Wang Kaixuan glanced at Cao Yi, feeling a twinge of anxiety. If the Daoist Priest decided to back down, their entire trip would be for naught, and his promises of a large jade bracelet to Lao Hu and Commander Yang would fall flat.
Ten seconds, twenty seconds—each tap of Cao Yi's fingers on the table echoed like a hammer on Wang Kaixuan's heart.
Suddenly, Cao Yi looked up with a smile. "Have you eaten enough?"
Wang Kaixuan, consumed by thoughts of financial failure, nodded absentmindedly.
"And you?" Cao Yi turned to Big Gold Tooth.
Big Gold Tooth was quicker on the uptake. He understood that Cao Yi was ready to take action and nodded eagerly.
"Then let's head to the Myanmar Jewelry Trading Company," Cao Yi declared, standing up.
Wang Kaixuan and Big Gold Tooth followed suit. As they exited the international hotel, a dilapidated taxi pulled up nearby, its engine sputtering.
"Good morning!" Xiao Zhuang called out cheerfully from inside, his smile bright as a daisy. Last night, he had brought home fifty dollars, bringing a little joy to his struggling family.
"Good morning," Cao Yi replied with a smile.
Xiao Zhuang got out, opening the doors with an eagerness that spoke to his excellent service.
Like yesterday, Cao Yi took the front passenger seat, while Wang Kaixuan and Big Gold Tooth squeezed into the back.
"Are we heading directly to the gem auction venue?" Xiao Zhuang asked, still unaware of their plans.
"No, first we need to go to the Myanmar Jewelry Trading Company," Cao Yi replied.
With over a million dollars in his possession, he knew it was a substantial sum in this era. A little extra expenditure could secure their entry or an invitation.
Xiao Zhuang hesitated but didn't press further. The taxi rattled down poorly paved roads, noise escalating around them.
"Daoist Priest, am I addressing you correctly?" Xiao Zhuang asked cautiously. After returning home, he had asked his father about the appropriate titles but wasn't sure he had received accurate information.
"Correct," Cao Yi confirmed, pulling his gaze from the window.
"The Myanmar Jewelry Trading Company…" Xiao Zhuang began, and as he spoke, Cao Yi felt increasingly fortunate.
According to Xiao Zhuang, the Myanmar Jewelry Trading Company was a state-run enterprise, plagued by bloated staffing and rampant corruption. The government took a large share of profits, resulting in significant losses. To mitigate these losses, the company sold many raw jade stones directly from its headquarters, attracting many underfunded jewelers hoping for a lucky break.
"Sometimes, when business is slow, I sneak in and watch. I've seen people spend a few hundred pounds to cut stones worth hundreds of thousands, striking it rich overnight," Xiao Zhuang said, his face filled with envy.
Cao Yi recognized that expression; it reminded him of classmates who gambled and bought lottery tickets back in school.
"Why pounds and not dollars?" Wang Kaixuan asked from the back seat, puzzled.
"Sometimes dollars, sometimes pounds, sometimes francs. It's quite chaotic," Xiao Zhuang replied.
Just then, a pedestrian suddenly crossed the street.
"Watch out!" Cao Yi shouted, grabbing the steering wheel and swerving. The taxi barely missed the pedestrian, who stumbled and fell onto the pavement, startled.
Sweating from the scare, Xiao Zhuang fell silent.
After a ten-minute ride, they arrived in front of an old building showing its age. Outside, two armed soldiers stood guard, their eyes focused straight ahead.
At the base of the stairs, a middle-aged man of Chinese descent sat behind a desk with two signs reading "Registration" in both Chinese and Burmese.
A stream of people moved in and out of the building, their expressions ranging from dejected to joyful, reminiscent of gamblers in a casino.
"Is this the Myanmar Jewelry Trading Company?" Wang Kaixuan exclaimed, stepping out of the car and expressing disappointment at the shabby appearance. In his mind, any company dealing with jewels should be more upscale.
"Having an office building is already quite good," Cao Yi observed, taking in the surroundings.
Myanmar was in a dire state—rife with political power struggles and near-financial collapse. Local warlords and tribal conflicts were rampant, and foreign intervention made the situation even messier, resembling a more chaotic version of the Republic of China era.
"Look, the registration desk has a Chinese person—how considerate of the Myanmar government," Wang Kaixuan commented.
"Let's go register," Cao Yi urged, moving towards the desk.
After paying a fifteen-dollar entry fee, the three entered the building. A staff member led them to a space in the back, which was about the size of half a football field, filled with thousands of raw jade stones. Price tags ranged from a few dollars to tens of thousands.
In one corner, a crowd gathered around a middle-aged man using a grinding wheel to cut a stone. Gasps of disappointment echoed through the group as fragments of stone fell away.
"Wow, I estimate that pile of rocks is worth four to five million dollars!" Wang Kaixuan marveled.
"Kaige, don't be fooled by their appearance. If someone cuts out an imperial green jade, that could be worth a fortune," Big Gold Tooth retorted.
Wang Kaixuan scoffed, "You really think these worthless stones could yield anything good?"
Big Gold Tooth fell silent.
As the two continued their banter, Cao Yi wandered among the jade stones, searching for one that radiated spiritual energy.
One, two, ten, twenty—Cao Yi grew increasingly frustrated as none of them emanated any energy.
Were the Myanmar jade stones merely decoys, or did not every piece of jade possess spiritual energy? Puzzled, he moved towards a section labeled with prices ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
"Daoist Priest, is this your first time here?" a voice asked in Cantonese.
Cao Yi turned to see a bald middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and small eyes, who, while not particularly striking, carried an air of confidence.
"What did you say?" Cao Yi replied, not understanding.
"It's your first time here, right?" The man switched to fluent Mandarin.
"Yes," Cao Yi nodded.
"All of these are gamble stones, mostly gray-white and yellow. They are typical raw materials from the Pakong factory, which mostly yield low to mid-grade jade—nothing valuable," the man explained calmly.
"Gamble stones?" Cao Yi asked, puzzled.