A man in a black Zhongshan suit entered from outside, walked up to Brother Bao, and whispered a few words. Brother Bao stood up and said to Lan Ya, "Take care of yourself!" Then, he and the man who had just entered walked out of the office, holding their heads high with arrogance, completely ignoring our presence.
I looked at Lan Ya. She smiled and said, "Brother Bao has this temper, don't mind him. As long as he knows you exist and didn't throw you out, it means he approves of you. Focus on completing your mission, don't worry about anything else. Whatever you do, don't disappoint me."
I felt a chill down my spine. Lan Ya truly had a big heart. Brother Bao's path was fraught with danger. If he hadn't taken a liking to me, I probably would have been dumped on the roadside.
Lan Ya, now dressed in a business suit, seemed like a completely different person. She lacked the stylish sexiness I had seen earlier in the day, appearing as a standard professional woman.
Lan Ya stood up from her seat and said to me, "It's time. I've reserved a table at the New Century Hotel, let's go."
When the two girls saw Lan Ya stand up, they quickly rushed to her side, one on each flank. The one at the door had already opened it and remained bent over until Lan Ya exited before straightening up.
I followed behind them like an attendant, feeling out of place.
As we walked into the lobby, I saw everyone lining up to be checked in. Hundreds of people, including waitstaff, hostesses, and public relations personnel, created an impressive spectacle.
The manager saw us coming down and shouted, "Good evening, President Lan!"
Then, hundreds of voices echoed in unison, "Good evening, President Lan!"
The sound was deafening and awe-inspiring.
This feeling was incredibly exhilarating!
Lan Ya nodded slightly at everyone and led us out as if no one else were there.
I was extremely nervous. Rows upon rows of women were dressed provocatively, with only a few strips of fabric covering restless flesh, their exposed skin glaringly bright and making me blush. I kept my head down, following behind them, wishing I could disappear from their sight.
A black Rolls-Royce was parked at the entrance. A security guard opened the door for Lan Ya to get in. Lan Ya gestured for me to get into the car opposite her. A young man with a crew cut and tinted glasses sat in the passenger seat. He had a stern expression and was dressed in black, much like the men I had seen with Brother Bao in the office earlier.
At that time, I didn't have the concept of a bodyguard. I only knew that he looked very serious and that the whole situation felt very ceremonial.
The two girls sat in a car behind us. The cars drove off silently, heading towards the New Century Hotel.
When the car arrived at the hotel entrance, the man in front and the two girls didn't follow. Only Lan Ya and I were led upstairs by a waiter.
Although I had changed my clothes and even styled my hair, I couldn't hide my timidity and awkwardness. This morning, I was a boy in tattered clothes being reprimanded by a girl, and by evening, I had transformed into a mature young man. It just didn't seem right.
Lan Ya, however, didn't seem to mind. She walked forward with ease, while I followed, glancing around anxiously, my heart pounding.
The waiter led us to a private room, bowed, and informed us that we had arrived, then waited with a bow for us to enter.
Several people were already in the room, engaged in lively conversation. Seeing us enter, they all stood up. One woman exclaimed dramatically, "Sister Lan, you've taken on a little follower! So handsome, introduce him quickly!"
I surveyed the room. There were four people inside, three of whom were women, but they were all older. The woman who had just called Lan Ya "Sister Lan" was at least ten years her senior.
Shyly, I lowered my head, afraid to meet their gazes directly.
"Oh, you're shy. Little brother, are you of age? If not, tell me, and I'll stand up for you. We can't let Sister Lan harm you," the same woman said teasingly.
Lan Ya replied, "This is my junior schoolmate, he studies jade gambling. I brought him here to meet you all. If you want to play with stones in the future, you can include him."
Lan Ya continued, "Bringing him is one thing, but don't lead him astray. I know what you all are thinking!"
After she finished, the women burst into unrestrained laughter, leaving me bewildered.
Seeing my confused expression, they laughed even harder.
Lan Ya said, "Alright, stop laughing. Let me introduce you. This is my junior schoolmate, Li Hua. This is Sister Zhang, Sister Wang, and Sister Sun. They all have their own jade shops. This is Brother Zhong, Mr. Zhong, who is in the tourism business and specializes in routes to Myanmar. If you're interested, Brother Zhong can take you around in the future."
I was surprised. Seeing them joke around, I realized they were all influential figures. I used to only gaze from afar at jade shops, but now I was sitting and dining with their owners, chatting casually.
Sister Zhang, the one who had teased me, sat beside me, constantly serving me food. She also asked if I had ever gambled on stones. I replied that I only liked it and hadn't actually done it.
Sister Zhang said she would take me sometime. "We'll go to a big place to play. Only gambling on big stones is exciting."
I said, "Jade gambling isn't about size. The materials nowadays are quite mixed. Big ones don't necessarily contain good jade. It's better to find something with good value for money, not just size." Sister Zhang replied, "I didn't expect you to understand so much, kid. I like that. I'll give you my number. I'll call you then, and we'll go play."
Big rough stones rely on luck. If you gamble poorly, it could be a piece of worthless black material, leading to ruin.
Unlike small stones, which aren't worth much to begin with, losing on them won't break the bank.
Of course, if you keep losing, even small stones can leave you penniless.
Sister Zhang was petite, unlike the tall and statuesque Lan Ya. Sister Zhang was delicate, with a sculpted face, clearly a woman with typical characteristics of the Yunnan border regions.
There are many ethnic minorities here. Although they speak the same language, there are subtle differences when compared to the Han Chinese.
Sister Zhang gave me her business card: Ruili Golden Jade Jewelry. A very imposing name. I knew Golden Jade was one of the top establishments in Ruili, occupying an entire floor of the shopping mall, covering wholesale and retail. It had practically dominated half the jade market in Ruili.
Truly, one shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I never expected such a small and exquisite woman to be the boss of a jade empire.
I assumed the other two women wouldn't be far behind, otherwise, they wouldn't be mingling with them.
Mr. Zhong also gave me a business card. He said he also enjoyed gambling on stones but had bad luck and always lost.
Sisters Wang and Sun accompanied us, drinking but mostly remaining silent.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside. Mr. Zhong, who was near the door, got up and closed it tightly, preventing the noise from entering.
Ruili is, after all, a tourist city, a melting pot of people, with many Burmese coming over. Drinking and causing trouble is not uncommon.
However, the noise seemed to be getting closer, as if it were right outside our door. Lan Ya stood up and opened the door to see what was happening.
As she opened the door, two men suddenly rushed in, grabbing Lan Ya by the collar, one on each side. Immediately, a knife was placed at her throat.