24. The Jade Shop

(Begging for favorites and recommendations)

Bang, bang, bang...

Just as Chen Fengyun put down his backpack, went to the bathroom, and washed his face, there was a knock at the door.

Without opening it, a sweep with his spiritual sense told Chen Fengyun it was Zeng Yiyue. Still, he took his time drying his face before opening the door. "Miss Zeng, I was just washing up. Are you going out already?"

He didn't need to ask; it was obvious Zeng Yiyue didn't want to stay cooped up in the hotel. Coming to find him could only mean she wanted to go out for a stroll.

"I napped on the train this morning, and now I can't sleep. Why not go out and explore? Lincang may be a small county, but it's far livelier than most, and who knows what fun we might find?" Zeng Yiyue nodded in agreement.

"Give me a moment, I'll just grab a few things and we'll go." Since she wanted to have some fun, Chen Fengyun was more than willing to accompany her. Lincang was known for its many jade shops and gambling stone stores with raw jade boulders displayed outside—there might even be some unexpected gains.

Chen Fengyun tucked his ID and wallet into his pocket, leaving his backpack with nothing but a change of clothes and toiletries in the hotel room, unconcerned about its safety.

"Excuse me, miss, what's the most interesting place to visit in Lincang?" In the hotel lobby, Zeng Yiyue went straight to the front desk to inquire.

"Oh, that's definitely the Jade Market Square. Just head right after you leave the hotel, go down the street about five hundred meters, and you'll find a square surrounded by jade shops and small gambling stone stores. Whether you want to buy jade or experience the thrill of stone gambling, it's the most exciting area. Plus, there's a snack street and a pedestrian shopping street nearby—plenty for shopping and eating." The receptionist answered enthusiastically.

"Thank you! Let's go check out the Jade Market Square, then," Zeng Yiyue said, nodding, and promptly dragged Chen Fengyun away.

As expected, not even a street away from their hotel, jade shops began to line the roadside, each more lavishly decorated than the last, their interiors sparkling with displays of all kinds of jade artifacts.

When they reached the Jade Market Square, Chen Fengyun saw a plaza of about three acres, with five roads radiating in all directions from it. Around the square stood over a dozen large jade shops, and even more small ones, all dealing in jade or raw jade stones. The crowds of visitors gave the place a festive air—while not packed to the brim, there was a constant flow of people.

"Wow, there are jade shops everywhere—so much jade!"

"My goodness, all these stores let you gamble on stones, and inside each raw boulder might be precious jade!"

Zeng Yiyue, curious as a child, darted from place to place, exclaiming in wonder. Chen Fengyun could tell she wasn't really interested in buying; she was simply fascinated by the sheer abundance of jade.

He kept close to her as they moved, all the while scanning their surroundings with his spiritual sense, seeking any sign of spiritual energy. He would also casually touch the raw stones displayed at shop entrances, trying to sense any unusual energy.

At the same time, Chen Fengyun remained vigilant. He sensed, among the ordinary tourists, several individuals with a distinctly roguish air—clearly, this was a place where all sorts of local toughs and outside power players mingled, and a careless move could easily spark conflict.

He also surmised that a market as lucrative as the jade trade could not possibly exist without underworld involvement. Though Lincang was a small county, the shadowy forces behind the jade business were likely formidable.

"Although I haven't detected any spiritual energy or special power, my spiritual sense can definitely penetrate raw jade stones and reveal whether there's jade inside."

After following Zeng Yiyue to several shops, Chen Fengyun felt reassured. He had tested this at several storefronts: his spiritual sense could indeed pierce the surface of the raw stones to see the jade within—a feat impossible for even the most advanced technology in the world.

However, while the raw stones here were not large, most had already had "windows" cut into them, so it was generally known that there was jade inside. The uncertainty lay only in the quality and size of the jade, which meant each stone cost tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands or millions. Though Chen Fengyun could determine the quality and size of the jade within, he simply didn't have that kind of money.

But he hadn't come to get rich gambling on stones, and since these didn't contain any special energy, there was nothing here he needed. Why risk exposing himself just for show?

"I'd really love to try buying a raw stone... but I just don't have enough money," Zeng Yiyue sighed, gazing at the glowing boulders.

"Forget it, Miss Zeng. With your salary, it would take years just to buy one, and if you lost, you'd be out your future dowry. If you'd like to buy some finished jade, I can help you choose, but stone gambling is another matter," Chen Fengyun advised gently.

"I was only daydreaming—I'm not crazy enough to gamble like that. Still, seeing all this jade, some of it costing astronomical sums, it's no wonder people get obsessed and lose everything overnight. The temptation is overwhelming," Zeng Yiyue admitted. For all her youthful enthusiasm, she was still an adult with self-control.

Though they didn't buy anything, they enjoyed themselves thoroughly, going from shop to shop, watching wealthy patrons spend lavishly on priceless jade pieces and others, brimming with confidence, gambling heavily on raw stones.

"Why is there such a crowd over there? Let's go see!" Suddenly, Zeng Yiyue spotted a circle of people gathered in front of a shop about thirty meters ahead and pulled Chen Fengyun over.

"You punks damaged this raw stone. Afraid you can't walk away without buying it now. But we're not unfair—pay up and we'll cut it open for free, right here. If the jade inside is good, we'll even buy it back at a high price. Everyone here knows the rules—you can all be witnesses," a domineering voice declared as soon as they reached the edge of the crowd.

Chen Fengyun saw two young men hemmed in by three or four burly fellows, one of whom was pointing at a raw stone lying at the base of the shop's steps.

"That's a lie! We never touched your stone—it rolled down on its own. We were just walking by, hadn't even set foot on the steps. If you don't believe us, check your security camera!" one of the young men shouted angrily.

"Be reasonable! We didn't touch your stone at all—it rolled down by itself, nothing to do with us. Don't you have surveillance at your entrance? Why not check the footage?" the other young man demanded, his face grim.