The Rogue Villager Chen Erbao

The group sat in the living room for a while. Zhang Zhi glanced down at a message and said to the woman, "Latest news. Chen Erbao took a plane to Lijiang in Dian Nan this morning. He should have arrived by now."

Upon hearing this, the woman immediately stood up. "Get us plane tickets. We're leaving for Lijiang now."

With that, she was the first to walk out.

The young man on his phone and the guy reading a novel sighed, reluctantly getting up to follow. 'My game isn't even over yet. I can't believe this. Why is that asshole running all over the place? From Jiangnan to here, and now to Dian Nan. Can't he just stay put?!'

After the three of them left, the young man next to Zhang Zhi spoke with a dark expression, "Chief, who are those people? Why are they so arrogant?"

Zhang Zhi shot him a look and scolded, "You need to control that temper of yours from now on. You're used to bossing around those Patrol officers, thinking you can push anyone around. Didn't you see that even I have to treat them carefully?"

The young man was unconvinced, clenching his fists tightly. "Damn it, I just can't stand that woman's high-and-mighty attitude. We're National Security! Who the hell do they think they are, pretending to be some big shots?!"

"If I hadn't stopped you, you'd be on the ground right now! They're a special forces unit that reports directly to the top, responsible for handling things ordinary people can't. Talented people are naturally proud and arrogant. Don't be fooled because she's a woman—she could take down our entire team by herself!"

Zhang Zhi said grimly.

...

Outside the Vienna Hotel in Binhai City, Charles sat on a rock on a hillside under the scorching sun, fine beads of sweat slowly trickling down his forehead.

His frustration was about to boil over.

'Fuck, why hasn't that bastard come out yet? Damn it, damn it! When I get my hands on him, I'm going to skin him alive!'

He had waited the entire morning, but the Tracking Technique showed no sign of activity, as if Chen Erbao had vanished from the face of the earth.

Just as he was cursing to himself, his phone suddenly rang. It was Ma Qiming.

"Grandmaster Charles, latest news! Chen Erbao went to Dian Nan. He took a plane this morning and has already arrived there!"

"..."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

Ma Qiming, sitting on his villa's sofa, didn't hear a response from Charles and started to feel a little uneasy. "Senior? Senior, are you listening?"

"MOTHERFUCKER! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT SOONER???"

Charles roared into the phone, grinding his teeth.

Ma Qiming, having been thoroughly chewed out, stammered, "I-I just got the news. Vienna was on lockdown, it was very strict..."

"HUFF..."

Charles gasped for breath, his eyes practically shooting fire as he stared at the distant Vienna Hotel.

He'd been in China for days, just eating dust behind Chen Erbao, not even catching a glimpse of his shadow!

Twice!

Twice in a row, he'd squatted at a doorway waiting like an idiot, while his target had already slipped away a thousand miles.

"Book me a ticket right now! And this time, if there's another problem with the intelligence, I'll have your head!"

He roared into the phone, then squeezed his hand so hard the phone warped.

With a ZZZT of electricity, the phone's screen went dark, completely dead.

...

Chen Erbao was completely unaware of the undercurrents swirling a thousand miles away. Led by Wang Mian, a stretch Hummer sped down the highway toward the city.

Before long, the car came to a stop. Chen Erbao got out and saw a large courtyard that looked like a farmhouse resort. To the left was a tall, sheet-metal factory building, from which the shrill sound of cutting machines could be heard.

"Mr. Chen, this is the biggest stone gambling den in all of Lijiang. The raw stones are all shipped from the Banna District and the Triangle Zone, guaranteed authentic. But whether you can cut something good out of them... that still depends on luck..."

Wang Mian reminded him again, afraid that Chen Erbao would end up losing both money and face, putting him in an awkward position.

Chen Erbao nodded, a nonchalant look on his face, and walked toward the factory building.

Several burly men stood at the entrance of the factory. Their thick arms were like an ordinary person's thighs, and the bulges at their waists clearly indicated they were armed. Their faces were fierce.

Seeing Chen Erbao approach, the big men blocked his path with their arms. "Do you have an invitation?"

This Gambling Stone Factory was a private affair; ordinary people couldn't get in without an invitation.

Wang Mian quickly stepped forward and presented his identification. "I'm the manager of the Vienna Hotel. I called earlier."

The big man examined it carefully, and only after confirming his identity did he nod and say in a booming voice, "Go on in."

The two walked into the factory building, and Chen Erbao chuckled. "They're pretty strict with their checks!"

"Mr. Chen, you may not be aware, but this is a gray-area industry. Of course they have to be strict with their screening to avoid any trouble."

Chen Erbao shrugged, unfazed.

Stepping into the factory, the first thing he saw was a hill-like pile of raw stones, surrounded by a large crowd of wealthy merchants decked out in gold and silver, picking out their desired goods.

A red cordon was pulled around the pile of stones, and only staff members were allowed inside it.

"Every raw stone is marked with a number. If you want one, just tell them. They'll give you a price, and no haggling is allowed."

Wang Mian explained from the side.

Full of anticipation, Chen Erbao channeled his Spiritual Power into his eyes and swept his gaze over the pile, only to be immediately disappointed.

To his eyes, this pile of rocks was just that—ordinary rocks. They didn't have a single trace of Spiritual Qi; they were just gray and unremarkable.

Chen Erbao walked around to the other side of the pile, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Number 122, how much?"

Chen Erbao asked a staff member inside the cordon.

The staff member glanced back at the raw stone. "One hundred and seventy thousand. No haggling."

Chen Erbao nodded. "I'll take it."

To him, one hundred and seventy thousand was just pocket change.

A transaction like this wouldn't attract any attention here. Almost every wealthy merchant who came bought a few stones, more or less, just for fun. If they cut into jade, great. If not, it didn't matter. It was all for the thrill of the gamble!

A staff member had a mover carry the stone outside the cordon. "Sir, would you like us to cut it open for you? Or will you be taking the raw stone home directly?"

"Cut it here."

"If you want it cut on-site, that'll be an additional five thousand yuan fee. It's for the masters' hard work."

'What a ripoff!'

Chen Erbao took out his bank card and handed it over. The staff member took out a portable card reader, swiped it lightly, and the money was transferred.

The mover led them to the stone cutting area to wait for the masters to arrive.

The cutting area was also the most crowded spot. Many people who couldn't find a stone they thought would yield jade simply stayed here to watch the excitement.

Soon, an old man wearing a Tang-style jacket came out. He sat down in front of the cutting machine, had the mover bring the stone over, and then lowered his head and began to cut.

"ZZZZZZ..."

The sharp blade continuously shaved away the outer layer of gray stone, and the raw stone Chen Erbao had bought quickly shrank.

As more and more of the stone was cut away, a glimmer of brilliant green light appeared before everyone's eyes.

"There's jade!"

someone exclaimed.

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