C11 The People in the Martial Arts World Call Ginseng the Winner

After returning to Blue Star, Lee Yu lined up the ginseng he had brought back with a sense of satisfaction. He had initially intended to sell the ginseng at a pharmacy, but after checking prices on his phone, he was surprised to discover that a hundred-year-old wild ginseng known as "Ginseng Treasure" had sold for 3.26 million RMB.

The thought struck Lee Yu—wouldn't auctioning the ginseng be far more lucrative?

It was important to note that the ginseng he acquired from Mu Yinhua was comparable in age to the Blue Star ginseng that fetched millions, many being a century or two old.

Lee Yu speculated that the extended growth period of ginseng on Blue Star, often spanning several decades or even a couple of centuries, might be due to environmental factors. In contrast, the ginseng in Otherworld had a much shorter growth cycle and wasn't as highly valued.

According to Mu Yinhua, the mountains in Otherworld were abundant with plants superior to ginseng, which was often relegated to mere snack status, with many locals turning their noses up at it.

Lee Yu's ambition was ignited. If he could sell this batch of ginseng for millions each, he'd be on his way to becoming a billionaire.

Even without any other gains from Otherworld, the profit from trading these ginseng roots between the two worlds alone could fill his coffers. Moreover, in the Great Imperial Capital of Otherworld, Lee Yu had the opportunity to sign in once—a chance to obtain items of quality assured by the System.

The right to enter Otherworld, if contested among nations, could lead to fierce battles, reminiscent of the colonial and resource-driven conflicts of past world wars.

And the Thunder Bloodline, a mere five-star reward, seemed to be a rarity in Otherworld.

Lee Yu was brimming with anticipation for the chance to sign in at the Great Imperial Capital.

"Now, it's time to see which auction house is the best," Lee Yu mused as he reviewed the auction houses in his vicinity, selecting four or five with stellar online reviews. "If I sell one or two at each, I'll still have over a dozen left..."

Lee Yu intended to sell only a portion of his finds, primarily because offloading too much at once could lead to an excess of cash that he couldn't possibly spend. Additionally, flooding the market with too many ginsengs would draw unwanted attention. By selecting a few auction houses, he could avoid detection more easily.

With his plan in place, it was time for action. Lee Yu reached out to auction house clients he had found online, making appointments to consign items for auction later that afternoon.

Once he had finished these arrangements, Lee Yu noticed it was nearing noon. He grabbed his breakfast from the table and stepped out for some "exercise."

Upon Huang Xiu's return at midday, Lee Yu quizzed her on some basic academic subjects after lunch. After Huang Xiu left for school, Lee Yu promptly followed suit and left the house.

At the auction house, the staff's professionalism was impeccable; there was no hint of condescension. Especially after Lee Yu presented two ginsengs, the receptionist was almost obsequious in his eagerness to please.

The female manager, bearing a striking resemblance to a celebrity, hurried over upon hearing the news. She escorted Lee Yu to a spacious lounge where a group of informed elders soon joined them. Camera operators recorded the proceedings as the elders appraised the ginsengs and others engaged in casual conversation with Lee Yu.

What followed was straightforward. In the presence of a lawyer, they executed an entrustment contract.

The female manager accompanied Lee Yu all the way to the exit. As he climbed into the taxi, he could still see her waving goodbye. He mused, "Would she still be so eager to see me off if she knew I was headed to another auction house?"

The process at the second auction house was similar to the first, albeit with fewer people—no throng of eager elders this time. Otherwise, it was much the same.

The manager there was just as warm in her farewell, watching the taxi until it turned the corner before she returned to her office.

The taxi then carried Lee Yu to the third auction house...

It wasn't until his visit to the fifth auction house that Lee Yu's tranquil ascent to wealth encountered its first stirrings of trouble.

"Is that you?" The blue-robed elder puffed his beard and fixed his gaze with a stern look.

"How did you end up here?" Lee Yu was dumbfounded. The man before him was none other than the elder he had casually conversed with at the first auction house. "Wait, what are all of you doing here?"

Upon closer inspection, Lee Yu realized that the same group of elders from the first auction house were present, save for one. However, a phone call had been made, and it was mentioned that the missing elder would join them in about ten minutes.

"The previous auction house was owned by the Lee family," the blue-robed elder said with a wide grin, "and this one is mine. Bet you didn't see that coming."

"Your response has certainly caught me off guard," Lee Yu admitted, his mouth agape.

He had intended not to put all his eggs in one basket, which is why he had sought out several auction houses. Ironically, it seemed his eggs had ended up in one basket after all.

Luckily, the blue-robed elder didn't dwell on the matter. He assured Lee Yu that his establishment could offer the best options and expressed hope that Lee Yu would prioritize their family's auction house for future transactions.

Though Lee Yu knew he should sell wherever it made sense, for now, he agreed to consider it.

While Lee Yu was repeating "next time for sure," and explaining that acquiring the ginseng was a fluke, the absent elder burst through the door, grumbling under his breath.

"It's odd. My son mentioned that a century-old wild ginseng had shown up at the auction house and suggested I take a look. How is it that ginseng suddenly seems as common as dirt?" The newly arrived elder continued to rant, "I was nearly there when you called, promising a surprise. What is it?"

The blue-robed elder turned to Lee Yu, who stood there, equally astonished.

Lee Yu: I'm laying my cards on the table; no more pretenses. I am the ginseng tycoon, known in the circles as the Ginseng Winner.

Blue-robed elder: I see. That was your doing as well, wasn't it?

"Hehe, my young friend, you still seem to have doubts about my auction house," the blue-robed elder said with a squint, pulling out his phone to display a QR code. "No matter. Once this auction concludes, you'll come to find that my auction house is indeed reliable."

"Ah, okay," Lee Yu mumbled, squinting at the QR code on the screen. He naturally opened his scanning app and added the elderly man as a friend.

The old man appeared to be in his seventies or eighties, yet he was surprisingly trendy, with a profile picture of a young beauty.

As if on cue, the other seniors didn't want to be left behind. They whipped out their phones and Lee Yu obligingly added each one as a friend. When it came to the last one, Lee Yu examined the phone handed to him and couldn't help but say, "Come on, you're pulling my leg. Your ancient phone can't possibly have WeChat..."

The others chimed in, "Old Lee, it's fine, we just added you. You don't need to use it." "Old Lee, let it be. You don't even have WeChat..."

"Cut the bull. Old Chen, you don't even have an auction house, what good does adding a young friend do?" The man with the old phone was visibly upset. Then, softening, he turned to Lee Yu with a gentle look, "Just wait, I'll call my granddaughter! She's single and quite the catch."

The rest of the old men began to berate him for his low tactics, while also hinting that they too had granddaughters available.

Even the man in the blue robe subtly hinted that the girl in his WeChat profile picture was his granddaughter.

Back at home, Lee Yu massaged his aching shoulders. After some thought, he dropped to the floor and knocked out a series of push-ups in the living room—how else would he stay fit enough to handle millions in cash in the future?

Today's events were a wake-up call for Lee Yu. He realized he'd have to be even more cautious when fencing his loot from now on.

Hmm... If there was a next time, he'd consider the old man with the basic phone first. The poor guy didn't even own a decent cell phone.

And it absolutely had nothing to do with the fact that his granddaughter was attractive!