Chapter 64

After leaving the Jade Room, Qin Feng turned into a public restroom. In a squat toilet that was locked from the inside, he placed a backpack that he had hidden there long ago.

When Qin Feng came out of the restroom again, his white shirt had been replaced with a set of sportswear, and the black briefcase had turned into a backpack. He looked no different from any middle school student on the street.

Leaving the antique street, Qin Feng hailed a taxi and headed straight for the train station. The talkative taxi driver would never have thought that this high school student-like young man was carrying over 200,000 yuan in cash.

"Brother Feng, you're here." Qin Feng met Li Tianyuan and Xie Xuan at the agreed place.

"Brother Feng, I... I didn't mean to hit you, it... it was you who told me to hit you." Seeing the red swelling on Qin Feng's eye, Li Tianyuan stammered. That punch on the antique street, he had used all his strength.

"Alright, I'm not blaming you, why are you so upset?" Qin Feng waved his hand and looked at Xie Xuan, asking, "Are the tickets all bought?"

"Already bought, Brother Feng, the train will leave in an hour."

Xie Xuan nodded, somewhat puzzled, "Brother Feng, it's only a five to six-hour train ride from here to Tianjin City, do we really need to buy sleeper tickets?"

The trio had actually gone bankrupt that morning. They didn't even have money for breakfast, and in the end, it was Xie Xuan who took out an 80s monkey ticket and exchanged it for over a thousand yuan.

If it were a few years ago, Xie Xuan wouldn't have cared about such a small amount of money, but after his father's bankruptcy, this wasteful child had learned to live frugally.

"Hard seats are too chaotic, sleeper tickets are more comfortable and safer. Let's go, this is the starting station, we'll board the train first..."

Qin Feng didn't explain much to Xie Xuan. He couldn't tell him that he was carrying over 200,000 yuan in cash. After all, although it had been over a decade since the reform and opening up, 200,000 yuan was still a huge sum for ordinary people.

Moreover, train stations were always the most chaotic places in a city. Qin Feng wanted Xie Xuan to buy sleeper tickets so they could board the train directly from the sleeper waiting room, avoiding any unexpected incidents.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly. Only after boarding the train did Qin Feng finally breathe a long sigh of relief. Looking at the backpack beside him, he felt a sense of unreality.

"Damn, knowledge is power!" This phrase popped up in Qin Feng's mind for no reason.

Once upon a time, to save a few cents each day, Qin Feng hadn't eaten breakfast for years. To gather tuition for his sister, he couldn't afford to buy meat for a month. But just one scam had earned him wealth that many people in this era could never earn in their lifetimes.

This also made Qin Feng recall his master's words: "Absolutely do not use this for evil. Mastering the core skills of the Eight Outer Doors, if one is evil at heart, it will be a great threat to society."

---

"Mr. Sun, welcome, welcome!"

"Mr. Dong, please come inside quickly!"

"Mrs. Li, you are the star today. It's not that I'm stingy, but this item is so rare that it's hard to find even if you want to buy it."

Nie Tianbao stood outside a private club with a beaming face, greeting the guests. He had considerable influence and managed to gather the business and antique circles of Shijiazhuang in just one day, preparing for a small auction.

Suddenly, Nie Tianbao saw Ge Jun, dressed in old-fashioned clothes, and hurriedly went up to him, greeting him with a forced smile, "Oh, Mr. Ge, I thought you wouldn't come today."

As the saying goes, competitors are enemies. Ge Jun had been in the jade business for many years and was the president of the Shijiazhuang Jade Association, so the Jade Room had always been overshadowed by the Odd Stone Room. This was what Nie Tianbao resented the most.

"Da Bao, I heard you got an exquisite jade. Of course, I have to come and take a look."

Ge Jun bowed to Nie Tianbao. In the Shijiazhuang jade industry, only he dared to call Nie Tianbao by this nickname.

"Mr. Ge, even though you are a senior, this is the first time you'll see such a treasure." Thinking about how he could shock Ge Jun, Nie Tianbao didn't mind the nickname and led Ge Jun into the banquet hall.

Although Nie Tianbao didn't invite many people, they were all top figures in the Shijiazhuang business circle. By around 8:30 PM, almost everyone had arrived.

"Gentlemen and ladies, I have invited you here today to witness the birth of the most precious gem in Shijiazhuang's history. I will also auction one of them tonight. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity..."

Holding a microphone, Nie Tianbao stood at the front. He believed that from today, the high-end jade market in Shijiazhuang would be opened, and the representative merchant would naturally be the Jade Room.

"Old Nie, stop being so dramatic, just show us the good stuff!"

"Right, is it a treasure like the He Shi Bi?"

"This jade can't be eaten or drunk, what's the point of buying it?"

As soon as Nie Tianbao finished speaking, several familiar friends immediately shouted. They were among the first to become rich in the country, and although they had more money, their taste was not to be praised.

"Alright, you're all good friends, I won't say much more." Nie Tianbao shouted to the center of the venue, "Manager Zhao, bring out the items..."

To highlight the preciousness of the jade, Nie Tianbao had specially chosen two high-end jewelry boxes. As he shouted, a spotlight shone on the center of the banquet hall. Manager Zhao, wearing an old-fashioned jacket, stood there with a tray in his hands.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today I will introduce to you two exquisite jades!

These two jades have been identified by experts as items from Empress Dowager Cixi's collection, which later fell into the hands of the public. I spent a lot of money to acquire them."

Nie Tianbao walked into the spotlight, took the box containing the earrings, and said, "This pair of earrings is of the highest quality in jade jewelry... Imperial Green, which many people who have played with jade all their lives may never have seen..."

Nie Tianbao opened the jewelry box to the crowd and said proudly, "We have experts here, I believe everyone knows Mr. Ge. Would you like him to appraise it for us?"

Nie Tianbao's move was to embarrass Ge Jun. Praising the opponent's item in front of so many important people would make it hard for Ge Jun to compete in the jade market in the future.

"Nie Tianbao's move is ruthless. Ge Jun is so old, yet he still has to lose face here." Everyone in the venue understood Nie Tianbao's intention, but as competitors, it was understandable, and no one could say anything.

"Is it really Imperial Green?"

Ge Jun initially stood far away, only seeing the green jade under the spotlight. He was also somewhat moved. The Ge family had been in the jade business since before the liberation, and they knew the value of Imperial Green jewelry.

"Mr. Ge, if you come up and take a look, you'll know."

Hearing Ge Jun's almost muttering words, Nie Tianbao laughed smugly. Being overshadowed by the Odd Stone Room for so many years had made him very frustrated.

"Alright, if it's really from Empress Dowager Cixi, I'll have broadened my horizons."

Seeing no way to avoid it, Ge Jun stepped forward boldly, walked to Nie Tianbao, and put on a pair of white gloves. He knew Nie Tianbao had ill intentions today and had prepared accordingly.

"Green and lustrous, rich and transparent like water. In terms of color, it's a good piece..."

Ge Jun didn't rush to touch it but moved closer to observe. However, when he used a magnifying glass to examine one of the earrings, his expression suddenly changed. "Hmm, something seems off!"

"What's off?"

Nie Tianbao, who was basking in Ge Jun's praise, was taken aback and said somewhat unhappily, "Mr. Ge, these earrings have been appraised by experts. Is there anything wrong?"

"Let me take another look!" Ge Jun ignored Nie Tianbao and examined the earring from all angles with the magnifying glass.

"Xiao Nie, this... this thing is a fake. It's not Imperial Green at all, it's worthless!"

After a long while, Ge Jun looked up, his eyes filled with a mix of pity and mockery for Nie Tianbao.

"Impossible, Old Ge, even if you're jealous of me, you don't need to do this."

When Ge Jun's words came out, Nie Tianbao felt a surge of anger. If it weren't for Ge Jun's age, he might have even resorted to violence.

"Xiao Nie, we're all in the same industry. Whether what I say is true or not, you can tell."

Ge Jun shook his head and looked at Manager Zhao, saying, "Old Zhao, you're an old hand in the industry. How could you be fooled by such a shallow item?"

"Fooled? Impossible, Old Brother Ge. Even if I've offended you before, you don't need to bring this up."

Manager Zhao and Nie Tianbao had the same mindset. He wasn't an easy person to deal with and had some conflicts with Ge Jun in the past. Now, he was speaking bluntly.

"Take a look for yourself!" Ge Jun, feeling both amused and exasperated, placed the earring on the tray and put his magnifying glass on it.

"It's impossible, I and Mr. Nie both..."

Manager Zhao placed the tray on a nearby table and picked up the earring. However, as soon as he brought the magnifying glass close, his voice cut off, as if someone had clamped his throat.

"How... how can this be? How can there be cracks?"

A moment later, Manager Zhao suddenly screamed, looking at the earring in his palm with disbelief. Clear, deep cracks