Chapter 72

Update Time: April 4, 2013

Liang Fatzi said, "This warehouse is located in the Fourth Ring Road. The raw jade there is all high-quality, and the prices are relatively high. However, the chances of getting high-grade jadeite are also greater. Many people bet everything on the good-looking raw jade. If they win, they can turn their fortunes around; if they lose, they can go bankrupt."

Hearing that it was within the city, Zhang Yang's vigilance decreased a lot. Knowing a person's face doesn't mean knowing their heart. He and Liang Fatzi were merely acquaintances, and he didn't dare to go there rashly without a clear understanding.

"Brother Liang, where is the location, and when are we going?" Zhang Yang asked.

Liang Fatzi smiled and said, "It will be open in three days. Little brother, the raw jade there is of high quality, and they use a bidding system. You need to be mentally prepared."

"Bidding? I understand." Zhang Yang smiled. He wasn't afraid of bidding. If there was high-grade jadeite, like glass-type imperial green, he would be willing to spend more money.

"Brother Liang, you said the raw jade there is good. Does that mean most of the jewelry stores and gemstone companies in the city will go there?" Zhang Yang suddenly asked.

Liang Fatzi said, "Of course. Although this company isn't well-known, everyone knows it has a powerful backer and extensive connections. The raw jade they get is always of high quality. In recent years, they have produced jadeite worth millions, and last year they even produced a piece of glass-type jadeite worth fifty million. Therefore, not only us small bosses, but also major jewelry stores like Jin Dafu, Wu Fu Jewelry, and Jin Yu Pavilion, as well as gemstone companies like Lido, will all go there to bid. After all, such high-quality raw jade is rare."

Zhang Yang smiled happily. He had just been thinking about how to avoid losing face in front of Hong Yaqin's friends, and now an opportunity had come. Since these companies would be there, it meant he might meet and even compete with them. He couldn't match them in family background, money, or social status, but why should he compare his weaknesses with their strengths?

"I'll compete with them in terms of expertise and ability. To make people look up to me, I need to show my value. From the past few days, I know why Liang Fatzi took the initiative to befriend me, why Ma Guojun came to curry favor with me, and why Zhou Yiran later treated me kindly. It's all because I gambled and won jadeite, showing my ability and value."

Whether it's Lido Gemstone Company or Jin Yu Pavilion Jewelry Store, they are all in the jade business. Would they look down on a capable person with good expertise, who can always win jadeite? Would they treat me like an ordinary person just because Hong Yaqin introduced me? Would they only show me favor because of my connection to Hong Yaqin?

Without the connection to Hong Yaqin, even if I showed my ability, they would at most see me as a capable person who could become their employee. But when they learn that this capable person is the one Hong Yaqin wants to introduce to them, I would change in their eyes. Although this isn't enough for them to treat me as an equal, it's a good start, isn't it?

Understanding this, Zhang Yang felt grateful to Liang Fatzi. If not for him, he wouldn't have known about this opportunity.

"Brother Liang, thank you. We'll go together in three days," Zhang Yang said.

Liang Fatzi smiled and said, "I called you for this reason. By the way, little brother, you need to prepare more funds. The raw jade there is very expensive, and even ordinary-looking raw jade will have many bidders."

Zhang Yang smiled. It seemed Liang Fatzi hadn't given up on the jadeite in his hand. He was subtly reminding him, but Zhang Yang wouldn't sell it to Liang Fatzi even if he wanted to.

"I still have some funds, which should be enough," Zhang Yang said with a smile.

After hanging up, Liang Fatzi felt a bit regretful. It seemed Zhang Yang really didn't plan to sell the jadeite in advance. What a pity. But as long as he got along well with Zhang Yang, there would be more opportunities in the future.

Finding a solution, Zhang Yang's mood suddenly lightened. He walked out of the bedroom and said to Pan Hui, who was watching TV, "Go make dinner. Do you want to starve me to death?"

Knowing that Pan Hui wasn't the type of virtuous wife, Zhang Yang naturally didn't treat her politely.

Pan Hui angrily threw down the remote control, glanced at the TV show she was watching, and then walked to the kitchen. She had been watching this show for a long time, and today was the finale. She was really enjoying it when Zhang Yang asked her to make dinner. Pan Hui didn't dare to argue. Zhang Yang had just set a lot of rules, and he seemed ready to kick her out. She didn't want to give him a reason.

Zhang Yang sat on the sofa with a smile, turned the channel to the sports channel, and started watching an NBA game. He glanced at Pan Hui, who was busy in the kitchen, and lit a cigarette, feeling quite satisfied. This was life—watching a game, drinking beer, and bullying the maid when there was nothing to do. The only regret was that it wasn't ancient times; otherwise, he could have kept two dogs and gone out to tease girls.

This was the first time Zhang Yang was eating a meal cooked by Pan Hui. To be honest, Pan Hui's cooking was quite good, though it couldn't compare to Hong Yaqin's. The four dishes were well-balanced, with a mix of cold and hot, and a good combination of meat and vegetables.

When Zhang Yang picked up his chopsticks, Pan Hui looked nervous. She was confident in her cooking, but Zhang Yang was unpredictable, and his behavior today was completely different from yesterday, making her feel like walking on thin ice.

"勉强吧，还能吃的下去," Zhang Yang said.

Pan Hui first felt relieved that her cooking passed the test. Then she became angry. Her cooking was so good, and he said it was just barely edible. How despicable.

After finishing the meal and cleaning up, Pan Hui returned to the living room and found that Zhang Yang hadn't gone back to his room. He was sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, drinking a can of beer and watching TV.

"收拾完了！正好有点事要你做," Zhang Yang said.

Pan Hui had a bad feeling. Sure enough, Zhang Yang continued, "There's no cold dish in the fridge. How can I drink without something to eat? Go buy some beef, pig's trotters, and chicken wings. I want to have something to eat when I drink."

"知道了，我现在就去," Pan Hui said.

She realized that she wouldn't be able to watch TV today. It seemed Zhang Yang would dominate the TV for the whole day.

She changed her clothes and walked to the door. Just as she was about to leave, she remembered something and asked, "老板，还有什么要买的吗？"

Zhang Yang gave Pan Hui a strange look, surprised by her quick reaction.

"啤酒不多了，买一打回来。烟也快抽完了，买两条，就买这个牌子的," Zhang Yang said, waving the Nanjing cigarette in his hand.

Pan Hui's face changed. She was glad she asked, or she would have had to make multiple trips.

"就这些，没有了," Pan Hui asked again.

Zhang Yang nodded and said, "就这些，去买吧."

Pan Hui left the house, feeling relieved, but she had a vague feeling that she had forgotten something important. When she was at the supermarket, selecting items and pushing the cart to the checkout, she remembered what she had forgotten—she hadn't asked for money.

The money Zhang Yang gave her was almost gone after buying kitchen essentials and vegetables. The items he asked her to buy were all expensive, especially the two packs of cigarettes, which were ridiculously expensive.

Seeing the cashier's disdainful look, Pan Hui felt tears welling up in her eyes.

She took out her phone and called Zhang Yang.

"老板，我的钱不够结账了。你来接我一趟好吗," Pan Hui said, feeling wronged.

"Don't pretend to be pitiful! Put the things down and come back for the money. What were you doing earlier? If you don't have enough money, why didn't you ask? Stupid! I'm busy, and if I have to go shopping myself, why would I hire you as a maid?" Zhang Yang hung up, thinking, "Little girl, you tried to trick me by pretending to be a virtuous wife. I need to teach you a lesson to make up for my wounded heart."

Pan Hui wiped her tears and stomped her foot, saying, "No one plays like this. I, I'll fight you to the end."

She left without caring about the items in the shopping cart, feeling furious.