“Is there a hammer around?”
Li Mo’s voice shocked everyone.
Su Mingqi laughed, “Kid, are you thinking of smashing the box open?”
“Yep.” Li Mo nodded.
“Ha-ha-ha…”
The one to laugh this time wasn’t just Su Mingqi, but many others found it hilarious.
Yang Hongying blinked her large, black, and curious eyes at Li Mo. Bai Wudi fanned himself, sporting a fake smile.
Zhang Jingshen’s face was somewhat unnatural, “Young friend, the mechanical box is very precise. Just falling to the ground, not to mention hammering it, would ruin the contents.”
Yu Boyan was silent. He was far more knowledgeable of Li Mo’s skill but even he wasn’t a true believer.
“Kid, do you know how much this box is worth, even empty? Selling…” Su Mingqi wanted to say ‘not even selling yourself would be enough’, but then he recalled Qin Zhen’s words, that the restaurant was now the kid’s.
“Cough, a 100 million at least.”
“And that is only the base price of an antique of this kind. There are plenty of other antiques that money can’t buy. When Old Zhang first bought it decades ago, he had to fork a pretty penny. Leaving aside the fact you can’t wrap your head around this, you just went and asked for a hammer. Ha-ha-ha…”
Su Mingqi’s remarks drew the nods of others.
Zhang Jingshen slightly nodded also.
Li Mo said, “The mechanism is jammed. Without a hammer, it will never open even with the right method.”
Zhang Jingshen was displeased, “Young friend, this box is made of pure gold. Not even a thousand years can wear it down, while in my care I had a hired hand to painstakingly watch over it with great care. Your argument has no basis.”
Su Mingqi added, “Old Yu, you’re an erudite scholar in antiquities. So how can you be so naive to put your trust into a nameless pup? If people hear of this, your reputation, ha-ha…”
Yu Boyan blushed slightly, “Young friend must have his own conjecture to speak so.” His voice was kind of low, lacking confidence.
“Correct! Believe what you want, but I fully trust young friend’s judgment!” Qin Zhen’s voice boomed just as everyone began to have doubts regarding Li Mo.
His voice was clear, resolute, unlike a sick person’s.
Su Mingqi rolled his eyes, “Then why don’t we make a bet?”
Li Mo asked, “What kind?”
“With that item you hold as the deciding factor. If you lose, this restaurant is mine. If you win, this item is yours.”
Su Mingqi fished from his chest a red box.
Opening it revealed a ginseng.
Su Mingqi showed pride, “Old Qin, is my millennia old ginseng worth this restaurant?”
“Millennia old ginseng!”
At least half of the people breathed heavier.
Ginseng was also known as a soul nurturing herb and able to prolong life. A one year old ginseng had clear effects, while a millennia ginseng was a godly item that could wrest one’s life from the jaws of death.
An old man on his last leg would live for at least a year once he drank a millennia ginseng soup.
And when it came to its value, it was practically priceless.
“The Su clan is amazing. They even have such godly items.”
“They’re remarkable.”
“This ginseng can buy two such restaurants and still have enough to spare!”
“It is priceless, something that money can’t buy.”
The people discussed on envious tones, while only Yang Hongying and Bai Wudi looked unconcerned.
Bai Wudi rested the fan on the corner of his mouth as he whispered to Yang Hongying, “Freak, this is a good item. Why aren’t you fighting over it by now?”
“I heard that old lunatic of yours is close to dropping dead. Why aren’t you fighting either?”
“Impudent! You have no ounce of respect. Talking to you is a disgrace.” Bai Wudi flipped.
“You came to me.”
“Fine, fine, from now on, no one is allowed to speak with each other. The first to talk is a puppy and has to cry woof.”
Yang Hongying rolled her eyes and wrote ‘idiot’ on the table with water.
“You…” Bai Wudi was about to explode again but covered his mouth. If he spoke, the next word that would come out would be woof.
Li Mo looked at the ginseng and said, “This ginseng is 600 years old at best.”
Su Mingqi’s face changed and wanted to argue, but Li Mo got ahead of him, “Some of the age whiskers on it are fake. Old Yu, Old Zhang, you hold sway in this domain. I trust you can easily see whether they are fake or real.”
Zhang Jingshen cupped his hands at Su Mingqi, “Brother Su, may I take a look?”
“Of course.” Su Mingqi’s face wasn’t quite right though.
Zhang Jingshen raised the millennia ginseng to his and Yu Boyan’s eyes. The two inspected it for more than ten minutes.
Four age whiskers were fake, making it a 600 year old ginseng.
The difference between this one and a millenia ginseng was a deep gulch, and so was the price. A millennia ginseng was considered a godly item in the eyes of everyone, while the 600 year old ginseng was far more lacking in comparison.
“Even a 600 year old ginseng, humph…”
Su Mingqi thought a bit then took out a black box from his chest. He called the waiter to kill the lights then opened the box, flooding the room with bright light.
The item inside the black box was a night pearl the size of a duck egg.
Su Mingqi sealed the box and the waiter turned the lights back on, “People, a 600 year old ginseng and a night pearl are enough for this restaurant?”
“Enough!” Li Mo was the one to answer.
“Good. Kid, I don’t know where you come from, but Old Qin gave you this restaurant, so you should be the one to decide, right?”
“Of course.”
“Perfect. Then I bet the ginseng and the night pearl on your restaurant!”
Li Mo was unaffected, “No issues here.”
Su Mingqi yelled, “Someone bring a hammer!”
“There’s no need. I have one.” Bai Wudi pulled his sleeve then waved his fists. The two struck each other and clanking sounded.
The skin of his fists also became black, a clear contrast from the white of his wrist.
Li Mo nodded at Bai Wudi, “That’s fine.”
“Watch closely.” Bai Wudi was ready to smash the box open but Li Mo stopped him.
“You are the hammer and I strike.”
“Uh, ok.”
Li Mo grabbed Bai Wudi’s wrist and tapped the box.
Ka!
The fist hit the box and let out a light sound.
Li Mo’s strike was neither light nor strong, just perfect so that the contents weren’t damaged.
Su Mingqi, Yu Boyan, Zhang Jingshen, and Yu Boyan jumped to their feet.
Li Mo knocked again on the box with Bai Wudi’s fist. Bai Wudi even played a trick by using some force but it didn’t affect Li Mo at all. The box made another light sound.
Yet the golden box’s surface was undamaged.
Bai Wudi’s face changed and braced himself for pulling all his strength into his fist.
Li Mo knocked on the box with his fist again.
Crack!
