The Rogue Villager Chen Erbao

The crowd held their breath, nervously watching the master craftsman operate the machine to continue cutting.

"There's jade!"

Someone cried out in surprise.

The lackey sent by the bald man also stood at the edge of the crowd, craning his neck to get a good look.

"Holy shit, Imperial Green!"

As more of the stone was cut away, a pure, crystal-like jade was finally revealed. It emanated a shimmering green light, captivating all who saw it.

Chen Erbao felt a dense wave of Spiritual Qi wash over him, and his heart pounded with excitement.

'I haven't even been to the Banna District yet, and I've already gotten my hands on several Spirit-Containing Objects. This trip to Dian Nan was definitely the right call.'

"Sir, we're willing to offer three million for this piece of Imperial Green. I was wondering…"

The master craftsman held the newly cut, high-grade Emperor Jade in both hands, his eyes fixed on it, blazing with passion.

"Not for sale."

Chen Erbao took the box, placed the jade inside, and then shoved it into his pocket.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling utterly exhausted. 'Looks like this is it for today. I need to go back and get some rest.'

Just as he was about to leave, someone suddenly blocked his path. "Sir, our boss would like to see you!"

Chen Erbao paused for a moment and exchanged a look with Wang Mian. Wang Mian gave a slight nod, indicating it was okay to go. Chen Erbao nodded back. "Alright, let's go see him then."

'If they don't have any ill intentions, I could make a friend out of this,' he considered. 'It would give me more access to high-grade raw stones and save me the trouble of searching everywhere myself.'

The three of them returned to the large workshop out front and went straight up to the second floor.

Pushing the door open, Chen Erbao looked up and saw a bald man with a brutish, fleshy face sitting in the host's seat. Beside him sat several middle-aged men, all sipping tea while sizing Chen Erbao up.

"Boss, this is the gentleman who cut the Imperial Green."

"I'm Cao Yang. And you are, sir?"

The bald man stood up with a smile and extended a hand to Chen Erbao.

Chen Erbao chuckled lightly. "Easy. The name's Chen. Chen Erbao… I wonder, what does Boss Cao want with me?"

Hearing Chen Erbao's bluntness, a muscle in Cao Yang's cheek twitched. He ushered Chen Erbao to a seat and poured him some tea.

"Mr. Chen, this is authentic Wuyi Tea. It was very difficult to get. I don't usually bring it out for just anyone, but an expert like yourself must be treated with the best."

He didn't answer Chen Erbao's question directly, choosing instead to flatter him first.

Chen Erbao was feeling mentally drained at this point. He took a sip of tea, nodded, and praised, "This really is good tea."

He knew jack shit about tea tasting; all he wanted was to go back, meditate, and regulate his breathing.

Cao Yang noticed Chen Erbao seemed distracted, so he cut to the chase. "Mr. Chen, your luck today is truly something else, cutting open one top-quality jade after another. I've been in Dian Nan for over a decade, and I can say that someone like you is a rarity, the kind you might not see even once in fifty years."

He spouted a bunch of meaningless nonsense.

Chen Erbao had no patience for it. He raised a hand to interrupt. "Get to the point. I'm in a hurry."

His words were blunt and disrespectful.

But with his current abilities, Chen Erbao didn't really need to show deference to anyone.

Cao Yang's expression faltered, and the lackeys beside him also showed their displeasure.

He cleared his throat and stated his purpose. "Mr. Chen, with your immense talent, why aren't you trying your luck in the Banna District? Coming to my humble shop to clean me out… isn't that a bit like bullying?"

What he said actually made a lot of sense.

In places like this, whether for stone gambling or cash games, there's always an unwritten rule.

It's one thing to be skilled, but if you use that skill to brazenly rake in money on someone else's turf without restraint, it's tantamount to slapping them in the face.

The few stones Chen Erbao had cut open today were already worth several million in total. Cao Yang's operation was small, and he was feeling the sting.

He just wanted to give Chen Erbao a warning and, while he was at it, get him to spit some of it back out.

But Chen Erbao wasn't buying it. "Your factory gets plenty of visitors on a normal day. You must have made a fortune already. And you don't just cater to the rich, do you? I see those stones outside for tens of thousands. I assume you sell those to ordinary people? For a regular family, a few of those stones could lead to financial ruin and shattered lives. Now that I've made a little money with my own abilities, what's the point of you saying all this?"

Chen Erbao's guess was spot on.

The scrap material piled up outside his factory, each priced at tens of thousands, was mostly sold to ordinary locals.

It was the same principle as preying on gambling addicts.

There were always people who refused to believe their luck was bad, thinking they could spend a few tens of thousands and turn their lives around. Unfortunately, only Cao Yang himself knew the real tricks of the trade.

A large portion of that scrap wasn't even raw stone; they were just ordinary rocks he'd had hauled back from the riverside.

Swindling, cheating, and deceiving—the lowest costs for the fastest cash.

Hearing Chen Erbao's words, Cao Yang's face hardened. "Mr. Chen, what are you implying?"

Chen Erbao gave a cold laugh. "You're the one who invited me here. What do *you* mean? If you don't spit it out, I'm leaving!"

He really didn't want to waste his time talking to these black-hearted scoundrels.

Cao Yang slammed the table, the smile vanishing from his face. "Men, see our guest out… Mr. Chen, don't bother coming back tomorrow. It'll be better for everyone!"

He was kicking Chen Erbao out.

Chen Erbao downed the tea in his cup, stood up, and walked out. At the doorway, he paused, and without turning back, said, "I'm coming back tomorrow. In fact, I won't stop coming until I've seen every raw stone in your shop… unless you close up for good tomorrow."

SLAM!

The door slammed shut. Cao Yang's face turned ashen, his fists clenched tight. Staring through the window at Chen Erbao's departing figure, his eyes filled with a thick, murderous intent.

"Get He Zheng to investigate this kid. Find out where he comes from, acting so damn arrogant!"

"Yes, sir."

His subordinate acknowledged the order and left.

He Zheng was the top man in Lijiang City. He had taken plenty of Cao Yang's silver over the years, so when Cao Yang needed a favor, he didn't bother with pleasantries.

...

Chen Erbao and Wang Mian got in the car and drove back to the Vienna Hotel.

They arrived at the hotel a little after twelve noon. Chen Erbao wolfed down his food, and after filling his stomach, he prepared to head back to his room.

Wang Mian could see that Chen Erbao seemed tired. He asked tentatively, "Mr. Chen, would you like me to arrange a massage? Our hotel's massage therapists are very professional!"

Back in college, Chen Erbao had been dragged to a foot-washing place by a bunch of bad influences. Of course, you never went to a place like that *just* for a foot wash; the real point was the suggestive ambiguity.

He had never experienced a place of the Vienna Hotel's caliber.

'My head is feeling a bit heavy anyway. Might as well give it a try.'

"Go ahead and arrange it. Make sure she's young and pretty."

Chen Erbao had no desire to be served by some middle-aged woman. His standards were higher now, and his tastes had naturally become more discerning.

Wang Mian flashed a knowing smile. "Understood!"

He made a phone call, then led Chen Erbao to a room in the entertainment area.

The room had no windows. Even though it was broad daylight outside, the room was dimly lit. A faint yellow light shone from above, and the air was thick with the scent of incense, a decadent aroma designed to stir a man's deepest urges.

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