As soon as Bo Nan walked through the door, he spotted Bai Yanggui. Seeing the other man’s eyes darting toward him wanting to look but not quite daring to do so openly a smile naturally brightened Bo Nan’s face. Compared to his usual half-smile of polite, detached elegance, this one held a glimmer of genuine amusement.
Today, Bai Yanggui was dressed to the nines. From his perfectly tailored suit to the subtle green glow of his jade tie clip, everything screamed “old money.” The only thing lacking was his poker face; it hadn’t quite reached professional levels yet, still betraying the restless energy of a young man.
Bo Nan instinctively pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Looking at him like this, had he really not checked Bo Nan’s identity?
No way.
Then he thought about the version of Bai Yanggui he remembered from twenty years later. Did something happen to him in the middle to change him so much?
It was understandable that Bai Yanggui didn’t recognize Bo Nan, just as that old man earlier hadn’t. It was all Bo Nan’s own fault for his “Chunibyo” phase in his youth; he’d rather sleep at home than attend any social functions, even going so far as to hide when guests came over. His father and brother had been content as long as he wasn’t out causing trouble.
Aside from a very tight-knit circle, very few people had seen the adult Bo Nan.
“Eh? Xiao Bo, perfect timing!” Boss Liu had grown quite fond of Bo Nan in their short time together. He gestured toward Bai Yanggui. “The Bai family ordered a batch of goods and just came to pick them up. Want to head over and feast your eyes? Old Liu was keeping them hidden tight before, but he can’t hide them today.”
This warehouse was shared by several dealers. Since they were all in the raw stone business and had been acquaintances for decades, theft was never an issue. This was just a transit station; truly top-tier materials were locked in home safes.
This was exactly what Bo Nan wanted. He smiled. “Sure, to have seen it is to have owned it, right?”
“That’s the spirit!” Boss Liu didn’t even care about his own stock anymore, excitedly leading Bo Nan over to see the high-grade goods.
As the saying goes, “comparison is the thief of joy.” When there’s premium material in front of you, who wants to look at their own “scraps”?
When Bai Yanggui saw Bo Nan approaching, his eyebrows shot up. A bodyguard nearby noticed and, assuming Bai Yanggui disliked the intrusion, stepped forward and whispered, “President Bai, should I…”
“No need.” Bai Yanggui reached up to push his gold-rimmed glasses, masking his flickering gaze.
Truthfully, he wanted to ask someone to bring a chair so Bo Nan could sit and watch comfortably. But then he remembered his company staff were behind him; he had to maintain his professional persona, lest someone notice something was up. Bai Yanggui was the designated heir, but his father and grandfather were still very much active. He didn’t even dare investigate Bo Nan’s background for fear his elders would find out—that would be more than just “trouble.”
He wouldn’t suffer much—a scolding or a beating at most—but what about Bo Nan? To the elders, Bo Nan was just an “MB.” There were far too many things they could do to someone in that position.
Wait, did I bring the contract?
I think it’s saved on my tablet. I spent all night meticulously editing the clauses—I didn’t even put that much effort into the ten-billion-dollar deals my dad gave me!
Bai Yanggui pumped himself up. He had money, looks, and no weird kinks; he was absolutely competitive for the position of Bo Nan’s primary benefactor!
Bo Nan followed Boss Liu and, with the seller’s permission, watched from the sidelines.
The first package opened was a stone half the height of a person. Bo Nan nodded inwardly, sensing great potential. If Bai Yanggui doesn’t want this one, I’m taking it. Even if the inside is cracked to bits, I don’t care. I wouldn’t even peel it I’d just buy it and throw it in my pond. Pure luck-attracting energy!
Bai Yanggui raised a hand, signaling his professional appraisers to step forward.
Ordering a batch didn’t mean he had to buy it all. The Bai family would set certain criteria—price range, quality—and the seller would find stones that matched. After they were brought back, the Bais would decide which ones were worth the investment.
The appraiser held a high-intensity flashlight to every inch of the stone. Under the light, the rock glowed like a giant peach, emitting a bright yellow hue. Where the light pressed against the skin, the glow extended over ten centimeters deep without being cut off by internal fractures.
He tapped the surface twice with the light, hearing a clear, metallic ring like jade striking gold, then rubbed it to ensure no sand fell off. He nodded in satisfaction.
Boss Liu watched with envy. “That light penetration is insane! A shame it doesn’t have color, but for Muna material to have this much ‘water’ and be this large… the interior must be beautifully internalized. At least Sticky-Ice grade or higher! It’s just a gamble on the cracks now.”
“It’s a good piece,” Bo Nan noted. He knew the Bai family had jewelry companies. You can’t just sell high-end stuff; a Sticky-Ice bracelet in the tens of thousands is much better as a mainstream product. He nodded and added, “Nine out of ten Muna stones have ‘Spring’ (lavender). Even if it’s colorless, it’s a win. The shape is complete, and no cracks are visible under the light. As long as it doesn’t hit an ‘Emperor Crack’ inside, it’s a solid deal.”
His internal vision suggested it might even reach Ice Species.
The price didn’t matter; it wouldn’t exceed ten million.
Bai Yanggui overheard Bo Nan and Boss Liu talking. For some reason, he got the subtle feeling that Bo Nan really liked this stone. The appraiser finished his notes on the tablet and handed it to Bai Yanggui. “President Bai, this one is good. I estimate the price at…”
He didn’t say it aloud, but made a hand gesture behind the seller’s back. Bai Yanggui nodded. The appraiser then entered a verbal battle with the seller, successfully locking the stone in at 6.8 million yuan.
A lucky number “smooth and prosperous.” Perfect for business.
Bo Nan looked away with a hint of regret as they moved to the second and third stones.
This batch was truly high-quality. Bo Nan could see it via his “cheats,” but the Bai family appraisers weren’t fools either. They swept up almost everything Bo Nan liked, only passing on a few where the gambling risk was simply too high.
“President Bai, we should skip that Damakan color material,” the appraiser explained. “While there’s a chance for Ice-Sunlight Green, the skin suggests internal cracks—likely ‘Emperor Cracks.’ You won’t be able to get large pieces out of it. I heard someone cut a High-Ice Sunlight Green today; better to spend this money contacting that person and buying a sure thing.”
That stone was massive nearly the size of a round dining table and over a meter thick. The owner was asking thirty million.
Big stones don’t always mean full color. The larger the stone, the lower the probability of the color pervading the whole thing. Usually, only the thin color bands are valuable.
You’d be gambling on color, cracks, and transparency all at once. If it “collapsed,” the loss would be total.
Bai Yanggui wasn’t a professional, but he trusted his appraiser, a company veteran. His main job today was just to sign the checks. He nodded slightly. “Alright, stick to the stable ones. We’ll get the high-end stuff from the public auctions.”
The seller knew that piece would be hard to move and didn’t push it. The viewing was essentially over; now came the payment and packing.
Seeing a flicker of disappointment on Bai Yanggui’s face (likely because he wanted to “show off” more), Bo Nan took out his phone and sent a message.
Bo Nan: Tonight. Are we on?
Bai Yanggui saw the sender and instinctively glanced at Bo Nan. Bai Yanggui: Okay!
Then, with lightning speed, he recalled the message with the emoji and sent a cold, dignified replacement: Okay.
Bai Yanggui took a quiet, deep breath. Even so, he was already mentally reviewing which five-star hotel had the best view.
Is it too fast?
No, not too fast. Getting the person is what matters!
Bo Nan smiled. Recalling it was useless; he had already seen it.
Kind of cute.