Chapter 111: Rock Gambling
“Uncle Wu, what is this material?” Yang Ming asked casually.
“Oh, those were left behind after being picked over by many people. There’s almost nothing good left there. In the end, it will be sold by the pile to the workshops that open up stalls in the night market. They can buy a pile of stones for a few hundred yuan,” said Wu Facai.
“Then, can I buy a few pieces from here?” Yang Ming acted casually. “I don’t know about this stuff. I just wanted to carve something on it!”
“Yang Ming, simply pick out what you like. Uncle Zhang will pay for you!” Zhang Jiefang wouldn’t mind a few hundred.
“Hai! Boss Zhang, from what you said, how can I charge you for a few scrap pieces?” Wu Facai shook his head. “It’s just a piece of scrap that isn’t worth much. If you pay for it, then aren’t I the one who is stingy? Little fellow, just pick anything you like. Uncle Wu will give it to you to play with!”
“Hehe, thanks, Uncle Wu!” Yang Ming smiled as he said so.
“Elder brother, if you want to pick, choose from a good pile. The leftover pile won’t have anything good!” Zhang Bing winked at Yang Ming reminding him not to be so modest in robbing the rich to help the poor!
Yang Ming nodded his head to Zhang Bing and said, “It doesn’t matter. I am just taking two pieces for fun!”
“Alright then, I will choose two as well! We can compete with each other tonight!” Zhang Bing was excited and asked, “Dad, can I choose a few?”
Zhang Jiefang was glad that Zhang Bing was interested and he replied, “Alright if you pick something great, your father will reward you!”
“What is the reward?” Zhang Bing felt that empty words weren’t insured. It should be more concrete!
“Aren’t you going to the university soon? I will buy you a car!” Zhang Jiefang said. In fact, he had this plan all along. After Zhang Bing enrolled in the university, he would prep to handle the company’s affairs. It would be inconvenient without a car. How would that be possible?
“Alright! I want a car worth ten thousand yuan and above. Don’t fool me with a cheap one!” Zhang Bing said.
“Even if you wanted a cheap one, I wouldn’t dare buy it for you. I would be concerned about its safety!” Zhang Jiefang said.
Although Zhang Bing didn’t pay much attention to his academics, as someone who hung out with Yang Ming, he wasn’t stupid. He didn’t act impatiently, but rather he observed how Zhang Jiefeng’s men hand-picked those stones. Occasionally, he looked at how the others did it as well.
Yet, something like this was not easy to understand through observation alone! Soon after, Zhang Bing gave up! There was no pattern to it.
However, Yang Ming seemed to find the trick. Good jadeite typically had a clear and green texture. Also, it would be almost transparent. While the others tried to figure out how to determine the quality of the gemstone, Yang Ming was learning how to discriminate the good jadeite from the bad ones!
Lan Ling wanted to ask Yang Ming why he looked at the discards that way but as soon as she saw Yang Min take a chunk in his hand, she couldn’t help but be surprised!
Yes, she felt it. The gemstone in Yang Ming’s hand was extremely exceptional! Lan Ling wouldn’t know how great it was because it was just a feeling! A feeling indicated that this stone was better than the other stones!
Lan Ling noticed Yang Ming’s leisurely expression. He seemed to want to put back the stone. She quickly pulled Yang Ming’s sleeve. “I want this one!”
Yang Ming spoke near Lan Ling’s ear, “Don’t say anything. Just observe.”
Lan Ling looked at Yang Ming with doubt. She didn’t know what he meant by that! I told him about my special ability. Why didn’t he let me help?
When Lan Ling saw Yang Ming take a bad stone, she couldn’t control herself. “Yang Ming, this chunk isn’t good!”
‘I know.” Yang Ming said calmly, “If everything I took was great, what would the others think? Getting one may be lucky. Getting two can be a coincidence but it also raises suspicion!”
“Ah…” Lan Ling was surprised for a bit. She quickly understood Yang Ming’s message later. However, she found it bizarre how Yang Ming could identify which stone was good or bad! When she remembered what he asked in the car, he didn’t have any prior knowledge of this!
“I just want these two pieces!” Yang Ming said casually.
“No problem, just grab them!” Wu Facai glanced at them and said, “Do you want to break them open now or bring them home and slowly grind them?”
Yang Ming didn’t want to attract too much attention, so he said, “I will take them home first. I want to test my own skills on it!”
“Yang Ming, have you finished picking already?” Zhang Bing thought Yang Ming was too quick and he found it odd.
“Yes, I just simply took it. I don’t know much, so there’s no use in trying so hard to pick one. I will take it based on luck!” Yang Ming smiled.
“Hehe, then I will simply grab two chunks as well!” Zhang Bing noticed Yang Ming’s attitude, and he just picked two chunks that seemed bigger!
Yang Ming simply glanced at them. The two chunks in Zhang Bing’s hand weren’t that great, but once they were cracked open, breaking-even wasn’t an issue!
Throughout the morning, Zhang Jiefang’s men picked approximately three thousand chunks of stones. The merchants saved their chosen pieces into their own piles. Another group of merchants had finished picking, and they were breaking the stones open. They only kept the rocks of good quality. They sold as much as they could of the bad quality stones to the local workshop. A piece of imperial jade was already enough for them to earn a lot!
At noon, Wu Facai arranged a meal for Zhang Jiefang and another group of merchants. The group had immersed themselves in the happiness of getting an imperial jade. They didn’t bother with the food but opted to get a few boxed lunches and grabbed a few bites. Then, they continued to break open those stones.
Wu Facai knew their temperament, therefore, he didn’t force it. He ordered a few of his men to look after the warehouse then he went with Zhang Jiefang and the rest of them for a meal.
Zhang Jiefang was only involved in this occasionally. He wasn’t at the stage of addiction. What mattered more was the profit rather than the excitement of gambling. Hence, he could be deemed as a logical person. After all, jade was only one kind of jewelry, and it didn’t represent everything. There were markets of gold, silver, and diamond as well. Zhang Jiefang didn’t hold any special affection toward jade.
Yang Ming carried the two chunks of stone on him since they didn’t occupy much space. The two stones that he chose were tiny.
“Why would you carry around these things? You won’t lose them if you just left them here!” Zhang Bing asked.
“If I left them here, the others could steal it. I’m still looking forward to defeating you tonight!” Yang Ming spoke as though he was laughing.
“Damn! I despise you! Who wants to steal your junk stone?” Even though Zhang Bing said such things, he also carried both of his stones in his shirt pocket.
Zhang Jiefang and Wu Facai didn’t pay much attention. They thought Yang Ming and Zhang Bing were only fooling around like kids. They didn’t expect that Yang Ming was truly afraid of losing the pieces. They were just useless stones, and there were tons of them! Wu Facai wouldn’t care if a mere ten yuan was lost.
Lunch wasn’t as expensive as yesterday’s dinner. It was a typical working lunch so no one was drinking alcohol. The reason was that there were still some things which needed to be done in the afternoon. Even though the dishes weren’t as luxurious as yesterday’s, it was still an appetizing meal which they enjoyed.
In the afternoon, Yang Ming suggested that they walk around. With that, he wouldn’t be returning to the warehouse. Zhang Bing agreed with it as well. Zhang Jiefang didn’t have much opinion about it. Since Zhang Bing had experienced it, there was no reason for them to stay any longer.
Zhang Bing, Yang Ming and Lan Ling, the three of them, grabbed a taxi and returned to the hotel. They, fortunately, encountered someone who had just checked out and Yang Ming immediately reserved the room.
“The room which the customer checked out from is a couple’s room. Would that be alright?” The receptionist asked.
“En, I want a room like that!” Before Yang Ming could say anything, Lan Ling had spoken out.
Yang Ming was embarrassed after hearing those words. You, little girl, couldn’t be more reserved? Aren’t you afraid of other people talking behind you?
Of course, the receptionist and Zhang Bing were shocked. A typical couple scenario would always have the male request such a room. This was the first time witnessing a female being proactive!
As the receptionist saw how childlike Lan Ling was, she became doubtful of whether she was an adult yet. If there was a spot check, there would be trouble for the hotel!
With those thoughts in mind, the receptionist immediately asked, “Can both of you show me your identity cards?”
When she saw that Lan Ling was almost seventeen, the receptionist let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t want something like this to cause trouble for the hotel and get fired by her boss!
Yang Ming’s vision was exceptional. He casually snuck a peek and saw all of the details on Lan Ling’s identity card. She was indeed from the Miao tribe. It seems that she didn’t lie to me. Yang Ming was looking for her birthday so that he could give her a surprise.
Even though the sex came before love, love naturally grew as sex increased. Yang Ming only knew this girl for one day but he genuinely liked this little girl. Although she was a bit clingy, a coquettish girl with such an innocent appearance was the best choice for a wife. Her flirty demeanor was solely for Yang Ming.
After registering their identity cards, Yang Ming and Lan Ling took their luggage. An attendant was cleaning the room. When she noticed that Yang Ming and Lan Ling enter, she said, “Please wait for a little while. It will be ready soon!”