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

206: Chapter 206 Keeping a Low ProfileAfter getting the jewelry, Zhang Wei’s heart was thumping like a trapped rabbit, but he didn’t dare linger. He cast a quick glance at the Buddha statues in the hall and began to mutter to himself, calculating his own little plans.

He quickly left Wanyuan Hall and boarded the shuttle bus that had been waiting.

Everyone was exhausted after a day of sightseeing. After dinner, they all returned to their rooms early to rest.

Back in his room, Zhang Wei’s heart raced with excitement as he carefully unwrapped the cloth bundle. In an instant, a flash of emerald green met his eyes, dazzling and brilliant like the most radiant spring leaves. Inside the bundle was a set of Imperial Green glass-type jadeite jewelry, including a pair of earrings, a necklace, and a pair of bracelets.

He first picked up the earrings. The jadeite shimmered under the light like gemstones, and the design was incredibly exquisite. He shook them gently, and the earrings swayed with his movements, producing a crisp, melodic tinkling sound that was wonderful to hear.

Next, he picked up the necklace. The beads were uniform in size, all around 1.5 centimeters. The Imperial Green color was evenly distributed across every bead, the hue vibrant and the jade quality as fine as glass—crystal clear and breathtaking.

Finally, he picked up the pair of bracelets. The jadeite was as warm and smooth as a baby’s skin, and the color was so beautiful and rich it seemed impossible to thin out.

Zhang Wei knew very well that the value of this jewelry set was immeasurable. He had heard that a similar jadeite necklace was valued at over 50 million. By that calculation, the value of this entire set was likely over 100 million.

He was stunned. Having grown up without ever seeing such expensive jewelry, an indescribable sense of shock surged through his heart.

Early the next morning, Zhang Wei couldn’t wait to call Manager Gao, the park manager of the Water Park. As soon as the call connected, Zhang Wei got straight to the point: ”Hello, Manager Gao! This is Zhang Wei. I took a walk around Wanyuan Hall yesterday and have an idea I’d like to discuss with you.”

Hearing this, Manager Gao’s voice became excited: ”Mr. Zhang, is what you said on the phone true? You’re willing to pay for the restoration of the Buddha statues in Wanyuan Hall?”

Zhang Wei smiled and said, ”It’s true, Manager Gao. Yesterday, I saw that those Buddha statues were moth-eaten, and it didn’t sit well with me. Since I have some means, I want to contribute my own modest effort.”

Hearing this, Manager Gao’s eyes grew moist. He said with emotion, ”Mr. Zhang, in this day and age, a young and successful person like you who cares so much about society is truly rare. Our park has always longed to restore these statues, but we’ve been unable to do so due to a lack of funds.”

Zhang Wei smiled and said, ”Manager Gao, please don’t say that. I’m just doing what I should. Tell me, is 2 million enough?”

Manager Gao’s eyes lit up, and his hand holding the phone began to tremble. ”Mr. Zhang, this is truly a godsend! Government funding is limited, and since our park is located at the border of two cities, foot traffic is restricted, so our funds have always been tight. Tourists often complain about the condition of the statues in Wanyuan Hall. It’s not that we didn’t want to restore them, but after consulting Museum experts for an evaluation, the restoration costs were so high we simply couldn’t afford them.”

Zhang Wei said seriously, ”In that case, I’m willing to add another 3 million to ensure every Buddha statue can be regilded. Let’s settle it then, what do you think?”

Manager Gao’s voice trembled with excitement. ”Mr. Zhang, this is truly a grand act of kindness! This isn’t just financial aid; it’s a treasuring and passing on of cultural heritage! On behalf of the park and all the tourists, I offer you my most sincere thanks!”

Zhang Wei smiled and said, ”Manager Gao, you’re too kind. Since this is decided, please arrange for a team of experts as soon as possible. Let’s try to start work early so the Buddha statues can regain their former glory.”

Manager Gao nodded repeatedly. ”Rest assured, Mr. Zhang, I will personally oversee it to ensure the restoration goes smoothly. At the same time, our park will definitely promote your benevolent act so more people will know of and thank you for your contribution.”

Zhang Wei declined, ”No, no, it’s better to keep a low profile. I just want to get the job done right.”

Manager Gao was deeply impressed, his voice tinged with emotion. ”Mr. Zhang, you are truly a good man! Please rest assured, I will go all out to ensure this is completed perfectly and give you a satisfactory result!”

Water Park Restaurant

Manager Gao warmly invited Zhang Wei, Liu Haorui, An Xiaoxi, Lu Yuhan, Chen Jiayan, and Wang Xiaohua to sit down, saying with a smile, ”Today’s meal is on behalf of the park to thank everyone! Our vegetarian dishes are quite famous; you all must try them.”

The waiter nimbly placed a dish in front of everyone. Zhang Wei looked at it curiously and asked, ”Manager Gao, can vegetarian food really be made to look so exquisite?”

Manager Gao smiled and began the introduction: ”This dish is called ’Three Treasures.’ It’s a combination of a fortune bag, a gourd, and sweet and sour ’pork’ ribs. The ingredients are wild mushrooms, soybeans, and lotus root. Look, this fortune bag is made of wild mushrooms, the gourd is made of soybeans and lotus root, and these sweet and sour ribs are made from a section of plum inserted into lotus root, vegetarian chicken pressed into the shape of a treasure gourd, and tofu skin wrapped around a handful of Indian aster.”

An Xiaoxi’s eyes lit up. ”Wow, this gourd is so exquisitely made! If Manager Gao hadn’t explained it, I wouldn’t have been able to tell it was made of vegetarian chicken at all!”

Liu Haorui couldn’t wait to pick up a piece of the gourd and take a bite. After chewing a few times, he gave a thumbs up. ”Mmm, if you didn’t say it was vegetarian, I really wouldn’t know. The texture of this gourd is as magical as the treasure gourd from the Calabash Brothers, and the sweet and sour ribs taste very similar to meat!”

Manager Gao nodded with a smile. ”Our chefs here are very talented; they can make vegetarian food taste just like meat.”

Next, the waiter served everyone the second dish. This was mashed yam in the shape of a Taiji Bagua, and the visual effect was fantastic! One half was its natural color, and the other was a pale purple colored with plant dyes, looking both mysterious and inviting.

Manager Gao continued the introduction: ”The surface of this mashed yam is garnished with the rare and precious Yunnan termite mushroom. The special soy sauce at the bottom is meant to be eaten with the mashed yam, neutralizing its unique elegant and viscous texture. Everyone, please try it.”

After hearing the introduction, Liu Haorui couldn’t help but marvel, ”So vegetarian food can have such great charm!” He took a piece of the mashed yam, tasted it, and nodded. ”It’s really delicious, not at all inferior to meat dishes!”

Lu Yuhan was usually very picky about food, but even she was full of praise for this dish. ”I never imagined that an unremarkable restaurant in such a small park could produce such unique and delicious vegetarian food.”

Zhang Wei also couldn’t help but praise, ”Manager Gao, your chefs are amazing! These vegetarian dishes are so exquisite; they’ve completely overturned my impression of vegetarian food.”

Manager Gao replied with a smile, ”Our ingredients are all sourced from nearby farmers; they’re fresh and healthy. The chefs are also very dedicated, hoping to bring everyone a different experience.”

Then, several more signature dishes were served, each one eye-opening and praised for its taste. As Liu Haorui ate, he exclaimed, ”This meal is so worth it! I’ll have to come here to eat more often in the future.”

An Xiaoxi also said with a smile, ”Yeah, I’ve really learned something today. It turns out vegetarian food can be made so delicious!”

Seeing how happy everyone was, Lu Yuhan also smiled and said, ”Next time I bring friends, I’ll definitely have them try the vegetarian food here too.”

Seeing everyone’s happy faces, a gratified smile appeared on Manager Gao’s face. ”I’m glad you all like it. Please come back often!”