Chapter 78

It took more than ten hours to return to China, but now he couldn't immediately go back to his hometown. His hometown was just a city in a central province, and it still took a few hours by car to get there from the economic hub of Shanghai.

However, it was fortunate that his older brother, Qi Lei, still worked here. By now, his older brother didn't have much financial pressure. Qi Ping's success naturally meant he remembered his older brother. But he couldn't just sit and rely on others' help. Even without a mortgage, he still had nearly a million in savings, but he needed to work.

Qi Lei was indeed very grateful for his brother's help. After paying off the loan, he planned to continue in his old line of work, which was real estate agency. He had been in the industry for a long time and now had some capital, so he felt more confident.

"Things are okay. I'm just doing small stuff, not like you making big money. I'm grateful if I can earn a few thousand to ten thousand yuan a month. Unlike you, who makes tens of thousands of dollars a day," Qi Lei joked, driving his newly bought Lavida.

"I'm not easy either. I don't know how many hours I spend working each month. I've made some money, but I spend even more. I don't have much saved, and I've even taken out a loan from the bank," Qi Ping told his older brother, not hiding anything.

"You're investing now. The initial preparation does require a lot, but once everything is set up, you'll definitely make a lot of money," Qi Lei wasn't too concerned. He knew his brother could make money and was well aware of the huge potential of that forest farm.

The two brothers chatted and laughed, and soon they arrived at Qi Lei's rented apartment in Shanghai. Being in the early stages of entrepreneurship, even with a small to medium-sized real estate agency, it wasn't much. It was a one-bedroom, one-living room apartment, a small nest for Qi Lei and his wife in Shanghai. As for their house, although the mortgage was paid off, the new house hadn't been delivered yet.

After a simple meal at his brother's place, Qi Ping mainly came to ask about the jade. His nephew, Benben, was still being taken care of by his grandparents in the hometown. It was tough to make a living, and sometimes it was hard to take care of the child.

"Jade? No problem. I've been keeping an eye on it for a long time," Qi Lei said confidently. He was very serious and concerned about this matter, as it was something his younger brother cared about deeply. "The key is that most of the jade is processed. I've contacted some people, and there are many jade gamblers in the neighboring province of Jiangsu. You can try your luck there."

Qi Ping nodded. In China, "jade gambling, jadeite gambling, and agate gambling" were the three major markets. The Tianning Temple antique market was the most concentrated trading place for Hetian jade, with nearly a hundred Hetian jade dealers and a large number of jadeite and agate raw material dealers. For Qi Ping, Hetian jade was naturally the best choice.

Actually, Qi Ping only needed high-quality jade. Unlike jewelers who required specific shapes and appearances, Qi Ping didn't care much. Even small pieces of jade that jewelers wouldn't look at were fine, as long as the quality was good.

His older brother had indeed helped him a lot, using some connections to find some leads. This made things easier for Qi Ping. He had heard that the domestic jade gambling market was very active, but it seemed more focused on jadeite. Now, it looked like there were also many jade gamblers.

"Mr. Qi, what are your requirements? We have a lot of jade here. You can try your luck. The quality of the jade here is excellent, all from Xinjiang," the jade dealer said. Qi Ping smiled but didn't speak. He knew the saying "ten out of ten lose in gambling." While jade gambling could make you rich overnight, it could also bankrupt you.

Qi Ping didn't plan to gamble on jade. The good-looking raw materials were very expensive. He was waiting for others to open good jade and then bid. This was more in his interest. Compared to the jade at auctions, the jade opened on-site was often better.

"Keep an eye out for me. I want genuine lamb fat white jade. My requirements are not high, just high-quality jade. The price depends on the quality. Size doesn't matter, even small pieces are fine. I don't do jewelry processing, just as long as it's not jade powder," Qi Ping said confidently. Clothes make the man, and Qi Ping was indeed wealthy now. Money gave him courage.

Hearing Qi Ping's words, many jade dealers laughed. It seemed like another rich kid wasting money, but compared to those who liked to gamble on jade for excitement, this Qi family's rich kid was more sensible, not easily getting involved in the high-risk jade gambling.

Qi Ping kept walking and looking, especially at the on-site jade opening. He hoped to see good jade and also to learn and enjoy the spectacle. After all, he had never seen real jade gambling before, and this was an interesting experience.

Although he heard that the jade here was from Xinjiang Hetian, Qi Ping just listened. The jade market was chaotic and required personal judgment. The fantastic stories were not as reliable as his own eyes.

Qi Ping knew he wasn't an expert in jade. He knew there were many types and origins that affected the price. For example, the key points for identifying lamb fat white jade were purity, fine structure, good water content, a white color, and a greasy feel.

But Qi Ping's requirements were different. He wasn't making jewelry, and the "spirit" of the jade was most important to him. Even if a piece of jade looked beautiful, if it lacked spirit, it had little meaning for him.

"Finally, someone opened some jade." Qi Ping shook his head. No wonder people said jade gambling was too risky. He had heard of people making money from jade gambling, but the number of people who lost was countless. After watching for a whole day, he saw very few people open good jade, but many who lost.

Qi Ping was the type who only watched and didn't act. Many people were like him. The risk of jade gambling was too high, so many people waited to see the results before acting. While they might not get rich overnight, they wouldn't lose everything.

While watching the on-site jade opening, he also paid attention to other activities. He observed some jadeite and other types of jade, but his gains were still small.

Qi Ping really wanted to buy some jade raw materials himself. He hadn't seen any satisfactory jade seeds, which was a bit disappointing. Although he heard some people talk about opening good jade, it didn't meet his requirements.

"Mr. Qi, why don't you come back tonight? We have an internal appreciation session in the evening. You might find some satisfactory jade," the jade dealer said, seeing Qi Ping observe all day and shake his head. The dealer, not a major jade dealer, tried hard to win this customer.

"Sure, I hope to see good jade tonight. Mr. Zhao, you don't open much jade here. They say it's Hetian jade, but I'm not sure. I hope to see some good jade tonight, or I might have to go to Kunlun Mountain to dig for jade again," Qi Ping shook his head. He judged jade by its spirit. After a whole day, he found that the so-called "Hetian jade" was less spirited than some random jade, which was telling.