After what felt like ages, the plane finally landed at its destination.

Stepping off the aircraft, Wang Guan looked around curiously; there was nothing particularly striking. The only sensation was that while the climate was hot, the temperature felt relatively mild—certainly more comfortable than back home.

“It’s late, let’s find lodging first.”

At this point, Jia Qin called out, “We’ll handle the Gemstone Public Auction entry passes tomorrow.”

Naturally, no one objected. After leaving the airport, they hailed a car and arrived at a rather luxurious hotel. Jia Qin had already booked the rooms, so everyone could just grab their bags and check in.

Following Jia Qin had been the right decision...

Wang Guan nodded in satisfaction. If he had come alone, he'd probably still be at the airport trying to find a translator.

Once the rooms were assigned and the luggage settled, they headed straight to the hotel restaurant for dinner. Wang Guan scanned the room and was surprised to find quite a few of his Chinese compatriots dining there, enjoying authentic Chinese food provided by the hotel.

It was worth noting that Boss Yang had also accompanied them. Noticing Wang Guan’s confusion, he immediately chuckled and explained, “Many Chinese tourists visit here for sightseeing during normal times, let alone now that the Public Auction is about to start. Gemstone merchants from all over will surely flock here. It’s like this every year. The Burmese aren't fools; they naturally know to offer Chinese dining services, even hiring Chinese master chefs at high salaries…”

Wang Guan suddenly understood and realized the identity of the other diners: probably only a small fraction were tourists; the majority were merchants here for the auction.

“Can you handle spicy food?”

Boss Yang laughed at the same time, “I don’t know why, but the Burmese seem to prefer Sichuan cuisine slightly more, so most of the chefs they hire are Sichuanese. Naturally, the dishes lean towards spicy.”

“It’s fine, as long as it’s not the level of Youpo Lazi, I can manage a little spice,” Wang Guan replied with a smile, adopting the local custom. If everyone else could eat it, why couldn't he?

“Hehe, don’t worry, it won’t be that extreme…”

Amidst the lighthearted banter, Boss Yang ordered a table full of dishes. Not all of them were spicy; there were milder options too, though the flavors were slightly less satisfying. After such a long flight, spicy food was certainly more appetizing.

With so many people dining together, drinks were inevitable. However, considering the serious business awaiting them tomorrow, no one dared to drink excessively. They only ordered two or three bottles, just tasting a little to show respect.

Regardless, the atmosphere during the clinking of glasses was quite lively. Everyone present was a well-traveled merchant, so there was no shortage of conversation topics. They chatted freely about everything from all corners of the world, drawing forth bursts of laughter.

As the conversation flowed, it inevitably turned to the main purpose of their visit.

At that moment, one person surveyed the room and sighed softly, “Business is really tough this year. It seems everyone has heard the rumors; the auction hasn’t even opened yet, and there are already this many colleagues here.”

“Tell me about it,” Boss Yang glanced around and sighed in agreement, “Not just colleagues from domestically, but jewelers from Malaysia and Singapore too. The competition is fierce.”

Amidst these sighs, many people showed looks of concern, and the mood at the table dampened. Fortunately, dinner was almost over, so they settled the bill and dispersed, heading back to their rooms to clean up and sleep.

The next morning, they chartered a car to the place where entry passes were issued. Wang Guan then realized that Boss Yang and the others’ worries were not unfounded. It was only eight in the morning, yet the place was already bustling and crowded, as lively as a vegetable market. Seeing people waving application forms in their hands, he knew they were all there to secure their entry permits.

“Sigh…”

Seeing this scene, Boss Yang and the others couldn't help but let out another sigh.

Noticing it would be difficult to push through the crowd, one person suggested, “There are too many people. Who knows when it will be our turn? Maybe we should wander around nearby for a while and come back later.”

“That works too,” the others agreed. They left one person to guard their spot while the rest strolled down the adjacent street. Having traveled abroad, everyone wanted to buy a few souvenirs to take back for relatives and friends.

Every tourist city in the world is certainly different, but one thing is absolutely consistent: they always offer many small, exquisite handicrafts for tourists to choose from.

This street was no exception. At a glance, both sides of the long street were lined with various souvenirs full of local character. After touring the area, everyone left with quite a few items in hand.

At the same time, Wang Guan gained a new appreciation for this city. He had long heard that countries like Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia possessed extremely strong religious atmospheres, but he never had a clear concept of what that meant.

Arriving here, Wang Guan finally grasped what it meant to be a ‘Buddhist Nation.’

He hadn’t paid much attention the previous night, but driving over this morning, he noticed the city had numerous pagodas and temples, reminiscent of the line describing the 480 temples of the Southern Dynasties. Furthermore, while browsing the shops, the streets were filled not only with tourists but also with monks coming and going. The local residents showed no unusual reaction, indicating that this was entirely commonplace to them.

“Biji-pala…”

Just then, a burst of firecrackers, loud enough to shake the heavens, suddenly erupted.

“Who’s stone gambling?”

“Did someone strike it rich?”

Boss Yang and the others were highly sensitive; hearing the sound, they immediately looked around. Without needing any prompting, they moved in unison toward the source of the noise, eventually arriving at an alleyway.

At that moment, a crowd had already gathered in the alley. Amidst the swirling smoke and gunpowder residue, everyone could see clearly: a man was holding aloft a piece of jade the size of an infant’s fist. The stone had already been cut, and under the sunlight, it radiated a vibrant, eye-catching emerald green luster.

“Amazing! Who is so skilled to have cut out an Ice-Glutinous Jade?” Boss Yang was extremely envious.

After cramming some basic gemstone knowledge last night, Wang Guan understood what Boss Yang meant by ‘Ice-Glutinous.’ It referred to jade with a texture falling between transparent and opaque. Upon close inspection, it possessed a crystalline clarity similar to cooked glutinous rice—a very fine specimen belonging to a high-grade variety.

“A stone like this is worth at least three to five million,” another person sighed at the same time. “I wonder whose luck is so good to score an opening success right away, destined for great fortune.”

“Huh!”

At this moment, Wang Guan suddenly spotted a familiar figure in the crowd. After looking carefully, he couldn't help but marvel at how small the world was and how one always runs into acquaintances.

Noticing Wang Guan’s unusual expression, Jia Qin asked curiously, “What’s wrong? Do you know someone?”

“An elder acquaintance of a friend,” Wang Guan stated the truth. Seeing the man being treated as the center of attention, he knew the jade belonged to him.

“Then he’s a friend,”

Boss Yang immediately smiled, “When we’re traveling abroad, we should look out for each other. Call him over to introduce ourselves.”

“…Wait a moment, I’ll go say hello.” Wang Guan considered it and began pushing his way toward the man, but halfway there, he was blocked by several sturdy bodyguards.

Seeing this, Wang Guan felt helpless and had to call out, “Boss An!”

“Hmm?”

The man holding the jade and admiring it instinctively looked up upon hearing the voice. It was none other than An Huanqing’s uncle, An Shengxian. The two had parted ways in Hangzhou not long ago; he hadn't expected to meet him here.

An Shengxian looked slightly surprised. After handing the jade to someone nearby for safekeeping, he signaled the bodyguards to step aside and walked over with a beaming smile, his expression warm and friendly: “Little Wang, what brings you here?”

“Accompanying friends for sightseeing and to participate in the Myanmar Public Auction,” Wang Guan chuckled. “We were just about to get our entry passes, but it was too crowded, so we decided to wander around first. Barely a few steps out, I saw Boss An getting lucky and cutting out a high-grade jade.”

“Luck, pure luck,”

An Shengxian’s eyes held a hint of joy, but he remained outwardly humble: “I smashed several million, even losing out on a few stones, before finally getting this bit of jade. It’s a bit of a loss.”

A loss my foot, you made money, many people thought silently. Everyone knew high-grade jade held heirloom value and was an excellent investment, appreciating almost every year. Having spent several million for this piece, after careful carving, he’d definitely earn it back in two or three years. Even now, the invested money was at best equal to the jade’s value; he hadn't lost anything at all.

Ignoring the unspoken thoughts of the crowd, An Shengxian continued with a smile, “Where are your friends? When you’re traveling, you should look out for each other. Ask them to come over for tea…”

Actually, Wang Guan didn't even need to call them. Upon realizing Wang Guan’s friends were associated with An Shengxian, who had just cut the successful jade, Boss Yang and the others moved over with great tacit understanding. It might not have been to covet the jade, but simply to soak up some of that good luck.

Wang Guan took the opportunity to introduce his companions one by one.

Hearing that they were all gemstone merchants from Beijing, An Shengxian became even more enthusiastic, especially when he heard Jia Qin’s name, a flicker of brightness flashing in his eyes: “So it’s Young Master Jia, long admired, long admired!”

Everyone could tell that An Shengxian was not just being polite; he genuinely knew of Jia Qin.

“Boss An knows me?” Jia Qin sounded slightly puzzled.

“Two years ago, Young Master Jia cut an exquisite Violet piece in Tengchong with the Three Knives method. It caused a huge stir at the time and even earned praise from the Jade King—it was quite a celebrated story,” An Shengxian sighed happily. “I wasn’t there then, so I missed the chance to witness Young Master Jia’s brilliance. I still regret it to this day.”

Of course, everyone present understood that, setting aside the polite formalities, what An Shengxian likely regretted most was missing out on that superb Violet jade.

Jia Qin merely smiled modestly in response. However, seeing An Shengxian’s expression of admiration, Boss Yang and the others felt a sense of reflected glory, looking proud. After all, Jia Qin was from Beijing, and his achievements earned respect, bringing honor to them as well, which naturally made them happy.

“You are all here for the Public Auction, right?”

An Shengxian said with a smile, “Meeting in a foreign land is a kind of fate. Coincidentally, a friend of mine lives nearby; he is a professional jade appraiser and is extremely hospitable. If you all have nothing else planned, why don’t you come over to his place for a while?” (To be continued.)

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