My heart felt that something was wrong, and I wondered if we had been tricked.
...
Lao Tie and I discussed it, and decided to go to Boss Xie's place to cut the jade.
With jade, if you don't cut it, even immortals don't know what's inside. Even if Master Wang sold us a low-quality piece, perhaps our luck would turn and we could profit.
We rushed to Boss Xie's Jingxin Zhai. Although it had just opened, Boss Xie didn't seem particularly energetic. However, seeing us, he put on a very business-like smile.
"Youngsters, you saw some roughs yesterday."
"Boss, please cut this piece for us."
Lao Tie was a bit impatient. We handed the opened rough we had bought to Boss Xie.
Boss Xie turned it over and looked at it for a long time, then shook his head: "Little brothers, I can't cut this one. This stone has a ghost in it."
"How can this stone have a ghost? It hasn't even been cut."
I didn't quite understand, but Lao Tie liked jade and had been studying it for a while, with some knowledge of its quality, water, and origins. I still trusted him, but seeing Boss Xie's sincere and earnest expression, I started to have doubts.
"Boss Xie, please make one cut."
"This can't be cut."
Seeing our persistence, Boss Xie took the rough and hit it a few times on his sturdy cutting table. The good material that was supposed to be there developed several cracks. The area near the window was a pre-cut slice, and the rest was worthless, appearing to be made of patched surface stones. When Boss Xie pried the stone open with his tools in a few moments, Lao Tie and I felt our hearts sink.
I wanted to ask if the material could still be sold, but seeing Lao Tie stumble out in a daze, I couldn't bother to ask. I quickly followed him: "Lao Tie, let's think of another way. Why don't we call the police?"
"Calling the police is useless. In jade gambling, it's buyer beware."
"That's true, they don't interfere with jade gambling, but what about these stone sellers who cheat?"
"Do you have any evidence?"
Lao Tie gave a desolate smile and walked towards the hotel in a trance.
"Tie Zhi Shan!"
I called out loudly to Lao Tie, but he seemed to have lost his soul. I could only follow him back to the hotel. We hadn't eaten all day, and Lao Tie sat there in a state of shock. I felt terrible too. The seventy thousand yuan from my parents had gone down the drain. But Lao Tie was worse off than me; tens of thousands were the down payment for an apartment and funds for wedding renovations, and now it was all gone.
"I'm sorry, Lao Tie, I ruined this for you. If it weren't for my greed, you would have only bought a few visible pieces."
"I brought you to Ruili, so it's not your fault."
How could I not blame myself? Lao Tie was big and strong, but in reality, he didn't live confidently, even a bit timid. If I hadn't encouraged him, he would never have dared to do this. I hated myself. I had been so wise my whole life, yet so foolish at this one moment. I had always disdained such simple tricks, so how could I have been fooled by such a simple ploy?
Perhaps I was too tired. Lying on the bed, feeling wronged, I actually fell asleep.
When I woke up, I felt a chill. The room was very dark, and the window was open, with cold wind whistling in. In the dim light, I saw Lao Tie sitting on the windowsill. This was the sixth floor.
"Lao Tie, what are you doing? Don't do anything rash. If the money is gone, we'll find a way. If your life is gone, then nothing remains."
Lao Tie turned to look at me and gave me a tragic smile.
I will never forget that smile in my life. It was clearly a smile, but it was filled with despair. I lunged forward and grabbed Lao Tie's clothes. *Rrrrrip...* The force of the fall was too great, and I couldn't hold on. Not only did the clothes tear, but I also crashed into the glass, my head bleeding.
...
At this time, there were still some people downstairs, and the scene was chaotic.
I stood by the window, watching Lao Tie's blood slowly flow from his body. My mind went blank.
It's over. How can I explain this to Lao Tie's parents? I came with him, and if I go back alone, how will I live the rest of my life? Sitting by the window, I was consumed by pain, pulling my hair, squatting down, and banging my head against the wall. No matter what, I couldn't forgive myself. A suicidal thought suddenly popped into my head: why don't I just go with Lao Tie?
So, without hesitation, I climbed onto the windowsill. With one leap, everything would be over and would have nothing to do with me. I closed my eyes, ready to follow Lao Tie to the other side, when a large, greasy hand grabbed my collar and yanked me back.
The person who pulled me back was fat-headed, big-eared, and his face was oily. I yelled at him: "Don't stop me, let me die."
*Slap...*
He slapped me hard.
I opened my eyes, my head cleared a bit, and I stared at him blankly.
The person who saved me was very fat. Seeing that I had regained my senses, he grinned like a Maitreya Buddha: "It's better to live a dog's life than to die a hero's death. I just saw someone on the windowsill, and I couldn't save them. Fortunately, I managed to save one."
I didn't reply. The fat man looked down from the windowsill, frowning: "Judging by their condition, your brother isn't dead. I have a car. If we take him to the hospital now, he might still survive."
Hearing this, I immediately stumbled and ran outside.
...
Lao Tie was sent to the hospital and taken into surgery. Because he was sent to the hospital in time, Lao Tie was still alive. However, the situation was not optimistic; he was in a vegetative state, and it was unknown when he would wake up.
After listening to the doctor's words, I felt extremely exhausted. Everything felt like a mountain pressing down on me. Although I was not dead, could I still live a normal life under such pressure? Not to mention anything far away, what about Lao Tie's medical expenses?
Lao Tie must be saved. If not, I'll call my mom first. If she doesn't have the money, I'll see if she can help borrow some.
When I walked into the lobby, the fat man who brought us there shoved a stack of payment receipts into my hand. I was dumbfounded, my feelings extremely complex. I had encountered both a swindler and a benefactor in Ruili.
"I really don't know how to thank you."
"Saving a life is virtuous, no need to say too much. Let's talk about something else. When the police came, I heard you recounting the process very clearly, explaining how you were scammed and your feelings at the time. You could say it was a perfect reconstruction."
I gave a wry smile. This was nothing to brag about.
"The police won't be able to catch that Master Wang."
"Why? Isn't he from here?"
"He often disappears, which indicates he is a repeat offender. Usually, in jade gambling circles, many scams are difficult to define. If a Mr. Wang disappears for a while, those who are scammed will probably just accept their bad luck and not pursue it. Then he can return and openly cheat again. And this time, your friend jumped off a building, which involves a life. Master Wang will definitely disappear for a long time. Also, he is a scammer, not a murderer, so he can't be extradited. Once he leaves the control of Ruili police, he can change his identity and live freely."
The fat man's analysis made me feel like my future was dim.
We were scammed, and the scammers could still get away with it.
"Can you help me?"
The fat man's analysis was insightful, and I placed my hope in him.
"This is a setup. Only by finding the mastermind can the setup be broken. Your ability to reconstruct the events shows that you remember every detail. Think carefully about it and tell me who the real mastermind is, and I'll help you get back the money you were scammed out of."
"How can I contact you?"
The fat man took a payment receipt from my hand, wrote a landline phone number on the back, and then drew a symbol that resembled a snake eating its own tail.
"What's your name?"
"Gluttonous Ghost!"