The man pulled a slip of paper from his sleeve. It contained only a few words and was a rubbing of the contract, made for easy comparison of handwriting.
He looked at it for a moment, then nodded, confirming his suspicions. He spoke to his adjutant in broken local language, "These are our boss's men, here to help us select stones."
Selecting stones is a crucial step in making a profit, so many caravans will equip themselves with experienced people to minimize losses and maximize profits. During this process, it is perfectly normal to weed out some people and add others.
The adjutant made way for the two men to enter.
"My surname is Tang. I've always been a caravan driver, so everyone calls me Captain Tang. Miss, sir, may I ask your surnames?"
"My surname is Water, and his surname is White."
"Miss Shui, Young Master Bai, then we'll have to trouble you two." Once he confirmed that they were on his side, Captain Tang acted very familiarly.
After leading the two to the warehouse, Captain Tang gestured for them to proceed to a large pile of stones.
"Miss Shui, take a look at these stones. Pick out some good ones for Boss Zuo." Captain Tang said in a low voice, "We have prepared a small gift so that your efforts will not be in vain."
The stones have already undergone a selection process. It must be said that the appraisers have a good eye; these stones from the warlord's warehouse area are worth at least fifty taels of silver.
As agreed with Boss Zuo, Qiao Lian'er mainly selected stones worth over a thousand taels, and also ordered a batch worth several hundred taels.
She was very quick to choose; to onlookers, it seemed she only needed to glance at something to make a decision, without even touching it.
In no time, they had picked out a large pile of stones.
Captain Tang was stunned, and the accompanying adjutant seemed to give a cold laugh.
She's just a clueless little girl who came here to play.
Qiao Lian'er walked towards the next pile of stones, and Captain Tang quickly followed her.
"Water Maiden, Water Maiden."
Hearing the other person's somewhat urgent tone, Qiao Lian'er stopped.
"Captain Tang, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Um, isn't this too fast?"
"What's wrong with being fast? You can deliver the goods back sooner and give yourselves more time to rest," Qiao Lian'er said, puzzled.
“That’s how it is.” Captain Tang swallowed hard. “It seems you didn’t do much testing, Miss Shui, yet you’re so sure. It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just that this is the first time I’ve seen this method.”
Qiao Lian'er realized that the other party thought she was pointing randomly.
She led Captain Tang to a more distant location.
"Here's what we'll do: you can pick a few stones and cut them open to see what's going on, but don't let anyone know, or you won't be able to leave easily."
Captain Tang beckoned his men over and whispered some instructions to them.
The selected stones will be registered and settled together at the end, and can be transported away in advance.
Boss Zuo's caravan first sent out a cartload of goods.
There is a cutting site not far away, and the results will be verified soon.
Captain Tang smiled apologetically: "Miss Shui, it's not that I don't trust you, but buying a large batch of stones is a huge expense, so we have to be careful and do things cautiously, otherwise it will be difficult to explain to the boss."
Qiao Lian'er didn't care. People didn't know she had a hidden skill, so it was understandable that they questioned her.
"It's alright. After all, it's going to be a long-term collaboration. If you trust me, I can also give Miss Chen a proper explanation."
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