From Wage Slave to Tycoon

"We don’t know." For once, everyone shook their heads in unison.

The tour guide, Xiaohei, looked as if he had expected this. "The Terracotta Army was discovered by a farmer digging a well. His discovery is what led to the Pit No. 1 we see today."

As soon as he finished, someone asked curiously, "Xiaohei, were these warriors actually made from real people? They look just like them!"

At this, everyone looked at Xiaohei with curiosity. Su Chen was no exception; he was also wondering if they were clay figures or real people.

The reason for this idea had to do with a certain film by a famous director with the surname Zhang, *A Terracotta Warrior*, which depicted people being encased in clay.

"Hahaha! That’s a great question, but I’m afraid I have to disappoint you all. In reality, these are all clay figures, crafted by ancient artisans in a one-to-one scale based on real people."

Upon hearing the answer, the tour group members nodded thoughtfully. But Su Chen noticed a hint of disappointment on a couple of faces?

This was something Su Chen hadn’t expected. ’Were they actually hoping the warriors were made from real people?’

Su Chen couldn’t help but shudder at the thought. ’It really takes all sorts to make a world.’

They spent a good half hour in Pit No. 1. Xiaohei’s commentary was excellent; he even explained in great detail how to distinguish the ranks of the warriors.

Pits No. 2 and No. 3 weren’t as stunning as the first. This was because the excavation techniques at the time were inadequate. Many of the freshly unearthed warriors were still painted, but their colors vanished almost immediately upon exposure.

This phenomenon prompted the relevant authorities to halt further excavations. Otherwise, who knows how many years it would have taken just to unearth all of them.

It’s a well-known fact that in a place like Xi’an, you could dig a hole almost anywhere and stand a good chance of hitting an ancient tomb.

The most unfortunate people are those who buy property in Xi’an. You never know when construction on your home will actually be finished. If you’re unlucky enough that a high-ranking tomb is discovered under your property, you probably won’t see your new house for another three to five years.

This is precisely why, despite its thriving tourism industry, Xi’an’s urban development lags considerably behind other cities.

After touring the three pits, they went to see the historical artifacts discovered during the excavation. The exquisite relics were a real eye-opener for Su Chen.

He marveled at the superb craftsmanship of the ancient artisans.

When the tour ended, Su Chen didn’t leave the group right away. Instead, he chatted with Xiaohei and learned that the guide primarily worked in the Jiangnan region. He only led tours in cities like Xi’an and Lijiang occasionally.

Xiaohei even extended a special invitation for him to visit the Jiangnan region, to experience the waterside towns and see the beauty of the Suzhou Gardens.

His words reminded Su Chen that there was a Suzhou Garden from one of the blind boxes he’d opened. At the time, he had been so preoccupied with the civilian technology that he hadn’t yet looked into what the deal was with his garden.

To that end, Su Chen had Chen Fei get Xiaohei’s phone number. It would be much more convenient to have a guide when he eventually traveled to Jiangnan.

Before leaving, Su Chen couldn’t resist asking Xiaohei for some food recommendations. As a guide, he was bound to know more than the average tourist.

"Sajin Bridge or the Bell Tower District. Both have a bit of a residential vibe, but the street food there is excellent. As for the Hui District... I’ll let you decide for yourself..."

"Alright, I get the picture!" Su Chen naturally understood the implication. He said his goodbyes and left with Chen Fei.

Xiaohei watched them leave, pondered for a moment, then shook his head and turned back toward his tour group.

By the time they headed back to the city, the sky was already dark. Exhausted from the long afternoon, Su Chen decided they’d just find a random restaurant in Lintong to grab a bite. Xiaohei’s recommendations could wait until tomorrow.

Interestingly, while Su Chen and Chen Fei were having dinner that evening, Professor Chen called again. He wanted to meet with Su Chen that night, but when he learned they weren’t in downtown Xi’an, he could only hang up in disappointment.

The more anxious Professor Chen became, the calmer Su Chen acted. Once he had worn down the old man’s patience enough, it would be time to reel him in.

.......

Over the next two days, Su Chen thoroughly explored Xi’an. He visited the Giant and Small Wild Goose Pagodas, the Bell Tower, and the Drum Tower, and even rode a bike for a lap on the ancient city wall.

It couldn’t be helped—the wall was over eight miles long. Once you were up there, it was a hassle to get down, so they simply spent a little money to rent two bicycles and enjoy the scenery as they rode.

During those two days, Su Chen also sampled plenty of Xi’an’s famous cuisine, like *biangbiang* noodles, Qishan-style noodles, and numerous other snacks. He even got up early one morning to visit the city gate market.

He had a fantastic time over those few days, though there were, of course, a few minor incidents.

The most memorable incident was when his phone died while he was biking on the city wall. As luck would have it, he immediately ran into someone selling power banks. It was a real eye-opener for Su Chen; he even marveled at the vendor’s sharp business sense.

’Selling power banks on the ancient city wall, of all places.’

What Su Chen never expected was that while the power bank felt satisfyingly heavy in his hand, as if it were well-made, it didn’t survive what happened next. While swerving to avoid a pedestrian who had suddenly jumped out, he moved a bit too sharply. The power bank went flying from his bike, smashed against the ancient wall, and broke into pieces.

When the broken casing revealed a sandbag and two Nanfu batteries inside, Su Chen was completely floored.

Seeing this, how could he not realize he’d been scammed? He stared at the two batteries dangling from the wiring...

’Heh. "One is better than six," alright,’ he thought wryly. ’If they’d used a cheaper battery, this scam would’ve been exposed long ago.’

Furious, Su Chen biked along the wall for a while, but the person who sold him the fake power bank was nowhere to be found.

After calming down and thinking it over, Su Chen decided it wasn’t such a bad thing. After all, you never know what might happen on a trip, and everything you encounter—good or bad—just adds a bit of flavor to the journey.

"Sir, Professor Chen is calling again," Chen Fei said in a low voice, walking over to Su Chen, who was standing by the window. "This is the third time this morning. Should I keep ignoring it?"

"’The timing is about right. Any longer and I’m afraid Professor Chen might slip the hook.’ With that, Su Chen took the phone.

Smiling at the caller ID on the screen, Su Chen answered the call.

The moment the call connected, Professor Chen’s excited voice came through. "Young friend Su, you finally answered! You’re not going out sightseeing today, are you? I was wondering if you might have time to meet..."

Su Chen could feel the eager anticipation in his voice, even through the phone.

"Mm, I’m a bit tired after sightseeing for the past few days. I was planning to take it easy today."

Hearing this, Professor Chen’s voice rose a few notches. "Young friend Su, if it’s convenient, I can come visit you at your hotel."

"There’s no need for you to come to the hotel."

Professor Chen thought Su Chen was rejecting him again. Just as he was about to hang up in defeat, he heard Su Chen’s voice once more. "How about this, Professor Chen? I’m heading to Professor Wu’s house in a little while to discuss something. If you’re free, why don’t we meet there?"

"Yes, yes! At old Wu’s place! I’ll head back right now!" With that, Professor Chen excitedly hung up.

Looking at the disconnected call, a smile played on Su Chen’s lips. ’Looks like he’s even more anxious than I expected.’

After getting ready, Su Chen headed out with Chen Fei.

.......

"I’m telling you, old Chen, can you please stop pacing? You’re making me dizzy."

Professor Wu couldn’t help but say something as he watched Professor Chen pace back and forth in the living room.

"How can I not be anxious? The kid finally agreed to meet me! Do you have any idea what I’ve been through these past few days?!"

Seeing Professor Chen’s disheveled, nest-like hair, Professor Wu swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He understood exactly how the old man felt; he wouldn’t have been any better off in the same situation.

Professor Wu had a good idea what game Su Chen was playing, but he had no intention of spelling it out. If Su Chen really did have some of the formulas for controlled nuclear fusion, then bringing the old professor into the fold wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.

After waiting for about half an hour, there was finally a knock on the door.

The already impatient Professor Chen practically bounded to the door. When he opened it and saw Su Chen, he was so excited he was practically shaking.

"S-Su... Young friend Su, quickly, please come in!"