"Xue'er, help me investigate this woman. I believe the gossip news came from her. Otherwise, given my status and wealth, there's no way people would go to such lengths to smear me like this!"
"Yes, Young Master! Don't worry, if you're willing to spend the money, everything can be investigated!"
"Of course, we're not short of money! But we can't just swallow this insult!"
"Understood, Young Master!"
At the Tianhua Yipin Villa, No. 11!
"Little sister! Look at this news! It's about that boy named Shang from the auction yesterday. I didn't expect him to be such a person!" Xu Yaowei handed his phone to Xu Yiru.
Xu Yiru glanced at the headline, her face showing a look of disgust. She clicked on the link and then turned to her brother, asking, "Brother! You believe this trashy news? Look at what it says—Shang Yunyan rose to power by relying on a rich woman. What was her name? What company did Shang Yunyan get? They don't even mention the name of the company, and they don't seem to understand his personality! As for these photos of him sleeping, they might have been doctored! How can you trust something like this from an unofficial public account?"
Hearing Xu Yiru's words, Xu Yaowei glanced at his younger brother Xu Yaoyang. Although they didn't fully agree with their sister's views, their impression of Shang Yunyan had definitely decreased.
That afternoon, Shang Yunyan received the jadeite rough stone that he had purchased at the auction for 45 million.
"Everyone, go ahead with your tasks. I'll have this stone sent out for processing soon."
"Yes, Young Master!"
Once he confirmed that no one was around, the system blocked all surveillance footage. Shang Yunyan instantly stored the stone into the system space. Afterward, he returned to his room, locked the door, and entered the system's versatile land.
"System, what's the deal with this jadeite stone you told me to buy? You mentioned there's something magical inside it. What is it?"
"First of all, a normal imperial green jadeite of this size is extremely rare! I've already scanned it. This nearly square rough stone, which has a diameter of 2.4 meters, can yield a complete 1.8x1.8 imperial green jade. That's just the appetizer! Somewhere inside this stone is a mysterious object called a Functional Stone!"
"What is that? Functional Stone? I've never heard of it!"
"Of course, you haven't. That kind of stone wasn't discovered until hundreds of years in the future. It's called a Functional Stone because it contains enormous energy. This stone won't be of much use to you, but it's a treasure for the Versatile Land beneath your feet! It can help enhance the attributes and abilities of your Versatile Land by doubling them!"
"This is getting crazier by the minute! I don't understand. System, just go ahead and handle it!"
"Heh, I didn't intend to have you do anything. Step back, and I'll handle it. Let me extract the Functional Stone and the imperial green for you."
"Okay! Thanks!" Shang Yunyan stepped back and watched as the system began to work. He wondered what was going to happen next.
As he looked on, the rough stone in front of him seemed to break apart in mid-air, leaving behind a huge piece of imperial green jade and a glowing ice-blue orb, along with some broken pieces of the jade.
"Wow! This orb is beautiful, it actually glows!"
"This is the Functional Stone. There are very few of these on Earth! You're truly a chosen one, lucky beyond belief! This piece of Functional Stone is enough to allow your Versatile Land to advance once again!"
"Doesn't the Versatile Land level up with my own level?"
"Yes, but the Functional Stone can break through the normal limits and help the Versatile Land evolve! With the Functional Stone's assistance, your Versatile Land will develop even better!"
"The Versatile Land can develop?" Shang Yunyan was even more confused by the system's words. The Versatile Land was just an ordinary piece of land where items, and even money, could undergo mutations and produce effective returns. How could it 'develop'? Did this mean it would level up?
Shang Yunyan thought for a moment, feeling that there might be some hidden truth, but when he tried to ask more, the system went silent. Clearly, the system was leaving him to figure it out on his own.
Shang Yunyan stood on the Versatile Land for a while, noticing that the color seemed to have shifted from silver-white to a slightly greener hue. The overall texture seemed to have become less dry and more moist, almost like it was thriving.
But when Shang Yunyan crouched down and tried to touch the land, he found no change in texture. In the end, he gave up on the thought.
"Forget it. I won't think about it anymore! Alright, System, I'm not going to research it further. Now, you want to place this Functional Stone on the Versatile Land, right?"
"Yes! Hmph!"
The system's response told Shang Yunyan that the system was a bit upset.
"Alright, System Master. Please proceed, and I'll watch! Let's both progress together!"
"That's more like it!"
As the system spoke, Shang Yunyan watched as the Functional Stone slowly floated up from the ground. Then, it exploded in the air, sending a shower of glowing particles scattering all around. It was a beautiful sight!
Under the influence of these glowing particles, Shang Yunyan saw that the Versatile Land seemed to have grown larger again. The color had deepened into a richer shade of green, and in some areas, patches of grass had started to appear!