Never mind the mysterious treasure that has been promised for four days, the Aurora Nine Dragon Bi alone is a masterpiece comparable to the Black Jade Thousand-Hand Guanyin statue. Moreover, while both are valued at over one hundred million, the Aurora Nine Dragon Bi is newly revealed, having only appeared twice in Hong Kong and Macau, with this being its first exhibition in the mainland. Its valuation is not yet fully fixed like the Thousand-Hand Guanyin's, leaving significant room for appreciation.

Thus, in every aspect, the Aurora Nine Dragon Bi holds a distinct edge over the Thousand-Hand Guanyin. Yet, even such a fine piece has been relegated by Shengshi Dynasty to the role of mere adornment beside a beautiful view, an appetizer before the main course.

At noon, Qi Fei went to dine with his media contacts. Wang Zhuo and Guan Yingying met at a Chinese restaurant to quickly debrief on the progress made over the last few days.

In early February, Jiangzhou was already beginning to warm up. Guan Yingying was wearing only a short quilted jacket and a pair of loose velvet trousers, a look that was both simple and capable.

“How is your father’s business lately?” Wang Zhuo inquired.

Guan Yingying managed a wry smile. “This time, they lost everything, even the family savings. The value of those goods wasn't even enough to cover the penalty fees. They lost their entire investment and now owe money on top of that.”

Wang Zhuo nodded sympathetically. The risks of foreign trade were indeed as unpredictable as the world itself. Who could have foreseen that a single fuel price hike by the NDRC would become the last straw that broke an international shipping company? And it happened to coincide with the Lunar New Year, leaving ship after ship of containers piled up at the port with no transport available, causing Guan Shichen’s shipment to sit exposed for more than half a month.

“If it weren’t for Shengshi Dynasty, my family would truly be bankrupt,” Guan Yingying forced a smile, looking at Wang Zhuo with a mixture of gratitude and relief.

Shengshi Dynasty’s business was something Wang Zhuo had practically dragged her into through sheer persistence. At first, she considered it just a side venture, but unexpectedly, this unintended pursuit had flourished into the current situation. In just a few short months, it was nearly catching up to the foreign trade company her father had operated for many years. Without Shengshi Dynasty supporting her, she wouldn’t even know where to turn next.

“Don’t be discouraged; it’s just a matter of ten or twenty million,” Wang Zhuo chuckled lightly. “Once we excavate our ore, the little Guan Clan Trading Company will be nothing more than a mere hair on our head.”

Guan Yingying was caught between laughter and tears. To be precise, the loss was greater than ten or twenty million, and it had severed her father’s source of income and crippled his capital chain—a truly significant blow. However, looking at it another way, if the copper mine venture truly took off, this sum would indeed be negligible.

Watching Wang Zhuo’s calm and detached smile, Guan Yingying’s feelings were complex. Could this scoundrel truly be the fated nemesis who tied her to him even by the hands of destiny?

“How about it, are you starting to fall for me?” Wang Zhuo wiggled his face left and right, giving her a good look. “If you’re thinking of offering yourself in marriage, I might consider it.”

“Dream on,” she retorted, rolling her eyes dismissively. “Don’t think I don’t know about all your messy affairs. Deal with those first before you come bothering me.”

Huh? Wang Zhuo was taken aback by her words. There was significant hidden meaning there. What did she know? And what counted as ‘dealing with it’? The part about ‘bothering me again’—did that imply there was a chance for them after?

As expected of someone surnamed Guan, her words carried multiple meanings.

As they left the elevator after dinner, Wang Zhuo discreetly brushed his fingers against Sister Yingying’s hand, only to be immediately pulled away. Guan Yingying didn't feel her action was inappropriate, but Wang Zhuo immediately analyzed a wealth of information from it.

If she had glared or scolded him coldly, Wang Zhuo would have dropped the thought. But merely pulling away, followed by silence, was tantamount to covert encouragement: If you become more proactive, perhaps I won’t refuse.

Wang Zhuo paused to consider his options. At this critical juncture, it was best not to stir up unnecessary trouble. He decided to wait until Shengshi Dynasty's current expansion phase was complete before strategizing further.

By the end of the sixth day of the exhibition, the novelty of the other displays had worn off, and the focus finally settled squarely on Shengshi Dynasty.

Early on the seventh morning, the astute noticed that the sign saying ‘Please Look Forward to It’ at the Shengshi Dynasty booth had been moved aside. In its place stood a seamless, reinforced glass display case. Those in the know immediately recognized it as custom-made from a German company—a firm whose display cases were used only by top jewelry houses, auctioneers, and museums. The glass was even stronger than bank anti-riot glass; an adult would need half an hour with a sledgehammer to crack it.

The interior of the case was lined with thick yellow silk, obscuring whatever lay inside. Meanwhile, the Nine Dragon Aurora Bi, which had led the hype over the preceding days, had been quietly removed by Shengshi Dynasty and replaced with several high-value jade ornaments at its original spot.

Sharp observers immediately grasped Shengshi Dynasty's intention: the two gems must not be displayed together. Perhaps the management wasn't entirely certain about the value of the forthcoming item and feared it might be overshadowed by the Aurora Bi. Or perhaps they hoped to focus all attention on this one piece, preventing the Aurora Bi from stealing the spotlight.

Regardless of the true reason, it indicated one thing: Shengshi Dynasty’s grand finale was something controversial. Even they weren't entirely sure of its worth.

This promises to be good.

Throughout the morning, the Shengshi Dynasty booth was thronged with visitors, some impatiently urging them to unveil the exhibit.

Around ten o’clock, the clamoring crowd kicked up a minor frenzy, forcing the organizers to dispatch over twenty security guards to maintain order, even escorting out a few of the more hot-tempered spectators.

In fact, these individuals were shills pre-arranged by Wang Zhuo; Cheng Tiankun, Ding Baoji, and Yuan Dakai were among them.

The media didn't care about their roles. Having received their PR fees from Qi Fei, their job was simply to write a sensational story and build maximum buzz for today’s exhibit. Flashes, cameras, and recorders sprang into action, and draft articles detailing the enthusiastic audience rioting at the Shengshi Dynasty new product booth were already being prepared.

Amidst intense anticipation, the unveiling ceremony finally arrived. To gasps of astonishment, a pair of vividly green jade watermelons glittered into view!

The exhibition hall immediately erupted. Order became impossible to maintain. Some deliberately disruptive visitors, spreading rumors that these were the legendary watermelons of Empress Dowager Cixi, caused a stampede as anyone interested in the jade exhibition rushed over to catch a glimpse of the famous melons.

These scheming attendees were, of course, the actors led by Cheng Gang.

The atmosphere was unprecedentedly fervent, causing Wang Zhuo and Guan Yingying, watching from a corner, to discreetly wipe sweat from their brows. They realized they’d better compensate the organizers handsomely after this ordeal; causing such a stir would surely make them targets for every competitor.

Inevitably, this sensational debut immediately offended many, and skepticism soon surfaced: while these watermelons were fine, they were nowhere near the caliber of Empress Cixi’s pair. Cixi’s watermelons were sourced from America, and their material wasn't Burmese jade but a type of tourmaline called elbaite.

This argument, however, was quickly suppressed. What evidence was there that Cixi’s watermelons were of American origin?

Soon, debates broke out in several places throughout the hall. Since no one present had ever seen the genuine Cixi watermelons, it became a matter of 'to each his own.' Many people who didn't even know what tourmaline was joined the clamor, simply because they had nothing better to do.

This was precisely the effect Wang Zhuo desired. Guo Jiandeng’s practical teaching had shown him that no controversy meant no effective hype. The jade watermelons themselves were already a point of contention, and coupled with this long-brewed anticipation, it seemed they had indeed exploded onto the scene.

That day, Shengshi Dynasty swept away all other exhibitors at the entire jade exhibition with overwhelming momentum. The two jade watermelons became the sole, unrivaled focus of the venue.

So much so that numerous exhibitors banded together to file a joint complaint with the organizers, arguing that Shengshi Dynasty’s tactics had disrupted the normal order of the exhibition. However, the organizers were prepared with their response: they advised everyone to remain calm, assuring them that once the news spread, the remaining three days of the exhibition would see a peak attendance, surpassing any previous day and more than making up for today's disruption.

As expected, the old ways are the best. The exhibitors relented and immediately rushed off to secure new inventory.

That evening, all the major jade and jewelry forums were ablaze, with every single trending topic centering without exception on the pair of jade watermelons. Such an unprecedented situation had never occurred before, eclipsing the debut of any single treasure, any Burmese tender, or any previous jade exhibition.

There was no need for paid commenters to fan the flames; the ‘five-mao army’ was useless. Even on large community sites like Tianya and Mop, jade enthusiasts were spontaneously discussing the watermelons. This was more effective than any advertisement and more powerful than any promoter.

Because time was short, the ‘Tourmaline Theory’ was still only being discussed among a small circle of experts. The vast majority believed these watermelons were exact replicas of Empress Cixi’s famous pair.

Furthermore, the paid commentators’ focus that evening shifted to spreading a single message: these are the Empress Dowager’s watermelons, and Shengshi Dynasty won't admit it because they fear the government will confiscate the pieces.

Under the power of mass repetition—three men make a tiger—quite a few people actually believed it. Suddenly, the Jiangzhou Public Security Bureau found itself in a baffling situation, receiving a continuous stream of calls reporting the supposed discovery.

These reports ranged from serious complaints to jokes and general clamor. But the Jiangzhou PSB quickly became overwhelmed and assigned personnel to call the responsible party at Shengshi Dynasty and the exhibition organizer to inquire about the situation. The media immediately seized upon this information, gaining yet another angle for their stories.

And the instigator of it all, Wang Zhuo, was currently smirking wickedly. The Jiangzhou PSB had caused him so much trouble in the past; today, he finally got a taste of revenge.