Good grief, with these prices, no wonder there's not a single customer even with the restaurant on the highway.

"Boss, are you sure there isn't a mistake with the prices on this menu?" Qi Yun turned and casually asked.

"That's the price! Take it or leave it! If you don't want to eat, just get out!" The middle-aged man waved dismissively, ready to chase them away, ignoring even the intimidating presence of Brother Quan and his companions.

Who knows where this guy gets his confidence from.

Qi Yun couldn't help but smile, never having seen anyone run a business quite like this.

Inwardly, he thought, today I'm damn determined to try this, let's see what a forty-yuan stir-fried pork tastes like...

"I'll take one of everything in this row on the left." He gestured at the menu.

The middle-aged man was taken aback, as if he hadn't expected Qi Yun to actually order, and the way he ordered was so damn unique.

That little sweep just now would cost two to three hundred bucks according to the menu.

"Wait right there!" The man tossed out the words and turned to walk to the kitchen, dragging his feet, not even glancing back as if it was a chore to exchange even a single word with his customers.

Soon, the sound of chopping vegetables came from the kitchen.

The group sat down at a table by the door, and Brother Quan glanced in the direction of the kitchen and joked, "This guy's got quite the attitude, huh."

Qi Yun just smiled without saying anything, giving a nod to Xiao Wu next to him, who then got up and left.

After waiting for about half an hour, the dishes finally arrived.

The stir-fried potatoes were half-cooked, the stir-fried pork with green peppers had barely any meat and was a bit fishy, and the bowl of rice was cold.

The man plonked the dishes on the table and turned to walk away.

"Boss, wait a sec." Qi Yun called after him.

"What?" The man's eyebrows shot up as if someone owed him millions.

Qi Yun wasn't angered, instead chuckled lightly: "I want to ask you about someone, do you know Yao Fengjuan?"

At the mention of the name Yao Fengjuan, the man immediately became wary: "What do you want!?"

Judging by his reaction, Qi Yun had a rough idea of the man's identity and continued smiling as he explained, "Don't be nervous, we're friends of her father, Yao Yuzhong."

"He asked us to come see Ms. Yao Fengjuan."

The name Yao Yuzhong seemed to touch a nerve, as the man's face immediately darkened, and his eyes were full of caution as he stared at Qi Yun.

"My wife cut ties with him long ago. She doesn't need his concern. You all better leave!"

Qi Yun gave him a deep look without saying much more, the dishes on the table were hard to swallow anyway, so he threw down three bills and left with his companions.

Back in the car, Xiao Wu turned to report, "No one was upstairs, but there was a wedding photo hanging in the living room. I'm not sure if it's her, but I took a picture."

He then handed the phone to Qi Yun and continued, "When he went downstairs just now, he seemed to forget to lock the safe. I saw a lot of cash inside, at least over a million."

Brother Quan chuckled at this: "Wow, this shady business actually makes quite a bit, huh."

"But... for someone running a small business, why have so much cash at home?"

Qi Yun also sensed something unusual. With that guy's business attitude, he'd be lucky to make ends meet, let alone have a hundred grand stashed away. Something's definitely up here...

He looked at the wedding photo on the screen. The woman in the photo bore some resemblance to Yao Yuzhong in her features, so it had to be right.

While they were talking, a Volkswagen CC pulled up in front of the restaurant.

A woman in her thirties, dressed fashionably, stepped out of the car. It was Yao Fengjuan.

Qi Yun glanced sideways, but instead of approaching her directly, he had Brother Quan drive the car to the small shop across the street.

After the shopkeeper happily pocketed a thousand yuan, he told Qi Yun everything he knew about the couple.

Yao Fengjuan's husband, the arrogant guy from earlier, was named Li Dachun. He used to be a waiter at a restaurant in the city and opened the current venue here with Yao Fengjuan shortly after they married.

Being right on the highway, they had good business initially due to passing truck drivers.

But then, for some unknown reason, the couple suddenly raised their menu prices and stopped taking their business seriously. As a result, the number of customers dwindled to nearly none.

Yao Fengjuan usually went to the city to play mahjong, while Li Dachun rarely left the house, preferring to play games at home.

"I saw they had a nice car though. How can they afford it with how they're doing business?" Qi Yun voiced his suspicion.

The shopkeeper peeked over at the CC across the street and explained, "Li Dachun said he's also in on a second-hand car business with someone else. That car should be second-hand as well; he's just the financier. Last time we drank, he bragged about making forty to fifty thousand a month. Who knows if he's full of it."

Qi Yun nodded, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Do you remember when they started raising their prices at this restaurant?"

"Um... let me think..." The shopkeeper wrinkled his brow, hesitated for a few seconds, then uncertainly said, "I think it was three years ago."

Three years ago.

Qi Yun said no more, instructing the shopkeeper to keep this confidential, before leaving the shop.

After he left, the shopkeeper beamed as he counted Qi Yun's money again, not a bit concerned about why he asked these questions.

Back in the car, Qi Yun called the warden to ask if Yao Fengjuan had visited her father in prison, and when the first visit happened.

He got the expected answer.

Yao Yuzhong committed a severe offense and was denied visitation until he was transferred to the first prison in Province L.

It was then that his daughter visited him for the first time, precisely three years ago.

Since then, Yao Fengjuan and her husband's lifestyle seemed to have changed somewhat.

Combining this with the rumors he'd previously heard, Qi Yun guessed that Old Yao had likely told his daughter the location of some hidden treasure.

And from the looks of things, she'd already cashed it in, explaining why her house had over a hundred in cash.

As for Li Dachun and his supposed second-hand car business making forty to fifty thousand a month, it was likely just a front, just like keeping the restaurant open, to disguise their true income source.

It would be easy to verify by having the local authorities check their financial accounts.

Understanding the key points, Qi Yun figured out how to get Yao Yuzhong to talk.

He whipped out his phone and called Old Ghost, directing him to come over and get ready for action, then instructed An Zai to keep an eye on the couple...

....

The next day, Qi Yun was having breakfast at the hotel while receiving intel for the day, hoping to learn more secrets about the couple from the previous day.

[Current intelligence points: 29]

[Today's intelligence 1 (Blue): 78 kilometers west of the city of Ning County, there's an undiscovered small coal mine with reserves exceeding thirty thousand tons]

With current coal prices, this small coal mine should be worth over twenty million.

But it's a complicated affair with all the equipment, permits, and relationships necessary, so Qi Yun hadn't the patience for it now. He planned to have someone manage the paperwork and sell it when he had time.

[Today's intelligence 2 (Green): Yesterday, a herdsman in Bansen Right Banner stumbled upon a peculiar stone while herding. The stone is engraved with patterns from the Red Mountain Era five thousand years ago, and the herdsman plans to turn it over to the government, contact number ****]

Qi Yun chuckled and shook his head, deciding not to intercept the stone. In the past, southeastern Province M was the birthplace of Red Mountain Culture. It's not uncommon for locals to dig up relics from that era while farming. Though these items aren't as valuable as porcelain and other antiques, they hold significant cultural research value.

Yao Yuzhong had illegally excavated multiple Red Mountain cultural sites in his early years, causing substantial damage.

[Today's intelligence 3 (Green): Ten minutes ago, a masked man purchased twenty lottery tickets with the same number at fifty times the stake each in a lottery shop on Construction Road]

Wow~

Twenty tickets at fifty times each, that's a thousand times if he wins. What a massive payout that would be...

Buying the same number a thousand times and wearing a mask adds a touch of mystery...

That's something even Qi Ting wouldn't dare meddle in, too many implications involved.