As time went on, with Gao Ruqing's words, Cheng Jie's worried expression gradually relaxed, and any lingering dissatisfaction towards Gao Ruqing disappeared completely. The two began to discuss how to use the remaining funds to purchase another batch of materials.
Glancing at her phone, Huayan realized it was just past 1:30 p.m. She considered going back to her room to catch up on some sleep after lunch. Rested and refreshed, she planned to carefully examine the three pieces of material tomorrow to see if there were any secrets to uncover. Perhaps she might stumble upon a top-grade jade hidden in a corner of the boss's yard. Miracles often unfolded in such unexpected ways, didn't they?
After lunch, Gao Ruqing couldn't calm down and insisted on taking Cheng Jie and the others to tour Mandalay's palace and pagodas. Huayan decided not to join them, partly because Cheng Jie and Li Meier were there, disrupting the tranquility, and partly because she genuinely wanted to sleep.
In the evening, as Gao Ruqing and the others hadn't returned yet, Huayan enjoyed her meal alone and took the opportunity to update her father on her recent activities. Her father, never one to tire easily, enjoyed hearing about the sights of Myanmar from her. The bond between father and daughter was enviable. Her father also mentioned that the jade shop had been making a fortune lately, with many celebrities from the entertainment industry visiting. This puzzled Huayan, as she hadn't advertised in newspapers or magazines, wondering how these celebrities knew about her shop. Unable to figure it out, she instructed her father to continue selling at the previous prices and to order another batch from Gao Ruqing's company if the jewelry in the shop ran out.
Once she opened the materials she had bought in Myanmar, she would have plenty of jade to make jewelry. She didn't plan to expand the small shop into a large company; she simply wanted to fulfill her childhood wish and find something to keep her father busy. Her goal was not to open branches or expand the business. "Muyun Pavilion" would remain small, offering both low-end and high-end jade jewelry, striving for both uniqueness and affordability. If others had it, she would add her own twist; if others didn't, she would create it.
Walking on the bumpy and rugged road, Huayan almost stumbled for the tenth time, asking, "Mr. Gao, with such a muddy road, doesn't the boss come out at all?"
Gao Ruqing chuckled as he shook off the mud from his once pristine white sneakers, now unrecognizable. "He really doesn't come out."
"What does he do for daily necessities then? What does he eat?" Cheng Jie, who was walking at the back, also asked curiously.
"He's just a lunatic," Li Meier panted as she walked, having fallen five or six times due to her five-centimeter-high heels. Her carefully applied makeup and dress were now a mess. She couldn't help blurting out her thoughts.
Earlier that morning, when they saw Li Meier's outfit for the banquet, they were all stunned. In fact, Gao Ruqing had been informed of the situation here last night by his secretary and had expected Cheng Jie to tell Li Meier. However, Cheng Jie had only changed into a pair of black casual shoes himself and hadn't said anything to Li Meier.
Secretary Mr. wanted to speak up, but Huayan timely pulled his sleeve and shook her head. Gao Ruqing, sharp-eyed, noticed Huayan's subtle gesture, and he also knew that Li Meier often provoked Huayan. He smiled and tacitly approved.
Seeing Huayan's gesture, Cheng Jie didn't expose it either. After all, Li Meier had been getting on his nerves these past few days. At the same time, Cheng Jie wondered if Huayan's targeting of Li Meier was out of jealousy. But when he saw Huayan's indifferent attitude towards him, he wasn't so sure.
After listening to Li Meier's words, Cheng Jie really wanted to get rid of her. Why hadn't he realized how annoying this woman was back in China? The real reason was that since Li Meier arrived in Myanmar, she had repeatedly suffered at Huayan's hands, and anger was engulfing him. As the saying goes, God makes you mad before He destroys you. Li Meier had attracted someone's attention, but it wasn't God—it was Huayan.
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"With money, why worry about not having food?" Gao Ruqing joked with a smile, eliciting laughter from the others.
Turning around several corners, they arrived at a rusty iron gate with a dilapidated courtyard wall, seemingly chewed on by animals. The houses inside were also old, dating back several decades. The eaves, weathered by wind and rain, revealed faint remnants of painted decorations, showcasing the former glory of this place!
"Is this the place?" Huayan asked. Despite wearing casual shoes, her every step still kicked up mud, splattering on everyone.
"Yeah, we're here. Didn't expect so many people already," Gao Ruqing sighed.
Huayan stepped into the yard and saw about twenty immaculately dressed men in suits, their lower bodies gradually less clean as mud splatters ascended. If a journalist had captured this scene, it would have become popular. After all, everyone who came here was worth tens of millions or even hundreds of millions. It was unlikely that anyone had seen them in such a disheveled state before. Huayan wondered if this effect was also planned by the owner of this courtyard.
Gao Ruqing and Cheng Jie went to talk with other familiar bosses, leaving Huayan to wander around the yard alone. Unable to find the materials, she felt as if there were eyes watching her from the western room. However, with the doors and windows closed, she couldn't see who was inside.
When she returned to Gao Ruqing's side, that feeling finally disappeared.
Later, a dark-skinned old man in a green robe walked out. His eyes were clear and deep, his movements dignified, showing that he had been influenced by a prestigious family for centuries.
The boss had the materials placed on a large table in the yard. Seeing the three pieces, which were similar in size to the king-grade material from the public market, Huayan's eyes lit up immediately because the second and third pieces emitted a strong jadeite aura.
Before purchasing, the boss allowed customers to inspect the materials up close. Huayan followed behind Gao Ruqing and also tried to see through the three pieces. Suppressing her excitement, she walked back. Huayan couldn't help but marvel at the three colors of the third piece, the two colors of the second piece, and the fact that the quality of the jadeite in the third piece was superior. The third piece could rival her "Fu Lu Shou Xi," and the jadeite area was equivalent to one-third of the volume of the entire piece. If Gao Ruqing bought it, his company would be unassailable in the next ten years.
"Which one do you think is better?" Gao Ruqing asked in a voice that only they could hear. The boss didn't sell by weight. Each piece started at ten million, and the highest bidder would win. With limited resources, Gao Ruqing could only compete for one of the pieces.
"The second piece's python pattern is good, worth a try," Cheng Jie suggested, as he had also put a lot of effort into the jadeite gambling.
"The third piece is good. Although the python pattern isn't complete, the pine flower and fog are very good," Huayan tried to make Gao Ruqing notice the superiority of the third piece.
At this moment, while no one was paying attention, the boss was summoned by a young man in a Zhongshan suit wearing sunglasses who came out of the western room. If Huayan had seen him, she would have recognized him as one of the henchmen of the "zombie man" from the plane.
"What are your orders?" the old man asked respectfully as he entered the room and bowed to the "zombie man" who sat by the window sipping tea. His expression was as calm as it had been on the plane, as if his breath couldn't be felt.
"Have Gao Ruqing buy the third piece of material."
"But... there's no way to stop others from buying that piece of material, and I noticed that Mr. Gao seems interested in the second piece."
"Remind him to buy the third piece. Whether he buys it in the end and whether he can compete for it is his own business."
"If he asks why? I..." The "zombie man" suddenly felt charitable and decided to sell the best piece of material among the three to Mr. Gao. This was not in line with the boss's expectations, so the old man didn't dare to decide anything about today's proceedings.
"Just say it's because of the woman beside him, the one wearing casual shoes."
The people accompanying the "zombie man" in the room were truly amazed today. Normally, he would keep silent as much as possible, exuding an icy coldness that seemed to have lasted for millennia. Moreover, he was not fond of women at all. Yet today, he was willing to do so much for that delicate woman.
"Do you want to bring that woman over?" the boss asked.
"No... and none of you are allowed to talk about what just happened, not even my family. You know what happens to people who talk too much. And unless I give the order, do not disturb that woman."
The responses in the room were uniform and orderly: "Yes!"
---
Sitting on the plane back home, Gao Ruqing's mind was in turmoil. He had acquired the third piece of material for a hundred million, but whether it could yield high-quality jadeite remained to be seen. However, as he glanced at Huayan sleeping beside him, he couldn't fathom what hidden background this girl had that made the notoriously difficult boss willing to remind him to buy the third piece of material because of her.