The World's Richest Man: Start with the Daily Intelligence System

118: Chapter 118 Liu Haorui Gets SlaughteredThis pitch-black, unremarkable box resembled a mysterious treasure, seemingly harboring unknown secrets.

Zhang Wei carefully scraped and dug around the box, and before long, the wooden box finally emerged from the earth. He gently brushed off the soil; the box was no more than forty centimeters in size.

The wooden box appeared uniformly black, like a piece of dark jade, its rectangular shape akin to a sturdy fortress.

The carved patterns and lacquer finish on its surface added an aura of antique elegance.

Zhang Wei cautiously lifted the lid. Inside, the contents seemed wrapped in an oilcloth. He gently unfolded this layer, and manuscripts, like slumbering spirits, were revealed before his eyes.

Zhang Wei secretly rejoiced; this must be the Hai Rui manuscripts the system mentioned. During Hai Rui’s lifetime, his calligraphy was treasured like a rare gem; after his passing, it was still revered as a standard by later generations. Hai Rui’s ”Feng Bie Tie” is currently the only credible ink trace of Hai Rui passed down, its preciousness goes without saying.

The manuscripts Zhang Wei now possessed, once made public, would not only cause an uproar in the entire calligraphy world but also, through these manuscripts, allow people to gain a more comprehensive understanding of this highly legendary historical figure’s life and deeds, holding profound significance for the exploration of Ming Dynasty history.

By now, the sky was already beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn. In a short while, people coming for exercise would start streaming up the mountain like a tide.

If they saw such a deep pit, even illiterate villagers would surely know something was amiss. At this moment, Zhang Wei had no An Xiaoxi to clean up his mess. Thinking of all the surveillance cameras along the way, he felt a splitting headache.

Since the manuscripts were found, Zhang Wei pounded his sore, aching back and raced against time to fill in the soil. After handling all the aftermath, he drove down the winding mountain road towards the foot of the mountain, occasionally passing a few early-morning exercisers on the way.

Zhang Wei rolled down the car window. The morning breeze, like a gentle messenger, carried the fresh scent of damp earth from the grass and a faint, elusive floral fragrance, drifting in through the car window. Descending the mountain, he continued along the road towards the hotel.

A whole night of hard work had left Zhang Wei ravenous, his stomach feeling glued to his backbone. On the road, he spotted a farmers’ market, bustling with extraordinary liveliness at this early hour.

Zhang Wei stopped the car and walked into the nearest noodle shop. He ordered a bowl of noodles and began devouring them heartily.

Despite its unassuming appearance, this roadside shop’s noodles were surprisingly delicious, earning endless praise. The thin noodles were like delicate silver threads, the accompaniments were incredibly flavorful, and the overall taste was smooth and delightful, leaving a lasting impression. Perhaps he was truly starving, as Zhang Wei even drank up all the broth.

After eating his fill, he got back in the car and drove along the national highway back to the hotel. Returning to his room, Zhang Wei first took a shower, changed into a comfortable robe, and collapsed onto the large bed with relief. His body, having labored all night, felt drained of all strength, aching all over. His thoughts grew sluggish, so he simply lay in bed scrolling through videos on his phone.

In his list of followed friends, Liu Haorui had posted a new video. Seeing the comment count had already reached 999+, Zhang Wei’s curiosity was piqued, and he clicked on the video.

In the video, Liu Haorui was heading to the Shanya Meilan Street Seafood Night Market.

”Hey everyone, I’m now at the Shanya Meilan Street Seafood Night Market. When you come to Hainan, the first thing you think of is seafood. Today, I’m going to give it a try and see just how good it is.”

After saying this, Liu Haorui walked up to a stall called Little Beard Seafood. An array of seafood was neatly arranged in baskets, the briny smell of the sea assailing his nostrils.

”Boss lady, how much for these mantis shrimp, abalone, and this... this one?” Liu Haorui lifted his chin, puffed out his chest, and said to the camera with an air of smugness.

”Mantis shrimp is 58 yuan, abalone is 28 yuan, small lobster is 288 yuan, grouper is 188 yuan, shrimp is 68 yuan, green crab is 268 yuan, geoduck is 128 yuan,” the boss lady said with a beaming smile.

”Then I’ll take them all. Mantis shrimp with salt and pepper, abalone, small lobster, and grouper steamed, shrimp poached, green crab and geoduck stir-fried. And two bottles of beer,” Liu Haorui rattled off to the boss lady.

After the seafood arrived, looking at the feast spread across the table, Liu Haorui exaggeratedly opened his mouth as wide as possible in front of the camera, putting on an expression as if he could devour a whale, which was quite comical.

”Everyone, the seafood is all on the table. I’ll taste it for you all.” After saying this, Liu Haorui abandoned all table manners, grabbing mantis shrimp with his left hand and small lobster with his right, wolfing them down.

After a frenzy of crunching and devouring, Liu Haorui let out a satisfied burp, his mouth greasy, and said to the camera, ”Everyone, the seafood in Hainan is really good, fresh and cheap. I recommend you try it if you come here for tourism. Now, let me settle the bill. Boss, how much?”

”You ordered one portion of salt and pepper mantis shrimp, one portion of steamed abalone, one portion of steamed small lobster, one portion of steamed grouper, one portion of poached shrimp, one portion of stir-fried green crab, one portion of stir-fried geoduck, and two bottles of beer. The total is 2888 yuan,” the boss said with a smile.

”How much did you say? 2888? Boss, mantis shrimp is 58, and the most expensive item, the small lobster, is 288. Where does over 2000 yuan come from?”

Only then did Liu Haorui realize he might have been fleeced. When he asked about the prices, the boss hadn’t specified whether mantis shrimp was 58 yuan per portion or per piece, or whether small lobster was 288 per portion or per jin.

He immediately started arguing with the boss. Seeing he was just a minor, unknown internet celebrity, the night market stall owner brazenly threatened him,

”You’re just a small-time internet celeb. You think I’m scared of you? Go ask around. I, Little Beard, have been running this shop in this market for over ten years. If you keep causing trouble here and don’t pay, I’ll make sure you can’t leave Shanya,” the boss said arrogantly.

As the two were locked in a stalemate, the boss lady secretly called the police, falsely reporting, ”Someone here ate without paying and is trying to run away.”

Not long after, a police car pulled up in front of the shop.

After understanding the whole story, they took both parties to the police station.

Once this video was posted, it exploded online like a bombshell, causing a huge uproar.

”Oh my god! That’s such a blatant rip-off! These unscrupulous merchants must be severely punished!”

”What kind of seafood shop is this? It’s clearly a black-market operation!”

”That’s terrifying! Who would dare to eat there in the future!”

”Exactly! I encountered a similar situation last time I went to Shanya. I thought I misheard, but it turns out I’m not the only one!”

After watching the video, Zhang Wei dialed Liu Haorui’s number.

”Old Liu, are you okay?” Zhang Wei asked with concern.

Liu Haorui chuckled on the other end of the line, ”I’m fine, I’m fine. Thanks to the police, justice was served for me. That boss is really shady; there were no clear price tags in the shop. If I hadn’t been recording the video, I would have been a lamb to the slaughter.”

Zhang Wei said thoughtfully, ”Recently, public opinion incidents about exorbitantly priced seafood have been heating up. Since we’ve encountered this, let’s not waste the opportunity. We can use this hot topic to promote Star Jewelry and boost its visibility.”

”Alright, Old Zhang, leave it to me. Wait for my good news!” Liu Haorui said before hanging up.

Not long after, Liu Haorui posted a video about Star Jewelry, declaring he would show these unscrupulous merchants what a conscientious enterprise looks like.

This video quickly went viral across the internet. Fans who saw it became curious about the mysterious company, Star Jewelry.

Of course, other influencers and jewelry companies, envious of Liu Haorui’s popularity, hired trolls to spread rumors, saying Star Jewelry was a brand without proper credentials or guarantees.

They insisted people should buy from regular, big-brand stores. Online comments were mixed, both good and bad, and the comment count remained high.

Zhang Wei learned about all this but remained calm. He thought to himself, let the bullets fly a little longer.