Chapter 189: You Think You’re Smart? I Think You’re Just Smarting

Lu Chaoyang stood with his head held high and chest puffed out, looking righteous as if asking her what she planned to do.

"You’re always going on about how smart you are. This time, I really did a number on you, didn’t I?"

"Forget it, I’m not going to bicker with you." Gu Shengsheng patted his shoulder. "It’s a well-known secret that you’re an amateur."

"I just heard you need some medicinal herbs. I have a ginseng root that’s about 400 years old. If you want it, you can buy it from me."

Then, Gu Shengsheng took it out and dangled it in front of him.

At first glance, Lu Chaoyang didn’t believe it at all. At second glance, he remembered Gu Shengsheng’s reputation in the antique market and the money she’d recently made. She was truly incredible.

By the third glance... Gu Shengsheng was already walking away. He hadn’t been able to buy the herbs Chairman He required for nearly half a month!

’Damn it!’ he cursed internally, deciding to swallow his pride.

He followed and grabbed Gu Shengsheng, saying with a cold expression, "Gu Shengsheng!"

"Ahem, setting other things aside... that herb of yours, I’ll take it!!"

Li Bai was speechless. ’I didn’t expect this President Lu to be so flexible. Miss Gu is really something else; she has him figured out completely.’

He and Miss Yang had both agreed that a man as proud as Lu Chaoyang probably wouldn’t chase after her. But Gu Shengsheng had been very calm, confident that her ginseng would sell.

People who liked her might not know the full extent of her fame and deeds, but those who detested her had surely analyzed her word by word, constantly trying to find fault in her speech and actions.

They hoped to see her fail, but frustrated by their inability to find anything, they just kept analyzing her every move, which led to them... understanding her better and better.

And Lu Chaoyang was one of the latter.

Gu Shengsheng mused, ’I’m not just going to sell this ginseng. I’m going to take all of Lu Chaoyang’s business. This money has to be earned from him.’

More importantly, Gu Shengsheng’s target was still that Chairman He. The He Family was dead set on dealing with her, so why couldn’t she, Gu Shengsheng, turn the tables on them?

’Things were starting to get interesting.’

Gu Shengsheng presented the ginseng again and said, "For this, I want eighty million from you."

’The market price is around ten million. Is it really that excessive for me to ask Lu Chaoyang for eighty million?’ she mused to herself.

Hearing the price, Lu Chaoyang cursed, "You’re insane!"

"Are you this ruthless with everyone you do business with?"

"Take it or leave it," Gu Shengsheng said. "I always do business with integrity. I can guarantee this is authentic. Perhaps you should take a picture and show it to your real boss first."

"You can come find me once you’re satisfied. If you don’t want it, I have other buyers."

Lu Chaoyang was still disdainful. "You’re just trying to rip me off. I don’t want it."

"I’ll buy it somewhere else."

Though he said that, he had already taken a photo and a screen recording to send to Chairman He, even adding a cautious inquiry.

However, Chairman He didn’t reply.

Then, he walked away with a flourish.

Li Bai watched his retreating back. "Miss Gu, will he come looking for you again tomorrow?"

"He will. Someone like Chairman He, who consumes so many traditional herbs, is definitely a connoisseur."

Li Bai was exasperated. "I knew any item you buy would be a sure thing. I already knew you were amazing at finding hidden gems, but now, watching you do it is like watching myself eat a meal—it’s so simple for you that I’m actually getting jealous!"

Yang Jiao added proudly, "Our Shengsheng is the best Treasure Appraiser there is. If he doesn’t want it, you can sell it to me. I’ll take it."

Gu Shengsheng squeezed Sister Yang Jiao’s hand. "I’d give you a discount, of course. This price is just for Lu Chaoyang."

Li Bai found it strange. "Then what about the other herbs? The ones he needs are generally impossible to find. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have snuck over to the Ghost Market."

Gu Shengsheng crouched down in front of a stall, the same one run by the uncle in the gaudy northeastern-style padded jacket.

This time, Gu Shengsheng directly picked out some medicinal herbs she wanted. Then she paid. It wasn’t much, as they were all things the uncle had dug up in the mountains himself.

So they weren’t expensive to buy.

Gu Shengsheng only spent five hundred thousand, and with the System’s help, everything became much simpler.

She managed to buy three types of herbs at this one stall. There were many others in total, but she had ways to gather them all.

She was about to stand up and leave when she happened to touch a porcelain fragment that had been tossed to the side. The owner was currently using it to cut herbs, and it looked like the fragment had been broken for a long time.

[System]:

Item: Ru Kiln Sky Blue Glaze Sunflower Bowl Fragments

Era: Northern Song

Description: Ru Kiln ware is rare and finely crafted. A Sky Blue Glaze Sunflower Bowl fired in this style was sold in the 20th century for 190 million. This fragment is one-quarter of the original bowl. The host is advised to collect it.

Market Value: None at present.

Gu Shengsheng understood what this meant. A single fragment was worthless. But if she could find all the pieces and put them back together...

...then, after a cultural relic restoration, she could earn a price close to two hundred million.

Gu Shengsheng knew the risk was huge, but there was no harm in acquiring it now. So, she began to negotiate with the owner for the price of the porcelain fragment.

The owner clearly didn’t care much for it. "I just picked it up randomly. Every day around this time, a lot of fragments get thrown out here. What? Miss, did you see something special about this piece?"

"No," Gu Shengsheng said.

"I just wanted to use it to cut herbs, too. It looks like it works well for you."

The owner nodded. "You can have it!"

"Okay." Gu Shengsheng didn’t stand on ceremony and accepted it directly. Although the hope of finding the other three fragments was slim, for Gu Shengsheng, it was best to let nature take its course.

If it was meant to be, it would happen. If not, that was fine too.

...

Li Bai had been quite worried about Gu Shengsheng, but now, seeing her handle things with such ease—not only getting the herbs but also taking the owner’s broken bowl piece—he thought, ’This girl really knows how to secure her interests. She even took a liking to the owner’s porcelain fragment! She sees value in everything.’

In any case, she already had three types of herbs in hand. She would surely find a way to get the rest. Victory was practically guaranteed.

Li Bai thought of Lu Chaoyang, then felt it wasn’t quite right and said, "Isn’t he your cousin? Shouldn’t you, for the sake of family, charge him a little less?"

"He really doesn’t deserve to be my family. He’s both stupid and malicious. Being merciful to him now would only prove that I’m a fool and serve no other purpose," Gu Shengsheng said.

Li Bai nodded and quickly jotted her words down in a small notebook. ’No wonder Gu Shengsheng is so successful. She has a crystal-clear grasp of everything.’

"It’s just that, with you and Mr. Ryan, it’s probably best to keep some distance. If you two get too close, it probably won’t be good for your reputation."

"We were never that close to begin with," Gu Shengsheng said.

’But I really can’t let my own affairs drag him down.’ Gu Shengsheng felt that what Li Bai said was quite right.