Chapter 167: Wang Hu's Big Picture

Hearing this, Zhao Yiman was instantly taken aback. She had originally thought that Bengjian Market could hold its ground, but she never expected that they were already planning to sell it to Dahongyang.

Her expression changed instantly, and she thought to herself, "If things have come to this, how will Wang Hu conduct himself?"

"Heh, to think that I actually overestimated Wang Hu after all!"

"Are you certain about what you just said?" Zhao Yiman suppressed the shock in her heart, trying hard to maintain her composure as she asked.

The elderly security guard nodded, a helpless smile carrying a hint of resignation on his face: "I only heard about this through the grapevine. The market boss and Dahongyang have been in very heated discussions lately, and I heard the price isn't low either. Unfortunately, small characters like us have no say in the matter at all."

"What about Wang Hu?" Zhao Yiman asked involuntarily, her heart filled with complex emotions toward the name.

"You mean your lantern-bearer!"

"Wang Hu? His status in this market is by no means low; I hear he is the big boss's right-hand man. However, with the market up for sale, his future is hard to predict."

The security guard sighed, a trace of sympathy showing in his eyes.

Zhao Yiman's heart tightened. If Bengjian Market were truly annexed by Dahongyang, it would mean that half the markets in the city now belonged to Dahongyang.

No wonder Dahongyang dared to reach its claws into the Zhao family, one of the six great families.

As expected, under the raging wildfire, nothing could survive.

Just as Zhao Yiman was deep in thought, a voice suddenly called out from behind her: "Is, is that you, Yiman?"

Zhao Yiman whipped her head around and saw a familiar figure—it was her university professor, Professor Wang.

Professor Wang wore a look of astonishment, disbelief flickering in his eyes: "What are you doing here?"

Looking at Professor Wang, Zhao Yiman was filled with pleasant surprise: "Professor Wang, when did you arrive in Ruian? Why didn't you give me a heads-up?"

Professor Wang smiled faintly, a touch of warmth flashing in his eyes: "I have some business here recently and came over specifically to take a look. I never expected to run into you here."

Zhao Yiman felt a wave of relief, her nerves, which had been tightly strung due to the situation at Bengjian Market, relaxing slightly.

She looked Professor Wang over and noticed that he seemed a bit older, with a few more wrinkles on his face, but those bright eyes remained unchanged, radiating wisdom and care.

It had been ten years since Zhao Yiman graduated, and although she kept in touch with Professor Wang, they didn't communicate often.

"Professor, what are you doing here?" she couldn't help asking.

Professor Wang looked at Zhao Yiman, glanced back at his fellow researchers, smiled, and said, "Yiman, come on, walk with me inside and we can talk!"

Zhao Yiman followed Professor Wang into the interior of Bengjian Market, her heart filled with curiosity about the secret about to be unveiled.

The interior space of the market was much larger than she had imagined, but because the market was closed, everything was covered in a layer of dust.

"This is my current workplace." Professor Wang led Zhao Yiman forward and pointed to a spacious office piled high with various equipment and documents. "I am in charge of an excavation and exploration project here, mainly planning to uncover the remains of an ancient jade mine."

"To be honest, this matter was supposed to be kept confidential, but knowing your profession, there was no need to deliberately keep it from you!"

Zhao Yiman opened her eyes wide in astonishment: "Professor, you're actually doing this here? This is truly an unexpected discovery!"

She couldn't help thinking that Professor Wang hadn't come to Ruian for a simple leisure trip after all, but for an important project.

"Yes, when it first started, I never expected to find such a great opportunity here," Professor Wang said with a faint smile, pride shining in his eyes. "However, it was the lantern-bearer of this place who gave us this opportunity. As the project deepened, I found that the situation here is far more complex than I anticipated. Especially recently, we've made quite a few useful discoveries."

Listening to Professor Wang's words, a wave of warm memories surged in Zhao Yiman's heart.

Back in university, she had accompanied Professor Wang to participate in multiple archaeological sites. At that time, she was full of curiosity about ancient culture, and Professor Wang was the guide in her heart.

Not only did he impart rich professional knowledge to her, but in every field trip, he also taught her how to observe, think, and analyze.

"I still remember the first time we went to a field site," Zhao Yiman couldn't help laughing, a nostalgic gleam in her eyes. "We were digging on top of a mountain, and I ended up stepping into empty air and falling straight into a pit, landing flat on my back!"

Professor Wang burst into laughter, a hint of guilt showing on his face: "That was because I failed to brief you properly on safety. For all these years, you've remained the safety cautionary tale for all my subsequent students."

"Of course I wasn't angry; those were my happiest times!" Zhao Yiman's voice carried a gentle tone. "Every field trip with you felt like opening a door leading into history."

A look of gratification appeared in Professor Wang's eyes, as if he were proud of Zhao Yiman's growth.

He cleared his throat and continued, "This current project has made some progress by now. I was planning to unearth some good finds and then go visit you, my former student, but I never expected you to show up on your doorstep yourself. Tell me, who tipped you off?"

"Tipped off?" Zhao Yiman was momentarily stunned, feeling a bit nervous. "Professor, you might have misunderstood. I came here for the lantern-bearer of this market."

"Wang Hu?" Professor Wang frowned slightly. "What on earth are you looking for him for?"

Zhao Yiman nodded and immediately recounted all the major shifts happening in the current Ruian market landscape.

She laid out Dahongyang's plot to swallow up the entire jade market in one gulp.

As she slowly revealed this information, Professor Wang's expression instantly turned solemn, a sharp, vigilant light flashing in his eyes: "As expected, this Wang Hu is extremely calculating. If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known I was being used by him!"

"What? You were being used?"

Zhao Yiman looked at Professor Wang with a puzzled expression.

Professor Wang nodded and said to Zhao Yiman, "Wang Hu went to great lengths to invite me here to excavate the ancient jade vein right on the spot, all for the purpose of building a jade museum here. The objective is obvious—no one would dare swallow up an institution like that!"

Hearing Professor Wang's words, a flash of realization crossed Zhao Yiman's eyes.

Her perspective differed from Professor Wang's. At that moment, she only thought one thing: Wang Hu was truly brilliant!

How could he have ever thought of such a method?

If the Bengjian Market offices were located right next to the jade museum by then, even if Dahongyang managed to swallow up all the secondary and tertiary markets, they would absolutely never dare to touch Bengjian Market!

Wouldn't that make Bengjian Market the only one of its kind?

Wang Hu was laying out a massive, grand strategy!