"Dragon scale is rarely seen, but shark skin is indeed a real thing. Shark skin processed is called 'jiao ge', while what is called 'jiao yu pi' is the skin of a type of stingray."
An Hai flipped through the 'Qing Nang Jing' and pointed to the mottled marks on it, explaining, "The highest quality is called 'Meihua Jiao'. The resulting shark skin has a white background with black spots, which is very beautiful and was a coveted treasure by high officials and nobles in ancient times."
"Oh, so it's not moldy."
Lin Fan was greatly surprised.
He had thought that the skin had been left for too long, or had gotten wet due to poor preservation, resulting in raindrop-like marks.
"Of course not."
An Hai explained, "Meihua Jiao was not only sought after in our country but also overseas, which is why it became extinct four hundred years ago."
"Ah!"
Lin Fan exclaimed.
He never expected that beautiful fish skin would bring about the downfall of the Meihua Jiao.
Zhong Chen excitedly asked, "Do you mean that this roll of animal skin is also at least four hundred years old?"
"Yes."
An Hai nodded vigorously. "Four hundred years ago, which was the early Ming Dynasty. A samurai sword I collected a few years ago had a hilt made of Meihua Jiao skin, but its quality was far inferior to this."
An Hai carefully examined the 'Qing Nang Jing' and added, "The original skin must have been thicker. What we see is the result of meticulous polishing by craftsmen, taking the most resilient layer and treating it with special techniques, which is why it has been preserved so well for so long."
"What a treasure!"
An Hai sighed. "If it were complete, this shark skin alone would be a priceless treasure today."
"I think Old An, you're obsessed."
Zhong Chen seriously examined the text on it. "'Qing Nang Jing' was written by Huang Shi Gong and is the founding scripture of our Xing Shi Sect. This is the true priceless treasure!"
"Let's announce this news to the world as soon as possible, otherwise..."
Zhong Chen's excitement gradually faded.
Without a doubt, the 'Qing Nang Jing' was a national treasure. If they made a grand announcement, would they have to hand it over in the end?
"Xiao Fan, you said you found it in the Duan family's 'Zhen Nang Zhen Jie'. Can you contact Duan Wen Shi now?"
An Hai asked.
Lin Fan shook his head. "I later met a patient from a neighboring village who said Duan Wen Shi no longer lived in the village and that his whereabouts were unknown."
"Oh."
An Hai breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhong Chen took a deep breath, looked at Lin Fan, and asked, "Xiao Fan, how long have you had it? Have you made any progress in researching it?"
Lin Fan spread his hands. "About half a month. I can't even recognize the characters, and I haven't figured anything out yet."
"Then would you mind if Old An and I take it back to study?"
Zhong Chen, fearing Lin Fan's reluctance, comforted him, "Don't worry, it's still yours. We old fellows will eventually pass everything down to you youngsters."
"Master."
Lin Fan scratched his head sheepishly. "That..."
"Forgot the important matter!"
Zhong Chen waved his hand, signaling the driver to bring a briefcase.
"Fifty-five million. Old An just sold some stocks and has plenty of cash on hand. Xiao Fan, take it and use it as you see fit."
Zhong Chen put on his reading glasses and took out a bank draft from the briefcase.
An Hai specifically reminded him, "Xiao Fan, forty million of that is mine, and your master only contributed fifteen million."
Lin Fan was amused. "Thank you, Uncle An. I will definitely return this money with interest."
"No rush."
An Hai smiled. "You found the founding ancient scroll of the Xing Shi Sect, which is a great deed. Anyway, I'm an old man with nowhere much to spend money, so feel free to use it."
Zhong Chen stared at the 'Qing Nang Jing', looking at it from left to right, as if he intended to start studying it right then and there.
An Hai was also very eager.
He had lived for most of his life and seen countless good things, but the 'Qing Nang Jing' truly shocked the two of them.
They exchanged a look, and Zhong Chen spoke, "Xiao Fan, we won't stay any longer."
An Hai said confidently, "Come to my place. I have a set of equipment at home, including a spectrometer, an electron microscope, and a thermograph. If there is any secret hidden in the 'Qing Nang Jing', we will surely be able to find it."
Lin Fan was greatly impressed, never expecting An Hai to have such professional equipment at home.
Zhong Chen, holding the wooden box with both hands, returned to the car.
"Xiao Fan, you can go back."
"Master, safe journey."
Lin Fan knew that the two elders' minds were entirely on the 'Qing Nang Jing' and they had no intention of staying longer.
He watched until the car disappeared from sight before returning to his room.
As he sat down in a chair, he suddenly noticed something new on the table.
Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a bank draft.
In his entire life, this was the first time he had seen such a thing.
It clearly stated that it started from tens of millions, followed by a long string of zeros after the 5.
Bank drafts were often used in transactions between businesses.
Zhong Chen, considering the acquisition of Borun Pharmaceutical, would likely be a public-to-public transaction, hence this method of transferring money to him.
"Tsk tsk."
Lin Fan looked at it several times and sighed. "Fifty-five million! If my sister-in-law knew, she would faint from shock."
"Let's not worry about it for now. I'm going home for dinner. If Master didn't stay for dinner, sister-in-law will surely nag me again."
Lin Fan put away the bank draft and turned to leave the clinic.
---
Time flew by, and two days passed in the blink of an eye.
Inside a luxurious commercial vehicle.
"Fifth Miss, we will arrive in ten kilometers."
The driver pointed to a roadside sign and reported.
"Mm."
Sitting in the back row, a woman with a ponytail and black-rimmed glasses responded.
Her gaze was fixed on the laptop screen on her lap.
It displayed complex charts and computational models, which would likely overwhelm an ordinary person at first glance.
She was Zheng Yue.
Zheng Yue clearly understood the meaning and purpose of every symbol on the screen.
She took a sip of coffee from the small table, unmoved by fluctuations in the market worth millions per second, her demeanor as steady as if she were not young at all.
"Fifth Miss, I have booked a hotel for you, but... the conditions might not be very good."
The secretary smiled awkwardly.
Although Zheng Yue was ranked fifth and not favored by the head of the family, the servants still treated her with utmost respect. They knew that this Fifth Miss was not to be trifled with and had little tolerance for shortcomings.
"It's alright."
Zheng Yue said calmly, her tone as if it were none of her business.
A short while later.
The car exited the highway and turned onto a national road. Shimen County and Shimen Town were now in sight.
"Is this it?"
The secretary looked up and was immediately disappointed.
Gazing at the scattered low-rise buildings, old structures, and small outline, the driver and secretary's eyes and hearts were filled with disdain and helplessness.
This run-down place probably had nothing to offer!