Chapter 2700

After Li Yalin finished speaking, the old master An Qishan, whose condition had improved greatly in the past few days and whose memory had gradually begun to recover, suddenly said with a serious face: "Yalin is right! We were too easy to deny something by intuition before, so we haven't found Chen'er for so many years! Sometimes, doing things is to go against your own intuition!"

An Chongqiu nodded and said: "After my sister had an accident, we searched in Jin Ling for a period of time and didn't find Chen'er's whereabouts. At that time, we judged by intuition that Chen'er must have left Jin Ling. Since then, we have been looking for Chen'er in places outside Jin Ling, and we haven't gained anything for twenty years. Maybe Chen'er didn't leave Jin Ling at all back then!"

An Kaifeng was silent for a moment, suddenly raised his head, and frowned: "Now that I think about it, the water in Jin Ling is indeed unfathomable! Not to mention anything else, according to the sporadic clues we can grasp at present, I speculate that the benefactor should be a local in Jin Ling!"

"Indeed." An Chongqiu also agreed and said: "The benefactor chose to hold the Rejuvenation Pill auction in Jin Ling instead of other cities in China, and gave this opportunity to the local Song Group in Jin Ling. And I got some news that after that Rejuvenation Pill auction, the Song Group contributed more than 10 billion US dollars in taxes to Jin Ling, and also donated 10 billion US dollars in charity. These money should all be auction proceeds from selling the Rejuvenation Pill!"

As he spoke, An Chongqiu added: "In addition, there is one more thing. After the auction, the Song Group invested more than 100 million US dollars to build a large-scale welfare institute in Jin Ling. It is said that the design scale of this welfare institute is the largest in the world. Not only can it provide living needs for tens of thousands of orphans, but it can also provide them with excellent educational resources. If the feelings for Jin Ling are not deep enough, it is absolutely impossible to make such a decision!"

Li Yalin's eyes suddenly lit up, and he blurted out: "Building a welfare institute? It seems that this benefactor attaches great importance to orphans! Could it be that he is also an orphan, so he takes such good care of orphans?"

An Chongqiu nodded and said: "Old Li's possibility is also possible."

Ye Chen's youngest aunt An Youyou couldn't help but say: "If we investigate the welfare institutes in Jin Ling, is there a chance to find the benefactor's identity?"

Hearing this, Li Yalin's eyes lit up, and he praised in his heart: "Isn't this drawing inferences from one instance? Following this line to investigate, not only can we find the benefactor, but we can also find that the benefactor is actually the An family's grandson!"

An Chongqiu suddenly waved his hand at this time and said: "I think we should stop exploring the benefactor's identity. He knows every step of ours like the back of his hand. If we go to explore his identity rashly, I'm afraid it will make the benefactor dissatisfied with us."

An Kaifeng agreed and said: "Big brother is right. Since we have come to Jin Ling, we are equal to being under the benefactor's eyelids. At this time, it is better to be low-key and try not to do any small movements."

Li Yalin looked at the two serious brothers, feeling anxious in his heart, but he didn't dare to reveal too much, and could only sigh in his heart: "You two brothers are indeed crouching dragons and phoenix chicks. If you miss this clue, it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven to find Ye Chen again!"

At dawn the next day, northern suburbs of Jin Ling.

The sky hadn't really brightened yet, and Zhang Ermao was already standing by the dry latrine in a farmhouse yard.

He held a shovel in his hand and dug out the three magic weapons Ye Chen gave him from the stinky soil by the dry latrine pit.

These three magic weapons had been buried with pig offal that had already rotted and stunk for two days. As soon as they were dug out, there was a pungent fishy smell.

He pinched his nose, picked up the three magic weapons from the soil, carefully brushed off the soil around the magic weapons with a soft brush, then wiped them carefully with a dry towel, and put them under his nose to smell them hard.

At this time, the bloody smell and fishy smell had faded a lot. According to Zhang Ermao's previous experience in tossing antiques, this smell was already very close to the smell of jade unearthed from a 'raw pit'.

Things unearthed from a 'raw pit', especially jade items that were buried with the corpse, would have this faint fishy smell for a period of time after being dug out, no matter how they were cleaned. This smell would even have a faint residue a year after being unearthed. Ordinary people might not smell anything, but people like Zhang Ermao who often dealt with antiques could distinguish it just by smelling it with their noses.

The two jade items were old things with years, and now with this smell, people who knew the goods would almost conclude that these things came from a 'raw pit'.

After confirming that there was no problem with the things, Zhang Ermao hurriedly drove back to the city and went straight to the Antique Street.

In the antique industry in Jin Ling, the business rules of working at sunrise and resting at sunset have been preserved to this day. In the words of people in the industry, antique trading cannot be done when it is dark, because first, they are afraid of being blinded when it is dark, and second, they are afraid of being robbed when it is dark.

Therefore, the merchants and stall owners on the Antique Street basically start business when it is bright and close their stalls before it is dark.

Today happened to be Saturday, so when Zhang Ermao arrived at the Antique Street, the Antique Street was as lively as a morning vegetable market.

Zhang Ermao was an old man on the Antique Street. He had left here and hadn't returned since following Hong Wu some time ago, so when he suddenly appeared, many people recognized him and greeted him enthusiastically: "Brother Ermao, why are you free to come back and see us today?"

"That's right, Brother Ermao, you are now a red man beside Fifth Master Hong, how can you still have time to come and see us poor brothers?"

Zhang Ermao thought to himself: "When I was cheating and deceiving on the Antique Street before, none of you looked down on me. Who wasn't shouting at me and hanging the three words Zhang Ermao on their lips all day? Now that I follow Fifth Master Hong, you all started calling me Brother Ermao."

Thinking of this, Zhang Ermao laughed twice and said to the crowd who surrounded him: "To tell you the truth, I don't follow Fifth Master Hong anymore."

"What?" The man who greeted him first asked immediately: "Zhang Ermao, you were following Fifth Master Hong well, why did you suddenly say you wouldn't follow him?"

"That's right." Another man said: "I said Zhang Ermao, you were eating and drinking well following Fifth Master Hong, isn't it much better than tossing these things on the Antique Street?"

A woman selling fake copper coins smiled and said: "Zhang Ermao, you didn't commit any mistakes and were kicked out by Fifth Master Hong, did you?"

Zhang Ermao waved his hand and said casually: "Don't mention these things. I plan to come back and set up my stall again."

As he spoke, he looked at the man who greeted him first and said: "Zhao Laosi, I know that after I left, my original stall was lent to you for free. Look, I'm back now, you should return my position to me."

The man called Zhao Laosi waved his hand immediately: "Hey, don't, don't, Zhang Ermao. When you left, you agreed that you wouldn't come back to the Antique Street in the future, so this stall was left for me to use. A man should keep his word, you can't go back on your word."

Zhang Ermao laughed: "Laosi, you think I'm a tiger falling into the flat sun, right? I might as well tell you, I left Fifth Master Hong, not because Fifth Master Hong kicked me out, but because I, Zhang Ermao, wanted to leave myself."

"Blow it, you." Zhao Laosi curled his lips: "We have known each other for so many years, don't I know you? When you withdrew your stall to follow Fifth Master Hong, I don't know how excited and excited you were. Now you say you left Fifth Master Hong voluntarily, how can I believe it?"

Zhang Ermao smiled: "To tell you the truth, Zhao Laosi, a good brother of mine back then got rich by tossing antiques and has now transformed into a well-known Hong Kong businessman. He now wants me to cooperate with him to toss antiques and sell them to those Hong Kong bosses with a net worth of billions. Maybe one order can earn him millions or tens of millions. I will retire after saving a small goal in two years. Isn't this much better than fighting and killing following Fifth Master Hong?"

When a few people heard this, they widened their eyes.

Zhao Laosi and several others exchanged glances, took the initiative to step forward and apologize: "Brother Ermao, it turns out you found a new way to make money, and you don't look down on working beside Fifth Master Hong anymore!"

"Eh eh eh!" Zhang Ermao raised a hand seriously, palm facing the crowd, and said seriously: "This is not that I, Zhang Ermao, look down on Fifth Master Hong. The ancients said, good birds choose trees to live in. It can only be said that Fifth Master Hong's big tree is not suitable for my development. I have dealt with antiques for so many years after all, and I am still most comfortable doing this."

Another man stepped forward, poked Zhang Ermao lightly with his arm, and said with a smile: "Brother Ermao, since you have such a way to make money, can't you bring your brothers along? Look, your brother has been mixing on the Antique Street for so many years, and hasn't caught a big fish. I can't earn a Passat in a year. If you have a good way to make money, pull your brother, okay?"

As he spoke, he took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, pulled out one and handed it to Zhang Ermao, and said diligently: "Come, come, come, Brother Ermao, have a cigarette!"

Zhang Ermao took the cigarette, put it in his mouth, and said with a smile: "Xiao Teng, if you really have the heart to make money with me, I'm not unable to consider it. But I don't know if you are steady and willing to work..."

The man called Xiao Teng hurriedly took out a lighter, and while lighting the cigarette for Zhang Ermao, said respectfully: "Brother Ermao, as long as you are willing to bring your little brother along, your little brother will definitely work hard and have no complaints!"

Zhao Laosi on the side also said hurriedly: "Brother Ermao, bring me along too! I have no other advantages, just obedient! As long as you bring me along, I will definitely follow your lead and point where you want!"

Others also expressed their loyalty to Zhang Ermao at this time. In their view, since Zhang Ermao was willing to give up the position of a red man beside Fifth Master Hong, it proved that he had definitely found a bigger way to make money, and he also said that this new way to make money was related to antiques. Not only was Zhang Ermao comfortable, but everyone was also familiar with it, so everyone wanted to get a share of the pie with Zhang Ermao.

Zhang Ermao said indifferently at this time: "Everyone, I just returned here, and the new business hasn't been fully sorted out yet. I don't need so many people, so in this initial stage, let Zhao Laosi and Xiao Teng help me. Others don't be anxious if you haven't taken your turn. When I sort out the business, everyone will have a share!"

Several others were a bit disappointed, but Zhao Laosi and Xiao Teng were extremely excited.

The two hurriedly pulled Zhang Ermao to a place where no one was around. Zhao Laosi said flatteringly: "Brother Ermao, you can use your stall whenever you want. If it's not enough, just use mine. If you need me and Xiao Teng to do anything, just give orders."

Zhang Ermao took a puff of cigarette and asked them: "Give me a bottom line, how much money can you earn a month now?"

Zhao Laosi raised his hand and said: "Brother Ermao, let me say it first. You know my situation. I don't have your smooth tongue, and I don't know how to fool people as well as you. In a good month, I can earn ten or twenty thousand. Sometimes I don't open for a month, and I can't even earn the stall fee..."

Xiao Teng also said repeatedly: "Yes, yes, Brother Ermao, my situation is not much better than Laosi's. It's the end of August now, and I haven't even earned three thousand yuan in net profit this month. And the competition on the Antique Street is fierce now. Damn, this group of dogs is rolling so hard. In the past, selling a string of fake Five Emperors coins, how could you not give ten or twenty yuan? If you meet a fool, it's not impossible to ask for three or five hundred. But now those newcomers are stupid, and they sell it for three or five yuan. You say, this cost is at least eight cents, and he sells it for three or five yuan. This damn drinking northwest wind is not enough to be full!"

Zhang Ermao smiled and said to the two: "In this way, don't say Brother Ermao doesn't take care of you. My upstream will introduce some Hong Kong businessmen to our Jin Ling one after another in these two days. From now on, you don't need to set up your stalls. One go to the airport, and the other go to the high-speed railway station, and hold a sign for me to pick up people!"

"Pick up people?" Zhao Laosi and Xiao Teng looked at each other, and the latter asked: "Brother Ermao, the work of picking up people has no technical content. How much money can you give for one trip..."

Zhang Ermao smiled unfathomably and said: "I let you pick up big customers who spend money like water. They are not very convenient to come forward sometimes, and will send their men over. You two, just hold the sign and wait at the airport and high-speed railway station. My upstream has agreed with them. As long as they arrive and see you, they will take the initiative to meet you. You don't have to dislike this work for having no technical content. I will give you three thousand yuan a day!"

"Three thousand a day?!"

The two were stunned when they heard it, and at the same time couldn't help but be a bit excited. Three thousand yuan a day, this income was much stronger than their setting up stalls.

Zhang Ermao added at this time: "But I'll say the ugly words first. I'm not sure which day the big customers will come, so you must go to the airport and high-speed railway station to guard every day. You two must go early every morning until the flights and high-speed trains stop, and then you can go home to rest. You can't miss any flight or any high-speed train in the middle. If anyone picks up a customer, I will reward ten thousand. If anyone misses a customer, I will definitely not spare him. Do you understand?"