Tycoon: From Rags to Riches

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Appreciation Card

[Prerequisite Mission 2: Settling In]

[Mission Progress: Complete]

[Mission Assessment: Excellent]

[Mission Reward: Home Starter Gift Package has been issued.]

[Open?]

...

In the executive suite of the R&F Wanda Wenhua Hotel, Gu Heng, dressed in a pure white bathrobe, sat before the floor-to-ceiling windows. He gazed at the notification on the system’s light screen, and a thought flickered through his mind.

[Home Starter Gift Package opened.]

[Congratulations, Host, you have received the following rewards: Tea Appreciation Card ×1, Cigar Appreciation Card ×1, Fine Wine Appreciation Card ×1]

[Note: When using an Appreciation Card, the Host will temporarily enter a state of light sleep. Please set aside 3 hours in advance to avoid any accidents.]

Gu Heng looked at the system rewards from the Home Starter Gift Package, his eyes glinting with curiosity and anticipation.

Without any hesitation, he stood up from the floor-to-ceiling window and walked straight into the bedroom.

After lying down, Gu Heng looked at the shimmering Tea Appreciation Card in his system inventory and chose to use it.

The next moment, Gu Heng’s vision went black.

About ten seconds later, light returned.

He was in a lush bamboo forest, the elegant music of strings and flutes drifting to his ears.

In the center of the forest stood an antique, classical pavilion.

A long-bearded old man sat within, positioned before a wooden tea table, smiling as he looked at Gu Heng.

"Young friend, please, have a seat..."

The old man slowly raised a hand, gesturing for Gu Heng to sit.

At this moment, Gu Heng was like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden for the first time.

He looked left and right, touching things here and there.

Hearing, touch, smell, taste, sight—they were all indistinguishable from reality.

’Virtual reality?’

’If this is virtual reality, the tech is just too damn good!’

Gu Heng marveled inwardly. Bathed in the cool mountain breeze, he walked toward the old man in the pavilion.

"Greetings, Sir."

Even though Gu Heng knew the old man before him was likely a virtual character, he still bowed politely to him.

"The Way of Tea is an elegant art of Huaxia, its origins deep and its history long. It contains the spiritual essence of heaven and earth and absorbs the very soul of our culture. It began with Shennong’s tasting of herbs, flourished in the Tang and Song dynasties, and reached its zenith during the Ming and Qing. Over thousands of years, it has become a truly magnificent tradition."

"Its way is to carry virtue in the tea, to clarify the mind with the vessels, to wash away the dust of the world with water, and to temper one’s character with fire. In ancient times, Lu Yu wrote the three-volume *The Classic of Tea*, in which he detailed the art of brewing, the discernment of utensils, and the appraisal of spring water, thereby founding the school of tea studies for all ages..."

The old man returned Gu Heng’s bow with a faint smile, then got straight to the point, beginning his lecture with the origins of the Way of Tea.

The old man was speaking entirely in classical Chinese, which normally would have been difficult for Gu Heng to understand. Yet, somehow, he could comprehend it all. In fact, it was more than just comprehension; his understanding and memory had both skyrocketed. He could thoroughly grasp and commit to memory every single word the old man said.

"The wonder of the Way of Tea lies in two principles: Stillness and Realization.

Stillness is to empty the mind and forget the self, to hear the whisper of pine winds in the boiling water, to watch the rising and falling of mist and clouds.

Realization is the unity of heaven and man, tasting sweetness and bitterness as one tastes the flavors of the world, contemplating the ups and downs as one contemplates life.

Though the tea room is small, it can contain the spirit of mountains and rivers.

Though the tea ceremony is simple, it can connect the thoughts of past and present..."

The old man’s words were a sudden enlightenment.

In the beginning, they covered everything from the origins of the Way of Tea to its true essence, from its theories to its various schools.

In the middle phase, they went from the procedures of the tea ceremony to the utensils, from the classification of tea leaves to their preservation.

In the later stage, the two began to drink tea nonstop.

The six major types of tea, the four tea seasons.

Modern famous teas, historical famous teas, and innovative new teas.

The old man even had long-lost legendary teas.

Gu Heng drank cup after cup, sampling hundreds of different famous teas.

At first, the old man brewed the tea for Gu Heng. Later, it was Gu Heng who brewed it for the old man.

His movements went from clumsy to practiced, and finally to a state of effortless, natural elegance.

All the while, as Gu Heng drank, he listened to the old man explain the characteristics, origins, history, and effects of each type of tea.

Without realizing it, Gu Heng’s entire demeanor became more ethereal and natural.

...

The evening mist hung heavy as the setting sun cast a golden glow.

The flowing clouds resembled coiled dragons, shaking specks of light from their scales and claws.

On the large bed in the bedroom, Gu Heng slowly opened his eyes.

After a moment of disorientation, clarity gradually returned to his expression.

He glanced at the time. Exactly three hours had passed—no more, no less.

"Brother Tongzi..."

"You’re Badass Plus!"

Gu Heng could feel his mind brimming with knowledge of the Way of Tea. Everything he had just experienced in the bamboo pavilion was perfectly preserved.

He even remembered the taste of every single one of those famous teas with perfect clarity.

Before using the Tea Appreciation Card, Gu Heng had been a complete novice—a Xiaobai—when it came to the Way of Tea.

After using the Tea Appreciation Card, he could now say without a shred of modesty that he was a bona fide master of the Way of Tea.

’When someone poor suddenly becomes rich, why are they often dismissed as nouveau riche? It all comes down to a lack of cultural foundation, experience, and perspective.’

’In high society, cigars, wine, and tea are arguably the most fundamental social lubricants.’

’That’s because no matter a person’s status or age, they’ll almost always have a preference for at least one of the three.’

’People who don’t like wine, don’t like cigars, and don’t like tea are exceedingly rare.’

’Take the dinner from yesterday, for instance. Wang Baoshan is clearly a man who enjoys fine cigars and wine.’

’At the table, he’d occasionally bring up matters related to famous teas and cigars, and even offered me a cigar.’

’To avoid revealing my ignorance, I had to politely decline, using the excuse that I wasn’t feeling well.’

’Later, when Wang Baoshan and the others started discussing wines, I used it as an opportunity to talk to Luo Xiwen and sidestep the topic.’

’Last night, I was already planning to start cramming everything I could about cigars, wine, and tea today. But I never expected Brother Tongzi to be so thoughtful and just give me everything in one go.’

Now, as Gu Heng looked at the faintly glowing Cigar Appreciation Card and Fine Wine Appreciation Card still in his system inventory, a look of intense anticipation flashed in his eyes.

He had wanted to use the remaining two Appreciation Cards all at once, but feeling a slight sense of fatigue emanating from between his brows, he hesitated for a moment and suppressed the impulse.

Clearly, while the Appreciation Cards had god-like powers, they still adhered to the basic law of conservation of energy. Using one took a significant toll on Gu Heng’s mental stamina.

’One card a day shouldn’t be so taxing.’

Gu Heng calculated in his mind, then looked up at the sky outside the window.

The setting sun poured down like molten gold, dyeing the wispy clouds into a magnificent tapestry of interwoven orange, crimson, and indigo.

He picked up his phone and looked at his unread messages. Most were photos sent by Luo Xiwen.

Luo Xiwen, who was already dignified and elegant, had changed into a high-end luxury Chanel suit. It added a touch of nobility, and her entire aura seemed different.

Gu Heng sent a simple reply, then opened his chat with Jiang Ruan.

"Chairman Gu, up for a swim tonight?"

Jiang Ruan had sent the message half an hour ago.

"Now?"

Gu Heng replied.

The moment Gu Heng sent his message, Jiang Ruan replied almost instantly: "Chairman Gu, I’m with a client right now, so I might need another half hour. Why don’t you head to Li Ao first? I’ll come find you as soon as I’m off work."

After seeing the message, Gu Heng considered it for a moment, then got up, changed his clothes, and walked out of the executive suite with his car keys in hand...

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