The next day, Su Fan and Su Yutong boarded a plane bound for Nancheng.
Nancheng, located on the border adjacent to Myanmar, served as a major transit point for jadeite being transported inland.
"The jade trading market in Myanmar sees a massive volume of transactions daily, with stones being shipped worldwide. Forget 150 million, the daily turnover alone exceeds that figure. Your jade won't even make a ripple in that ocean, so you can rest assured when selling," Su Yutong told Su Fan.
Su Fan couldn't help but admire her business acumen. Even without being in the industry, she knew things ordinary people wouldn't.
After landing in Nancheng, the pair had to continue their journey to Myanmar.
Su Fan had brought two egg-sized pink crystals and six emeralds out of the game the previous day. This should be enough to reach 150 million, and if not, he could always make another trip into the game.
Holding their passports, they cleared immigration and entered Myanmar.
"Let's go, we need to find a place to stay first," Su Yutong said, expertly pulling up several hotel options.
"Apologies, but we only have one suite left," the receptionist informed Su Yutong, who had intended to book two separate rooms.
"A suite will do," Su Yutong replied nonchalantly, as a suite contained more than one room.
After dropping their luggage in the room, they headed straight for the jade trading market.
Time was of the essence, and Su Fan and Su Yutong couldn't afford to waste any.
The trading market was indeed vast, with the entire street dedicated to jade, bustling with people, predominantly Chinese tourists and locals. Many Chinese were there for sightseeing or to purchase jade, and some were already haggling on the street.
"Are we just going to find people on the street like this?" Su Fan asked, observing locals hawking raw stones and finished ornaments. He felt he couldn't do that.
"I've already inquired. High-grade jade and rough stones are all inside. Follow me," Su Yutong said, clearly having done her research and being far more familiar with the area than the novice Su Fan.
They navigated the crowded street to a large compound, where guards stood at the entrance.
"Halt! No loitering!"
Su Fan was stopped by two men at the gate just as he was about to enter.
"We're here to sell jade," Su Yutong stated their purpose.
"No invitation or introduction from a familiar person, no entry," the guards said, showing no intention of letting them pass.
Su Fan looked at Su Yutong, his expression conveying, "Didn't you say you'd found out everything?"
Su Yutong was also somewhat flustered. She had only found out about the location, not the requirement for an invitation or an introduction.
"Brother, here are photos of our jade. Please report to your superiors. We'd be grateful for your trouble," Su Fan said, slipping a photograph into the hand of one of the guards.
The guard felt the photo and his expression immediately changed.
"Wait here!" he said before going inside to report.
"Huh?" Su Yutong was puzzled. Were people this accommodating now?
Su Fan blinked in surprise. Accommodating? He had slipped several thousand yuan under the photo.
Not long after, the guard returned.
"You may enter," he said, opening the gate and allowing Su Fan and Su Yutong to proceed.
"Just how good is your jade that these people are making an exception?" Su Yutong, not very knowledgeable about jade, wondered why Su Fan's photograph alone could secure them entry. It was clearly no ordinary item.
"Esteemed guests, to enter, you must first have your items appraised."
They were led into a room where an old man was seated.
"Please examine it," Su Fan said, knowing that an appraisal was necessary before they could proceed. He didn't object.
Su Fan produced a piece of jade, not the whole thing, as that would be too astonishing and attract unwanted attention.
The old man's eyes lit up upon seeing the jade in Su Fan's hand.
"Exquisite! Absolutely exquisite! It's been years since I've seen such a premium Imperial Green!" the old man exclaimed.
With his discerning eye, he immediately recognized the jade's authenticity. It was undoubtedly a rare treasure.
"Can we go in now?" Su Fan interrupted his excitement and asked.
"Oh, yes, yes. Go ahead," the old man replied, returning the jade to Su Fan.
While Su Fan's jade was of exceptional quality, its small size prevented the old man from being completely overcome.
Su Fan exited through another door in the small room, and his eyes widened at the sight before him. The area was filled with fragrant flowers and plants, exuding an elegant ambiance. Pavilions surrounded three sides, with a fountain garden in the center. It was a stark contrast to the outside.
"Guests, you may rest in the pavilions. Someone will notify you when the trading fair begins," a server informed Su Fan and Su Yutong.
Su Fan and Su Yutong sat at an empty table. Many others, mostly Chinese, were also waiting in the surrounding pavilions, with only a few Western faces among them. Westerners had a lesser demand for jade, preferring diamonds and crystals.
"Well, isn't this Su Fan? What a coincidence?"
Su Fan turned around, surprised that someone recognized him.
"Dong Qimai?"
The person before him was none other than Dong Qimai, the owner of Yubaoxuan on Antique Street.
Dong Qimai was in Myanmar hoping to find a piece of jade comparable to the one Su Fan had sold to Jiang Hongwei previously. Otherwise, he was certain to lose at the next jade exchange.
"Mr. Dong? What are you doing here?" Su Fan asked, surprised.
"I was about to ask you the same thing! What are you doing here? Buying jade?" Dong Qimai was even more curious than Su Fan.
Hadn't Su Fan just sold a premium piece of jade? Why was he here to buy more?
"No, I'm here to sell some," Su Fan replied with a smile.
"What! You have more!" Dong Qimai was shocked by Su Fan's words. Su Fan was here to sell jade again? How did he have so much? And could it be of the same caliber as the last piece?
"Yes, I'm a bit short on cash recently," Su Fan said, not hiding anything. Dong Qimai was a potential client, so Su Fan saw no reason to conceal the truth.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Myanmar."
At this moment, a woman in a striking red qipao, heavily made up and still possessing a captivating allure, walked to the center of the garden. The slit of her qipao rose to her hip, and her legs were clad in black stockings. The combination of black silk and qipao was undeniably striking.
Su Fan couldn't help but glance at her legs.
"Hmph!"
A cold snort came from beside him.
Su Fan turned to look at Su Yutong, puzzled.
"What's wrong?" Su Fan asked.
"Is she that beautiful? Wearing so much makeup!" Su Yutong said haughtily.
"The makeup isn't good, it's too heavy. I bet there are two pounds of powder on her face."
Hearing Su Fan's words, Su Yutong showed a hint of pleasure.
"But her figure is nice."
Su Fan's next sentence caused the smile that had just appeared on Su Yutong's face to vanish.
"Hmph!" Su Yutong couldn't be bothered to argue with Su Fan. Why look at someone else when there was a beautiful woman right beside him?
Su Fan, oblivious to Su Yutong's shift in mood, was focused on the woman in the center of the garden. Her appearance signaled the imminent start of the trading fair.
"I believe you've all been waiting eagerly. The trading fair officially begins now. The rules for this transaction are free bidding. Anyone with a treasure can bring it to me at any time for free auction and bidding. The highest bidder wins," the qipao-clad woman announced, circling as she spoke to the crowd.
Su Fan found this method novel, his first time encountering such an auction format. This approach had its advantages, primarily allowing items to be auctioned without rigorous selection. However, it lacked privacy protection for the seller.
Soon, someone stepped forward to present the first item.
"First item: a rough stone with an opened window, the size of a basketball. Judging by the opened window, the quality is excellent. Bidding is open. No reserve price. Minimum bid increment of ten thousand."
"Four hundred thousand."
"Five hundred thousand."
"Six hundred thousand."
"Six hundred and fifty thousand."
"Seven hundred and fifty thousand."
...
The prices soared. The attendees were all top figures in the industry, with a deep understanding of jade. They knew the approximate value of stones, and the opening rough stone commanded a high price. Generally, as long as the price wasn't exorbitant, there was no risk of loss.
The rough stone was soon acquired by Dong Qimai for 1.2 million. This price was already at its limit, but Dong Qimai was in dire need of raw jade materials and thus had to bid high.
"Next item: Myanmar's Number One Old Pit rough stone. Starting bid is one million. Minimum bid increment of one hundred thousand."
The second item was a rough jade stone. Su Fan didn't understand it, but others eagerly stepped forward to examine it. Stones from old pits had a high probability of yielding green jade, and even slightly decent quality could result in a significant profit, piquing the interest of these bosses.
"Black skin, very dense green, no mist. This rough stone shows excellent promise. I bid two million!" declared an older boss, the first to place a bid.
"I bid two million four hundred thousand."
"Two million five hundred thousand."
"Two million six hundred thousand."
...
Everyone bid directly up to their perceived maximum value. The attendees were all experts, and there was no room for a bargain here. Securing an item depended solely on one's own capabilities.
Soon, the rough stone was purchased by a foreigner.
"I enjoy gambling on stones. Thank you all for your generosity," the Westerner said, standing up and giving a gentlemanly nod to the crowd.
The bosses around him could only sigh. Even if they liked it, they didn't have the funds.
Su Fan could wait no longer. He directly walked up and handed a piece of jade to the qipao-clad woman.
"This is?"
"Ice-grade Imperial Green," Su Fan stated calmly.
"This!" The qipao-clad woman was stunned by Su Fan's words.
"Place your bid," Su Fan said, handing it over and returning to his seat.
"This... alright. Next item: Ice-grade Imperial Green. Uh, according to the buyer. I'm not very familiar with Imperial Green. Bidding is open. Anyone interested can come up and take a look." The qipao-clad woman spoke hesitantly, unsure of its authenticity. Moreover, Ice-grade Imperial Green? A piece like that appeared perhaps once every few years. Su Fan casually claiming to have one made her doubt him.
"Whether you present Ice-grade or Imperial Green, I'd believe you. But putting them together makes it hard to believe. If you're going to joke, at least do it somewhere else." Naturally, some people didn't believe Su Fan's claim.
"I bid one million!"
Dong Qimai, however, felt a surge of surprise and joy. While others doubted, he absolutely believed. Su Fan had previously produced an Ice-grade Imperial Green, and he saw no reason to doubt this one.
"Hmm?"
After Dong Qimai bid, the surrounding people turned to look. Everyone present was sharp; no one would casually bid on a fake item.
"Wait, I'd like to examine it first," someone said, their interest piqued by the jade.
"No, if no one is competing with me, shouldn't you be calling out the bids?" Dong Qimai protested, hoping to snag a bargain.
"I apologize. There are no specific rules for this trading fair. Anyone with objections can come forward to inspect it at any time," the qipao-clad woman patiently explained to Dong Qimai.
Dong Qimai deflated, his hope of a bargain dashed.
After these individuals closely examined the jade, they realized the host had spoken the truth. It was indeed Ice-grade Imperial Green!
"I bid ten million!"
"Fifteen million!"
"Sixteen million!"
"Eighteen million!"
"Twenty million!"
This twenty million bid came from Dong Qimai. He had wanted to buy the jade Su Fan had previously, but Su Fan hadn't sold it to him. Now, he wondered if anyone would compete with him.
"Twenty-one million!"
However, no one present was short of money. Twenty million was not an insurmountable sum for the rare Ice-grade Imperial Green.
"Twenty-two million!"
Dong Qimai was desperate. He had to secure this piece of jade!
"Twenty-three million!"
"Twenty-four million!"
...
The price remained high. Ultimately, Dong Qimai successfully acquired the jade for twenty-seven million. Dong Qimai's face was etched with heartache. Compared to Jiang Hongwei, he had spent nearly ten million more! He felt like a complete sucker!
Su Fan was delighted. With over twenty million earned, he was getting closer to his goal of 150 million.
Su Fan quickly went up again and presented another piece of jade.
The qipao-clad woman stared at Su Fan, dumbfounded.
"You have more?"
"Yes, let's continue," Su Fan said and returned to his seat.
The qipao-clad woman looked at the jade in her hand and reluctantly announced,
"Next item: Ice-grade Imperial Green."
The crowd erupted in a commotion. They had just missed out on one Ice-grade Imperial Green, and now there was another.
"I bid twenty million!"
This time, they bid without even examining it, immediately exceeding twenty million. It was eventually purchased by the person who had bid high earlier for twenty-six million.
Then, Su Fan happily trotted up again and presented another piece of jade.
"How much more do you have?" the qipao-clad woman asked, utterly speechless. Why didn't he bring it all out at once? Was he playing with them?
"This is the last one," Su Fan said with a smile.
"Next item: Ice-grade Imperial Green," the qipao-clad woman said weakly, her voice numb. The crowd's enthusiasm had waned. One was a treasure, two were valuable, but three were starting to feel commonplace. Who was still interested? However, it was still Ice-grade Imperial Green, and its value was undeniable. It was eventually sold for twenty-two million.
The qipao-clad woman breathed a sigh of relief. Without Su Fan's disruption, the trading fair could proceed normally.
Then, as the qipao-clad woman turned, Su Fan was already back on stage.
"What do you want now?" The qipao-clad woman was terrified of Su Fan. Couldn't he have brought everything out at once?
"Didn't you say there were no more Ice-grade Imperial Greens?" the qipao-clad woman asked, exasperated.
"There's no more jade, but I have diamonds," Su Fan said, presenting a diamond.
It was an egg-sized diamond, already carved into an oval shape with 76 facets. It sparkled brilliantly under the sun, and it was a pink diamond!
Upon its appearance, the Chinese attendees showed little reaction, but the Westerners were visibly shocked. Diamonds were generally more popular than jade in the West.
"I bid one hundred million!"