71: Chapter 71 Lanbei City
"Recognition is pricing power."
Jiang Chen took over the conversation, his tone as flat as if he were stating a mathematical formula.
Lin Hao laughed on the other end of the screen, his laughter carrying a sense of appreciation, as if seeing a "teachable student."
"Talking to you isn't tiring. How about this: leave the item with me, and I'll help you promote it. There's an online auction in Hong Kong next Wednesday specifically for high-end exotic pets."
"The buyers are all prominent figures in the circle. I'll organize the photos and videos of this chinchilla and send them over to let them warm up in advance."
He paused, his gaze drifting back to the little fellow curled into a ball of fur in the corner of the screen.
"I have a feeling this little thing will cause a sensation in the circle."
Jiang Chen nodded. "I'll have to trouble you, President Lin."
"It's no trouble. You make money, I earn a commission; it's a win-win."
Lin Hao waved his hand and leaned a bit closer to the screen.
"By the way, brother, there's a question I've been wanting to ask. Where exactly do you get these goods from?"
"I'm not trying to pry into your secrets, just purely curious. The Bengal cat you had last time was already impressive enough in quality, and now you have a Blue-and-white Mutant Chinchilla, each one better than the last. You wouldn't happen to know some big-shot breeder overseas, would you?"
Jiang Chen smiled and didn't answer.
"Alright, alright, I won't ask."
Lin Hao tactfully raised his hands. "I know the rules of the circle; the source of goods is the lifeblood. I won't ask what I shouldn't. So, will you deliver it to me, or should I send someone to pick it up?"
"I'll deliver it."
Jiang Chen said, "I also happen to want to check out your place."
Lin Hao was a bit surprised and raised an eyebrow. "Sure thing. I'll wait for you. Send me a message before you set off, and I'll send you the location."
"Okay."
The video call ended.
Jiang Chen placed his phone on the coffee table, leaned back into the sofa, and closed his eyes for a moment.
The living room was very quiet, with only the faint hum of the constant-temperature fan in the incubator, sounding like a bee circling in the distance.
The little fellow was completely asleep, lying sprawled out on the hay with its belly up. Its four small paws were curled against its chest, and its whiskers quivered with every breath like a miniature fan.
Jiang Chen stood up, walked to the incubator, and dimmed the nightlight by one level.
The warm orange light turned into a darker amber, like the last glow of dusk.
The little fellow rolled over and buried its head in the hay, leaving only a round bottom and a furry tail exposed. The tip of its tail rested on the edge of the food bowl, twitching slightly as it breathed.
Jiang Chen watched for a while before gently closing the top lid.
Early the next morning.
He completed today's Wealth Intelligence.
He only made a small profit of ten thousand.
Jiang Chen carefully scooped the little fellow out of the incubator.
The little fellow was woken up and gave a dissatisfied squeak, but it quickly quieted down.
Squatting in his palm, it stood up on its hind legs, its ruby-like eyes looking at him curiously while its nose twitched incessantly.
"I'm taking you to see Uncle Lin," Jiang Chen said softly.
The little fellow naturally couldn't understand; it just tilted its head and then hugged his thumb with its front paws, refusing to let go.
Jiang Chen placed it into a portable carrier.
The cage was specially prepared for long-distance transport, a size larger than ordinary cages.
The bottom was lined with a thick layer of Timothy hay. The food bowl was filled with a few of its favorite grass sticks, and a leak-proof water bottle was fixed to the side of the cage.
He checked the temperature control system again.
There was a constant-temperature mat at the bottom of the carrier, connected to the car's power supply, which could maintain a steady temperature of twenty-three degrees.
Everything was ready.
He placed the carrier on the passenger seat, secured it with the seatbelt, and gave it a push with his hand to ensure it wouldn't wobble.
The little fellow lay on the hay, taking a bite of a grass stick. Its cheeks puffed out rhythmically, completely oblivious to the outside world.
Jiang Chen started the car and drove out of the residential complex.
Lin Hao was in the neighboring Lanbei City, about a two-and-a-half-hour drive via the highway.
Jiang Chen didn't drive fast, maintaining a steady speed of around 110 kilometers per hour, glancing occasionally at the carrier on the passenger seat.
After finishing the grass stick, the little fellow rolled around in the hay and fell asleep on its back, its belly rising and falling steadily, looking very peaceful.
The scenery on both sides of the highway changed from city skyscrapers to suburban farmland, and then to rolling hills.
The October sky was high and blue with thin clouds. Sunlight shone through the windshield, spreading a patch of golden light across the steering wheel.
Two and a half hours later, the navigation prompted that the destination was two kilometers ahead.
Jiang Chen got off the highway and turned onto a road lined with plane trees.
Most of the plane tree leaves had turned yellow in the late autumn. As the wind blew, the leaves rustled and fell, swirling in front of the car.
Lin Hao's studio was located in a creative industry park in the east of the city, occupying an entire small building.
The exterior walls were painted dark gray, and the windows were covered with one-way film. You couldn't see inside from the outside, but you could see out from within, like a giant one-way mirror.
There was no sign at the door, only a house number and an inconspicuous doorbell, as low-key as an ordinary private residence.
Jiang Chen parked the car and got out, carrying the carrier.
He pressed the doorbell and waited for about ten seconds before the door opened.
Lin Hao was wearing a black T-shirt, and his hair was still a mess, looking as if he had just crawled out of bed.
But his eyes lit up the moment he saw the carrier in Jiang Chen's hand, his sleepiness vanishing instantly like two lights being suddenly switched on.
"You're here, you're here. Come in quickly."
He ushered Jiang Chen inside, closed the door behind him, and impatiently took the carrier as if holding a piece of fragile porcelain.
"Was the trip smooth?"
"It was fine, two and a half hours."
"Thanks for the hard work."
As Lin Hao spoke, he carried the cage toward the workbench. "Let me check the little fellow's condition first."
He placed the carrier on the workbench, opened the top lid, and peered inside.
The little fellow was vigorously gnawing on a grass stick, its cheeks puffing rhythmically. It was completely indifferent to the change in environment, its red eyes half-squinted with a look of contentment.
"The condition is good."
Lin Hao nodded, put on disposable gloves, and gently scooped the little fellow out of the cage.
The little fellow was startled for a moment, but it quickly calmed down, squatting in Lin Hao's palm and standing up on its hind legs.
It looked around curiously, its nose twitching constantly to catch the unfamiliar scents in the air.
"Look at this coat color."
Lin Hao held the little fellow a bit higher to let the light shine on it. "There wasn't a hint of stress reaction after the whole trip. You've raised it very well; its foundation is incredibly solid."
Jiang Chen didn't say anything, but his gaze followed the little fellow.
Lin Hao placed it into an incubator against the wall.
The enclosure was very large, twice the size of the one in Jiang Chen's home, lined with imported Timothy hay and containing a small wooden nest and a ceramic food bowl.
After being placed in the new environment, the little fellow was stunned for a moment before it started rolling around in the hay on its back, having a great time and full of curiosity about its surroundings.