Chapter 235: Fake Polygonum multiflorum
As she spoke, Lin Yuyan winked at Chen Man Ni, a mischievous look on her face.
Chen Man Ni’s face immediately turned bright red, and she huffed,
"Cousin, what are you thinking? Your mind is so impure! Of course we each had our own room!"
However, Lin Yuyan just shook her head and continued with a wicked grin,
"Tch, I don’t believe you for a second! What man in this world is that nice and also that dumb?"
As she said this, she shot Qin Tuo a meaningful look and a suggestive smile.
Qin Tuo felt a bit helpless. Lin Yuyan was so blunt—she really didn’t have a filter, saying whatever she wanted regardless of the situation.
Chen Man Ni lightly tapped Lin Yuyan on the head.
"You little rascal, no more talk about this. Let’s get down to business!"
After saying this, however, Chen Man Ni couldn’t help but shoot a fierce glare at Qin Tuo, looking a little peeved.
This left Qin Tuo completely bewildered. ’A woman’s heart,’ he thought, ’is as mysterious as a needle at the bottom of the ocean.’
Seeing Chen Man Ni’s reaction, Lin Yuyan was a bit confused.
’Could it be that my cousin and this Qin Tuo really didn’t do anything?’ she secretly wondered.
But she didn’t press the issue, deciding that their real business was more important.
Qin Tuo instructed,
"Long Wu, I’m going to Jishi Hall to check things out first. You stay here and wait for my call."
Long Wu nodded and stayed at the hotel to await developments.
Lin Yuyan drove the two of them all the way to Jishi Hall’s main store.
Arriving at the entrance, Qin Tuo noticed that Jishi Hall was indeed quite impressive. As expected of one of the top three grand pharmacies in Jin City.
"Qin Tuo, let me tell you, this Jishi Hall is really famous around here. You can find basically any medicinal herb here. Later, just tell my brother-in-law directly whatever you need!"
Lin Yuyan enthusiastically told Qin Tuo all about the place.
Qin Tuo listened and nodded silently, all while surveying the interior of Jishi Hall.
As they walked inside, he noticed Zhou Qihua in the middle of a transaction for medicinal herbs with someone.
Noticing Qin Tuo and the others arrive, Zhou Qihua quickly had someone brew tea and then said with a smile,
"Mr. Qin, please don’t mind me. I have to discuss something first. Please, make yourselves comfortable in the lounge, I’ll be with you in a moment!"
Qin Tuo glanced over, however, and said with a smile,
"It’s no problem. You go ahead with your business. We’ll just have a look around here."
So, Zhou Qihua didn’t say any more and turned back to the middle-aged man in front of him.
This middle-aged man was clearly a medicinal herb merchant. In front of him was a red brocade cloth, carefully wrapped around a stalk of Polygonum multiflorum.
Zhou Qihua carefully picked up the Polygonum multiflorum and examined it for a long while, his eyes wide with amazement.
"My heavens, it really is the genuine article. This is a rare find, not something you see every day!"
Seeing Zhou Qihua’s reaction, a smug look instantly appeared on the middle-aged man’s face.
After examining it for a good while, Zhou Qihua reluctantly put the Polygonum multiflorum down.
Finally, his expression turned grave!
"Mr. Shangguan, this is a fine item, and I’d very much like to acquire it. But let’s follow protocol. Why don’t you name your price?"
The herb merchant, Shangguan Xiong, smiled faintly and said bluntly,
"Mr. Zhou, firm price for this item: twenty million!"
Hearing twenty million, Zhou Qihua was clearly very surprised, his brow furrowing slightly.
And when Chen Man Ni and Lin Yuyan heard the number, they couldn’t help but take a closer look at the Polygonum multiflorum.
’This Polygonum multiflorum...’ they both silently wondered. ’Is it really that special? Can it actually be worth twenty million?’
After all, it was just a single medicinal herb!
Qin Tuo, meanwhile, was lightly studying the Polygonum multiflorum, his thoughts unreadable.
Zhou Qihua couldn’t help but speak up.
"Mr. Shangguan, twenty million... isn’t that a little steep? Could you perhaps give me a small discount?"
However, Shangguan Xiong’s face hardened as he said,
"Mr. Zhou, you’re in this business too. A top-grade Polygonum multiflorum like this, a hundred years old, has even taken on a human-like shape. It’s incredibly rare. Twenty million isn’t expensive at all!"
Zhou Qihua gave a wry smile. He also knew that a hundred-year-old Polygonum multiflorum was extremely rare, and twenty million really wasn’t an exorbitant price.
But Zhou Qihua was a little short on cash at the moment, so he wanted to haggle the price down as much as possible.
"Mr. Shangguan, how about you lower it a bit more? I am truly sincere about buying this stalk of Polygonum multiflorum."
Zhou Qihua said, a little sheepishly.
However, a strange glint flashed in Shangguan Xiong’s eyes. He then stood up abruptly and huffily wrapped the Polygonum multiflorum back up.
"Mr. Zhou, I see Jishi Hall has no sincerity whatsoever. If that’s the case, then I’m not selling this Polygonum multiflorum!"
Zhou Qihua was suddenly overcome with anxiety. How could he possibly bear to let such a fine item slip through his fingers?
So, he gritted his teeth and declared on the spot,
"Alright, Mr. Shangguan, twenty million! I’ll take it!"
At this, Shangguan Xiong’s expression instantly relaxed.
"Now that’s more like it, Mr. Zhou. Twenty million is not a lot at all. Strictly speaking, you’re the one getting a huge bargain here!"
Zhou Qihua nodded, a helpless smile on his face.
’I’ll have to scrape it together,’ he thought, ’but I have to get these twenty million. First things first, secure this top-grade Polygonum multiflorum!’
Just as the two were about to complete the transaction, Qin Tuo suddenly spoke, his voice ice-cold.
"Mr. Zhou, spending twenty million on a fake... that’s bad business."
As his words fell, Zhou Qihua’s face was a mask of astonishment.
Chen Man Ni and Lin Yuyan’s jaws dropped in shock, and they stared at Qin Tuo in disbelief.
An angry expression immediately appeared on the herb merchant Shangguan Xiong’s face. He snorted coldly and said,
"Brat, who do you think you are? How dare you say my goods are fake! What nerve!"
Zhou Qihua’s brow also furrowed deeply as he couldn’t help but say,
"Mr. Qin, this is a hundred-year-old Polygonum multiflorum. How can you say it’s a fake?"
Clearly, he didn’t trust Qin Tuo’s judgment.
After all, he figured that since Qin Tuo had to rely on him to procure herbs, he couldn’t be a seasoned expert, but rather someone who only knew the basics.
And he, Zhou Qihua, was the Young Hall Master of Jishi Hall. He handled these medicinal herbs every single day. Could he possibly be more of an amateur than Qin Tuo?
Chen Man Ni also clearly thought that Qin Tuo must have made a mistake, and she couldn’t help but gently tug his sleeve.
But Qin Tuo paid her no mind, instead saying with a casual smile,
"This Polygonum multiflorum looks like a hundred-year-old specimen, but it’s actually a fake that’s been processed to look that way. If it were me, I wouldn’t even pay two thousand for it!"