Chapter 1

Han Kongque arrived at the company before dawn and only returned after handling all the matters at the start of the workday.

The words of the warehouse supervisor still echoed in his ears: "Who do you think you are? Just because you're an old employee, I have to listen to you? A mere mover trying to manage so much? If you have the ability, go be a gemstone appraiser. Quickly, reorganize those raw stones according to my requirements. This is not your company, so you can't be so sloppy. Arrange them by size and color."

Han Kongque shook his head. These were jade raw stones, not decorative rocks, and they were to be arranged by size and color?

He had seen many ignorant people, but never one so clueless. Han Kongque felt a deep sense of sorrow. He had silently dedicated ten years of his life to this company for that woman, and now he was so easily dismissed, all because he offered a few suggestions.

Perhaps in the eyes of the new Zhou family supervisor, he was a prime example of someone who didn't know their place?

Han Kongque gave a cold laugh as he glanced at the warehouse. Being the warehouse supervisor of Phoenix Jewelry, the largest jade jewelry company in the world, was no easy task. Without his help, and with the new supervisor being an outsider, things would soon fall into chaos.

Phoenix Jewelry operated efficiently every day, and any issues at the warehouse, the source, would cause significant problems.

As Han Kongque was about to leave the warehouse, he heard the supervisor's roar from a distance: "What kind of garbage is this? A computer that's been obsolete for eight hundred years? Get rid of it quickly."

"Supervisor, this computer contains all the data on the raw stones organized by Xiao Han. If we throw it away, it will be very difficult to find the information later," Han Kongque recognized the voice as his colleague, Li Dian.

"Data? I think you're just using it for personal gain. A mover can organize what kind of data? Do you think I'm as stupid as the previous supervisor? Get it to the waste disposal immediately."

As Han Kongque entered the elevator, the voices behind him faded. He didn't take the supervisor's words to heart. With his abilities and special powers, he wouldn't starve wherever he went.

After ten years at Phoenix Jewelry, his knowledge of jade raw stones was far beyond that of ordinary people. Relying on this alone, he could live well. So, he didn't take the warehouse supervisor's contemptuous words to heart.

Today was a significant day for him. Ten years had passed, and what needed to be settled was now settled. Thinking about this, Han Kongque felt a mix of emotions.

Walking down the street of his rented apartment, this was a famous antique street in the city, but it was also a notorious slum and ghetto.

It was already nine o'clock, but the street was as bustling as ever, with people coming and going and stalls everywhere. Having lived here for ten years, Han Kongque was familiar with every shop, every person, and every stall on this street.

"Hmm? Another stall has been added today. Is there a new person here?" Han Kongque thought. Could this person be here to celebrate his resignation?

Han Kongque walked thoughtfully toward the new stall, his earlier sadness forgotten.

Fat Liu had been waiting for Han Kongque since six in the morning. Han Kongque always left at six every morning, but today, he waited all morning without seeing him.

He thought Han Kongque had gone back to his hometown, but just as he was about to give up, he saw Han Kongque's tall and robust figure.

Every time Han Kongque appeared on the antique street, he brought a great sense of pressure to everyone. His appearance was so intimidating that if not for his gentle and honest face, people would be scared just by looking at him.

Han Kongque wasn't particularly tall, standing at 1.82 meters. His appearance wasn't unattractive; in fact, he was somewhat handsome.

With his fair skin, thick eyebrows, large eyes, and square face, he would be a charming figure if not for his shabby clothes.

But these impressions only came from his face. If you saw his body, the first thing you'd think of was a bear, then a thug, and if you thought deeper, you might even think he was an international assassin.

All of this was due to Han Kongque's impressive physique. He was the type of person who could stand on his fists, walk on his arms, and move with a presence that made the ground tremble.

Such a person was undoubtedly a formidable warrior, which was the first thought of anyone who met Han Kongque.

So, when Han Kongque entered the antique street, Fat Liu noticed immediately: "He's here, he's here, Xiao Han is here."

Seeing Han Kongque, Fat Liu's fat, almost covering his eyes, jiggled like an earthquake, making his body look even more impressive.

"Be quiet, you're too impatient. If this new Chen doesn't have good stuff, we won't get to see the fun," an old man with a neatly trimmed white beard and well-dressed, whispered.

"Uncle Ji, you say Xiao Han's appearance is so deceptive. If I had his looks and knowledge, it would be great," Fat Liu said, his face jiggling.

Uncle Ji replied, "Don't be silly. Xiao Han isn't much older than you. If you have the heart, with your family background, it's not too late to learn. Now, be quiet, Xiao Han is coming."

Han Kongque looked at the middle-aged man with a slightly weathered face, around forty years old, with a gentle and cultured appearance, not like a rough and unrefined person.

However, a simple analysis showed that he wasn't particularly learned. Combined with the weathered look on his face, even if he had learned something in his youth, it had probably been eroded by time, leaving only the marks of life.

As Han Kongque approached, he noticed that the man had some skill in this line of work. From his occasional glances at the crowd, Han Kongque could tell that he was somewhat shrewd.

Han Kongque scanned the small stalls as he walked, looking quickly but not missing any. When he reached the middle-aged man's stall, he paused.

"Sir, take a look at these things, they are all genuine treasures," Chen Qian said. To Chen Qian, this tall man didn't seem like a cultured person interested in antiques, but seeing his actions, he felt he had to ask.

"You have books there, right? What kind of books? I need ancient books to give as gifts," Han Kongque stopped and stood in front of Chen Qian's stall.

After a quick glance, Han Kongque had a general idea. Although Chen Qian was new, the items were familiar. There were blue-and-white vases, crudely made jade artifacts, and a few thin bronze objects.

These obviously fake items didn't interest Han Kongque, so he immediately focused on the books next to Chen Qian.

Although there were a few exquisite jade and porcelain items, Han Kongque knew they were at most high-quality fakes. The good stuff would be kept close.

So, a small stall vendor who had a few items to his name would always have a few things he valued. Since the stall owner didn't value the porcelain and jade, it must be the books.

"Hey, brother, you came at the right time. I do have a few ancient books. Take a look, are they what you need?" Chen Qian picked up two books and slowly handed them to Han Kongque.

"Be careful, there's another folded book below," Chen Qian said, revealing a white folded family register.

"Interesting," Fat Liu thought as Han Kongque took the two thick books, feeling a mix of excitement and regret.

Whenever a new stall opened, the old stall owners would go over to see if there were any good items.

But apart from some well-known items, they didn't have the skill to find treasures among the vast array of so-called antiques.

The surrounding stall owners all knew Han Kongque's abilities. Seeing him take the books, they instinctively thought they were good items.

However, they knew Han Kongque well and couldn't intercept him, so they could only watch from the side.

Seeing Han Kongque take the books without hesitation, Chen Qian's eyes gleamed. He must be a novice.

If he were experienced, he wouldn't take items from someone else's hands. If they fell and were damaged, who would be responsible?

If he were experienced, he wouldn't say he was buying items to give as gifts. In this place, saying you're buying something to give as a gift means you're inviting the owner to overcharge you.

Han Kongque casually flipped through the neatly folded book, but his heart was not calm. His peripheral vision caught the other book, making his eyes twitch.

Afraid of being seen through by the owner, Han Kongque focused on the folded book. This was a family register, and a very valuable one, especially to Han Kongque. It was priceless to him.

Han Kongque was surprised to find such an item on a small stall.

Family registers are usually kept in ancestral halls, especially for prominent families.

This Han family register appearing on a street stall meant that the Han family had truly fallen.

After flipping through it once, Han Kongque put the family register back on the stall. Although it was important, he didn't need to buy it as a treasure.

Family registers are usually recorded in book form, but this one was folded, which was very unique and rare. Not many such folded family registers have been found in the country, and this one was even rarer because of its long history.

This family register, named "The Han Family Register," was folded. It was made of many connected sheets of paper, and Han Kongque estimated that when unfolded, it would be over a hundred meters long and cover several dozen square meters. It was filled with dense, neat characters, recording the rise and fall of the Han family over a thousand years.

"Be careful, little brother. This is a Han family register with a history of over a thousand years. See, there's the name of Po Li Han Balin. Have you heard of him? If not, let me tell you..."