Chapter Twenty-Five: Seeking the Source

Gao Youde’s phone call jolted me awake, making me leap out of bed in a panic.

That bastard—he claimed he was doing this so we’d have no worries holding us back, but now he’s gone and taken Hu San’s mother. It was clear he was using her to threaten us.

I didn’t have time to think. I threw on my clothes and rushed straight to Hu San’s house.

When I arrived, I found Hu San crouched in the alley, sharpening a hatchet, wearing only a vest and covered in bruises.

Tears streamed down his face as he saw me, and he roared, “Gao Youde and his crew came looking for trouble this morning. Normally, I could have handled them, but my mother was home and I was afraid she’d get hurt, so I didn’t fight back. In the end, they took her away!”

His words stabbed deep into my heart.

I knew Hu San was a devoted son. His mother was his only family, and she was gravely ill. Now those bastards had taken her.

His eyes blazed with fury, and the hatchet in his hands gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

“Hu San, don’t panic. We’ll get your mother back,” I tried to comfort him, though anger and anxiety gnawed at me.

“Get her back? How? Gao Youde and his men aren’t even human—they’re animals!” His voice trembled, thick with helpless rage.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “This isn’t the time to act on impulse. They’re putting pressure on us, but we can’t lose our heads. We have to stick to the plan, not go in blindly.”

Hu San looked at me, tears still in his eyes, but he nodded. He understood.

We had to stay calm. Rage would only cloud our judgment.

“Do you know where they took your mother?” I asked.

He shook his head. “They moved fast. I didn’t have a chance to follow.”

I frowned, considering our next move.

Truthfully, chasing after them now would be pointless. Gao Youde had little interest in the old woman—he might actually get her treated. The only thing he wanted from us was to pull off something big at Chen Leopard’s market.

Gao Youde and his crew were ruthless; we’d have to tread carefully.

“We’re at the second stage now. Let’s not rush. Today, we’ll go check out Chen Leopard’s market.”

Hu San nodded. We quickly ate a simple breakfast and set out for Chen Leopard’s turf.

His territory was in the city’s northern old industrial district, a place rife with shady deals and all manner of unsavory characters. On the outskirts, there was a jumbled secondhand goods area; at the center was the jade market.

By the time we arrived, the market was bustling, cries of vendors rising and falling everywhere.

Hu San seemed tense, glancing around nervously as if expecting danger at any moment.

I patted his shoulder, signaling him to relax. “Remember, Hu San, today we’re just scouting. There’s no danger.”

We wandered the market, observing a few gambling-stone stalls. Just as Sister Hong had said, most stones here were fakes, real gems few and far between.

As we were about to leave, a ragged old man caught my eye. His stall displayed a few unremarkable stones, but I sensed something unusual about them.

“Hu San, look over there,” I said softly, pointing at the old man’s stall.

Following my gaze, Hu San looked puzzled. “Tiger, it’s just some old men with worthless stones. What’s special about them?”

I smiled. “Let’s go have a look.”

We walked over. The old man glanced up but said nothing.

I nodded and pointed to one of the stones. “How much for this one?”

“This stone may look ordinary, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. Fifty thousand.”

Hu San’s face changed at the price.

Without hesitation, I handed over fifty thousand yuan. “Deal.”

A satisfied smile flickered across the old man’s face. “You know quality when you see it. This stone won’t disappoint you.”

He handed me the stone, then rolled up the rest of his goods.

Hu San, perplexed, asked, “Sir, you’re not selling anymore?”

The old man chuckled and picked his teeth. “I’ve made enough for today. Why keep selling?”

Hu San was stunned.

He looked uneasy. “Tiger, was fifty thousand worth it?”

I smiled and patted his shoulder. “Hu San, this old man just showed me something—the Ancient Jade Gang is present in this market.”

“Oh, an offering of loyalty, is that it?”

I nodded.

Hu San looked exasperated.

We’d already spent thirty-five out of fifty thousand for a single token of loyalty. How were we supposed to keep playing this game?

Still, I led Hu San around the market. What I really wanted to know was where the goods here came from.

We continued walking, watching every stall and vendor carefully.

“Hu San, remember, what we’re looking for isn’t the obvious stalls, but those that look ordinary but might be hiding the real goods,” I said quietly.

Hu San nodded, his gaze growing sharper.

In a corner, we found a young vendor fiddling with a few stones. His stall looked unremarkable, but I noticed the wary, cautious look in his eyes.

“Hey, how much for these stones?” I asked casually, pretending to be interested.

He glanced up and smiled. “Picked these up in the mountains. Not expensive—take your pick.”

I picked up a rather plain-looking stone and handed it to Hu San. “What do you think?”

He examined it and shook his head. “Tiger, nothing special about this one.”

I nodded, put the stone back, and continued searching the stall.

Suddenly, my eyes landed on a slightly smooth stone. My heart skipped a beat.

“How much for this one?” I asked.

The vendor hesitated. “It’s not big, but there might be something good inside. Five thousand.”

Without hesitation, I handed him five thousand. “Deal.”

Surprise flashed across his face—he clearly hadn’t expected me to buy so quickly.

He handed me the stone. Examining it closely, I saw that its texture was completely different from the others, with a faint gleam of jade beneath the surface.

“Hu San, this one’s got potential,” I murmured.