Four or five minutes later, Peng Fei let out a long sigh of relief and finally looked away from the paper.
Zhuang Rui remained silent, watching Peng Fei quietly, waiting for him to explain what had been said.
Peng Fei didn't mention what was written on the paper first, but pointed to the map next to him and said, "Brother Zhuang, this...this map really is...a treasure map!"
"Explain in more detail, what exactly happened?"
Zhuang Rui had already guessed a bit about it. Hiding such a detailed map so secretly inside the ivory Buddha carving must mean that something was buried there.
"The contents written on this piece of paper were left by a man named Yamaki Ichiro..."
As Peng Fei recounted his story, a piece of history that had been sealed away for nearly sixty years was unveiled to Zhuang Rui.
In 1941, while launching a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese army also divided its forces to invade Southeast Asian countries and occupied Kawthaung, the southernmost town in Burma, and three airfields. In early 1942, 100,000 Japanese troops invaded Burma in three routes, quickly defeated the British army, captured Rangoon, and occupied the entire territory of Burma.
The Japanese army occupied Burma for military reasons, cutting off the Burma Road, but it was also for the purpose of plundering resources from Burma and Thailand. While carrying out military aggression, they also plundered wealth and transported it back to Japan.
Colonel Yamaki Ichiro was one of the main officers in charge of transporting the looted goods from conquered territories back to Japan. The document on this piece of paper contains the last batch of goods that the Japanese army failed to transport out of Burma when they withdrew.
That was in 1945, when the Japanese army was already in decline. The Sino-American Allied forces captured Myitkyina at the heavy cost of more than 5,000 casualties, forming a favorable situation of encircling the Japanese army on three sides.
Seeing that he couldn't escape the Allied encirclement with these items, Yamaki Ichiro buried all the gold and silver treasures in a secret location in Burma. He also drew a map and hid it inside this ivory Buddha statue, hoping to return and unearth the treasure later when he launched a counterattack.
To prevent the news from leaking out, all the Burmese laborers who were digging the cave to bury the treasure were killed by Yamaki Ichiro, and the Japanese in charge of supervising them were also killed on the spot. Only Yamaki Ichiro, with the ivory carving that contained the great secret, broke through the encirclement with the main force.
The record on that piece of paper ended there. How the ivory carving ended up in the hands of Li Yunshan's grandfather is unknown. Whether Yamaki Ichiro is still alive is also a mystery. Perhaps only Li Yunshan's deceased grandfather can answer the question.
The matter is actually not complicated. As a soldier who failed in the first expeditionary force, Li Yunshan's grandfather and a group of veterans stayed in Burma. When the second expeditionary force entered Burma, these veterans took up arms again and participated in the mopping-up of the remaining Japanese troops. Yamaki Ichiro died at the hands of Li Yunshan's grandfather, and this ivory carving became his trophy.
After the Burma expedition ended, the Allied forces left some people to garrison Burma, including Li Yunshan's grandfather. Later, when the civil war broke out and the Kuomintang was defeated in Taiwan, Li Yunshan's grandfather and a group of veterans had no chance to return to China. This ivory carving has remained in Burma ever since.
"Brother Zhuang, this shipment contains ten tons of gold and thirty boxes of jade, gemstones, and jewelry..."
Peng Fei pointed to the Arabic numerals on the paper and said a number that left Zhuang Rui speechless: the value of ten tons of gold was already over one billion RMB, not to mention the priceless jewels and jade.
Zhuang Rui took out cigarettes from his pocket, offered one to Peng Fei, and lit one for himself. The two smoked in silence, unsure of how to deal with this fortune. Even Zhuang Rui was in a state of utter confusion.
Handing it over to the Myanmar government? That's obviously impossible; Zhuang Rui doesn't have that kind of relationship with them.
Chapter 442 Myanmar Jade Auction (Part 1)
"Bring these things back to China and hand them over to the relevant authorities?"
The thought flashed through Zhuang Rui's mind, but he immediately dismissed it. Leaving aside whether these things were still there, even if he could find them, it was uncertain whether he could bring them back.
On the other hand, these items weren't stolen from our country, so there's no need for us to be so noble.
It can now be confirmed that the information recorded on this paper is the goods and money that the Japanese plundered from Thailand, Myanmar and other places back then.
Japan is an island nation with scarce resources. The reason why it wanted to expand and wage war back then was nothing more than for resources. They plundered a large amount of resources such as steel, gold, silver and coal from Southeast Asia and the Northeast at that time, which barely kept the war going. Otherwise, Japan's domestic economy would have collapsed long ago.
"Peng Fei, what do you think about this?"
After finishing a cigarette, Zhuang Rui broke the silence in the room with his words.
"Brother Zhuang, I'll listen to you..."
At this moment, Peng Fei's eyes had returned to calm, just as they had when Zhuang Rui first met him. There wasn't a trace of emotion in them.
To say that Peng Fei wasn't tempted by this windfall would be utter nonsense. Firstly, although Peng Fei was young, he had seen many life-and-death situations and was more resistant to material possessions. When he was on a mission, he didn't even care about his own life or death, so why would he care about things that couldn't be eaten or drunk?
Secondly, the most important person in Peng Fei's heart is his younger sister. Now that his sister is living a happy life, Peng Fei is unwilling to change the trajectory of his life because of this money.
So when Zhuang Rui asked for his opinion, Peng Fei answered calmly. He could accept whatever Zhuang Rui did with these things. Besides, in Peng Fei's mind, Zhuang Rui was the one who discovered them, and he just happened to stumble upon them.
"This map and this matter are definitely real, but whether those hidden items still exist is uncertain. Although this ivory carving is lost, if Yamaki Ichiro is still alive, he would definitely know the location where the items were hidden, and might have already taken them..."
Zhuang Rui paused for a moment. Then he said, "Let's put this matter aside for now. We're here to participate in the jade auction. After the auction, we'll see if we have time to look for it at the location marked on the map..."
Although money can be tempting, Zhuang Rui hadn't forgotten the purpose of his trip. He wouldn't go looking for something that might not even exist just for a treasure map.
Another point is that even if the gold is found, how to transport it back to China is an even bigger problem. Although China and Myanmar are supposed to be friendly, if Myanmar finds out about this, they will definitely not let it go.
"Brother Zhuang, this place..."
Peng Fei looked at the map, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.
"What's wrong? Do you know this place?"
Zhuang Rui asked.
"Yes, this place is near Myitkyina in northeastern Myanmar. There's a mountain range there, surrounded by tropical rainforest. The terrain is very complex, and people unfamiliar with it could easily get lost. By the way, many jade mines are located there..."
Peng Fei frowned. There was something else he hadn't mentioned. Because the most concentrated jade mines in Myanmar were located there, various forces had moved in, making the situation quite complicated. It was somewhat like the warlord era in China, where each side occupied a territory and was armed. The domestic jade merchants that Peng Fei had rescued before had been kidnapped by these same people.
"What equipment do we need to go there? Prepare it in the next few days. We might go and take a look after the jade auction is over..."
Men are naturally drawn to treasure hunting and adventure, and Zhuang Rui also wanted to know if the buried gold was still there. If it was, even if he couldn't take it now, he would have the chance to do so later.
Zhuang Rui, having unleashed his adventurous spirit, forgot his principle of prioritizing safety.
"Brother Zhuang, this place is not easy to travel in, and it's easy to catch diseases. I think we should go there another time..."
If Peng Fei were to go alone, there would be absolutely nothing to worry about. He would adapt to that environment like a fish in water, instantly. But with Zhuang Rui by his side, it would be a different story. While Peng Fei could prevent them from being kidnapped by local forces, he feared Zhuang Rui might not be able to withstand the challenges of navigating the jungle alone.
"It's alright, I'm perfectly healthy. Let's go take a look. If the environment is too dangerous, we can just come back..."
Zhuang Rui replied nonchalantly, "With spiritual energy by my side, even in a contest of endurance, I'm confident I'm no worse than Peng Fei."
"Alright then, Brother Zhuang, if you absolutely have to go, you have to listen to me once we're in the jungle..."
Seeing that Zhuang Rui was determined, Peng Fei didn't say anything more. He was already thinking about what kind of equipment he needed to bring. The more prepared he was, the less dangerous the jungle trip would be.
Having made up his mind, Zhuang Rui relaxed. He took out his digital camera from his bag and photographed the two pages of paper on the table from various angles, adjusting the focus as needed. Then he took out the memory card and handed it to Peng Fei, saying with a smile, "This thing is worth ten tons of gold! Keep it safe with you; our treasure hunt depends entirely on it..."
Peng Fei was somewhat puzzled by Zhuang Rui's actions. After taking the small memory card, he saw Zhuang Rui pick up a lighter and light the two yellowed pieces of paper. Only then did he understand Zhuang Rui's meaning: from this point on, the secret within the ivory carving had completely vanished. And the clue to finding that batch of gold lay within this memory card in his hand.
As Zhuang Rui said, this thing was indeed priceless. Zhuang Rui entrusted it to Peng Fei for safekeeping. While Peng Fei was moved, he also felt a bit of pressure.
After thinking for a moment, Peng Fei flipped his wrist, and the small knife, which he didn't know where it was hidden on his body, appeared in his palm. The handle of the knife could be unscrewed. Peng Fei inserted the memory card into the handle and then tightened the screw. Peng Fei was confident that as long as he was alive, no one could take the card from him.
"Alright, let's go eat, it's already dark outside..."
Seeing that Peng Fei had hidden the item in his knife, Zhuang Rui felt relieved. After finishing his work, his stomach started growling. He checked the time and was startled to find it was almost 8 p.m. He quickly pulled Peng Fei down to the second-floor restaurant for dinner.
The jade auction is officially opening tomorrow. After dinner, Zhuang Rui went back to his room to rest, but he didn't sleep soundly. Images of gold scattered all over the floor kept flashing through his mind. He tossed and turned in bed for half the night before finally falling into a deep sleep. ...
Although he didn't sleep well yesterday, Zhuang Rui still got up very early the next day. After washing up, he invited Qin Haoran and his wife to have breakfast together. He had neglected his mother-in-law yesterday, and Zhuang Rui wanted to make it up to her.
After breakfast, Zhuang Rui, along with Peng Fei, joined Qin Haoran and his wife, as well as their company's jadeite experts, heading towards the hotel entrance. The Myanmar organizers provided shuttle services for these jadeite merchants from all over the world; the saying "the customer is king" isn't just a Chinese proverb.
When the group arrived at the hotel entrance, it was already packed with people. It seemed that all the hotel's guests had gathered there. Zhuang Rui glanced around and saw quite a few familiar faces, including the head of Xu's Jewelry.
Xu Zhendong naturally saw Zhuang Rui as well, but he immediately turned his face away and vowed in his heart that he would never buy the stone that the kid had his eye on. His condition was not yet stable, and Xu Zhendong did not want to be stimulated again. Moreover, Xu's Jewelry could not withstand any more setbacks. The last time they were defeated by Zhuang Rui, the company suffered a great loss of vitality.
"Zhuang Rui, you're really not being a good friend. We came together, so if we're going to the public auction, we should go together too..."
Song Jun spotted Zhuang Rui from a distance and quickly squeezed over with Fatty Ma. When they got closer, they saw Qin Haoran and his wife. The group had met yesterday, so they naturally huddled together, ready to wait for the car to arrive so they could head to the public auction together.
Zhuang Rui is now a star in the jade gambling circle. Many people who know about his jade gambling achievements in Pingzhou, China, have flocked to him, hoping to get some of his good luck.
About twenty minutes later, the organizing committee's bus finally arrived. However, this so-called special vehicle was rather shabby. It was an old-fashioned public bus, and most of the windows were missing glass, not to mention air conditioning. This made the faces of the billionaires present not very pleasant.
While Myanmar has a service-oriented mindset, its infrastructure is simply too poor.
However, circumstances are beyond our control. This Myanmar jade auction is a bellwether for the price of jade jewelry, and Myanmar is the only place in the world that produces jade. If you don't get on board, others will be eager to get their hands on it, which means one less competitor to bid against.
There were eight buses in total, and the doors were crowded with people. Although I was annoyed, I still had to get on the bus. Did they come to Myanmar just for tourism?
When boarding the bus, there was a Burmese soldier carrying a weapon at the door, and two other people checked the invitation letters of the passengers. According to the regulations of the Myanmar organizing committee, an invitation letter is required to participate in the jade auction; otherwise, you cannot even get on the bus.
As mentioned earlier, the invitations came from three sources: first, guests invited by various levels of government in Myanmar; second, guests invited by various levels of jewelry associations in Myanmar; and third, invitations issued by Myanmar jewelry trading companies. In Myanmar, these so-called jewelry trading companies are actually owned by the government.
Chapter 443 Myanmar Jade Auction (Part 2)
However, for the latter two invitation methods, the inviting party must submit a guarantee to the organizing committee for review and approval. Merchants bidding for jadeite rough stones are like those buying tickets to board a bus; they only have the opportunity to board if they have an invitation letter in their hands.
Of course, it's not impossible to enter the auction without an invitation letter, but you must be guaranteed by a Myanmar jewelry company and pay a deposit of 10 million kyats per person (approximately 1 million RMB) to the organizing committee before you can enter the auction. The deposit will be fully refunded to the guarantor after the auction ends.
Each invitation allows two people to enter. Zhuang Rui and Song Jun's invitations were issued by the Myanmar Jewelry Association, while Qin Haoran and his wife were invited by the Myanmar Jewelry Trading Company. As for how Fatty Ma obtained his invitation, they had no idea.
Behind these buses, there were several other vehicles parked, all belonging to local Myanmar jade trading companies, brought in their clients.
"Zhuang Rui, Mr. Song, let's take this car..."
Someone came to greet Qin Haoran and his group in a small minibus. Qin Haoran called out to Song Jun and the others, and they all boarded the minibus. Although the air conditioning inside was not very effective, it was much better than the large bus with hot air blowing from all sides.
After everyone boarded the minibus, it started moving, instead of traveling with the buses behind it. The venue for this auction was located more than 50 kilometers away from Yangon, in the opposite direction from the hotel where Zhuang Rui and the others were staying. It required passing through Yangon city to reach the location.
Yesterday, Zhuang Rui and his group went to the Shwedagon Pagoda, which is also on the outskirts of Yangon. Sitting on the minibus, this was the first time Zhuang Rui had observed Yangon's exotic scenery so closely.
Yangon looks like a huge park. Inside the city, there are plants, flowers and pagodas everywhere. Monks with bare left shoulders and wearing red robes walk barefoot in the streets. Under their armpits, they each carry a brown-red oil-paper umbrella and occasionally put their hands together to greet people on the street.
The buildings in Yangon clearly bear the marks of the colonial era, with their dark red roofs being typical of British architecture. Hindu temples are adorned with various statues of deities and covered in moss, while modern square boxes have their own unique roofs. There are also pagodas, churches, and pigeons frolicking in the sky.
All the cars driving on the streets look like they came from a junkyard, mostly covered in rust. Due to the Western blockade, it is difficult for Myanmar to import cars, and many of them are from the Ne Win era. Vintage cars, jeeps, and old-fashioned British-designed Indian-made buses are everywhere.
In comparison, the taxi that Zhuang Rui and his group took yesterday could be considered a brand new car.
What surprised Zhuang Rui the most was that there were many open-air bathhouses on both sides of the road, separated from the street by a wall. A group of women were wrapped in skirts, and Zhuang Rui, sitting in the car, could clearly see some plump shoulders and arms peeking out from the top of the wall.
The driver's eyes seemed to be glancing in that direction intentionally or unintentionally. The car was driving very slowly, and you could even hear the sound of them splashing water on themselves with wooden buckets, along with their loud laughter. The women, having just finished bathing, walked along the roadside wearing only towels around their necks. They twisted their hair with their hands, and their snow-white thighs and full breasts were almost entirely exposed.
Luckily, Zhuang Rui was sitting in the back seat, otherwise his gaze would definitely have been caught by his mother-in-law. He had just peeked ahead and found Qin Haoran staring intently at the front of the car. Zhuang Rui was full of admiration for him. Little did he know that his mother-in-law's little hand was secretly pinching the soft flesh of her husband's waist.
After leaving Yangon, the car started to accelerate, but it was an old car and didn't go very fast. According to the driver, it would take another hour to get to the jade auction.
"Brother Ma, why is this place for trading jade called a public auction?"
Zhuang Rui was a little bored, so he chatted with Fatty Ma and the others in the car. He kept hearing the term "public auction" but he really didn't know what it meant.
"You brat, you don't even know this, yet you come here to gamble on stones? This public auction is... is..."
"Come on, Brother Ma, you're just putting a scallion in a pig's nose... trying to look like an elephant..."
Upon hearing this, Fatty Ma first mocked Zhuang Rui, but when it came to his turn to explain, the guy scratched his head and stammered, unable to get a straight answer. Turns out, he was just a half-baked expert too.
"Hehe, a public auction refers to the seller publicly displaying the items to be traded on the market, allowing industry professionals or the market to evaluate the items based on their quality and determine the lowest generally accepted transaction price, and then buyers bid on the items based on that price."
However, locals call the jade auction "MCC," while in Pingzhou, on the mainland, it's called "Jade Auction"...