Sister Zhang became excited again when she heard my agreement. She was as happy as a child. She grabbed my hand and stood up, pulling me to a display cabinet against the wall. She turned on the lights. Behind the glass, rows upon rows of colorful jade rough stones were displayed, all of them cut open, known as "ming liao." Each stone had a label indicating its origin, its texture and color characteristics, and when it was mined. The sight was truly spectacular!
She said, "These were all gambled back from the Myanmar Gemstone Fair by my father over the years. Most of them were "meng tou liao" (head-covered rough stones), gambled at very low prices. Impressive, right?"
The Myanmar Gemstone Fair is the pinnacle of the stone gambling world. All gamblers aspire to witness it there; it is the true paradise for rough stones.
No wonder Sister Zhang was so passionate about stone gambling; it was in her blood.
I carefully examined each stone: glass, glass-ice, ice-waxy, green, floating green, Fei, lavender... almost every jade variety imaginable was present here, and all of them were top-grade. It truly opened my eyes.
The display cabinet was two meters high and about five meters long. I dared say that the value of this single cabinet of stones was greater than the entire mall on the first floor!
In that era, even "Wan Yuan Hu" (people who owned ten thousand yuan) were very rare. The estimated value of this pile of stones was at least over a hundred million.
I couldn't help but look at Sister Zhang's father with newfound respect. To play with stones to this extent in his hands meant he was no ordinary person!
In this light, it made perfect sense that Sister Zhang was the general manager of this mall; it was merely a part of her father's business.
I said, "Your father is simply a legend!"
She said, "It's a pity he firmly opposed me venturing into stone gambling. He always said, 'Nine out of ten bets lose,' and that he was merely lucky. He also warned all family members not to touch stone gambling."
Although I don't believe stone gambling relies entirely on luck, I agreed with Father Zhang's words. Winning ten thousand times and losing once could lead to irreversible ruin, potentially even costing one's life.
The seemingly peaceful Ruili was a stage for the tragic comedies of life – one cut to poverty, one cut to wealth, one cut to rags – unfolding daily!
Sister Zhang refilled my glass of water. By then, I had completely recovered from the discomfort of the previous day's alcohol and was in optimal condition.
I watched Sister Zhang skip and frolic with cheerful steps. She didn't look like a general manager at all; she seemed more like a girl-next-door older sister.
As the sky gradually darkened, Lan Ya emerged from the lounge. Seeing us, she said, "Hurry up and get something to eat. I'm starving."
Sister Zhang said, "Let's eat in the company restaurant. I have a private room on the seventh floor. It's just downstairs."
Lan Ya replied, "That's fine. I'm tired of eating out. Just have the chef make something simple, mainly to fill our stomachs."
I assumed she hadn't eaten since last night and must be famished.
After eating a bit in the restaurant, we two quickly bid farewell to Sister Zhang and rushed to the Grand World. Tonight, we had a major performance scheduled.
We went upstairs through a side door back to her office. In the office, we planned and rehearsed a few more times, awaiting the appearance of the "female demon."
After a while, she made a call to the front desk and inquired. They said she had arrived. She then told me, "Let's go, we're going down."
We walked to the first floor. Some people had arrived at the bar, and a few were dancing in the disco. I glanced around and saw that they were all our own people creating a scene. Not many customers had arrived. I saw Zhou Yingying sitting in a corner, smoking. She looked at me, startled, and then looked up at Qiang Zi, as if blaming him, because according to the daytime plot, I shouldn't have been there. Qiang Zi also looked bewildered. I couldn't bother with that; plot changes were beyond my control. I could only act according to the new script.
The two of us argued incessantly. When the argument reached its peak, Lan Ya splashed a glass of wine in my face. I slapped her back. At that moment, her bodyguard stepped forward and punched me in the chest, sending me flying like a cannonball.
I heard many gasps of shock. I lay there for a long time before getting up. Lan Ya went up and kicked me, shouting, "Get lost! Never appear before me again! Get out!"
I got up, wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, gave her a fierce look, and turned to leave.
I walked out of the hall and stood on the steps. I saw the dismissive smiles of the security guards and people coming in avoiding me as if I were a plague.
I walked down a few more steps and sat on the first step on the right side. I gambled that the "female demon" would notice me and come to find me. After all, I was a person of particular interest to her, and she would need to know the full story of what had happened to me immediately.
As expected, I felt someone approaching. I looked and saw it was Qiang Zi.
He said, "Brother, what's going on?"
I looked at him and said, "You just do your job. You don't need to worry about my affairs!"
Qiang Zi replied, "Sister Zhou asked me to come and ask. She seems very concerned about you."
I said, "She's probably afraid I wasn't beaten to death. Why would she care about me?"
Qiang Zi said, "Lately, Sister Zhou and Sister Lan haven't been getting along very well. You saw how Lan Jie acted like she didn't see Zhou Jie. Before, Zhou Jie was her subordinate. If you've fallen out with Lan Jie, maybe Zhou Jie can really help you."
This was exactly what I was waiting for. I said, "My feud with Zhou Yingying is irreconcilable. Don't bring up Lan Ya's affairs. I'm not familiar with her, Lan Ya."
Qiang Zi said, "Have you heard the saying? The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Perhaps you two will have common interests. You can't be too stubborn."
I said, "My issue with Zhou Yingying will never be resolved. Tell her that unless my father is reinstated to public office, I will still make sure she gets hers!"
Qiang Zi said, "Take your revenge slowly. The immediate priority is to solve the current problem. You were wrongly toyed with and then kicked out. You must get revenge for this first, right?"
I turned away, ignoring him, with an expression of extreme anger.
Qiang Zi said, "Stay here and don't move. I'll be back in a moment."
I knew he was going back to report. I said, "Why should I listen to you? If I say I'm leaving, I'm leaving!"
Qiang Zi quickly stopped me and said, "Don't go, I'll be right back."
Saying that, he ran back into the hall as fast as he could.
After waiting for a while, I indeed saw Qiang Zi run out again. He told me to walk a few steps forward, away from the Grand World, to a place where I wouldn't be seen, and wait for the "female demon." She wanted to talk to me.
I looked at him with some reluctance. Qiang Zi anxiously said, "Brother, trust me, it's for your own good. Sister Zhou can help you now. You can settle your feud with her later; focus on the present."
I pretended to be very unwilling, stood up, and walked towards the street corner.
Qiang Zi stood in place, waiting for the "female demon" to come out.
I stood at the intersection. Not long after, the "female demon" walked over with Qiang Zi. She patted my shoulder like an old acquaintance and said, "Lan Ya is not a loyal person. I served her for several years, showing her utmost respect, and she turned on me just like that. You experienced it today. I won't ask why. If you're unhappy, don't stick around. Either way, you can get by without anyone. You're a grown man, where can't you make a living?"
If she weren't the "female demon," her words would have made sense. But coming from her mouth, it sounded incredibly ridiculous.
I remained silent, showing her a dismissive expression, clearly conveying my distrust.