Although she disliked Chen Nan's shamelessness, to prevent him from pushing his luck further, Jian Ning reluctantly kissed him on the cheek. Otherwise, she had no doubt Chen Nan would keep his word. The thought of being hugged and kissed by Chen Nan in front of her best friend made her wonder how they could ever have fun together again. Wouldn't she be utterly ridiculed?
Ding!
The elevator quickly reached the fifth floor. Mu Wanting then led Chen Nan to the office and handed him the company's recent financial records. "Although our company's beverages have only been on the market for a short time, our sales have already reached over twenty million. I've also calculated a rough estimate, and our net profit is around seventy percent."
Chen Nan nodded slightly. "If we start growing our own medicinal herbs next year, our net profit can increase by at least another ten percent."
Mu Wanting shrugged with a smile. "As we discussed, I'm in charge of company operations, marketing, and production, while you handle the logistical support. In a few days, I'll head to the eastern townships to discuss land leasing with the local authorities."
Chen Nan wasn't in a huge rush for this matter. After all, the farmers' crops hadn't been harvested yet. Moreover, the company was newly established and wasn't flush with cash. They needed to secure sufficient funds before leasing land.
After a brief chat about the company's development, Jian Ning asked, "Is there something you needed me for?"
Chen Nan replied, "Is there any way to make a lot of money in a short period? I mean, without doing anything illegal or unethical." His clinic sold over a dozen pills daily, bringing in more than a hundred thousand yuan. While not a small sum, Chen Nan urgently needed a large amount of capital. For one thing, the Luo family would soon be establishing a presence in Jizhou, and he needed to move to a larger house, preferably a villa, so as not to be looked down upon.
"You've come to the right person!" Jian Ning said. "I do know a method to make a lot of money quickly, but it involves significant risk."
Chen Nan's eyes lit up. "What method?"
Jian Ning replied, "Gemstone gambling!"
"Is there a place for gemstone gambling in Jizhou?" Chen Nan had met many people in prison and had heard of gemstone gambling. Put simply, it was about blindly guessing whether a stone contained jade. It was said that some people became billionaires overnight, while others lost everything and had their families torn apart.
"If you're interested, I can take you to have a look. But gemstone gambling is very risky; don't bet blindly!" Jian Ning cautioned earnestly.
"Alright." Chen Nan looked at Mu Wanting. "Sister Ting, please take care of things here at the company. I'll give you a big red envelope at the end of the year."
Mu Wanting gave a wry smile. "Then you two go ahead and do whatever you need to do!"
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Leaving the company, Jian Ning took Chen Nan straight to Beishan. The mountain scenery was pleasant, the air fresh, and the birds sang amongst fragrant flowers. They eventually arrived at a large farmhouse. Although the location was somewhat remote, many luxury cars worth over a million yuan were parked in the courtyard.
"The owner of this farmhouse is named Jia Jun. He used to be in the jade industry. However, our Jian family has monopolized that business, so he found a different path and started purchasing large quantities of raw jade from Tengchong. And I must say, ever since he brought in the raw jade, his business has been booming. Many people now come here to gamble on gemstones. I've heard of over a dozen people becoming multi-millionaires." Jian Ning introduced the owner of the farmhouse.
"What wind blows Miss Jian this way? Please come in, please come in!" As Chen Nan and Jian Ning stepped into the farmhouse, Jia Jun, a thin man in his forties, enthusiastically greeted them. "It's been quite some time since we last met. What brings you here today?"
Jian Ning replied, "My boyfriend wanted to see the sights!"
"Is this young man your boyfriend? He's truly a distinguished and elegant gentleman!" Jia Jun offered some pleasantries, but a hint of disdain flickered in his eyes. He could tell Chen Nan wasn't wealthy, and such people were likely just here to spectate.
Chen Nan ignored Jia Jun and followed Jian Ning inside. They then took an elevator to the basement. It was a huge underground space, covering over a thousand square meters. Many people who had come to gamble on gemstones were already gathered there. From elders in their sixties and seventies to youngsters of seventeen or eighteen, they were clustered around the stone-cutting machines, enjoying the spectacle.
Chen Nan's gaze fell upon the raw jade stones of various sizes and shapes. These raw stones looked very different from local rocks. Most were oval-shaped, with some being flat. They had different vein patterns. But without exception, these stones were expensive. Even a fist-sized piece of raw jade cost thirty thousand yuan. There were also raw stones worth hundreds of thousands, even millions.
Finding a stone containing jade among these numerous raw stones was difficult. But this was only true for ordinary people. For Chen Nan, a cultivator at the Qi Refining stage, finding jade was not difficult! He calmed his mind, silently recited the incantation for the "Qi Observation Technique," and gathered his true qi into his eyes.
In the next moment, the scene before him changed. He could see the aura of all things. People had auras, as did trees, living creatures, and rocks. However, ordinary people couldn't perceive this. But the Qi Observation Technique could. Especially these raw jade stones, most of which were dull and lifeless, but some were enveloped in halos of different colors.
Chen Nan's heart leaped with joy. "If I'm not mistaken, these raw stones should contain jade, and the brilliance of the color determines the quality of the jade." With this thought, Chen Nan directly focused his gaze on a circular piece of stone more than half a meter tall. However, upon seeing the price, he abandoned the idea. He only had a little over a hundred thousand yuan on him, and that piece of stone was worth eight hundred thousand. Would they sell it to him? He needed to snowball his money, sell a cheaper piece first, and then buy that circular stone.
"Sister Ning'er, what brings you here today?" A joyful voice was heard, and a middle-aged man in his thirties walked over with a smile. He was followed by two bodyguards in black.
Seeing her suitor appear, Jian Ning's eyes flashed with disgust. She linked her arm with Chen Nan's and said, "My boyfriend wanted to come here and have some fun, so I brought him along!"
Dong Haoze's smile froze instantly, and disbelief filled his eyes. "You have a boyfriend? Since when? How come I didn't know?" He had been pursuing Jian Ning without success. And now, he saw a plainly dressed fellow with Jian Ning. He couldn't help but feel furious, as if he had eaten a pile of excrement. He couldn't accept this and sneered, "Sister Ning'er must be joking. This guy is just a poor loser; how could he possibly be worthy of you?"