Chapter 8. Treasure Pavilion Sixth Floor: The Black Market

“Is that so…” Zhou Yunqiong’s brows furrowed together slightly.

“Should I look into the situation and try to buy it back?” Uncle Zuo asked. After all, the family head had specifically instructed them to buy these parcels of land. Missing even a single piece was considered bad news.

They absolutely needed to secure that farm. But as far as he was concerned, the identity of the current owner was irrelevant. Unless one of the major factions was involved, the Wuzhou Group had more than enough power to reclaim a single farm with ease.

“No need. We’ve already acquired more than enough,” Zhou Yunqiong said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “The meteor shower is far too widespread. Missing one location isn’t going to make a difference.”

She then added, “Besides, only a very small number of those meteors actually contain a divine treasure.”

Months ago, expert researchers at the Wuzhou Group had predicted the arrival of a once-in-a-millennium meteor shower. They speculated that some of those meteors would carry celestial treasures. So, they pinpointed the most likely impact zones and dispatched people to buy up those plots of land at exorbitant prices.

Truth be told, much of the Zhou family’s global land acquisitions over the past few years stemmed from this very reason.

They were gambling on the chance of heavenly treasures falling on these lands. Over the years, their efforts had borne fruit a few times and they had indeed retrieved a handful of items. But most of the time, it was a fool’s errand.

As for Zhou Yunqiong, her thoughts were simple: she believed this upcoming meteor shower would be just another wild goose chase.

Besides, there were also other forces moving and competing with the Zhou family in the dark for the same resources.

A great change was imminent. And at times like this, stability was more important than anything else.

“Understood, miss.”

Since Zhou Yunqiong had made her decision, Uncle Zuo raised no alternative opinion. He asked, “Then Miss, should we head back to…?

They had already come out for quite a while and he wasn’t sure if Zhou Yunqiong had plans to head back.

“Forget it,” Zhou Yunqiong said, shaking her head. “Let’s go.” She turned and walked toward the parking lot. Clearly, she had no intention of returning to the gathering. Neither did she bother to explain herself to those so-called classmates.

As for the ripple of emotion Lu Yuan had stirred in her earlier, it was quickly brushed aside.

Like what she had said just moments ago… They were ultimately people from two different worlds.

***

After driving out of the compound of Yunzhong Hotel, Lu Yuan didn’t head north back to his villa. Instead, he drove toward a different destination.

However, when he was cruising along the road, he received a message. It was from Chen Song.

Chen Song: Lu Yuan, I just got off the phone with my dad. We can sell the item to you. Let me know when it’s convenient for you to come pick it up.

Lu Yuan: I’ll find a time in the next few days.

After sending the message, Lu Yuan opened his mobile banking app and wired the remaining two hundred thousand yuan to Chen Song.

Chen Song was an honest man, and so was his family. So, Lu Yuan wasn’t worried that he would run away or back out of the deal.

Moreover, with his current resources, if Chen Song were to pull any tricks, he could find out their whereabouts in mere hours.

Lu Yuan continued driving, his mind began wandering and reflecting on the things he had accomplished recently.

In fact, aside from the Bodhi Tree, which he had already arranged to have stolen, he could have used the same method to acquire both the complete edition of the Dao De Jing

at Christie’s and the ancient cauldron passed down in Chen Song’s family.

However, he didn’t want to do that for one simple reason: Not everyone could be trusted.

The Centipede Syndicate was competent and tight-lipped; there was no need to worry about them leaking information. But if he were to rely on them too much, issues would inevitably arise. Putting aside the cost, doing too much through them would attract unwanted attention.

Worse, it might even backfire. After all, those people were ruthless. They lived by blood and blade.

More importantly, Lu Yuan wanted everything he did to remain hidden and impossible to trace.

That was why he had sent different proxies to acquire the farm and give a donation to Mount Hulong. He didn’t want to leave any tracks or links that could be traced back to him. He didn’t want to ripple the water’s surface.

The global awakening would be happening in less than two months. Time was too tight and if any mishaps happened, everything he had done before would be wiped clean.

As a result, Lu Yuan would rather go through more hassle and trouble and be cautious to the core.

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Lu Yuan drove forward into the outskirts of Hu City. Eventually, he stopped in front of a building located on a road along the outermost ring.

The building exuded an ancient charm with traditional upturned eaves and intricate wooden brackets. It was a structure that embodied the essence of classical Huaxia architecture. It stood five stories tall and instead of modern steel and concrete, it was constructed from wood. Two massive stone Pixiu statues flanked the entrance. Each weighed several tons and carved so vividly they seemed almost alive.

To own such a place within Hu City, it was evident that the owner’s background was anything but ordinary.

Lu Yuan alighted from his car and approached the entrance. He looked up toward the plaque above the door.

Two words were inscribed on it: Treasure Pavilion. The calligraphy was vigorous and fluid, like dragons and phoenixes dancing in unison.

Lu Yuan stepped through the doors. The first floor was spacious and grandeur and filled with carved screens and elegant seating arrangements. He walked straight to the front desk. Without any hesitation, he immediately said, “Hello, I’d like to go to the sixth floor.”

The receptionist was a young woman dressed in a qipao that accentuated her curves. She had striking features and an elegant demeanor. Upon hearing Lu Yuan’s words, she smiled politely and replied, “I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t have a sixth floor in our establishment.”

Lu Yuan didn’t argue. He merely reached into his inner pocket, fished out a black-gold card and placed it on the counter.

The woman’s eyes flickered as soon as she saw the card. Her tone instantly shifted.

Laced with reverence and the faint allure of something more, she said, “Ah, a distinguished guest. Sir, this way please.”

With that, she stepped out from behind the desk, and gave a graceful curtsey. She led the way forward, her hips swinging from side to side with an alluring charm.

Lu Yuan’s gaze briefly lingered in appreciation before he retrieved his card and followed at an unhurried pace.

To the outside world, the Treasure Pavilion was simply an upscale venue for fine dining and social gatherings. It was luxurious, perhaps, but nothing more than a high-end private club.

In truth, it was far from just a simple gathering spot. Beneath the surface, it operated as an underground trading hub—a black market, in plain terms.

Here, one could purchase just about anything, even items banned by law.

But first, one needed a net worth of at least a hundred million. In liquid cash. On top of that, one was required to pay over a million for an annual membership. Yes, just to hold membership for a year.

As such, those who knew of its real purpose and had the qualifications to enter were rarer than phoenix feathers.

And Lu Yuan just so happened to be one of them.

Led by the receptionist, he passed through corridor after corridor until they reached an elevator. Inside, there was only a single button; it was marked with the number “6.”

As soon as the both of them stepped into the elevator, it began descending.

That’s right. The so-called “sixth floor” wasn’t above ground, but underground.

Soon, the elevator doors opened. Lu Yuan stepped out while the receptionist remained inside.

Before him was a long hallway that was dimly lit. But at the end of the corridor was a vast, brightly lit space. It resembled a bar in layout, but much bigger. The lights were brighter and every seat was carved from rare, priceless wood. Every piece could fetch hundreds of thousands on the market.

This was the sixth floor of the Treasure Pavilion. There weren’t many people present, just a dozen or so. But of course, excluding the service staff, every single one of them present in the room was a billionaire.

“Ah! Mr. Lu! It’s been days since we last met! You’re looking even sharper than before!” A hearty voice rang out as a rotund middle-aged man in a tailored suit approached with a wide smile.

He was Manager Lin, the man in charge of the Treasure Pavilion’s sixth floor.

“Manager Lin, let’s skip the pleasantries,” Lu Yuan said with a wave of his hand. He then went straight to the point. “Regarding the item I asked for last time, did you find it?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep