C205 Iron Dragon

Upon entering the jade betting shop, I saw Boss Wei on the phone. His business seemed to have picked up again. With fewer jade bets recently, he had shifted his focus back to daily operations. Business, after all, flourishes when you truly invest your energy into it.

When Boss Wei spotted me, he walked over and said with a grin, "Brother, it's been a while since you came by. What brings you here alone today? Where’s Qian Guang?"

I smiled faintly and replied, "He's off with his woman."

My words carried a bitter tone that slipped out unconsciously. Boss Wei's expression turned a bit awkward, but he quickly laughed it off. "No worries, Brother. I'll keep you company. Recently, I brought back a batch of fine materials from Myanmar. The public jade auctions are just around the corner, and all the Burmese jade traders are making their moves. I managed to snag some excellent pieces from the black market. Want to take a look?"

I nodded, and Boss Wei led me upstairs. A few of us settled in the lounge as Boss Wei went into his office. Wang Gui, looking displeased, muttered, "Brother Fei, Boss Wei is such a chameleon. He switches his tone depending on who he’s talking to. Are you still going to deal with him?"

I replied calmly, "Right now, we're in no position to be choosy. We still have to play nice, whether we like it or not. We don’t have the upper hand yet. Understand?"

Though reluctant, Wang Gui nodded. Just then, my phone rang. It was Malan. I answered, "What is it?"

"Where are you?" she asked.

"Jade betting," I replied tersely, ready to hang up.

But Malan quickly interjected, "Zhao Fei, didn't you say you were going to resolve the issue? How did you handle it?"

I let out a bitter laugh and said, "Your sister schemed against you, Qian Guang has his foot on my neck, and I’m caught between the two of you—a scheming sister and my so-called boss. Tell me, how am I supposed to solve this? There’s no solution! I give up. You two sisters can have your way, but I’m done with this. Never again."

With that, I hung up. I had spoken in frustration, but deep down, I felt suffocated. Pressured from all sides, I could barely breathe. My only choice was to retreat, cutting off contact with everyone. It might seem cowardly, but for now, it felt like the smartest move.

Just then, Boss Wei returned, wheeling in a batch of jade materials. I glanced at them—quite a few pieces, ranging in size from small to large. Even the outer skins looked promising. It was clear these were prime materials prepared for the upcoming auction.

"Brother Zhao," Boss Wei began, "the public auction is nearing. Burmese traders often sell their materials cheaply before the event."

I asked curiously, "Why not wait for the auction? Wouldn’t the prices be higher then?"

He chuckled. "You don’t get it. The auction is run by the military, and participation is strictly limited to local traders with permits. Most of the miners in Myanmar aren’t eligible to join. If they don’t sell their stock beforehand, no one will buy it once the auction starts. By then, their goods would just sit there, unsold."

I nodded, realizing the logic. Seeing my interest, Boss Wei smiled. "None of these pieces have been opened yet. I was planning to open them myself since my shop’s raw jade stock is running low. But since you’re here, why don’t we open them together?"

I smiled back and declined. "No need, Boss Wei. I’ll handle it myself."

His expression turned slightly displeased. "Brother Zhao, we’ve always partnered before. Why the sudden distance? Is it because of that incident in Myanmar?"

"No, it’s not that," I replied. "It’s just that I have more resources now, and I want to aim higher. Don’t take it the wrong way."

Boss Wei chuckled. "Ah, so you’re ready to strike out on your own. Fair enough. Everyone has to grow at some point. If you don’t want to partner with Qian Guang at the auction, you can always come with me instead."

His words were a blatant attempt to sow discord between me and Qian Guang. I responded nonchalantly, "We’ll see. Let’s look at the materials first."

I picked up a small piece, about the size of an egg. Its vibrant green color immediately stood out, but I wasn’t fooled. It was a classic case of "Iron Dragon."

The history of this material dates back to the early 20th century, when miners in northern Myanmar’s Hpakant region discovered a new type of jade. Its intense green hue made it difficult to distinguish between surface and interior quality. The locals called it "htelongsein," meaning "full green," which was later transliterated into Chinese as "Iron Dragon."

While some Iron Dragon jade can be of exceptional quality, most are coarse, opaque, and riddled with imperfections. Its lower transparency and rough texture make it less valuable to experts, but its striking color appeals to novices, creating a peculiar market demand.

I turned the piece over and noticed a faint white patch on the back, indicative of an older Hpakant origin. Its vibrant color and medium water content placed it in the middle tier of quality. Still, it wasn’t something I was particularly interested in—too small, with limited value even if it turned out well.

Boss Wei frowned. "Damn, how did an Iron Dragon piece end up in this batch? It must’ve been part of that so-called ‘gift set’ from those unreliable Burmese traders."

I chuckled. That explained it—there was no way Boss Wei would willingly buy such a piece.

He handed the piece to me. "Here, take it. Consider it a little good-luck charm."

I shrugged and accepted. "Thanks, Boss Wei. Wang Gui, cut it in half. Let’s see if we get lucky."

Wang Gui examined the piece and joked, "Brother Fei, this is top-grade green material. If it weren’t Iron Dragon, it’d be worth millions."

I laughed. "If you open it and strike gold, half of it’s yours."

Even Boss Wei joined in the laughter. "If you manage to cut out something top-notch, you’ll be a legend."

Wang Gui took the piece to the cutting station while I turned my attention to the other materials. As I picked up a larger piece, weighing about ten kilograms, I noticed its fine, dry-green skin and distinctive snake-like patterns. It showed promising signs of being a higher-grade piece, but I was still assessing its potential when Wang Gui suddenly shouted, "Brother Fei! We hit the jackpot!"

Startled, I turned to see Wang Gui holding two halves of the cut material. The interior revealed a dazzling, vivid green with unexpectedly high water content. My heart raced as I stared in disbelief.

"Could this really be a stroke of luck?" I muttered under my breath, beads of sweat forming on my forehead.

A/N

Heyy, you reading, thanks for reading this far please don't stop, support me in any way that youcan. Your reviews, your comments, your criticism, all of it, l would appreciate them. l love you.

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