PCJ – Chapter 577 Little Magic

In an inconspicuous corner of the capital city, there stood a luxurious villa, its decoration quite classical, resembling a palace. If the house had only been magnificent, it wouldn’t have been much to mention. However, this villa was also complemented by an elegant garden, where one could see the craftsmanship of skilled artisans everywhere.

At the entrance of the classical gate stood a pair of giant stone lions, majestic and imposing. It was immediately clear that only a master sculptor could carve such dignified lions.

This was the residence of the ancient family in the capital. The Old Master of the family, despite being retired, still held significant influence.

In a few days, the Old Master would be celebrating his 90th birthday, a grand occasion for the family. The Gu family had grown into a massive clan over time, with many of the Old Master’s children and grandchildren holding prominent positions. Some even became elites in politics and business. Therefore, the Old Master’s birthday wasn’t just a family affair; it was also a significant event for many people with ties to the family.

The Old Master’s greatest hobby was tea, especially the domestic brand Biyu Xianyin. Whenever there was a tea auction for Biyu Xianyin, the Gu family members were never stingy with their money.

In a large family, like a small society, various schemes and intrigues would sometimes overshadow familial affection.

Everyone tried to please the Old Master in hopes of securing a better position in the family business.

Gu Hao, the Old Master’s grandson, was nearing thirty. After graduating from university, he had been working as a deputy manager at the Gu Group, but his position was powerless. He worked in a very idle department and was not regarded highly. His situation could be explained simply: he was impatient and had high aspirations but lacked the ability to meet them. These common problems among the young rich were evident in him.

Gu Hao and his subordinate, Wu Yaping, had been trying hard to find a suitable gift for the Old Master, but their progress was slow, which worried Gu Hao. After all, he had competitors. His younger cousin, Gu Lianyu, and cousin, Gu Heling, were both eyeing positions within the Gu Group.

Wu Yaping hurriedly approached Gu Hao, “Young Master, I just received some good news. The Xu family auction house is auctioning off some fine tea. A new product from the Biyu Xianyin Group. I’ve heard this tea is even better than the previous Biyu Xianyin and Hongyu Xianyin. We need to prepare ahead.”

“Do my cousins know about this?” Gu Hao asked.

“They should. The Xu family auction house wants to make a comeback and is practically shouting to the world about it. Most of the Gu family will likely receive an invitation,” Wu Yaping replied helplessly.

“Where did Xu Yanzhang get this tea from? If we can figure out his sources, we won’t have to worry about not securing the tea. Our Changyue Auction House is stronger than the Xu family’s. Why didn’t they have access to this?” Gu Hao said.

“Good thing it wasn’t at Changyue, otherwise, where would Young Master’s chance be?” Wu Yaping remarked.

Gu Hao said, “Get someone to keep an eye on Xu Yanzhang and his wife, investigate the Xu family auction house thoroughly. I’ll be damned if I can’t find his sources. The Xu family auction house has always struggled to survive. There’s been no sign of a breakthrough until they auctioned Biyu Xianyin last time. Something must have happened recently. I don’t believe we can’t find an opening.”

Gu Hao immediately set his sights on the Xu family’s auction channels.

“Okay, I’ll take care of it,” Wu Yaping said.

Meanwhile, Gu Hao’s cousin Gu Lianyu and cousin Gu Heling were also eyeing the tea. All three of them were targeting the tea auction at the same time.

Zhang Jiaohua was quietly sitting in the classroom, listening to the physics teacher, Xiao Maolin, speaking vividly at the podium.

“An object will accelerate when acted upon by an external force. The direction of acceleration is the same as the direction of the force, and the magnitude of the acceleration is proportional to the force and inversely proportional to the object’s inertia…”

Without thinking, Zhang Jiaohua’s pen suddenly flew out of his hand and hovered on the desk. He gently flicked his finger, and the pen began to spin rapidly while floating.

Xu Chuan’an, sitting next to him, saw this and immediately widened his eyes, his mouth agape.

“Ah!” Xu Chuan’an couldn’t help but shout out.

Zhang Jiaohua realized that he had unconsciously used his cultivation techniques and quickly retracted his magic. The pen fell with a snap onto the desk.

However, Xu Chuan’an’s shout had drawn the attention of the entire class.

Xiao Maolin, not expecting his engaging lesson to be interrupted, grew angry. “Xu Chuan’an, what are you doing?”

“Uh, Teacher Xiao, I was listening so intently that I accidentally bit my tongue. It wasn’t intentional,” Xu Chuan’an quickly made up an excuse, secretly proud of his quick thinking.

But Xiao Maolin wasn’t easily fooled. As a seasoned teacher, he could tell that Xu Chuan’an’s reaction was far from being a result of biting his tongue. His anger skyrocketed. “Xu Chuan’an, go write a thousand-word reflection on your behavior right now!”

Xu Chuan’an shot a resentful glance at Zhang Jiaohua, who was leisurely playing with his pen. The pen seemed to have a life of its own in his hands, as if the pen was dancing on its own instead of being controlled by Zhang Jiaohua’s finger.

Once Xiao Maolin sat down, Xu Chuan’an eagerly leaned over and whispered, “What happened just now? How did your pen fly?”

Zhang Jiaohua smiled, “Magic.”

“Do you have a very fine string or something? If you do it again, I’ll figure out the trick,” Xu Chuan’an said.

“I’m not going to get myself in trouble. You still have to write that reflection,” Zhang Jiaohua said, turning to look at Xu Chuan’an, and the pen began to spin again in his hand.

“I’m not trying to get you in trouble. I just want to see how you did it,” Xu Chuan’an said helplessly.

“We can’t do it here. Teacher Xiao is looking our way,” Zhang Jiaohua said, noticing Xiao Maolin’s gaze shifting towards them. He quickly shut his mouth.

Xu Chuan’an, now more alert, noticed Zhang Jiaohua had stopped talking and pretended to yawn, resuming his attentiveness to the lesson.