Cheng Mo, with a calm expression, handed an uncapped bottle of mineral water to the visibly agitated Liu Yu.
He took a bottle for himself, twisted open the cap, and took a sip of water.
His actions seemed ordinary, but his eyes took in every subtle detail of Liu Yu, from the tips of his hair to the soles of his feet.
Beneath the forced cheerfulness on Liu Yu's face was an undeniable weariness.
His eyelids drooped slightly, and even when his lips turned up in a smile, there was an unconscious downward curl at the corners.
Not to mention, while he spoke, his fingers unconsciously picked at the edge of his phone case.
Cheng Mo saw all these small movements clearly.
"Hm, gold is the main part; these medicinal herbs... are some local specialties from over there."
His voice, as always, betrayed no emotion.
Liu Yu gulped down several mouthfuls of water; the cold liquid seemed to calm him slightly.
He forced a smile: "It seems like this time, the harvest is huge, Mo Zai."
"It's alright."
Cheng Mo responded briefly, his gaze calmly fixed on Liu Yu's face, waiting for him to continue.
Liu Yu felt a bit uncomfortable under that gaze and instinctively looked away.
He turned and walked around the pile of gold, as if to conceal his inner turmoil.
He took out his phone, opened the calculator function, and his fingers tapped rapidly as he mumbled calculations of the weight and current international gold price.
The more he calculated, the more serious his expression became, even taking on a hint of solemnity.
"Mo Zai..."
He stopped, turned around, his brows tightly furrowed.
"Regarding the gold, the quantity is too large, even more exaggerated than I expected. From a preliminary look, the value of this batch of goods definitely exceeds sixty million, no less. The small channels we used before definitely can't handle it; the risk is too high."
He took a deep breath: "I'll have to use some of my family's connections to find a more reliable, internationally-backed precious metal trading company or trust fund to handle this."
After discussing the gold, he looked at the opened boxes of medicinal herbs, leaned in to smell them, and the rich, exotic aroma invigorated him.
Then he scratched his head in distress, "As for these medicinal herbs... I really don't know anything about them; I'm completely out of my depth. But just looking at their appearance and smelling their scent, even a fool would know they're definitely not ordinary."
"I know a few friends who deal in high-end tonics and auction houses, and we're quite close. I can discreetly ask them to appraise these, but..."
His tone became even more cautious: "This stuff, I feel it might be even hotter to handle than the gold. Its value is hard to estimate, and it's even more challenging to find the right channels to sell it. If not handled well, it could attract serious trouble from people who truly recognize its worth."
Cheng Mo listened quietly, then nodded: "You have full authority to handle the gold. You control the process; the goal is to convert it into cash safely and quickly. For the medicinal herbs, get them appraised first to determine their value and use; there's no rush to sell them."
He trusted Liu Yu's judgment and capabilities; handling these worldly affairs was best left to Liu Yu.
Next, Cheng Mo walked to the side, picked up the recently written hardcover notebook, and handed it over.
Liu Yu took it with a puzzled expression and flipped through a couple of pages.
Inside were neat but somewhat stiff handwriting, accompanied by clear diagrams of human meridians and postures, as well as explanations of various breathing rhythms and mental guidance.
His expression gradually changed from confusion to disbelief, and he looked up, eyes wide, at Cheng Mo, his voice rising by eight octaves:
"This... what is this? A secret martial arts manual?! Mo Zai, you... did you really join some mysterious organization? Like in novels? If I practice this, will men in black come to silence me?"
"Or... if you pass this cultivation method to me, will your organization's system deem it a violation and directly eliminate you?!"
He spoke half-jokingly, half-seriously, but his eyes revealed genuine worry and a sense of absurdity.
As an avid reader of web novels, he had conjured up an entire plotline.
Cheng Mo glanced at him helplessly, a little at a loss with his imaginative friend.
"What are you thinking about?"
He interrupted Liu Yu's wild thoughts.
"Where's the system, where's the mysterious organization? This is a set of exercise methods I researched and summarized myself, based on some ancient records, combined with modern biomechanics and energy medicine..."
He carefully chose his words, trying to make it sound more scientific.
"The core is to adjust breathing and body posture, optimize energy metabolism, and it can strengthen the body and improve physical function. You try it out; practice according to the methods above. If it's effective, give me feedback on the data and your feelings."
Liu Yu was skeptical, looking at the "secret manual" in his hand, then at Cheng Mo, who was calm and didn't seem to be joking at all.
He knew Cheng Mo and knew he wasn't someone who spoke without reason.
Although the explanation still sounded very mystical, out of absolute trust in his brother, he solemnly closed the notebook and held it tightly in his hand, as if clutching some peerless treasure.
"Alright, buddy, I trust you!"
Liu Yu patted his chest, trying to appear relaxed.
"I'll treat this as the ultimate fitness guide. If I can really cultivate inner energy or become like Captain America, I'll be your protector from now on!"
However, no sooner had he finished his bold declaration than his gaze swept over the priceless pile of gold and exotic medicinal herbs on the ground again. His smile instantly collapsed, as if his strength had been drained.
He let out a long, heavy sigh, his eyes shifting, his hands unconsciously rubbing the edge of the notebook, looking as if he had something more to say but was hesitant.
A brief silence fell in the basement.
Cheng Mo watched him quietly, without urging.
He knew Liu Yu's straightforward nature; for him to be so troubled, it could not be a small matter.
He simply watched Liu Yu with his calm eyes, which seemed to see through people, waiting for him to speak.
Under Cheng Mo's direct, unavoidable gaze, Liu Yu's psychological defenses finally crumbled.
He looked up, his eyes a little red, his voice hoarse and strained with suppressed emotion:
"Mo Zai... my... my family... something big has happened."
Liu Yu knew he couldn't keep it secret any longer.
It had indeed reached the point where he had to confess.
He licked his somewhat dry lips and said dejectedly, "It's what I told you last time, about the problems with my family's business, and my dad being so worried."
He rubbed his temples and began to explain in detail: "Mo Zai, you know my family mainly deals in bulk commodity trade and cross-border logistics. We have a large operation, which looks impressive, but our capital chain is also stretched thin."
"This time... we fell into a meticulously designed international scam. Their methods were too clever, almost seamless."