Xu Shan waved his hand and said, "Never mind its color, essentially, it's a fungal complex."
His nonsensical statement left Lin Fan speechless and filled with frustration.
Lin Fan didn't entirely believe Gu Dayong.
The price Gu Dayong mentioned far exceeded Lin Fan's understanding.
Four hundred and sixty thousand per liang, who would believe that?
However, Lin Fan wasn't foolish. Since the "Zhi Heng Law Codex" called the Crimson Blood Lingzhi a first-grade spirit herb, it must be worth something, just not as exaggerated as Gu Dayong claimed.
Xu Shan weighed the lingzhi and said, "If it were a whole one, I could give you a high price of two hundred thousand."
Lin Fan was stunned and was about to refute when an old man with white hair called out, "Physician Xu, aren't you mistaken?"
"I've heard that Crimson Blood Lingzhi is extremely rare, only growing on cliffs, and costs hundreds of thousands per liang!"
A subtle trace of anger flickered across Xu Shan's face. "Old sir, you're not entirely informed."
He walked out from behind the counter and explained, "Lingzhi depends on age and quality. Lingzhi costing hundreds of thousands per liang would weigh over five jin and be over a hundred years old."
"This one in my hand, even if complete, would only be about two jin, thirty years old at most."
"You must understand, the better the quality, the more exponentially the price drops with each grade."
His seemingly logical explanation made everyone present nod in agreement.
Lin Fan looked at Xu Shan and, with a mindset of selling if the price was right, asked, "So, how much are you offering for this piece of lingzhi?"
Xu Shan held up one hand and replied, "Five thousand yuan. That's not a small amount, is it?"
Lin Fan sneered, snatched the lingzhi back, and said coldly, "This is Crimson Blood Lingzhi. You're either trying to cheat me or you don't recognize a good item. I'm not selling!"
Hearing this, Xu Shan's face immediately fell, and he huffed, "What kind of talk is that? Young man, even if you don't respect your elders, you can't insult my integrity!"
Lin Fan didn't respond, put the lingzhi back into his backpack, and turned to leave.
The old man, seeing this, had a thought and quickly called out, "Young man, why don't you sell it to me? I'll offer ten thousand!"
Crimson Blood Lingzhi was, after all, a rare medicinal material that few people had seen. Moreover, Physician Xu was offering five thousand yuan for it, so it was likely not a loss to buy it for ten thousand.
With these thoughts, the old man stepped forward to block Lin Fan.
Lin Fan stopped but didn't turn back.
He wanted to wait a moment and see if anyone would offer a higher price.
One second...
Five seconds...
Nine seconds...
In less than ten seconds, he indeed heard a mature woman's voice, "Handsome young man, how much? Name your price."
Lin Fan thought for a moment and, lacking confidence, replied, "Ten... no, fifteen thousand. I won't sell for a cent less!"
He was angry and also remembered he owed Wang Quezi another hundred thousand, so he named fifteen thousand.
One hundred thousand to repay the debt, and fifty thousand would be enough for him and Xia Xue to live comfortably for a while.
"Alright, I'll buy it."
The woman's tone was casual and decisive.
Lin Fan was taken aback and suddenly looked up.
Fifteen thousand, and someone bought it?
Lin Fan mechanically turned around and slowly met a pair of peach blossom eyes.
The owner of the peach blossom eyes was a mature woman, around thirty years old, exuding a captivating charm.
"May I see it?"
The woman extended a slender, fair hand, her voice so soft that Lin Fan found it impossible to refuse.
"Oh."
Lin Fan felt a little embarrassed under her gaze and quickly lowered his head, his eyes shifting to the floor.
This woman had an elegant demeanor, clearly a wealthy lady, with an extraordinary background.
Lin Fan knew in his heart that there was an insurmountable gulf between them.
Sister-in-law is the best!
Lin Fan chuckled and nimbly took out the lingzhi from his backpack, offering it to the woman.
At this moment, Xu Shan rushed to the woman's left and urgently advised, "General Manager Sun, this lingzhi isn't worth fifteen thousand. Don't be fooled!"
The woman's name was Su Yurou, a regular customer of Bai Xing Pharmacy.
Xu Shan knew she owned a local beauty salon and was very wealthy.
However, fifteen thousand was still a significant sum, and seeing a young boy easily earn so much money made Xu Shan's old eyes red with jealousy.
Su Yurou didn't reply. She picked up the lingzhi, examined it carefully, and asked, "Handsome young man, are you sure this mushroom-like thing is truly Crimson Blood Lingzhi?"
Lin Fan immediately replied, "Of course, the Zhi Heng..."
He stopped there, realizing he was about to say something wrong, and quickly changed his tune, "I've read books introducing lingzhi varieties before."
"The books clearly state that although there are hundreds of types of lingzhi in the world, only Crimson Blood Lingzhi has a flawless reddish-brown exterior and a blood-red interior."
After he finished speaking, he nodded firmly, a look of sincerity on his face.
Su Yurou watched Lin Fan's eyes intently, as if she could see through him this way.
"Hmm, if it's genuine, then it's good. I've only heard people talk about this thing before, and this is my first time seeing it."
Su Yurou then turned to Xu Shan and responded to his earlier remark, "Physician Xu, I think it's worth this price."
"Besides, spending a little money on a rare item, even if it's not Crimson Blood Lingzhi, isn't a loss, right?"
Everyone present was shocked.
Even Lin Fan was dumbfounded.
Fifteen thousand was a small sum to her!
How much wealth did this woman possess?
Xu Shan's lips quivered, and he stammered, unable to speak.
What he considered a large sum of money was mere pocket change to Su Yurou, so no amount of jealousy or persuasion from him would be useful.
"Cash or transfer?"
Su Yurou looked at Lin Fan and asked, raising the phone in her left hand.
Lin Fan didn't have a phone, so he could only say, "Cash."
Su Yurou nodded. "Alright, come with me to withdraw the money."
As she spoke, Su Yurou walked out of Bai Xing Pharmacy.
Lin Fan followed closely.
Su Yurou took a key from her handbag and pressed it casually.
The next second, a stylish sports car parked by the roadside flashed its headlights and let out two honks. Its two doors opened like unfolding wings.
This scene left Lin Fan gaping in astonishment.
It was his first time seeing a sports car in real life, let alone such a high-tech product.
"We'll go to the bank in my car. It's only a few minutes away."
Su Yurou said, getting into the car first.
"Okay, okay."
Lin Fan swallowed hard, then, clutching his backpack, awkwardly squeezed into the passenger seat.
A sports car!
He had never even dreamed of riding in one.
Seeing his nervous state, barely daring to breathe, Su Yurou couldn't help but ask, "Why are you so nervous?"
Lin Fan's eyes flickered, and he didn't respond.
This made Su Yurou burst into laughter, as radiant as peach blossoms in May.