The Beautiful Boss's Personal Bodyguard
Chapter 135

Chapter 135: Chapter 135

Little Bun, although not fond of Ye Tian, had no other acquaintances here and Chen Xing’s time of return was uncertain. Despite the reluctance, she still followed behind Ye Tian; after all, this guy just looked like someone who was meant to be swindled. She was curious about how he would be taken advantage of.

Ye Tian, unaware of Little Bun’s thoughts, just went on his way, surveying the surroundings. Thieves have the principle of not leaving empty-handed, not to mention him, who came from the military as a soldier-turned-thief. With one hundred thousand yuan in hand, it would be a disservice to his conscience not to spend it all.

The yard appeared chaotic, but with careful attention, one could discern that it was roughly divided into several areas: there were sections dedicated to selling porcelain, bronze ware, calligraphy, and paintings. There were also areas where linen was spread out on the ground with copper coins casually placed upon it.

"Brother, take a look, real Daqi Tongbao coins. Seeing that you’re a man who knows his stuff, I’ll give you a good price..."

"This is top-tier merchandise, care to handle it?"

"Come, have a look, great finds."

It was plain to see that Ye Tian was a novice as several stall owners reached out toward him, eying him as if he were a lamb ready for slaughter. Knowing he wasn’t experienced, Ye Tian didn’t join the bustle; he simply browsed here and there, looking but not buying, merely marveling at the rarity of the items.

As he meandered and observed, about five minutes into his walk without any intent to make a purchase, Little Bun trailed behind him, the corner of her mouth twitching with disdain. Having initially thought him quite the impressive man when he slapped Liu Hao, now he seemed to her no different from those hooligans swaggering around the streets in floral boxers and tank tops.

"Ye Tian, haven’t seen anything that caught your eye?" Old Man Shi asked with a beaming smile.

Scratching his head sheepishly, Ye Tian replied, "It’s not that I haven’t seen anything eye-catching, it’s just I don’t quite understand these things."

"Heh, which one are you interested in? I’ll help you have a look."

Ye Tian smiled and shook his head, "Maybe later."

Touching the wrist of his right hand, Ye Tian mumbled to himself, wondering if his guess was correct—did this thing only react to genuinely ancient objects?

As they walked, the crowd ahead thickened and there was a noticeable increase in the foot traffic. The passersby seemed to be discussing something about "stone cutting" and "jade," prompting a somewhat puzzled look from Ye Tian toward Old Man Shi at his side.

"Up ahead is where they do gambling on stones, which involve rough stones that may contain jade or emerald. Those who go there are all wealthy patrons; these others are merely looking on for the excitement. Betting on stones is simple but extremely thrilling. Win, and it’s a windfall; lose, and a fortune could be wiped out. Hey, want to go take a look? Young people usually like this sort of thing."

Ye Tian shook his head, "Forget it, I’m not that interested. Let’s head back. Little Bun, when will your master finish his business?"

"Her master won’t be able to finish his business today."

Hearing this voice, a sense of dread clutched at Ye Tian’s heart—he had hit a snag.

Ye Tian turned around shakily, and sure enough, Chen Xing had appeared behind him at some point, along with an old man with white hair in a white Tang costume. Little Bun was covering her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter.

"Not buying antiques anymore?" Ye Tian asked carefully.

"Hmph, met with a mean little prick, and now I’m going to stick it to him. Come on, follow me to buy stones. Let’s stick to the original plan."

Chen Xing, swaggering his butt, led the way, a white-haired old man accompanying him at his side.

"It’s Master Zhang, Ye Tian, your boss has some serious clout, getting Master Zhang to take a look at stones."

Old Man Shi spoke with a hint of emotion.

"Master Zhang? That old guy?" Ye Tian pointed at the old man following Chen Xing and asked.

"Hmph, what ’old guy’? You know he’s the famed gambling stone king, Master Zhang. You’re such a frog in a well, no wonder you’re only fit to be a doorman." Little Bun seized the opportunity to give Ye Tian a good trampling.

"Yeah, yeah, I’m the frog in the well. Not only do I have to be a doorman, but I also have to deal in smuggled national treasures. Even the chief eunuch from the Daqing Dynasty would have to tail behind me."

"Who are you calling a eunuch! It’s called fashion, you understand? Fashion! Hmph, you country bumpkin!"

Watching Little Bun tiptoeing ahead with a swinging stride, Ye Tian and Old Man Shi burst into laughter again.

There were indeed many more people gambling on stones than in other areas; stones of all sizes were laid out on the ground, each marked with a number. Each area had a staff member assigned to serve customers. Ye Tian, unfamiliar with the process here, had no interest in these stones. Only Old Man Shi was cautiously explaining to him,

"Most of the stones here are shipped from Southeast Asia, and some from Xinjiang, but those are fewer. There’s more formed jade from there, so relatively less rough stone. Gambling on stones isn’t just blind luck; it relies more on one’s experience and vision. Like the Master Zhang your boss invited earlier, he’s a well-known gambling stone expert in the north. Any stone he takes interest in, no matter the size, starts at a price of at least one million yuan. Like this stone here," Old Man Shi stopped next to a stone that had been discarded outside the marked area, contrasting sharply with the roped stones beside it, "These thrown-out stones are considered waste, virtually worthless. If someone really wanted it, one hundred yuan would be more than enough. But if Master Zhang gave it a look, its price could start at least at a hundred thousand."

Wow! Ye Tian smacked his lips and leaned forward to touch the palm-sized stone, picking it up to weigh it in his hand.

"Don’t bother, since it’s already been cast aside, then it’s definitely just waste. No master is going to come over and give it a high appraisal."

Waste?

Ye Tian was no longer listening; he thought it strange why there was a warm sensation at his wrist when he picked up the stone. Although the warmth wasn’t as pronounced as with the Deyi Yuanbao earlier, it was definitely there, and very comforting, like a gentle flowing of warm water.

"Experience and vision are just one aspect of gambling on stones," said Old Man Shi, "Actually, there’s something even more important."

Hearing Old Man Shi’s words, Ye Tian came back to his senses, slowly put down the stone, straightened up, and asked, "What is it?"

Old Man Shi chuckled, "It might sound a bit mystical, but you can’t dismiss it – it’s luck. Although often taken as a joke in everyday life, in the gambling stone world, many truly believe in it. Some people even make special trips to temples, spending a lot of money for masters to bless their stones to improve their luck."

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