Ning Zhiheng gently moved the porcelain plates aside and calmed himself down. He then reached into the earthenware jar and began to feel around inside.

Feeling the metallic texture of those pieces, Ning Zhiheng was overjoyed; this enormous fortune was finally in his hands.

After he took out the two large urns of gold ingots and placed them on the ground, watching the pile of gold ingots gleaming mesmerizingly under the lamplight, Ning Zhiheng felt as if his heart was about to leap out of his chest.

His savings from half a lifetime in his previous life, plus the value of the cultural relics and antiques he collected later, were at most a few million.

But the value of this pile of gold ingots was more than ten or even a hundred times that of his life savings. The difference was enormous, which shows how important opportunity is to a person; the wealth he unearthed overnight far exceeded half a lifetime's accumulation.

These gold ingots were all of uniform design and were minted in the same batch. He held one ingot in his hand, carefully touching and examining it. The bottom of the ingot was marked with the traditional Chinese characters for "ten taels," but there was no year inscription, indicating that it had been smelted privately. Gold has a very high density, and it was surprisingly heavy in his hand.

In my past life, I collected gold artifacts and knew how to identify gold. The gold was reddish-yellow in color and soft in texture, so I could confidently determine that it was genuine gold with a high purity.

There are probably over three hundred gold ingots here, so this sum of gold is at least three thousand taels! Three thousand taels of gold! This is an enormous fortune in any era. It's enough for Ning Zhiheng to live a wealthy and carefree life in this chaotic world.

It took Ning Zhiheng a long time to calm down. He prepared six cork boxes, neatly arranged the gold ingots, and filled all six boxes to the brim.

Then he gently placed the porcelain plates back into the earthenware urn. These porcelain plates were not valuable now, and taking them out would only be a burden, so it was better to bury them in the ground.

It took another hour to fill the soil back in and tamp it down. Then the blue bricks were all laid back in their original positions. Finally, water was poured on top, so that after a few days the traces of the excavation would be less noticeable.

He paid enough rent that the landlord wouldn't bother him for a while. By the time someone noticed something was wrong after a month or two, the place would already be empty.

It was already five in the morning. Ning Zhiheng, having suddenly acquired such a large fortune, was in high spirits and not sleepy at all. He quickly washed up, splashed cold water on his face, and tried to wake himself up.

Then he took off his military uniform, took out a prepared suit to change into, and put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. At this moment, Ning Zhiheng looked exactly like a refined and cultured rich young man.

Before dawn, he moved all six boxes to the car by the door, locked the door, and drove around for seven or eight blocks before stopping.

He won't come to this courtyard again. The door is locked, and the landlord certainly wouldn't dare to open it without permission.

Besides, the rent had already been paid in advance, so the landlord suffered no loss. He probably wouldn't cause any trouble. By the time the landlord realized something was wrong a few months later, everything would have changed.

Not far from the vehicle was a bank called Nanye Bank. This Nanye Bank had a good reputation in the capital city of Nanjing. It was rumored to have British backing. It was Ning Zhiheng's first choice bank in his plan; if the exchange didn't go smoothly, or if he couldn't sell the money in one go, he would choose a backup bank.

He waited in the car until it was fully light and the bank opened for business. Only then did Ning Zhiheng drive to the bank entrance. He got out of the car and gestured to the bank staff on duty at the entrance.

Seeing Ning Zhiheng's imposing manner, the two waiters knew he was no ordinary customer and quickly stepped forward to greet him with smiles.

Ning Zhiheng didn't say much, casually handing over two five-yuan notes as a tip, and then pointed to the six boxes on the car.

These two men received such a large tip so early in the morning—almost half a month's salary! Their faces lit up with joy. They were very perceptive; they knew this must be some rich young master coming to deposit money or goods, calling out "Young Master, Young Master!" incessantly.

The two men carried the wooden crate into the bank lobby, where there were only a few staff members and not many people.

Ning Zhiheng frowned and said, "Find a quiet place and call your manager to see me."

The two men immediately realized that the box felt quite heavy when they lifted it, indicating that a big deal was on the way.

They quickly moved the boxes into a beautifully decorated office next door. They asked Ning Zhiheng to wait a moment, then went to inform the manager.

The manager, dressed in a suit and tie, arrived quickly, looking shrewd and capable.

"My surname is Chen, Chen Kangshi. I am a department manager at Nanye Bank, in charge of savings business. I heard you have important business to attend to, sir?" Chen Kangshi said warmly. Having been in the business world for many years and seen countless people, he noticed that the young man sitting on the sofa in front of him had a straight posture, calm eyes, and a gentle yet somewhat unapproachable demeanor.

Ning Zhiheng smiled faintly and nodded politely, saying, "Manager Chen, my name is Lin Yifan. I'm here today to exchange some gold from my home for cash. I wonder if your Nanye Bank can handle that?"

"Mr. Lin, you flatter me. It's not that I'm boasting, but Nanye Bank has an excellent reputation in the industry. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come to our bank. May I ask how much you plan to exchange?" Chen Kangshi raised his eyebrows and became excited when he heard that he was there to exchange gold.

Precious metals are currently scarce and expensive on the market. The reason the Nationalist government was determined to reform its currency and issue legal tender last year was precisely because precious metals, especially gold and silver, were becoming increasingly scarce domestically. The significant increase in silver prices by countries like the US and UK caused a sharp rise in silver prices, leading to a large outflow of silver from China.

At the same time, a massive run on silver occurred, bringing the domestic financial market to the brink of collapse. Although the Nationalist government restricted silver, large quantities were still smuggled out of the country.

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