Chapter 455: Chapter 455 Pang Guang, Your Feat Is Served
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“What’s this thing used for?”
Pang Guang examined the object, touching it with his hand.
“It’s tridacna.”
Squatting on the ground, Chen Yu wrote the word “Tridacna.”
“This object dates back to the Han Dynasty. From its appearance, it resembles the marks of an ancient chariot wheel, hence the alternative name ‘tire marks.”
“Polishing the shell brings out a pearl-like sheen. Due to its stone-like texture, the ancients renamed it ‘Tridacna’.”
“Tridacna are large ocean clams, known for their ivory-white color and gemstone-like luster.”
“Besides being a popular accessory among dignitaries, it also holds significance as one of the seven Buddhist treasures.”
There were a total of seven treasures in Buddhism, and Tridacna was one of them.
Senior monks often used Tridacna to create Buddha statues, prayer beads, and other religious artifacts.
Due to its hardness, the Buddhist sect associated Tridacna with resilience and indestructibility.
Furthermore, the interior of the Tridacna supposedly possessed a unique spiritual energy.
It was believed to ward off evil spirits, dispel misfortunes, and bring peace. It was also used to bring good fortune and improve Feng Shui.
Pang Guang’s excitement grew upon learning that the Tridacna was a Buddhist treasure.
He easily picked up the giant clam.
“Dr. Chen, since the Tridacna is a valuable accessory and a Buddhist treasure, it must be worth a lot, right?”
“It is indeed valuable,” Chen Yu replied.
“Tridacna, along with coral, amber, and pearls, are considered the ‘four organic gems’ internationally,” Chen Yu explained with a curious expression.
“A pound of wild Tridacna can even fetch a higher price than the same amount of gold!”
“Wow! So I’m not holding a shell, but something worth dozens of pounds of gold!”
“Dr. Chen,” Pang Guang exclaimed excitedly, “once we complete this mission, let’s go clam fishing together at the beach!”
“We can split the profits 70/30, regardless of the final selling price. How about that?”
Chen Yu’s mouth twitched. “Pang Guang, that idea is a recipe for trouble.”
“Hehe,” Pang Guang chuckled, placing the Tridacna down. “Honestly, I’m quite business-minded. If not for my family’s financial situation, I wouldn’t have stopped my education after high school.”
“Maybe I’d be a CEO right now,” he mused wistfully.
Pang Guang’s tone turned urgent. “Dr. Chen, let’s not waste time talking. Let’s capture the leader of the rat demons and hand them over to the team. I’ll immediately apply for a month’s leave after that.”
“We can rent a small truck and head to the beach together. We can collect as much Tridacna as we can!”
“Maybe with the earnings, I could even buy a house outright,” he fantasized.
Pang Guang received a monthly salary of 25,000 yuan from the special operations team. After taxes and insurance deductions, he was left with around 20,000 yuan. Including the year-end bonus and other subsidies, his annual income was close to 300,000 yuan.
While it seemed like a substantial amount, in Hangzhou City, where the average house price hovered around 30,000 yuan per square meter, it was far from enough.
Saving for even a small apartment, let alone bringing his parents to live with him, would require at least ten years at his current rate of saving.
“I’m afraid you won’t get the chance,” Chen Yu said grimly.
“Why not?” Pang Guang asked, his voice laced with worry.
“Is retrieving it difficult?” he inquired nervously. “If so, I can call Old Zhou.”
As an aside, Pang Guang and Old Zhou were both members of the special operations field team.
Old Zhou, possessing the family skill of retrieving bodies from water, was an expert at navigating the Yin and Yang worlds.
Chen Yu fiddled with his phone for a moment before turning the screen toward Pang Guang.
The younger man’s face instantly fell, like an eggplant hit by frost.
The reason? The 100-square-meter house in downtown Hangzhou that had seemed within reach moments ago was suddenly flying away.
Li Changjun was right. All the quick-money schemes they’d considered ran afoul of the law.
Tridacna was a protected species, and buying and selling it was illegal.
“Let’s move,” Chen Yu said, patting Pang Guang’s shoulder. “I’ll get you a house if 1 have the chance, but for now, we have a job to do.”
Pang Guang cast a longing glance back at the giant clam, lamenting his lack of fortune.
“Those damned rat demons! They’re just like that greedy monk,” he grumbled.
“Their hideout must be overflowing with stolen treasures. Think of how many people they’ve deceived! When we face those rats, I’m going to give them a piece of my mind.”
“I want to beat up at least a hundred of them, that’s for sure!” he added, rubbing his fists together in determination.
Hearing this, Chen Yu stopped in his tracks and stamped his foot twice. In an instant, the ground around them swarmed with giant rats, each the size of a house cat.
“See? You don’t even need to wait,” Chen Yu said with a faint smile.
“More or less a hundred, as ordered.”
“Master Pang, start the show7?”
Pang Guang’s initial bluster quickly dissolved, his frown replacing his previous bravado. “Dr. Chen,” he stammered, “when did these rat demons get so close?”
“They haven’t been hiding,” Chen Yu replied nonchalantly. “They’ve been following us since we descended, and you started your little monologue. Remember when I told you about Gray Immortal’s abilities?”
A brief flashback reminded Pang Guang of Chen Yu’s explanation.
Gray Immortals possessed the power to manipulate fate, set array formations, accumulate wealth, and even pry into the secrets of the heavens.
It dawmed on him that two layers of formations likely protected the cave. One masked their presence and smell, while the other concealed their figures. This explained why Li Changjun’s previous attempts to investigate yielded no results.
“Damn it!” Pang Guang cursed, a bitter smile twisting his lips. “These rats are actually… smart.”
Before him stood a sea of demonic red eyes emanating from over a hundred rats, most the size of cats, with a few’ larger specimens reaching the size of golden retrievers.
The unsettling rustling sounds and sheer mass of the creatures sent shivers down Pang Guang’s spine.
“It looks like your feast is already served,” Chen Yu joked.
The hundreds of rats, revealed to be demonic entities, prompted a silent grumble from Pang Guang.
He w’as the living embodiment of “trouble follows a loose tongue.”
Despite being aware of the pursuing rats, Chen Yu remained still, clearly holding a different strategy.
“Prepare for a fight!” Pang Guang roared.
Pang Guang decided to unleash his secret weapon.
He asked the Vigorous Ghost residing within him to leave and entrusted the recording device to Chen Yu for safekeeping. Then, forming a hand seal, he chanted the incantation once more.
The temperature within the cave steadily increased. Pang Guang’s face contorted into a ferocious mask, his ears sharpening.
Black spots emerged on his exposed arm, slowly spreading and forming tattoos across his hands.
Chen Yu acknowledged this display with a subtle nod.
This, w’as Pang Guang’s trump card—the Fire Ghost.
A malevolent spirit from the Hell of Avici, hairless and resembling a monkey, its body burning with an inferno capable of unleashing destructive flames.
With a chilling cackle, Pang Guang resembled a wild horse, charging headfirst toward the rats like a blazing inferno.
Recognizing the danger, the rats scattered to avoid a direct confrontation.
While agile, they were no match for Pang Guang’s enhanced speed.
His transformed body, a blur of crimson lightning, w’eaved through the swarm, leaving behind the shrieks of burning rats and the unmistakable scent of barbeque wafting through the cave, reminiscent of a night market..
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