As night fell, Cai Lun and Li Baolong walked side by side through the bustling streets and arrived at the most luxurious Wangyue Hotel in the fruit industry.
They stepped into the hotel lobby, where the opulent, glittering decorations immediately caught their eye. A waiter then led them to a spacious and elegant private room. Upon entering, they saw the mysterious old man from earlier that day already seated inside.
Upon seeing Li Baolong enter, the old man slowly rose to greet him, his demeanor extremely modest and unassuming. He smiled and said, "Brother Li, please sit down. Let me introduce myself first. My surname is Chen, and my given name is Chen Zu. I have been engaged in the jade business in Hong Kong since I was a child, and it has been decades since then."
Then, Chen Zu changed the subject, mentioning what happened during the day: "I just saw that stone that Brother Li strongly recommended to Boss Cai Lun. I never expected that it would turn out to be high-quality jadeite after being cut open! This really shocked me. In this world, you are probably the first person to have such a discerning eye for treasures and such keen insight! You can practically turn stone into gold!"
Upon hearing this, Li Baolong quickly waved his hand and replied modestly, "Mr. Chen, you flatter me. I only have a slight sensitivity to jade and gemstones, how could I dare to claim that I can turn stone into gold? And to be honest, I can't always be right."
Despite Li Baolong's modesty, Chen Zu and Cai Lun's admiration for him only deepened. The three sat around the table and began to chat, naturally turning to the current state of the jade market in Myanmar.
Currently, in the Guogan region, Minglan's Jade City is the most prosperous business, its scale astonishing, accounting for a full third of the entire jade market share in Myanmar! The Wei family, too, is a force to be reckoned with; they own several large jade mines and firmly hold a place in the market. The remaining portion is divided between the Bai and Liu families, who together control more than ten mining areas of varying sizes. According to incomplete statistics, the total value of jade sold annually from these locations reaches a staggering tens of billions of Chinese Yuan!
After listening, Li Baolong's heart stirred: "Hey, it seems that this business has great potential! If I can really make a fortune from it, I will build a jade processing base here, recruit talents and manpower, and then I will become a local tyrant. Wouldn't that be great?" Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile. The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, and the more excited he became.
After the three men had drunk their fill and their plates and glasses were scattered everywhere, they finally left the private room, satisfied. Just then, the door to the next private room slowly opened, and a group of people filed out. Chen Zu, with his sharp eyes, spotted one of them immediately and quickly went forward with a beaming smile to greet her. Li Baolong followed his gaze and was instantly captivated by a woman in the crowd.
The woman was stunningly beautiful, with a captivating charm that could truly rival the moon and shame the flowers. Her attire was incredibly fashionable and avant-garde; she wore a tight-fitting short dress that perfectly accentuated her graceful figure, paired with sheer black stockings and exquisite high heels. She exuded elegance and sophistication, possessing a fiery and sexy physique, radiating a dazzling brilliance like a jewel.
Seeing this, Chen Zu quickly turned around and waved to Li Baolong and Cai Lun, saying, "Come, come, you two, come and get acquainted. This elegant and beautiful lady is the famous 'Jade Princess'—Ms. Minglan!"
Li Baolong, with a smile on his face, walked forward with Cai Lun beside him. When they arrived in front of Minglan, Li Baolong extended his hand first, politely greeting her, "Hello, Miss Minglan!" Cai Lun also nodded slightly in response. Upon seeing this, Minglan immediately smiled kindly and nodded gently in return. In this way, the three of them completed their first meeting in a simple yet polite manner, and had a preliminary understanding of each other.
At this moment, Chen Zu, who had been standing to the side, suddenly spoke up: "Minglan, what a coincidence today. This Brother Li found two exquisite pieces of jadeite of superior quality in your jade market! His ability to appraise jade is truly rare and admirable."
Upon hearing this, Minglan, who had been somewhat calm, suddenly became interested. She turned her gaze to Li Baolong, her eyes revealing curiosity and admiration, and then smiled and said, "I see. Mr. Li is indeed a discerning person who knows how to recognize treasures. I am truly impressed. I wonder if Mr. Li would be interested in helping to open and sell raw stones at my market? If you are willing to cooperate, we can split the profits according to a 30/70 ratio."
Faced with Minglan's offer, Li Baolong simply smiled and replied unhurriedly, "Thank you for your kindness, Miss Minglan, but to be honest, I am not in the jade business. My main purpose in coming to Myanmar is to select a few stones that I like and, incidentally, to visit an old friend I haven't seen for many years."
Minglan replied, "That's such a pity. I genuinely want to cooperate with Mr. Li. I have several large jadeite mines, but the amount of high-quality jadeite extracted each year is limited. With your expertise in appraising jade, it would be a shame not to use it to make money." Li Baolong said, "I'm not short of money right now. I'll buy a few more stones from your jade shop tomorrow, Miss Minglan, please don't refuse." Minglan laughed heartily, "How could I? Even if you bought all the high-quality raw stones in my shop, I wouldn't mind." Li Baolong said, "See you tomorrow then," and then took his leave.
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