Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The so-called python stripes he mentioned were not like stripes; they were more like patches, and there were both white and gray ones.
Python stripes were found on the outer layer of jade rocks, and they were stripes or patches that were different from the rest of the rock. In some cases, they could take up half the rock’s surface. They could be grain-like arrangements, or they could be long stripes resembling ropes and coils. The official terms used within the industry were rope, python, or python stripes.
This feature made the rock look ugly, but it was an important clue that indicated whether the rock had good quality jade. Generally speaking, raw rocks that had green on the inside or jade spots that protruded would form these python stripes, so these stripes were actually rather precious.
Zhong Da Pao said suspiciously, “D*mn, this is what we’re betting on? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
They were at a disadvantage in this aspect. Before, the two of them bought rocks based on the summarized experience of other people and made loss after loss.
Speaking about rocks made Da Mao perk up and grow more talkative. “Look, there’s a white patch here. White rocks could have white patches too, so this is not a good way to distinguish, but you have to believe me. This is a white patch, and if you look here, there’s some gray on the rock, further proving that there’s a python hiding beneath!
“My grandfather once taught me that, of all the types of pythons, the greyish-white kinds were the best, especially the kind that looks like snot. Those are the safest bets. It’s just a shame that this one doesn’t have obvious hints of green on the surface, or I’d be able to say for sure that there is jade in it. Trust me on this, the jade rocks back at Hpakant would have been safe bets if they had pythons. If it’s a black sand rock from Old Hpakant with a python, it’s definitely a safe bet!”
Zhong Dapao listened to Da Mao before saying, “That’s right, you mentioned that rocks from the Old Hpakant mining area were safe bets. But this is from Aung Bar Lay.”
“The Aung Bar Lay mining area borders the one that houses Old Hpakant, you can barely tell one from the other,” Da Mao said. “This is worth a go!”
Seeing him so confident, Zhong Dapao looked towards Li Du, who had been squatting and staring at the rock the entire time. He nodded. “How much?”
The stall owner perked up at that. Aung Bar Lay’s rocks were not popular at the market, so he barely had any business here. At Li Du’s question, he immediately said, “1.5 million.”
Da Mao nodded. “This is considered cheap. At Ruili, it would cost at least 5.1 million, possibly even tens of millions!”
Liu Zi was itching to whoop the boy. “Are you listening to yourself? Whose side are you on?!”
Li Du said, “Hand him the money, I’m buying this.”
Da Mao said, “There are still a few pieces…”
Li Du pointed to a few of the rocks that were on display without waiting for Da Mao to finish speaking. “This, this, this, and that. And those over there as well, I’ll take them all.”
The stall owner was overjoyed, and asked, “Really? Da Mao, I was wrong about you. You really did bring me good business.”
Da Mao beamed with pride. “Of course!”
The owner said, “I’ll buy you some food later. I’ll even buy you an extra portion.”
“To hell with that, who wants food? I want some money,” Da Mao retorted petulantly.
Li Du bought twelve rocks in one go, which totaled 7.5 million. He handed his card over to the stall owner, who laughed, “You’re not going through the public market? You really trust me that much?”
Zhong Dapao guffawed. “It’s not you that we trust, it’s us. You mess with the card and I’ll mess with you.”
The stall owner hurriedly clarified, “No, I would never do that! I’m here to make an honest living.”
After he swiped the card, the rocks passed to Li Du’s ownership. Zhong Dapao eyed the rocks eagerly. “Should we go get them cut?”
Li Du shook his head. “There’s no rush, let’s not cut them yet. We’ll continue looking around for more rocks.”
He had to continue buying the rocks so he could mix the really good ones with a few inferior ones. This was the best way to make a profit.
The stall owner handed Da Mao a red packet with some money, very obviously elated by the sale.
Da Mao accepted it gleefully and walked over to another stall to check how much money there was in the red packet, but his joy quickly dissipated into anger. The packet contained a stack of ten-dollar bills that, though numerous, only amounted to 1800 dollars. It was not much.
“He’s so stingy,” Da Mao exclaimed angrily.
Li Du said, “After this round of cutting, I’ll give you ten thousand.”
Da Mao perked up instantly. “For real?”
Zhong Dapao chimed in too, “You really mean this, Brother Li?”
Li Du said, “Brother Da Mao has proven his capabilities. From now on, if the rocks he points to have jade, he will receive a 5% commission from me.”
Zhong Dapao said enthusiastically, “Let me try this as well.”
Li Du held him back, saying, “Don’t rush into this. Your personality requires a little polishing. You’re too impulsive and not steady enough, which is a huge no-no in this trade. If you don’t fix this you’ll end up regretting sooner or later.”
Da Mao laughed bitterly. “That’s what my grandfather used to tell me.”
Li Du said, “That settles it then. Let’s keep looking, Longken has no shortage of good stuff.”
That night, the number of rocks they bought totaled to about 50 or 60. It seemed like a lot but, in reality, it did not cost them much because they mostly bought small rocks that came from the mountains or ones that people rejected. Those were priced lower than the rest, so their expenditure totaled to about 20 million.
They kept shopping until midnight before Li Du finally called for a stop and brought the gang back to the public market to cut the rocks. At this time, the night market was ready to close, so there were many people who brought their rocks to cut. It was a disorderly crowd and everyone was shoving each other.
Just like what Li Du had seen before, one cut could make or break a person. There were many people who exclaimed in joy after the cut was made, rushing off to celebrate, but there were just as many people who were weeping.
When it was their turn, the bodyguards lowered the bamboo baskets. The people who were in line behind them instantly grew gloomy after they saw the number of rocks Li Du had brought with him. They realized there was no point in queueing behind him, so they quickly switched lines.
Someone who was really peeved came up to say in a snide manner, “My, if it isn’t Master Pao and Master Liu. Are you guys here to blow your money again?”
As he was talking, he took a quick peek at the contents of the basket and pursed his lips. “Woah, did you all rob a bank or something? These rocks look like they cost a lot.”
Without waiting for a response, he prattled on, “No, wait, you don’t have the guts to rob a bank. So where did you get the money for these rocks? Oh, you probably didn’t buy these, huh? Did you pick them up from the dump? Don’t get rocks like these cut here, you’re just wasting our time, aren’t you?”
Someone backed him up, saying, “That’s right! A whole bunch of garbage rocks.”
“Hear, hear! Mine cost me two million, I really want to have it cut.”
“Alright, that’s enough. Everyone, shut up. Master Pao cherishes his reputation. Do you think he won’t know how to act?”
Zhong Dapao gritted his teeth and said to the man, “Old Hua, stop talking sh*t and just move aside and watch as I get my stuff cut open. Then you can look at the top-quality jade it will display.”
Old Hua said through his laughter, “Oh man, Master Pao, you’re so funny. I’ve never heard anything funnier. You? Top-quality jade? Didn’t you get your fortune told? This isn’t in the cards for you!”
Da Mao eyed the rock beside the man and said, “Making money in the jade trade isn’t in the cards for you either, brother. Your rock is the one that’s garbage.”
