"Boss, here’s eight thousand yuan, keep the change!" Lin Tian counted out eight thousand yuan to the shop owner from the purse, which contained funds Miss had withdrawn from the bank for Tianxue Jewelry Company.
"Young man, how can I give you any change? You still owe me eight hundred and eighty-eight," the vendor said with a pained expression, but joy was hidden in his eyes.
He saw that Lin Tian and his companions looked like rich young masters, so he boldly quoted over eight thousand yuan, and sure enough, it sold. The cost price was only two thousand yuan, and he made a clean six thousand yuan from a mere piece of stone. Although he was short a few hundred yuan, he was actually thrilled.
Lin Tian also played along, acting the part of a rich young master. He waved his hand generously and said, "Hey, boss, I have a habit when it comes to spending: I don’t like fussing over small change. If you’re not satisfied with eight thousand, how about I give you ten thousand?"
"Haha, no need, no need, let’s consider it making a friend. Eight thousand it is, at a loss to me!" The vendor laughed generously, yet internally cursed, "Rich indeed makes a fool."
Having smoothly acquired the stone, Lin Tian was over the moon, internally scolding the vendor for his lack of vision and missing the opportunity to make a fortune.
Both parties thought they had made a great deal, but in reality, the vendor wasn’t at a loss, just less fortunate. He laughed, "Brother, would you like to have the stone cut? We offer free use of a cutting machine at our stall."
"No need for that, I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to handle it, haha, take care boss, goodbye!" Lin Tian placed the stone into the cart and left the stall with the three ladies, leaving behind the puzzled vendor.
The three ladies had refrained from interrupting Lin Tian until they were far away, then they burst into laughter. Manxuan said amusedly, "Lin Tian, your way of bargaining is so strange, I’ve never seen anything like it."
"Xuanxuan, you might think he knocked off more than eight hundred, but actually, he lost out. Didn’t you notice the vendor’s look? He thinks we’re fools with too much money," Miss said coyly, glancing at Lin Tian, puzzled at how such a usually astute man could miss that.
"President Xiao, could it be that Lin Tian has spotted something?" Secretary Xu asked curiously, looking at Lin Tian.
This secretary is no simpleton; adept at reading people. Perhaps she doesn’t know much about raw jade, but she understands people, no wonder she became the CEO’s secretary at such a young age. Miss didn’t miss the signs, it’s just that she’s too familiar with Lin Tian, hence she overlooked them.
He pretended to cough twice to capture the attention of the three ladies before revealing, "Let me tell you a secret, the stone that Second Miss picked just now might be worth as much as my glass-type Imperial Green Jade!"
"Ah..." The three ladies all had the same expression, incredulous! To be comparable to glass-type Emperor Green, that meant it was of the same caliber. But could there be such luck in the world, for top-grade jade to appear consecutively?
This was their preconceived notion, believing only a jade of the same category could be comparable, especially top-grade jade.
"You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, and I didn’t even say this stone was glass-type Emperor Green. Couldn’t it be something else? Perhaps a grade lower," Lin Tian hinted, careful not to be too explicit to avoid suspicion.
"A grade lower? Ice type would also be very nice, and besides, its color intensity, whether rich or pale, dark or light, will affect the final value of the jade," Miss analyzed, nodding her head.
"Sister, why don’t we cut open the stone? I want to see what kind of jade is inside," Xiao Manxuan had originally chosen the stone purely for its appealing exterior, but Lin Tian claimed it hid a hugely valuable jade, making her eager to know the outcome.
Miss looked at Lin Tian with an inquiring gaze, seeking his opinion. She could see that even though her sister had chosen the piece, it was Lin Tian who discovered its potential. Otherwise, Xiao Manxuan might have merely kept it as an ordinary stone decoration and possibly discarded it after casual use.
"Since Second Miss wants to see, then..." Lin Tian had just begun speaking when he was interrupted by a loud noise not far away.
The trading event was already bustling with people coming and going, but the noise that just erupted was even louder, sounding like a dispute had broken out. Could someone dare to rob a jade here? Lin Tian wondered.
Around the venue, police posts were established at various fixed points, with uniformed, armed police patrolling the site. The jade trading event greatly boosted Zhonghai City’s economic and cultural prosperity, and the authorities definitely wouldn’t allow any disturbances. Each event was therefore heavily policed to maintain order.
Anyone daring to rob would face minor issues like jail time and serious problems like getting shot. Lin Tian followed the noise and saw several familiar figures.
"Zhou Botong?" Lin Tian exclaimed in surprise, remembering that he had mentioned coming to Zhonghai City with his girlfriend. He hadn’t expected to run into him at the jade trading event.
The Misses also noticed, and she too wondered, "Not just Zhou Botong, but also the Bai Yuze brothers, and that one looks like your classmate; they’re all here. It seems Zhou Botong has gotten into some conflict with them."
"Sun Decai? Let’s go," Lin Tian said, his expression slightly displeased. Their old man’s whereabouts were unknown, but even with Sun Hai and Bai Yuanhao present, Lin Tian wouldn’t give them face.
Lin Tian led the three women through the crowd to a booth. It turned out that it wasn’t Zhou Botong who was quarreling, but a girl beside him.
The girl was dressed in a red tight T-shirt, denim hot pants, and her chest was slightly smaller than Zhang Lingyu’s yet very perky, with toned long legs. Surprisingly, she wore sneakers instead of the high heels that girls usually favor. She had on a sunhat and black hair that reached her shoulders, giving her an athletic appearance.
At the moment, she had her hands on her hips, glaring at a young man in his twenties opposite her. The man had small eyes and looked vaguely familiar, though Lin Tian was sure he didn’t know him.
He was about to greet Zhou Botong when the girl with her hands on her hips saw him first. She suddenly pulled Lin Tian over and pointed at the young man with small eyes and demanded, "Handsome, you judge this. Doesn’t he deserve a beating?"
In the midst of the public, this woman was brazenly dragging a stranger to mediate. Besides, if she wanted someone to help her make a judgment, she should have first explained the situation clearly. Lin Tian tactfully freed his hand and turned to face Zhou Botong.
"Brother Lin, what are you doing here?" Zhou Botong greeted Lin Tian with great surprise and then saw the Xiao sisters, nodding in astonishment, "You all are here too, why didn’t you let me know before you came?"
"I and Miss came for the new store, you have a share in it too. You and your girlfriend are here on a trip; wouldn’t it be a big crime to disturb your time together? Anyway, what’s the situation here? Who is this girl?" Lin Tian quickly explained, asking about the situation here, whether it was an argument or a fight, it was better to clarify before stepping in.
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