Chapter 21: Give Me Money, Give Me Money

Zhang Xingtian’s hands trembled as he carefully opened the plastic bag. Instantly, a delicate and enchanting fragrance wafted through the room, gently permeating the air and slipping into everyone’s nostrils, evoking an indescribable comfort.

A moment later, a pot of orchids, their rich jade-green hue reminiscent of finely carved emerald, was revealed before all. The leaves gleamed with a luster as smooth as polished jade, and several exquisite blossoms had quietly unfurled, delicate and shy as peerless maidens.

Gazing at the vibrant Jinsa Tree Chrysanthemum, Zhang Xingtian’s clouded old eyes grew wide, shock and disbelief filling his gaze.

Zhang Xin, unable to contain herself, raised a small hand to her lips, stifling any sound, her inner astonishment evident.

The others in the Orchid Hall were similarly transfixed, staring unblinkingly at the Jinsa Tree Chrysanthemum, as if even their breath had stilled.

The room was plunged into utter silence—a silence as absolute as death.

All present were deeply shaken by the beauty of the Jinsa Tree Chrysanthemum.

Lan Chao and his uncle Lan Jiankang were equally dumbfounded, frozen in place.

Chen Xian took in the expressions of everyone around him. He was not surprised—he had created a miracle.

After a brief, stunned silence, people began to recover, and the air erupted with excited discussion.

“My heavens, am I seeing this right? That Jinsa Tree Chrysanthemum has really been saved! Not a single leaf removed, not a single stem lost—this is nothing short of a miracle!”

“That’s not all. More importantly, the entire orchid seems to have ascended to a whole new level in quality. And this miracle was accomplished in just three days.”

“Now... whether in color, bloom, form, fragrance, or grace, this Jinsa Tree Chrysanthemum is truly one of a kind. Its value has at least doubled!”

“So that means it’s worth six million now!”

“How in the world did that young man pull this off? It’s unbelievable!”

On and on the conversations went.

Zhang Xingtian finally came to his senses. His age-spotted hands clutched the Jinsa Tree Chrysanthemum tightly, veins standing out as if he were embracing a beloved. Tears glistened in the old man’s eyes—not tears of sorrow, but tears of joy.

“Chen Xian, thank you!” At some point, Zhang Xin had moved to Chen Xian’s side, her beautiful, luminous eyes filled with gratitude.

It had been a long time since she’d seen her grandfather so happy.

Chen Xian looked at the stunning young woman and smiled. “You’re welcome.”

“How did you do it?” Zhang Xin asked, her curiosity piqued by the rejuvenated orchid.

By all logic, it was impossible to save the Jinsa Tree Chrysanthemum in just three days, let alone restore it to such vitality—a true miracle.

Chen Xian hesitated for a moment, then managed a shy smile. “It’s a bit complicated—not something I can explain in just a few words. When there’s time, I’ll tell you the whole story.”

Zhang Xin nodded, not pressing further, but her gaze at him began to change. She felt as if Chen Xian was shrouded in mist—impossible to see through, yet making her want to discover the truth behind the veil.

At that moment, Zhang Xingtian set the orchid down, wiped the corners of his eyes, steadied his emotions, and approached Chen Xian with heartfelt gratitude. “Young man, thank you for saving the Jinsa Tree Chrysanthemum!”

“You’re welcome,” Chen Xian replied with a smile.

“Mei’er, bring Grandpa a pen, a check, and my seal,” Zhang Xingtian instructed.

Zhang Mei immediately retrieved a fountain pen, check, and seal from her grandfather’s black Hermès briefcase and handed them over.

Taking the check, Zhang Xingtian uncapped the pen and, with a flourish, wrote a ‘2’ followed by six zeros in the amount section. He then signed his name and stamped it with his seal.

Having completed these steps, the old man carefully blew on the check to help the ink dry faster, then solemnly handed it to Chen Xian. “Young man, here are two million. This is your reward for saving the Jinsa Tree Chrysanthemum. Please accept it.”

“Sir, that’s too much! We agreed that if I succeeded, you would pay me one million. Please, take back the extra—one million is enough!” Chen Xian quickly refused, his resolve firm.

A gentleman takes wealth only in the right way; what is deserved, he will accept without guilt. What is not his, he will not take, not even a penny.

Hearing this, Zhang Xingtian studied Chen Xian for a long moment. Sensing the young man’s sincerity and not mere politeness, he was further impressed.

“Young man, you not only saved the Jinsa Tree Chrysanthemum without losing a single leaf, but actually enhanced its quality. Its value has doubled. If I give you an extra million, I’m still the one profiting. You must accept it, or I’ll be angry!” Zhang Xingtian’s face grew stern.

“Chen Xian, my grandfather’s heart can’t handle too much excitement. Please, just accept it,” Zhang Xin added earnestly.

With both grandfather and granddaughter insisting, Chen Xian finally accepted the check for two million.

At this moment, Chen Xian’s gaze shifted to Lan Chao and Lan Jiankang, whose faces were dark as the bottom of a pot. He extended a hand. “I’ve fulfilled my promise. Boss Lan, the money, please—fifty thousand!”

With the contract in place and so many witnesses, the Lan uncle and nephew could not refuse.

Lan Jiankang shot Chen Xian a murderous glare, his eyes practically spitting fire. Through gritted teeth, he said, “Chen Xian, you’ll get every cent of your fifty thousand.”

With that, he dragged Lan Chao toward the counter, muttering, “You’re covering half of this fifty thousand!”

Lan Chao wore a bitter expression. Though his family was wealthy, his own allowance wasn’t vast, and losing twenty-five thousand would make things tight for a while. But since his uncle was so stingy, and since he’d agreed to the bet with Chen Xian, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and pay up. His resentment toward Chen Xian grew even deeper.

Soon, the Lan uncle and nephew transferred fifty thousand to Chen Xian’s bank account.

Chen Xian nodded, satisfied, and smiled. “Thank you, Boss Lan, and thank you, classmate Lan Chao, for your generosity!”

At his words, their faces turned even darker.

“Young Brother Chen, if you could save Old Master Zhang’s critically ill Jinsa Tree Chrysanthemum, perhaps you could help me as well? I have a five-needle pine bonsai whose trunk has recently started to wither. Might you be able to save it?” A well-dressed, balding man stepped forward.

Chen Xian’s mind flashed with inspiration as he looked around the crowd. Today was the perfect opportunity for publicity—everyone here had witnessed his skill. In the future, should any valuable flowers or plants fall ill, he would be their first thought, and business would come to him unbidden.

“Sir, as long as you can meet my price, I can save it,” Chen Xian replied with a smile.

“Excellent! I’ll find a time to bring the five-needle pine so you can take a look,” the balding man said.

Chen Xian nodded, then addressed the gathering: “If any of you have prized flowers, plants, birds, or fish that fall ill, I can help you. If you need me, feel free to contact me. My number is 13******.”

With that, nearly everyone present—except for Zhang Xin and the Lan uncle and nephew—took out their phones to note his number.

Watching this, Lan Jiankang and Lan Chao were so furious they nearly coughed up blood. They had hoped to see Chen Xian jailed, but instead, they had only served to make his reputation and cost themselves fifty thousand.

Chen Xian was very pleased with the response. Suddenly recalling he still had another pot of Jinsa Tree Chrysanthemum left unsold, he decided to seize the moment. Most people present were orchid enthusiasts with means—it was the perfect time for an auction.

He was confident the price would be good.

Without further delay, Chen Xian picked up the second pot of Jinsa Tree Chrysanthemum, still wrapped in a black plastic bag.