Chapter Thirty-Two: The Counterfeit Stall

I clenched my fists, a flash of resolve in my eyes, and grabbed his arm tightly. “Hu San, snap out of it for me!”

In all the years I’d known Hu San, I had never uttered a single curse word at him. But this time, that sentence clearly stunned him; his expression froze for a moment before he turned to look at me.

I paused, the decision already made in my heart. “Hu San, we must enter the VIP hall. This two million is our stake—it’s our only chance.”

“This outer market, it’s full of small fry. Relying on this won’t be enough to take down Gao Youde!”

“If we want to destroy Gao Youde, it can only happen in the VIP hall.”

Hu San pondered deeply, then a determined light flashed in his eyes. “Tiger, you’re right. We can’t back down!”

I smiled faintly, patting his shoulder. “Come on, let’s keep climbing the ranks.”

We walked through the outer market. Most of the rough jade stones here had already been picked over by both professionals and amateurs alike. Now, it was truly the time for scavenging hidden gems.

“Hu San, our transaction volume isn’t enough yet. We need to find a way to increase it quickly,” I whispered, a ruthless glint in my eyes.

Hu San frowned. “Tiger, do you have any specific ideas?”

I took a deep breath, meeting his gaze with unwavering determination. “We need to buy several stones in the shortest time possible, pick those that look unremarkable but might hide jade within. Meanwhile, let’s see if there are any gambling stalls in the market without business. We’ll take over a gambling stall—not as buyers, but as sellers!”

Hu San listened, a hint of surprise in his eyes, quickly replaced by resolve. “Tiger, you mean we build up some capital first, then sell stones to make more money?”

I nodded. “Exactly. Our transaction volume is still too low. We must increase it quickly. Only then can we face Gao Youde head-on in the VIP hall.”

Hu San thought it over, then nodded firmly. “Alright, Tiger. I’ll follow you.”

We moved swiftly through the outer market, searching for those inconspicuous rough stones. I tapped each stone with my fingers, carefully observing their patterns and texture, while Hu San helped select, occasionally offering suggestions. Finally, with his muscular arms, he tagged the stones appropriately.

We spent money fast—within barely ten minutes, we’d spent over half a million. After careful selection, we bought several rough stones. They looked ordinary, but I felt an intuition that treasures were hidden inside.

Next, we began searching for gambling stalls without customers. The outer market bustled with people, but there were always a few stalls left cold and deserted. We found one tucked away in a corner. The stall owner was a middle-aged man, his face etched with helplessness and exhaustion.

Seeing us approach, he forced a smile. “Gentlemen, take a look at my stones. Fair prices, definitely worth it.”

Hu San and I exchanged a glance. I spoke up, “Boss, all these fakes you have—looks like today’s not your day, huh?”

The owner was shocked, brows furrowing, about to raise his voice, but glanced around and held back, his tone tinged with anger. “What makes you say I’m selling fake goods?”

I smiled, a touch of disdain in my eyes. “Not just you—stall seventeen, twenty-nine, thirty-two, and thirty-seven, all fakes. As for the others, I won’t even bother mentioning them. You’d better be careful with your stall fees—you might not be able to pay up!”

The owner’s face turned pale, clearly frightened by my words. His hands trembled, as he weighed how to deal with this sudden accusation. Hu San watched quietly by my side, a hint of approval in his eyes, knowing I hadn’t spoken without reason.

“Who are you people?” the owner finally managed, his voice trembling.

I gave a cold laugh. “Who we are doesn’t matter. What matters is that we can help you solve your problem. Sooner or later, these fakes will be discovered. Then not only will you lose your business, you might not even afford the stall fee. We can help you clear out these fakes, and in return, we need a stall to run our own business.”

He took a deep breath, seeming to reach a decision. “Alright, I accept your terms. But you must promise not to expose me.”

I nodded. “Rest assured, we’re only interested in our own profit. Happy cooperation.”

In the gambling stone market, especially among rough stones—even fakes have their classifications! As long as they come from the mine, even if impure or worthless, they count as genuine goods, at least fit for grading. But there’s another kind—complete counterfeits.

Some might ask: can stones be faked? I can only smile at that. Since the start of commodity markets, one technology has grown rapidly—counterfeiting.

Fake cigarettes, fake liquor, fake consciences—even fake wives! The hub of jade counterfeiting lies in a coastal metropolis. That place, both in technology and economy, far surpasses our city, Ruijing. For a few years, many cars with local plates were shunned by the jade dealers here, advised to keep their distance. But trends can’t be resisted; as long as there’s profit, those counterfeits infiltrate the local market.

I say all this just to make one point: in the jade trade, full-scale counterfeiting exists. In truth, some stones aren’t stones at all—they’re plastic. This is something our local jade market strictly forbids.

As for this stall owner, I was able to corner him because I discovered he had two batches of goods. Whenever inspectors came around, he swapped out the stock—the inside and outside were never the same. Clearly, he was exploiting the market’s crowds to sell fakes for huge profits.

But today, he hadn’t gotten his way. This market event, with inspectors moving freely, meant their fakes couldn’t be sold. The only chance to move fake goods was in the brief gaps between inspections. But constantly moving fake goods around would draw attention.

It’s fair to say this counterfeit operation met its downfall today. It’ll be hard to recoup losses…

The cost of those low-grade stones used as a front probably won’t even be recovered.

“Alright, we’ll give you a stall—but remember, even thieves have their code. Keep your mouth shut!”