67: Chapter 67 Fortune and Misfortune are Intertwined

"Director, his blood contains a large amount of Ginsenosides and other common substances found in ginseng; they match the components of the stolen item exactly," a police officer reported half an hour later.

"Collect all the evidence. Take the suspect back to the bureau's detention center. Legal proceedings will begin tomorrow while we wait for the court hearing. Lift the lockdown on the scene, and then withdraw the team." Liao Kai was still gnashing his teeth. Although the case was solved, the treasure had been destroyed. Since that happened before the victim reported it, they weren't responsible, but he couldn't help getting angry at the thought of that ginseng being eaten raw. Just as he was about to turn and leave, he realized there was still an unresolved issue, so he said to Cao Xiao, "Mr. Cao, only a small portion of your ginseng is left. We need to take it back as evidence, so we can't return it to you for the time being. Furthermore, the value of this ginseng is difficult to define, so you need to consider the compensation issue carefully. If the court has no objections, they will use your price to have the suspect compensate you for your losses, which will also serve as a basis for sentencing."

Cao Xiao pondered for a moment and said, "Director Liao, you can take the ginseng back, but it must not be damaged any further. The reason this rare ginseng is hard to price is because there's no reference. I plan to hold a private auction the day after tomorrow, using this damaged ginseng as the finale treasure. Once it's sold, we'll have a price reference to estimate the value of the entire root. Of course, after the auction, the ginseng will be handed over to the court, and the transaction will only be completed once the judgment is passed. I'll have to trouble you to notify the court personnel to come and notarize it then. Does that work for you?"

"There's no problem with that arrangement. The ginseng is yours to begin with, and I will inform the court of the specific situation. That's all for today then. We'll notify you of the court date, and we'll have the evidence ready. Sorry for the intrusion, Mr. Cao. Goodbye!" Liao Kai considered it; if it were handled this way, both the police station and the court would have a basis to work from.

"Take care, everyone!"

Cao Xiao watched the police leave the courtyard, and that wrecked sports car was also towed away. This matter had come to an end, and Jiang Hengyu would not have a good outcome. According to legal regulations, theft of property worth over 500,000 yuan can be judged as 'theft of an especially large amount,' punishable by over ten years of fixed-term imprisonment or life imprisonment, along with a fine or confiscation of property. That eight-hundred-year-old ginseng was likely worth more than 500,000 yuan even for a single large rootlet. Moreover, it was a rare treasure; if it were intact, it might even have been identified as a national treasure by the cultural department. In that case, the starting point for sentencing would be life imprisonment, or even the death penalty.

However, Cao Xiao wouldn't go that far. Even if he was furious, he couldn't drive someone to a dead end over this. If he really did that, he would be no different from Jiang Hengyu. Regardless, his goal of establishing authority had been achieved. If Jiang Hengyu's family took the initiative to compensate Cao Xiao for all his losses before the trial, the sentence wouldn't be as severe. But he would still be sentenced to at least ten years. Even if he reformed himself and got a sentence reduction, he would only get out several years later, and he would no longer pose a threat to Cao Xiao. However, having raised a piece of scum like Jiang Hengyu, his family wouldn't be easy to deal with either. If he handled things improperly, their revenge wouldn't be far off.

"Brother, you actually have a thousand-year-old ginseng! Why did you hide it in your room and not tell me? Are you hiding other good things in there? Hurry up and confess!" Once the outsiders were gone, Liu Chang began to interrogate Cao Xiao.

"Is ginseng something you can just eat whenever you want? If you want some, I'll make you ginseng chicken soup tomorrow. Don't blame me if you get a nosebleed from overeating!" Cao Xiao was somewhat speechless; this foodie cousin was beyond help.

"Don't try to trick me with those fakes. I want to eat authentic Changbai Mountain wild ginseng." Seeing Cao Xiao agree so readily, Liu Chang found it hard to believe it was real.

"Authentic thirty-year-old Changbai Mountain wild ginseng, guaranteed! If you like it, I'll let you eat it every day. Alright, stop fussing. I've been driving for days and I'm exhausted." Cao Xiao yawned repeatedly. It was already 10:30 PM, and he wanted to rest. Let alone one thirty-year-old wild ginseng—with the thirty-year-old ones in his personal space, Liu Chang could eat one every day for several lifetimes and never finish them. He couldn't be bothered to keep bickering with her.

"Brother, thank you!" Mi Fan's eyes were slightly moist. If Cao Xiao hadn't driven Jiang Hengyu away, she didn't know how much longer she could have held on. In front of outsiders, she was the Cold Flame Queen, keeping strangers at a distance. But no matter how strong she was, she was still a girl, and she had been utterly helpless against someone as despicable as him.

"No need to thank me. You call me brother, so how could I let you be mistreated? You girls listen up too: if you encounter someone thick-skinned like that again, don't talk to them. Just beat them up. If you can't win, call me, and I'll go beat them up," Cao Xiao comforted Mi Fan, then said dominantly to Dai Hanqiu, Zhou Xinmeng, and the other girls.

After speaking, Cao Xiao went back to his room to rest.

The next day, Cao Xiao slept until ten in the morning and only drove into the city after lunch.

"Xiao Xiao, you really know how to stir things up. In less than half a month, you've caused three incidents, and none of them were minor," Chen Huaiyu said with a chuckle as he and Cao Xiao drank tea in his office.

Cao Xiao rubbed his nose awkwardly and said helplessly, "You really can't blame me for this. I never go looking for trouble; trouble just finds its way to my door."

"That's true. Your luck is just too poor. You should find some time to go to a temple and light some incense. Otherwise, even if you're fine, we'll be facing constant trouble," Chen Huaiyu said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Big Brother, stop teasing me. By the way, I've been out for many days; what's the word on the Tianxing Garden situation?" Cao Xiao changed the subject.

"Haha! Speaking of that, it's quite satisfying. Those old gentlemen exerted their influence, and all the scandals of the Yunkai Group within the country were exposed. Internal employees provided enough evidence, including the Tianxing Garden matter. It's a case of 'evil-doers bringing about their own destruction.' Dong Xunli was so scared he fled back to Southeast Asia; otherwise, he would have certainly been sentenced. Yunkai Group's reputation in the country has plummeted. Their former partners have been terminating their collaborations one after another, and they've even been sued by many companies. They can no longer maintain a foothold in the country. Affected by this, Yunkai Group's stock price has plummeted by ten percent. Your Fourth Brother and the others made a killing this time. He even ordered another car for you—a bulletproof one—and told you to be careful when you go out, haha!" Chen Huaiyu was very happy talking about this.

"Uh! Is that really necessary? Who did I offend? It's truly a case of 'disaster falling from the sky while sitting at home'! I'll go to a temple to light incense in a couple of days!" Cao Xiao's face was full of conflict. He really couldn't tell if his luck was good or bad. Through these events, he would gain some benefits, but subsequent troubles were also following close behind.

"But don't worry. As long as you don't go to their territory, they can't do anything to you. You have even less to fear within the country," Chen Huaiyu comforted him.

"Right, only a small half of that eight-hundred-year-old ginseng is left. I want to hold a private auction at Tianxing Garden tomorrow. Besides that damaged piece, I'll also bring out two century-old ginsengs and some over thirty years old for the auction. I'll have to trouble you to help me promote it. I'll also ask the friends I know to help spread the word," Cao Xiao said.

"You actually have century-old ginseng? Two of them? Just sell the damaged one and keep the century-old ones. Those are life-saving treasures. Keep one for yourself at home and give the other to me; I'll have your Fourth Brother pay for it." Upon hearing that Cao Xiao had century-old ginseng, Chen Huaiyu couldn't sit still and spoke excitedly.

"Uh! It's better to sell those two. Otherwise, just relying on the damaged one won't attract many people; it still has that bastard's saliva on it, and some germaphobes won't be interested. Besides, I never said I only had two century-old ginsengs. Last time I went to Changbai Mountain, I found a whole cluster in an inaccessible place. If you want one, I'll just give it to you; don't mention money to me. I've also prepared one for Teacher, and it's a full three hundred years old." Cao Xiao gave the excuse he had prepared.

"How many are in a 'cluster'? You kid, don't try to pull the wool over my eyes. Confess clearly. We're not trying to take yours, it's just that one can never have too much century-old ginseng. If you can avoid selling them, try not to. You're not short on money anyway, so don't go out and invite disaster." Chen Huaiyu didn't know what Cao Xiao meant by a "cluster." He didn't feel at ease about Cao Xiao; if he didn't get to the bottom of it and keep a close eye on him, who knew when something else would happen.