Chapter 44: Misunderstanding

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Chapter Forty-Four: A Misunderstanding

“Smack~”

A crisp slap rang through the private room.

“This is the result of your investigation?” Liu Xiangnan asked coldly, staring at the bodyguard before him.

According to the bodyguard’s investigation, Yang Qi was merely an ordinary fourth-year university student from an ordinary family, with no unusual experiences whatsoever. He was as unremarkable as they came. In Qingzhou, there were at least eighty or a hundred thousand people just like him.

Yet an utterly ordinary man possessed the skill of a master in stone gambling. There were only so many recognized masters throughout China. Given Yang Qi’s young age, how could he possibly have reached such a level without spending years studying under an exceptional teacher?

“Young Master Liu, these findings were verified three times. There is absolutely nothing wrong with them,” the bodyguard replied.

“Then are you saying there was something wrong with what we saw—with what we witnessed with our own eyes?” Liu Xiangnan said coldly.

Liu Xiangnan did not have much doubt about the investigation’s findings. But if there was nothing wrong with the report, could it be that they had all suffered the same hallucination? That everyone on the rough-stone market street had hallucinated?

“Master Liu, you know that with someone so ordinary, many aspects of his life are simply too unremarkable for anyone to notice. Perhaps we overlooked something,” Wu Shan said gravely from nearby.

The value of an investigation depended on the person being investigated. If the subject were capable and accomplished, the results would naturally be more detailed. But who would bother paying attention to someone as ordinary as Yang Qi? Naturally, there was little to uncover.

It was like the difference between a celebrity, whose every meal and bathroom visit attracted attention, and an ordinary person. Even if an ordinary person died, who would know unless they were a friend or relative?

“That is enough investigation into Yang Qi. We can be certain that he possesses, at the very least, a skill level close to that of a master in stone gambling. That is sufficient,” Liu Xiangnan said calmly.

He had investigated Yang Qi only to learn more about his past. But the results had been deeply disappointing; there was no useful information at all. It was just like Yang Qi’s martial skills—impossible to trace. Clearly, Yang Qi had deliberately concealed himself.

Yang Qi had been too ordinary before, and no one had paid him any attention. It was only natural that little could be found. Since they could not uncover anything about his past, they would simply deal with the Yang Qi they knew now.

“Old Wu, you must not be careless this time,” Liu Xiangnan said, turning toward Wu Shan.

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Wu Shan nodded solemnly. Before this, he had not thought much of Yang Qi. But after word spread of the blood-red jade Yang Qi had cut from the stone, Wu Shan understood that although Yang Qi’s skill might not match his own, it was certainly formidable. Against such an expert, he would have to give it his all.

“Yang Qi has not been active in this field for long, yet his stone-gambling skills are far from weak. Experience, however, is his shortcoming. If I am not mistaken, Shen Yuxuan probably brought him here to train him,” Liu Xiangnan said slowly.

Wu Shan nodded faintly upon hearing this. “I know what to do now.”

For major jewelry companies like theirs, the stones that truly mattered were those selected for the exhibitions. Every one of those stones had been carefully chosen, and none came cheaply. Although their chances of containing jade were higher than those of the rough stones sold in ordinary shops, most still ended in failure. Such ventures required not only exceptional skill in stone gambling, but also extensive experience. One had to assess the stones while competing against other masters.

Anyone capable of becoming a stone-gambling consultant for a jewelry company was no ordinary person. They possessed not only extraordinary skill, but also a wealth of experience.

…

Yang Qi waited outside the hotel for more than ten minutes before a taxi pulled up. Zhao Yixin stepped out and came into view.

“Yang Qi.” Seeing him, Zhao Yixin hurried over.

“You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Lunch is on me. Come on,” Yang Qi said with a smile.

He really was treating them to lunch that day. He had cut three gambling stones, and all three had yielded enormous profits, together worth more than ten million. Shen Yuxuan had been so envious that she had immediately made him pay for lunch. He had not refused.

“Wonderful! I get to dine at someone else’s expense again—and this is a three-star hotel,” Zhao Yixin said excitedly.

Yang Qi could only shake his head at the sight. Zhao Yixin was a true glutton; nothing pleased her more than hearing that there was food to be had.

Before long, the two of them returned to the private room. Many of the dishes they had ordered had already been served. Li Yun and Shen Yuxuan were deep in conversation, discussing various matters concerning rough stones.

“This is my boss, Shen Yuxuan. This is Li Yun—the hotel belongs to him,” Yang Qi said by way of introduction. “And this is my friend, Zhao Yixin.”

“Miss Zhao, pleased to meet you,” Shen Yuxuan and Li Yun said, both nodding toward her.

“President Shen. President Li.” Zhao Yixin was somewhat restrained. Both of them were billionaires, after all, and this was her first time dining with people of such status.

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Xu Jiajia and the other two were not in the private room. The jade in Chu Li’s possession was worth tens of millions, and such a vast fortune was enough to tempt people into taking dangerous risks. Thus, shortly after arriving at the hotel, the three of them had taken the blood-red jade beads to the bank for safekeeping. Before they left Guangdong, the items would remain deposited there.

“Don’t be nervous, Yixin. Yang Qi is paying for lunch today. We are all here to dine at his expense,” Shen Yuxuan said with a smile when she noticed Zhao Yixin’s unease, immediately putting her at ease.

“How could Yang Qi possibly be rich enough for that?” Zhao Yixin asked in surprise. She had not taken Yang Qi seriously when he said it earlier, but now that even Shen Yuxuan was saying the same thing, her curiosity was aroused.

“He is far from ordinary. He made more than ten million just this morning—possibly even more,” Shen Yuxuan said with a smile.

That was no exaggeration. Although Yang Qi’s three pieces of jade were worth more than ten million, he had actually purchased nine gambling stones in total. Given his skill, no one would believe that the other six contained no jade whatsoever. So it was certain that Yang Qi’s earnings that morning exceeded ten million.

“More than ten million?” Zhao Yixin stared at Yang Qi in disbelief. If she had not known Shen Yuxuan and Li Yun’s identities, she would have suspected that Shen Yuxuan was simply trying to fool her.

“It was nothing but luck,” Yang Qi said with a smile. “So eat as much as you like at lunch. It is all on me.”

“Then I will not hold back. The last time, I only had breakfast with you,” Zhao Yixin said with a bright smile.

“You are truly fortunate, little brother Yang,” Li Yun remarked in a low voice.

Yang Qi was stunned for a moment, but he quickly understood and hurriedly said, “President Li, it is not what you think. We merely happen to live together.”

Li Yun froze, then revealed an ambiguous smile.

“No, actually, we…”

“There is no need to explain, little brother Yang. I understand. I understand,” Li Yun said, wearing an expression that clearly declared he understood everything.

Seeing this, Yang Qi realized that no matter how he explained, Li Yun would probably never believe that there was nothing between him and Zhao Yixin. In the end, he simply could not be bothered to explain further.

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