"I'm trying to find the owner of this jade. Do you have any suggestions, Mr. Lei?"
"This might be difficult. There aren't many people who possess such high-quality jade, but those who do tend to keep them well-hidden, so it's hard to trace," Lei Mingjun pointed out.
Azura quickly interjected, "Uncle Lei, please help Zuri with this. It's really important to her."
Azura had somewhat guessed the significance of the blood jade to Zuri.
Lei Mingjun looked at the two young women in front of him and smiled. "Alright, I'll see what I can find out. Would you mind if I took a few photos?"
"Not at all."
Lei Mingjun had his assistant take some professional photos of the jade.
"I'll start by asking around at the Jade Association. I'll contact you if I find anything."
"Thank you, Mr. Lei."
"Thank you, Uncle Lei. What would you like to eat today? My treat," Azura said boldly.
"You cheeky girl," Lei Mingjun chuckled.
As they were about to leave, Zuri suddenly spoke up, "Uncle Lei, if anyone comes asking about this jade, please don't mention me."
Lei Mingjun was momentarily stunned, confused by the request.
"You're eager to find the owner, yet you don't want anyone to know about you?" he asked.
Seeing his puzzlement, Zuri explained, "I only want to find out who owns this jade. I don't want anyone to know about my involvement."
Lei Mingjun nodded in understanding. "Alright."
"Thank you, Uncle Lei."
After parting ways with Lei Mingjun, Zuri and Azura went to dine at the Pearl Tower. During the meal, Azura kept glancing at Zuri, clearly wanting to say something.
"If you have a question, just ask. Isn't it uncomfortable holding it in?" Zuri prompted.
"Zuri, is that blood jade related to your family?" Azura finally asked, feeling a weight lift off her chest.
"It's possible, but I'm not certain."
She had her suspicions, but she couldn't be sure if it was connected to her.
Upon receiving Zuri's answer, Azura grabbed her hand. "Don't worry, I'll help you find the truth. If Uncle Lei can't get any information, we can ask my uncle. Worst case, I'll even ask my father. He may be selfish and overbearing, but he does have some influence."
Zuri smiled at Azura. Despite her words of disdain for her father, there was a light in her eyes that revealed her true feelings.
She loved her father.
"For now, let's wait and see what Uncle Lei finds out. We don't need to involve anyone else just yet."
Zuri wanted to avoid making a fuss and didn't want too many people involved because...
Zuri raised her gaze, looking intently at Azura. "Azura, don't tell anyone about this. Remember, no one, including your uncle."
Azura nodded, understanding her intention.
Meanwhile, Lei Mingjun acted quickly, sharing the photos with his network at the Jade Association.
"Found a rare and beautiful jade today. Too bad the carving is terrible. Does anyone recognize the style?"
Lei Mingjun's message and photos garnered significant attention.
One elderly man responded with some surprise.
"This carving looks familiar, but I can't quite recall where I've seen it."
"If Elder Wang recognizes it, it's probably the work of a master before they became famous."
The conversation quickly veered off-topic as others chimed in.
At FX Investments in Shanghai...
Grayson pushed open the door to the CEO's office, walking with an urgency masked by his calm demeanor.
"Mr. Feng, the blood jade you've been monitoring has surfaced."
Nolan put down the document in his hand, his voice steady but with a hint of eagerness. "Where?"
Grayson placed a file on the desk, which included several of the photos Lei Mingjun had shared.
"The jade in these photos has over a 90% similarity to the one you've been searching for. It's highly likely to be the same blood jade."
Nolan carefully examined the photos, the more he looked, the more convinced he became.
"Where did these photos come from?" Nolan inquired.
"They originated from a member of the Jade Association. After some investigation, we discovered that the photos initially came from Lei Mingjun. He should know the jade's whereabouts."
"Contact Lei Mingjun."
"Yes, sir." Grayson turned to leave but was halted by Nolan's voice behind him. "Prepare the car."
Grayson understood immediately.
The boss wasn't willing to wait.
On the other side, Lei Mingjun was taken aback when he received Grayson's call. His surprise only deepened when his assistant entered the room.
"Mr. Lei, Mr. Feng from FX is here to see you."
Lei Mingjun almost choked on his tea.
Wow!
That was fast. They had just hung up, and now he's here.
"Please show Mr. Feng to the reception room."
In the reception room, Lei Mingjun walked in and immediately noticed the tall, imposing figure of Nolan Feng. He approached with a smile on his face.
"Mr. Feng, what an honor."
After the tea was served, Lei Mingjun waved off his staff, leaving only the two of them in the room.
"Mr. Lei, I'm very interested in the blood jade you posted about. Could you show it to me?" Nolan got straight to the point.
Lei Mingjun quickly understood that Nolan valued this jade far more than he had anticipated.
"Mr. Feng, I'm sorry, but the jade isn't mine. I was just appraising it for someone else. I thought it was a beautiful piece, so I shared it."
"Could you at least tell me who the owner is, or perhaps introduce us?" Nolan asked, keeping his tone patient.
"I'm afraid I can't reveal the owner's identity," Lei Mingjun declined directly.
Had the young lady not asked him to keep it confidential, he might have agreed.
"Could I see the original photos?" Nolan requested.
"Of course."
Lei Mingjun pulled out the original photos from his drawer. Nolan examined each one carefully until his gaze fixed on a particular image. He stared at it intently.
"A magnifying glass," he said without looking up.
Lei Mingjun promptly handed him one.
Nolan focused on the inner wall of the jade. Though the image wasn't entirely clear, he could make out a single character, along with the carving technique.
It was undoubtedly his father's work.
This jade was the blood jade his sister had worn.
Though he had anticipated it, confirming that this was the jade he had been searching for still brought a sense of finality.
Nolan placed the photos and the magnifying glass back on the table, his deep black eyes meeting Lei Mingjun's. "Mr. Lei, I appreciate your integrity. I won't press you further."
Seeing that Nolan was no longer pushing for information, Lei Mingjun asked with a smile, "Mr. Feng, may I ask if you know who carved this jade?"
Nolan's dark eyes fixed on him as he calmly uttered, "My father."