From Wage Slave to Tycoon

Su Chen and Old Man Chen didn’t discuss anything important during their phone call. After all, they both knew talking about that particular matter over the phone wasn’t wise.

Su Chen didn’t directly agree to Old Man Chen’s request to meet in person, either.

He just said that he had things to take care of for the next few days and they could schedule a time after he was done.

Recalling the flustered and exasperated sound of Old Man Chen’s voice on the other end before he hung up, the corners of Su Chen’s mouth lifted even higher.

Catching a big fish requires patience. You don’t yank the line with all your might from the get-go; you have to slowly wear the fish down before you can reel it in.

Old Man Chen was the big fish that had just taken the bait. Only by wearing him out until he was gasping for air could Su Chen truly make him useful. After all, controllable nuclear fusion technology was too earth-shattering to reveal all at once, even if the system claimed it was for civilian use.

That afternoon, Su Chen and Chen Fei didn’t stay in the hotel. Instead, they went out to experience the rich historical heritage of the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties, even having the hotel arrange a car to get them around.

Their first stop was, of course, the Terracotta Army. Su Chen chose it as their first destination because he wanted to see for himself just how magnificent the army, hailed as one of the Eight Wonders of the World, truly was.

As for places like the Giant and Small Wild Goose Pagodas, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, and the ancient city district, he planned to visit them later when he had the time.

The Terracotta Army Museum was only about fifty kilometers from the hotel. With a bit of speed, they could make it in under an hour.

"Sir, we’re at Lishan now. Would you like to go take a look?"

Hearing Chen Fei, Su Chen looked up from his phone in the back seat. Through the car window, he could just make out the billboard for the Lishan Scenic Area.

"Lishan? What’s so great about it? The only famous thing there is the Huaqing Pool where Yang Guifei bathed. I read online that it’s just a stone pit with nothing inside. Now, if they put the original jade stones back, it might be worth a look."

Chen Fei took the hint that Su Chen wasn’t interested and said no more.

It wasn’t far to the Terracotta Army after passing Lishan. By the time they arrived, it was just after two in the afternoon.

But even at this hour, there was an endless stream of visitors. Everywhere you looked, there was a sea of people.

What surprised Su Chen even more was the considerable number of foreigners among the tourists.

"Last-minute tour group! Officially partnered professional guide! Tickets included, only 138!"

"Two spots left in a ten-person group! Join now and we go!"

As soon as they left the open-air parking lot, they were met with numerous guides holding flags and shouting out their offers. Many of the tourists who were on self-driving or independent trips flocked over.

In the crowd, Su Chen spotted a familiar-looking back. ’What a coincidence.’

He led Chen Fei toward the familiar figure—a man with a tanned face and glasses, holding up a guide flag and shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Guide Xiaohei! Fancy meeting you here!"

Xiaohei, who was busy trying to pull in customers, heard the voice and his gaze naturally fell upon Su Chen. After a moment’s thought, he remembered who he was.

"You’re that tourist who joined our group at the last minute at the Mu Mansion in Lijiang."

For a tour guide, remembering your group members was a basic job requirement. If you couldn’t even recognize your own tourists, you were liable to lose them in the blink of an eye at a crowded attraction like this.

Hearing Guide Xiaohei’s words, Su Chen smiled and nodded. "Haha! I’m impressed you remember me, Guide Xiaohei. How many spots do you have left in your group?"

Xiaohei’s smile grew even wider. "As it happens, we’re just two short. If you join, we can head out right now."

Su Chen didn’t waste any time, joining the impromptu group on the spot. The price was a flat 138 yuan, which covered the admission ticket, an 8-yuan earpiece, and, of course, a 10-yuan fee for the guide service.

The impromptu group was quite large, with twenty people in total. It was a mix of men and women, young and old, with middle-aged and elderly members making up about two-thirds of the crowd. The remaining few looked very young, like they were first-year college students.

They passed through the entrance, put on the earpieces provided by the staff, and followed Guide Xiaohei into the Terracotta Army site.

Once inside, they found it was even more crowded than it had been outside. The entire plaza was filled with tourists, every one of them with a phone out, snapping pictures for their friends and family.

A massive statue of the First Qin Emperor stood in the plaza, affectionately nicknamed by many as "The Emperor Who Watches Over the Parking Lot"!

"So far, three pits have been excavated at the Terracotta Army site. We’re now heading to Pit Number One, which contains the most warriors," Guide Xiaohei explained as they walked. He also shared interesting facts and anecdotes about the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, which was an eye-opener for many in the group.

His thick, halting impression of the First Emperor speaking in a local Shaanxi dialect—"It’s mine, it’s mine, all of it is mine!"—got a good laugh out of the group.

The moment he stepped into Pit Number One, Su Chen was completely stunned by the sight before him.

"Oh my god! This is incredible!"

Before Su Chen could even voice his own awe, one of his fellow tourists beat him to it, blurting out the sentiment in English. His thunder stolen, Su Chen gave up on exclaiming and simply took out his phone to start taking pictures.

"What we see before us is the site of Pit Number One. Does anyone know the story of how it was discovered?" Guide Xiaohei asked, waving the flag in his hand.