C2 The Success of the Treasure Hunt

He deliberately pointed to another painting that seemed far more impressive and inquired in an even tone, "Boss, what's the price of this one?"

The boss gave it a brief glance before returning his attention to his phone screen, replying dismissively, "Five hundred, firm."

"Five hundred?" Xiao Nan was taken aback, then pleaded with a bitter tone, "Boss, how about three hundred? I'm just a broke student."

"You drive a hard bargain, kid. Hehe, but no can do. I paid more than three hundred for it myself." The boss smirked without sparing Xiao Nan another glance.

Xiao Nan put on a regretful face, giving the painting a few more longing looks before admitting defeat, "All I have is one hundred and eight. Can't you cut me some slack, boss?"

"Not happening," the boss said, clearly annoyed. He gestured towards a painting of a beautiful landscape and said, "One hundred and eight? That'll only get you this one. Take it if you want it—it's just taking up space. Just don't bug me anymore."

Xiao Nan kept his composure and inhaled deeply. His strategy had worked!

Had he outright offered one hundred and eight for the landscape painting from the start, the shrewd boss surely would have refused.

His tactic was to feign interest in a pricier piece before shifting his focus to the seemingly worn painting of the beautiful landscape, leaving the boss with no room to haggle.

It appeared his plan to snag a bargain had paid off.

"Let's settle up with WeChat Pay," Xiao Nan suggested, managing to maintain a look of distress despite his inner elation. He scanned the QR code with his phone, completed the transaction, and left Qing Ci Temple with the painting in hand.

"Pathetic, trying to act the part when he's that broke. Hopeless," the boss muttered with a sneer, watching Xiao Nan walk away.

...

But in that moment, all Xiao Nan wanted to do was burst into triumphant laughter.

"I finally got it, and with my last one hundred and eight. Any more expensive and it would've been out of reach."

Holding the painting, Xiao Nan unfurled it. Now was the perfect time to use the system's feature to directly purchase undervalued items, so he promptly issued the command to the system.

"System, I want to take advantage of the direct purchase option to sell off this 'Jiangshan Beauty' painting!"

"The 'Jiangshan Beauty' painting will be purchased by the system for 30,000 yuan. Please confirm the sale."

The system's voice, cold and impersonal, responded to Xiao Nan.

He had to confirm? Xiao Nan was momentarily taken aback before he blurted out with excitement, "Confirm the sale!"

His declaration rang out loud and clear, drawing curious glances from passersby on the street who wondered if they had just encountered a madman.

But Xiao Nan paid no mind to their bewildered stares; the system's voice was calling to him again!

"Sale successful!"

"30,000 yuan has been deposited. Host's personal assets: 30,800 yuan. Available assets: 30,000 yuan."

As the system's notification chimed, Xiao Nan watched the display before him transform—the section indicating the system's level had changed!

"Congratulations, host, for earning 30,000 experience points. The system has been upgraded to Level 2! You have gained an extra scan opportunity valid for three days!"

The system had ascended to Level 2, and the experience needed for the next level up had jumped to a staggering 1 million!

Xiao Nan felt a surge of excitement. Just moments ago, he was a penniless kid with barely a hundred and eighty to his name. Now, in the blink of an eye, he was sitting on a small fortune of 30,000 yuan—a substantial sum for a student in his position.

And with the system's upgrade to Level 2, plus an additional scan opportunity within three days, his prospects were looking up!

"No more going hungry," he thought.

With a hearty laugh, Xiao Nan decided it was time to grab a bite, his hunger pangs making his stomach feel like it was stuck to his back.

His tuition and living expenses were now covered, freeing him from financial worries for at least the next six months!

"But why stop there? With this system, why should I settle for mere survival? I aim to be the wealthiest magnate, a cut above the rest!" Xiao Nan's eyes gleamed with determination.

With an extra scan opportunity at his disposal, he wasn't about to let it go to waste. Seizing the moment, Xiao Nan commanded, "Initiate the scan!"

"Scanning... Target located!"

"Hetian Jade Pendant, valued at 150,000 yuan. Location: A small stall situated at one o'clock from here. Investment potential: 500 yuan."

As the system alert faded, images and details about the jade pendant materialized before Xiao Nan.

"Hetian Jade, no less!"

Xiao Nan was taken aback. Despite being a student on a tight budget, he was well aware of the renowned Hetian Jade.

To think he'd have the chance to handle the priciest of soft jades was beyond his expectations.

"What new upgrades might the system have in store next?"

His heart raced at the thought. Previously, as a student with limited means, the idea of affording something worth 150,000 yuan was unthinkable.

But now, after that surreal encounter, his excitement was barely containable.

"Screw it, I'll skip a meal if I have to, but I'm getting that Hetian Jade pendant first!"

That reminds me, I've yet to discover the new features of the upgraded level two system.

Curious, Xiao Nan inquired, "System, what capabilities come with the level two upgrade?"

"The system can perform a scan every three days within a ten-kilometer radius of the host, identifying undervalued cultural playthings not exceeding 100,000 yuan, dating back no further than the Qing Dynasty."

"Additionally, starting from the second level, the system unlocks the Super Treasure Appraisal feature!"

"Any cultural plaything within the host's line of sight can be directly assessed to determine its value!"

Holy smokes, Xiao Nan instantly grasped the sheer brilliance of the Super Treasure Appraisal feature!

It was as if he could now appraise treasures with his very own eyes!

Brimming with excitement, Xiao Nan hastened to the location indicated by the system and found himself at a bustling street market.

These roadside stalls were a common sight along Wenxuan Road, offering a myriad of items, though rarely anything upscale. Conventional wisdom would suggest finding a hidden gem here was unlikely.

But now, with the system at his disposal, who knows?

He scanned the stalls, where an assortment of curiosities lay in wait.

There were various intriguing stones, including beeswax, amber, dzi beads, red agate, turquoise, and more.

Among them were items with a sense of history: stamps, small art booklets, coins from the Republic of China era, and silver notes from the Qing Dynasty.

Xiao Nan breezed past the street stalls, yet the array of goods captivated his attention, leaving him spellbound.

"Republic of China stamps, a steal at 350!"

"Turquoise, only 280!"

...

To Xiao Nan's amazement, each item now bore a price tag in his vision, a clear perk of the system's latest upgrade.

"Incredible," he marveled.

He recognized this as the "superb appraisal" feature from the system's recent enhancement, and even though it was his first time using it, the experience left him in awe.

"With these discerning eyes, ha, what treasure could possibly elude me in this collector's market?"

The thought alone made Xiao Nan giddy with the prospect of imminent wealth.

He sauntered over to a stall showcasing a jade pendant, just in time to overhear the owner regaling a group of foreigners with tall tales.

"This may look like a mere toothpick, but it once belonged to a consort of a prince during the Qianlong era! There's quite a story behind it..."

In the midst of his spiel, the owner was caught off guard by Xiao Nan's interjection.

"Boss, what's the price for this jade carving?"

He inquired, pointing to a meticulously carved jade lion.

The owner gave Xiao Nan a dismissive once-over, annoyed at being interrupted. He wasn't the look of a big spender. Offhandedly, he blurted out, "18,000!"

It was a bluff, intended to shoo away the seemingly clueless young man.

Without missing a beat, the owner turned back to his foreign audience and the toothpick saga.

Unperturbed by the owner's ploy, Xiao Nan countered, "How about 2,800?"

Thanks to the system, he knew the jade lion's true worth was mere hundreds.

But with the crowd around, he had to play the fool to avoid tipping off his real interest in the Hetian Jade Pendant.

Taking a small loss now was part of the game to secure the pendant later.

As expected, the owner, still waxing lyrical about the toothpick, paused, visibly taken aback by the "2,800" offer.

He had acquired the jade lion for just 500 yuan, yet it had never found a buyer.

Antique Street was bustling with savvy shoppers. He had only hoped to break even, but to his surprise, a naive youngster blurted out an offer of two thousand eight hundred dollars?

A profit of over two thousand dollars just handed to him on a silver platter—it was easier than finding money on the ground!

"My friend, you've got an excellent eye! Alright, two thousand eight hundred it is—I'll sell it to you," the owner exclaimed, laughing heartily at Xiao Nan. His warmth was so convincing that strangers might have mistaken them for old pals.

But Xiao Nan appeared hesitant: "Boss, your eagerness makes me second-guess myself. Maybe I'm getting the short end of the stick. You know what, never mind, I think I'll pass."