Chapter 660 - 656: Gold Bracelet
Having worked the black market for years, Old Nine naturally understood the situation. He’d originally thought gold was a good commodity, but considering the current market, it was genuinely less valuable than a bag of rice.
He decisively gritted his teeth. "Fine. It’s all yours. Two thousand."
And so, right in front of Old Nine, the man pulled out a thick stack of large bills and began to count them.
Old Nine was dumbfounded. ’So much money... That must be at least three or four thousand!’
’This friend of Boss Xu’s is seriously loaded.’
The man handed two thousand to Old Nine. Leng Yuan stepped forward, collected the items, and followed him out.
Old Nine immediately sent one of his men to follow them.
Leng Yuan noticed him almost immediately.
"We’re being followed. Turn here and walk straight ahead. Don’t look back. I’ll go give him a little warning."
The man nodded, turned the corner, and walked away.
Leng Yuan turned the corner as well. Old Nine’s man didn’t dare get too close, so he only followed after Leng Yuan had disappeared around the bend.
But when he entered the alley, he found it empty. The next moment, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder as a punch sent him sprawling to the ground. A large hand then viciously clamped around his neck and lifted him into the air.
His feet dangled off the ground. The man following them was scared to death. He struggled violently, but his breathing grew more and more shallow. Just as he was about to suffocate, Leng Yuan slammed him against the wall.
"This isn’t very honest, is it? Payment rendered, goods received. So why are you still following us?"
The henchman was terrified. The man’s grim, murderous eyes made him lose his nerve completely. "S-Sir, please don’t be angry. I... I won’t do it again! Please, let me go! I was just following orders. I didn’t mean any harm."
Leng Yuan released his grip. The man immediately fell to his knees. In a low voice, Leng Yuan said, "Get lost."
Old Nine’s lackey didn’t dare to linger. He scrambled on all fours for several feet before struggling to his feet and running off.
Once Leng Yuan was sure no one was following, he returned to the rendezvous point.
This time, they met not at Lu Yuanbin’s house, but in a dilapidated courtyard.
He handed a golden ring to Lu Yuanbin’s friend. "Thank you for your help. This is a token of our boss’s appreciation."
Lu Yuanbin’s friend was taken aback. A golden ring just like that? That was very generous. He refused to take it, however.
Leng Yuan simply gave it to Lu Yuanbin instead, then left.
Lu Yuanbin handed it to his friend and said with a smile, "Come on, just take it. It’s for you. Consider it payment for your help."
The friend immediately broke into a grin. He thought, ’All I did was take a little stroll and I got a golden ring out of it.’ "Well, next time you have a gig like this, be sure to call me," he said.
Lu Yuanbin chatted with him for a bit, but the man had to rush back to work, so he soon left.
By the time Lu Yuanbin got back, Leng Yuan had already removed his disguise.
Lu Yuanbin and Leng Yuan had done this simply to avoid any future trouble. Using disguised identities was the easiest way.
Leng Yuan had intentionally withdrawn extra money. Sure enough, the moment he flashed the cash, it completely intimidated Mr. Jiu.
A wad of cash that thick would convince anyone that he wasn’t just some ordinary person. Even if their ruse was exposed later, Old Nine wouldn’t dare cause trouble for this mysterious figure.
After all, the deal was done—goods exchanged for cash.
Leng Yuan deposited the remaining money into another bankbook and then headed back with the items.
When Gu Jiaojiao saw the items, her eyes lit up.
The jadeite was lovely, but she was even more fond of the gold bracelet.
The Buddhist scriptures carved onto the gold bracelet were astonishingly lifelike. This was a traditional, old-world craft that truly tested an artisan’s skill—a technique that would later become a lost art.
Furthermore, it seemed the An Family had acquired the bracelet by chance and had never worn it.
That was understandable, though. The bracelet was in excellent condition—the gold was bright, and it was quite thick and heavy. Wearing it out in times like these would be far too conspicuous.