Chapter 2: The Hidden Secret of Gold

Time passed little by little.

Because the time span was as long as ten years and the information was too abundant and chaotic, Cao Kun still hadn't found a good way to make money even after finishing one cigarette.

However, he was not anxious. Instead, he lit a second cigarette and continued to think.

Having endured a decade of prison life, he had faced all kinds of storms; his mindset had long since become as steady as an old dog’s.

Finally, halfway through the second cigarette, Cao Kun seemed to have an idea, a glint of light blossoming in his eyes.

“Of course, at this point in time, the batch of gold buried by Old Lei San hasn’t been discovered yet.”

Old Lei San was Cao Kun’s cellmate in prison, also serving a life sentence.

He had been sentenced to life imprisonment for robbing two jewelry stores, and in the process, had beaten a clerk into paralysis.

If Cao Kun remembered correctly, Old Lei San had already been in prison for more than two years by then.

However, Old Lei San’s case hadn’t been closed upon his incarceration.

Because he had hidden the stolen gold and never handed it over.

It wasn’t until Cao Kun’s third year in prison that the police made a breakthrough through Old Lei San and found the gold.

A total of 54.7 kilograms!

Thinking of this, Cao Kun couldn’t help but smirk.

Normally, at this time, no one except Old Lei San would know where the gold was hidden.

Unfortunately, Cao Kun was an exception.

As an old cellmate who had spent ten years with Old Lei San, he knew exactly where the gold was hidden.

After the gold was found, for a period of time, Old Lei San seemed like a broken record, endlessly mumbling to himself.

“I was so foolish, really, why did I say it? If I hadn’t told them the gold was hidden at XXXX, they wouldn’t have found it.”

Cao Kun’s ears nearly grew calluses from hearing this repeatedly.

He even found it impossible to forget where the gold was hidden.

“Old Lei San, I’ll just consider this gold your protection fee from your past life. After all, if I hadn’t had your back in that life, you’d have been beaten to death long ago.”

After saying this, Cao Kun smiled with a cigarette dangling from his lips, then took out a piece of paper and began jotting down notes.

Including times, locations, and what kind of money-making methods!

Gradually, as time went on, one money-making path after another was listed on the paper.

From one path at first, then two, then three, until finally the entire page was filled.

The information contained was complex and varied.

At certain times, buy which stock.

At other times, buy which fund.

At another time, go to a certain place to rescue someone.

There were even projects involving borrowing high-interest loans.

Finally, when he could no longer recall any more money-making projects, Cao Kun put down his pen.

Looking at the paper before him, he couldn’t help but smile.

This was his capital to enjoy life!

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something and his brow furrowed involuntarily.

“Hiss... only 18 days left until the establishment of the Yundong Special Economic Zone?”

This seemed like a very important piece of news. Cao Kun stared at it gravely for four or five seconds before speaking again.

“Looks like the plan needs to be adjusted. The establishment of the Yundong Special Economic Zone is an opportunity that absolutely cannot be missed.”

“Only 18 days left. I have to get this Yundong Special Economic Zone matter taken care of, or the loss will be too great.”

“Forget it, let Bai Jing and her family of three enjoy a few more peaceful days. After I finish handling the Yundong Special Economic Zone matter, I’ll deal with them.”

Cao Kun had originally planned to make his move on Bai Jing’s family first, but he realized the matter in Yundong was more urgent.

Since that was the case, he would handle Yundong first, then come back to deal with Bai Jing’s family.

Having made up his mind, Cao Kun immediately took out his phone and booked a high-speed train ticket to Baihe City for the next day.

...

Early the next morning.

On a soft bed, Cao Kun stretched comfortably.

The soft bed, free from worries of nighttime attacks or prison guards’ whistles urging him to get up, was the most restful and comfortable sleep he had had in ten years.

After freshening up, Cao Kun entered the living room, assumed a starting posture, then began moving slowly.

It looked like Tai Chi, slow and deliberate, but the movements bore no resemblance to Tai Chi at all.

This was a set of moves Cao Kun had learned in his third year in prison from a Taoist priest who had been incarcerated.

That Taoist’s name was Yang Ping. He had been imprisoned for multiple charges involving sexual assault.

Yang Ping served as a priest in a small Taoist temple in Yun Province, where the temple’s incense business was decent. Infertile women often came to pray for children.

Yang Ping, leveraging his position as priest, often scared these women by telling them their inability to conceive was due to karmic sins.

He claimed that until these sins were removed, conception was impossible.

Many women fell for this and let Yang Ping “remove the sins” for them.

Yet under the guise of sin removal, Yang Ping took advantage of these women.

Not only did these women suffer assault, but they also had to pay him incense money, sometimes as much as 30,000 to 50,000 yuan at a time.

Utterly shameless!

It wasn’t until three years later, when one woman reported him to the police, that Yang Ping was caught and sent to the same prison as Cao Kun.

By then, Cao Kun, having been incarcerated for three years, had gained considerable status in prison. He was one of the few untouchables and had several underlings.

Yang Ping knew that for a sexual offender like himself, without protection, he would be brutally beaten in prison.

So, on his very first day in prison, he voluntarily sought Cao Kun’s protection.

The moves Cao Kun was practicing now were one of the many favors Yang Ping had offered in exchange for that protection.

Yang Ping said it was a set of exercises to strengthen the body.

At first, Cao Kun thought Yang Ping was just grasping at straws, unable to offer any real favors, so he pulled out this set to bluff.

But after trying it, Cao Kun was surprised to find it actually worked.

After practicing, his body felt warm and smooth in an indescribable way.

Since practicing these moves, he felt his body grow stronger; he no longer felt cold in winter or heat in summer.

However, what puzzled Cao Kun was that this set of moves seemed to work only for him.

Because others around him, including Yang Ping, had also learned the moves.

Yet the exercises had no effect on them.

When winter came, Yang Ping shivered like everyone else.

Moreover, after becoming familiar with it, Yang Ping admitted to Cao Kun that the moves were not really for strengthening the body.

They had come from an unnamed book found in the temple.

Completely useless!

He even advised Cao Kun to stop practicing.

Cao Kun only smiled slightly.

Because he knew that although it did nothing for others, it worked for him.

So he had practiced it for seven or eight years.

Soon, after completing the set, Cao Kun exhaled slowly and stopped.

His whole body was warm and extremely comfortable.

Yet his expression was far from satisfied.

“This is really strange. Why do I always feel like this set of moves is incomplete?”

Cao Kun had practiced the moves for seven or eight years and knew them better than anyone.

Yet for some reason, he felt the set was incomplete, only a part of the whole.

Why he felt this way, he could not explain.

He had asked Yang Ping about it more than once.

But Yang Ping always insisted that this was the entire set.

After pondering for a few seconds, Cao Kun shook his head.

“Forget it, I’ll have to take some time to go to Yun Province. That bastard Yang Ping probably never learned the whole set. I still need to get that unnamed book.”