I said, "Whether it's formidable or not, we'll only know after a fight."
The Crown Prince, always eager for excitement, quickly chimed in, "Good, good! I'll keep a close eye on him. As soon as he shows up, we'll deal with him!"
I thought to myself, "Dream on. You want me to fight myself? What are you thinking?"
I replied, "Alright, I'll await your news. I'm ready anytime! My hands have been itching for a good fight. Ever since I returned to the country, I haven't had a chance to unleash my skills. You must find this opportunity for me. My greatest trait is that I never yield to anyone, unless they defeat me!"
The Crown Prince said, "Fine, it's settled then. Even if I see him in the middle of the night, I'll notify you!"
I said, "You need to watch closely. You've stoked my desire for combat. If I don't get to fight, I'll go mad."
The Crown Prince assured me, "Don't worry. My men might not be good at much else, but they're skilled at tailing people. I guarantee you'll get your fill."
I thought, "You'll give me my fill of what? I'd rather save my strength to deal with you."
However, I can't deal with you now. You're still recovering from your injuries, and I can't earn a reputation for bullying a wounded man.
In truth, your current predicament is also a result of my doing, though you may not realize it.
I said, "It's a deal. I'll wait for your news."
After the Crown Prince hung up, I took my leave of the elder and returned to my room.
Today, Lan Ya had handed over the operations of Da Shi Jie to Wen Si Qiang and the others to oversee, giving herself a day off to accompany me. Writing this book, I had conceived the idea for a very long time. Back in 2010, I spent several months in Tengchong, and that's when my understanding of jade began.
Jade is beautiful, exquisitely so. In the lobby of the Xiangxie Hotel where we stayed, there was a jade carving weighing over a ton, truly awe-inspiring and magnificent.
The jade stone arrangements in the exhibition hall were even more captivating, a feast for the eyes.
It was during that time that I suddenly developed a fondness for jade. Whenever I had spare time, I would visit the jade market, though mostly just to browse and appreciate.
Sometimes I would even buy a small piece, just to satisfy the urge.
Jade can be addictive, especially stone gambling. It's truly a gamble of poverty or wealth with a single cut. Such events unfold daily in the stone gambling markets.
As written in the book, most stones do not yield great surprises. A little color is considered good. Yet, people, fueled by dreams of riches, continuously seek the next opportunity.
I've written about the experience of one person striving in this industry. I hope readers will simply take it as a story. If it can offer any insights or help, I will be content.
The book has now been released. I've been uploading chapters sequentially since the end of last month, meeting the requirements for its release. From now on, there will be locked chapters. If you feel this book is still worth reading, I hope you'll spend a few thousand coins to support the author. It's only when writing books that one realizes how arduous the task of writing is. It requires not only meticulous thought but also the daily pressure of meeting update schedules.
I once missed the last high-speed train of the day because I was writing, forcing me to cancel my ticket and reschedule for the next day. This led to considerable criticism, with people saying I had become a bookworm.
Sitting in the waiting room, I didn't even hear the boarding announcement. By the time I realized, the train was long gone.
There are many more interesting anecdotes from the writing process that I will share gradually. In short, I hope for your support. Please write more reviews, as your encouragement is the sole driving force behind my continued writing.