With his entire fortune of just over two thousand yuan stored in WeChat, Ye Chen didn't immediately head to the sports center. After all, the concert didn't start until 8 p.m.

In his previous life, those fanatical super fans only shelled out big money for overpriced tickets after the concert had already begun. So, going there now would be of no use.

Instead of heading to the sports center, Ye Chen set his sights on Lingnan Antique City. That place was akin to Panjiayuan in Beijing—similar in nature, a bustling marketplace filled with all kinds of antique objects.

Of course, while they were labeled as antiques, the majority were modern reproductions designed to swindle gullible buyers. Still, the antique market had managed to survive the test of time for decades, proving that it wasn't all fake goods. Every so often, someone would score a hidden gem, purchasing something truly valuable for far less than its worth.

Ye Chen had visited the antique city many times in the past, always hoping to strike it rich by finding a hidden treasure. Unfortunately, he had consistently ended up being the proverbial "water fish"—a term used to describe a sucker.

But this time, things were different! Armed with sixty years of foresight and a razor-sharp memory of past events, Ye Chen recalled that someone in his previous life had stumbled upon a once-in-a-lifetime deal at the antique city. For just 30,000 yuan, they had purchased something that turned out to be worth 480,000—a staggering sixteen-fold return.

The lucky buyer was a gambling friend of his. Unlike Ye Chen, who was perpetually drowning in high-interest debts, that friend had turned his life around after lucking out with a massive payout from a property redevelopment deal. With millions in hand, the friend not only paid off his gambling debts but also casually wandered into the antique market one day and struck gold.

According to the story, when the friend handed over the money for the item, nearby stall owners all cast strange glances at him. As soon as he completed the transaction, Ye Chen overheard vendors mocking him, calling him a gullible "water fish."

At first, the friend thought he'd been scammed and tried to return the item, but it was too late. Frustrated, he left the market and even considered throwing the beaded bracelet away. That's when a middle-aged man, about to enter the antique market, stopped him. The man asked to examine the bracelet and ended up offering 480,000 yuan for it on the spot.

Although this gambling friend was known for exaggerating, Ye Chen believed him this time. With millions in his bank account, there was no reason for the man to make up such a story.

Back then, Ye Chen, burdened by crushing debts, had no reason to doubt him. He was green with envy, cursing the heavens for not granting him such luck. Why had such fortune smiled on that guy instead of him?

Curious, Ye Chen had asked what the bracelet looked like. While the man's description wasn't very detailed, he did share one critical detail: it was a string of eighteen beads, each bead engraved with the image of an Arhat, perfectly matching the set of the Eighteen Arhats.

Now, reborn and back in the past, Ye Chen saw this as a heaven-sent opportunity! If he seized it, his 270,000 yuan in high-interest debts would be cleared in no time.

There was only one problem: Ye Chen didn't know the exact day his gambling friend had found the treasure. Judging by the timeline, though, it wasn't likely to happen immediately. After all, the friend hadn't started boasting about his lucky find until three days later.

Given what Ye Chen knew about his gambling friend, there was no way he could keep a low profile about something so boast-worthy. Most likely, the deal would happen within the next day or two.

That posed another problem—his friend had snagged the find for 30,000 yuan, while Ye Chen's entire fortune amounted to less than 3,000. Clearly, he couldn't afford it now.

Still, Ye Chen wasn't in a rush to make the purchase. His immediate goal was to locate the beaded bracelet first. Once he pinpointed which stall had it, the rest would be manageable. After all, the astronomical ticket prices for tonight's concert could easily give him the funds needed for the deal.

If he waited until tomorrow to start looking, it might be too late—the bracelet could very well be snapped up by his friend by then.

"Boss, a Tongbao coin from Emperor Qianlong's reign—wanna take a look?"

"Buddy, a vase from a Qing dynasty royal residence—interested? Just name your price!"

"Hey there, handsome! Take a look at my goods. All treasures here. See anything you like?"

"Bro, it's still early, and I'm not trying to make much, just open the day with a sale. This is a pixiu blessed by a monk during the Republic era. Place it at home, and your wealth is guaranteed to skyrocket. Only 3,000 yuan—what do you think?"

As Ye Chen stepped into the antique market early in the morning, the relatively sparse foot traffic meant that the vendors had no shortage of energy to shout their pitches at him.

Unlike formal storefronts, the marketplace was made up of individual stalls, each spread out like a patchwork quilt. Many stalls were still empty due to the early hour, but the vendors' boisterous calls filled the air, giving the market a lively atmosphere.

However, Ye Chen scoffed at the so-called Qing dynasty Tongbao coins, royal residence vases, and the "wealth-attracting" pixiu statues blessed by monks.

If such treasures were real, would the vendors really be shouting about them in a place like this?

Even during his previous life—whether as the later billionaire tycoon with a personal fortune of 400 billion or the despicable, debt-ridden scoundrel of his early days—Ye Chen never fell for such nonsense.

Experience had taught him well. After being scammed countless times, he'd learned that the real hidden treasures of the antique market were never the ones loudly claimed to be from dynasties or royal estates. And as for those so-called wealth-attracting items? Pure hogwash.

Those were just traps for inexperienced newcomers—fresh meat to be swindled.

At each stall, Ye Chen stopped and carefully examined the items without saying a word. When he didn't find the beaded bracelet with the Eighteen Arhats, he moved on to the next stall.

The stall owners, initially enthusiastic, gradually grew annoyed, their irritation barely concealed. Some even looked as though they were about to outright chase him away.

After searching more than twenty stalls, Ye Chen still hadn't found the bracelet. Yet, his patience remained intact.

From morning to noon, he came up empty-handed. After stepping outside the market for a quick and frugal lunch of plain soup and noodles, he returned to continue his search.

"Damn, that fool's back again!"

"Tsk, tsk, look at his face—he might as well have a sign saying I'm here to strike gold plastered across his forehead!"

"With that sneaky, shifty-eyed look of his, dreaming of finding a treasure? He's better off waiting for pigs to fly!"

"Damn, I'm so sick of these clueless idiots. If there were fewer fools like this guy, our business would be much easier!"

"Don't say that—he's contributing to the market's popularity, isn't he? Hahaha!"

As Ye Chen's figure reappeared in the antique market, whispers and hushed laughter rose among the vendors. Some of the comments even reached Ye Chen's ears, but he couldn't be bothered to respond.

He pressed on, continuing his search for the beaded bracelet with the Eighteen Arhats.

Hours slipped by unnoticed.

The setting sun painted the sky a bloody red, its light slanting westward. A rare cool evening breeze swept through the scorching summer air, bringing a fleeting moment of relief.

Ye Chen had spent the entire day scouring almost every corner of the antique market, yet there was still no sign of the bracelet.

Could it be that the guy from his previous life had been lying?

Under the golden hues of the sunset, Ye Chen came to a halt.

"Maybe he made it all up?" he muttered to himself.

Then he shook his head. "No, he described it in such vivid detail—even mentioning the Eighteen Arhats. That doesn't seem like something you'd just make up."

As he spoke to himself, Ye Chen carefully recalled the tone and expression of the man when recounting the story in his past life, hoping to discern whether it had been an exaggeration.

At that moment, from the corner of his eye, Ye Chen noticed a stall owner just a few meters away patting his head as if suddenly remembering something.

"Damn! How could I forget about that thing?" the stall owner muttered to himself.

Right after speaking, the man grabbed a burlap pouch from the side and opened it.

From inside, he pulled out a string of bronze-colored prayer beads.

Whoosh!

In that instant, Ye Chen's heart skipped a beat.

Though the stall was still a few meters away and he couldn't yet confirm if the beads were engraved with the Eighteen Arhats, the sight alone was enough to send a surge of excitement coursing through him!