Chapter 44 Untitled

"Xiao Dong, now that you're a millionaire, have you thought about buying a car for yourself?" Zhou Bin couldn't help but ask, looking at the young man sitting beside him.

"Buy a car?" Liu Dong was taken aback by the question and shook his head. "I can't even drive, so it would be a waste!"

"Can't? Can't you just learn? Learning to drive isn't that difficult; you could pick it up in ten to fifteen days! Besides, now that you have the money, not having a car isn't just inconvenient for going out, but it also puts you at a disadvantage in social situations. It's not good for your future development!"

Chinese society is one that values personal connections and face. To gain respect and maintain face, improving one's personal assets is essential. Liu Dong understood this, which was why he didn't refuse when Wang Qiang suggested buying him a decent outfit yesterday. Now, with Zhou Bin's suggestion to buy a car, Liu Dong was also somewhat tempted.

Currently, the money in his card was close to twenty million, and he still had three pieces of jade stone worth hundreds of thousands that hadn't been cut yet. So, his highest aspiration of opening a jade carving shop and buying a house to bring his family to the city for a better life could be easily achieved. Therefore, a car, which had once seemed very distant to him, now seemed like a minor matter. Moreover, he had already found his biggest source of income, so money was no longer a significant issue for him.

Thus, after hearing Zhou Bin's words, Liu Dong felt a surge of excitement and quickly made up his mind. "I don't know much about cars, so I'll need your help, Brother Zhou!"

"Hehe, no problem. I'll have 'Da Biao' teach you how to drive. He was a famous tank driver in the military before he retired, so driving a car will be a piece of cake. I guarantee you'll learn in ten days," Zhou Bin said confidently.

"Thank you, Brother Zhou!" Liu Dong smiled and nodded, looking at the burly bodyguard named Da Biao, who was driving the car.

"You're welcome!" Zhou Bin paused and then asked, "By the way, Xiao Dong, it's still early. How about we go to a car dealership and get you a car?"

Liu Dong was tempted but remembered Wang Qiang's instructions, so he shook his head. "Thank you for your offer, Brother Zhou, but I have some things to take care of when we get back. I won't be able to go today."

Zhou Bin nodded with a smile, though he didn't seem upset at being turned down. "Alright, we'll do it another time. By the way, where do you live? I'll drop you off. It's not safe for you to carry such heavy jade stones alone, and it's also tiring."

Liu Dong naturally didn't refuse and gave Zhou Bin the address of the Imperial Garden.

"Xiao Dong, don't forget the jade stone auction in a week. I'll call you then!" Zhou Bin leaned out of the car window and said to Liu Dong, who was standing at the bottom of the building with a basket.

"Sure, I won't forget. I'll call you then!" Liu Dong smiled in response.

"Mr. Zhou, aren't you being a bit too nice to that guy?" After leaving the neighborhood, the bodyguard in the passenger seat asked with a hint of confusion.

Hearing this, Da Biao, who was driving, also nodded. They had been Zhou Bin's bodyguards for several years, and apart from the true elite of the capital and the business world, they had never seen Zhou Bin treat anyone so kindly. Especially someone like Liu Dong, who had neither status nor much wealth, was extremely rare.

"Like chickens and ducks don't mix, or dragons and snakes don't coexist," the two thought, puzzled by this.

Zhou Bin couldn't quite explain why, but he could sense a unique nobility in Liu Dong, a kind of aristocratic aura that he had only felt from the scions of prominent families in the capital. Therefore, he always treated Liu Dong as an equal. Additionally, today's successful jade stone cutting had added a layer of mystery to Liu Dong, who had seemed clear to him before. After all, such a dramatic success in jade stone cutting was rare even in public auctions.

Extracting high-quality jade worth nearly twenty million from a piece of scrap that no one wanted was a feat that perhaps only the acknowledged jade king of Yunnan had achieved in the past.

At this moment, Liu Dong had no idea that he had become somewhat mysterious in Zhou Bin's eyes.

"Xiao Dong, you're back!" Hearing the door open, Wang Qiang turned her head and saw Liu Dong pushing the door open with a basket in his arms.

"Oh, Sister Wang, you're back!" Liu Dong said, seeing Wang Qiang sitting on the sofa in a pink floral T-shirt and a pair of denim shorts, her white, dazzling legs crossed.

"I've been back since noon! What are you holding?" She stood up, curious, and walked over in her light pink slippers.

"Is this jade stone?"

"Oh, Sister Wang knows about this too?" Liu Dong asked, seeing the surprise on Wang Qiang's face. He had originally planned to store the jade stones in his pocket dimension, but he thought the noise from cutting the stone would be too loud, and it would be better to bring them in openly to avoid having to explain to Wang Qiang later.

"How much did you spend on these rough stones, Xiao Dong?" Wang Qiang asked seriously, without answering Liu Dong's question.

"Not much, these three pieces cost a total of over forty thousand yuan!" Liu Dong said honestly, puzzled by the sudden tension on Wang Qiang's face.

"Good, not too much!" Wang Qiang's expression relaxed a bit. "Xiao Dong, earning money isn't easy. Don't easily get involved in jade stone gambling; you could lose all your money!"

Hearing Wang Qiang's words, Liu Dong understood her concern and felt a warmth in his heart. Although he couldn't give up jade stone gambling, he promised firmly, "Don't worry, Sister Wang! After this, I won't do it again!"

Wang Qiang's face lit up with a satisfied smile. "Xiao Dong, your jade carving and wood carving skills are excellent, and you're still young. You'll have many opportunities to make big money. Jade stone gambling is like gambling; a little is fine, but too much can be harmful. Don't get involved easily!" As she spoke, her tone became somewhat melancholic, and her eyes were filled with complex emotions.

Seeing her expression, Liu Dong was taken aback. He had never seen Wang Qiang like this before and thought to himself, "It seems Sister Wang has a story too."

"Alright, put the things down first, then change your clothes. We'll go out and buy you some decent clothes!" Wang Qiang said, composing her thoughts.

"Okay, Sister Wang! I'll do that right away!" Liu Dong said, returning to his room and placing the basket in the corner. However, he was a bit uneasy leaving the jade stones worth nearly five hundred thousand yuan there.

"Alright, just like this for now!" He covered the basket with some old newspapers he had used for carving.

When Liu Dong finished and came out, the TV in the living room was off. "Sister Wang?"

"Wait a moment, I'll change my clothes. I'll be quick!" A soft, clear voice came from behind the closed door.

"Okay, I understand!" Liu Dong replied and went to the bathroom. He hadn't showered since noon and decided to freshen up.

After washing his hands, Liu Dong sat on the sofa in the living room and picked up a newspaper to read. He had never been so relaxed before, always thinking about how to earn more money.

About half an hour later, as Liu Dong finished reading the newspaper and lay back on the sofa, he suddenly heard a light 'click.' The door, which had been closed for a long time, finally opened.