"Then I'll borrow this stone from you. You still own the stone. If you win the competition, the prize is yours, and I'll shamelessly claim the honor. Is that alright?" Miao Cuihua asked.

"There are prizes too?" Liu Yihang was surprised. He thought it was just a competition among jade merchants to show off their skills, but he didn't expect it to be a serious competition.

"Of course! After all the jade stones are cut open tomorrow, there will be professional judges who will score them. They are all leading figures in the jade industry."

The top three will all receive prizes.

This year's first prize is a set of jade artifacts handcrafted by Master Yuheng. He is getting on in years, and his works are becoming increasingly rare and valuable. It would be quite a treat to win one.

The prizes for second and third place are just for encouragement; there's nothing special about them.

Liu Yihang knew about Master Yuheng. The more he had contact with him these days, the more he learned about the basics of the jade industry.

Master Yuheng started as a jade craftsman and dedicated himself to jade carving for decades, eventually becoming a master and a legendary figure in the jade industry.

The items he carves by hand, not to mention their added value, are made from jade materials that are not ordinary and are certainly very valuable.

Liu Yihang became interested.

The two chatted a lot along the way.

Back at the hotel, officers from the police station came one by one to give them their feedback. They had been waiting for them for a while, and even the Mr. Hua who had sold the raw stones earlier had arrived, looking anxious as he waited for them.

"Madam, we have interrogated the perpetrator, and he has confessed that his name is Yan Zan and he works at this flower shop."

Because you were carrying a lot of cash with you when you bought ingredients at their store yesterday, he targeted you and planned to steal it at night. The facts are clear and the evidence is conclusive. Do you have any further questions?

Liu Yihang nodded gently to Miao Cuihua, believing it to be true.

Because he clearly saw last night that the man had been looking down and searching for something after he came in, and now that he thought about it, he was probably looking for the safe containing the money. There was no murderous intent in his eyes, so he probably wasn't there for revenge.

"Boss Miao, please forgive him for my sake. He's not a bad guy."

Ajarn grew up without a father and always worked for me; he was an obedient and good boy.

The reason he took the risk of stealing this time was because his mother was seriously ill and needed a lot of money for treatment. I had already given him five years' worth of salary in advance, but I didn't expect him to still go down this path.

"If you can forgive him and sign a letter of understanding, I will give you a 20% discount, no, a 30% discount, every time you come to pick up raw stones in the future. Please!" Boss Hua put his hands together, bowed deeply, and sincerely pleaded.

The situation in Yunnan Province is quite complex as it is located on the border. Sometimes, local clan and family laws are more powerful than the national laws.

This kind of thing can be a big deal or a small deal. Since it was an attempted theft, if the person involved is willing to forgive and sign a letter of understanding, the police can handle it leniently. If someone is willing to help him pay the fine, he can be released on bail.

That's why Boss Hua pleaded with Miao Cuihua like that.

It's clear that Boss Hua genuinely treats his employee very well, even offering Miao Cuihua such a generous discount.

Liu Yihang was deeply moved by the affection between the master and servant.

I remember last night, no matter how I asked, Yan Zan refused to speak. It wasn't until I mentioned Boss Hua that he finally denied it, saying it was all his own idea and had nothing to do with anyone else.

To get the young man, who had committed theft, Boss Hua not only personally went to plead for him and offered him gifts, but also promised him a large sum of money.

I will always be moved by sincere feelings. How can the affection between people be explained in just a few words?

Miao Cuihua was also caught in a dilemma.

Emotionally, she believed what Boss Hua said was true, and the 30% discount was very tempting.

But from a moral standpoint, she was afraid of letting a demon escape.

Boss Hua noticed her hesitation and took them to the hospital, where Miao Cuihua and Liu Yihang saw Yan Zan's mother in person.

She was so thin she was just skin and bones, lying in bed unable to move. Boss Hua should come to see her often. When she saw him come in, she forced a smile and said in the local dialect, "Brother Hua, what brings you here? Where's Zanwa? Why didn't he come today?"

Mr. Hua couldn't bear to tell her the news, fearing that she might get agitated and cause something else to happen, in which case Ajarn would truly be beyond saving.

“I have something for Ajarn to do; he’ll be back in a couple of days,” Mr. Hua reassured her.

After seeing Ajarn's mother come out, Miao Cuihua finally agreed to Boss Hua's request and signed the letter of understanding.

The boss thanked them profusely and took them back to the hotel. Then, he took the letter of understanding and money to the police station to pay the bail to Ajarn.

Although Miao Cuihua had experienced countless hardships and developed an impenetrable defense, making her difficult to persuade, she still had a soft spot in her heart. This time, she agreed to Boss Hua's request because of that poor mother.

She understood a mother's love for her son better than anyone, so how could she bear to let that thin, terminally ill woman fall into despair because of her son's imprisonment?

I just hope that the young man named Ajarn will not do anything bad again and will accompany his mother through the last part of her life.

The two ate something quick downstairs at the hotel and then went back to their room.

Not long after, there was a knock on the door.

Liu Yihang opened the door.

It was Boss Hua and that young man named Azan.

His face was bruised and swollen, and the injury on his throat from yesterday hadn't been properly treated; it was still red and swollen, making him look quite disheveled.

It seems he wasn't very cooperative during the interrogation.

"Is Boss Miao here? I'll bring Ajarn over to apologize to her." Boss Hua was very polite.

"Please come in." Liu Yihang opened the door.

"Ajarn, kneel down and thank Boss Miao for his life-saving grace." Upon entering the room and seeing Miao Cuihua, Boss Hua said directly.

The young man named Azan must have already realized that Miao Cuihua had let him go, so he quickly knelt down as instructed.

"Thank you, thank you, Boss Miao. I'll never do it again. If I do it again, may I die a horrible death," Ajarn said in broken, accented Mandarin.

Seeing that his attitude was fairly sincere, Miao Cuihua didn't say anything more.

From another perspective, this child also had a pure heart, and did such a dangerous thing to save his mother.

Putting yourself in their shoes, it's hard not to be moved if you had such a filial child.

Miao Cuihua asked expressionlessly, "How much money do you still need for your mother's illness?"

Ajarn's eyes dimmed.

"There's still so much to go..."

“His mother has been ill for many years. She needs dialysis every day and takes foreign medicine to keep her alive. Almost all of Ajarn’s earnings are spent on her. It’s a bottomless pit,” Mr. Hua sighed.

Miao Cuihua understood that any act of charity would be like a drop in the ocean.

"If you need anything in the future, you can come to me." Miao Cuihua left her phone number with Azan.