Returning to Jiangzhou, the company had indeed piled up a significant amount of urgent matters that required Wang Zhuo and his team to handle personally.

The idea of being a hands-off proprietor was simply about not having to micromanage every detail; to truly believe that all affairs could be safely left to managers was a grave miscalculation.

There were two notorious examples: one was Chen Xiao of Gome Electrical Appliances, who, after the Huang Guangyu couple was imprisoned, nearly succeeded in changing the ownership of Gome from the Huang name to the Bain name. Another was Wei Hongzhou of 360 Security Guard, who, after selling a network product he personally founded to Yahoo for an astronomical price, then personally hollowed it out, only to start anew by establishing a company named Qihu, mounting a flag to combat adware and ultimately strangling the very product he had sold to Yahoo.

From this, it was clear that if the master was incapable, the steward would surely seize the master’s seat. Thus, those fantasies of handing over the business to managers while one indulged in a life of wine and revelry were utterly unrealistic.

……

It seemed as if overnight, the jade storefronts of Majestic Dynasty had surged forth, reshaping the jade market landscape along Nanjing Road.

Jade was not like gold; its value was not calculated by the gram but defined by multiple angles, including zhong shui (translucency and texture), color, size, craftsmanship, and creativity. However, this pricing method was not without discernible patterns; most of the time, those with some knowledge of jade could fairly compare whether the value of a piece from Cui Bao was reasonable.

Take bangles, for instance. Two bangles, both ice type with full green coloration, identical in size and workmanship, with no creative elements to speak of, and similar color saturation. The appraisal resulted in both being excellent in their respective merits. Yet, the one from Lao Fengxiang sold for 2.8 million, while the one from Majestic Dynasty sold for 2.6 million—a price difference sufficient to buy a top-spec Mazda 6 sedan. Which would the customer choose?

Then there were the smaller ornaments, such as floating flower string-of-beans pendants or Yang Green Guanyin statues of the same grade. The ones from Majestic Dynasty happened to be slightly larger. What hesitation could a buyer possibly have?

Majestic Dynasty had not attacked the market with rock-bottom prices, but while other jewelry companies were treasuring their stock and holding back sales, they were calmly moving inventory at a rate slightly below the market average. Initially, many customers didn't notice much, but when players on various cuiyou (jade enthusiast) forums began continuously showing off the jade they had acquired from Majestic Dynasty, everyone suddenly realized that Majestic Dynasty’s output volume had actually reached the combined sales of the top few jewelry companies doing jade business on Nanjing Road.

Competitors remained on the sidelines, viewing Majestic Dynasty’s selling behavior as the idiotic act of operating against the market trend. There had been numerous precedents for this: when the entire industry generally expected prices to rise, if a company like Majestic Dynasty moved such large volumes of stock, its inventory would quickly deplete. Only when they thought they had made a handsome profit and went out to restock would they discover that the procurement prices on the market had risen past their selling prices—a situation where selling led to losses.

“Let’s see what that idiot will sell next month.”

“Young people are indeed too green. By the time he regrets it, it will be too late.”

“Doesn't he like grabbing market share with low prices? Let him grab it. It doesn’t matter if our stock doesn't sell; the property sales teams know how to hoard inventory. We can just sit back and wait for the prices to climb.”

“I bet they are losing money just to gain popularity. They’ll be completely quiet before the end of next month.”

……

Amidst the chorus of mockery from competitors, Majestic Dynasty’s jade sales repeatedly set new records. Even other merchandise within the stores saw a massive boost in sales driven by the increased foot traffic, giving every employee the exhilarating feeling of celebrating the New Year every day.

How could they not be excited? Even counter sales staff were earning over ten thousand a month, with some even breaking twenty or thirty thousand. As for the supervisors and managers, it went without saying. If things continued this way, buying a 70-year leasehold in Jiangzhou was no longer a distant dream.

Majestic Dynasty’s speed of output was indeed something many jewelry companies could not sustain. It was important to remember that the production cycle for a large centerpiece carving often required weeks or even months. A small ping’an kou (peace buckle), a tiny pixiu, or a hand-held ornament demanded a full day or several days of labor. Even the wealthiest company had limited production capacity; no matter how much material they possessed, they had to be able to craft it first.

This, in fact, was Wang Zhuo's shrewd insight. As early as April in the first half of the year, he had instructed Qi Fei to specifically contact several carving studios in Yunnan, Beijing, Hong Kong, and other places, outsourcing the processing of the cut and designed jade roughs. This move dramatically increased the company's output capacity. Although it added certain costs, it bought them invaluable time.

Only a few core individuals truly knew the actual operational status of Majestic Dynasty. Many who were less informed assumed this inventory was being moved in from other places at bargain prices, sold without profit purely to drive traffic. Only Wang Zhuo and a few others knew that Majestic Dynasty’s rough material prices were surprisingly low, and the supply was ample enough to maintain the current sales pace for several more months without issue.

Following a surge in sales during the National Day holiday, the statistical data was finally released on the 7th. Early that morning, Guan Yingying excitedly called Wang Zhuo.

“Boss Wang, guess how much sales revenue our three stores generated during the five days of the Golden Week?”

Wang Zhuo had just returned from a run and was eating an apple in the living room of his dormitory. He paused, considering, “Does that include the three major pieces?”

The three major pieces he referred to were: a ten-kilogram ink jade reclining ox, a sticky-rice grade, thirty-centimeter tall three-legged ding cauldron, and a pair of glass type high-green bangles.

These three pieces sold for a total of 27 million. The reclining ox was acquired by an elderly gentleman from Hong Kong whose zodiac sign was the Ox. The buyer of the three-legged ding remained unidentified. The high-green bangles were more unique; Guan Yingying had paid for paid advertising displays on ten cuiyou forums for half a month, attracting countless interested parties, and ultimately, they were purchased by a Hollywood star completely unfamiliar with jade.

It turned out the star’s wife was pregnant with twins and due soon. He intended to give the pair of bangles to his future twin daughters as coming-of-age gifts. The star himself was a China enthusiast, with tattoos featuring Chinese characters like “Sheng” (Life) and “Long” (Dragon).

Majestic Dynasty had specially arranged dedicated personnel for delivery, which had been successfully completed. The publicity surrounding this event was about to unfold, which would undoubtedly draw significant public attention.

Guan Yingying chuckled playfully, “Include them! Including them makes the number look bigger.”

The three big pieces netted 27 million. Wang Zhuo added this amount and gave a relatively conservative estimate: “Sixty million?”

“Only that much?” Guan Yingying teased, “You think too little of the purchasing power of our people?”

Wang Zhuo grinned, “Aren’t all the wealthy people going abroad to buy Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Hermès?”

“That’s what country bumpkins trying to look rich do,” Guan Yingying snorted, deliberately forgetting for a moment that she too had done things that were considered uncouth.

Wang Zhuo couldn't be bothered to expose her; after all, everyone had to go through a process of improvement, didn't they? “Then I’ll add another ten million. Seventy million should be about right, right?”

“Still not enough. Guess again,” Guan Yingying said triumphantly.

Seventy million wasn’t enough? Wang Zhuo felt a surge of pleasant surprise. “I’m not guessing anymore. Phones have radiation; using them too long isn't good for your health. Don’t play coy; just tell me quickly.”

Recently, Wang Zhuo had adopted the phrase “not good for your health” as his catchphrase, using it as a shield whenever needed. For instance, if Guan Yingying wanted hotpot and he didn't, the excuse would be "not good for your health." But if he got caught in the rain without an umbrella and drenched, he wouldn't say that; instead, he'd claim, "a little exercise now and then boosts immunity."

“Not even close. The total is eighty-eight million, two hundred thousand, and change,” Guan Yingying excitedly revealed the answer. “If we include the pre-orders with deposits paid, the total exceeds one hundred and twenty million!”

Wang Zhuo couldn't stop smiling, but he feigned seriousness toward Guan Yingying, “Comrade Guan Yingying, we must not become complacent with such small achievements. We have certainly made some money these past few days, but inflation is so severe right now, we don't even know if these tens of millions in profit can outpace the CPI.”

In recent years, prices had skyrocketed. If one deposited ten thousand yuan in the bank for a year, the purchasing power of the principal plus interest was less than what nine thousand yuan could buy a year prior. Yet, the officially published CPI figures were a lukewarm four or six percent. Who were they trying to fool, and who were they actually fooling? Did the fact that rice went from two yuan to two and a half, and eggs from four to six, mean the common people were blind?

“Right, right. No matter how fast we make money, it can’t keep up with the speed at which the NDRC raises oil prices,” Guan Yingying followed his lead and joked. In the last three months, the National Development and Reform Commission had adjusted oil prices seven times—raising them by twenty fen each time, and lowering them by only two fen. A performance artist had hung a small flag extending out from the front bumper of his car, bearing the two large characters: “Oil Price.” The implication was that no matter how fast a car drove, it couldn't outrun the forward march of oil prices.

“Let’s drop this topic,” Wang Zhuo laughed. “It’s better to discuss these things less often; it lowers our happiness quotient. It’s not harmonious.”

“Then let’s talk business,” Guan Yingying cleared her throat slightly and said, “The Jiangzhou City Jade Collectors Association is hosting a cocktail reception soon. The invitation is on your desk.”

“What’s the theme?” Wang Zhuo asked.

“Development, Joint Progress, Mutual Prosperity,” Guan Yingying grinned, her voice laced with a hint of strangeness.

“A Dragon’s Den banquet,” Wang Zhuo immediately recognized, scoffing lightly. “Are they trying to probe our capabilities, or apply some pressure?”

“Sister Qi Fei thinks it’s both,” Guan Yingying replied calmly. “Development and Joint Progress are old platitudes. The word Mutual Prosperity is what’s interesting. The current situation is that Majestic Dynasty is performing a solo show while others watch coldly from the sidelines. They want to see how long we can keep singing before they jump in to sing the grand finale with us.”

“Then let them get ready,” Wang Zhuo’s voice held a touch of teasing mischief. “They’ll have to wait until we’ve eaten enough of the meat before they get to slurp the broth.”