Not the fashion magazine, but the city of Ruili in Yunnan Province, a trading port nestled on the China-Myanmar border.

Ruili boasts a long history, with kingdoms established here as early as the pre-Qin era. It borders Myanmar on three sides, and its terrain is predominantly mountainous. This city is one of the world’s most significant hubs for jade trading. Due to the prevalence of high-end goods, many jade enthusiasts travel specifically here to make purchases, leading to the reputation, "Jade comes from Yunnan, jade starts from Ruili."

As a veteran in the industry, it was hardly surprising that Qi Fei bumped into one or two acquaintances while they were out; thus, she and Wang Zhuo maintained a practiced, utterly platonic demeanor around others.

Along the way, the breathtaking scenery of Yunnan captivated them, making them linger, but their destination was finally reached. Sightseeing would have to wait; attending to business came first.

There were countless jade trading markets in Ruili, with new ones opening almost every year. If Qi Fei hadn't known the ropes, Wang Zhuo would likely have wasted considerable time just exploring and navigating.

The pair first browsed the New Oriental Jewelry City. The overall impression could be summed up in one word: Expensive. Even a simple protective amulet crafted from a standard bangle core commanded ten thousand or tens of thousands of yuan. Pieces with even a slight translucency and decent green saturation were priced starting at fifty thousand, proving no cheaper than in Jiangzhou.

Leaving there, they checked out the nearby Huafeng Jewelry City, where prices were even more outrageous, and the shop owners held firm, adopting the stance that whether a sale was made or not didn't matter, but the price would not drop.

This clearly demonstrated the rising trend in the jade market. It stood to reason: shop owners earned more by simply holding onto the inventory rather than selling it, so they cared little about closing a deal under the current conditions.

Although they left empty-handed, Wang Zhuo and Qi Fei weren't bothered, as their main objective was raw jade materials (Mao Liao); browsing finished goods was merely an exercise in observing the market up close.

After a night of rest, the two rose early the next day and headed straight for the National Gate.

That night, Qi Fei absolutely refused to assist Wang Zhuo with his "landing" again. On one hand, it was due to embarrassment, but more importantly, Wang Zhuo's trajectory was too hard to control.

Wang Zhuo, unable to press his luck further, had to concede, deciding to wait until her injury healed before trying again.

Even so, Wang Zhuo had thoroughly indulged his tactile desires, leaving the beautiful elder sister breathless and undulating, the intimate details of which were best left untold.

Passing through the majestic Ruili Port—a monumental gate filled with ethnic charm—the two stepped onto Burmese soil. Following the flow of people, they arrived at a bustling market where Wang Zhuo finally encountered his old friends: stacks and piles of stones.

They first took a cursory look around the whole area, then reverted to their usual routine: splitting up. Qi Fei would examine the semi-gambling materials (Ban Du Liao), while Wang Zhuo went for the fully raw, uncut pieces (Quan Du).

In no time, Wang Zhuo selected a small rough stone, about the size of a fist. Beneath a thin layer of yellowish weathered skin lay an abundance of ice-type yellow-green jadeite. At the current market rate, simply peeling off the outer weathered layer and tossing this piece onto the market could fetch three or four million yuan.

Yet, the owner was only asking fifty thousand, because the stone looked no different from an ordinary rock—its outward appearance was terrible, and it weighed just over a kilogram. This asking price was practically highway robbery.

Last night, during their intimate moments, Qi Fei had explained some local customs. There were many rules among the old Burmese when conducting business, one of which was that once a price was counter-offered and agreed to by the Burmese vendor, there was no backing out. So, Wang Zhuo considered it for a moment and offered thirty thousand.

Of course, this price was in RMB; Wang Zhuo didn't even know what currency the Burmese were using yet.

The stall owner was a short man in his forties, with skin dark and coarse like tree bark. He waved his hand across a mouth missing its front teeth, signaling that Wang Zhuo's counter-offer was too low.

With three or four million yuan as the potential value, Wang Zhuo didn't mind the difference of one or two tens of thousands and casually raised his offer to forty thousand. The Burmese vendor hesitated, thinking Wang Zhuo wasn't entirely sincere about buying, but eventually agreed.

Receiving four bundles of one-hundred-yuan notes, the old man called over a friend. The two stood under the shade of a tree, licking their fingers to count the cash. Wang Zhuo waited nearby, half-amused and half-frustrated. Since there was no card machine and the Burmese man had no currency counter, he could only wait foolishly.

After counting the money, the old man nodded contentedly, then smiled and pulled out a small, thumb-sized translucent-blue Buddha pendant made from glutinous jade, gifting it to Wang Zhuo. Such a small pendant could fetch eight hundred to a thousand yuan back in Ruili, although the craftsmanship would be far superior to the old man's piece. It served as a token of his goodwill.

One should never refuse a gift—it’s uncivilized. Unfortunately, Wang Zhuo had nothing comparable on hand. His mind raced, and he picked up a flat, ten-centimeter square piece of raw jade from the vendor’s stall, telling the Burmese man, "You should try cutting this one yourself."

With that, Wang Zhuo departed. Once cut, that piece of raw jade was guaranteed to appreciate three to five times over, easily netting a profit of tens of thousands. He had presented the old man with a small fortune, serving as a return gift for the small Buddha pendant. Whether the vendor cut it or not was now irrelevant to him.

Stopping and starting along his way, Wang Zhuo only selected raw materials that could be carried back in the vehicle and offered massive appreciation potential. Pieces the size of a soccer ball that might yield thirty or fifty thousand in profit were outside his consideration. Others desperately sought a single stone that would yield a profit, yet he was pickier, unwilling to even bother for smaller gains.

The last time he gambled on stones was back in the summer; now it was early winter. During these past few months, his supernatural ability had advanced significantly. Now, a casual glance at a raw stone was almost equivalent to peeling off the outer weathered layer, and he no longer encountered issues like color deviation or encountering sesame-black inclusions. Only exceptionally large pieces, or those requiring stringent color standards, needed careful handling and inspection; otherwise, a single sweep of his eyes could estimate the approximate value.

Looking along the path, there were indeed stones that would yield huge returns, but they were scarce. However, after Wang Zhuo had swept through the area, it became an impossible task for anyone else to cut a stone that would yield such a massive windfall.

Gradually, the stones he had selected became too numerous to carry. Wang Zhuo paid two hundred yuan to a vendor for a small two-wheeled cart, upon which he placed a wooden crate used to hold the raw jade.

Pulling the battered little cart through the market, he had certainly become a unique sight in that marketplace today.

The market occupied a large courtyard spanning over a thousand square meters. By the time Wang Zhuo finished his "sweep," it was already around noon. He found Qi Fei lingering in front of a storefront, observing what she was studying.

"Wang Zhuo, I've picked out this piece," Qi Fei said, excitedly showing him a piece of visible-layer material (Ming Liao).

It was a bamboo-shoot-shaped stone. After peeling off the weathered skin, a milky-white interior was revealed. The green was only a thin surface layer, interspersed with patches of yellow, blue, and other mottled colors—a rather discouraging sight.

If this stone yielded any green jadeite, it would be pointless to even consider it. However, if a skilled designer worked on it meticulously, it might just be transformed from the mundane into something magical.

Pulling Wang Zhuo aside, Qi Fei whispered close to his ear, "What do you think we should carve from it?"

Wang Zhuo desperately wanted to suggest carving the colored parts away to make a pair of bamboo shoot breasts, pale and pert, exactly like hers. But while that was something he could whisper back at the hotel tonight, saying it now would surely earn him a glare.

He replied properly, "I can't really say; maybe I should have been a designer instead."

Qi Fei hummed and then said, "What if we carve a seven-dragon pagoda wrapping around a jewel?"

Wang Zhuo’s eyes immediately lit up: "Excellent idea! What are you waiting for then?"

"The asking price is only three hundred thousand. I’ll go negotiate it down again," Qi Fei said, returning with excitement.

After a round of haggling, they finally secured it for two hundred and twenty thousand yuan. They packaged it using tape and cardboard, placing it onto Wang Zhuo’s squeaking little cart.

Seeing the pile of stone eggs inside the cart, Qi Fei smiled and asked, "Quite the haul. How much did you spend?"

"Not much, just over a million," Wang Zhuo chuckled, thinking to himself that he would make her see him in a new light soon; if this entire pile were cut open, thirty million wouldn't be enough to cap it.

Myanmar was certainly better in this regard; at least the raw stones seen were locally sourced, and there were more visible potential gains. Unlike back home or in Jiangzhou, where the raw materials seen had likely been gambled on countless times and passed through numerous hands.

"I trust your judgment," Qi Fei murmured, brushing back a strand of fallen hair. At this point, even if Wang Zhuo pulled a dud stone, she wouldn't find it strange. After spending so much time together, she had developed absolute, unconditional faith in his discerning eye.

"You must be hungry. Come on, I'll take you for some Burmese specialties."

They had only walked a short distance when an old Burmese man rushed over calling out, his face alight with excitement. It was the very vendor who had given Wang Zhuo the small Buddha pendant earlier. He was holding a raw stone that had been cut right down the middle—it was the exact piece Wang Zhuo had recommended as a gesture of reciprocal kindness!

The old man’s spoken Chinese was poor, but having dealt with Chinese people for a long time, basic communication was feasible, and with Qi Fei, the jade expert, nearby, some translation was possible.

It turned out the man, having little else to do and seeing few customers that day, had taken the piece Wang Zhuo recommended to a cutting station in the market and sliced it open with one cut. Though these Burmese men merely set up stalls to sell raw jade, they were actually quite wealthy among the common populace; cutting a rough stone was no major expense for him.

Wang Zhuo’s clairvoyance was certainly not for nothing; this stone truly had appreciated significantly. Overjoyed, the old man sought out Wang Zhuo, hoping to invite him for a meal. Even if they didn't become close friends, establishing a client relationship would be beneficial.

Although the old Burmese uncle wore a somewhat mismatched suit and looked more like a common farmer than a businessman, Wang Zhuo was someone who made friends easily, and Qi Fei was generous. Thus, the trio teamed up and headed to a specialty restaurant.

After being seated and ordering, the old man took out a small box from his inner jacket pocket and opened it on the table. He first picked up a leaf of some unknown tree, brushed it with a white, powdery mixture, then sprinkled on a few black granules, and finally dusted some strangely smelling powder over it.

Next, he rolled the leaf twice, folded it into a small bundle, and, grinning with his toothless mouth while nodding repeatedly, handed this small, brown-paper-like object to Wang Zhuo to ingest.