Let us see what tricks that old bastard has up his sleeve!

After saying that, I threw the fake rough jade piece in my hand to him and asked, "How soon can you get me a piece like this?"

Li Qiang weighed the rough stone in his hand, frowned, and said, "Three days! I can get it for you in three days!"

I smiled and said, "Make it two days... I can't keep my market closed for too long."

Li Qiang was taken aback and looked at me with confusion. "You're going to close the market?"

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, opened the message interface, pointed at the screen, and said to Li Qiang, "Look, this is the message Pan Ximi just sent me. Ruiyun Market and Licui Market were both cleaned out early this morning."

Li Qiang's expression instantly tightened. He leaned in to check carefully, his face growing increasingly solemn. "This... this is definitely not good news!" he muttered, a trace of unease in his voice.

"That's right," I said. "Ghost Stone's methods are getting more and more ruthless. The market is in turmoil, and the longer we wait, the smaller our chances become."

Li Qiang gritted his teeth, determination flashing in his eyes. "Fine, I agree. I'll get you those stones within two days! I'll do my absolute best."

"Remember, the sooner, the better," I warned, while my mind began calculating the next steps.

Li Qiang's abilities might provide some help, but I knew that Ghost Stone would never let us off easily.

Temporarily closing the market was only a temporary measure.

"I'll contact my friend and get it sorted out as soon as possible," Li Qiang nodded heavily.

I patted him on the shoulder, offering him a bit of encouragement.

Then I turned and left.

As soon as I returned to the market office, Chen Laobao and Lu Yier were already waiting there.

"Boss, that Ghost Stone is too ruthless! As soon as he made a move, he directly raided Ruiyun Market and Licui Market. Word is he swept away twenty million yuan worth of goods in a single morning! Twenty million in one morning!"

"And then the market owners just shut their doors! Because everyone knows that wherever Ghost Stone has been and whatever market he has swept, it takes at least a month or more before any good stones show up there again!"

I frowned. Chen Laobao's words made me realize that the shadow of Ghost Stone had already enveloped the entire market.

This man's strength was indeed extraordinary.

"After those two markets were cleaned out, which market is he in now?!"

"I heard he's at Dongfeng Market now," Lu Yier chimed in, unease flickering in his eyes. "Rumor has it he's already targeted a few top-tier raw stones there and wants to seize the opportunity to make another fortune."

I nodded. Dongfeng Market was not far from our location anymore.

If Ghost Stone went on another looting spree there, he might arrive at our market either tomorrow or the day after.

"We must take action and dampen his momentum first. We can't let him succeed so easily!" I said firmly.

"Boss, what should we do?" Chen Laobao asked, anticipation and tension gleaming in his eyes.

"I'll go over there myself. Also, for the next two days, Bengjian Market will be temporarily closed under the pretext of internal market renovations, which will also serve to conceal the excavation of the jade mine!"

"I'll take Pan Ximi with me to observe Ghost Stone's techniques in secret and see if we can find a way to crack them." I looked at Chen Laobao and Lu Yier. "You two are responsible for contacting our subordinates to ensure the market's safety, and don't let anyone else know that we're dealing with Ghost Stone."

"Understood!" the two replied in unison, fighting spirit gleaming in their eyes.

I quickly gathered my thoughts and decided to go to Dongfeng Market first to scout the situation.

Ghost Stone's methods were ruthless, but I couldn't just sit around and wait for him to come to me.

As long as I found his flaw, I could turn the tide in one fell swoop.

"Remember to stay vigilant and report the situation at any time," I instructed before walking out of the market.

The sunlight outside was blinding, but the fighting spirit in my heart burned like a blazing fire.

On the way to Dongfeng Market, my mind kept replaying the previous transactions and intelligence, silently deducing every next step.

The stronger Ghost Stone was, the firmer my conviction had to be. I would never let him reign supreme in this market.

When I arrived at the entrance of Dongfeng Market, Pan Ximi was already waiting there.

Seeing me arrive, he said excitedly, "Boss, that Ghost Stone is really something else! Cutting stones is just like playing a game to him!"

Excitement shone in Pan Ximi's eyes, obviously full of awe for Ghost Stone's craftsmanship.

"That guy... Ghost Stone's methods are more than just simple cutting. His sensitivity and judgment for every single piece of rough stone have reached an almost miraculous level. Just now, from what I heard, he can judge the value of a stone based on the faintest trace of a grain and luster. This kind of ability is definitely beyond ordinary people."

"You know what?" Pan Ximi continued, a note of amazement in his voice. "He cut a stone just now, and almost didn't waste a single shred of material. Top-tier jadeite actually emerged from inside, and everyone in the market almost went crazy!"

I nodded. Actually, I felt a bit uneasy inside at this moment.

What worried me most was whether his technique was the same as mine—the technique of the Blood-Eye Jade Perception?

"Don't overestimate others, but don't underestimate them either. Keep a calm mind; due to inherent traits, everyone has their own weaknesses when doing the same thing. We must find his flaw, Pan Ximi," I said in a deep voice. "Only then can we turn the tide before he continues to expand."

"Understood, Boss. With you here, we'll definitely be able to handle it!" Pan Ximi nodded hard, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Let's go, let's go inside and take a look! Let's see what kind of methods this old man really has!"

Pan Ximi and I walked into Dongfeng Market. The market was bustling with activity, and customers wore tense expressions, seemingly all focused on Ghost Stone's movements. In the distance, a group of people surrounded a huge piece of raw stone—that was where Ghost Stone was cutting.

"Look, that's him!" Pan Ximi whispered, his eyes filled with curiosity and wariness.

I stared at Ghost Stone. His figure stood out exceptionally in the sunlight.

He had a broad build, appearing twice as thick in physique as the ordinary people around him.

A black cloth was wrapped around his head, seemingly a custom of the Miao people, adding a mysterious aura to him.

The edges of the black cloth were slightly frayed, revealing the marks of time, while his exposed hair was grayish-white, looking weathered as if washed by time. Every strand of white hair exuded the storms he had weathered, seeming to tell untold stories.

His face was covered in wrinkles, and his deep-set eye sockets gleamed with a shrewd and cunning light, occasionally scanning the surroundings and sometimes concentrating on the stone in his hands.

Those rough hands moved effortlessly between the tools and the stone, his cutting motions as smooth as flowing clouds and moving water, without a single drag.

The surrounding crowd burst into gasps of amazement, clearly subdued by his craftsmanship.

"Boss, he really is a master!" Pan Ximi whispered beside me, a hint of awe in his tone.

I nodded. Such an opponent must never be underestimated.

"Find a chance to get close to him and observe his every detail," I murmured, keeping my eyes fixed on Ghost Stone while secretly pondering how to find his weakness.