But the two pieces of information she conveyed caught the attention of Xiao Yu and the others.
She mentioned that in Jieyang, there was a girl who was locked in a container and was sent away after receiving a phone call.
Then, another incident occurred. On the night they were sent away, they were made to get off the vehicle for no reason, only to be put back on and sent away again.
This indicated that someone had been rescued midway. Who was rescued, and who did the rescuing?
And why were they inexplicably made to disembark? Had some danger been detected, only for it to be lifted later, allowing them to be sent away again?
Xiao Yu was filled with questions, and she knew that only Guo Xuyang could likely answer them. However, he had made it clear that he didn't want to be disturbed.
When she had reported this matter to the higher-ups last time, Guo Xuyang seemed to have found out. Although he didn't reprimand her, his tone was noticeably less friendly and natural than before.
She could vaguely sense Guo Xuyang's displeasure.
The rescue of the thirteen women from the sea could be attributed significantly to Guo Xuyang. Yet, he specifically requested that these matters not be mentioned.
Regardless, the fact that these people were not drowned at the bottom of the sea was a stroke of luck in their misfortune.
Moreover, several of them were victims of human trafficking by Long Guoping, Zhang, and others. Rescuing even a few would provide a sense of closure for the victims' families.
While Xiao Yu was still pondering, Guo Xuyang, along with Cheng Xiuping and Wu Youzhi, had already boarded a train to Kyoto.
The shop found by the people Wu Youzhi had arranged was located in the Panjiayuan Antique Market. A dealer of rare stones was looking to sell their shop, with a total transfer price of eighty-five million yuan. This price was not high, but the location was not ideal.
Another option was at Baoguosi Temple, but the shop’s area was a bit small, less than thirty square meters.
As Guo Xuyang and the others exited the platform, they spotted the people sent to pick them up.
“Xiao Bing, over here,” Wu Youzhi called out, then turned to introduce the two.
“This is a nephew from my clan who works in Kyoto. After President Guo mentioned it last time, I asked my nephew to inquire about places here, as it’s a well-known area with high foot traffic. The other location is at Baoguosi Temple. We’ll be visiting these two places today, and if we like one, we’ll decide,” Wu Youzhi explained.
“Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Wu,” Guo Xuyang said, shaking hands with Xiao Wu.
“Don’t be so formal, my uncle isn’t an outsider. Where shall we go first?” Wu Bing asked.
“Let’s go to Panjiayuan first, and then to Baoguosi Temple,” Wu Youzhi replied.
“Then let’s go,” Wu Bing said, and they drove off towards Panjiayuan.
The Panjiayuan Market is divided into north and south sections: one is called Panjiayuan Flower, Bird, Fish, and Insect Market, and the other is Panjiayuan Antique Market.
Many newcomers get confused and sometimes go to the wrong place.
When Wu Bing brought the group to the Panjiayuan Antique Market, it was lunchtime, and the crowd was not too large.
Upon arriving at the rare stone shop, they found the owner, Wang Kailang, eating. He quickly put down his chopsticks to greet them as soon as he saw the customers.
“What can I get for you?” Wang Kailang asked.
“We’re just looking around,” Wu Youzhi said. “Do you have any jadeite in your shop?”
“Yes, it’s over here, please come this way,” Wang Kailang led them towards a corner.
The shop was not small, with four rooms on two floors. The two rooms downstairs were about sixty square meters, with cabinets lining the walls filled with peculiar stones, crystals, jade articles, and the like. The jadeite was in an inconspicuous corner, with only one set of cabinets.
Most of the items in the cabinets were arranged loosely, and there weren't many goods inside, suggesting the owner genuinely wanted to quit.
The jadeite pieces were all ordinary, with no mid-to-high-end items, so naturally, none of them were impressed.
“Boss, I heard you’re looking to transfer this shop?” Wu Youzhi asked.
Wang Kailang looked up at Wu Youzhi, then at the others.
When he saw Wu Bing, he was momentarily taken aback. Smiling, he said, “You must be the ones. I’ve met Mr. Wu before.”
Wu Youzhi said, “That’s my nephew. If you’re indeed willing to transfer the shop, boss, shall we talk?”
“No problem, I already discussed it with Mr. Wu last time,” Wang Kailang replied.
“I’ve been working in this place for nearly thirty years, and my health isn’t what it used to be, so I’ve decided to return to my hometown. That’s why I’m thinking of transferring the shop.”
“Boss, you look healthy. You can work for another twenty to thirty years,” Wu Youzhi said. “What are the terms for transferring the shop?”
“I rent this shop on a ten-year lease, and there are still three years left. However, this shop has priority renewal rights, and I can continue to rent it after the lease expires.
I also plan to sell the peculiar stones, ancient jades, and other items in the shop as a package. After all, I can’t take these things with me when I go back.
The total price is eighty-five million yuan.” Wang Kailang stated.
“Boss, what you’re saying makes sense. However, looking at the peculiar stones and ancient jades here, they wouldn’t even be worth thirty million together, and even with the jadeite, it wouldn’t exceed fifty million.
Boss, this price is too high,” Wu Youzhi said, counting on his fingers.
Wang Kailang knew that the items in the shop were certainly not worth that much, but the location was valuable.
He replied, “As you know, I’m transferring the shop itself. I’m aware of the quantity of items inside. It’s hard to find a shop like this in the market nowadays.
To put it bluntly, this shop is worth this much. If you want it, that’s the price. If you don’t, please look elsewhere.”
Guo Xuyang picked up the conversation, asking, “Boss, give us a firm price. In business, it’s always a negotiation, isn’t it? Eighty-five million is indeed quite high.”
Wang Kailang saw a young man stepping in and realized he must be the principal buyer. He said, “Are you genuinely interested? I can lower the price by three million at most.”
Guo Xuyang said, “Eighty million. If that’s acceptable, we can sign the transfer contract right away. What do you think?”
Wang Kailang’s desired price hovered around seventy million. He knew that the total value of the goods in his shop was less than twenty million, and he thought that getting more would provide a better retirement fund. Seeing Guo Xuyang offer eighty million, he immediately agreed: “Since you’re sincerely interested, it’s a deal.”
Cheng Xiuping had remained silent throughout the negotiation, but seeing Guo Xuyang haggle, he realized that this young man was no longer the person he used to be.
Tens of millions were no longer a significant concern for him. He would rather spend his time picking out a couple more stones than negotiating.
He never imagined that fate could be so strange; after taking half of his own assets, he was now indirectly bringing him immense wealth.
The group signed the transfer contract with Wang Kailang.
Wang Kailang agreed to pack up his belongings and hand over the keys shortly, after which the shop would belong to Guo Xuyang and the others.
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