The immortal of the Tang Dynasty, but the game starts at Xuanwu Gate?

Glass is inherently rare and therefore valuable.

In the past, glass was a rare and precious treasure. From wealthy merchants and nobles to emperors like Li Yuan and Li Shimin, everyone regarded glass as a treasure.

But when everyone has this treasure, and everyone has one, is it still valuable?

Luo Qing was furious, feeling cheated. He had spent seven thousand guan to buy something that everyone else had one of.

That's seven thousand strings of cash!

Even if you went to Chang'an, you could buy dozens of large houses.

He originally thought he had made a great deal and planned to treasure this glass pine tree as a family heirloom.

Now... Luo Qing looked around at the people, some cursing, some sighing, and some with vacant eyes, as if their parents had died, and suddenly felt a little better.

"Damn it!" Wang Jinbao cried out in an extremely shrill voice, "My eleven thousand strings of cash!"

"You damn bastard, you dare lie to me? Don't let me find you!"

"Fuck your mother!!"

Wang Jinbao was practically in tears. He was already incredibly stingy, and now that he realized he'd been scammed, spending 11,000 guan on something everyone else already had, you can imagine how upset he was.

But on the other side, Luo Qing's mood suddenly improved upon seeing this, and he asked with a smile, "Wang Dajia, you spent eleven thousand strings of cash to buy this toad?"

"No wonder you specially invited us to dinner; you truly deserve to be the wealthiest merchant in Luoyang!"

Luo Qing seemed to be sighing.

As soon as he said that, the restaurant fell silent for a moment, and everyone looked at Wang Jinbao with extremely strange expressions.

They certainly spent money to buy the glass, but the price was definitely not that high, reaching 11,000 strings of cash.

Moreover... they didn't host a special banquet for numerous merchants to show off.

Now look what happened; instead of showing off, they've completely lost face.

Luo Qing's words implied, "Jinbao, you spent 11,000 strings of cash on this toad and even threw a banquet for it. Are you stupid and have too much money?"

Wang Jinbao naturally understood the meaning behind Luo Qing's words, and immediately felt his blood surging, almost spitting out a mouthful of blood.

However, Wang Jinbao was no ordinary person to have built such a large business. When I first found out, I was so angry that I cursed him.

Now that he had calmed down a bit, the emotions stirred up by Luo Qing's teasing were quickly suppressed, and a forced smile appeared on his face: "Brother Luo, you flatter me. I, Wang Jinbao, the number one merchant in Luoyang, cannot accept such praise." Wang Jinbao took a deep breath and cupped his hands to the people around him, saying: "I have benefited greatly from the care of all of you seniors and brothers along the way. Without you, I would not have achieved what I have today."

"I, Wang, thank you all very much!"

Wang Jinbao laughed loudly, "Everyone, please eat to your heart's content today. Consider this my thank-you banquet. You may also bring out your treasures and let everyone see them."

"Finally..." He looked at Luo Qing and said in a joking tone, "Brother Luo, this isn't a toad, it's a three-legged golden toad. Although it can't compare to your pine tree, it suits me quite well, and I like it very much."

Luo Qing's heart skipped a beat, and her eyes twitched uncontrollably.

This tactic of retreating to advance directly revealed the strategic acumen of both individuals.

Inside the restaurant, many people looked at him the same way they had looked at Wang Jinbao before.

The saying "comparison is the thief of joy" applies here as well.

Wang Jinbao resumed his cheerful demeanor and sat back down in his seat.

Duan Chenghong asked with a hint of interest, "What's wrong? Brother Wang, aren't you angry?"

Wang Jinbao's smile froze for a moment, and he no longer hid it, his face bitter: "Brother Duan, please forgive my foolishness today. You can just treat me like a monkey."

Duan Chenghong's face darkened: "I can't treat you like a monkey. I bought that glass too, it cost a lot of money." "If I treated you like a monkey, wouldn't I become a monkey myself?"

He paused, his voice low, "I wonder who sold you the three-legged toad? They took so much money from me, I have to find them!"

Wang Jinbao had been waiting for these words, since Duan Chenghong had mentioned bringing a treasure when he arrived.

Now that everyone is carrying glass, do we even need to think about what treasure Duan Chenghong is carrying?

It's impossible for Wang Jinbao not to feel resentment after being swindled out of 11,000 guan.

Of all the wealthy merchants present today, the one with the most powerful background is undoubtedly Duan Chenghong.

To get revenge on the person behind the scenes and get his money back, he naturally needs to find someone with connections to cooperate with.

Moreover... Wang Jinbao just realized a problem.

The glass pieces that everyone brought out were so exquisite; the person behind them must have mastered the methods of making glass.

If we could obtain the production method and then control the amount released, selling it little by little, wouldn't that be a huge money-making business?

Just think how much money the people behind them have made from them alone?

Wang Jinbao simply couldn't believe it. He had spent 11,000 guan; even if others weren't as wealthy as him, they would definitely have spent several thousand guan.

How much money would that cost if all of these were added together?

"..."

"Brother Duan, to be honest, the person who sold it to me was surnamed Wei. Did you buy it from him too?" Wang Jinbao asked tentatively.

Duan Chenghong said with a gloomy face, "That's right, the person who sold me the glass is surnamed Wei. I've even met him before and know who he works for. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been so easily fooled!"

"Oh?" Wang Jinbao's eyes lit up instantly. "Brother Duan, you know that person?"

Duan Chenghong sighed, "I wouldn't say we know each other. I've only met my uncle once or twice. He's a subordinate of a big shot, and we've never had any interaction."

"A few days ago, he suddenly contacted me and said he had a treasure to sell... and you know what happened next."

"A big shot?" Wang Jinbao's heart sank. Anyone Duan Chenghong called a big shot must be an extraordinary person, someone he couldn't afford to offend.

His business was able to grow to such a large scale because of his connections, but those connections were limited to Luoyang.

After a moment of silence, Wang Jinbao gritted his teeth and asked, "Who exactly is this important figure Brother Duan is talking about?"

Upon hearing this, Duan Chenghong was secretly delighted. Wang Jinbao was clearly unwilling to give up and wanted to ask him for more details.

He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

With just a little more guidance, the task assigned above can be completed.

Duan Chenghong sighed, "Brother Wang, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but we really can't afford to offend that person."

Wang Jinbao quickly said, "Brother Duan, don't you know what kind of person I am? I wouldn't be foolish enough to offend some important figures I can't afford to offend."

"But... I've suffered such a huge loss, and if I don't even know who's behind it all, I simply can't swallow this insult!"

"..."