I seized the initiative, and there wasn't a single truly good piece of jade in the Empty Chamber. Someone must have tampered with it, swapped it out in secret, which is how I managed to buy it. All of this was beyond Qin Sisi's plan. She needed to understand the whole story, and I needed an opportunity to catch my breath.
...
After I got this Dragon Stone variety, I left the Empty Chamber immediately. Rushing back to the hotel, my heart was still pounding uncontrollably. However, before entering, I checked the paper strip on the door. Seeing it was still there, I knew the inn was safe, and only then did I open the door and go in.
...
Splash!
As soon as I pushed the door open, a cup of water came crashing down from above, drenching my head. The paper strip on the door hadn't been moved, but someone had set up a prank. I was startled, and almost simultaneously, I heard a familiar laugh and smelled the scent of Burmese sour and spicy noodles.
Could it be?
Ignoring my disheveled state, I walked a few steps quickly and saw Old Ghost sitting on the edge of the bed, eating Burmese sour and spicy noodles.
"You... you..." I had so many things I wanted to say to Old Ghost, but seeing him, I couldn't utter a single word.
"I ordered a portion for you too."
Seeing Old Ghost, all my defenses melted away. As I ate the noodles, which were a bit spicy, I didn't know if it was the spice or the urge to cry, but like a child, I poured out my woes to Old Ghost: "Is it easy for me? Do you know how I've been these past few days?"
"None of my business."
"How is it none of your business? If it weren't for helping you, would I have gotten into this mess?"
"Helping me? Spare me the flattery. I left something in Ruili. When I called the landlord, I learned someone was looking for me, so I scurried back from Beijing. Was it easy for me?"
"You went to Beijing? You abandoned this huge operation and went to Beijing?"
I felt Old Ghost was talking nonsense, but looking at him, I didn't think he had any reason to lie to me.
Seeing my bewildered expression, Old Ghost told me the truth. He was looking for someone; they were fellow disciples. Like Old Ghost, this person was also a master manipulator. Regarding Old Ghost's senior disciple, Long-Tongued Ghost, Old Ghost only had one lead: Long-Tongued Ghost was collaborating with someone, specializing in setting up traps for wealthy individuals. Old Ghost wasn't a god, and with this clue, he couldn't directly apprehend his senior disciple. So, he decided to search for schemes targeting the rich across the country.
To this end, Old Ghost came to Ruili last year, and it was for this reason that he inadvertently saved me. After I left, he continued his investigation, focusing on the Empty Chamber celebrity circle. After some time of reconnaissance, Old Ghost learned that the Empty Chamber celebrity circle scheme was orchestrated by a young woman named Qin Sisi. This girl was only twenty-eight or twenty-nine, with an extremely high talent for setting up schemes. She had truly made a fortune in Ruili's celebrity circle that she could never spend in her lifetime.
Logically, Old Ghost could have dismantled the Empty Chamber celebrity circle scheme, but he didn't. His investigation revealed that Qin Sisi's skills originated from an organization called "Logical Paradox." Within this organization, Qin Sisi was merely a student. To avoid alarming them, Old Ghost didn't break the scheme and instead went to Beijing, as that was the city where Qin Sisi first made her mark.
Hearing Old Ghost say this, I felt a hint of gratitude: "You came back for me?"
Old Ghost chuckled, not answering my question, and instead teased me: "Clipping a paper strip to the door to guard against thieves? Who did you learn that from?"
"TV. Art originates from life."
"Is that so? Still congratulating yourself? Whose head did that cup of water drench?"
"Wasn't it you? I used that very method to discover someone had tampered with my room. Actually, I knew they were playing me from the beginning, but to get into the game, I had to pretend I knew nothing."
Perhaps my emotions touched Old Ghost, as he gave me an encouraging smile: "You actually did quite well!"
"Well? Hmph, not at all. Someone died, because of me."
"It was my fault for being a step too late. I could only save you, but not your friend."
...
Hearing Old Ghost say this, I was even more certain that Old Gao was Old Ghost's man.
"Actually, even if Old Gao hadn't come, I could have handled it. All things are not possessed by me, but all things can be used by me. I think I understand now."
The situation had reached that point. On the 24th, someone was already helping me. I believed that even without Old Gao's intervention, I could still have snatched a piece of fake-skin raw jade from Qin Sisi.
"Your thoughts and plans were correct, just lacking a bit of finesse."
"What do you mean?"
"If you want others to help you, you must have value that compels them to help you."
"Isn't my standing in opposition to Qin Sisi enough? I wanted to lure out the police."
Old Ghost smiled helplessly: "They also have their difficulties. In the Empty Chamber celebrity circle, how many people wanted to get rich overnight, only to lose everything, their fortunes and their lives. Don't fault the police with philosophical dilemmas. Is saving you more important, or catching the true culprit of the Empty Chamber and saving more lives? Moreover, sometimes, things develop too quickly, and they can't save you even if they want to."
I admitted that Old Ghost was absolutely right. The police weren't gods, and sometimes they were powerless against unforeseen events, otherwise, Shun Ge wouldn't have been killed for no reason.
"If I had value, would they have helped me?"
"Of course. Only when you become the core can you achieve that all things are not possessed by you, but all things can be used by you."
I smiled helplessly: "I see now. You used those two phrases to manipulate me."
"It's like Zhou Yu fighting Huang Gai; one is willing to fight, the other is willing to take the blows. You believe in me, and then I can deceive you, right?"
"That sounds like there's more to it."
"Meticulousness and wild speculation are two different things. Calm your mind, finish your meal, and then let's play a game of cards."
"What can two people play? Big fish eats small fish?"
...
"Lying" is a card game. When playing cards, you cover them and announce what you're playing. For example, if you cover three cards and say "three 3s," if the opponent chooses to believe you, they can follow suit or pass. If they don't believe you and choose to reveal the cards, and they are indeed three 3s, the revealer takes the cards. If they are not, the player who played them must take them back. The player who plays out all their cards first wins. Also, a small rule: a joker can represent any card.
Old Ghost and I played with two decks of cards, each taking some. Old Ghost played first, saying, "One 2!"
I had three 2s in my hand. Seeing Old Ghost play a 2, I smiled knowingly. Regardless of whether he was telling the truth, I had no reason to reveal my cards. I took three random cards and covered them, announcing, "Three 2s!"
Old Ghost glanced at me. A jolt of surprise went through me. Had I been seen through? He was Old Ghost, after all. But it didn't matter; even if he revealed them, I would only take back one card.
"Two 2s!" Old Ghost played.
Blood on the tip of a knife, a man without venom is no true man. I took three more random cards and placed them on top, with full confidence: "Three 2s!"
Would Old Ghost reveal them? I pondered. Old Ghost merely raised his eyelids and then said, "Three 2s!"
Haha, this was getting serious. I still had my three 2s in hand, so I wouldn't place them.
"3 2s!" This time, I used real cards.
Old Ghost was unfazed: "Four 2s!"
"You have four 2s?"
"Don't you believe me?"
"No, as it happens, I have three 2s left! Believe it or not?"
I placed three random cards down, but I didn't lose in terms of demeanor, so I firmly believed Old Ghost wouldn't reveal them. That's how the "Lying" rule worked; the later it gets, the more real it becomes. We were already at 22 cards.
Old Ghost smiled calmly: "It's not time for belief yet. Four 2s!"
"Twenty-six 2s with two decks?"
"Don't believe me? You can reveal them."
The later it gets, the more real it is.
"I believe you. Pass."
Old Ghost looked up at me: "I played first, right?"
"Yes!"
"Six 2s!"
"Damn it!"
Just now it was twenty-six 2s, and now he came up with six 2s. I was impressed; the older the ginger, the spicier it is. Should I follow, or pass? If I followed, I'd surely be revealed, and if revealed, he'd have six 2s. At this point, it wouldn't be fake.
"Reveal or not?"
"Pass!" I gritted out.
It was Old Ghost's turn again. He didn't have many cards left. I had to be cautious. However, Old Ghost chuckled, covered all his cards, stared into my eyes, and said, "Nine 2s!"
"How is that possible?"
Without thinking, I revealed my cards. It was indeed nine 2s: five 2s plus four jokers. A joker could represent any card.
With two decks of cards, we each took some. When he played three 2s, I had three 2s. Therefore, Old Ghost could have at most five 2s and four jokers. Yet, we had played a total of thirty-two 2s. Old Ghost didn't have a single real one. He had bluffed me. When he played six 2s, I thought that was the limit and conceded. But Old Ghost's skill far exceeded my imagination.
Dejectedly, I threw down my cards: "I'm not playing anymore. It's not fun. Can you tell me the secret?"
"Only when you're sure you have three 2s and might win will you engage in a battle of wits with me. And I understand that stratagems and courage are used on intelligent people. You are an intelligent person, so I can play more boldly."
Old Ghost's words definitely had a double meaning. I pondered: "I need to make Qin Sisi understand that she might win against me, only then can I make a plan, right? Also, she's an intelligent person, so my plan needs to be bolder."
"Exactly. But I have one condition: return the cut Dragon Stone variety to me, and use the remaining scraps to set up your plan."
"That piece wasn't fake-skin raw jade? Why do you need it?"
"The technique for making fake-skin originates from some old craftsmen in Burma. It mainly involves wrapping chemically treated jade to resemble raw jade. Old Gao found such a person, whose counterfeiting skills were not bad. However, Old Gao didn't have any acid-washed C-grade jade. With time pressing, he used his beloved Dragon Stone variety to create the fake-skin raw jade."
I was stunned. The Dragon Stone variety was real? That thing was priceless!
Old Ghost understood my thoughts and smiled: "Let me calculate for you. Your cut wasn't very deep, but it's still close to Xiao Qi's price. You'll have to bear the cost."
123 for small, 456 for medium, 789 for large. Xiao Qi means seven figures. In other words, my single cut cost me one to three million.
"I got it all back!"
"There's always some loss!"
I gritted my teeth and said, "If we don't break the scheme, can this money be paid in installments?"
"Old Gao isn't a banker. He really loves jade. Your cut hit him right in the heart. If you don't break the scheme, you'll be working for Old Gao for the rest of your life."
"What do we do now?"
"I'll take this large piece back to Old Gao first, and you keep the small one to set up your plan."
"I feel like I've gotten on a pirate ship."
"That's because you climbed on yourself. Don't expect me to help you. For your safety, I will try my best not to show myself. Fend for yourself, young man."