30：Mr. Shen, please cooperate with us.

Thinking of this, Meng Xuanji gently shook her head. Even as the head of Yuqing Palace, this was the first time she had tasted such a fine brew. It was enough to show how precious this wine was.

Although its effects weren't as strong as spirit wine, in terms of flavor, spirit wine couldn't compare at all. It was perfect for leisure.

As she thought of that Fourth Realm great demon, Meng Xuanji frowned slightly.

The demon's strength clearly surpassed the Fourth Realm by several years—it was definitely not a recent breakthrough. So why did it feel like a Third Realm beast? The difference in aura between the two was worlds apart.

This meant the information was inaccurate.

Someone had deliberately sent her there to set her up?

But the source of the information was her own direct disciple, even from her family.

Perhaps that despicable Chen Detong had manipulated them.

Thinking about this, Meng Xuanji felt a bit uneasy.

This was also why she was reluctant to take Wenren Yiyi as a disciple.

Of course, Wenren Yiyi's mediocre talent was part of the reason.

Even without concrete evidence, suspicion was like a seed—once planted, it would begin to grow.

That's why she had some resistance toward accepting disciples.

Meng Xuanji couldn't figure it out, so she decided to stop thinking about it and focus on expelling the cold poison in her body.

Even her master, a Tongxuan expert, couldn't deal with this cold poison.

Meanwhile, Shen Hao returned to the modern world with the newly refined gold bars.

Back in his bedroom, he opened the wooden box, gazing at the gleaming 500 gold bars, each weighing 100 grams.

Shen Hao was overjoyed.

Who doesn't like gold?

100 jin (about 50 kg) of gold!

Without delay, Shen Hao messaged the gold shop owner who had previously bought silver from him.

He asked if they bought gold and at what price.

The reply came quickly:

"Mr. Shen, the current gold price is 487 yuan per gram, with a buyback price of 470. How much do you have?"

"About 5 jin. Gold prices are rising, and central banks are buying aggressively. Supply is tight, but my shop's capacity is limited—a million yuan is my limit."

Shen Hao nodded and replied:

"Okay, I have five jin. I'll sell it to you. We can settle in cash or silver."

"Great, Mr. Shen. When would you like to come?"

"What time do you close?"

"7 PM."

"Alright, work overtime. I'll be there at 7:30."

After taking a shower, Shen Hao waited patiently.

Around 7:30 PM, Shen Hao arrived at the gold shop right on time.

The shop was empty except for the owner, Lao Jin, who greeted him warmly.

"Mr. Shen, please come in."

Entering, Shen Hao said, "No need for tea. Let's just get the deal done."

Lao Jin chuckled, "Just call me Lao Jin."

Shen Hao then took out the gold bars from his briefcase and placed them on the counter.

Seeing the shiny gold, Lao Jin's eyes lit up.

Gold prices had been rising steadily, and according to industry sources, they might soon surpass 500 yuan per gram. Lao Jin felt confident making a large purchase.

Of course, he didn't care where the gold came from.

Running a gold shop, customers came in daily to exchange old jewelry for new. If he questioned every item's origin, his business wouldn't survive.

Besides, the town thrived on its gold mine. Almost every household had some stored away.

After testing the gold's purity with an instrument, Lao Jin nodded.

"The purity isn't perfect. Since we're familiar, I won't beat around the bush—460 yuan per gram, cash deal. How does that sound?"

Shen Hao didn't haggle and agreed.

"Deal."

Lao Jin was thrilled.

Cash transactions were favorable for both parties—less tax, no invoices.

"Five jin of gold, 460 yuan per gram, that's 1.15 million yuan. How about I pay 750,000 in silver and 400,000 in cash?"

"Fine," Shen Hao agreed.

"Silver is 8.5 yuan per gram now. So, 750,000 yuan equals 176.4 jin of silver. Same as last time—I'll need three days to prepare it."

Over 1,700 taels? That's plenty to spend.

"Alright, no problem," Shen Hao replied.

Without hesitation, Lao Jin took 400,000 yuan in cash from the safe and handed it to Shen Hao.

Grinning, he added, "If you're willing to settle entirely in silver, I can buy another 5 jin of gold."

Selling silver at 8.5 yuan per gram while sourcing it at wholesale prices meant a hefty profit for Lao Jin. No wonder he was thrilled.

Shen Hao pondered but decided not to sell more for now.

"I'll come back for the silver in three days."

"Sure, Mr. Shen!"

Leaving the shop, Shen Hao turned a corner and discreetly stored the cash in his spatial ring.

Now, with this 400,000 yuan, his cash reserves exceeded 9 million.

However, he had less than 240 taels of silver left. This new batch of 1,764 taels was a solid gain.

Silver had great purchasing power in the other world, but in the modern world, it wasn't worth much.

The next morning, Shen Hao was awakened by the sound of the doorbell.

Opening the door, he was surprised to see two police officers.

Before he could speak, one of them flashed his badge.

"Hello, are you Shen Hao?"

"Yes," Shen Hao replied, his brow furrowing slightly.

"We're from the Chengguan Town Police Station. We need your cooperation with an investigation. Please come with us."

Shen Hao felt a twinge of anxiety but maintained a calm demeanor. His psychological resilience was strong.

"Alright, let me change my clothes."

The officers nodded and followed him inside.

While dressing, Shen Hao's mind raced. Why are the police looking for me?

Could it be because I sold too much gold, raising suspicion?

Or was it the zero-cost purchases getting tracked?

Maybe the swords I bought got reported?

Or perhaps the gold trade triggered some customs alert?

Or was it illegal to sell ginseng?

Thinking it through, he realized he had plenty of questionable activities.

On the way to the station, Shen Hao couldn't hold back his curiosity.

"Officers, what's this about?"

"You'll find out soon enough," one replied.

Shen Hao was slightly frustrated but not overly tense.

Worst case, I'll just escape to the other world. Once I'm invincible, I'll come back and dominate. Who's afraid of whom?

At the station, Shen Hao was led to an interrogation room.

To his surprise, besides the police chief, there were also two men in jeans—clearly not local.

The police chief explained, "These two are international officers from Siam. They need to ask you a few questions. Don't worry—it's just routine."

Realization dawned on Shen Hao.

Damn, this is about Thailand!

Whew, scared me for a second.

Since it involved Thailand, Shen Hao quickly connected the dots.

It must be related to that tour guide, Sawang Susi.