A man in his forties, wearing a shirt and slacks, came trotting over with quick, small steps shortly after Boss Xie disappeared. He was forty years old and maintained a very healthy physique. Both his demeanor and his pair of gold-rimmed round glasses embodied a popular term: a wolf in sheep's clothing.
He approached me, bowed, and grabbed my hand, smiling ingratiatingly. "I've finally met you," he cooed.
I dodged the overly enthusiastic man and asked, surprised, "Who are you?"
"It's me. Me, oh, I forgot to introduce myself. Lu Yao, also known as Tu Kela. Ning Caishen, you're something else, why didn't you give the Sect Master a photo of me?"
Ning Caishen pouted, "Would I keep a photo of you?"
Tu Kela burst into laughter, "After so many years, you're still so straightforward."
Unknowingly, Tu Kela had already gripped my hands. My heart tightened; these hands were definitely those of a trained martial artist. I hadn't realized Tu Kela was a man of both letters and martial prowess.
"Sect Master, I know you're visiting Ruili today. By some unfortunate turn of events, I missed you, and you became as elusive as a dragon's head without a tail. I've been searching for you from noon until night, and now I've found you."
"What do you want with me?"
"Ning Caishen—" Tu Kela drew out the name, looking at Ning Caishen. Ning Caishen's face fell. "What have I done now?"
"Why didn't you tell the Sect Master my true identity? I am one of the Four Colors Old K. The Four Colors Old K returning to the main lineage of The Schemers is a matter of bringing glory to our ancestors. Tell me, if I hadn't met the Sect Master, would I be able to find peace? If I didn't arrange for the Sect Master to be comfortable, it would be a bloody scar in my memory forever.
"I've already finished dinner. How do you plan to entertain me tonight?"
"Food is a trivial matter. A veritable feast and a forest of wine is the true enjoyment. In Ruili, it's simply an exotic version of that."
I smiled and steered back to the main point, "I appreciate your intentions, but we can't do things this way. I heard the tigress at home is also here. Arrange for us to meet."
Hearing my words, Tu Kela's face showed the look of difficulty I had expected.
"When gods fight, mortals suffer."
"Director Lu, what do you mean by that?"
"Please don't call me Director Lu. In our circle of The Schemers, I will always be your little Tu Kela."
Ning Caishen raised an eyebrow. "Alright, you. The boss and his wife are meeting. Why are you interfering?"
Frankly, this Lu Yao was quite the actor. He gave Ning Caishen a rather dramatic roll of his eyes. "If you haven't walked in another's shoes, don't advise them on goodness. Ning Caishen, don't get involved in this blindly."
I smiled faintly, and Ning Caishen spoke up in my defense, "What are you talking about?"
Lu Yao whispered into Ning Caishen's ear, "Are you jealous? Upset and don't want to see her? Doesn't your wife travel all over the country just to avoid the Sect Master?"
"Jealous of what?"
Ning Caishen deliberately spoke loudly so I could hear, only to be glared at by Lu Yao. "Why so loud? Doesn't the Sect Master have any dignity?"
"It's fine, I also want to know what Lin Han is up to."
"Isn't it because you went to Hong Kong?" Lu Yao said this to me while straightening his posture. I looked at him, surprised, and also replied seriously, "A brief separation makes the heart grow fonder. I went to Hong Kong to help a friend. What's there to be jealous about?" "You have a confidante in Hong Kong, Gao Ziyan, right?"
"Yes, there is such a person."
"We don't need to elaborate on Gao Ziyan's status; she's the successor of a legendary family. Her feelings for you are more than just a platonic friendship."
I laughed, "It takes two to clap. This isn't a one-person matter."
"You're still thinking of clapping? This is fortunate to be a one-person matter. If both of you were interested, with your wife's fiery temper, wouldn't it end up in court?"
I pretty much understood Lu Yao's meaning. I had been strongly pursued by a powerful figure like Gao Ziyan, but to no avail, and Lin Han was displeased and didn't want to see me. To be honest, before coming to Ruili, I had considered what excuse Tu Kela might use to prevent me from seeing Lin Han. Frankly, I hadn't expected this reason.
However, it didn't matter; everything was within expectations.
"You can't indulge women too much. Let's not make things difficult for Director Lu. If she doesn't want to meet, then so be it."
Lu Yao smiled and bowed repeatedly, "Thank you, Sect Master, thank you, Sect Master. You are so magnanimous, not forcing your subordinates to live in the cracks. This breadth of mind..."
"Alright, don't rush with your flattery. Director Lu, what are our plans for tonight?"
"Please don't call me Director Lu. Really, just call me Tu Kela."
"Okay, I won't stand on ceremony. Tu Kela, what are our plans for tonight?"
"A feast of wine and meat, imperial-grade exotic fare."
I smiled without a word. Tu Kela smacked his forehead and slapped his own face, "I forgot what I just said. Given Madam's fiery temper, we can't dance on the tip of a knife. Since we're in Ruili, let's play something local: stone gambling."
I had heard of cockfighting, but stone gambling was new to me.
Stone gambling is similar to cockfighting, with a clear gambling element. A poem once read: "Born without the need for letters, cockfighting and horse racing surpass reading."
In Ruili, stone gambling is also a way to make money. People rely on their experience to determine victory or defeat, and those who play big games experience heart-pounding thrills. I got into Lu Yao's car and arrived at a luxurious residential area, whose name I didn't know. Under the fawning gazes of the security guards, we arrived at the entrance of a villa. Two cars were already parked there, very discreet, an Audi and a BMW, both in the common black color favored by officials.
Upon entering, on a classical rosewood table in the living room, lay about a dozen rough jade stones, each about the size of a head. Several people who appeared to be experts were examining them. As I watched, I heard voices from upstairs. The second floor of this villa overlooked the first. Two people sat upstairs, smoking and chatting, while several young girls in qipaos, with graceful figures, stood respectfully nearby, casually serving tea and water, or offering nuts and pastries.
Lu Yao introduced these two to me: one was Boss Zhu, and the other was Boss Gu. Boss Zhu had secretly worked as a miner in Myanmar when he was young. Boss Gu had also been a runner in the Jiega market years ago.
These two were considered prominent figures in the raw jade circle. They often gathered together for stone gambling. Lu Yao introduced me to them, addressing me as Boss Tang.
Boss Zhu seemed impatient, "Lu Yao, how are we playing today?"
"The usual rules. A test of eyesight. Each person picks a stone, and whoever extracts better quality jade wins."
Afterward, Lu Yao specifically explained to me that stone gambling involved trading stones for stones, not cash or accounts. Jade is priceless, and trading stones for stones was a loophole. The police couldn't appraise the value of the stones, so it didn't count as gambling.
"Since that's the case, let's gamble on this today."
Saying that, I took out the cloth bag. Lu Yao opened it to reveal a specimen with a window cut. This stone, once cut, could yield many bracelets and cabochons. After examining it, Lu Yao placed the specimen with the window on the table, a smile plastered on his face. "Boss Tang, we can't use this stone. Generally, for stone-for-stone trades, we use slices."
Judging from the window, my stone was ice-type jade, with decent color. It could be made into floating ice jade bracelets, kept for personal use or as a shop display. The rest could be cut into slices, 11mm thick, and sold. The total value of all these pieces would be around two hundred thousand.
"Cut it open."
"Understood."
Lu Yao handed the stone to the girls, who took it down for the cutting master to work on. Ning Caishen was reluctantly engaged in idle chatter with Boss Zhu and Boss Gu. I leaned on the railing, watching the stone being cut, and heard a sharp, familiar sound.
"Cutting this scrap, and you still don't trust me? Do you think I'd swap it?"
Lu Yao walked over to me, adopting the same posture, leaning on the railing and watching the cutting scene below, he said softly.
"No, it just brought back memories of the past."
"Are you referring to the 'Empty Room Celebrity Game'?"
"Yes, back then Qin Sisi tampered with the stones, and the lavender jade, or whatever, appeared as if by magic."
"The 'Empty Room Celebrity Game' from back then also influenced the current stone gambling landscape. No one is willing to spend a large sum to bet on rough stones anymore, which is why this stone-for-stone method has emerged. We take a cut from the stone gambling. These unpolished rough stones are practically free. Don't underestimate these stones; they are the finest picked by true experts after the trading companies have paid their taxes. Each one is priceless."
"Priceless? Worth millions?"
"Not necessarily. Raw jade isn't that valuable. A piece might be worth a few thousand yuan. Your stone, two hundred thousand? What are you buying it for? Will you even make back the capital? Moreover, you bought it for three hundred thousand. This money, you're half-buying, half-giving away, and you don't take this stone seriously at all. But your opponent does. Two hundred thousand! They'll be playing with a pounding heart."
Hearing Lu Yao's words, I chuckled, "Such a small game, what's the point of playing?"
"This is to show you my skills, Sect Master. Tell me, do you want to win or lose tonight?"