Chapter 124  : Protective Talisman

“Don’t worry, if there really was trouble, I would be able to handle it with ease.” Chen Fan said lightly.

An Ya turned her head back and gave Chen Fan a surprised look.

She could feel that something had drastically changed inside of Chen Fan. He was brimming with confidence, and even his plain face seemed to gain a unique charm.

“That’s enough talk about me. Sister An, how are you and mother doing in Zhong Hai? How is Jin Xiu group?” Chen Fan asked.

“Same old, same old. I am in my last year of university now, so I am doing my internship at mom’s office as her assistant.”

An Ya pulled back a loose strand of hair and answered softly. She wore a grey slim fit peacoat and a small wool fascinator. Under her belt, she wore tight jeans and beige boots. Her style brought out the goddess in her.

An Ya had her mother, An Jinxiu’s beauty. She was only in her early twenties, but she had already possessed incredible charm.

Chen Fan’s mother used to tell him that An Jinxiu was one of the prettiest girls in Jin City, and was the pride of the An Family. Her family had planned to marry her off to a handsome boy from a prestigious family. However, a no-account acted one step ahead of time and captivated An Jinxiu’s heart with his talent in poetry. It was a shame that their story had such a tragic end.

“Jin Xiu Group is growing pretty fast. However, the overall economic environment is not great. The financial market had been volatile, which drove a significant slide in the price of real estate and major comedies. The monetary leverage is shrinking by the day. Many real estate companies in Zhong Hai had started to aggressively acquire land and assets to avoid a sudden break in cash flow.” An Ya explained.

Once she started to talk about business, she transformed from a girl next door to shrewd business analyst. Her analysis was thorough and precise, and her observations keen and detailed.

“The City of Zhong Hai is planning to auction off some of their vacant public lands.

“Of all the bidders, we are the smallest fish. Initially, we were vying for the smallest plot, but because of the recent economic downturn, no one was taking a bid yet. Everyone was afraid that a real estate winter is coming. Mom is still on the fence as well.”

So saying, An Ya furrowed her brows.

Chen Fan did recall an economic crisis in 2008 when housing prices fell drastically. Soon the country tabled an economic stimulus plan, and after 2009, the housing prices had skyrocketed to the point that it made people lose hope of ever owning a house.

China had since become one of the only countries whose economy had weathered the financial crisis unscathed.

The vacant lands that were going to put on auction were located in the city center and in the newly developed districts. They were both high-value properties and had great potential as investments.

Jin Xiu Group had hesitated in the beginning; however, in the end, Wang Xiaoyun decided to take a gamble and went all in. The investment quickly paid off after the subsequent rise of housing prices in China, and Wang Xiaoyun became the Queen of Chinese real estate.

“There is no need to worry, Sister An. The housing price in China will soar in the next ten years. The real estate business will be the most profitable industry in China.”Chen Fan said lightly. “If I was running the company, I would not only put all the money in it but also take as big of a loan as I could to buy all the vacant land.”

“The value of this property is going to grow to at least ten times its current price.”

“Xiao Fan, how do you know all of this?”

An Ya asked curiously.

“Because I am Master Chen!” Chen Fan plastered on a look that could pass for a religious conman.”I know things that happened five hundred years in the past and into the future.”

“That’s a lame name. Master Chen... makes you sound like a fortune teller on the street.”

An Ya cracked a smile and then punched at Chen Fan with her small and soft fist.

“Fine, fine. I am sorry. I came to that conclusion because I believe in China’s economic potential. At this growth rate, China will not slow down in the next ten years. The current housing prices are too low; therefore, it will rebound sooner or later.”

“Really?” An Ya asked incredulously.

She gave Chen Fan a curious look as Chen Fan’s knowledge in the economy had taken her by surprise.

Chen Fan cracked a smile and didn’t press on.

It didn’t matter if An Jinxiu or his mother listened to his suggestion. It wouldn’t be a big deal even if Jin Xiu Group went bankrupt.

“I am not the same person any longer. I was useless before opponents such as the Sheng Family, but not anymore” A cold light glinted in Chen Fan’s eyes. “If you want to defeat Jin Xiu Group, you better exchange your victory with your life.”

The thought of the Sheng family made the light in his eyes shine even brighter. He planned to deal with the Sheng Family right after the new year celebration.

Even if his mother lost the battle again and lost all of their money, they would still stand a chance as long as Chen Fan was alive.

Chen Fan’s Spirit Qi Water alone was a multi-billion business, and Jin Xiu Group wouldn’t be able to rake in so much profit even during its heyday.

Therefore Chen Fan didn’t need to care about how well his mother’s company was doing. However, the company was everything to his mother, and therefore, he wished that it could do well all the same.

Sister An seemed to have taken Chen Fan’s advice seriously as she fell into deep thought.

“Sister, stop thinking about that for now.” Chen Fan said: “I have a gift for you.”

“What kind of gift?” An Ya batted her lashes and asked expectantly.

Her little brother had finally grown up and had learned to treat other people nicely.

Chen Fan produced a jade talisman. The talisman was made by the highest grade mutton fat jade. It was pure white in color and had an incredibly smooth texture. Upon closer look, one could even find fine cloud-like patterns in the jade,

The talisman was carved with ancient symbols, making it look mysterious.

“Is this for me?” Sister An gaped and asked incredulously.

She knew that without even considering the master craftsmanship, the material to make this jade talisman would cost over a few million yuan.

“Xiao Fan, where did you get the money?” An Ya pulled a taut face and said: “I hope you didn’t do anything bad while you are away from home. Otherwise, I will not let you get away with it.”

“Of course not. Look at the jade, how nice it is. It’s made from mutton fat jade. I bought it from my friend for only a few thousand.”

Chen Fan lied.

An Ya was not convinced; however, she let Chen Fan string the talisman around her neck.

Chen Fan went behind her and was tying the red string around her neck. She felt Chen Fan’s hot breath on the nap of her neck. For some reason, her heart skipped a beat, and her face flushed red.

The jade talisman rested on her chest, and she could feel the heat it gave off. Although the winter air was chilly, she didn’t feel cold at all.

An Ya didn’t pay much attention to the sudden change of her mood. She blamed it on the stress from work.

“Xiao Fan is just a kid, what the hell is wrong with me?” She thought to herself.

“Here you go.”

Chen Fan clapped his hands and gazed down at the girl.

Her face was blushing, turning as red as an apple. Chen Fan didn’t pay much attention to her sudden shyness; he said seriously: “Sister An, never ever take this off. You need to wear it at all times. I have asked for a blessing from a monk, so this talisman can protect you from evil and keep you safe.”

“Really? “An Ya asked with surprise. “Not even while I’m showering?”

“No!” Chen Fan said firmly.”You must promise me.”

Holding Chen Fan’s gaze, An Ya felt her heart was going to jump out of her chest. She lowered her head and nodded.”Yes.”

Then she heard Chen Fan heave a sigh.

This jade talisman was not an ordinary jade pendant. It was a talisman made from the supreme-grade jade collected by Third Lord Wei, and Chen Fan had worked countless day and night to refine it.

As long as the wearer kept the talisman close, the magic in the talisman could counter the bad luck of being hit by trucks three times in a row. Plus, this talisman would never expire, and therefore was superior to those that lasted only once.

It’s immense power meant that Chen Fan could only create four of such talismans. He planned to give them to his parents, Xiao Qiong and Sister An.

Chen Fan then fished out another two talismans, and he told An Ya to give them to mother and father as a new year’s gift from her. He reminded her not to tell them that it was from him since he worried that if his parents wouldn’t take his words seriously.

An Ya’s mind was filled with questions; however, considering Chen Fan’s good intentions, she nodded and agreed to do as she was told.

When the two returned home, they had a great meal, and after dinner, they kept talking with each other until late in the night.

The next day, Chen Fan’s family was going to go to Jin City to celebrate the new year. Ever since his family fell out with the Wang Family, they spent every new year at the house of his grandfather on his father’s side.

“Jin City, here I come!”

Chen Fan looked out of the car window wistfully.

“I wonder if my old friends had changed at all?”