I returned the phone to Wen Siqiang and went back to the room. Lan Ya and Jing Lei looked at me, still angry, with some surprise. I waved my hand at them, forcing a smile, and told them everything was fine, and we continued opening stones.
By then, the master had already cut off the bottom of the large winter melon-shaped jade.
I leaned over, squatted down, and rinsed the cut surface with a water pipe. I wiped it hard with a rag. Just as I had thought, the cut surface was white, and there was no sign of "water head" at the cut. However, this white color was exactly what I wanted.
I told the master to make another cut along the surface, longitudinally, to see if it would change color.
Without a word, the master began to adjust the direction of the base.
I took out a cigarette, lit it, and walked out. Wen Siqiang followed me when he saw me come out. I took a deep drag, my mind still on the phone call, calculating how to respond.
Lao Hei definitely wasn't just threatening me with words. Tonight, the Da Shijie would not be peaceful.
I asked Wen Siqiang, "Do you know anything about Yun Shang Disco?"
Wen Siqiang was stunned for a moment, then said, "I know a little, not much."
"How much do you know? Tell me."
Wen Siqiang said, "Yun Shang Disco is very famous in North City, and it's considered a relatively large establishment in Ruili. It has four floors. The first floor is the bar and disco. The second and third floors are KTVs. However, unlike Da Shijie, their KTVs offer physical services. The rooms have two to three bedrooms, a complete service."
I interrupted Wen Siqiang, "This is clearly violating regulations. Isn't anyone handling it?"
"It's said that they've never been caught with any evidence during any inspection. The police get wind of it before they even get inside. They're just singing and dancing normally; without evidence, who can they arrest?"
"What about the fourth floor?"
"The fourth floor is not open to the public. It's rumored that the elevator to that floor is private. Without an escort, you can't get in. No one knows what the fourth floor is for."
No need to guess, Lao Hei's casino must be on the fourth floor.
I finished the last puff of my cigarette and stomped out the butt. "Take me to Yun Shang tonight!"
Wen Siqiang nodded expressionlessly. I turned and left.
The master's cut was nearing its end. As the machine stopped, I walked back to the cutting machine, offered the master a cigarette, and then picked up the water hose to rinse the dust off the cut surface.
On the cut surface, about ten centimeters long, the white color extended to the middle, and then the color changed.
There were no cracks visible on the cut surface. A patch of jade green appeared where the color changed.
It was as I had hoped; this green was exactly what I wanted.
From the cut surface, this green was intermittent, but that was enough. The black veins and spots I feared did not appear.
A jade cabbage this large was already beautiful. If it also had some green, it would be the perfect finishing touch.
I asked Jing Lei for some money, and told the master, "Master, you've worked hard."
I then said to Lan Ya and Jing Lei, "That's all for today. I have some things to attend to, so I'm leaving now."
Lan Ya had no interest in gambling on jade and had come out just to relax. Hearing me say we were leaving, she walked out without a word. Jing Lei, however, seemed reluctant to leave. Seeing that I had something on my mind, she followed Lan Ya, holding her handbag, without asking any questions.
As we got into the car, I called my senior and asked him to bring his Taoist brothers to Da Shijie today. My senior agreed. I briefly told him what happened yesterday and about Lao Hei's call, asking him to keep an eye on things.
"You have other plans?"
My senior was indeed a senior; he guessed what I was planning right away.
"I plan to go to Lao Hei's place tonight."
"You're arranging for all of us to go to Da Shijie, and you're going alone?"
"I don't intend to reveal my identity. I want to scout his strength."
"No, that's too risky!"
My senior immediately stopped me.
"You can disguise me later. I'll take Xiao Zhang. As the saying goes, know your enemy and know yourself. We can't just wait here to be attacked. We need to at least understand the opponent's strength."
"You have a point. Let's do this then. We'll talk when we meet."
I turned to Jing Lei and said, "Prepare 200,000 cash for me. I'll need it tonight."
Jing Lei had overheard our conversation and said with some concern, "The money is no problem, but..."
"I'm not going to fight. You two just wait for me at home."
My plan was mostly figured out, but how to get to the fourth floor of Yun Shang was still unclear.
I told Wen Siqiang, "It's noon now. At eight tonight, take me to Yun Shang. In the next few hours, try to find someone who has connections to the fourth floor of Yun Shang and see if they can recommend me to go up."
Wen Siqiang, driving, stared ahead and said, "When I was inside before, I had a fellow inmate who used to be a bouncer for Lao Hei. He took the blame for Lao Hei and went in. Based on his sentence, he should be out by now. I'll try to find him and see if he can help."
"Then do it as soon as possible. Remember, you must distance yourself from me. Don't let him suspect me."
"Understood." Da Feng Novel Network
Wen Siqiang stopped talking and focused on driving.
I told Lan Ya, "Tell Dakui to round up a few of our tough brothers."
I knew nothing about Lao Hei. Yesterday's incident was an unexpected event. Today, he might be prepared or come out in the open. I couldn't afford to be careless.
Wen Siqiang dropped us off at the mall and had a few security guards help carry the raw jade we obtained today. Then he turned the car around and headed for the city center.
"Let's go to the cafeteria for lunch. We can still make it," Jing Lei said as we walked.
Everyone felt a bit heavy-hearted. We had planned to eat seafood after gambling on jade today, but now no one was in the mood to bring it up. We followed Jing Lei onto the elevator in silence.
Actually, the food at the mall's restaurant was quite good. I always enjoyed it, finding it better than eating elsewhere. I actually preferred eating here.
After lunch, I received a call from my senior. He asked where I was and said he had learned some things about Lao Hei and wanted to discuss them with me.
I told him to wait for me at the hotel, and I'd come to find him.
Jing Lei and Lan Ya were chatting in the private room. I told them I was going out and not to wait for me. I wouldn't be showing up at Da Shijie tonight; I'd go directly to Yun Shang.
Jing Lei gave me a few more instructions. Lan Ya said nothing, just nodded at me. I turned and left the room.
I wasn't surprised that my senior had learned about Lao Hei's affairs. I knew my senior's capabilities; if he wanted to know something, he would find out. He had the ability.
As I walked into the hotel lobby, I looked around cautiously. I didn't see anything unusual. Then I went inside.
It was probably the afternoon, as there were very few people in the lobby. In a corner seating area, two people were chatting, with their backs to me. I couldn't tell if they were hotel guests or outsiders. A doorman approached and politely asked which room I was going to. I gave a random room number and headed for the elevator.