Chapter 216: Great Virtue Carries All Things

　　"Come to think of it, the old miner did have a point. The dozen or so workers who fell ill were those who participated in digging up the blood jade at that time."

　　"The other workers were so afraid that they would be the next ones affected, they all ran away. The mine has suffered significant losses this time."

　　"But the big boss says that the blood jade is priceless. If it can be sold, not only can all the losses be recouped, but we can also make a huge profit."

　　"His business is big enough to hold out, but we little guys can't afford to wait."

　　Hu Guidong was sighing and wiping sweat again.

　　"Manager Lu, what exactly is this blood jade? Is it really the treasure of the mountain god?"

　　"Without seeing the actual object, I can't say for sure." Lu Fei wore an expression of keen interest, "Normally, evil objects harm people, but this jade only makes people fall into a deep sleep, without taking their lives. It's quite intriguing."

　　"Alright, alright, then you should rest well on the way, we will discuss it when we arrive." Hu Guidong nodded.

　　In interacting with him, Lu Fei felt that he was very approachable, without any bossy attitude.

　　Though not as handsome as Zhou Yuyang, he had a broad forehead, a straight nose, wide ears, and slightly thick lips – a very distinct appearance of a trustworthy person.

　　This kind of person values emotions and righteousness, is steady and reliable, and greatly cherishes family.

　　If one were choosing a partner for marriage, this type of person would be the top choice.

　　Not only are they considerate and good at taking care of others, but they also excel in making and managing money, far surpassing those who only have a pretty face.

　　To make good time, Hu Guidong and the driver alternated driving.

　　After a long and tiring journey, they finally entered the mountains smoothly two days later.

　　The mountain roads were winding and twisting, circling round and round, making Lu Fei's head spin.

　　The mine was located at the foot of a certain mountain, with large exposed pits, and several rows of barracks built near the mountain road.

　　It was deathly quiet all around, with not a person in sight, making it seem very desolate.

　　"Manager Lu, you move around a bit, I'll go find the big boss."

　　As soon as the car stopped, Hu Guidong said goodbye to Lu Fei and rushed down the car towards those few rows of barracks.

　　Lu Fei quickly let the small black dog, which had been holding it in the entire journey, out to stretch its legs.

　　This little guy was full of energy when he first got on the car, but later became a dispirited puppy, with no light left in his eyes.

　　Now, after getting out of the car, it seemed to come back to life, marking its territory all around.

　　Lu Fei stretched his sore legs and looked around.

　　The temperature here is lower than elsewhere, and the air is cool.

　　Looking around, apart from the sky above, all one can see are endless verdant mountains.

　　"The environment here is quite comfortable." Lu Fei took a deep breath, stretched his arms wide, and slowly, his dizzy mind became clear.

　　"What's so comfortable about it, boss? My hometown is just like this, in the middle of the mountains, poor! We don't have anything!" Hu Zi shook his head vigorously.

　　"I really admire those people online who go to live in the mountains. We country folks struggle so much to get into the city. But they don't enjoy hotpot and grilled skewers, instead, they choose to suffer in the mountains for no reason,"

　　"People always yearn for what they don't have." Lu Fei smiled, "Do you have any legends about mountain deities in your area?"

　　"No, our village doesn't believe in that. We only worship the Earth God." Hu Zi frowned, "Even if we do, it's useless. A few days ago, I called my parents, and our place is still suffering from drought."

　　"For more than two months, not a drop of rain has fallen, and the crops have produced nothing at all."

　　"If there were really any gods in the world, why wouldn't they bless us with good weather and abundant rain?"

　　"That makes sense." Lu Fei nodded.

　　Shortly after.

　　Hu Guidong led a middle-aged man over.

　　The middle-aged man had slightly dark skin, a large nose, and a thick gold chain around his neck, carrying a black leather bag under his arm.

　　Behind him was a bodyguard, not very tall, but with a muscular build. His eyes were cold, making him seem like no ordinary person.

　　"Mr. Lu, this is our big boss, Dong Shanhai."

　　Hu Guidong introduced enthusiastically.

　　"Brother Dong, this is Mr. Lu, the proprietor of Sinisterium Pawnshop."

　　"Mr. Lu? It's an honor to meet you!" Dong Shanhai looked at Lu Fei with a hint of disdain in his eyes, "I didn't expect Mr. Lu to be so young. I thought people who run pawnshops these days were all old antiques."

　　They shook hands briefly.

　　Lu Fei could feel the other's perfunctory attitude.

　　"Mr. Dong, you flatter me. I'm only here because of President Hu. Time is precious, so let's get straight to the point."

　　"Well, I didn't expect Manager Lu to be such a straightforward person," Dong Shanhai chuckled, leading them into the modest office.

　　On the wall of the office hung a calligraphy piece written in brush and ink.

　　Virtue Bears All.

　　"Manager Lu, please sit down."

　　Hu Guidong bustled around, serving tea and water to Lu Fei.

　　Huzi stood by Lu Fei's side, wearing a cold expression, determined not to let his boss lose face in terms of presence.

　　Dong Shanhai opened the safe and took out a brocade box from inside.

　　"Manager Lu, this piece of jade is very valuable, so do take good care of it," he said, placing the box on the table.

　　"You can trust me, Mr. Dong."

　　Lu Fei took out his own specialized gloves, put them on, opened the lid, and took out a palm-sized blood-red jade from inside.

　　He squinted his eyes and examined the jade carefully.

　　Dong Shanhai lit a cigarette, leaned back in his chair, and slowly smoked, observing Lu Fei through the smoke.

　　After looking at it for a few moments, Lu Fei put the blood jade back into the box and stood up.

　　"Huzi, we can go back now."

　　"Why is that?" Hu Guidong was confused, "Boss Lu, what's the situation with this jade? Why are you leaving after just one look?"

　　"Mr. Dong doesn't trust us. Is there any point in us staying?" Lu Fei smiled faintly.

　　"Doesn't trust you?" Hu Guidong was taken aback. He picked up the blood jade and looked at it. His expression changed as he said, "This jade is a fake, the color is dyed!"

　　"Boss Lu, don't take it to heart, I was just joking with you. After all, your Sinisterium Pawnshop has a bad reputation outside, so I had to test your depth, didn't I?"

　　Dong Shanhai stood up and laughed heartily.

　　"Boss Dong, my sense of humor is a bit high, I don't find anything particularly funny." Lu Fei looked at him expressionlessly, "If you think there's something wrong with our Sinisterium Pawnshop, you can say it directly."

　　Dong Shanhai's smile froze; he didn't expect Lu Fei to be so direct.

　　Hu Guidong quickly came out to mediate: "It's all a misunderstanding! All those rumors outside are false, and we certainly don't believe them. Otherwise, we wouldn't have specifically invited Manager Lu here. Right, Brother Dong?"

　　He frantically signaled to Dong Shanhai with his eyes.

　　Dong Shanhai paused for a moment before nodding slightly: "Yes, after all, it was Brother Hu who vouched for you multiple times, so I had to meet you, didn't I?"

　　"So, may I ask where you heard these rumors, Boss Dong?"

　　Dong Shanhai did not answer but instead smiled faintly, "As long as you can solve the problems at my mine, I will of course tell you."

　　Lu Fei couldn't help but laugh; the mine had already stopped operations, and he was still putting on an act in this urgent situation.

　　There are many ways to investigate the source of the rumors; it's not like he's the only one who can provide information.

　　"Manager Lu, Manager Lu, please take a seat. I'll handle the rumors; no matter what happens with the mine, I'll get to the bottom of it for you."

　　Hu Guidong pulled Lu Fei to sit down again, his face full of a pleading smile.

　　He's a good guy, so let's give him some face. Lu Fei said, "For the sake of Mr. Hu, I can take a look first, but on the condition that it's genuine."

　　Dong Shanhai then opened his briefcase and took out an object wrapped in thick red cloth.

　　"This is the real thing!"