Chapter 21 – Inventory

After carefully calculating and “consulting” Little Celestial Master Zhang, Master Wei finally formulated a plan to wrap things up. He decided to scout out Cultural Street first, with his destination naturally being Treasure House.

Unlike ordinary antique shops, Treasure House operated both wholesale and retail businesses. With its extensive connections, fair prices, and a wide selection of rare feng shui items that were hard to come by on the market, it was a favorite among small shop owners. As such, when Wei Yang arrived a bit later, the backyard was already bustling with business.

This time, it wasn’t Heipi who greeted him at the door but a young shop assistant. However, the assistant recognized Wei Yang and gave him an apologetic smile. “Brother Yang, you’re here. Brother Ming is still inside discussing business with someone. It might take a few minutes.”

Wei Yang wasn’t surprised and replied with a smile, “I’m the one who’s late. No worries, I’ll take a look around outside first.”

The backyard was filled with customers, each carefully selecting items from the shelves. Since they were all shop owners, they were quite particular and didn’t crowd around haggling or disturb others. In the antique business, buyers relied on their own judgment. Those with sharp eyes or expertise could get better deals, while those who pretended to know but were actually clueless would inevitably end up overpaying. After all, they were all in the same trade, and no one wanted to be looked down upon, so they avoided making a scene.

However, while others wouldn’t, someone would. Wei Yang had only chatted with a few people when he turned around to find that the person beside him was gone. To his amusement, he discovered that Zhang Xiuqi had wandered over to a box filled with jade pendants and bracelets, examining them intently, completely ignoring the shop owner browsing nearby.

This was against the rules, but the shop owner had good manners and didn’t make a fuss. He finished his selection, nodded to the assistant, and went to the counter to pay. The assistant, having seen off one customer, curiously glanced at the unfamiliar face before him and said, “Looking to buy, sir? These are all Grade A goods, wholesale price is 380 per piece. If you buy in bulk, we can give you a discount.”

The jade indeed looked of good quality. In an outside shop, it would easily fetch over a thousand yuan per piece, but in this wholesale market, it was priced at a few hundred yuan. The exact price, of course, depended on the buyer’s negotiation skills and their relationship with Treasure House. A more savvy buyer might have tried to haggle, but Zhang Xiuqi had no such intention. He simply reached into his pocket and pulled out a bank card.

Damn, a black card! The assistant’s eyes lit up, instantly regretting quoting such a low price. After all, most people who entered this backyard had some connection to Treasure House, so he hadn’t dared to quote too high. But who would have thought this guy wouldn’t even bother haggling? Could he be someone brought here to learn the ropes? A smile quickly spread across the assistant’s face as he eagerly asked, “How many pieces do you need, sir? We actually have better materials in the back. Would you like to take a look?”

“Xiao Wang,” a voice interrupted him. Wei Yang walked over with a wry smile, “This is my friend. He’s been helping out at Uncle Sun’s place recently. Sorry for the trouble.”

Xiao Wang, recognizing Wei Yang, immediately dropped his professional smile and chuckled awkwardly. “Oh, so you’re Brother Yang’s friend. Haha, it’s like a family misunderstanding…”

Wei Yang was known to be a true connoisseur, and everyone at Treasure House knew it. Even if his friends were easy targets, they couldn’t bring themselves to take advantage. Sighing inwardly at his bad luck, Xiao Wang decided not to push the Grade A goods anymore. But Zhang Xiuqi extended his bank card again and said, “Twenty.”

Xiao Wang: “…”

Wei Yang: “…”

Embarrassed, Wei Yang reached out and held the wooden box, saying in a low voice, “Brother Qi, these pieces have all been processed. They’re not worth the money. If you want to buy jade, let’s go to the back and pick out some better ones…”

Zhang Xiuqi frowned slightly, showing no intention of backing down. “I want dead jade.”

As soon as these words were spoken, even Xiao Wang felt awkward. So this guy had realized the entire box was filled with dead jade? Dead jade referred to low-quality B-grade scraps or C-grade jade, sold by the pound at the quarry. Even with the processing fee, it wasn’t worth much. Their shop specialized in “processing” jade, turning C-grade into A-grade with ease. While it could fool outsiders, anyone in the know wouldn’t fall for it. But if he already knew it was dead jade, why was he willing to pay such a high price for it?

Wei Yang was also puzzled and cautiously asked, “Brother Qi, you really want dead jade? This stuff isn’t good for people.”

Not only was it not good for people, but processed jade like this could even be harmful. Yet Zhang Xiuqi shook his head seriously and said, “Not for people. For vengeful spirits.”

Xiao Wang: “…”

Wei Yang: “…”

With great difficulty, Wei Yang turned his head and forced a smile, pulling out two hundred yuan from his pocket and handing it to the stunned assistant. “Xiao Wang, go pick out 20 pieces of C-grade jade. No processing needed, and the shape doesn’t matter. As long as it’s jade material.”

Considering the cost, 200 yuan was more than enough to buy the entire box of jade, especially since Zhang Xiuqi wasn’t picky about the processing. Xiao Wang couldn’t say much and took the money, heading to the back. Wei Yang sighed and stuffed the bank card back into Zhang Xiuqi’s pocket. “Brother Qi, just tell me what you want next time. No need to pull out the bank card.”

Seemingly content that he was getting the dead jade, Zhang Xiuqi nodded slightly, indicating he’d remember. Wei Yang pursed his lips, silently cursing Master Zeng for handing over a black card to this guy. Did he really not care if the card got maxed out?

After this small delay, Heipi hurried out from the inner room and greeted Wei Yang with a grin. “Yo, Ah Yang, it’s been a while. Where have you been making money lately?”

The deal with the Jade Lotus Platform had gone well, and old master Liu had praised Heipi highly, even throwing in a few more “junk” carvings from Xiao Qu’er. Heipi had been at a loss for what to do with them, so seeing the little swindler again made him as happy as if he’d seen a dear friend.

Wei Yang chuckled. “Brother Ming, I’m sure it’s not me you’re thinking of. But this time, I’m not here to buy jade. I’m looking for some genuine items. Do you still have Mount Tai Stone in stock?”

Heipi blinked in surprise. “Didn’t expect you to be after the real deal. Of course, we have Mount Tai Stone. How many cubic meters do you need?”

In the feng shui industry, Mount Tai Stone was an important ritual tool, often used to ward off evil spirits and stabilize the earth’s energy. For example, the foundation of the Dacheng Hall in the Confucius Temple and the Taihe Hall in the Forbidden City were both paved with Mount Tai Stone. Even the People’s Heroes Monument built after the founding of the People’s Republic of China used genuine Mount Tai Stone as its foundation, highlighting its significance in feng shui. However, with the increasing number of people believing in feng shui, demand for Mount Tai Stone had surged. If it were openly supplied, the entire Mount Tai might be hollowed out. Thus, while every feng shui shop had Mount Tai Stone or Mount Tai Stone Guardians, not every piece was genuine.

Treasure House was no exception, but it depended on who was asking. Without wasting words, Heipi led Wei Yang to the back warehouse. The warehouse was divided into inner and outer sections. In the outer section, there were several Mount Tai Stone Guardians in the corner, but Heipi didn’t stop there. Instead, he walked to the very back of the warehouse and pointed to a pile of dark stones on the ground. “These are all genuine stones from the main peak of Mount Tai, but the prices vary. You’re an expert, Ah Yang, so I won’t overcharge you. The ones with ordinary patterns are 30,000 per cubic meter, while those with unique patterns range from 80,000 to 100,000. They can’t be cut.”

These were uncarved mountain stones. Some of the larger ones were easily one or two meters in size, and yet they were being sold at such exorbitant prices, far exceeding the cost of top-grade white marble. However, Wei Yang didn’t bother haggling. Instead, he turned to Zhang Xiuqi and said, “Brother Qi, why don’t you pick one?”

Hearing this, Heipi couldn’t help but glance at the young man standing beside Wei Yang. Since entering, this person hadn’t said a word, and Wei Yang hadn’t introduced him either, which piqued Heipi’s curiosity. Why was he being asked to pick the stone? Could he be the client this time?

Zhang Xiuqi ignored Heipi’s probing gaze. Instead, he took a few steps forward, circled the pile of stones a few times, and picked up a volleyball-sized stone from the corner before walking back.

“This small?” Heipi couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re really saving money here.”

When collecting Mount Tai Stone, there were always some leftover scraps, which sellers naturally didn’t waste. They were brought back and sold as small ornaments. However, these ornaments were usually chosen for their thick and sturdy shapes or distinct peaks. A round stone like this was rarely picked, often given away as a freebie.

Wei Yang didn’t even inspect the stone and simply smiled at Heipi. “We’ll take this one.”

Seeing how decisive the little swindler was, Heipi didn’t argue further. “Alright, for something like this, take it for 10,000. Next time you come across a good deal like Boss Wang’s, don’t forget to bring it here.”

Wei Yang naturally accepted the favor, but instead of paying immediately, he reached into his pocket and pulled out something. “Brother Ming, take a look at this first. What do you think?”

Lying in his palm was the jade cicada.

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