His tone was calm, yet it carried a chilling pressure.
Monkey Three's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, his face ashen, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. Looking into Xu Kuo's unfathomable eyes, he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
"No...no...no more! Master! Master Xu! I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness! I was a bastard! Please, have mercy on me this time!" Monkey Three scrambled backward, pleading incoherently.
Xu Kuo snorted coldly, too lazy to even glance at this spineless coward. He turned around, his sharp gaze sweeping over the vendors who had been shouting moments before but were now silent as cicadas in fear.
"Who else thinks I, Xu Kuo, cheated you out of your vegetables? Who else wants to sabotage my business? If you have the guts, step forward!"
The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly carried throughout the entire corner.
When Xu Kuo glanced at them, the vendors all lowered their heads and didn't dare to breathe.
Are you kidding me?! Even the thugs Monkey Three hired were taken down in an instant. These ordinary vendors wouldn't even be a match for them! Fear had long since replaced their previous greed and anger.
"No...no, no!"
"Mr. Xu is joking, we wouldn't dare!"
"It was our fault, let's leave now!"
Someone shouted first, and the other vendors, as if granted a pardon, dared not linger. They scattered like birds and beasts, fleeing as if from a plague, and were all gone in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this dramatic scene, the villagers who had come with Xu Kuo looked at him with awe and fervent worship.
"Kuowa is amazing! He's practically a god descended from heaven!"
"Yeah! Those fierce-looking guys were like toys to him!"
"Following Brother Kuo is the right thing to do! Who will dare to bully the people of Qingshan Village again!"
For a time, compliments and praises were heard incessantly.
Xu Kuo waved his hand, his face showing no smugness: "Alright, stop standing there, hurry up and pack up, get back to selling vegetables! Go do what you're supposed to do!"
"Alright!" The crowd responded enthusiastically and got to work with great energy, their eyes filled with even greater respect for Xu Kuo.
Xu Kuo looked at the stalls that had regained order, but his mind was on something else. He gave Niu Erbao a few instructions, then turned and walked alone into the village.
As soon as I arrived at the village entrance, I saw Niu Erbao running over in a hurry, his face filled with anxiety.
"Master, something terrible has happened!"
Xu Kuo frowned slightly: "What's wrong? Tell me slowly."
Niu Erbao took a breath and said urgently, "The batch of fertilizer you bought is almost used up! The vegetables in the field are growing very well, and if we run out of fertilizer, we'll be in trouble!"
"Is there not enough fertilizer?" Xu Kuo's mind raced.
Perfect timing! My system points are almost depleted; it's time to find a way to replenish them. This fertilizer is crucial; it directly affects the subsequent harvest and my grand plan to make money.
He pondered for a moment, then instructed Niu Erbao: "Take some men and carefully tend to the remaining land. Don't rush to use fertilizer. I'll figure out a way to get fertilizer."
“Okay!” Although Niu Erbao was puzzled, he trusted Xu Kuo’s words completely and immediately nodded in agreement, then turned around to arrange the manpower.
Xu Kuo watched Niu Erbao leave, his mind racing.
If you want to quickly accumulate a lot of points, you still have to rely on your old profession—antiques!
He thought of someone—Zhou Changke, a collector with a passion for antiques.
Having made up his mind, Xu Kuo no longer hesitated, and strode towards Zhou Changke's house.
Not long after, Xu Kuo arrived at Zhou Changke's house and gently knocked on the gate.
Who is it?
"Brother Zhou, it's me, Xu Kuo."
The door was quickly opened, and Zhou Changke's face lit up with a delighted smile when he saw Xu Kuo: "Oh! It's Brother Xu! What a rare guest! Please come in!"
Xu Kuo smiled and stepped into the courtyard.
Zhou Changke warmly ushered Xu Kuo into the house and poured him a cup of hot tea. He looked at him curiously and asked, "Brother Xu, what brings you here today? Did you find some treasure again?"
Xu Kuo picked up his teacup, took a sip, put it down, and got straight to the point: "Brother Zhou, I'm not here today to bring you any treasures, but to ask you about something."
"Oh? Please speak freely!" Zhou Changke said with great interest.
"I'd like to ask, where in this area, or in the county town, can I find a lot of antique items?"
Zhou Changke was taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "What? What kind of thing has Brother Xu taken a fancy to this time? Is it porcelain or calligraphy and painting? Tell me, and if I have it here, or know anyone who has it, I'll get it for you!"
In his view, Xu Kuo was probably looking for one or two specific things.
Xu Kuo shook his head, his expression serious: "Brother Zhou, you misunderstand. I don't want one or two specific items. I want to ask where there is an opportunity to come into contact with or acquire a large number of antiques at once?"
"A lot?" Zhou Changke's smile faded slightly as he looked at Xu Kuo in surprise. "Brother Xu, you... you have quite the appetite! Antiques are all very valuable! Although I know you have a good eye and are an expert in appraising treasures, this kind of 'large-scale' acquisition requires a considerable amount of money!"
Zhou Changke thought to himself, "Although Xu Kuo has some ability, he's still young. Where did he get so much money to collect a large number of antiques? Has he lost his mind?"
He earnestly advised, "Brother Xu, listen to my advice: collecting requires a gradual and steady approach. Spreading your resources too thin all at once is too risky!"
Xu Kuo understood Zhou Changke's good intentions, but he had his own plans, and time was of the essence. He smiled and said, "I appreciate Brother Zhou's kindness. As for the money, I have my own plans. Just tell me if there are any such opportunities in the near future."
Seeing Xu Kuo's resolute attitude, Zhou Changke sighed helplessly and pondered for a moment.
"Sigh, alright." He lowered his voice. "If you really want an opportunity, there is one. In three days, at the county cultural station, there's a small, internal 'exchange meeting.' It's called an exchange, but it's really just a semi-public auction. I've heard that there are far more items being offered this time than ever before, supposedly several times more!"
"Oh?" A glint of light flashed in Xu Kuo's eyes. "Why is this? How come so many things suddenly appeared?"
Zhou Changke sighed and explained, "What else could it be? There was that damned infectious disease outbreak a while ago. Although it's over, the aftereffects are still significant! Grain prices have skyrocketed, several times higher than before the outbreak! Many families are really struggling to make ends meet. They have no choice but to take out those old items passed down from their ancestors, hoping to exchange them for some money to buy food and survive!"
Xu Kuo suddenly realized. This was indeed a golden opportunity for him! He could exchange antiques for points, which would also help those struggling families in a way.
"I understand now." Xu Kuo stood up. "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Zhou!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
