Jing Lei's ancestral home was in disrepair, many houses having already collapsed. The workers who arrived first cleaned up a relatively intact house, preparing to unload the stones inside.
While the workers were busy, I pulled aside the man who had accompanied the truck and asked him how many raw stones Kang Gong had bought at Old Paga. He said not many, that a truckload had been delivered earlier, but not as much as this one, about ten tons, mostly large pieces, all of them rough without exposed interiors.
This truckload consisted mostly of stones weighing between ten and twenty to thirty kilograms, with grey-white or yellowish-white skins. It was a load of very high-quality raw stones, likely purchased by Kang Gong at a considerable price.
Raw stones from Old Paga are renowned for their mature texture, fine quality, often featuring floating flowers, pure bases, and few cracks, making them ideal for bangles. It is one of the most popular old mining areas. Kang Gong losing this load significantly diminished the impact of his trading conference.
I asked Jing Lei for some cash and gave each of the two drivers a share. I instructed them to take a different route to the border crossing when empty to prevent them from remembering the way.
Neither of them were from the mine, nor were they the owners of the goods, merely hired to deliver them. They cared not whose cargo it was, as long as they earned their transport fee.
I had already asked; the transport fee for bringing this truckload was six thousand RMB. I gave each of them over ten thousand, enough for four trips, and they were more than happy.
As for how they would deal with the cargo owners, I figured since they dared to accept the money, they must have a way.
I had the workers cover the raw stones with collapsed scrap wood and door panels to make it look like it had indeed collapsed, then led them away.
Communication was not developed then, and Myanmar was even more backward. Without satellite phones, it was practically impossible to get in touch. If they discovered the loss of the goods and contacted the owner, it would take at least ten days to half a month, unless someone went there in person to investigate.
The trading conference had already ended by then. Even if they investigated and found out, they wouldn't dare do anything to the two Myanmar men. The two men knew nothing about us, and catching them would be useless.
Jing Lei asked me from the car, "This pile of raw stones must be worth a lot, right?"
She didn't understand stone gambling and couldn't estimate the value of these 15 tons of raw stones.
I said, "Just buying them from the mine, it's probably no less than fifty million. Bringing them here, three to five times that is not a problem. As for stone gambling, it's even harder to estimate, after all, they are all from old mining areas. If they all go out, they could fetch ten times their price."
Old Paga is a famous mining area and has always been one of the raw stones that stone gamblers flock to.
Just imagine how furious Kang Gong would be if this batch of goods didn't arrive.
Instead of fighting bloody battles, it's better to cut off the roots. No matter how arrogant you are, I have my own clever ways waiting for you!
The same applies to Prince Kang Gong, Principal Sun, and Zhou Yingying.
So what if they have hearts of vipers? Those who do too much evil will perish by their own hands. This revenge is not unavenged, the time has just not come.
After doing this, I felt much better. The pent-up anger that had been in my heart for so many days had finally been released.
By the time I returned to the winery, it was getting dark. I went to check on Master Zhang in the workshop. He was truly amazing. He had already sorted out most of the raw stones in this warehouse with his team, marking the mining areas. It would be completed by dinner.
What remained was the batch of kilogram-sized stones from Teng Ji in another warehouse. The workload there was even greater, requiring overtime work through the night to complete.
I notified logistics to provide extra meals for the workers and asked Master Zhang to arrange shifts and rest reasonably. Although the schedule was tight, rest was also important. I wanted everyone to maintain their hundredfold energy to win this war.
After arranging these matters, I went to the workshop where Master was working to see if he had arrived.
Master was already working. He told me he had come after eating and that I didn't need to worry about him, emphasizing that the work must be completed tonight and reassuring me.
I didn't disturb him, stepped out of the door, locked it securely for him, and went to the office.
Currently, all clubs except Lan Ya's Grand World were temporarily closed, and all personnel had been transferred to the winery.
I didn't see Zhou Yingying; she was helping Lan Ya at the Grand World. Jing Lei was at the desk planning the opening, with Xiao Hong standing beside her, listening to her work arrangements.
Brother Bao had great influence and had invited city leaders. Guests from Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong were to be on the main stage. Jing Lei marked on paper the positions of the leaders and the guests, making it clear at a glance.
Xiao Hong would then arrange hostesses to guide the distinguished guests to their respective positions.
I watched them carefully cross-check the guest count, unable to interject, and sat on the sofa to rest with my eyes closed.
At this moment, my phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number. I answered it, and I heard the voice of Prince: "Li Hua, still alive?"
I said, "Even if you die a hundred times, I won't die. If you have the guts, come confront me yourself. What's the point of being a coward all the time?"
Prince said, "I'm asking you, one of my trucks of raw stones is missing, did you do it?"
I said, "What does it matter to me if your truck of raw stones is missing? Do I look that idle? I'm running a raw stone base, not your damn trading conference. One truck, two trucks of raw stones mean nothing to me. You've done too many wicked things, and plenty of people want you dead! I'm busy here, I don't have time to deal with you. If you have the guts, find a place, and I'll fight you one-on-one!"
Prince said, "My stones have special serial numbers. Don't try to lie to me. If I find out, I'll wash you with blood again!"
I said, "That's great. Come again. I guarantee I'll keep all your men here. If you don't dare to come, you're a bastard!"
I thought to myself, luckily the goods weren't here. If it were discovered, the outcome wouldn't matter, but my reputation would be ruined.
Prince said, "Open the main gate and let me search. If it wasn't you, we'll close the trading conference. If it was you, you'll close the raw stone base. Do you dare to gamble?"
I said, "I'm just fond of gambling, and it's such a sure win, why wouldn't I dare?"
He is convinced that I intercepted this batch of goods, and it could only be me. Others wouldn't dare to do it.
Therefore, he dares to gamble because he is confident he will win.
Even if he loses, at worst, they won't hold this trading conference. They were here to disrupt us anyway, so whether it's held or not doesn't affect their main business.
His raw stones are from the Old Paga mining area, and even without special serial numbers, they are easy to identify. Precisely, I have none here, not a single one.
I'm not worried about any of this. Let them search as they please. My only concern is Master. He is working overtime to restore that large stone. If they discover it and it gets out, it will still ruin our reputation.
Moreover, and most fatally, if it reaches Brother Qing's ears, it won't just be about reputation, but about the fate of all of us!
Prince said, "What? No comment, are you scared?"
I said, "What do I have to fear? You can come, but you're not allowed to bring weapons. It's not good if there's accidental gunfire."
Prince said, "If my men don't bring weapons, aren't you letting yourselves be slaughtered?"
I said, "I'm not as despicable as you. Bring them if you're scared. At worst, we'll fight again!"
Prince said, "Fine, you wait!"