"Hmm, where?" Li Yang looked up and saw several brilliant fireworks blooming in the night sky. He turned back to see Lin Xiaoyu's stunning face illuminated by the fireworks, and was stunned.
Lin Xiaoyu said excitedly, "These are the celebratory fireworks from the Haolong Jade Gambling Market in the east of the city. They only fire cannons and set off fireworks when someone opens a jade of at least Ice Seed double-color inside the market."
"Two flowers represent Ice Seed double-color jade, three flowers represent High Ice Seed violet, and four flowers represent Glass Seed bright green. But eighteen flowers blooming at once signifies Imperial Green jade!"
"In that case, should we go to the scene to have a look?" Li Yang asked with a smile.
Lin Xiaoyu nodded quickly, "Yes, yes, let's go now."
"Alright, let's get a taxi," Li Yang said, walking towards the side of the street.
The taxi driver saw them standing on the street in front of the hotel waiting for a car and showed an ambiguous smile, saying, "Where are you two lovebirds going?"
Lovebirds!
Lin Xiaoyu's heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks turned red. She secretly glanced at Li Yang, only to see that he offered no objection or explanation, which made her blush even more.
If she had only admired Li Yang's appraisal skills when they met at the auction last time, then today, with him saving her from trouble at the hotel, her feelings for Li Yang had developed into something more than just admiration.
"To, to the Haolong Jade Gambling Market."
"Oh, you're from out of town to gamble on jade?" The taxi driver exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this. "Wanlong is the best and largest jade gambling market here. A casual spend can easily reach hundreds of thousands!"
"Many millionaires gamble on jade here, but their luck isn't much better than gambling in Hong Kong or Macau. You are so young, you must be steady."
"Thank you for the reminder, driver. We're just going to take a look," Li Yang pointed at the fireworks still going off in the sky and said with a smile, "Someone opened Imperial Green tonight."
"Oh, oh, oh, that's good. You scared me to death! I thought you young folks were going to dabble in something so unreliable."
The driver, around fifty years old, was clearly a seasoned man. When he dropped them off at the entrance of the Haolong Jade Gambling Market, he couldn't help but advise, "Although gambling on jade is more reliable than buying lottery tickets, the cost is much higher. And it's not that much more reliable. With this money, you could buy a house, a car, or find a good school for your children. It's much better than trying your luck here."
"You're young, don't go messing around with stones."
"Understood," Li Yang nodded with a smile.
The driver said, "Then I'm relieved. Here's the receipt, please take a look."
"Alright," Li Yang pushed open the car door and got out.
Lin Xiaoyu smiled, "This driver is so kind-hearted. But if he knew your eyesight was extraordinary, he wouldn't say that."
"That driver isn't an ordinary person either," Li Yang said, glancing at the taxi that was turning around, with a smile. "His fingers are full of calluses. From the look of it, they don't seem to be from driving, but rather from frequently handling raw jade."
"Ah? Does that mean he's also an expert?" Lin Xiaoyu was greatly surprised.
Li Yang nodded and said, "Ordinary jade gamblers wouldn't have such thick calluses. And those calluses are old, with some signs of fading. It seems this driver has been living in obscurity for many years."
"Great people are often found among the common folk, hidden in plain sight. Brother Li, you've really taught me a lesson," Lin Xiaoyu said in amazement.
Li Yang smiled, "Let's not talk about that. Let's go inside."
"Okay."
As the two walked in, they were immediately amazed by the opulent and grand setup of the Haolong Jade Gambling Market.
Nearby, a guide holding a small flag was explaining to her tourists, "This is the Haolong Jade Gambling Market. It is said that the big boss behind this gambling market was once a high-ranking official. When he retired and built this gambling market, he used his personal influence to invite the architect who designed the Great Hall of the People back then, as well as many top construction workers. It cost over a billion yuan and took a full three years to complete."
"Across the country, apart from the Wanlong Jade Gambling City in Ruili, no other jade gambling market can compare to this place in terms of scale. As for the decoration and design, it is undoubtedly the best in China."
"Everyone, please follow me. This way is..."
"No wonder it's so magnificent," Lin Xiaoyu took a breath, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the surroundings.
Li Yang, after being surprised, quickly regained his composure and said with a smile, "It is indeed a well-built and expensive place. If you like it, when our business grows bigger and stronger, we can buy it from that big boss."
"What a big talk, young man!" A group of people walked over. Among them, an old man with white hair and thick glass lenses on his nose said coldly.
Li Yang raised an eyebrow and turned to look. He saw the middle-aged man whose face he had slapped at the hotel was among this group.
Staring at Li Yang and Lin Xiaoyu, the man's eyes were filled with venom. He immediately said to the old man, "Dad, this brat ruined my face, preventing me from meeting Elder Long."
"Brat, what's your name?" The old man's gaze turned as cold as ice upon hearing this.
They had made thorough preparations, waiting to meet the legendary Elder Long today, with the intention of showing their son to him. But unexpectedly, such a thing happened just before meeting Elder Long.
It could be said that Li Yang had inadvertently ruined their good deed.
Li Yang glanced at them, "When asking for someone's name, you should introduce yourself first, shouldn't you? Old man, I believe people of your generation should understand these courtesies better than the younger generation."
"I didn't expect you to be more arrogant than the young."
"You, very good, very good. To dare speak to me, Zhou Taishan, like this, brat, you're quite something." The old man, Zhou Taishan, said with a cold face, "No matter what your name is, you hit my son and ruined my Zhou family's good fortune, you will pay the price."
"However, given your courage, I'll give you a choice."
"Oh?" Li Yang glanced at him.
Zhou Taishan said coldly, "The first choice is to kneel before my son and then obediently hand over the woman beside you to my son."
"The second choice is simpler, but I'm sure you won't choose it. That is, you will never be able to walk out of this door."
"Is there a third choice?" Li Yang asked.
Zhou Taishan replied, "No."
"I think there is. Not only a third, but also a fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth!" Li Yang curled his lips and said with a smile, "For example, breaking your son's dog legs, and making you, this scoundrel old man who bullies the young and is unreasonable, kneel and beg for mercy!"
"This is the third choice, and I choose it!"