After dinner, I escorted Xiao Hong upstairs, grabbed my backpack filled with stones, said goodbye to Xiao Hong, and went downstairs to wait for Jing Lei.
When I went down, Jing Lei’s car was already parked by the roadside. I hurried over and got in.
Once I was seated, Jing Lei took my hand, squeezing it tightly. She said, “Lan Ya told me a few things; you encountered kidnappers yesterday.”
I replied, “It’s all in the past now. But it was quite serious at the time; we might not have made it back alive. It was thanks to Da Kui breaking free from his ropes and subduing them that we managed to escape with our lives.”
Jing Lei said, “They say that region is not peaceful, and it’s true. People say every jade stone is stained with blood, and that’s no exaggeration. When my father went there back then, it was always a near-death experience each time. Seeing his achievements today, it was all bought with his life.”
I said, “Indeed, there are factions and sects everywhere, with undercurrents constantly stirring.”
Jing Lei added, “In the future, unless it’s absolutely necessary, try not to go there.”
As we spoke, we arrived at the shopping mall. I took out the rough stone on the first floor and went directly to the master’s counter. I handed the stone to him and sheepishly told Jing Lei that I had intended to gamble on a few stones, but those people kept disrupting me, and it ended up being just this small stone.
The master took it, clicking his tongue in admiration. The color looked very deep, a dark green. When he shone a light on it, it was a vibrant, translucent green, so clear you could see through it at a glance. He remarked that if bracelets were made from this, they would definitely turn heads when worn.
The master measured it with a ruler and confirmed that three pairs of bracelets could be made, with enough material left for pendants and plaques, making it worth at least a million.
Jing Lei said, “Find a good master to make one bracelet for me, will you? Consider it a gift from you, okay?”
I replied, “Do you think saying that to me is being stingy? Then let’s make a pair, and I’ll give one to my mother.”
Jing Lei happily said, “That’s more like it. Alright, we’ve handed the stones to the master, let’s go upstairs.”
I said, “We still have some time. Let’s go to the Sino-Myanmar Street to see if we can find any good deals, and also to check if the stones I gambled on for Brother Bao have arrived. I’m still thinking about that big stone; I feel something is not quite right about it.”
As we chatted, we left the mall. Jing Lei called for the driver to take us.
When Jing Lei heard we were going to gamble on stones, she got a little excited. She had always wanted me to take her, but opportunities hadn’t arisen. Now that it was happening, she seemed impatient.
Jing Lei asked, “What’s not right about the big stone?”
She knew about our trip to gamble on a large stone with the Burmese. When I mentioned something was wrong, she asked me what was up.
I explained, “It was a flop. After three cuts, no meat was revealed. Brother Bao bought a white stone for ten million.”
Jing Lei mused, “That’s such a pity. Could this Qing Ge have set a trap for him, deliberately drawing him in?”
I replied, “I thought so at first, but later I learned Qing Ge had other intentions. It doesn’t feel like a trap, but the stone we cut was very dry, with a pale color, looking just like granite.”
Jing Lei inquired, “Other intentions? What intentions?”
I elaborated, “He contacted a mine owner and sold stones to Brother Bao, taking a 20% stake. This means for every hundred yuan of rough stone, he gets an additional twenty yuan, which is even more than the government. The government only taxes stones over a hundred kilograms, but he directly takes a huge cut, and you can’t say anything about it. The money was remitted to his account; you can’t avoid him taking his share.
Jing Lei commented, “I’ve heard of this Qing Ge. Don’t be fooled by his seemingly righteous appearance; he’s actually ruthless and wicked, with a terrible reputation in Myanmar. Many people avoid him.”
I admitted, “I can sense that. He acts as if he’s very chivalrous, but it’s all talk. In reality, he’s just conning people. This time, the rough stones were supposed to be split fifty-fifty, but since no meat was found, Brother Bao paid everything himself.”
Jing Lei observed, “Brother Bao was on their territory; he could only stick his neck out to be fleeced.”
We were going to try our luck at Ong Ki’s shop today, hoping to find a bargain.
As the car entered Sino-Myanmar Street, I gave the driver the shop number. The driver didn’t come here often and drove slowly, looking for the numbers.
I spotted Ong Ki standing at the entrance from a distance and told the driver to drive forward; the one with the Burmese standing at the door was it.
Burmese people dress differently from us, making them easy to identify.
Our car stopped at the entrance. Ong Ki saw me and was overjoyed. He quickly came over to shake my hand.
I asked, “Is it this quiet?”
Ong Ki replied, “It’s usually more crowded in the morning and evening. During the day, if there are no tour groups, it’s quite empty.”
I said, “That’s great. We can choose stones in peace then.”
As we entered, I noticed that this gambling stone shop was also my first time visiting. It was different from the shops on the pedestrian street. These were newly built buildings, with more space, more than double the size, and excellent lighting, unlike the shops on the pedestrian street which were dark and dingy.
Ong Ki’s place indeed had many stones, ranging from one to two hundred kilograms to one or two kilograms, displayed by source. Stones from several major sources were present.
I asked Ong Ki, “Is that all?”
Ong Ki scratched his head. “Isn’t this enough for you to gamble on?”
I replied, “I want to gamble on high-end stones. The materials displayed here have likely been picked over many times. Bring out a few from your private collection; let’s see if we can find some top-quality ones.”
Ong Ki said, “I have some, but I need to ask my elder brother. I can’t make decisions about those stones myself.”
I said, “Then what are we waiting for? Aren’t rough stones meant to find buyers?”
Ong Ki nodded and quickly went to the back to call his elder brother.
Jing Lei asked, “With so many stones here, are there no more to gamble on?”
I explained, “We can certainly gamble, but with so many, it’s too difficult to find one worth gambling on. It’s time-consuming, and we might not even find top-quality ones. Most shops will privately keep some high-end rough stones. They reserve them for those with the means. Although the price is high, the return can be several times or even dozens of times greater.”
Jing Lei understood. “So, although it seems like spending more money, the risk is greatly reduced.”
I affirmed, “Yes, that’s exactly the principle.”
At this moment, Ong Ki brought out a middle-aged Burmese man in his forties who looked somewhat like Ong Ki. He was likely Ong Ki’s elder brother.
Ong Ki introduced, “Mr. Li, this is my elder brother, Ong Chai.”
Ong Chai extended his hand to shake mine and bowed to Jing Lei. I said, “I’ve heard about your shop from Ong Ki. He said you have good stones. I wonder if we have the honor of asking you to show us some.”
Ong Chai replied, “You are distinguished guests, of course you are qualified. Please follow me; I will show you a few stones I’ve kept privately.”
He led us to the second floor. The second floor was only about the size of two rooms. It contained several iron chests, half the height of a person, each secured with a safety lock. It seemed the stones inside were definitely valuable, otherwise, there wouldn’t be so much effort put into locking them away.
The iron chests were cast from pig iron. To open them without a key would require specialized cutting tools, making them difficult to access.