As expected by Ye Fei, Duan Fei hadn't rested well all night. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw jadeite and piles of cash, making it impossible for him to sleep. The next morning, he looked red-eyed and swollen, but unusually excited. The staff at Fei Cui Xuan cautiously avoided Duan Fei.
Duan Fei had a bad temper and often used foul language, making the employees uncomfortable. If he hadn't been sent by senior management, he would have been driven away long ago. Since they couldn't provoke him, they chose to avoid him. No one told him about the knowledge of gambling on stones, so Duan Fei knew even less about the industry than the newcomer Ye Fei.
This destined Duan Fei to be gradually lured into a trap by Ye Fei.
The shop was nominally a joint venture, but in reality, Xiao Fei's main investment was in jadeite, while Duan Fei was in charge of gambling on stones. Compared to selling jadeite, gambling on stones could bring in greater profits. Xiao Fei was essentially a speculative businessman, and the jadeite market was becoming increasingly popular, attracting many speculators. Seeing the rising prices of jadeite and the increasing scarcity of raw materials, Xiao Fei planned to make a big move. He intended to bulk purchase gambling stones, wait for the market price to rise through speculation, and then resell these gambling stones.
To achieve this goal, a stable source of customers was needed. After all, unlike real estate, there were still buyers even when the market was bad. If they couldn't find buyers, their funds would be tied up, which would be a big problem. Relying solely on the sales of the store wouldn't be enough to reach their goal!
Duan Fei's job was originally simple: to gradually expand the reputation of Fei Cui Xuan, making more people aware that they could gamble on stones here, just like what Li Duo Gambling Stone Company did, becoming the first choice for both the jewelry industry and stone gambling enthusiasts.
But Duan Fei was used to being a big shot, used to giving orders and being domineering. Suddenly being assigned to manage these matters, he was completely unprepared. Coupled with his bad temper and offending the employees, no one even reminded him what to do. If he had been given some time to adapt to this change, perhaps Duan Fei could really have adapted and gradually expanded the store's reputation, completing Xiao Fei's mission. Unfortunately, he met Ye Fei here and missed this opportunity.
Duan Fei paced back and forth in the store, anxiously waiting for Ye Fei to arrive.
Ye Fei had already arrived, watching Duan Fei pacing back and forth in the store. He didn't get out of the car, just quietly observed until he saw Duan Fei lose patience, then he got out of the car and walked into the store.
"Director Duan, sorry for being late due to some unexpected matters," Ye Fei said.
Duan Fei, upon seeing Ye Fei, breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's okay, it's okay, my friend, let's talk in the back."
Ye Fei nodded and walked with Duan Fei towards the warehouse behind the store.
The store manager noticed Duan Fei's abnormal behavior and, upon seeing Ye Fei come in, his eyes flickered. He remembered this man; the day he came to sell gold, Duan Fei made the decision to purchase, and the price wasn't low. Did these two men know each other?
The store manager was not under Xiao Fei's command. After hesitating for a moment, he carefully returned to his office and called the boss to report the situation.
"Boss, here's the situation. They've gone to the warehouse in the back, it seems they want to see the jadeite," the store manager said.
"Xiao Ma, you're doing well. Keep an eye on Duan Fei and have Zhou go over, don't let him play any tricks. I went to great lengths to transport these raw stones to the capital; they need to be sold for us to make money. I've inquired, Duan Fei made a mistake in Tianjin City and was transferred here. Although he is indeed Xiao Fei's right-hand man, we can't act without solid evidence. This is our first cooperation with mainland businessmen, so we need to be cautious and avoid any mistakes," the boss said.
"I understand, I'll have Zhou go over," Manager Ma said.
"Okay, that's all. If there are any issues, inform me immediately," the boss hung up the phone.
Manager Ma revealed a victorious smile. The store manager of Fei Cui Xuan was hired at a high price from outside and was only responsible for internal affairs. He had thought he would be the second in command, but after the store was ready, Duan Fei suddenly parachuted in, leaving him furious. As long as Duan Fei was dealt with, he could become the second in command of the store, and the gambling stones would also be in his hands.
This way, he would have greater room to maneuver and gain more benefits. As for whether doing so would offend another boss, that was not his concern. All he wanted to do was remove Duan Fei as an obstacle.
"Brother, the source of goods here is good, isn't it?" Duan Fei introduced to Ye Fei, "These raw stones are dug from old mines in Myanmar; ordinary places don't have such good material."
In fact, Duan Fei didn't know where these so-called old mine materials were, nor did he understand the quality of these raw stones. He was just speaking off the cuff.
Ye Fei was picking through the original stone pile, touching and examining them with an unfamiliar expression on his face. He tapped one, looked at another, resembling a beginner.
"Brother Duan, I'm completely clueless about these. It was pure luck that I found jade in one of the stones when gambling yesterday," Ye Fei said with a smile.
Hearing this, Duan Fei couldn't help but feel jealous. He also wished he could have the same stroke of luck as Ye Fei.
"Alright, take your time choosing. Once you've made your selection, I'll give you a discount," Duan Fei said.
What he most looked forward to now was watching Ye Fei gamble on the stones. Since these original stones arrived, he hadn't opened a single one. He was very curious about what they might contain.
While Ye Fei was selecting, Manager Ma walked in with a gray-haired old man. Duan Fei frowned and asked, "Master Zhou, why are you here?"
This Master Zhou, whose full name was Zhou Yiran, was the gambling master at the Jade Pavilion and someone whom Xiao Fei insisted on showing respect to. He controlled the pricing of jadeite original stones, all of which he brought back from Myanmar.
"I heard from Manager Ma that you have guests, so I came to take a look," Master Zhou said.
Duan Fei glared at Manager Ma disapprovingly, and the latter quickly bowed his head. Duan Fei explained, "It's just a kid, not a big client. There's no need for you to come."
"It's okay, both big and small clients are our clients," Master Zhou said, "What's the name of this little friend?"
"Ye Fei," Duan Fei replied. After a moment of hesitation, he added, "He won a piece of jade worth 1.6 million at Lido Gemstone Company yesterday."
Upon hearing this figure, Master Zhou showed no expression. For him, such situations were far too common. Even a jadeite worth 16 million was something he had encountered before. This was the difference between novices and experts. Many gamblers dared not bet easily because if they failed to uncover the value, it would affect their entire business. So, they would sell seemingly good original stones at high prices to others rather than gamble themselves.
However, Duan Fei didn't have such concerns. Since learning about gambling on stones, he couldn't contain his inner desire and really wanted to personally open an original stone. After all, gambling had already become ingrained in his marrow. But he didn't know that when Xiao Fei sent him here, his failure might have been destined from the start.
Ye Fei was fully focused on selecting the original stones. He had to reel in Duan Fei and find a piece of jadeite-containing original stone.