In the fiery red era of the heavens, refrigerators are refreshed daily.

Chapter 18, Section 18: Appraisal
Yang Guangming quickly weighed the options in his mind regarding whether or not to prepare a gift for Gu Yongkang.

Based on his experience as a personal secretary in his previous life, he could tell that Gu Yongkang was a meticulous, rigid, and principled person.

On the first meeting, especially under the guise of appraisal, it is not advisable to give a gift rashly, especially if it is delivered directly to his office. This will not only fail to please him, but may also cause him to feel disgusted, or even be suspected of having impure motives, thus backfiring.

The best way is through Wu Hongtao.

Exchanging gifts among classmates is reasonable and doesn't attract attention.

If Gu Yongkang insists on not charging an appraisal fee, then it would be much smoother for Wu Hongtao to later send his uncle some inexpensive but practical gifts like cigarettes, alcohol, tea, and snacks under the guise of showing respect to his elders. This way, Wu Hongtao could break the ice and make things much easier.

Even if Gu Yongkang knew the source, it could only be considered a junior's sentiment, not a direct transaction reward.

In this way, everyone looks good on the outside, and the risk is minimized.

A barely perceptible smile appeared on Yang Guangming's lips; this kind of measured approach was second nature to him.

Of course, asking Gu Yongkang to authenticate the rhinoceros horn slices was only the first step. His deeper purpose was to leverage Gu Yongkang's position as the director of the traditional Chinese medicine pharmacy and his information network.

Potential buyers who genuinely need rhinoceros horn for life-saving purposes or as a backup are likely to seek information from insiders like Gu Yongkang through connections when they have nowhere else to turn.

Gu Yongkang is one of the key nodes connecting that hidden market of demand.

Even if Gu Yongkang himself does not have buyer information at the moment, his understanding of this circle is far superior to that of Yang Guangming, an outsider.

I should not have frequent contact with Gu Yongkang, but Wu Hongtao is an excellent bridge.

Invite your old classmate out for a couple of meals, catch up on your recent lives, and casually ask him to keep an eye out for "anyone who needs special old medicinal herbs," or simply have him subtly inquire with his uncle "if he's heard of anyone urgently needing rare items like rhinoceros horn." These are all natural and appropriate actions.

Yang Guangming believes that as long as he maintains a good relationship with Wu Hongtao, this connection can gradually unfold.

At 10:00 a.m. sharp, Yang Guangming appeared at the entrance of Jishetang.

The aroma of herbs in the air was still strong, and he found Wu Hongtao, who was organizing herbs behind the counter, with practiced ease.

"Hongtao!" Yang Guangming greeted him with a smile.

"Yang Guangming! You're right on time!"

Upon seeing him, Wu Hongtao immediately put down what he was doing. "Come on, my uncle should be free now."

He led Yang Guangming through the pharmacy again to Gu Yongkang's small office.

Gu Yongkang was already waiting there. White paper was laid out on the table, along with a magnifying glass, small tweezers, and a small balance scale. He was still wearing his dark gray Zhongshan suit and black-rimmed glasses, his expression serious.

"They've arrived? You brought the things?"

"I brought it, Director Gu, thank you for your help." Yang Guangming took the small wooden box out of his pocket and handed it over with both hands.

Gu Yongkang took the box, but did not open it immediately. Instead, he put on white gloves and moved with meticulous care.

He opened the box and saw neatly arranged, well-preserved dark brown slices inside. His eyes focused intently. He picked up a magnifying glass, brought it close to the light, and carefully examined the texture, color, and edge features of each rhinoceros horn slice, occasionally using tweezers to gently move and examine them.

Then, he carefully picked up a few pieces with tweezers, held them under his nose and smelled them carefully, his focused expression as if he were listening to the silent language of the herbs.

Finally, he took out the small balance scale and carefully picked up the rhinoceros horn slices he had examined, placing them on the tray with the gentleness of a fragile treasure.

The office was unusually quiet, with only the faint sound of the scales and the occasional rustling of Gu Yongkang adjusting the angle of the magnifying glass.

Wu Hongtao stood to the side, barely daring to breathe, while Yang Guangming waited quietly, his gaze calm.

The whole process lasted nearly half an hour.

Placing the last piece of rhinoceros horn into the pan of the balance, Gu Yongkang finally put down his magnifying glass and tweezers, removed his gloves, and looked at Yang Guangming. His tone remained calm and even, but his eyes held a hint of professional affirmation:
"The product is correct; it is Sumatran rhinoceros horn slices, specifically the 'top corner slice' from the horn area, indicating superior quality. It is well-preserved, without any dampness or mold, and its medicinal efficacy has been almost completely preserved. It weighs 3.2 grams."

He paused, then added, "With this condition and age, it's considered a rare find under certain specific needs."

He didn't specify "ghost market" or "private," but the meaning was clear.

"Thank you so much, Director Gu! You've gone to so much trouble!" Yang Guangming said sincerely, while reaching into his pocket to pay the appraisal fee.

Gu Yongkang waved his hand, interrupting him as he took out his money: "It was just a small favor, don't mention money. We at Jishetang don't do this kind of business; appraisal is our job. Keep your things safe."

His tone was firm and left no room for argument. He then stood up and said, "You students chat for a bit, I'm going out to check the area ahead."

After saying that, he picked up the notebook on the table, walked straight out of the office, leaving the two young people alone.

As soon as the door closed, Wu Hongtao breathed a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face. He leaned closer to Yang Guangming, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of mystery and excitement, "Yang Guangming, you're really lucky! I was just about to tell you that!"

"Oh? What's going on?" Yang Guangming cooperated by showing a curious expression.

"Do you remember when I mentioned having a distant cousin? His surname is Tang, and his name is Tang Jianhong?"

Wu Hongtao lowered his voice even further, "He was the head of the personnel department at the Dongfang Machinery Factory."

Something terrible has happened in his house recently!

His youngest son, for some reason, had a high fever for more than a week. He had been given IV drips and injections at the hospital, and all kinds of Western medicine had been used, but the fever just wouldn't go down. He was delirious from the fever!
The doctor said if the fever doesn't break, it could damage his brain! He was extremely anxious!

Wu Hongtao paused, glanced at the door to make sure no one was there, and then continued:
"He's now desperately trying anything, asking around for old Chinese medicine doctors."

The old Chinese medicine doctor prescribed a formula, saying that it was missing one key ingredient: rhinoceros horn! He explained that only with rhinoceros horn could the medicine possibly dispel this "evil heat."

His house is now like a hot ant on a hot pan, begging and pleading everywhere to find a rhinoceros horn!
My mom called yesterday to ask my uncle, and he said he didn't have any connections either. What a coincidence! You happen to have some!

Yang Guangming understood perfectly, but on his face he showed just the right amount of surprise and sympathy: "Oh my, that's amazing? Can't he find it anywhere else?"

"Where are you even going to look?" Wu Hongtao scoffed. "The government doesn't buy these kinds of things, you can't find them on the market! He's frantic, even dragging us into it. My uncle definitely won't get involved in this kind of thing, the rules are there. But..."

(End of this chapter)