Chapter 30: The Eccentric Old Daoist Priest

Ruili. Looking at the map, one side of this city is embedded in the southwest of Yunnan Province, while the other side extends into the neighboring country of Myanmar, sharing borders on three sides. This geographical advantage has made Ruili the earliest jadeite trading market in the country for goods sourced from Myanmar. The city of Ruili even boasts the nation’s only border trade zone managed under the special "within the border, outside the customs" model. It is no exaggeration to say that jadeite made Ruili what it is today.

However, Jiang Cheng knew that the raw jadeite business in Ruili only accounted for a small fraction of the total trade. After being screened by thousands of people, the majority of the raw jadeite—Myanmar's precious resource—is kept by the mine owners themselves. The high-quality stones, once cut, are purchased by those with connections or specific channels, or sold through public auctions in Guangdong Province. The remaining slag, or raw stones easily found in shallow soil, are painstakingly sifted through day and night by the "Yemuxi"—the Myanmar miners at the very bottom of the jadeite ecological chain. These stones then circulate to the角湾 (Jiaowan) market or private shops in Mandalay before eventually making their way into China, appearing in the raw stone markets of Ruili.

In other words, the quality of raw jadeite in Ruili is quite poor. The good material is almost always picked off in advance by those with money and connections or diverted to large-scale auctions. Consequently, raw jadeite trading in Ruili represents only a small portion of the overall jadeite market. Yet, even so, it attracts a host of jadeite merchants to Ruili, all seeking wealth and dreaming of striking it rich overnight.

An hour later, a Toyota Highlander pulled slowly into the largest jadeite trading market in Ruili, coming to a stop near the Jewelry Street. Jiang Cheng stepped out of the vehicle first and pulled out his phone to make a call. Before long, a short, dark-skinned middle-aged man arrived riding a small electric scooter, wearing flip-flops. He greeted Jiang Cheng with great enthusiasm upon meeting. This was Hu Hai, a local Ruili jadeite dealer with whom Jiang Cheng had frequently dealt back at the Wanfu stone-cutting yard. Hu Hai primarily dealt in raw jadeite and owned his own warehouse and stone-cutting facility. He did dabble in finished jewelry, but only on a small scale, maintaining a modest shop on Jewelry Street.

"Orange, here to pick up material with Boss Zheng again? How much do you need this time?" Hu Hai asked warmly. Jiang Cheng’s former boss, Zheng Wanfu, came to him for raw material every year, and as the driver, Jiang Cheng had become quite familiar with him.

Jiang Cheng gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "Brother Hu, I don't work for Boss Zheng anymore. I'm just here with a few friends to pick out some stones today."

Hu Hai was stunned for a moment, then cast his gaze toward Murong Xue and Wang Hao, who were standing behind Jiang Cheng. When his eyes landed on Murong Xue, they lit up instantly. He wasn't a man who hadn't seen beautiful women, but he had never seen one as cold, elegant, and noble as Murong Xue; she was breathtaking without a trace of makeup. He was momentarily entranced, though he quickly regained his composure.

"That's fine! Orange, how much are you looking to buy? We're old acquaintances; I won't cheat you!" Hu Hai said, patting Jiang Cheng on the shoulder with a laugh.

"Let's just take a look first," Jiang Cheng replied evasively. Previously, when he came with Zheng Wanfu, Zheng would just pick blindly. Now that he possessed a special ability in his eyes, he naturally wanted to pick the good ones. He had no interest in scrap. He knew, however, that the raw jadeite drifting into Ruili was mostly the leftovers sifted by the "Yemuxi" of Myanmar. There wasn't much of real value to be found.

To truly find gemstone-level raw jadeite, one had to go directly to Myanmar or attend large-scale public auctions. What passed for "gambling on stones" in Ruili was merely small-scale stuff—at most, hundreds of thousands or a million yuan. The sources at the auctions, however, were the real deal, with values reaching hundreds of millions or billions. That was true stone gambling.

Jiang Cheng said nothing, simply following behind Hu Hai. Murong Xue and Wang Hao exchanged glances and followed as well. Before long, they were led to a warehouse behind Jewelry Street. Even before entering, the high-pitched whine of stone-cutting machines could be heard. The warehouse was small, about 300 square meters. In the southeast corner, three or four stone-cutting machines were set up, and one was surrounded by a crowd as its blades whirred.

Someone was cutting a stone on-site! Jiang Cheng and his companions, driven by curiosity, stepped closer to watch. Hu Hai just smiled, making no attempt to stop them. A minute later, with a "clack," the master technician switched off the machine. He tossed the freshly cut stone into a murky bucket to rinse it, then picked up a greasy rag to wipe the cut surface.

The crowd erupted in exclamations!
"It's a hit! Damn, it's a waxy icy variety!"
"That Daoist's luck is incredible! Every stone he cuts is a hit?"
"Five stones, and every single one has quality. Can this Daoist see through them?"
"Don't be ridiculous! See through them? You've read too many novels!"

Moments later, a worker-like man approached Hu Hai and whispered something while pointing at a man in his forties. Jiang Cheng looked in the direction the worker was pointing. He saw a middle-aged man dressed in a strange long robe with his hair tied in a topknot, rubbing his nose and grinning with a mouthful of white teeth, looking quite pleased. The man’s attire was bizarre, and his hairstyle even more so. Jiang Cheng’s first thought was of the Daoist priests he had seen on television. He couldn't help but look at the man with curiosity. Wasn't he hot in this weather?

Not long after, the colorless waxy icy variety stone that had just been cut was snapped up by someone for 380,000 yuan! Jiang Cheng found it increasingly strange. From the fragments of conversation around him, he gathered that the middle-aged man had selected five stones, and every single one had yielded a profit. This didn't sit right; if it were just luck, this was far too much luck. It was as if he had x-ray vision. Jiang Cheng even began to wonder if this middle-aged man, like himself, possessed a supernatural ability in his eyes.

Hu Hai glanced at the middle-aged man, frowned slightly, and walked straight over. He said with a smile, "Daoist, you certainly have good luck!"

The man looked Hu Hai over and chuckled, "Indeed! I didn't expect my luck to be this good either. In such a short time, I've made 1.3 million. Boss, it must be the good Feng Shui here; otherwise, I couldn't be this prosperous!"

Hu Hai was taken aback. The man spoke like an old hand, and his words were oddly comforting, despite Hu Hai's initial annoyance. He didn't quite know how to respond.

"Daoist, is the Feng Shui here really that good?" a curious onlooker asked with a laugh.

"Of course. I, this poor Daoist, saw that wealth gathers here, which is why I came in to try my luck. And look, haven't I made 1.3 million just like that?" The old Daoist giggled.

The onlookers grew instantly excited.
"Boss Hu, I want to pick a few stones too! Let me try my luck!"
"Boss Hu, give me a few as well!"
"Boss Hu, I'll pick a few more!"

Because of the old Daoist’s words, Hu Hai ended up selling a large number of stones. He had been quite dissatisfied with the Daoist at first, but because of one sentence, the man had drummed up business for him. Hu Hai only dealt in raw materials, earning the difference in price, and never touched the gambling side himself. Seeing so many stones being sold, he found himself becoming quite fond of the old Daoist.

Once the people who bought his stones finished their transfers, the old Daoist happily tucked his phone away and headed toward the warehouse exit. However, as he caught Jiang Cheng's eye and noticed the black stone hanging around Jiang Cheng's neck, he stopped in his tracks. He asked Jiang Cheng with a sudden urgency, "Young man, where did that stone around your neck come from?"

Jiang Cheng looked down at the black stone, feeling puzzled, and gave the old Daoist a confused smile. "Daoist, this stone was a gift from a friend."

The old Daoist’s hand suddenly clamped onto Jiang Cheng's wrist like an iron vice. He frowned and asked, "Young man, was that friend a man or a woman? Young or old? Can you still find them?"

Watching the Daoist's strange behavior, not only Jiang Cheng but also Murong Xue and Wang Hao looked at the old Daoist with odd expressions, then carefully examined the black stone around Jiang Cheng's neck, feeling completely bewildered.