Chapter 109: The Legendary Tianshan Snow Lotus

Facing Su Xue’s furious embarrassment, Zhang Can merely smiled faintly and said, “I’m not telling you!”

Those words made Su Xue seethe with frustration, her teeth practically itching to lash out and give Zhang Can a good thrashing. Yet with her uncle standing before her, she dismissed the thought as if it had never crossed her mind. Still, in her heart, the idea wasn’t entirely unwelcome.

Wang Qian chuckled and said, “Let’s drop this matter and never bring it up again. Little brother, I came over this time to ask for your help. Do you have time?”

Zhang Can was momentarily taken aback but immediately inquired, “What is it?”

“A trip to Xinjiang, to be precise, to the Tianshan Mountains. I need you to come along because of your discerning eye. I know many experts in the trade, but I believe none surpass you. Even the strongest masters seem to bow before you,” Wang Qian said earnestly.

Without hesitation, Zhang Can nodded and replied, “Alright!”

Though not surprised, Wang Qian still probed, “Little brother, do you trust me that much? You don’t even ask what exactly I need or what favor I require?”

Zhang Can smiled and said, “You already told me it’s because of my ability to distinguish. It’s not about doing anything evil or criminal. Why would I refuse? When it comes to others, I might hesitate, but when it concerns you, I don’t even need to think twice!”

Wang Qian laughed heartily. “Good, with words like that from you, I’m at ease!”

“That’s just flattery!” Su Xue muttered from the side.

Wang Qian wasn’t offended; instead, he shot her a sharp glance and scolded, “You little brat, who ever called your uncle a ‘horse’?”

Lowering her head, Su Xue said nothing. Naturally, she had no retort when it came to her uncle.

Noticing the change in Su Xue’s expression, Wang Qian smiled and asked, “What are you two up to? You look all puffed up with anger!” Knowing Su Xue’s personality inside out, he recognized this mood as her typical stubborn pride flaring up again—though it seemed she hadn’t yet won her point. He worried she might genuinely fall out with Zhang Can, so he asked, hoping to quietly resolve the tension.

Annoyed, Su Xue pushed the two strings of beads toward him. “It’s these two. He can tell which is rosewood and which is sandalwood even blindfolded. I’m just curious how he manages that.”

Wang Qian, naturally more knowledgeable about antiques than Su Xue, examined the beads. He recognized one set—it had been gifted to Su Xue at age seven by a wandering monk she had fed once. The origin of the other set was unknown.

The two strings were nearly identical in color, size, grain, and even carving. Smiling, Wang Qian asked Zhang Can, “Little brother, these two look completely alike to me. How do you tell them apart?”

Since Wang Qian asked, Zhang Can couldn’t avoid answering, though the secret naturally remained undisclosed. After some thought, he offered a reason: “Big brother, much of the distinction comes down to feeling, so it’s hard to explain clearly. If I were to point out differences, there would actually be quite a few, though to the naked eye they’re almost indistinguishable. For example, the carver’s technique differs: one uses a left-spiral stroke, the other a stroke from bottom to top. Though the carvings look the same, running a finger over them lets me sense the difference.”

By attributing it to intuition, Zhang Can gave Wang Qian an answer that was difficult to refute. Intuition isn’t something easily explained, making it the perfect excuse.

Wang Qian chuckled; he believed him. Su Xue, however, was skeptical. She tried rubbing the beads herself, but felt no difference at all—they felt exactly the same.

“Stop touching them. If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t be called a master or expert!” Wang Qian said with a laugh to Su Xue, while expressing absolute trust in Zhang Can’s keen eye.

Seeing Su Xue hold back any complaints in front of Wang Qian, Zhang Can felt much calmer. It seemed his issue was truly resolved. Still, he admitted being quite shaken—those were several large boxes of drugs!

“When are we heading to the Tianshan?” Zhang Can asked, returning to the topic. If they were going, it wouldn’t be a quick trip. He’d need to inform Zhu Senlin, though he doubted Zhu would object, considering the money Zhang Can had recently earned for him—money his shop might not have made in thirty years.

“Well...” Wang Qian pondered, then looked at Zhang Can. “It depends on your arrangements here. Once everything is settled, we’ll depart.”

Suddenly, Su Xue interjected, “Uncle, I just cracked this big case. My boss said that after it’s closed, I’d get a long vacation. Let’s take this chance to travel to Tianshan together!”

Wang Qian laughed warmly. “Great! With you along, I’d feel safe from robbers, wild men, wolves, or any beasts out there!”

Zhang Can frowned slightly. He wasn’t pleased about her tagging along. Even with Wang Qian there, he still felt wary—once bitten, twice shy.

Wang Qian turned to Zhang Can again. “I originally wanted to organize a convoy to drive there, but the journey is too long. The Sichuan-Tibet Highway has been prone to accidents lately. Better to take the train or a plane.”

“Uncle, I suggest the train. Driving is best for enjoying the beautiful scenery, and the train still shows some of it. Flying would mean missing it all. Honestly, I’m most eager to experience the customs and culture of the ethnic minorities,” Su Xue said eagerly.

Hearing Wang Qian’s plan for a convoy, she readily agreed. Yet she also knew from recent news reports that the roads from Gansu to Xinjiang suffered landslides, mudslides, and other dangers. Taking the train was safer and still offered views of local landscapes.

Wang Qian laughed and waved his hand. “Little brother, you handle the arrangements. We’ll decide tomorrow. I also need to prepare and gather some specialized personnel. This trip to Tianshan requires some unique talents.”

Zhang Can nodded and added, “Big brother, shall I take you to your hotel—no, no, my new place! I just bought a house in the southern district!”

Wang Qian shook his head. “No, next time. Let me get everything ready first.”

“So extravagant! You’re making money faster than drug dealers!” Su Xue couldn’t help but tease Zhang Can. From her recent investigations, Zhang Can had indeed amassed a fortune—thirty to forty million in savings—all earned recently. For some influential figures, that might not be unusual, but for an ordinary person, that kind of wealth so quickly was remarkable.

“Xue, come with me to handle some business. I still have questions for you,” Wang Qian beckoned Su Xue, then turned to Zhang Can. “Little brother, I’ll call you tomorrow. I have some private matters to attend to here. I won’t come by your place tonight. Just call me if there’s anything.”

Wang Qian’s identity was too mysterious, and since he chose not to disclose it, Zhang Can wisely refrained from pressing. Their friendship was based on mutual affinity, not any transactional interest.

After finalizing plans, Wang Qian and Su Xue took a taxi away. Zhang Can drove to the shop, where Zhu Senlin happened to be. He called him to a private room and whispered, “Old Zhu, Brother Wang just invited me to go to Tianshan for some business. I accepted. Just letting you know I’ll be back as soon as possible. Also, we should recruit a new eye-expert.”

Zhu Senlin was surprised but quickly smiled. “Sounds good. Tell Mr. Wang I want to join too. I’ve always wanted to visit Xinjiang but never got the chance. Now I’m more at peace with life. Enough money is enough. Earning too much is pointless if your children don’t appreciate it. Money only matters if it’s hard-earned—it’s then that people value it.”

Zhang Can hadn’t expected Zhu Senlin to have such a broad mindset—it was admirable. He agreed that accumulating wealth beyond a certain point only expands one’s ambitions and burdens.

“But...” Zhang Can hesitated, looking at Zhu Senlin’s stout figure. He wasn’t sure if Wang Qian would approve of Zhu joining, nor whether Zhu’s health could endure the trip.

Though never having been to Tianshan, Zhang Can knew its dangers. The tallest peaks soared over 7,000 meters, with average elevations above 5,000 meters—challenging for anyone in poor health.

Seeing Zhang Can’s expression, Zhu Senlin understood. He laughed and said, “Little brother, ask Mr. Wang first. If he agrees, I’ll go; if not, I won’t. For me, it’s just a chance to shed some weight. Also, I’ve heard about the Tianshan snow lotus—a rare and precious herb. I wonder if we’ll find any.”

Zhang Can was taken aback. “Snow lotus? Isn’t that a fictional element from martial arts stories? How could such a thing exist in reality?”

If it did, he wondered if it would compare to other prized herbs like lingzhi mushrooms or fo-ti root.

Zhang Can’s curiosity was piqued; perhaps he’d seek it out one day to see what it was like.

Glancing at Zhang Hua outside, busy with accounts, Zhang Can suddenly realized that if he left, the shop would have no master eye-expert. With Zhu Senlin also considering joining, the Stone Studio would be empty—no one capable of making decisions or keeping the business running.

“How can we continue to make money without a master in charge?” Zhang Can chuckled. “Old Zhu, if you go, I won’t object. I’ll talk to Brother Wang again, but we must recruit a master to replace you first. No matter what, the shop can’t just stop business, even if profits shrink.”

“I understand,” Zhu Senlin said, pulling out his phone and scrolling through contacts. “I’ll look around. I know some people in the circle. I’ll ask. The only question is... what salary do we offer?”

Zhu Senlin was particular about this. With Zhang Can, a legendary expert, around, authentic appraisal was guaranteed. But if the new master wasn’t trustworthy, no amount of money would help.

They both understood the stakes as they prepared for the journey ahead.