Solving Middle Age Crisis by Intelligence System

As the fragrant stew was swallowed into his stomach, Qi Yun let out a satisfied groan.

Though they hadn't been hungry in the mountains these past days, constantly gnawing on tough jerky had made his mouth taste rather bland.

"So, how was it? Did you manage to find any ginseng?" Cao Yufei asked curiously.

Qi Yun smiled and then patted the backpack beside him, responding, "See for yourself."

Hearing this, Cao Yufei knew they must have gained something, and immediately took the backpack and opened it.

When he uncovered the wooden box and saw the ginseng inside, he couldn't help but suck in a cold breath, his eyes widening.

The nearby Huzi and Big Zhuzi also quickly leaned over, and when they saw the ginseng lying in the box, their mouths hung open wide enough to fit an egg.

"Fifty years old."

"Sixty years old."

"A hundred years old..."

After a good while, Cao Yufei smacked his lips and said, "Wow, you guys raided the ginseng lair!"

Huzi and Big Zhuzi swallowed their saliva, marveling, "I've never seen so much ginseng in my life..."

After the few of them had their look, Cao Yufei closed the box again, put it back into the backpack in front of Qi Yun, and continued, "By the way, there's news about that thing you asked me to handle."

"I went out a few days ago, and indeed, there are two call reminders from Beijing numbers on your phone. I called back and told them you were in the mountains, and they said your item has been fixed and asked you to pick it up when you have time."

Qi Yun nodded, "Okay, then we'll head back first thing in the morning."

...

The next day, after saying goodbye to Big Zhuzi and Old Zhao, the four of them headed out of the mountains.

Even though their contact time wasn't long, Qi Yun's straightforward way of doing things left a good impression on Old Zhao and Big Zhuzi. Both expressed that if they ever found high-quality ginseng, they would definitely send it to Qi Yun.

At noon, while passing through Bailong Village, they contacted Captain Fu, who not only invited them to his home for a meal to express his gratitude but also handed over the twenty-thousand-yuan bonus and a banner to Qi Yun.

But Qi Yun gave it all to Chen Wei because those poachers were caught by him.

After the meal, they didn't linger in Bailong Village and immediately drove back to the county town.

By the time they reached the town, it was already dark.

They casually found a restaurant to have dinner and then rushed to the train station, ready to catch the night train to Beijing.

Before parting, Qi Yun initially planned to give Huzi thirty thousand yuan as a labor fee, after all, he put his business on hold to accompany him in the mountains for nearly half a month.

But Huzi refused to take it no matter what, and Qi Yun could see that he sincerely wanted to be friends with him, so he didn't insist...

After returning to Beijing the next day,

Qi Yun had Cao Yufei take the ginseng back to Jiang Province first because those ginsengs needed to be processed; otherwise, they couldn't be preserved for long periods.

He himself took Chen Wei to visit Mr. Tong in that familiar quadrangle courtyard.

The door was opened by the young man from last time. Thanks to Chen Wei's previous reminder, Qi Yun intentionally observed him more, but still didn't notice anything unusual.

Inside the courtyard, after Mr. Tong learned that Qi Yun was coming, he had already had the Golden Rattan Chair moved out.

Qi Yun looked at the newly refreshed chair with a slight daze.

So this is its true appearance...

The clear golden wood grain shone under the sunlight, paired with the carvings of dragons and phoenixes, bringing a strong visual impact.

No wonder Golden Rattan had always been exclusive to high officials and wealthy merchants; Qi Yun now began to understand why a chair could be worth millions.

"Mr. Tong, your craftsmanship is truly unparalleled! I doubt even Lu Ban could do this if he were alive..."

Qi Yun praised without reservation, flattering as much as he could, making the young man beside him a bit embarrassed.

Mr. Tong put down his teacup, gave a light cough, and waved his hand, saying, "You're exaggerating. I know my own skills. Although I've got some tricks up my sleeve, compared to Lu Ban, there's still a slight gap."

Qi Yun thickened his face with more compliments, then sat down and said, "Mr. Tong, last time you mentioned the Fu family also has a chair like this?"

Mr. Tong nodded, "That's right, the Fu family's ancestor made significant contributions back then, and this Golden Rattan was crafted by palace artisans under Emperor Qianlong's orders. One was awarded to their ancestor and has since been regarded as a family heirloom."

"The other one is this one here, which was awarded to the King of Kuche at the time."

Hearing this, Qi Yun was shocked; the chair's background was even more significant than he had imagined.

Adding this historical context, it was estimated that even a million wouldn't cover it.

With the Fu family's vast financial resources, if they were interested in this chair, the offer would likely not be lower than at an auction.

Ever since leaving Mr. Tong's last time, Qi Yun had specifically researched online about the significance of the surnames 'Tong' and 'Fu,' realizing they were indeed the top-tier elite families.

This Mr. Tong was also undoubtedly a big shot, which was one reason why Qi Yun shamelessly fawned over him just now; this was a truly solid connection.

Another crucial reason Qi Yun wanted to sell the chair to the Fu family was its significant background.

If he were to auction it, he wasn't sure if there would be issues; after all, according to the intelligence reports, the chair was taken out of the Prince Mansion during times of turmoil by Abula's grandfather.

It sounds nice to say 'taken,' but to put it bluntly, it was stolen; who knows if there could be any risks involved.

If someone were to dredge up old debts, this million-worth item could slip through his fingers.

Selling it to the Fu family could significantly reduce unnecessary troubles.

Qi Yun continued smiling and said, "Mr. Tong, I wonder if you could ask the Fu family if they might have any interest in this chair?"

Mr. Tong picked up his teacup and laughed, "You've got it all figured out, haven't you? The Fu family has indeed accumulated some wealth over the years; selling to them is indeed a good choice."

"Nothing escapes your keen eye." Qi Yun smiled and complimented.

Mr. Tong hummed lightly, took a sip of tea, and after putting down his cup, sighed, "Ever since Old Fu passed away, I haven't really kept in touch with their family. I can certainly ask for you, but whether they buy it or not, I can't promise that."

Qi Yun quickly replied, "Mr. Tong, just asking is already a great favor to a junior like me. Whether it happens depends on fate, how could I ask you to guarantee anything?"

Hearing this, Mr. Tong nodded slightly, "Alright, leave the chair here. I'll have someone notify you if there's any news."

Qi Yun promptly nodded, thanked him again, and then took out a delicate little wooden box from his arms, which contained a centennial ginseng.

"Mr. Tong, I gathered this ginseng recently in Changbai Mountain to help nourish your health. Consider it a token of a junior's respect, please accept it."

Mr. Tong observed the ginseng Qi Yun handed over, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes, and then he smiled, pointing at Qi Yun, "You rascal, alright, leave it here."

"Hehe, then I won't disturb your peace anymore." Qi Yun bid farewell and left the quadrangle courtyard with Chen Wei.