Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Becoming a Communication Bridge Between 2 Worlds

Although Chi Wan hadn’t figured out exactly how to get her revenge, she understood one thing perfectly: based on their actions so far, the He Family had no intention of letting her family go.

Zhou Huai’an had said that this series of events might have been orchestrated by the younger generation of the He Family. ’Now, I’m in the shadows, and the He Family is out in the open,’ she thought. ’It’s not yet certain who the real hunter is.’

Chi Wan composed herself and thanked Zhou Huai’an sincerely before handing him a sealed bag containing strands of Qian Cuicui’s and Song Yinghe’s hair. "Don’t worry, Brother Huai’an. I’m not foolish enough to throw an egg against a rock. I actually came here today to ask for your help finding a reliable lab. I want to get a maternity test done for these two, and the sooner, the better."

Zhou Huai’an breathed a sigh of relief at her words and took the two bags. "It’s good that you can think so rationally. But, this is..."

Chi Wan smiled and said candidly, "My grandmother’s and my mother’s."

Zhou Huai’an froze for a moment, then said with a resigned sigh, "You certainly have your own way of doing things." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

’And didn’t she just?’ he thought. ’When her family went bankrupt, I never saw her wallow in self-pity. Instead, she calmly pawned off a pile of assorted jewelry, showing no sign of defeat. She earned the Old Master’s favor—and my own support—with her superb skill in raising orchids. And on top of that, she pieced together the truth behind her family’s bankruptcy through bold yet meticulous deduction.’

’She wasn’t just sharp and intelligent; her strength of character was remarkable. And most importantly, the girl was only eighteen.’

As Zhou Huai’an marveled at this, his estimation of Chi Wan rose another notch. ’No wonder that Xiahou kid has been fawning all over her. He really has an eye for hidden gems. Oh, dear,’ he suddenly worried, ’can my own foolish brother really win over such an outstanding girl?’

Chi Wan had no idea Zhou Huai’an’s thoughts had just strayed a million miles away. She was simply focused on what to do next.

Although the Chi Family had once been considered affluent, they were nothing compared to the truly powerful, old-money families—and that was before, let alone now.

’If I want to deal with the He Family while keeping my parents safe, I have to make myself more important—so important that even the main branch of the He Family can’t touch me...’

She suddenly realized the path she had to take.

’Since the He Family is too vast and powerful to confront head-on, I’ll have to make use of every advantage I can get... I’ll make myself an asset to the nation!’

’What backer could be stronger than the country itself? As long as I’m important enough, I can slowly gather evidence of the He Family’s crimes. Didn’t Zhou Huai’an say that He Yunzhen is desperate to clean up her image?’

’But if there’s nothing dark in her past, why the need to whitewash it? And anything you do always leaves a trace.’

’As for how to become an asset to the nation...’

When Li Xingye had offered to give her a Crystal Core-powered car, Chi Wan had already realized that the potential of Crystal Cores was far greater than she had imagined.

And just last night, Li Xingye had mentioned that Duan Qianyu felt their current equipment was holding them back. After they moved to their new base, he wanted to trade with Chi Wan for some more high-tech, sophisticated machinery.

Even back then, Chi Wan had considered it. ’When it comes to something involving a new form of energy, there are only two choices: either don’t use it at all, or hand it over to the state. It would be impossible for a single person to protect something like that on her own.’

Besides, large-scale, high-tech equipment wasn’t something she could get her hands on at the moment.

She knew Li Xingye’s ambitions extended far beyond a single small base. As the population under his command grew, it would become increasingly difficult for her to single-handedly stockpile and provide supplies without attracting unwanted attention.

’In that case, why not find an opportunity to become a bridge between the modern world and the apocalypse?’

And that opportunity...

"Brother Huai’an, I overheard you and Xiahou Yu talking about Jade Tokens before. Is he looking for high-quality Jade pieces?"

Zhou Huai’an nodded instinctively, but then quickly realized Chi Wan wouldn’t have brought it up for no reason.

Although he figured that even if Chi Wan had something, it likely wouldn’t meet Xiahou Yu’s high standards, he still asked with a broad grin, "Wanwan, don’t tell me you have some translucent Jade pieces on top of all that gold jewelry?"

’Worst case, I’ll just buy it myself,’ he thought. ’It’ll be a good way to score some brownie points for that brother of mine, Huaijin.’

Then, Zhou Huai’an’s eyes were dazzled by the brilliant green of the Jade Token Chi Wan casually pulled out, which was nearly the size of half a palm.

He hurriedly took the Jade Token with both hands and examined it carefully. He even pulled a small flashlight from his pocket and shone it on the piece for a good while before sucking in a sharp breath. "An Imperial Green Jade Token of the old-pit, glass variety... Wanwan, where on earth did you get such a treasure?!"

Chi Wan blinked. Before she could even think of an excuse, Zhou Huai’an looked at her with an expression of belated terror. "You little menace! You just stuffed this in your pocket?! You’re lucky this jade is so hard. If it had gotten chipped or scratched, you’d be crying your eyes out!"

Chi Wan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She was too embarrassed to tell Zhou Huai’an that this was actually the smallest piece in her inventory, and she had no idea where Li Xingye had managed to loot it from.

"So, just tell me if it’ll work or not." Chi Wan couldn’t be bothered to think of an excuse and made a motion to take the Jade Token back. "If it won’t, then never mind. I was just asking."

Zhou Huai’an was still admiring the flawless green of the Jade Token. Hearing Chi Wan, he quickly exclaimed, "It’ll work, it’ll work! This is more than perfect! You have no idea how picky that Xiahou kid is. He’s fussy, sharp-tongued, and never has a nice thing to say even when he’s asking for my help."

"My dear Wanwan, you’ve been a tremendous help! Don’t you worry, leave this to me. I’ll make sure to fleece him for a fortune and transfer the money to your account, along with my commission!"

It was clear he really loved the piece of jade. Chi Wan didn’t know much about Jade, so hearing Zhou Huai’an’s words, she was more than happy to let him take the lead.

"Hehe, Brother Huai’an, I’ll leave it in your hands, then~ But about the payment..."

Zhou Huai’an immediately caught her meaning and said with a faint smile, "The Xiahou family has overseas companies. We can handle the transaction directly through an offshore account."

Chi Wan breathed a sigh of relief. She knew she could count on Zhou Huai’an!

She pressed her palms together as if praying to the God of Wealth and said with the utmost sincerity, "I’ll have to trouble you, then! Please, don’t be shy about taking your commission. After it’s all said and done, I’ll treat you to a meal, haha~"

Although Zhou Huai’an was curious where Chi Wan’s Jade Token had come from, he knew that everyone had their secrets. He was just a pawnshop owner; some things were better left unprobed.

Besides, after learning so much, he felt a genuine surge of protectiveness toward Chi Wan. He deliberately put on a stern face. "You think I’m short on cash? Now, if there’s nothing else, get going. You’re holding up my business!"

Chi Wan grumbled internally, ’With that impatient attitude, it’s a wonder you don’t scare customers away. You don’t need me to hold up your business...’

But having resolved a major weight on her mind, Chi Wan was in a genuinely good mood. She cheerfully said goodbye to Zhou Huai’an, took a stroll around the city, and then ambled her way home.

Little did Chi Wan know, as she was strolling, a pair of sinister eyes from within a passing luxury car had already silently locked onto her...