Zhu Xiaoyun saw a stone half a person's height, with only a small scratch revealing a bit of emerald green, and the price tag was 250,000!
She took a deep breath and looked elsewhere. She saw a dusty stone the size of a fist, priced at eight thousand. Her eyes widened immediately.
She grabbed Tao Rui and whispered, "What are we doing here? This shop is so shady. There are so many of these stones in the village, and they're sold at exorbitant prices in the capital."
Tao Rui smiled, coughed lightly, and lowered his voice, saying, "The stones here are different. Some contain jadeite, the raw material for making jade bracelets. If you gamble on stones here and the stones you buy are made of good material, you'll be rich."
Zhu Xiaoyun was stunned for a moment, then immediately disagreed, "Nine out of ten people lose when gambling. Once you get addicted, you're doomed. Brother Rui, if you need money, I'll go earn it. You just don't gamble."
Tao Rui took her hand and soothed her, "I know a little trick. Just buy a few thousand dollars and try it out. If you lose, don't buy it."
Zhu Xiaoyun wanted to say something, but seeing that he had already gone over to choose, she hesitated and didn't speak.
She didn't know why, but she felt that Tao Rui was more decisive today than before. Once he made a decision, no one else could interfere. And Tao Rui seemed so confident. Maybe he really had some trick up his sleeve?
The shop was crowded, but everyone was browsing their own wares, paying no attention to anyone else. Tao Rui and Zhu Xiaoyun, both wearing masks, blended in with the crowd, glancing here and there, quite inconspicuous.
Tao Rui carefully sensed the spiritual energy around him and occasionally discovered something, but it was too expensive for him to buy. Finally, he found a basketball-sized stone in the corner with great difficulty. The spiritual energy was not too strong, but it was also very good, and its appearance was not bad, but it was sold for only three thousand yuan.
Tao Rui reached out to pick up the stone and was about to pay. Zhu Xiaoyun was surprised and asked, "Brother Rui, have you chosen?"
Tao Rui felt that what she wanted to say must be "Brother Rui, you are crazy", and she changed the lyrics just before she said it.
He simply didn't explain any further and went straight to the counter to swipe the card.
Zhu Xiaoyun's face turned pale with heartache, and she stared at the stone as if she wanted to see something.
The boss asked, "Do you want to cut the stone?"
Tao Rui nodded and said, "Please help me untie them all, and be careful."
"Okay." The boss was used to buyers treating stones as treasures, so he put the stone on the stone-breaking machine without saying anything.
The master in charge of cutting the stone looked at the surface and thought there might be cracks inside. He was immediately disappointed and had no desire to cut the stone.
If he could find a good jadeite, he might win a red envelope. There were so many people here today, and he didn't want to waste time.
Seeing this, a young man nearby stepped forward and said, "How about I try? I've been learning for a long time, so I have to give it a try."
The boss didn't care too much and waved him on the plane.
Zhu Xiaoyun noticed their perfunctory attitude and wanted to step forward to argue, but Tao Rui stopped her. Tao Rui saw that the young man, though a novice, was very disciplined and not careless at all. He felt that he was better than the old master who looked down on the stone. He took Zhu Xiaoyun and waited quietly by the machine.
During this time, Tao Rui also checked Weibo and read the email Wu Feng sent him. Zhu Xiaoyun stared at the stone intently, and the desire for surprise was written all over her face.
When the young man finally rubbed out the green after two cuts, Zhu Xiaoyun was stunned for a moment before she realized what was happening. She grabbed Tao Rui's arm and said happily, "It's green! We have jade! Brother Rui, you won the bet!"
Tao Rui curled his lips and sat down on the chair next to him. "Are you not worried now? Sit down and drink some water. It will take a while for him to come out."
"I'm not thirsty." Zhu Xiaoyun said subconsciously and looked at Tao Rui. She went to buy a bottle of water and sat next to Tao Rui to give him water.
Tao Rui knew that many of Zhu Xiaoyun's habits were formed by the environment she grew up in, so he wasn't in a hurry to change her. He unscrewed the lid and let her drink first, and she did so obediently. He wanted to guide her according to her habits, and over time, she would naturally develop new habits.
The shop owner and the strolling customers were attracted by the sound. The old master who had been disdainful came over and said, "Don't break the good stuff. I'll take care of it later."
Tao Rui shook his head and said, "No need to change people. I think this young master is very good."
The old master's face darkened, but he said nothing. "Isn't it just the water head that's good? Maybe it's all cracked inside."
Others were also whispering about it, saying that the stone didn't look good, that any green didn't necessarily mean it was a big piece, that it was unclear whether compensation would be paid, etc. Zhu Xiaoyun became nervous again after hearing this.
Time passed by little by little, and Tao Rui saw an email from Wu Feng saying that the next drama he was going to shoot was canceled. He was about to call Wu Feng, but the jade had already been solved!
The young master poured water on the jade, and the jade became crystal clear. The stone cracked into two places, but both stopped just on the edge of the jade, without touching the jade at all. He was so lucky.
The young master was surprised and said, "Full green ice type! Sir, this piece has increased in value!"
Zhu Xiaoyun was surprised to hear others say that it had increased, so she hugged Tao Rui and said, "Brother Rui, you are amazing!"
Tao Rui pulled her closer and took a look. "Do you like it? I'll make a bracelet for you."
"Ah?" Zhu Xiaoyun was stunned for a moment and quickly shook her head. "I don't want it. It's not convenient for me to wear a bracelet while working. Brother Rui, why don't you make me a pendant? Men wear Guanyin and women wear Buddha. Make me a Guanyin pendant."
Tao Rui took a piece of cloth and lifted up the jadeite that was as big as two fists. He looked at it and thought it must be very valuable in this world. He said, "Make a Guanyin or a Buddha and we can wear it together."
Because the jade was quite large, he decided not to sell it all. After all, this was the first piece of jade he had ever opened, and it must have special meaning to the women in his family. He quickly thought about it and decided to make a pair of bracelets for Tao's mother and a lotus pendant for each of his two sisters.
The two of them have liked lotus patterns since they were young. They said they were twin lotus flowers and should like this style.
When the boss heard that he wanted to make jewelry, he enthusiastically came forward to introduce him to the store's handmade products and said that if he made it in the store, the labor fee would be half price.
After Tao Rui was satisfied with the work, he placed an order immediately, asking for the most exquisite carving, and the labor cost alone was over a thousand yuan.
The boss then asked Tao Rui if he wanted to sell the remaining jade. Four or five other customers came over and offered him a price. Not all of those gambling on jade were serious gamblers; some simply wanted a good piece of jade to make something they loved, and preferred a cheaper price over a finished product.
Now that I see that Tao Rui's materials are so good, it would be a great deal to buy them directly if the price wasn't too high.
Tao Rui glanced at Zhu Xiaoyun and said, "Xiaoyun, you decide. Sell the rest. Who do you decide to sell them to?"
Zhu Xiaoyun was a little confused for a moment. Seeing that several people were looking at her, she felt a little nervous.
But she also didn't want to embarrass herself in public, so she took a deep breath to calm herself down and asked the boss how much he would offer. After she had an idea in mind, she asked a few more questions to those people. In the end, she did not choose the merchant with the highest bid, but chose a mother and daughter who liked jade very much. The mother and daughter offered 200,000.
She whispered to Tao Rui, "They have a very good relationship. They bought the jade to make a decorative ornament for their benefactor. Since their family doesn't have much money, they can't afford to give away something shabby. That's why they really wanted to buy this piece of jade. It's a very sincere gesture. Brother Rui, do you think it's okay?"
Without waiting for Tao Rui to speak, she continued, "Otherwise...sell it to the one who offered 220,000, the one you finally chose..."
Tao Rui said, "Just sell it to that mother and daughter. How do you know they have a good relationship?"
“…I can sense it.”
Tao Rui knew she must be thinking of her adoptive mother. Zhu's parents loved her very much, and she had a very good relationship with them, so she naturally had a bias in her heart. However, he would definitely support Zhu Xiaoyun's decision. A little less money was not a problem at all.
The mother and daughter bought the jade and thanked them sincerely. They also paid the labor fee to make it custom-made in the store.
Tao Rui received the money, asked for the young man's payment code, and directly transferred him an 888 yuan red envelope. He patted his shoulder and said with a smile: "Be more patient, there will definitely be a future. Work hard."
"Thank you, sir." The young man looked happy, but the old master's face looked very ugly. He snorted and went to the inner room.
As Zhu Xiaoyun walked out of the store with Tao Rui on her arm, she was still a little bit in disbelief. She wanted to take another look at her online banking records, but she was afraid that people outside would hear and stare at them. So she held Tao Rui tightly and said, "Let's go back quickly."
Tao Rui shook his head. "The company is very unhappy with me, and I need to go take care of something. Do you want to come with me or go back by yourself?"
Zhu Xiaoyun said without hesitation: "I'm with you. This time, someone is clearly trying to harm you. They don't care about you and yet they blame you. How can this be justified? Isn't this bullying?"
Tao Rui stopped a car and said, "This society is inherently unfair. You've been working for so long, don't you understand?"
Zhu Xiaoyun whispered, "I understand. I just hate them bullying you."
Tao Rui smiled and said nothing more. On the way, he dug out the contract he'd signed from his mailbox and read it over three times. The contract was lopsided in terms of rights and obligations. Even though the original owner was smart, he still lacked experience and was tricked by his agent, Wu Feng. In the original story, he ended up with Luo Jiaqi, and she paid the penalty to successfully terminate the contract.
Before Wu Feng knew Luo Jiaqi, he had repeatedly urged the original owner to attend banquets and hang out with wealthy young ladies and women, hoping to find a financial sponsor. Knowing that path was a dead end, the original owner firmly opposed it. Too lazy to make excuses, he claimed he was engaged to Zhu Xiaoyun, which was why Wu Feng was so eager to break up with her.
Wu Feng wasn't a good person, and neither was his entertainment company. The contract was for twenty years, with no concrete promises, only guarantees of training and resource provision. But with that kind of stuff, you couldn't get anyone to reason with you, and they still had to take half of the profits.
For small stars, the money they earn is not enough to buy clothes and socialize.
Tao Rui naturally would not develop in such a company, so he hired the lawyer with the best reputation to help him with the lawsuit. The relevant information was sent over, and when he arrived at the company door, the lawyer also arrived there.
Tao Rui asked the lawyer to go to a nearby coffee shop for a detailed discussion, and then went into the company to discuss the termination of the contract.
If the contract loophole issue gets out of hand, other artists might follow suit. Tao Rui is still trending on the internet, and if he were to suddenly reveal the news, it would definitely generate a lot of heat, which would greatly damage the company's image.
Furthermore, the company boss learned from Wu Feng that Tao Rui had offended the daughter of the Luo family, causing him to be blacklisted all over the Internet and even investing in his next drama but kicking him out of the crew. It was obvious that they wanted to suppress him. There was no need for their small company to go against the daughter of the rich family. Obviously, it would be difficult for Tao Rui to make a comeback in the future and he would have no surplus value, so it would be better to terminate the contract.
People often say that everyone has their own expertise, and having a lawyer present saves a lot of trouble. Tao Rui didn't even say a word and the matter was settled.
Seeing that Zhu Xiaoyun was still with him, Wu Feng said with a sullen face, "Advice hurts. I told you this woman would ruin you sooner or later, but you refused to listen. When you become famous, what kind of woman will you want? I originally wanted you to go the black-and-red route, but who knew you'd insist on terminating your contract? Don't blame Brother Wu for not promoting you. You're just hopeless."
Zhu Xiaoyun angrily said, "Who are you calling hopeless? Brother Rui has a bright future ahead of him. Why would he want to be a lousy star like you? Watch your mouth!"
Wu Feng was shocked. He always thought Zhu Xiaoyun was gentle and kind. Why was she so aggressive?
Tao Rui suppressed a smile and said, "I'm sorry, my girlfriend just can't stand people insulting me. She means no harm. We have different ideas, so let's just leave it at that and part ways amicably."
Wu Feng glanced at Zhu Xiaoyun and sneered, "I've never seen anyone as stupid as you. You really treat this man like a treasure? I don't know how he angered Miss Luo, but he was the one who said he wanted to confess his love to her. Otherwise, why would I ask you to go see him?"
Zhu Xiaoyun was stunned. Tao Rui didn't wait for her to think about it and said, "If not, how can I terminate the contract?"
"You did this on purpose? Just to terminate your contract with the company?" Wu Feng's eyes widened, completely unable to understand. Did Tao Rui no longer want to be a star? He actually resorted to such tactics, and it worked?
Tao Rui smiled without saying anything and pulled Zhu Xiaoyun out of the company.
Zhu Xiaoyun was still dazed when she got in the car, her head a mess, unable to make sense of anything. She asked uncertainly, "Brother Rui, was what you just said true? Did you deliberately pretend to confess your feelings, anger that girl, and then, and then let her deal with you, so that you could terminate your contract with the company?"
Of course it was fake, but what else could Tao Rui say? He couldn't possibly admit what Wu Feng said, could he? It was the original owner who was the scumbag, not him.
He pretended to be relieved and said, "This matter is finally over. Wu Feng is not a good person. I wanted to cancel the contract for a long time, but it would have required a compensation of five million. Wu Feng kept telling me how capable Luo Jiaqi was and what a good family background she had. I thought Luo Jiaqi would have revenge again, so I came up with this idea. Fortunately, it worked."
"That was a close call. If Luo Jiaqi had retaliated against you privately and it hadn't made it online, you would have lost both your wife and your army." Zhu Xiaoyun patted her chest, breathed a sigh of relief, and soon smiled again, "Brother Rui, you're so lucky today."
With the driver present, she didn't say it too obviously, but in her opinion, Tao Rui made 200,000 yuan today and successfully terminated the contract. He was so lucky. No wonder he was in such a good mood. He even had more patience with her and talked so much.
But thinking of the online trolls, she started to worry again and whispered, "How do we end this now? Should we go to the police station and explain it clearly? If the police know who did this, they'll definitely find out quickly."
"No need. With her family background, it's useless to find her. There are so many scapegoats waiting to die. I have a way."
Zhu Xiaoyun was very curious about how he could resolve the matter, and then she watched him pay 100,000 yuan in legal fees; he paid another 50,000 yuan to hire two industry experts to analyze on their Weibo that Tao Rui's pictures were composite pictures; he paid another 20,000 yuan to hire a group of internet trolls to lead the rhythm and clarify the matter. The "huge sum" he had earned before was instantly reduced to only 30,000 yuan, which made her heart wrenched.
She glanced at Tao Rui again and again, hesitating for a long time before cautiously asking, "Brother Rui, are you... feeling uncomfortable? Do you need to spend money to feel happy? Otherwise... I still have two thousand in my card, I'll give it all to you?"
Tao Rui finished what he needed to do, put away his phone, looked up and saw her face full of pain, and said with a smile: "Do you think this is a 'cure-all'? My money has a purpose, don't overthink it. I've made plans with a few people in the dorm for dinner, and they all want to meet you. Are you coming?"
Zhu Xiaoyun's attention was instantly diverted. "Can I go?"
Tao Rui looked into her sparkling eyes and nodded. "Didn't we meet them yesterday? If you're willing to go, we can formally introduce them today, and then we can find a house to move in."
"I do!" Zhu Xiaoyun said, then realized, "Moving out? Are you saying we should have a little home?"
Home has a very special meaning to Zhu Xiaoyun. She has always been looking forward to having her own little family. Tao Rui nodded again in her expectant gaze, "Yes, so find a house you like."
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