Wen Siqiang had taken the cut rough stone from his master and placed it on the counter.
I took a rag, wiped off the powder, and picked it up to examine the first cut. There was still mist, but with the light, more fluorescence was visible, and the emergence of green was no longer in question.
I then looked at the third cut. This one had already consumed the mist, directly revealing a beautiful warm purple. This was a perfect three-color Fu Lu Shou!
I said to Jing Lei, "Call your uncle in Hong Kong and tell him I have a five to six jin Fu Lu Shou here, and have him come pick it up."
This stone, like that Houjiang stone, had the potential to be worth a hundred times its initial cost.
Lan Ya was still somewhat disbelieving. What was this Fu Lu Shou? How could it be so?
I asked, "What, did you take your sister down? No problem, right?"
She replied, "I didn't see anything. You're tricking me. I'm not convinced."
I said, "Whether you're convinced or not, wait for the Hong Kong guest to arrive. If he offers more than eighty times the price, you lose. That's fair, right?"
Lan Ya retorted, "Eighty times? Aren't you robbing him?"
Having spent only eighty thousand, for me to say eighty times the value, she directly denied it.
I explained, "You didn't hear me clearly. It's eighty times *at least*, it could reach a hundred times or even more. I've already told you, the hot spring resort depends on this."
Lan Ya was really going head-to-head with me today. She declared, "Alright then, forget eighty or a hundred times. As long as it exceeds fifty times, I'll call you 'older brother' from now on, sincerely and respectfully."
I said, "Why not start calling me now? You've already lost."
Lan Ya refused, "That won't do. I haven't seen the outcome, so why call you that in advance? Besides, if I am to call you that, there must be a ceremony, a proper change of address."
Jing Lei chimed in, "Do you two ever have any proper conduct? Is 'older brother' something to be changed casually?"
I responded, "It's a rule she set for herself, so she has to abide by it. Right, I got my ID card today, which can be considered my coming-of-age ceremony."
Lan Ya warned, "Don't celebrate too early. The winner and loser are not yet decided."
Just then, Jing Lei's phone rang. It was the Hong Kong merchant calling back.
He mentioned he was quite busy and couldn't guarantee his arrival. He asked Jing Lei to describe the general quality of the jade.
Jing Lei handed the phone to me; she couldn't explain it properly.
I described the weight, shape, texture, clarity, and color of the rough stone. After listening, he said, "Leave the jade with me. I happen to have an order for this material right now. It's a gift for an elder, and they need it urgently. I've been looking for raw material. You're truly sending charcoal in the winter. I'll tentatively set the price at three million per jin, about twenty million in total. I'll transfer five million first and have you hold it for me. I'll come over once I've sorted out my current matters."
I quickly agreed. The hotel was now secured.
Lan Ya, overhearing this, grabbed my arm, her fingernails digging into my skin. It was incredibly painful.
She had heard clearly beside me. Twenty million, two hundred and fifty times the price. There was no possibility for her to win; she could only accept her loss as per the bet.
Although she lost the bet, she wouldn't lose her spirit. Look at her, venting her frustration on my arm.
She happened to be standing opposite Jing Lei, but with me blocking her, Jing Lei couldn't see what she was doing.
I dared not make a sound, forcing myself to endure.
After the call, I asked Wen Siqiang to pack the stone and put it in the car. I bid farewell to the Angi brothers and left the gambling stone shop.
I told Wen Siqiang to first drive Jing Lei and Lan Ya back, and then we would pick up the senior.
Lan Ya remained sulky, refusing to look me in the eye.
I said, "Little Ya, forget about the banquet. I'll teach you more in the future, and perhaps one day you'll be able to gamble on stones yourself."
She retorted, "Don't get so smug with me. You just got lucky, a blind cat catching a dead mouse. You stumbled upon it. What's there to show off about?"
I countered, "But I have good luck, and I stumbled upon it. What are you going to do about it? Don't you want to acknowledge me as your elder brother? We have evidence and witnesses, you can't go back on your word."
Jing Lei commented, "Whether to call him 'older brother' or not isn't the main point. Hua Zi, don't be so relentless. But honestly, Hua Zi isn't just guessing. There are indeed skills to gambling on stones. While luck is a factor, without any skill, you wouldn't even know where luck might be."
We chatted and laughed as we arrived at Jing Lei's commercial building. Lan Ya got out with Jing Lei, while Wen Siqiang and I headed for the airport.
The senior's flight was scheduled to land in about an hour, so we had enough time.
In the car, Jing Lei called me. She had forgotten one thing: my ID card was ready, and I needed to register a company for the resort tomorrow. It had to be registered under my name, with her and Lan Ya as shareholders.
I asked, "Why do we need to be so formal? Isn't it the same regardless of whose name it's under?"
She insisted, "It's different. Just listen to me. She said this was Lan Ya's idea too."
I acknowledged, "I understand. I'll go tomorrow. You women are so troublesome."
Wen Siqiang played a song in the front passenger seat. It was the once popular "Conquer":
Finally, you found a way
To settle the score
The price of victory and defeat
Was each other's utter destruction
Though outwardly healthy, your heart
Is full of countless scars
The tenacious me is
A captive of this battle
Thus, I am conquered by you
Cutting off all retreat
My feelings are firm
My decision is foolish
Thus, I am conquered by you
Drinking the poison you hid
My story has ended
My love and hate are buried
Finally, I understand what both of us wanted
Was an ending
All justifications
Only made the other party suspect your intentions
Setting fire to burn
The gift you gave me
Yet it couldn't extinguish the burning anger
In my chest
Thus, I am conquered by you
Cutting off all retreat
My feelings are firm
My decision is foolish
Thus, I am conquered by you
Drinking the poison you hid
My story has ended
My love and hate are buried
If you pass by my grave
You can put your hands together
And bless me
Thus, I am conquered by you
Cutting off all retreat
My feelings are firm
My decision is foolish
Thus, I am conquered by you
Drinking the poison you hid
My story has ended
My love and hate are buried
Thus, I am conquered by you
Thus, I am conquered by you
Drinking the poison you hid
My story has ended
My love and hate are buried
Thus, I am conquered by you
Thus, I am conquered by you
Cutting off all retreat
My feelings are firm
My decision is foolish
Thus, I am conquered by you
Drinking the poison you hid
My story has ended
My love and hate are buried
Thus, I am conquered by you
The melody was tragic and desolate, her slightly hoarse cries echoing throughout the space, making my heart tremble!
The power of song is immeasurable. It can excite or demoralize, bring life or death. Music is an indispensable part of life, a vital part.
The car drove on amidst her cries. I could feel Wen Siqiang picking up the rhythm of the music, changing speed with the soaring melody.