Although I was deceived by the young man, our chance encounter prevented Jiang Man from suffering even greater losses.

After I ordered the young man to be released, Jiang Man asked me, "After we woke up, we've been looking for you. We thought you were still asleep or had been assigned to another neighborhood, but judging from your appearance, it seems you've already familiarized yourself with Fengmen Village beforehand?"

“That’s right. After I woke up last night, I went to familiarize myself with Fengmen Village, but I only got a general look. Not long after, I encountered the red lantern and spent the night outside.”

As we spoke, I led the group outside, explaining what I had seen and heard the previous night. I then said to Jiang Man, "You've never been to Fengmen Village before, yet you want to exchange 100 million yuan in cash directly. Is the Jiang family really that wealthy?"

"The Jiang family isn't exactly a top-tier conglomerate, but our ancestors have been doing business since the Republican era. We wouldn't dare compare ourselves to those financial tycoons with special backgrounds, but we're definitely a level above the Wei family's Changwei Group."

Jiang Man answered my question calmly: "Fengmen Village has a long history, but there are no legends about it outside. It must be because the village has issued some kind of special prohibition on people with villager status. Before we set off, my dad said that money can move mountains, so he prepared 100 million yuan in cash for us to use to buy intelligence and ensure our own safety."

I continued, "Aren't you afraid that carrying so much money on you will attract unwanted attention?"

Jiang Man wrinkled her nose: "I'm not stupid. How could I not know the principle of not flaunting wealth? I only dared to take money after hearing about the rules of Fengmen Village. Besides, as the number one black market in the country, it's probably not a big deal for us to take out 100 million."

I thought of the gambling den I frequented, where each bet required an investment of five million, but the success rate was only one in sixteen. I also saw antiques on the roadside that were sold for millions. I nodded in deep agreement: "Yes, spending money here requires exchanging cash for ghost money. The smallest denomination is one hundred thousand. The level of consumption is indeed astonishing."

The monkey then became interested in Jiang Man: "Miss Jiang, I remember you said before that you are the only child in your family. So, will you inherit all of your family's property in the future? If Young Master Duan becomes your family's son-in-law, won't he be sleeping on piles of money every day?"

"It's not as exaggerated as you say. Although my family's business is large, the scale is also large. The cash flow is not as huge as you imagine. But as long as the heir does not have bad habits and does not make reckless investments, even if it is just deposited in the bank to earn interest, it will be enough for several generations of descendants to enjoy."

As Jiang Man spoke, she turned her gaze to me: "How about it, are you interested in trying to marry into a wealthy family and become a carefree prince consort?"

“I’m already struggling to make a profit running my family’s small pawnshop. If I were to actually go to your Jiang family, I’d probably be the kind of person you’re talking about who makes reckless investments.”

I jokingly rejected Jiang Man, but I had a strange feeling in my heart.

I'm not stupid, so I can naturally tell that Jiang Man really likes me, but my feelings for her are complicated.

I have little romantic history. The woman I've interacted with the most in my life is Gao Ya, but this vicious woman still managed to screw me over once.

Then there's Wei Shengnan. When we first met, I really liked Wei Shengnan's cool personality. Plus, the hallucinations I experienced at the Demon Monk's Tomb made me have some inexplicable feelings for her. However, given her hatred for Duan Jinyan, it was destined that we would have a hard time being together.

As for Jiang Man, I don't know if I like her or not, but I've always found her pleasing to the eye. Or rather, with Jiang Man's beauty, I'm afraid every man would be attracted to her.

Ever since I found out that Jiang Tianyi was my former uncle, I've felt that my relationship with Jiang Man is a bit strange. Although we are not related by blood, from my aunt's perspective, Jiang Man is my cousin.

More importantly, the gap between my family background and Jiang Man's is too great.

Although I now have several hundred million yuan and a rising reputation in the antique world, this reputation is limited to the circle. If I were to marry an ordinary woman, we could live a happy and prosperous life as ordinary people.

If I were to be with Jiang Man, my wealth would be nothing in their family. No matter what I thought, in the eyes of outsiders, I would be suspected of being a kept man. My sensitive self-esteem, which I developed since childhood, makes me particularly resistant to this kind of thing.

To put it bluntly, I was suppressing my emotions and trying not to develop feelings for Jiang Man.

Because, considering factors such as family background and education, I am not good enough for Jiang Man.

My prior investigation the night before proved very useful. After exchanging cash with Jiang Man at the money exchange, I didn't rush to the Zhongle Gambling House. Instead, I was still thinking about the Hidden Emperor Inscribed Sword that I had my eye on the day before. So, after paying back the money, I asked around and headed towards the pharmacy.

As I walked along, I discovered that Fengmen Village was actually composed of several huge underground spaces, much larger than the villages I usually saw. Some passages were even guarded by heavily armed men with guns, prohibiting entry. I guessed that those places were places that ordinary people could not access.

I went to three caves before I finally found the location of the pharmacy.

As soon as I arrived at the entrance, I saw the stall owner I had traded with yesterday setting up his stall in the distance, so I strolled over leisurely and asked, "Hey buddy, how's business today?"

The stall owner recognized my voice and nodded: "Not bad. Fengmen Village is never short of people who come to make a fortune. My things are reasonably priced, so of course they're popular."

"Is that thing I liked yesterday still available?"

I glanced at the stall and found that the sword was no longer there. Although I was a little worried, I didn't show it on my face. After all, there are no fixed prices for antiques. The more you show that you like it, the more the other party will ask for.

"The item is here, but we need to renegotiate the price."

The stall owner tossed me the cigarette case: "This morning, someone came to see this sword and offered 4.8 million. I saw yesterday that you really liked it, so I held it for you a little longer to see if you could raise the price. If not, this thing will belong to someone else!"

"In that case, it really is a case of me being unlucky with things. It's a good thing that it has a better place to go. I wish you great fortune, boss!"

I left him with those words and turned to leave.

I bet he's holding back the price. The reason he's hiding the item is to ask for more money when I come. Otherwise, given his style, he would never give it to me if someone offered a higher price.

"Alright, come back now."

The boss could tell I was an experienced person just by looking at me, so he stopped pretending and asked, "Did you bring the money?"

I pulled out the prepared ghost money and handed it over: "Four million!"

The shopkeeper took the money, rang the bell on his stall, and then the people from Fengmen Village patrolling the market came over and began to conduct currency transactions for us.

Just then, I suddenly heard a quarrel coming from the pharmacy, and one of the voices sounded very familiar to me.