Chapter 38

Once out of the primeval forest, Xiao Hai rushed straight to the bus station. He was not willing to stay here any longer, for fear that the police might find him again, wanting to give him an award or something, which would waste his time.

There was also a very important factor: he had to avoid Yin Yuenuo, so she wouldn't try to pay him back the money again.

He bought a ticket to Halk City and had something to eat at the station. Xiao Hai suddenly noticed someone following him suspiciously. He smiled, thinking it was probably a thief.

He deliberately walked towards the restroom, and the person indeed followed him. When Xiao Hai sped up, the person sped up too; when Xiao Hai slowed down, the person slowed down as well.

Want to steal from Young Master Ai? Are you delirious with fever? Xiao Hai suddenly stopped, then turned around sharply. The person following him was caught off guard, their eyes met, and they awkwardly smiled. Then they quickly lowered their head and walked towards the restroom.

Ha, let's see if you still follow me?

At this point, the bus to Halk City had started boarding, and Xiao Hai didn't have the patience to deal with this small incident. He took out his ticket and got on the bus.

The person who had been following Xiao Hai watched as his target boarded the bus, then hurriedly took out his phone: "Mr. Feng, I saw that guy, he got on the bus to Halk City. Yes, definitely."

...

The bus stopped at a service station, and it was lunchtime. The driver gave everyone an hour. The passengers got off one by one, some going to the restroom, others buying food.

Xiao Hai also got off the bus. Xiao Qi had been in the backpack for so long and was already quite restless. Indeed, as soon as he came out of the backpack, Xiao Qi let out a few joyful chirps. Xiao Hai bought two sausages and let him eat them, while he wandered around the service station's mall.

There weren't many people in the mall, only Xiao Hai, an elderly man who looked to be in his sixties, and a middle-aged woman accompanying him.

This service station was close to Yuanxin, and it mainly sold jade carvings, which were about three times more expensive than outside. The elderly man didn't seem to have any intention of buying anything; he was just browsing.

After a while, he stopped in front of a piece of jade and observed it for a moment: "This is a replica of a Qing Dynasty cloisonné enamel snuff bottle. To be fair, it does show some skill. If it were genuine, I think it could sell for over 50,000 yuan."

The middle-aged woman whispered, "Old Mr. Yuan, what about the one you have in your collection? How much would it sell for if you put it on the market?"

"Antiques are hard to price. For some people, 30,000 to 50,000 yuan might be enough, but for me, those things are priceless treasures, not for sale at any price."

"Yes, Old Mr. Yuan, your reputation in this industry is well-known."

"Unfortunately, I didn't find anything good this time. It was a wasted trip."

"Maybe we should stop in Yuanxin? We'll be passing through there anyway."

Old Mr. Yuan shook his head: "No, Yuanxin used to have good items, but now unscrupulous merchants sell inferior goods to make a profit, ruining its reputation. It's extremely difficult to find good items there now."

Their conversation was very low, and most people couldn't hear it. Unfortunately, they didn't realize there was someone with exceptionally good hearing nearby!

Every word they said entered Xiao Hai's ears. He was originally worried about where to find a buyer for the items in his backpack. Hearing their conversation, he had an idea: "Old Mr. Yuan, hello."

Old Mr. Yuan and the middle-aged woman were taken aback and sized up Xiao Hai: "Young man, do you know me?"

"Ah, we met once in Yuanxin before. You probably didn't notice me." Xiao Hai vaguely answered.

Old Mr. Yuan didn't suspect anything. He often went to Yuanxin, and many people knew him. This young man might have seen him working in a store. He was very friendly: "Young man, is there something you need?"

Xiao Hai was well-prepared. He had taken photos of the two items he had taken from the treasure cave. He took out his phone and opened the photo album: "Old Mr. Yuan, could you tell me how much this is worth?"

Old Mr. Yuan took the phone, and the middle-aged woman quickly handed him a magnifying glass. Old Mr. Yuan examined it carefully: "Young man, you have this item?"

"Ah, yes."

"This is a good item." Old Mr. Yuan looked up: "From the photo, it appears to be a Qing Dynasty Tianhuang Dong seal from the Xuantong period. The price? If it's genuine, it should be around 150,000 to 200,000 yuan. If you send it to an auction house and someone really likes it, the price might be even higher."

150,000 to 200,000 yuan? So high? Xiao Hai hadn't expected it. He knew nothing about antiques and had thought selling it for a few tens of thousands would be good. It seemed that selling just this one item would be enough for his plans.

Old Mr. Yuan examined it again: "Young man, are you willing to sell it?"

"Um, I need the money urgently." Xiao Hai answered honestly. In his mind, he started calculating. A seal could sell for so much, and he still had two boxes of good items in the cave.

"Is the item with you?"

"No." Xiao Hai was cautious: "I left it with a friend in Halk City."

Old Mr. Yuan nodded slightly and had the middle-aged woman write something on a business card, then handed it to Xiao Hai: "Young man, I'll be staying in Halk City for a while. This is my business card. It has my phone number and the specific location where I'll be staying. If you really want to sell it, come find me."

Xiao Hai took the card. It was very simple, with no titles like "Chairman" or "General Manager," just the name Yuan Xiyeh and a phone number.

"Old Mr. Yuan, my name is Xiao Hai." Xiao Hai put away the card: "See you in Halk City."

"Alright, I'll be waiting for you in Halk City."

Just as Yuan Xiyeh said this, his gaze fell on Xiao Hai's neck: "Xiao Hai, can you take off the jade pendant around your neck and let me see it?"

Jade? Xiao Hai immediately understood, it must be the jade scorpion he was wearing. He took it off and handed it to Yuan Xiyeh.

Yuan Xiyeh examined it for a long time, as if pondering a difficult problem, muttering: "Strange, strange, this looks like Pipa Yellow, not worth much..."

Pipa Yellow? Xiao Hai was taken aback: "Old Mr. Yuan, when I bought this jade, the shop owner told me it was Chestnut Yellow."

"This isn't Chestnut Yellow. Chestnut Yellow and Pipa Yellow look similar, but the price difference is enormous. Those jade sellers in Yuanxin always deceive novices, ruining the market." Yuan Xiyeh sneered, then his attention returned to the jade scorpion.

Damn, Xiao Hai was furious. He had thought Guo Wenghe, who sold him the jade scorpion, was a decent person, but it turned out he was also a swindler. Unfortunately, he was a complete novice and couldn't tell the difference between Chestnut Yellow and Pipa Yellow.

Yuan Xiyeh returned the jade to Xiao Hai: "Keep it well. I've been playing with jade for many years, but this is the first time I've seen something so peculiar. This jade scorpion looks like Pipa Yellow from every angle, but there's something not quite right..."

Xiao Hai didn't think too much about it and put the jade scorpion back on: "Old Mr. Yuan, I'll take my leave."

Watching Xiao Hai leave, the middle-aged woman was a bit uneasy: "Old Mr. Yuan, is the seal stolen? You have the principle of not accepting stolen goods."

"No." Yuan Xiyeh shook his head: "I observed this young man. He has a smooth demeanor, but he's definitely not a thief. Xiao Liu, there are many good items hidden among the people. Last time, we almost got a three-legged tripod from a rural old lady who was about to throw it away."

Xiao Liu laughed: "You have such a high status in the antique world, yet you still go from village to village like an antique dealer."

"Where the fun lies, where the interest lies." Yuan Xiyeh laughed heartily...

...

Xiao Hai hadn't expected to find Old Mr. Yuan at the service station. It seemed his luck was good, and he wouldn't have to wander around aimlessly looking for a buyer.

The bus arrived in Halk City, and Xiao Hai found a hotel near the station to stay in. As soon as he entered the room, he quickly took Gui Ling out of the backpack, worried that the journey might have tired him out.

To his surprise, Gui Ling emerged from the backpack, looking energetic and not at all tired.

"Your Majesty, the snake gallbladder in the backpack is a great item." Gui Ling was excited: "As soon as I got close, I could feel the coolness. It has been replenishing my energy throughout the journey."

Oh? Is that so? Xiao Hai had been worried that the snake gallbladder might go bad if left in the backpack. Hearing Gui Ling's words, he quickly took it out and examined it, but apart from feeling the coolness, he didn't see anything special.

Does it only work on animals?

After examining it for a long time and seeing nothing unusual, he put it aside, opened the window, and summoned a sparrow, instructing it to scout the address where Yuan Xiyeh was staying the next day to check for any issues.

The jade scorpion had already given him a lesson. People who look honest on the outside may not have good intentions, so he had to be cautious with everyone.

He involuntarily touched the jade scorpion, feeling a faint warmth and smoothness. He didn't understand the difference between Chestnut Yellow and Pipa Yellow, but he had developed an attachment to the item. Even if it wasn't worth much, he didn't want to throw it away.

"Your Majesty, a moving square box!" Gui Ling suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

Xiao Hai turned around, amused. What square box? Gui Ling had seen the TV again.

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