Chapter Ninety-Six: The Scheme Ultimately Fails

This jade thumb ring was even better than he had imagined; at a price of fifty million, it was practically a steal.
"Pleasure doing business!" Qin Feng closed the box, stood up, and prepared to leave.
"Boss Qin, let me see you out!" Zhao Taishan nodded and bowed, escorting Qin Feng to the door with a sycophantic smile plastered across his face.
No sooner had Qin Feng stepped out of the antique shop than a black Maybach rolled to a stop right in front of him.
The car door opened, and a tall woman clad in a black business suit stepped out.
Her long, glossy black hair framed features so exquisitely refined they seemed to have been sculpted by an artist. Slightly upturned phoenix eyes lent her an air of both allure and competence.
This was the matter Yang Tianchen had been handling lately; after all, opening an antique shop required many things.
As a young master from the capital, Yang Tianchen was able to take care of such matters swiftly.
"President Qin, I have brought what you requested," the woman said respectfully as she approached Qin Feng.
Qin Feng nodded, took the file bag from her hand, glanced inside, and smiled with satisfaction.
"Excellent. You may go about your business."
"Yes, President Qin." The woman bowed slightly, then turned to return to the car.
The Maybach sped away, leaving Zhao Taishan standing at the door, gazing after it with envy.
"Who exactly is this fellow?" Zhao Taishan muttered to himself, a flicker of suspicion and greed in his eyes.
...
Night fell.
Beneath the dim, yellow lights, Qin Feng gently rotated the jade ring between his fingers, savoring the warm, smooth sensation it imparted.
Such jade, such craftsmanship—worthy indeed of imperial use.
He narrowed his eyes, activating his extraordinary ability: the power of sight beyond sight.
Where ordinary eyes would see nothing but a flawless inner wall, Qin Feng perceived several lines of tiny script clearly etched within the ring.
The characters were as fine as hairs; without his supernatural talent, even a powerful microscope would struggle to reveal them.
"Interesting, truly interesting..."
Qin Feng murmured to himself, a playful curve appearing at the corner of his lips.
What was inscribed inside the jade ring was, astonishingly, a map—or more accurately, a treasure map!
Following its routes and the subtle markers,
Qin Feng quickly deduced that the treasure was buried in a dense mountain forest not far from the capital.
"Qianlong's private vault? Tsk tsk, that old fox certainly knew how to hide things."
Turning the jade ring in his hand, Qin Feng conjured in his mind the plump face of Emperor Qianlong.
He could almost picture the emperor, faced with the crumbling Qing dynasty, racking his brains to conceal his wealth in hopes of a future resurgence.
"But your schemes ultimately came to nothing."
Qin Feng sneered and slipped the ring into his pocket.
He was no saint; gifts that came to his doorstep were his for the taking.
There were still eight or nine days before the opening of Tianfeng Pavilion; if he followed the location indicated, there would be plenty of time for a round trip.
The next morning, Qin Feng drove to an outdoor supplies shop on the outskirts of town.
"Boss, get me a full set of professional climbing gear—the best you've got!"
He strode into the shop and called out boldly.
The shopkeeper, a shrewd middle-aged man, glanced at Qin Feng's attire and immediately recognized a big spender. He hurried over with a smile.
"Ah, sir, you have excellent taste! Our shop's equipment is..."
Before he could finish, Qin Feng impatiently waved him off. "Enough, cut the nonsense. Just tell me the price!"
Seeing how straightforward Qin Feng was, the shopkeeper's heart leaped with joy and he quickly quoted a price that made him wince.
"That's fine. Swipe the card!"
Qin Feng didn't even bother to haggle, pulling out a black card that made the shopkeeper's eyes widen.
"Sir, are you heading out on some adventure? Would you like me to arrange a guide for you?"
The shopkeeper asked eagerly.
"No need. I'll go myself."
Qin Feng grabbed the gear and left without the slightest hesitation.
Watching Qin Feng's departing silhouette, the shopkeeper couldn't help but sigh, "Are all the wealthy these days so fond of risking their lives?"
Returning home, Qin Feng tossed the climbing bag onto the sofa and shouted upstairs, "Huzi, stop sleeping—come down, I've got work for you!"
A moment later, Zhang Hu ambled down from upstairs.
"Hey, Feng, what crazy plan have you got so early in the morning?"
Zhang Hu yawned, then flopped onto the sofa, snatching an apple from the coffee table and taking a bite.
"Enough chatter. If I'm calling you, it's definitely for something good,"
Qin Feng scolded with a smile, slapping the treasure map onto the table. "Take a look—Qianlong's private vault. We're going to strike it rich!"
Zhang Hu nearly choked on his apple. Staring at the map, he stammered, "F-Feng, are you serious? People still believe in this stuff these days?"
"Stop questioning me. Just do as you're told,"
Qin Feng waved him off impatiently. "Pack your things, we're leaving this afternoon."
Zhang Hu wanted to protest, but seeing the resolute look in Qin Feng's eyes, he had no choice but to shut up and go pack.
Watching Zhang Hu's dejected demeanor, Qin Feng couldn't help but laugh and scold, "Look at you—there'll be plenty of benefits for you when the time comes!"
At those words, Zhang Hu perked up, grinning and rubbing his hands. "That's great! When the time comes, I'll make sure to pick out the best for myself..."
"Enough dreaming. Pack your things! We're heading out tomorrow morning!" Qin Feng cut him off with a laugh.
...
Early the next morning, a discreet black SUV rolled out of the capital, heading toward the deep mountain forests beyond the city.
Qin Feng drove, Zhang Hu sat in the passenger seat poring over the map, while the back seat was occupied by a man in dark sunglasses with a cold expression—Yang Tianchen.
"Hey, Feng, is it really a good idea to bring Young Master Yang along?"
Zhang Hu glanced at Yang Tianchen's impassive face in the rearview mirror and involuntarily shrank back.
Qin Feng had originally planned to go with just Zhang Hu, but remembering that Yang Tianchen was also a partner in Tianfeng Pavilion, he told him about the venture.
To his surprise, Yang Tianchen had immediately insisted on joining when he heard they were searching for treasure.
"This operation is no small matter. One more person means more safety,"
Qin Feng said calmly, eyes on the road. "Besides, Tianchen is no slouch. It's definitely right to bring him along."
Zhang Hu pursed his lips and said nothing more.
He knew Qin Feng was always careful; if he decided to bring Yang Tianchen, there must be a reason.
After several hours of bumping along, the three finally arrived at the entrance to the dense mountain forest marked on the map.
To their surprise, a dilapidated temple stood at the entrance, incense long since extinguished, abandoned for years.