Gold Rush Starts in the Bering Sea

Chapter 59: Goodbye Old Zhou

Sitting by the window, looking down at the city through the airplane window, Jason knew that he would never have any connection with this place again.

Upon landing in Kyoto, Jason was greeted with a mouthful of sand.

It was quite a memorable welcoming ceremony.

"Hello, Mr. Zhou, it's me, Jason."

"Yes, it's right here at the airport exit."

"Okay, I'll wait a bit, see you later."

Jason, holding his phone, spoke fluent Chinese, drawing attention from those around him. In this day and age, foreigners like Jason are truly rare.

Half an hour later, a black sedan stopped in front of Jason.

A middle-aged man bowed slightly, opened the car door, and said to Jason, "Mr. Jason, please get in the car."

The difference between Kyoto in 05 and Kyoto twenty years later is huge.

There weren't many tall buildings, and there wasn't even a traffic jam, but many construction sites already showed signs of what would become in later times.

Who could have imagined that in just twenty years, Kyoto would be bustling with traffic and filled with skyscrapers?

The car drove around and around on the road before finally stopping in front of a courtyard house.

Jason was secretly shocked: "Within the Second Ring Road?"

Although it's still 2005, you can't just buy a house here if you have money. Without a certain status, don't even think about it.

At the entrance, there is an exquisite screen wall, which acts like a folding screen, cleverly concealing the scenery inside the courtyard. It not only maintains privacy but also carries the auspicious meaning of gathering good fortune.

Passing the screen wall, you arrive at the heart of the courtyard house – the courtyard itself.

The courtyard floor is paved with blue bricks, which remain solid and flat despite the passage of time.

In the center of the courtyard, there is a stone table and several stone benches, which is a place for resting and chatting.

In a corner of the courtyard, there are several pomegranate trees. Although the leaves are turning yellow and fallen leaves are scattered on the ground, many pomegranates are still left on them, adding a touch of vitality and poetry to the courtyard.

The east and west wing rooms, with another gate leading further in, clearly indicate that there are at least two courtyards.

Led by the middle-aged man, Jason was taken into the main house on the north side.

The doors and windows of the main house are exquisitely designed, with various auspicious patterns carved on the window frames, such as bats symbolizing "fortune" and peaches symbolizing "longevity".

Inside, antique tables and chairs are placed on both sides, with exquisite wood carvings on them, exuding a faint wood fragrance, giving people a rustic yet elegant atmosphere.

Jason sat down as instructed, and soon hot tea was brought to the table beside him.

It was very solemn and formal.

The courtyard house had a nice view and retro decorations, but Jason felt two words as soon as he entered: orderliness!

Especially in this main room, the hierarchy is clear, and tea is served as soon as people sit down, without even asking Jason's opinion.

Jason raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and simply placed his backpack on the table.

Although it was uncomfortable, it was their territory after all, and I needed their help.

"Young friend, welcome to China!" Zhou Mingsheng, dressed in a Tang suit, had his silver hair neatly combed and a hearty laugh.

"Old Zhou, it's been a long time!"

Zhou Mingsheng sat down directly next to Jason, disregarding the seating arrangement, and teased, "Why did you suddenly come to China? Didn't you get to enjoy your twenty million US dollars?"

Jason relaxed a lot. "Come on, Mr. Zhou, I'm here on business. You're the only person I know in China, so I came to pay you a visit."

Zhou Mingsheng chuckled, "You only come here when you have something to ask, and you don't even bring a gift?"

"Look at you, you're saying you'll buy it in a minute, you'll buy it in a minute!"

"Hahahaha," Zhou Mingsheng was amused. "Alright, kid, you're in China now, how can I let a stranger like you buy things? I, as your host, should show you some hospitality."

Zhou Mingsheng also took a liking to Jason, a white-looking guy who spoke fluent Mandarin.

In his view, a white person who could learn Chinese to this extent must have put in a lot of hard work.

He loves China, speaks Chinese so well, and is adept at handling interpersonal relationships. Zhou Mingsheng insisted on helping him with this matter.

Looking at the backpack on the table, Zhou Mingsheng said, "Tell me, what's wrong that you insisted on coming all the way to China? I'll see if I can lend you a hand."

"Mr. Zhou, I wonder if you know any geological experts? I've come here to ask you some questions," Jason said, taking out his documents as he spoke.

Zhou Mingsheng looked at the documents in his hand and revealed a meaningful smile.

"Kid, it's not that simple, is it?"

A document was found, and the person who found it was a geological expert.

To put it bluntly, there are plenty of experts like this, and even more working in this field abroad, but this guy didn't look for one; instead, he traveled all the way to China to find one.

"Hehe, I can't hide it from you."

"There are some geological issues about the mine I bought that I don't understand, but you're aware of the confidentiality situation abroad."

Jason had considered this possibility before he arrived. It was impossible to keep it a secret completely; once a second person found out, it wouldn't be considered a secret anymore.

It's only 2005, and this old man in front of me can pull out 20 million meters of swords without batting an eye, which shows how powerful he is.

Jason didn't know anything about Chinese geologists. Although he could find some at his own university, who knew how capable they were?

But the old man's introduction was different. First, it could solve the problem of confidentiality, and second, it could help find people with real talent and skills.

As for why Jason trusts Zhou Mingsheng so much after only meeting him once, Jason said he has never trusted him.

Jason simply has a very clear understanding of himself.

They can pull out 20 million US dollars without batting an eye. Given Jason's current size, it wouldn't even be enough time for them to spend their time on it.

"Alright, I'll help you with this." Zhou Mingsheng didn't ask any more questions, and didn't even look at the documents.

Zhou Mingsheng said to the middle-aged man, "Xiao Li, contact Hua Qing and bring your young friend over in a bit. Also, find a good hotel for the little guy tonight and put it on my tab."

Then he turned to Jason and smiled, "Young friend, don't blame me for not being a good host, I really can't spare the time today."

"Mr. Zhou, please go ahead with your business." What could Jason say?

"Alright, Xiao Li, make sure you take good care of your young friend," Zhou Mingsheng instructed again, then strode out.

The middle-aged man, referred to as "Little Li," bowed slightly and said, "Mr. Jason, please have some tea first. I'll contact Huaqing first."

Jason nodded: "Okay, no rush."

"Mr. Jason, the time has been agreed upon. Shall we depart now or wait a moment?" The middle-aged man stood respectfully to the side and asked Jason.

"Let's set off now." The first thing to do was to find traces of his past life, but that failed. This is the only thing left, and Jason wants to finish this as quickly as possible.

In just over an hour, Jason got back into the car.

Jason breathed a sigh of relief as he left the courtyard. Although the old man, Zhou Mingsheng, was very kind, his imposing manner and the strict rules of the courtyard still made Jason feel uncomfortable.

"Little Li" glanced at Jason through the rearview mirror but didn't say anything.

Although he was curious about the identity of Mr. Jason in front of him, rules are rules, and he knew what he should and shouldn't say.

The car moved smoothly under the driver's guidance and stopped in front of a teaching building after entering Huaqing.

Before the middle-aged man could open the car door, Jason opened it himself and got out: "It's alright, I'm not that fussy. Getting things done is the most important thing."

"Mr. Jason, please follow me this way," 'Little Lee' led the way, gesturing for Jason to follow.

Tsinghua University, as one of only two institutions of higher learning in China, stands out from other universities in China and enjoys a high reputation internationally.

The scenery is beautiful, the academic atmosphere is strong, and students are taking the time to discuss issues.

Jason, who was a poor student in both his past and present lives, couldn't help but sigh.

As a high-quality university, there are quite a few international students, but Jason still attracted a lot of attention with his handsome appearance, especially with a middle-aged man leading the way.

"International student?"

"It shouldn't be that, even for international students, this time would be past the enrollment period."

"To be able to drive in here, and with someone leading the way, they must be someone important."

"It shouldn't be. The license plate is from Kyoto, but the fact that it was able to drive in shows that the owner of this car has considerable influence."

"Judging from the direction, it should be related to geology. This foreigner's family is probably involved in mining or mining-related work."

"Are we really that good at geology? Foreigners are even coming to ask us for advice?"

……

In a short time, some people had already analyzed Jason's purpose from the direction he was heading. If there were more details, they could have deduced even more.