Chapter 200: Imagining 1 Big Shot

Chapter 200: Chapter 200: Imagining 1 Big Shot

He Xiong quickly finished consulting his superiors, securing a certain level of authorization and a tiered reference price list.

"Ten centennial ginseng roots, eight hundred thousand each.

"Five roots between two and three hundred years old, two million each.

"Three roots between three and five hundred years old, five million each.

"One root over five hundred years old, ten million."

He Xiong had taken over his family’s business. With branches in every town across the county, he was already considered a major business owner at the local level, easily able to produce millions in cash on a whim. But in the grand scheme of his entire extended family, that was nothing. Now, simply because he took the initiative last night, his single request had directly facilitated a deal worth over forty million.

He was thrilled! He felt as if he had reached the absolute peak of his life. If this deal went through, he might step straight into his family’s core circle.

"Younger Brother Zhang, can you pull this off? Whether your older brother here can soar to new heights rests entirely on your shoulders! You might fetch a higher price selling them individually, but it might not be as smooth as working together. I can personally..." He Xiong chuckled bitterly. "Well, this whole deal adds up to over forty million. If it actually goes through, you’ll be richer than me. Me personally subsidizing you a few hundred thousand won’t make a dent. How about... this!

"All the connections and resources of Six Records and myself are at your disposal! Although they might not be worth mentioning in a big city like this, they’re quite effective back in our hometown. What’s mine is yours. Whatever you want to do, just give the order, and I won’t say a word against it!"

Being able to take charge of the family at a young age, his boldness was his greatest asset! If a total price of over forty million wasn’t enough to tempt Zhang Yun, adding a few hundred thousand or even a few million more would be meaningless. However, betting his connections and network would make things much more convenient in the countryside—something Zhang Yun couldn’t obtain just by having a sudden influx of cash.

Zhang Yun extended his hand. "Deal! I don’t know much about your large family; I’m doing this out of trust for you."

He Xiong shook his hand excitedly. "Thank you! Thank you!"

He was extremely glad about the decision he had made the previous day. If he had caused trouble for that woman and insisted on compensation, today would never have happened. Or, if he hadn’t placed enough trust in Zhang Yun, he wouldn’t have secured this high-grade ginseng.

"Let’s get the ugly talk out of the way," Zhang Yun warned mildly. "If anyone in your family decides to save a buck by trying any underhanded tricks on me, they will face the consequences!"

"How could that be! Our Six Records is a genuine time-honored brand. What we value most is our reputation. Wealth is something we can earn together through cooperation..."

Zhang Yun cut off He Xiong’s explanation. "I don’t know your family... and neither do you. You can’t make decisions for them! I expect you to pass this warning on to your patriarch. Otherwise, if something goes wrong, you’ll be stuck in a hard place." He patted He Xiong heavily on the shoulder.

Listening to Zhang Yun, He Xiong felt a heavy pressure that crushed any thought of resistance. He wondered why such a young man, who merely dug up ginseng for a living, could make him feel so pressured. After all, he regularly rubbed shoulders with officials and business owners of all levels across the county.

"Understood, I’ll pass on the message."

Just as He Xiong agreed, he felt something hard poke his thigh. Looking down, he was so startled he almost cried out!

Zhang Yun was holding a gun in his hand!

Even though He Xiong had never used one, he could feel the cold, heavy touch of iron. This was no toy!

"Younger Brother Zhang, you can’t joke around with something like this...!"

This was the gun Asura had picked up. While helping Qi Luo undress, Zhang Yun had stowed it away along with its bullets. The weapon was crucial to Qi Luo, so it wasn’t appropriate for him to just keep it for himself. But since he was leaving the room, he worried about the housekeeping staff coming in. It would be a huge mess if a maid kindly folded her clothes, only for a loaded gun to tumble out.

Zhang Yun saw that He Xiong wasn’t taking his words seriously enough, so he simply drew the gun to demonstrate his leverage. When he put the weapon away, he also flashed a bullet to prove it wasn’t a toy.

"Don’t worry, I’m not threatening you. I’m just telling you that my true background far exceeds what you know about me! And I know very well how unscrupulous people can get when profits are involved. Over forty million is more than enough to make people do crazy things. Human nature cannot withstand such temptations."

Zhang Yun smiled and casually continued eating his breakfast.

He Xiong couldn’t stay calm anymore. Bumping into Zhang Yun meeting up with young housewives or picking up girls was nothing. That was something all men would do if given the chance; those who didn’t usually just lacked the means or feared the trouble.

But what just happened deeply shocked him! As his mindset shifted, his imagination naturally started connecting the dots.

No wonder he felt pressured when Zhang Yun became serious earlier; that was a legendary murderous aura! And didn’t Zhang Yun have an incredibly gorgeous girlfriend with a powerful presence? Zhang Youcai had mentioned she drove a Maybach. Why would a woman like that take a fancy to him and chase him all the way to Tianxin Village? To have such an exceptional girlfriend and still confidently mess around with other women—it had to be because he was an absolute badass! That explained why he could casually dig up ginseng when no one else could, getting whatever he wanted. Perhaps Zhang Yun’s apparent background was ordinary, but he secretly had an unfathomably powerful master. Or maybe he had already reached the pinnacle of success during his university days, seen all the prosperity the world had to offer, and simply decided to retire to a small mountain village.

In just a short moment, He Xiong had already visualized Zhang Yun as a hidden powerhouse living in seclusion! Although young, he was vastly experienced and possessed a terrifyingly deep background. If provoked, the consequences would be severe!

"Why are you looking at me? Are you full?" Zhang Yun asked, noticing He Xiong staring at him continuously.

He Xiong suddenly felt as if Zhang Yun was like John Wick from the movie John Wick—looking like a complete nobody, but once his dog was killed, he wiped out an entire syndicate with a single gun.

"I’m full. I’ll take your message back and give them a solemn warning." He Xiong quickly piled on a bright smile. "Brother Yun, take your time eating. If you need anything, leave me a message anytime."

Originally, he had changed "Boss Zhang" to "Younger Brother Zhang" to pull their relationship closer. But after imagining Zhang Yun’s true identity, he didn’t dare act arrogant anymore. Even though he was seven or eight years older than Zhang Yun, he naturally called him "Brother Yun."

Zhang Yun was caught between laughter and tears. Was He Xiong that frightened by a gun? Was he really just a simple, law-abiding businessman?

"Wait a minute!"

"Go ahead, Brother Yun."

"If our initial cooperation goes well, and you have the need and can afford the price, I might be able to find you a thousand-year-old ginseng. Think about it." After saying that, Zhang Yun continued eating.

He Xiong’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

A thousand-year-old ginseng!

Centennial ginseng was already incredibly rare; even seventy- or eighty-year-old roots were often generously classified as centennial. What kind of concept was a thousand-year-old ginseng? Even if discounted to eight hundred years, that still meant it had been growing since the Song Dynasty! For someone like He Xiong, who had grown up steeped in the herbal medicine trade, such a thing belonged only in myths. In reality, a ginseng root couldn’t possibly survive that long. It would literally have become a spirit! Yet... coming from Zhang Yun’s mouth, the claim felt utterly unquestionable.

"Brother Yun, this really isn’t something I can decide on alone. I will report it truthfully to the family. However... I reckon the elders will only believe in the existence of a thousand-year-old ginseng after the transaction we just discussed is actually completed."

The reason the family had tiered the prices into brackets like two to three hundred years and three to five hundred years was to account for a margin of error. For the highest tier of over five hundred years, finding one that was genuinely four hundred years old would already be extremely difficult. A thousand-year-old ginseng was truly unimaginable!

"No problem. You can head out first," Zhang Yun said, having already noticed a young man walking toward them.

Sensing that something was amiss, He Xiong hurriedly stood up and took his leave.