Yan Kai had been plotting something all night, and he actually came up with a plan: he would have a bodyguard hide on the side with a camera while he provoked Zhuang Rui. If Zhuang Rui dared to make a move, he would immediately sue him for malicious assault. With this pretext, he could then have his uncles and elders intervene, thus having a legitimate reason to act.
"What are you looking at? You dare to gamble on jade with your skill level? Go home and suckle, you little punk..."
When Yan Kai saw Zhuang Rui looking at him, he became even more excited. He was willing to take another hit to drag Zhuang Rui into this mess. Anyway, Zhuang Rui came with Uncle De and would be returning to Zhonghai. Then he could do whatever he wanted with him. Thinking of this, Yan Kai couldn't help but smile.
"Damn, you idiot!"
Zhuang Rui glanced coldly at Yan Kai, uttered three words to him, then took the bloodstone from the stone-cutting machine, turned around and called to Uncle De and the others before walking towards the bloodstone trading area not far away, without giving Yan Kai a second glance.
"He...he was swearing..."
Zhuang Rui's departure had a significant impact; Yan Kai's smile instantly froze, and he stood there dumbfounded.
Zhuang Rui didn't name names when he cursed, so Yan Kai can't very well take the "fuck" recorded on the camera and accuse Zhuang Rui of trying to have an intimate relationship with his immediate female relative, can he? If he did that, then Yan Kai would truly deserve the title of "idiot."
"Who is this guy? He's such an idiot..."
"Yes, Teacher Zhuang didn't gamble on that bloodstone; he was just helping someone else cut it..."
"What a joke! To say that the Jade King of the North doesn't know how to gamble on stones is an understatement. Calling him an idiot wouldn't be an exaggeration..."
"Keep your voice down, this person is from the Yan family of Zhonghai, don't say anything that might cause trouble..."
In an instant, those who had been watching the stone being cut and recognized Zhuang Rui's background began to mock Young Master Yan. They said that others had already won big with their hundreds of millions of yuan worth of jadeite, and that he was just here to have some fun. This idiot actually wanted to use this to undermine Zhuang Rui. He was really stupid and naive.
"Young Master Yan, let's go, let's go to the market first..."
Old Cao, who had come with Yan Kai to purchase chicken-blood stone, wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground. He originally didn't know Zhuang Rui's background, but after hearing other people's discussions, he realized that Zhuang Rui was the young man who had recently become very famous in the stone gambling circle. His boss's words were really lacking in sophistication.
Instead of humiliating Zhuang Rui, Yan Kai, who was utterly humiliated by Zhuang Rui's three casual words, shook off Lao Cao, who was holding him, and asked fiercely with bloodshot eyes after walking into the market stall: "Lao Cao, what jade king? What gambling stone? What's that scoundrel's background? Didn't you say he had no connections yesterday?"
When asked the final question, Yan Kai almost shouted it out, causing the people around him to look at him.
Yan Kai has grown up in a privileged environment; he's never been stared at like a monkey by so many people. If Lao Cao hadn't been holding him back, he probably would have rushed up and fought Zhuang Rui to the death. Could he even win? Would someone whose brain is fried by anger even consider that?
Faced with Yan Kai's roar, Old Cao was also somewhat embarrassed. However, since he was eating and wearing other people's clothes, he could only swallow his anger and say, "Young Master Yan, that guy surnamed Zhuang is a newcomer in the jade industry. He's incredibly accurate at gambling on stones and has quite a lot of money. I think..."
Old Cao carefully glanced at Yan Kai's face, then said, "I think we should finalize the purchase of the bloodstone first, and then figure out how to deal with them. After all, that Zhuang guy is just a businessman..."
Old Cao had his own ulterior motives for saying this. His mission was to help the company select bloodstone. If he messed around with Yan Kai and failed to complete the mission, the boss wouldn't hold Yan Kai accountable when he returned to the company, but he would definitely be in trouble.
"Bloodstone, yes, bloodstone. We'll follow him. Whatever stone he wants to buy, you buy it for him..."
Yan Kai was already blinded by rage. What did choosing chicken-blood stone matter? Was it more important than being humiliated? Ever since Yan Kai was old enough to understand, he had always considered himself the most important person, his grandfather the second most important, and money the least important thing. It's true that people who grow up in a pampered environment have this kind of personality.
"Young Master Yan, this..."
Upon hearing Yan Kai's words, Lao Cao's heart skipped a beat. He knew things were going to go wrong. Before he could stop him, Yan Kai had already pushed him aside and started wandering around the market looking for Zhuang Rui.
Yan Kai was determined to prevent Zhuang Rui from buying the bloodstone today. After all, it wasn't his money that was being spent. Before the one-child policy, Yan Kai had many relatives, all of whom were wealthy.
"President Lan, I have something to report to you. Young Master Yan, he..."
Instead of following Yan Kai, Lao Cao found a quiet corner and called Yan Kai's uncle. It wasn't Yan Kai who paid his salary at the company, and if Yan Kai hadn't warned him yesterday not to tell his uncle, Lao Cao would have already reported it to the authorities.
Old Cao didn't hide anything and told the whole story about the cause of the conflict. After explaining the whole story, there was silence on the other end of the phone.
Old Cao was also very uneasy. He knew that Yan Kai was the apple of the Yan family's eye. It was his first time going out to broaden his horizons, and this mess happened. In a way, he also bore some responsibility.
"Old Cao, this isn't your fault. I know Yan Kai's personality; he can't stand being wronged. Letting him suffer a little is a good thing. If he gets into a fight with someone later, he's not allowed to misappropriate a single penny of the company's funds. Okay, that's all for now, I'm very busy..."
The voice on the phone made Lao Cao breathe a sigh of relief. He was finally extricated from the situation. The company had given him a total of 20 million RMB for this purchase of chicken-blood stone, and it was all in Lao Cao's hands. With President Lan's words, Lao Cao was no longer afraid that Yan Kai would ask him for money.
"This child is such a worry..."
In a spacious and luxurious office far away in Zhonghai, a middle-aged man in his fifties with a dignified appearance pinched his brow and sighed softly.
His name is Lan Haibei. He was originally a student from a poor mountain village. When he was studying in Zhonghai, he met Yan Kai's aunt. It was because of this that Lan Haibei was able to develop his company into the multinational group it is today by leveraging the Yan family's influence in Zhonghai during the early stages of his business. Although his later achievements were mostly due to his own efforts, the mark left by the Yan family on him can never be erased.
Yan Kai, this nephew, was someone the old man specifically chose to come to the company for training. However, he couldn't be hit or scolded. He could help clean up the mess he caused in Zhonghai, but now he's caused trouble in another province.
"Hello, Secretary Li? This is Lao Lan from Zhonghai. I have something I'd like to ask you to look after. The old man's precious child has gone to Lin'an..."
After thinking for a long time, Lan Haibei picked up the phone on the table and dialed. He was doing this just in case; if something really happened to the only son of the Yan family, his shrewish wife would probably be the first to punish him.
This market was spontaneously organized by the owners of the chicken-blood stone mines and the villagers at the foot of Yuyan Mountain. There weren't many rules for entering and exiting, unlike the jade public auction where you couldn't enter without an invitation. After Zhuang Rui and the others entered the market, they looked at each stall one by one.
"Uncle Wang, you've set up a stall here? How are the stones selling?"
After walking past seven or eight stalls, Zhuang Rui saw Old Wang sitting on a stool, smoking a pipe. Old Wang looked very relaxed, unlike other villagers who were shouting and hawking their wares. However, his stall still had the most people gathered around it.
"Hehe, Brother Zhuang, I, Old Wang, rely on my reputation. Business is pretty good. Would you like to sit down?"
Old Wang stood up and gave Zhuang Rui and the others a wink, meaning, "Don't talk nonsense. If these people find out that my stones have been picked over, then you can forget about selling them."
"No, no, Uncle Wang, you're busy..."
Zhuang Rui had already seen all these stones, so he naturally wouldn't waste his time here. He waved to Old Wang and was about to leave when, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw that Young Master Yan was following him like a persistent ghost.
"Damn it, this guy is really sick..."
Zhuang Rui cursed inwardly. He had never seen such a shameless guy. It seemed he was sticking to him. He thought, "I don't believe I can't deal with you."
"Uncle Wang, how much is this stone for you?"
Zhuang Rui pretended not to see Yan Kai, stopped in front of Old Wang's stall, and took the opportunity of turning his back to everyone to wink hard at Old Wang.
The piece of stone that Zhuang Rui was referring to was the one he hadn't liked yesterday, and it was also the most expensive among Old Wang's chicken-blood stone pieces.
Old Wang was slightly taken aback when he saw Zhuang Rui's actions, but being an old man with a keen sense of humor, he immediately held up his hand and said, "Seventy thousand, no bargaining!"
Chapter 583 Setting a Trap (Part 1)
"Uncle Wang, is that gesture you're making for 50,000 yuan or 70,000 yuan?"
Zhuang Rui couldn't help but laugh when he saw Old Wang's actions. He was holding up a hand, which represented 50,000, but he was shouting 70,000. It just looked so awkward.
"Brother Zhuang, this piece of chicken-blood stone has been examined by Teacher Ma. Regardless of my gestures, I won't sell it for less than 70,000..."
Old Wang chuckled and withdrew his hand, but his words were firm: "Buy it or don't, it's up to you." Old Wang wasn't stupid; he had noticed yesterday that Zhuang Rui and that man surnamed Yan had a conflict. Now that man was following Zhuang Rui, he might be trying to provoke Zhuang Rui.
Zhuang Rui squatted on the ground, seemingly examining the chicken-blood stone weighing over thirty kilograms, but in fact, his eyes were constantly watching Yan Kai beside him. Only after seeing the consultant, Lao Cao, rush over did Zhuang Rui stand up.
"Seventy thousand it is then. This material is quite good, and the size is large enough. We can carve it into a decorative piece..."
Zhuang Rui pondered for a moment and decided to buy the material. He then asked, "Uncle Wang, do you want cash or a bank transfer?"
To facilitate the trading of bloodstone, cash is generally used here. However, some bloodstone mine owners have applied for card readers from banks to facilitate large transactions. As long as both parties have bank cards or bank accounts, they can transfer money directly.
"Zhuang Rui, you're not..."
"Sister-in-law, are you tired carrying that basket? Let me take it..."
Qin Xuanbing knew that Zhuang Rui had already looked at these stones yesterday and didn't understand why he wanted to buy them again. Just as she was about to ask him, Yang Wei interrupted her.
Wei Ge and Zhuang Rui were classmates for four years, so he knows Zhuang Rui very well. This kid is probably up to no good again.
Ignoring the fact that Qin Xuanbing and Nurse Song were completely bewildered, Old Wang didn't care and said with a smile, "Brother Zhuang, if you have cash, that would be best. Transferring money is too much trouble..."
"Okay, cash it is then, Peng Fei, take out 70,000..."
Zhuang Rui nodded, turned to Peng Fei and said, then pretended to have just seen Yan Kai, letting out a cold snort and giving him a disdainful look.
"Damn it, you think you're so great? Hurry up and raise the price..."
Although Zhuang Rui was shouting for Peng Fei to give him the money, he was actually waiting for Yan Kai to cause trouble. However, Zhuang Rui did not expect that Yan Kai was quite calm and just stood there watching without saying a word.
Zhuang Rui brought a total of 500,000 yuan in cash this time. 70,000 yuan was just seven dollars. The bank seals were all affixed properly, so there was no need to count it. Peng Fei took it out of his backpack.
"Uncle Wang, could you check? Is it 70,000?"
Zhuang Rui's acting has gone on until now, and it's become real. He originally wanted to set a trap for Yan Kai, but the kid didn't fall for it and ended up getting himself trapped instead. But Zhuang Rui doesn't care. He'll just consider it compensation for the bargain that Old Wang picked up yesterday.
"Hehe, no need to check, no need to check, there are bank notes stuck here..."
Old Wang was all smiles. Although he was a little puzzled by Zhuang Rui's actions, the several stacks of pink RMB were right in front of him. As he spoke, Old Wang reached out to take the money Zhuang Rui handed over.
"Wait, Old Wang, I need to take a look at this stone..."
Just as the transaction was about to be completed, Yan Kai finally spoke, and rudely pushed away Old Wang's hand that was taking the money.
"Kid, are you looking for trouble? We've already made a deal, what are you doing?"
Zhuang Rui was secretly delighted, but his face showed a furious expression, and he pointed his hand at Yan Kai's nose.
"The item hasn't been sold to you yet. Whoever pays the most gets it. What, you want to hit me?"
Yan Kai couldn't wait for Zhuang Rui to punch him in the face, because the bodyguard standing in the crowd had already received his instructions and turned on the camera to point at the two of them.
"Okay, look, look..."
Zhuang Rui feigned anger, reluctantly withdrew his hand, and said to Old Wang, "Uncle Wang, the money is all right here. Will you sell it or not?"
"Brother Zhuang, let him take a look first. If he doesn't want it, it's yours..."
Old Wang looked very troubled. In business, the highest bidder wins. You can't just refuse someone who offers 80,000 and then sell it to you for 70,000 instead.
"Uncle Wang, we've already agreed on a price, you can't do this..."
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Rui's face immediately showed displeasure, and his words became rather unpleasant.
"Young man, as long as you offer the highest price in the end, the item is naturally yours..."
"Uncle Wang, is there even a question? Whoever pays the most money gets the stone..."
"Yes, the bloodstones in our market are all auctioned off; whoever offers the highest price wins..."
People around started to support Old Wang; they were all from the same village, so they were bound to help each other out.
To be honest, the trade in raw chicken-blood stone in 2005 wasn't very hot. A chicken-blood stone that wasn't very big but was of good quality would generally cost around 30,000 to 50,000 yuan. When someone offered 70,000 yuan for a stone at Old Wang's stall, it immediately attracted a crowd, making Old Wang's stall extremely crowded.
"Old Cao, go take a look at this piece of material, what do you think?"
The onlookers' comments made Zhuang Rui somewhat embarrassed, but the more embarrassed he was, the more smug Yan Kai's smile became. He turned to Lao Cao and ordered him to go up and take a look at the material. He himself knew nothing; he probably didn't even know what chicken blood stone was used for.
Although Yan Kai was somewhat arrogant and domineering, he wasn't a complete idiot, nor had he completely lost his rationality. He was also afraid that Zhuang Rui was putting on an act, so he waited until Zhuang Rui took out the money and was about to make the transaction before interrupting them. At this moment, Yan Kai felt extremely satisfied looking at Zhuang Rui's ugly face.
The piece of chicken-blood stone on the ground is the kind of material where blood streaks seep from both ends. If you win the gamble on this kind of material, it means you're bleeding in the middle and will make a huge profit. But if you lose, you might not even be able to recover your initial investment. Old Cao examined it very carefully and squatted on the ground for more than 10 minutes before standing up.
"Old Cao, how's it going?"
Seeing that Lao Cao had put away the tools he used to examine the stone, Yan Kai quickly asked, not wanting to interrupt Zhuang Rui's transaction and find that the stone was worthless. If he didn't buy it, he would only embarrass himself.
"It's a bit of a gamble, but worth it. 70,000 is a reasonable price. Any higher, and the risk increases..."