"Hey, handsome, you came here last night with Uncle Lü, right?"
Liu Yue looked up and found Jiang Tao somewhat familiar.
Although Jiang Tao had already entered the ranks of middle-aged uncles, his looks were still quite striking, not the forgettable, average face.
Last night, Jiang Tao had come here to eat with Lü Qian, so Liu Yue still remembered him.
"Yeah, that's right. I saw you had coconut snails for sale when I came here with Old Lü last night, so I came straight to you to buy some."
Hearing that the restaurant owner knew Lü Qian, Jiang Tao smoothly highlighted his close connection with him and said, "Just name a price. I won't let you work for nothing. After all, running such a big restaurant, it's not realistic to not make a profit."
Hearing Jiang Tao's words, Liu Yue's smile grew even warmer. She said with a grin, "You're Uncle Lü's friend, so for his sake, it's no big deal to throw in a couple for you."
"Those coconut snails—we buy them in bulk. The wholesale price is 40 yuan per jin. Pick whichever one you like and scoop it out yourself."
"Sister Liu, call Xiao Guo out to weigh it for the customer."
While saying this to Jiang Tao, Liu Yue also called out to the cleaning lady who had spoken to Jiang Tao earlier.
"Thanks, boss lady. Sorry for the trouble."
Jiang Tao hadn't expected Lü Qian's influence to carry so much weight here, but he still expressed his gratitude to Liu Yue.
Liu Yue smiled, "No trouble at all. Come back often—that's the biggest support you can give us."
"Definitely, definitely."
Jiang Tao nodded with a smile, agreeing verbally for now. Whether he'd actually return in the future, who knows?
After thanking the boss lady, Jiang Tao turned and walked to the glass seafood tank.
He picked up a net hanging on the rack and first scooped out the coconut snail shimmering with a dark golden glow.
During the process, Jiang Tao couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
If it weren't for Brother System's tip, who knows which lucky person would've gotten this opportunity?
Now, it's all his!
The coconut snail Jiang Tao scooped out was quite large, longer than his palm.
A kitchen assistant took it from Jiang Tao and tossed it onto the electronic scale nearby.
This coconut snail weighed a whopping 3.2 kilograms, which translates to just over 6 jin.
The cost price of this single coconut snail was as high as 240 yuan. If it were cooked and served on the table, it'd easily sell for four or five hundred yuan.
Thanks to Lü Qian's connection, Jiang Tao saved over 200 yuan.
To cover for this special coconut snail, Jiang Tao casually picked another smaller one, weighing just over 3 jin.
The total came to 376 yuan.
Thinking about the Melo pearl worth 120,000 yuan, Jiang Tao didn't feel the least bit bad about spending 376 yuan.
376 yuan turning into 120,000—a 300-fold profit. He was raking it in!
After thanking Liu Yue again, Jiang Tao paid, grabbed the two coconut snails, and left Fat Brother's Seafood BBQ, heading straight for his rental apartment.
Back at the apartment, Jiang Tao first tossed the ordinary coconut snail into a stainless steel basin.
Then, following instructions he'd found online, he held the special coconut snail with both hands, pointed the tip downward, and started knocking it against the floor.
*Crack, crack, crack…*
After dozens of knocks, the snail's flesh was noticeably more exposed than before.
Feeling it was about ready, Jiang Tao held the shell with one hand, grabbed the flesh with the other, and yanked hard.
*Pop!*
A complete piece of snail flesh was pulled out of the shell.
His eyes immediately locked onto the innards at the end of the flesh.
As expected!
Among the white, slimy innards, a flash of orange-yellow stood out vividly!
Jiang Tao swallowed hard, his excitement palpable as he reached out with his right hand.
Soon, he extracted a pigeon-egg-sized, orange-yellow round pearl from the snail's innards.
This Melo pearl was hard and smooth to the touch, feeling similar to a glass marble, but its value was worlds apart!
Having been bound to the intelligence system for so long, Jiang Tao knew Brother System's appraisals were always accurate.
If Brother System said it was worth 120,000 yuan, Jiang Tao would sell it at that price.
A thousand or so less wouldn't matter, but if the offer was too low, he'd wait for the right buyer!
After all, he was debt-free, with several hundred thousand yuan in savings, and in no rush to cash out the Melo pearl.
Waiting for the best price was the optimal choice!
"I'll head to Panjiayuan again to check the market for this Melo pearl and see if I can trigger any antique-related intelligence."
"I don't believe in bad luck. If one visit doesn't work, or two, I'll go three, four, five times."
"I'm sticking with Panjiayuan. If it comes to it, I'll rent a place there and stay!"
After the excitement, Jiang Tao quickly made a plan.
He first used some tissue from the table to wipe off the mucus covering the Melo pearl.
Then, he carefully wrapped the pearl in layers to prevent scratches or damage that could affect its appearance and value.
Finally, Jiang Tao found an empty bottle of Liuwei Dihuang Wan (a traditional Chinese medicine) in a drawer.
He popped the remaining six pills into his mouth, then placed the wrapped Melo pearl inside the bottle.
After dealing with the pearl, Jiang Tao tossed the snail flesh back into the stainless steel basin.
According to the internet, this stuff was supposed to be tasty. He could stir-fry it tonight to celebrate getting a 120,000-yuan treasure.
He tucked the bottle containing the Melo pearl into his jacket's inner pocket.
Before heading to Panjiayuan, Jiang Tao took out his phone and dialed Xu Li's number.
*Beep, beep, beep—*
The call connected after a few rings, but Xu Li's voice was noticeably less cheerful than before.
No matter how much Jiang Tao tried to comfort her, losing 30,000 yuan wasn't something she could get over quickly.
"Hey, honey…"
Once the call connected, Jiang Tao subtly suggested that Xu Li search the house again in some nooks and crannies.
Places like the sofa seams, under the coffee table, or behind the TV.
The call lasted about ten minutes before he hung up.
After ending the call, Jiang Tao locked the door and headed to Panjiayuan with the freshly acquired Melo pearl.
Meanwhile, in Ping County, Jiangjiazhuang, at Jiang Tao's home.
"Sofa seams, under the coffee table, behind the TV…"
"How could it be in places like that?"
"But better to believe it's possible than not. Let's check!"
"Even if I don't find it, I just lose a bit of time. If I do, that's 30,000 yuan!"
"Little Xue, wait a sec, okay? Mommy's going to look for something, then I'll take you out to play."
Xu Li put her phone in her pocket and began a carpet-style search of the sofa, then bent down to check under the coffee table.
Finally, she went to what she thought was the least likely spot—next to the TV. Tilting her head, she peered into the gap between the TV and the wall.
"Huh, what's this…?"
Xu Li reached into the gap with two slender fingers and pulled out a small paper airplane.
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Dear readers,
If you happen to notice any errors, typos, or inconsistencies in the text, please don't hesitate to leave a comment. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will help me improve the story. Together, we can make it as polished and enjoyable as possible!
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