Zombie Bodyguard
Chapter 121 - 120: Trade Fair

Chapter 121: Chapter 120: Trade Fair

Wan Gaoyuan not only left the invitation behind but also the keys to a Rolls-Royce. He jiggled the keys and said, "Boss Wan is too trusting, isn’t he? What if I just drive off and run away with the car? Wouldn’t that be a big loss for him?"

"It’s quite normal. Our Xiao Family treats important guests the same way, and besides, would you actually take off with the car?" Miss Xiao retorted.

"Uh, of course not." Lin Tian thought about it and realized that Wan Gaoyuan wouldn’t just trust anybody.

The four of them stayed in a suite, with four rooms—perfect for one each. The suite was luxuriously decorated, but Lin Tian felt it lacked the essence of home.

Miss Xiao then asked the waiter to deliver their meal. They all hadn’t eaten much while rushing for the flight and hadn’t had much appetite on the plane either. After filling their stomachs, they each returned to their rooms to rest. The thrilling Gambling Stone Festival would start the next day, and without proper rest, the tense and exhilarating atmosphere could be overwhelming.

After sleeping until dawn, Lin Tian was still nestled in bed when Miss Xiao came knocking on his door.

"Miss, it’s only seven o’clock. Why get up so early? The Gambling Stone Festival doesn’t start until eight, and if we go early, we’ll just have to listen to the leaders’ tedious speeches," Lin Tian complained as he opened the door.

"You’ll realize the mistake if we don’t go early. By that time, there won’t even be a place to park!" Xiao Manxue urged him to hurry up.

After breakfast, Lin Tian and the others drove to the venue; Xiao Manxue also knew where the Gambling Stone Festival was taking place. It was only when Lin Tian arrived at the Jade Trading Center that he understood Miss Xiao was right—the place was swarming with people and cars. There were jade merchants, news reporters, and even more people who had come to gamble on stones.

Everyone was sharing fun stories and experiences about gambling on stones, their buzzing voices converging in the air above the open space in front of the entrance.

Outside the trading center, a temporary stage had been set up with a banner reading "Zhonghai City Jade Trading Fair," which was apparently the official and refined name for the event. Currently, the leaders were giving their speeches, but not many were listening. Lin Tian looked around and sawMr. and Mrs. Wan Gaoyuan among the seated guests on the stage.

It took quite a while for the leaders to finish speaking, and traditionally, firecrackers would be set off to announce the start of the Gambling Stone Festival. However, with firecrackers banned in cities nationwide, that step was skipped and the event was simply declared open.

Once the trading center’s doors opened, the overly excited crowd rushed in. Beyond the door was a huge outdoor plaza, which was said to formerly have buildings on it. Later, to accommodate the event, the museum buildings were demolished, leaving only the main building standing.

The plaza now had several hundred makeshift tents where jade raw materials were piled high. At least a few hundred raw material merchants had set up there. The sheer quantity of jade raw materials stunned Lin Tian.

This was his first time seeing so many jade raw materials, and to him, they represented money. Lin Tian was almost too eager to rush forward and take all the quality jade into his possession.

However, they had agreed the night before to meet Mr. and Mrs. Wan Gaoyuan, so Lin Tian and his party waited at the entrance. It wasn’t long before they saw the couple approaching.

"Brother Wan, we’ve been waiting for you. If there are any good raw materials, you must recommend some to us," Lin Tian greeted.

"Brother Lin, don’t rush. The area in number two to the east of the plaza is cordoned off, and you can only enter with an invitation this afternoon. While area one might not be as good, it’s plentiful. With enough luck and an eye for it, you can still find excellent jade," Wan Gaoyuan said with a smile.

Since the opening wouldn’t be until the afternoon, Lin Tian and the others couldn’t miss out on the rough materials in area one. Wan Gaoyuan instructed his staff over the phone to bring along two small trolleys, a privilege he still possessed.

"Lin Tian, whether our new store can open smoothly now hinges on you, so you must take a careful look," Xiao Manxue said with a smile, gently reminding him.

"Brother Lin is also versed in appraising jade rough? Haha, it seems we might have to have a little competition. Are you interested?" Wan Gaoyuan, upon hearing that Lin Tian knew about gambling stones, brightened up and issued a challenge.

From his tone, Lin Tian could tell that Wan Gaoyuan was confident in his gambling stone skills. It made sense, considering Wan Gaoyuan was a Jade Merchant, constantly dealing with jade; his ability to assess jade rough certainly wouldn’t be far off.

Lin Tian nodded and smiled, "Brother Wan, since you are in the mood for a competition, we should have one. How shall we proceed?"

"We’ll pick the rough materials and fill up the trolleys completely. In the end, once all the stones are cut open, whoever’s total value is highest, wins by a margin," Wan Gaoyuan suggested a fair and reasonable method to compare.

He paused for a moment, and without waiting for Lin Tian to respond, he continued, "If I win, I want to take back the two hundred thousand I lost to you last time."

Men truly are creatures that hate to lose, and the mature and composed Wan Gaoyuan was no exception. He had lost once before and intended to win it back this time in his own territory. Lin Tian smiled indifferently and agreed, "Okay, but what if I’m the one who is luckier and happens to win?"

"Haha, Brother Lin, you’re always so confident. At such a young age, you possess excellent medical skills, a knack for gambling, and probably good physical capabilities too. I don’t believe it—you can also be this skilled in jade appraisal, then you wouldn’t be much different from a genius," Wan Gaoyuan laughed heartily, showing a bit of disbelief.

As it happened, he guessed right on all accounts. Lin Tian touched his nose, feeling somewhat embarrassed, thinking to himself that he had already been low-key enough, yet he still got found out. Xiao Manxuan was also covering her mouth with her hand, stifling her laughter, her eyes filled with pride as if the accolades were being directed at her.

"If you win, I will sell you a storefront on Zhonghai City’s Jewelry Street for half price," Wan Gaoyuan looked at his wife and added, "But I have one condition, you must reserve a special counter for us to use."

He was very serious and didn’t seem to be joking, knowing that Zhonghai City’s Jewelry Street was famous not just nationally, but internationally as well. All the stores there were high-end jewelry shops, and many capable jewelry and jade merchants were eager to secure a spot there.

Lin Tian wasn’t aware of its value, but Miss Xiao understood just how significant this surprise offer was, and it excited her greatly. She had been considering how to break into the Zhonghai market and open the new jewelry and jade store there.

She had never imagined they could secure a location on Jewelry Street right from the start, but now this impossibility was unfolding right before her eyes. However, after her initial excitement, Miss Xiao quickly regained her composure—that was her usual style.

After thinking for a moment, she said, "Boss Wan wants to place a bet on us, right? If I’m not analyzing this incorrectly, the competition on Jewelry Street is also fierce. Under such circumstances, profits are fragmented, and actual sales earnings might not be as good. But no one wants to back out, as doing so would mean that competitors could take over their space, undoubtedly breaking the current balance and helping rivals grow stronger by proxy."

The detailed analysis caught everyone’s attention, their eyes lit up, but Miss Xiao wasn’t finished yet. She paused and continued, "By inviting us to join, becoming a powerful ally, could it be that you smell some big move from us? But where does this confidence in us come from?"

"Bravo, bravo!" Wan Gaoyuan clapped in admiration and said, "Truly worthy of being Miss Xiao. I can’t conceal any intentions from you!"

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