Gu Zheng chuckled.
"You really do have a bit of a prejudice against Lu Changqing!"
Song Ning felt a little embarrassed at that and said:
"Maybe! I haven't dealt with him for long, but in that short time, he's shown himself to be an expert at working every angle! I don't think he'd do anything without something to gain. If he knew those people needed him, yet still risked universal condemnation to associate with them, why would he agree unless there was an enormous benefit?"
Gu Zheng shook his head. "You're right! He might negotiate terms with them, but he wouldn't be foolish enough to stake his life on a confrontation! That organization kills without blinking! Lu Changqing wouldn't risk his life standing up to them just because they hadn't met his demands!"
After a pause, Gu Zheng said, "Right now... I can think of only one possibility!"
Song Ning's eyes lit up.
"I thought of it too! Are you saying... Lu Changqing might know where that thing is, but not know what it's worth?"
Gu Zheng smiled too, reaching out to ruffle Song Ning's hair.
"Yes! Lu Changqing might know where the black jadeite is, without knowing that it's black jadeite or that it's so precious! That's the only explanation for why the sample is still out there, neither in our hands nor found by them!"
Song Ning sighed and murmured, "That's the difficult part! We don't even know what this sample looks like. Is it elongated or square? Or... could it be hidden inside some ordinary object?"
"Ring, ring-"
The telephone on the desk rang again.
This time, Gu Zheng stayed on the phone for a long while.
After hanging up, he took Song Ning over to sit on the sofa.
Seeing her bloodshot eyes and slightly haggard