Chapter 129: Young Man, I Demand Your Honesty!

I looked at the three of them and spoke slowly, "Through the Southern Jade Vein Map, I have discovered that there are remnants of an ancient jade vein beneath the Bengjian Market. Based on my calculations, there is still unmined ore remaining down there."

Chen Laobao frowned, his voice dropping, "Boss, this kind of excavation is illegal. If we are discovered, we will face enormous risks."

I shook my head, a mysterious smile playing on my lips, "Laobao, don't worry. I have already secured the right connections, and someone will be arriving in a couple of days to help us handle this. There is no need for you to be so nervous."

A flicker of surprise and excitement flashed in Lu Yier’s eyes, "Boss, this is a golden opportunity! If we can control this jade vein, our influence will surely increase significantly!"

Pan Ximi added excitedly, "That’s right, Boss. This way, not only can we strengthen our position, but we can also capture a larger share of the market."

I nodded, "Exactly. This operation must be kept confidential; no outsiders can know. Lu Yier, continue investigating Honglian's background, but be careful—do not alert the enemy."

Lu Yier nodded in response, "Understood, Boss. I will keep a low profile and ensure we aren't discovered."

I turned to Chen Laobao, "Laobao, you must monitor Honglian’s every move closely to ensure we stay updated on her latest activities. At the same time, you are responsible for coordinating the excavation to ensure everything goes smoothly."

Chen Laobao nodded, "Rest assured, Boss. I will arrange everything; there won't be any slip-ups."

Finally, I looked at Pan Ximi, "Ximi, your task is the most important. The security of the market must be guaranteed; no one can be allowed to infiltrate. Also, the matter of this underground residual vein must not be known to any outsiders before the auction!"

A look of determination crossed Pan Ximi's eyes, "Boss, don't worry. I will ensure the market's security. I won't give anyone the slightest chance."

I nodded with satisfaction, "Very good. Everyone, stay sharp. This operation is of great importance, and we cannot afford any mistakes. We must complete the excavation in the shortest time possible while maintaining a low profile."

The three of them replied in unison, "Yes, Boss!"

Over the next few days, we began our intensive preparations for the excavation.

Lu Yier continued his deep dive into Honglian's background, discovering that her financial backer was actually a mysterious overseas company with massive capital.

Chen Laobao kept a close watch on Honglian, only to find that she did not lead a particularly active life; she basically spent all her time in her own apartment in the city center.

A few days later, the connection I had contacted finally arrived. Li Tiancheng brought the party to our office.

Li Tiancheng led a group into the office, headed by a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, his brow revealing a scholar's rigor and wisdom.

I stood up to greet them with a smile, "Welcome, everyone. I am the person in charge here. Please, have a seat."

The middle-aged man nodded, sat down, and got straight to the point, "I am Professor Wang, head of the Liaobei Archaeological Team. Li Tiancheng has already given us a brief overview of the situation. You claim there are ancient jade vein remnants underground; this is an extremely important discovery for us, but we need to verify the specific details further."

I nodded, "Of course, Professor Wang. We have confirmed this through the Southern Jade Vein Map and have conducted preliminary prospecting. Here are some relevant documents for your review." As I spoke, I handed a stack of photocopies to Professor Wang.

Professor Wang took the documents and flipped through them carefully for a while, his brow furrowing slightly, "According to this data, there are indeed signs of an ancient jade vein, but we need to conduct a more detailed survey and verification."

"You... you gave me copies? I want to know where the originals are."

As soon as I heard this, I knew the bait had been taken.

After a moment's thought, I said slowly, "To be honest, we acquired this information inadvertently while buying old relics at the market. As for where the originals are, I truly don't know!"

Professor Wang sighed and shook his head, "Alas, what a pity, what a pity. This data you have is of national treasure level!"

I gave an embarrassed laugh, "Sorry, Professor. We are just jade merchants; we don't understand things that are too profound!"

Upon hearing this, Professor Wang's expression underwent a subtle change, and he turned to look at Li Tiancheng.

"Tiancheng, your friend doesn't seem very honest!"

"On the way here, you said your friend discovered the Jade Fox jadeite, yet now, listen to him—he claims he doesn't understand profound things?"

Li Tiancheng smiled and hurriedly smoothed things over, "Professor, you've misunderstood. My friend is just being modest. His eye for jade is top-notch; otherwise, he wouldn't have discovered this ancient jade vein."

Hearing Li Tiancheng back me up, I remained silent.

Truth be told, I still wanted to keep a low profile at this moment, because lately, I had seen too many people trying to devour me.

I hadn't yet figured out Professor Wang's true colors and didn't want any deeper contact with them beyond the work itself.

Professor Wang's brow smoothed slightly at these words, his gaze shifting back to me, "Young man, modesty is a virtue, but we are here to cooperate because of the ancient jade vein. You know, we represent the nation's largest Ancient Jade Museum. If we can truly excavate an ancient jade vein, it would be a major contribution to our collection and historical research. So, you can afford to be honest with us!"

I nodded, "Professor, are you serious?"

Professor Wang nodded, "Of course I am. Would I lie to you? Look at these people; they are all my own students!"

I looked around; the people who looked like students did indeed carry an air of academia.

"Since that's the case, I will be honest about my thoughts," I smiled. "We are willing to provide the site and all necessary support for free, but with one condition. We hope that in the later stages, this site can be developed into a museum on-site. If it requires the land, we can donate it, but we need an office building constructed for us here."

"In the future, next to this museum, the name of my Bengjian Market must not be any less prominent than the museum itself!"

Professor Wang looked up and chuckled, "Young man, you really know how to plan. It seems you want to use the museum's reputation to conduct your own business!"

I looked at Professor Wang, "Isn't this what you meant by being honest, Professor?"

Professor Wang scrutinized me and said, "The method you've suggested is not impossible, but I must say this upfront: the jade mine must be as valuable as you claim for us to build the museum. Otherwise, it is absolutely out of the question!"

I smiled, "I can guarantee that!"