DLWAV CH67

【At a critical juncture like this, Xia Ruize actually still dares to come out and livestream?】

【Is it because he feels he hasn’t been scolded enough, so he’s coming out to ask for more scolding?】

【But doesn’t this livestream background look a little familiar?】

【Isn’t this the place where Xia Ruize lived when he participated in The Village Revitalization Project earlier?】

【Hasn’t The Village Revitalization Project already been suspended? Why has Xia Ruize gone back to Kaoshan Village?】

And right at this moment, Ao Ruize’s figure appeared in the livestream. Directly ignoring those comments, he simply said, “Good afternoon, everyone. The main reason I suddenly started a livestream, and even specially bought a hot search trend for it, is because of one thing…”

The massive crowd of netizens, who had just been preparing to mock him by saying ‘Anyone could tell at a glance that you bought this hot search’: “…”

Ao Ruize: “…Does everyone still remember that freshwater mussel the giant grass carp gave me three days ago, after it saved me from the deep pool?”

As he spoke, he took the freshwater mussel—the size of two adult men’s palms—from his assistant’s hands, and placed it under the camera.

【I remember, how could I not remember? I actually felt a little pity at the time, because with a freshwater mussel this big, you can tell at a glance that the meat has already grown tough and won’t taste good.】

Ao Ruize: “Actually, this is a pearl mussel.”

After all, in the mission world before the last one, he had dealt with pearl mussels for decades.
So the moment he saw this freshwater mussel, he recognized that it was a pearl mussel.

“So today, I plan to open this pearl mussel together with everyone, to see if there are any surprises inside.”

【A pearl mussel? Does that mean there are pearls inside it?】

【??? How could there be such a coincidence?】

In an instant, the attention of the vast majority of netizens genuinely shifted to the pearl mussel in Ao Ruize’s hands.

Ao Ruize didn’t intend to keep them in suspense either. After putting on gloves, he directly took the knife handed over by his assistant and began attempting to pry open the pearl mussel.

The water from the pearl mussel quickly soaked the stack of tissues padding the surface underneath it.

In the next second, Ao Ruize set down the knife in his hand and directly pried the pearl mussel open with his hands. Over a dozen bulging lumps of various sizes immediately appeared in everyone’s line of sight.

And the largest of those bulges was actually the size of an adult’s thumb.

Without any hesitation, Ao Ruize directly squeezed out the pearl inside that largest bulge.

It was a red pearl, entirely red throughout and shimmering with a faint luster. It wasn’t the perfectly round shape everyone had imagined, but rather a cylinder. However, precisely because of this, it looked exactly like a freshly ripened small jujube date.

【…】

【This pearl mussel actually produced a pearl?】

【Outrageous.】

【Most importantly, whether in terms of shape or size, this pearl is so perfect—】

【Two million, I’ll take it!!】

【With such perfect quality, and a size even larger than that 95-carat natural wild conch pearl set in the 8-million-yuan necklace auctioned off by Sotheby’s at the beginning of the year—and you want to buy it for two million? I offer three million.】

【Five million.】

…

【???】

【??????】

Watching the price being driven straight up to eight million in the short span of less than half a minute, the livestream room instantly erupted into an uproar.

However, they very quickly caught on.

【Hah, how could there possibly be such a coincidence? The freshwater mussel the spicy boiled fish gave Ao Ruize just happened to be a pearl mussel, and Ao Ruize just casually opened it and actually extracted such a massive pearl. Most importantly, the moment this pearl was opened, someone immediately started bidding for it right here in the livestream—】

【So this is definitely just another publicity stunt. It just depends on what Xia Ruize’s goal is this time.】

Ao Ruize, however, was neither rushed nor flustered. He directly reached his hand toward the remaining dozen or so pearls.

After all, even a little thought made it obvious—how could a return gift specially given to him by the giant grass carp possibly be ordinary goods?

Otherwise, how would he have dared to turn on this livestream and open this pearl mussel in front of hundreds of thousands of people?

And right at this moment, Ao Ruize’s phone suddenly rang.

Borrowing his assistant’s hand, he answered the call: “Hello, good afternoon. May I ask who is speaking? Chairman Chen of Gongrui Jewelry?”

Hearing this, the assistant’s eyes widened slightly. Then, as if thinking of something, he hurriedly fumbled to turn on the speakerphone.

And so, in the next second, this Chairman Chen’s voice reached the ears of the hundreds of thousands of viewers in the livestream room: “…Yes, Gongrui Jewelry is very interested in the pearl you just extracted in your livestream. We are willing to offer twelve million to purchase that rare treasure. I wonder what you think of this?”

And right at this moment, Ao Ruize squeezed out all the remaining thirteen pearls as well.

Although those pearls were far smaller than the first red pearl, they were still about the thickness of a woman’s little finger. Most importantly, they were almost all perfectly round.

And so, in the next second, Chairman Chen’s voice rang out again. He said decisively, “Fifteen million. I’ll take all of these pearls as a package deal. Teacher Xia, what do you think?”

This price was already very fair.

Ao Ruize naturally wouldn’t refuse: “Of course.”
“Then Chairman Chen, a pleasure cooperating with you.”

This Chairman Chen was already unable to hold back his impatience: “You are currently in Kaoshan Village, correct? I’ll bring people over to collect these pearls right now.”

Hearing this, the livestream room instantly erupted into an uproar.

But this time, no one said Ao Ruize was putting on an act anymore—even though all of this truly did look very much like an act.

However, in Hua Country, who didn’t know about Gongrui Jewelry, the largest domestic jewelry company in the country?

And that Chairman Chen was, in all likelihood, the genuine Chairman of Gongrui Jewelry.

After all, if Xia Ruize dared to fake something like this, Gongrui Jewelry would probably be the very first to not let him off.

【In other words, Ao Ruize really extracted this many pearls from the pearl mussel the boiled fish gave him?】

【Most importantly, these pearls actually sold for fifteen million straight away—】

【I’m in a trance, my mind is blown. All I thought about was that the freshwater mussel was too big and the meat definitely wouldn’t taste good anymore, but I never once thought that it was actually an existence I couldn’t even afford to eat!!】

【I believe that the vast majority of people could work their entire lives and still not necessarily earn fifteen million!!!!】

【??? Why are you looking down on me like this??? I could fucking work for ten lifetimes and still not necessarily earn fifteen million.】

And right at this moment, Ao Ruize suddenly stood up: “Alright, the pearl mussel has been opened.”

“Next, I’ll take everyone on a tour of the Fish God Pool.”

【Fish God Pool?】

【Doesn’t Kaoshan Village only have a Bird Shit Pool? Meaning there’s not a single fish in the pool, and bird shit is everywhere.】

But very quickly, they learned what the Fish God Pool Ao Ruize spoke of was all about.

Because Ao Ruize directly brought them to the Bird Shit Pool.

And inside the pool, a two-meter-long giant grass carp was currently leading over a dozen grass carp, silver carp, and bighead carp—each over a meter long—swimming happily in the water. Among them, there was even a wildly colorful koi fish over a meter long.

And just as Ao Ruize was introducing the origin of the giant grass carp to them, a group of children from Kaoshan Village walked over carrying a basket of wild fruits and steamed buns. They grabbed the wild fruits and steamed buns from the basket and tossed them into the pool. The school of fish in the pool immediately sprang into action. Eating them one bite at a time, they devoured all the wild fruits and steamed buns floating on the water in just a few seconds.

These things weren’t important. What was important was that after eating and drinking its fill, the leading giant grass carp actually pushed a palm-sized pearl mussel on its head and presented it to the little girl at the front of the group.

【???】

【Doesn’t this pearl mussel look exactly like a shrunken-down version of the pearl mussel the hotpot fish gave Xia Ruize earlier?】

And right at this moment, the camera suddenly shifted directions, pointing at a stretch of farmland below.

In the farmland, dozens of Kaoshan Village locals were currently measuring the land.

Ao Ruize said, “Kaoshan Village is preparing to dig a river circling the village, connecting the Fish God Pool with the dozen or so fish ponds of various sizes in the village. In the future, the giant fish from the Fish God Pool will spread throughout all of Kaoshan Village.”

“Also, the fifteen million that Chairman Chen of Gongrui Jewelry just paid me—I will donate it all to help Kaoshan Village expand and repair their roads, build the ring river, and add some necessary facilities, such as landscaping, streetlights, and mountain trails.”

“In addition to this, we have also persuaded the local county government. They promised to provide the villagers of Kaoshan Village with three-year interest-free loans ranging from 20,000 to a maximum of 50,000 yuan, to be used to help the villagers repair their ancestral homes…”

“We only have one goal, and that is to transform Kaoshan Village into a small-scale eco-tourism zone.”

Speaking up to here, Ao Ruize paused, and then earnestly recited an advertising slogan: “Do you want to see a Fish God that understands human nature with your own eyes? Do you want to gain the Fish God’s favor and thereby receive a gift from the Fish God? Come to Kaoshan Village! Here, we have ancient myths and legends, breathtaking natural scenery, and even more importantly, simple and honest local folks…”

As he spoke, he raised the cured duck leg in his hand and took a bite.

By the time the netizens in the livestream room reacted, Ao Ruize had already turned off the livestream.

【Transform Kaoshan Village into a small-scale eco-tourism zone?】

【Can… can this really work?】

Then, Xia Ruize’s fans instantly became spirited again.

【Why wouldn’t it work?】

【I’m going to buy a ticket to Kaoshan Village to see the pickled fish right now. Maybe I’ll even run into our Ruize.】

【Who was it that said earlier that our Ruize caused Kaoshan Village to lose a great opportunity to shake off poverty and get rich?】

【Now our Ruize has directly carried Kaoshan Village to the heavens.】

Other passersby also couldn’t help but say:

【Those things aren’t important! What’s important is that that was fifteen million! Xia Ruize actually just donated it the moment he said he would?】

Seeing this, Xia Ruize’s fans instantly grew even more excited.

【Exactly! They’re biological brothers, yet our Ruize donated fifteen million the moment he said he would. Meanwhile, a certain star surnamed Xia—who is three years older than our Ruize but still makes his fans call him by his childhood nickname—wanted to create hype, yet only donated one million, and then set up a four-million-yuan fundraiser, making his fans pay for his good reputation.】

【Why don’t you just directly read out Xia Lewen’s ID card number while you’re at it?】

Seeing this, the manager nodded in satisfaction.

“Without comparison, there is no harm. Xia Lewen has truly lost face entirely this time.”
Although her heart still ached a little for that fifteen million.

Ao Ruize, however, was still teasing the giant grass carp: “Good job.”

So, to a certain extent, that livestream just now really was an act.
Except the acting part only consisted of the giant grass carp giving a pearl mussel to that little girl.

“But you don’t need to give a pearl mussel to every group of people who comes to feed you, understand?”
Otherwise, it probably wouldn’t be long before it gave away all the pearl mussels in the karst cave.
By then, Kaoshan Village’s attraction to the outside world would definitely drop significantly.

The giant grass carp hurriedly nodded.

Only then did Ao Ruize turn his head to look at the manager: “Alright, we can head back now.”
“Oh right, I also need to trouble you to investigate those brain-dead fans and see whose people they actually are.”

Hearing this, the smile on the manager’s face instantly vanished.

“I’ve already sent people to investigate.”

She still remembered how that group of brain-dead fans had ruined her plans yesterday—she had spent a full 300,000 yuan and led the water army, keeping an eye on things for over a dozen hours before finally turning public opinion around. But in the blink of an eye, it was completely ruined by that group of ‘brain-dead fans’ throwing out a single sentence: ‘So what if our Ruize looks down on rural people?’

Even a little thought made it obvious that in all likelihood, someone was playing tricks behind the scenes regarding this matter.

She really wanted to see exactly who was muddying the waters to catch fish!

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