Chapter 41: The Rough Stone Warehouse

"Let me explain!" Zhou Bin suddenly said, "Xiao Dong, the Gem and Jade Association is important, but it's not that significant. However, if you can become a member, the biggest benefit is that you can participate in the annual gemstone auctions in Tengchong, Ruili, and other places. And when it's time for the Myanmar auction, you can go with everyone, which is safer."

"Don't worry, if you want to visit Tengchong or Ruili, just call me, and I'll take you in!" Zhou Bin said with a smile. He was a board member of the Beijing Gem and Jade Association, and taking a few people along was no problem at all.

After hearing his words, Liu Dong nodded thoughtfully. Since he realized that his eyes could see through jade rough stones and make a fortune, he had already become interested in the gemstone auctions he had only heard about. Now, after hearing Zhou Bin's words, he was even more eager to experience them.

"Brother Zhou, are there any auctions in the country this year?" Liu Dong asked.

"What? Xiao Dong, do you really want to go?"

Liu Dong replied, "Yes, I've only heard about them before. If there's a chance, I definitely want to see them!"

"Alright, if you want to go, let's go together in October. We'll just catch the jade auction in Tengchong!" Zhou Bin said.

"Actually, if Brother Liu wants to see a jade auction, there's an opportunity right now! Although it's much smaller compared to the big auctions!" At this moment, the fat man, who had been listening to their conversation, suddenly spoke up.

"I guess Mr. Zhou came to Quancheng for this reason, right?"

After hearing his words, Zhou Bin smiled and nodded, saying, "The price of jade rough stones has risen very quickly recently, and I happen to have some spare money, so I want to buy some rough stones for investment!" After saying this, he turned to Liu Dong and said, "Xiao Dong, now that Mr. Ma mentioned it, I remember there will be a small auction here in a week. It's said that the organizers are several major rough stone merchants from Myanmar. There should be a lot of good stuff. I'll take you to see it!"

"Hehe, that's great! I'm looking forward to it!" Liu Dong said with a smile.

"Alright, let's settle it like this. Come, let's go see Mr. Ma's rough stones. He's the biggest jade rough stone merchant on this street in Quancheng!"

"Hehe, Mr. Zhou, you're too kind. Please, come in!" The fat man said, walking ahead to lead the way.

Liu Dong picked up his basket from the ground and followed. He couldn't afford to lose the piece of rough stone with the golden thread jade inside.

"Xiao Dong, why don't we open the rough stone in your hand first?" Zhou Bin said, frowning as he looked at the basket Liu Dong was carrying.

"Hehe, no rush, no rush. I haven't paid for this rough stone yet, and I also want to see Mr. Ma's rough stone warehouse and pick some more!" Liu Dong said with a smile. The experience of making 15 million yuan from a single piece of jade rough stone had made him fall in love with the gemstone gambling business. Now, he was even more eager to find greater treasures in Mr. Ma's warehouse.

After hearing his words, Zhou Bin couldn't help but frown. In his view, Liu Dong was now too obsessed with gemstone gambling. Although he had made a lot of money this time, there was a saying in the gemstone gambling industry that had been passed down for hundreds of years: "Ten gambles, nine losses." 15 million yuan might seem like a lot, but it could be spent quickly on high-quality jade rough stones from Myanmar's old mines.

Zhou Bin opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing. He could see that his young brother was a person with his own mind. Persuading him now would be useless. It would be better to wait until he lost a bet and then try to persuade him, which might be more effective.

Seeing the expression on Zhou Bin's face, Liu Dong felt comforted by the concern of this big brother he had known for less than a day, but he didn't ask. He had already guessed what Zhou Bin was thinking, but he couldn't reveal his ability to see through jade rough stones. So, when Zhou Bin didn't speak, he was happy to avoid further explanation.

Although Shi Yuan Ge was the largest gemstone gambling place in Quancheng, its business model was somewhat like that of antique shops. The lowest quality jade rough stones were placed in the front store to sell to tourists and those who didn't understand gemstone gambling. The high-quality rough stones in the back warehouse were specifically for gemstone gambling enthusiasts and jewelry companies.

The piece of rough stone that Liu Dong had won was from the back warehouse of the fat man.

"Boom, whoosh!" Seeing the boss come, the two strong men guarding the rough stone warehouse quickly pulled open the steel doors. Fortunately, these steel doors had wheels at the bottom; otherwise, even with two more people, they wouldn't have been able to move the solid steel plates, which were 15 centimeters thick and weighed over 2,000 kilograms, showing how much the owner valued the security here.

"Mr. Zhou, Brother Liu, please come in!" Ma Youde said.

"Hehe, I can't wait!" Zhou Bin said, walking in without hesitation. Liu Dong, who had been eagerly anticipating this, naturally followed closely behind.

"Boom!" After they entered, the steel doors closed again, and the originally bright warehouse suddenly became dark. In the nearly 150 square meter space, only two dim light bulbs emitted a faint yellow light, barely enough to see the jade rough stones and avoid collisions. But to see the details of the rough stones clearly was out of the question.

"Xiao Dong, here, take this!" Zhou Bin said, taking out two powerful flashlights from his pocket. He had brought them from the car.

Although Liu Dong could see the rough stones with his ability, the flashlight was a necessary disguise. So, he thanked Zhou Bin and took the flashlight.

The layout of the rough stone warehouse was similar to the front store of Shi Yuan Ge. The fully gambled rough stones were placed in the center of the warehouse, while the semi-gambled rough stones were on iron racks around the perimeter. Compared to the rough stones Liu Dong had seen earlier, the ones in the warehouse were much larger. There were quite a few people in the warehouse, and the occasional flashes of powerful light beams made both of them eager to try.

"Xiao Dong, shall we split up and look?" Zhou Bin asked.

"Sure, let's split up!" Liu Dong said. Unlike Zhou Bin, who favored high-quality rough stones and wanted to stock up and wait for the value of jade rough stones to rise, Liu Dong was more interested in finding bargains and hoped to buy fully gambled rough stones and make a fortune after opening them.

After hearing his words, Zhou Bin nodded, gave Liu Dong a few instructions, and then went out with the flashlight.

"Brother Liu, take your time. If you find a rough stone you like, just call me, and I'll give you a 10% discount!" The fat man said with a smile. He had been busy here all along. If it weren't for the big commotion Liu Dong had caused and Zhou Bin's distinguished status, he wouldn't have come out to greet them.

"Thank you, Mr. Ma!" Liu Dong said. Although he knew the fat man was being polite mainly because of Zhou Bin, he still maintained the necessary courtesy, as they would be dealing with each other in the future.

"Hehe, Brother Liu is too polite!" Ma Youde said with a smile. Although the person in front of him was not particularly outstanding in appearance, his demeanor was extraordinary, and someone who could be on equal terms with Zhou Bin was certainly not an ordinary person. So, the fat man was very polite in his words.

"Then I'll go pick some rough stones."

"Brother Liu, please take your time!"

After hearing this, Liu Dong nodded and turned to leave.