Bold and Meticulous, Full of Fiery Spirit

"That won't be necessary," Feng Jun said, smiling and shaking his head at Manager Liang's offer.

He had a miraculous opportunity in his hands; all he lacked was startup capital. With the funds, he wouldn't have to worry about getting things running, so to him, there wasn't much difference between six million and eight million.

Furthermore, although he believed that given the man's reputation, even if he followed him, the man wouldn't dare do anything to him, one could never be too careful these days. After all, wealth stirs the heart.

Besides, he didn't want to have too much contact with the man.

"That's... a pity," Manager Liang smiled. The price he offered wasn't high, as it accounted for various potential risks—it bordered on taking advantage of a novice—though, of course, it couldn't be called low either.

He had wanted to invite the man to his company, but since the other party was cautious, he didn't want to be greedy, so he smiled and asked, "I heard you still have some stones on you?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Jun immediately took out all four strange stones and placed them on the ground. "Take a look."

Manager Liang glanced at them briefly and waved his hand. "I don't know much about these things. One hundred thousand for the lot... how about it?"

It was less of a purchase and more of a hundred-thousand-yuan favor; the four stones were essentially a freebie.

Feng Jun understood his intent and cupped his hands with a smile. "Then many thanks for your generosity, Manager Liang."

"You're being too formal," Manager Liang said, raising his hand to pat Feng Jun on the shoulder. "I'm still counting on you to continue favoring Henglong."

This was a probe; he wanted to know if the man had any more jade material.

Feng Jun was certainly not foolish enough to reveal everything, so he smiled and answered vaguely, "That... we'll talk about it later."

Seeing his caution, Manager Liang didn't mind. Those who dealt in jade, especially jadeite, knew best the risks and bloodshed behind those massive profits. He pulled out a business card and handed it over. "This is my card. Contact me if you're free, and if something comes up... you're welcome to reach out as well."

Feng Jun took it and saw it was a gold-embossed card, but it only had the name "Liang Haiqing" and two phone numbers printed on it.

Manager Liang looked at him expectantly. "Bank transfer or... cash?"

"Cash, I suppose," Feng Jun grinned. "If I use a transfer, I'm afraid of tax audits."

"You're a funny guy," Manager Liang laughed. There were plenty of backpackers making a living off jade, and many used bank transfers. Who would be stupid enough to pay taxes? The tax bureau wouldn't even bother checking; did he think he was in Mairui Country?

However, it was a sign of caution he could understand, so he nodded. "Then you'll have to wait a bit. But... six million-plus in Xia Currency, that's got to be at least two hundred pounds, right?"

Feng Jun nodded slightly. "Yeah, I can carry it."

Just "can carry it"? Manager Liang really wanted to crack a joke: Don't you have friends to help you?

But such jokes couldn't be made lightly. If the other party perceived it as a malicious probe, it might lead to a life-or-death situation.

Moreover, just because the man didn't mention anyone meeting him, could he really assume the man was alone?

Regardless, he was a legitimate businessman with no ulterior motives, so he held up a finger. "Give me an hour."

It didn't take an hour; in fifty minutes, a car drove in, and two young men stepped out, carrying two heavy suitcases.

By this time, word that Feng Jun had earned over six million from selling stones had already spread throughout the market—that shout of "mutton-fat jade boulder" had been quite shocking.

He was safe within the market, where millions in cash often changed hands, but once he stepped outside, it was hard to say.

Liang Haiqing expressed his apologies. "I'm sorry, I really didn't expect you to have such high-quality goods. I'll be more careful next time."

"Doesn't matter," Feng Jun waved a hand, thinking to himself that whether there would be a next time was hard to say.

Seeing the money had arrived, he opened the cases to glance inside. A rough count showed exactly 624 stacks of mostly crisp, new bills.

He didn't bother counting them carefully. He snapped the cases shut, grabbed one in each hand, and walked away.

When he reached the main gate, he placed the two cases next to an SUV.

The onlookers saw this and realized with a start: he hadn't come alone after all.

Feng Jun glanced at the driver's seat, saw it was empty, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. He stood with his hands in his pockets, looking around with a nonchalant air.

The market was a mix of dragons and snakes. In the crowd, people were already pulling out their phones, quietly noting down the license plate number.

Halfway through his cigarette, three empty taxis drove past Feng Jun. Some drivers deliberately slowed down, hoping to pick up a fare.

Feng Jun didn't even look at them. It wasn't until the fourth empty taxi arrived that he raised a hand to flag it down. He climbed in with the two cases and handed the driver two hundred-yuan bills. "Left turn ahead, fast. Get to Guangfa Road within five minutes, and these two hundred are yours."

The driver looked at him calmly. "Then hold on tight."

He knew what kind of place he had just driven past.

Taxi drivers spent all day navigating the streets; how could they not understand these things? This guy had run into trouble.

Inside the market, someone's expression changed: Damn it, we've been played.

Just then, a fat man walked out of the public restroom near the gate, buckling his belt as he headed toward the SUV.

A gap-toothed man hurried over from an angle. "Excuse me, is this car... yours?"

"Yeah," the fat man looked at him, nodded, and sized him up. "If it's not mine, is it yours?"

The gap-toothed man was the one who had spoken to Feng Jun earlier. Seeing the other party's rude tone, he grinned. "They're collecting parking fees here, really. Unless you're just browsing the market."

"I just came down to take a dump," the fat man said anxiously. "I was still holding the toilet paper when I got out of the car."

"Oh," the gap-toothed man's eyes lit up, and he nodded. "So that's how it is."

So that's how it is... more than one person thought to themselves.

Even Manager Liang realized what had happened, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "Clever kid, he just slipped away like that."

A man in glasses beside him nodded and said in an appreciative tone, "Bold yet cautious, calm under pressure, cool-headed... he's truly cut out for the lone-wolf life."

Manager Liang glanced at him and sighed again, "Sigh, what a pity. I might not see him again."

In his view, while the other party had managed to slip away using some kind of sleight of hand to ensure temporary safety, exposing his identity as a lone operator meant he would surely vanish for a long time, or perhaps disappear forever.

After arriving at Guangfa Road, Feng Jun immediately transferred to a taxi and continued to urge the driver to speed.

He switched vehicles four times before finally getting off in front of a motorcycle repair shop, where he bought a second-hand motorcycle without a word, then took a quick turn through the local general store next door.

By the time he returned to the street factory, it was already dark. The old man saw him return and asked curiously, "Where did you get that motorcycle... and those two woven bags?"

Feng Jun smiled, "Where else? I bought it. It's second-hand, cheap, five hundred yuan, and it even comes with a one-month warranty."

The old man nodded, looking as if he understood everything, "Cheap goods are never good; I reckon it'll only last a month... Is your heartbroken classmate okay now?"

Feng Jun paused for a moment before answering simply, "The two of them made up."

"Bah, young people these days have no backbone," the old man shook his head, looking cynical, "If you break up, you break up. A good horse doesn't turn back to graze on old grass. It's really not like a man... don't you think?"

"Huh?" Feng Jun was stunned again, then he stopped the bike and put it on its stand, answering without looking up, "That's right, if you break up, you break up."

He carried the two woven bags into the room and shoved them under the bed before throwing his body heavily onto the mattress. He let out a long breath and muttered softly, "Now, I finally have some money, too. Yeah... if you break up, you break up."

The experiences of the past few days had been truly tumultuous for him; even now, thinking back on it felt a bit unbelievable.

Regardless, having over six million in cash stuffed under his bed gave him enough room to maneuver and plan his future.

However, the most urgent task was to find a suitable place to live. Although this place was quiet despite being in the city and no one cared about his privacy, it was far too inconvenient for charging.

He needed a house where he could charge easily, and he also had to get a few cards to deposit most of the cash under his bed.

He was always a man of action. Since it was dark now and inconvenient to deposit money, he logged onto a real estate agency website to post a rental request.

However, his rental request was different from others; he filled in a monthly rent of ten thousand yuan (inclusive), had no specific requirements for the layout, and only needed water, electricity, heating, and an independent bathroom, provided that privacy was guaranteed.

Then he added a note: I have temporary charging needs and require an external connection capable of handling a maximum of five hundred amperes. This is a prerequisite for renting; otherwise, it will not be considered.

A five-hundred-ampere current from the municipal power supply would ensure he could charge at least five energy points within twenty-four hours, theoretically reaching seven, which was enough for him to enter and exit the space once.

Previously, he lacked the conditions and had to charge sparingly and sneakily, but now that he had money, he didn't need to shortchange himself.

Looking at the mark on his wrist, Feng Jun breathed a sigh of relief; he could still bring goods in and out about two more times.

He had been worrying about whether he could sell the jade, but now that the money was in his hands, he could finally relax a little.

Once he decided to relax, he felt an endless sense of exhaustion surging through his body, yet strangely, his mind remained highly stimulated.

How could he not be excited? With several million under his bed, how could he possibly fall asleep?