"Lan Sister, who is this...?"

After a brief chat, his gaze fell on Xu Fan.

He thought to himself, could this be the jade carving master Lan Sister had specially invited?

Xiao Lan could easily guess his thoughts and, with a bitter smile, shook her head and said, "Xu Fan, just my sworn brother."

"Okay..."

So the kid was just here to watch the excitement. Somberly sighing, his subordinate then asked, "Lan Sister, Chen Longhu and his crew have already arrived, what do you think..."

His subordinate felt that, given the circumstances, there was no need to stay and lose face. However, he couldn't make decisions on his own and still had to follow Xiao Lan's orders.

"No, we need to go over there."

Xiao Lan exhaled deeply and said decisively.

She was well aware that going there would only result in ridicule from Chen Longhu and his gang.

But she had to go!

Otherwise, wouldn't it be telling everyone that she, Xiao Lan, lacked even the courage to show her face?

Xiao Lan was not afraid of Chen Longhu. At the same time, she wanted to see what kind of stance the Jade King, who had betrayed her, would take!

Her subordinate led Xiao Lan and Xu Fan toward the market, and soon, they saw Chen Longhu and his group...

He was holding what seemed to be an internet celebrity who had recently become popular, chatting and laughing heartily with his subordinate by his side, exuding confidence.

The biggest reason for his carefreeness was obviously the middle-aged man by his side, dressed somewhat like a nouveau riche.

This was the Jade King, adorned entirely in jade ornaments, giving off a nouveau riche vibe, but those in the know understood that these jades were symbols of his glory.

All these precious jades were gambled on by his keen eyesight!

"Yo? Isn't this Sister Lan?"

During the conversation, Chen Longhu caught a glimpse of Xiao Lan and, with a sneer, led his group to meet her.

"Yo? Isn't this little tiger?"

However, before he could start boasting, a person who emerged from behind Xiao Lan instantly changed Chen Longhu's expression.

As grim as a storm about to break, his tightly clenched fists were already making a sound like snapping beans!

"Humph, Xu Fan, it's true you can be seen everywhere..."

This sentence was almost squeezed out through clenched teeth, Xu Fan smilingly watched his angry demeanor and chuckled, "Hey, little tiger, you say, why are you so stingy?"

"It's just winning five million from you..."

"Humph..."

Chen Longhu grunted and, for his own peace of mind, he didn't want to continue arguing with Xu Fan. He turned to look at Xiao Lan, only then did he reveal a smug smile.

Hehe, so what if Xu Fan tricked him out of five million?

Today, he could earn it back, with interest!

"Hehe, Lan Sister, I say, you coming here now, do you think it's necessary?"

Chen Longhu's mockery of Xiao Lan could practically be described as painting following the template, but Xiao Lan completely ignored him.

"Humph, Jade King, we meet again."

In order to have him evaluate the raw stones, Xiao Lan had promised various conditions, but now the Jade King had turned his back on her, leaving Xiao Lan feeling nothing but cold!

"Hehe, Miss Xiao Lan, hello."

Yet, the impudence of the Jade King was beyond Xiao Lan's imagination; he was now greeting Xiao Lan as if nothing had happened.

"You!"

"Me? What about me, Miss Xiao?"

As the Jade King fiddled with the jade pendant in his hand, he looked at Xiao Lan with a smile and said, "Business is just like that, right? There are failures and successes. I no longer wish to collaborate with you. Can't I leave?"

"Hmph, I never expected you to be this kind of person, as if my deposit was just feeding a dog!"

Xiao Lan clenched her teeth and glared at the Jade King. Trusting him, she had paid half of the fee upfront. Who would have thought that the Jade King, who had sworn to help her, would turn his back on her so quickly!

"Ha, Xiao Lan, you need to watch your words. What do you mean by 'feeding a dog'? You are foolish to willingly give me money. It's your own stupidity, understand?"

With a look reserved for fools, the Jade King snorted and chuckled, "People must aim higher. For that little promise, should I ruin my future? Isn't that stupid?"

"President Chen offered me triple what you promised! Why should I still collaborate with you?"

"Well, if you insist on an explanation, hehe, how about this—you spend a night with me, and then I'll switch back to your side?"

"Get lost!"

Xiao Lan had thought that the Jade King, doing such a thing, would at least have a sliver of conscience, but now?

She could now see clearly who he really was!

Amid the mocking laughter of Chen Longhu and his cohorts, Xiao Lan turned away disheartened, her silhouette very forlorn…

"Sister Lan, the new batch of rough stones has just arrived. Shall we go now?"

Her subordinate unconsciously followed and inquired.

Xiao Lan shook her head. She felt an immense pressure, unable to decide whether to leave or stay and continue fighting Chen Longhu.

"Xu Fan, what should I do?"

Lost, she instinctively looked towards Xu Fan standing beside her.

She could only hope that Xu Fan would help her make a decision at this moment.

Xu Fan smiled and said nothing, simply stepping forward to embrace Xiao Lan.

Comforting her, he stroked her hair and whispered in her ear, "Sister Lan, don't be sad. There are too many dogs in this world. Once you see enough, you get used to it."

Since there were many people around, Xu Fan's embrace was brief. He quickly let go.

Squinting his eyes, he looked towards Chen Longhu and his boastful group, Xu Fan smiled and said, "Leaving now would be too cowardly."

A surge of realization hit Xiao Lan. Indeed, leaving now would be too cowardly.

Even if it meant losing money today, she would fight Chen Longhu to the end!

"Heizi, we're not leaving. I refuse to believe that the Jade King is really that formidable!"

Seeing Xiao Lan regaining her spirit, Heizi, her subordinate, nodded in agreement and said, "Right! Sister Lan, we'll follow your lead!"

Although she regained her spirit, Xiao Lan didn't forget a critical issue.

Gambling on stones still required an expert.

After a moment of thought, her gaze landed on Heizi.

Over the years, Heizi had been managing this aspect of the business for her. Although he was not as skilled as the Jade King, he had his unique insights in stone evaluation.

"Heizi, when the rough stones arrive, you handle the purchases. Twenty million, use it as you see fit."

Xiao Lan didn't care for anything else at this moment, only hoping to acquire a batch of usable jade to prevent Jade Firm from being completely crushed in this conflict.

...

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.