Brother Hu quickly replied, "Yes, there is a problem. The sum of money is simply too large, and I don't have that much cash on hand. Could you delay the delivery for a couple of days so I have time to raise the funds?"
Chen Lan answered without a second thought, "I'm afraid that won't work, Brother Hu. To be honest with you, the quantity of goods we're dealing with this time is quite large, and our target is equally significant. We're not familiar with Harbin. Although we have some backing, we don't want to cause trouble here. We're worried about being targeted and having issues. It would not only be trouble for us but also draw criticism. Therefore, we don't plan to stay in Harbin for long. After unloading a batch of goods tonight, we'll leave immediately."
Upon hearing Chen Lan's words, Brother Hu became anxious and urgently asked, "Miss, is it really impossible? Can't you be a little flexible?"
Chen Lan firmly shook her head and replied, "Brother Hu, it's truly impossible. It's not that we're unwilling to be flexible, but the stakes are just too high. You know, in our line of work, we're playing with our lives every day, with the risk of losing our heads at any moment. We haven't lived enough yet! We can't afford to be careless. As the saying goes, caution can sail a ship for ten thousand years. So, it's better to be careful."
Brother Hu was flustered by Chen Lan's words and muttered repeatedly, "What should I do then? The goods I want were specifically requested by my superiors, and they need them urgently. What can I do? It's dark everywhere outside. Even if I wanted to go to the bank to withdraw money, the bank is already closed. Where am I supposed to get eighty-five thousand yuan for you right now?"
Chen Lan thought for a moment and then asked, "Brother Hu, tell us the truth, how much cash and coupons can you come up with now?"
Brother Hu thought for a moment and replied, "The five hundred yuan in national grain coupons and Harbin grain and meat coupons you require, I can gather those for you right away. All the cash I have combined can only amount to thirty thousand yuan. For the remaining fifty-five thousand yuan, can I use other items to offset the cost for you?"
Chen Lan's interest was piqued by his words, and she immediately asked, "What kind of items do you intend to use to make up the remaining payment?"
Seeing that Chen Lan was relenting, Brother Hu glanced at Jiayao, noticed Jiayao didn't object, and immediately said, "It's a collection of vases, jade, and porcelain that I've acquired over the years. I found them quite beautiful. In the past, they were items only the wealthy could afford. Although they're not worth much now, it would be such a shame to break them! So, I spent money to collect them all and stored them in camphor wood chests. I also have quite a few old books, ancient paintings, and jade pieces, all stored in camphor wood chests! Miss, rest assured, they are all good things. I just don't want to tie up all my money in them, so I wanted to sell some. But now the crackdown is so tight, who would dare to buy these things? Would you like to take a look?"
Chen Lan nodded and replied, "Brother Hu, then please bring them out for us to see! If they are as good as you say, we won't be stingy with our offer. We'll pay double the market price for as much as they can cover!"
Upon hearing Chen Lan's generosity, offering to buy these items that had cost him very little at twice the market price, Brother Hu was delighted.
He happily instructed Monkey, who was standing beside him, "Monkey, arrange for someone to go to the storeroom and bring out twenty camphor wood chests containing those old artifacts. Remember to bring out the ones in chests made of fragrant camphor wood. Make sure they handle them carefully, and you keep an eye on them to make sure they don't bring the wrong ones."
After saying this, he handed Monkey a set of keys. Entrusted with this important task, Monkey took the keys from Brother Hu and happily replied, "Alright, Brother Hu, I'll arrange for someone to carry them right away."
Brother Hu watched Monkey's retreating back and continued to instruct, "Monkey, keep an eye on them and tell them to be gentle, don't break anything, okay?"
Monkey's voice came from a distance, "Got it, got it."
Chen Lan's interest immediately grew upon hearing about camphor wood chests. After all, furniture made from camphor wood is a fine item, as it emits a pleasant, fresh scent throughout the room.
Everyone also knows that the fragrance of camphor wood has insect-repellent and mildew-resistant properties. Since ancient times, people have used camphor wood to make wardrobes and chests. Storing clothes, books, and paintings in furniture made of camphor wood not only prevents insects and mildew but also imbues them with a fragrant aroma.
Chen Lan and her son didn't have to wait long. Without knowing where Monkey found them, ten people appeared. They carried a camphor wood chest, two people to a chest, their steps steady as they carried half-meter-high, one-meter-long camphor wood chests one after another into the room. They then gently placed the chests down and left. They were all exceptionally swift and efficient, clearly indicating they had undergone specialized training.
As expected, as more and more camphor wood chests filled the room, the air was soon permeated with a faint, fresh scent, making everyone feel instantly comfortable and at ease.
They made four trips back and forth to the room, bringing in a total of twenty camphor wood chests.
As soon as the ten people carrying the chests left the room, Brother Hu couldn't wait to open the chests one by one, inviting Chen Lan and her son to inspect them.
The fragrance in the room intensified, and Chen Lan immediately activated the system scan function with her mind. She examined the chests one by one while breathing in the refreshing aroma.
As she examined them, Chen Lan sighed in her heart, Brother Hu truly wasn't bluffing. They were indeed good things. Among the chests were five boxes of exquisite ancient porcelain, five boxes of old books and calligraphy, five boxes of ancient paintings, and the remaining five boxes were various jade items, including jade vases, ruyi scepters, Guanyin statues, Buddha figures, and other jade pieces of various sizes, likely over a hundred pieces in total.
Chen Lan thought to herself that her premonition was quite accurate. Coming to Harbin was indeed a fortune. Although she hadn't found the Jewish treasure here, with these twenty chests of good items, in a few decades, it would be difficult for her not to become wealthy.