C10 Selling Bonsai

“Ke Lianna, are you around?”

“Hmm? What do you need?”

“I have a question about the capabilities of the first-grade star core.”

“Oh, that’s easy. Are you looking to catalyze plants or enhance animal intelligence? Just so you know, the boost in intelligence is quite limited,” Ke Lianna replied with a mischievous tone.

“Let’s work with these two plants on the table. They’re all we have in the house, and there’s nothing else to experiment with.”

Ke Lianna materialized next to the table, eyeing the two plants that resembled half-dead weeds, then gave him a skeptical look. “You’re sure you want to catalyze these two?”

Situ Yu nodded. Ke Lianna sighed and said, “Fine, I’ll have the mainframe target these two plants. The closer you are to them during the catalysis, the stronger the effect. The further away, the weaker it becomes. Beyond 50 meters, there’s practically no effect at all.

Basically, as long as you’re inside this house, you’ll see some results.”

Situ Yu nodded again, signaling his understanding, then pressed on, “What exactly does raising an animal’s intelligence entail? How is it done?”

“That’s simple too. Take, for instance, the insects in your yard, or any small creatures, and some birds or other animals. For species lower on the evolutionary ladder than your reptiles, the effects are somewhat more pronounced. But for someone like you, the impact would be pretty mundane,” the little loli said casually, twirling her hair around her finger without a care.

Situ Yu felt like he’d been metaphorically shot. Unable to refute, he resigned himself to his status as a mere 'reptile' in the eyes of a being capable of traversing the cosmos.

Come evening, with the water and electricity back on, Situ Yu cooked two packs of instant noodles and savored his meal. Having subsisted on noodles for the past couple of days, the charm was starting to wear off.

The sound of crickets filled his ears. Triggered by the noise, an idea sparked in Situ Yu’s mind, and he tiptoed to the edge of the yard.

He traced the sound to its source and lifted a brick, revealing a small cricket chirping away.

With a swift motion, he captured the tiny creature. He grabbed an empty mineral water bottle from the corner, tossed the cricket inside, added a few drops of water, and then plucked a weed from the yard to join it.

He placed it next to the plant and then headed off to shower, preparing himself for bed. Before turning in, he glanced again at the plant and the cricket.

After a moment's thought, he decided to bring the plant into his room. The cricket, however, would have to stay outside if he wanted any sleep at all.

He enjoyed a good night's rest and, upon waking the next morning, Situ Yu freshened up. The plant from the previous day came to mind, prompting him to check on it once more.

"What's this? Did I bring this thing inside yesterday?" A striking plant stood proudly in the room. It was incredibly beautiful, though he couldn't quite place its name. Still, it was a pleasure to behold.

He noticed another plant nearby. "Is this a pine? Shouldn't it be much larger? Why is it only this small? But it's growing quite nicely."

As a seasoned miner, Situ Yu admitted to recognizing art, but not really understanding it.

His thoughts then returned to the cricket on the outdoor table. He went to check on it and found it unchanged.

The idea that it was supposed to enhance intelligence crossed his mind, but he questioned whether that was truly possible. As a single man, Situ Yu admitted he had no clue.

He checked the time and the weather. Before the day grew too warm, he grabbed two large plastic bags and placed the plants inside. Any collector witnessing his actions would be heartbroken enough to want to slap him against a wall.

With the plants in tow, he locked up and headed to the station. Arriving just in time, he spotted a waiting minibus. He quickly boarded, found a spacious seat in the front, purchased his ticket, and settled in for departure.

Ten minutes later, with the bus half full, they set off. The minibus made several stops along the way and finally reached S City after half an hour. He disembarked, checked the bus number, and boarded another bus, continuing his journey. Station by station, he eventually arrived at the flower and bird pet market an hour later.

Situ Yu, carrying two large plastic bags, meandered through the market, surveying the flora on display. Most were common plants with modest price tags. Yet, among them were a few rare specimens fetching prices in the thousands.

While there, Situ Yu took the opportunity to familiarize himself with the two types of plants he had on hand. One was the Spring Orchid, a variety of orchid.

The price for such orchids could range from a mere few dozen yuan to over a million. Situ Yu was at a loss on how to price the one he held; he'd have to figure that out later.

The other was a bonsai pine, an evergreen tree that thrived in warm conditions, was cold-resistant, and could adapt to a wide range of soil pH levels.

This bonsai's price was more modest, typically between a few dozen to a few thousand yuan. Just like with the orchid, Situ Yu was unsure how to value it.

After scouting the area twice, Situ Yu set out to find a buyer. He dismissed most of the roadside stalls as potential buyers—those unable to afford a storefront were unlikely to purchase plants.

His search led him to the storefronts. One particular shop, ‘Jade Green Pavilion,’ stood out with its sizable 50-square-meter space—a significant asset in an area where land prices rivaled those of gold.

Upon entering the shop, Situ Yu surveyed his surroundings. Two clerks were present, including a short, stout middle-aged man who was engrossed in his writing.

One clerk gave Situ Yu a once-over, noting his street vendor attire that wouldn't total more than 100 yuan, and his dark complexion, a telltale sign of outdoor labor. With a tone of disinterest, he asked, "What are you looking to buy?"

Unperturbed, Situ Yu inquired, "Do you purchase bonsais here?" His expression betrayed a hint of nervousness.

The writing clerk perked up at the question. He stood, smiling, and said, "Young man, what do you have to sell? Bring it out for me to see."

Seeing the boss engage, the other clerk stepped aside, busying himself with cleaning the tables and watering the plants with a spray bottle.

Situ Yu approached the counter and placed two large plastic bags he was carrying onto it.

The stout clerk's brow furrowed at the sight. He silently criticized, "Who handles bonsais like that? It could damage them." He gave Situ Yu another look, thinking, "He doesn't strike me as someone from the bonsai trade. I wonder where he got these from."

Situ Yu pulled the bonsai out of the plastic bag and presented it to the portly shop owner.

The shop owner, eyeing the pine, remarked, "This pine has a nice look to it, well-tended for sure. It wouldn't be thriving like this otherwise."

He then glanced at another pot, his eyes suddenly sparkling. His hands, previously resting at his back, clenched tightly.

"Such a premium specimen, a Spring Orchid this beautiful is a rare find these days. But it's summer now. How is this Spring Orchid blooming? Could it have been kept in a greenhouse?

And how did this young man come by such an exquisite orchid? It certainly doesn't look like his own handiwork. The origins of this plant must be questionable. The price, originally at 200,000, now seems like it could be acquired for much less," the shop owner mused internally.

"Heh, I'm the proprietor of this establishment. The name's Chi, but everyone calls me Boss Chi. And you are?" the chubby man inquired with a grin.

"Do we really need to go digging up the past just to sell a plant?" Situ Yu replied with a smile, "I'm Situ Yu."

"Ah, what a fine name!" Boss Chi chuckled. "Both of these bonsai are quite impressive. I'll take the pine for 500 yuan. But this orchid, it's worth considerably more.

However, since you brought them without the proper tools, there's been a bit of damage. See here, this leaf is slightly bent.

Still, I'm known for my generosity. I won't quibble over a little damage. I'll offer a flat 50,000 yuan for the pot."

Situ Yu was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected the plant he'd nurtured overnight to fetch 50,000 yuan.

Noticing Situ Yu's lack of response, which seemed like dissatisfaction, Boss Chi tightened his fist and said, "I'll take a loss and add another 5,000 yuan. That's the best I can do," he claimed, feigning distress.

Situ Yu snapped out of his daze. A mere moment's pause and the price had jumped by 5,000 yuan. He quickly nodded and agreed, "It's a deal!"

In just one night, I had 55,500 yuan in my grasp. Happiness struck so unexpectedly that my heart could barely handle the shock.

As I reflected on the meager wages from two years in the mines, the contrast with my current windfall was staggering. Lost in my joy, I failed to notice the sly, triumphant grin spreading across my boss's face.

Boss Chi spoke up promptly, "I'll fetch your money now. Would you prefer a bank transfer or cash?"

After a moment's thought, I replied, "Transfer fifty thousand to my card, and I'll take the five thousand five hundred in cash."

"Sure thing, what's your card number?"

"622358XXXXXX..."

"I'll transfer it immediately." A minute later, my phone buzzed with the notification of the deposit.

Boss Chi counted out the cash, a stack of crisp five thousand five hundred yuan, and handed it to me.

Grinning from ear to ear, I thumbed through the bills—bright red portraits of Mao staring back at me. It would normally take a full year of toiling in the mines to earn this much.

Once I finished, I stowed the RMB away and Boss Chi extended his business card to me.

I pocketed the card and stepped out of the shop, my spirits high.