"My friend doesn't mean any harm. He just wants to sell this painting for a good price, and in return, he promised to pay me a hefty referral fee if I introduced a few friends!"

"Cousin, that's not what I meant at all..." Sun Yan said, trying to defend herself.

"And that's your reason for trying to cheat me?" A cold smile touched Liu Yumei's lips, the frost in her eyes deepening.

"Cousin, I'm so sorry! I really didn't do it on purpose!" Sun Yan's face was deathly pale, and her body trembled with fear.

She knew with absolute certainty that after this, there was no chance of redemption. She would lose her cousin's trust and any opportunities that came with it.

"Enough," Liu Yumei said. "For the sake of our family ties, I won't pursue this matter. But you can forget about the 10 million your husband needs. Furthermore, the 10 million you previously borrowed—the advance I already sent—must be returned within seven days. Remember, I want it back with interest. Don't even think about running off or trying to get out of it. Otherwise, you will face the consequences," she finished, her voice dripping with ice.

As for this so-called cousin, Liu Yumei would never trust her again. There was no need to dwell on it; from this day forward, their relationship was severed.

"Now, get out of my sight!"

Sun Yan shuddered again, her expression turning bleak. Tianwei was facing unprecedented difficulties; they couldn't even make payroll for their regular employees. Repaying over 10 million within seven days, as her cousin demanded, was simply out of the question. She had hoped to use today's events to save her husband's company, but instead, she had ruined everything.

"Chen Zheng..." Sun Yan whirled around, glaring fiercely at him. "You'd better remember what happened today!" She took a sharp breath and stormed away.

In her mind, if it hadn't been for him, she would have already succeeded.

"Mr. Chen, I'm terribly sorry you had to witness such an embarrassing spectacle," Liu Yumei said with a bitter shake of her head, her gaze shifting to Chen Zheng filled with gratitude. "Sun Yan did everything she could to convince me to auction that painting with an expected price of 50 million. If it weren't for you, I would have lost tens of millions today! It's my own fault for being too trusting of my relatives."

Chen Zheng slowly shook his head, a gentle smile on his face. "Ms. Liu, there's no need to be so formal. It was nothing."

"Since you've said so, Mr. Chen, let's not stand on ceremony. I'm older than you, so you can just think of me as an older sister," Liu Yumei laughed. "From now on, call me Sister Liu. It'll feel less distant."

"Alright, Sister Liu," Chen Zheng replied with a calm smile.

The painting on the auction block ultimately sold for over 25 million. Of course, any further matters concerning the painting had nothing to do with Chen Zheng and Liu Yumei.

Once everything was concluded, the two of them proceeded to the VIP room that had been prepared for them. After what had transpired, Liu Yumei's attitude toward Chen Zheng had done a complete one-eighty.

As soon as they were in the VIP room, before Chen Zheng could even speak, Liu Yumei brought the matter up. "Brother Chen, I must thank you again for saving me from a loss of tens of millions today. Since you're in such need of this Zhu Ling Grass, please accept one as a token of my gratitude.

"Consider it a welcome gift. No payment is necessary."

"Thank you for your kindness, Sister Liu. In that case, I'll gladly accept," Chen Zheng said with a calm smile, seeing no reason to refuse such an offer.

Just then, he changed the subject, his gaze turning meaningful. "But from what I understand, Sister Liu, you have more than just this one, don't you?"

Liu Yumei looked surprised. She never imagined that news like this would have reached his ears.

"I'm surprised you're so well-informed, Brother Chen," Liu Yumei said with a wry smile. "It's true. We found several of these herbs in our family's jade mine."

"It was an old, depleted mine that hasn't been profitable for a very long time. Just recently, we found someone willing to buy it, so I was preparing to sell. However, I was a bit reluctant to let it go so easily, so I went to inspect it myself one last time. That's when I discovered the other herbs."

"So, you're planning to sell the mine, Sister Liu?" Chen Zheng's brow furrowed slightly upon hearing this.

"If that's the case, I strongly advise you not to sell it," he said. "I can practically guarantee that mine still holds plenty of top-quality jade. If you sell it now, your loss will be even greater."

He spoke with unshakable confidence, as if absolutely certain that more treasures could be unearthed from the mine.

Liu Yumei was stunned. "You're saying there's still better jade in that mine?" She looked incredulous. After a moment of silence, she shook her head with a bitter smile. "That's impossible. I hired the most authoritative experts to survey it. We spent a full year on it and found nothing. Otherwise, I would never have considered selling."

"Sister Liu, you must understand that nothing in this world is absolute," Chen Zheng said with a light chuckle, shaking his head. "Some veins are hidden deep underground, where there is a great deal of Spiritual Energy. That isn't something machines can always detect. Many things are not as simple as they appear on the surface."

"How about this," Chen Zheng proposed, "let's make a deal. You entrust the mining operation entirely to me. If I find a richer vein of jade for you, you'll sell me all the Zhu Ling Grass you have at a fair price. How does that sound?"

He made the offer with total confidence in his own judgment; he was sure it would work out.

In a way, it was a deal where he couldn't possibly lose.

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