect quality.

Even better than the description in the intel.

He stood up and turned to the shopkeeper, his tone as casual as a browsing customer.

"Boss, how much for these chinchillas?"

Zhao Defa leaned forward slightly from his rattan chair and glanced in the direction he was pointing. "Chinchillas? Eight hundred each. They're imported and high quality. Look how bright that fur is."

As he spoke, he picked up his teacup, took a sip, and added, "This batch was sent from Guangzhou. They're authentic descendants of South American Chinchillas, not those hybrids on the market."

"Eight hundred?"

Jiang Chen frowned, putting on an act of finding it expensive. "Can you make it a bit cheaper? I saw them for only six or seven hundred at other shops."

"No haggling."

Zhao Defa waved his hand. His tone was firm, but he wasn't annoyed.

"Young man, go ask around elsewhere. Ordinary chinchillas cost six or seven hundred. My quality is definitely worth this price. I spent a lot just on shipping; any cheaper and I'd be losing money."

Jiang Chen chuckled inwardly.

This old man was exactly as the intel described: stubborn but honest.

If he had paid the money too readily, it might have actually raised suspicion.

What buyer doesn't haggle? This act of complaining about the price made him look like a normal customer.

He looked at the chinchillas in the cage with feigned hesitation, then at the shopkeeper, looking back and forth several times before finally sighing. "Fine, eight hundred it is. I'll take this one."

He pointed casually, not at the blue-white Mutant Chinchilla, but at an ordinary gray chinchilla next to it.

"This one?" Zhao Defa asked.

"No, the one next to it."

Jiang Chen's finger seemed to shift randomly, pointing to the blue-white Mutant Chinchilla. "I like the color of this one better; it's nicer than those dull gray ones."

Zhao Defa stood up, opened the cage, and grabbed the blue-white Mutant Chinchilla in one go.

The little thing was very docile in his hands—a round body, a fluffy tail, and ruby-like eyes darting around. It didn't struggle, lying quietly in his palm.

"Good eye."

Zhao Defa handed the Mutant Chinchilla to him, a hint of pride in his voice.

"This color is indeed rare. I noticed it when I was stocking up; it's prettier than all the others. I was even thinking that if I couldn't sell it, I'd keep it as a pet myself."

Jiang Chen took the Mutant Chinchilla, carefully cradling it in his palm.

The little creature's body was warm, and its fur was as soft as silk. It looked up at Jiang Chen, its red eyes reflecting his face, then lowered its head and gently nuzzled his finger.

"I'll take this one."

Jiang Chen pulled out his phone. "QR code or cash?"

"QR code. Over here."

Zhao Defa pulled a payment QR code from beside the rattan chair. It was crumpled, with the corners curled up.

Jiang Chen scanned the code and transferred eight hundred yuan.

Zhao Defa checked the payment notification and nodded. He rummaged through a drawer and found a cardboard box, lined it with some wood shavings and hay, then grabbed a small handful of alfalfa and stuffed it inside before handing it to Jiang Chen.

"Use this to carry it. Don't let it get bumped on the way. Chinchillas are timid. Don't be in a hurry to handle it when you get home; let it adjust for a couple of days. Don't scare it for the first few days, and keep your hand low when feeding so it gets used to your scent."

Zhao Defa rambled on with his instructions, finally adding, "If you take good care of it, this thing can live for over ten years."

Jiang Chen put the Mutant Chinchilla into the cardboard box, closed the lid, and poked a few air holes in it.

The little thing rustled inside the box, probably rummaging through the hay, and soon quieted down.

"Thanks, boss." Jiang Chen held the box and turned to leave.

As he walked out of the alley, his pace remained unhurried.

Back in the car, Jiang Chen carefully placed the cardboard box on the passenger seat and checked the seatbelt again to make sure it was secured and wouldn't wobble before sitting back in the driver's seat.

The little creature made a faint squeaking sound in the box, sounding very calm. Occasionally, the rustling of it chewing on grass leaves could be heard.

Jiang Chen started the car and drove out of the Old City District.