OFR – Chapter 89 Venue

A few minutes later.

Mu Bai bought four tickets in a row. He also nodded repeatedly at the mother and son who thanked him profusely and said, “Alright, alright, go have fun.”

After exchanging a few more polite words, they split up and entered the Han Terracotta Warriors exhibit.

Inside, the place was filled with tourists, each admiring different displays of the warriors.

Mu Bai and Qian Yiwen also began strolling around. As usual, Qian Yiwen pulled out her phone and started taking pictures everywhere.

Because she was so beautiful, she attracted the gaze of quite a few men. But once they saw she already had someone by her side, their looks carried a trace of envy and jealousy.

Having a beauty in one’s arms, spending the day leisurely sightseeing—that was the dream life of many men.

Still, it was only a fleeting moment of envy; after all, they too had to accompany their own wives and children.

Since the Han Terracotta Warriors site wasn’t very large, in just about an hour, the two of them had walked through the entire place.

By then, it was already past three in the afternoon.

“Hungry? If you are, we can go eat first.”

Mu Bai asked after they left the exhibit.

They had eaten around ten in the morning, and not very well at that, so by now he was starting to feel hungry.

“A little hungry. Anyway, we’ve already seen the two most famous spots in Xuzhou. Let’s go eat.”

“Alright.”

After a short chat, they found a very high-end restaurant near the site.

During the meal, Mu Bai ordered several famous Xuzhou dishes, including the renowned Yangfang Hidden Fish—a dish with 4,300 years of history—and specialties like Lianglai Feng.

The food from such a high-class hotel was exquisite in color, fragrance, and taste, so the two of them thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

After finishing, Mu Bai called the waiter over to settle the bill.

“Sir, your total comes to 8,618 yuan,” the waiter said softly after checking the bill.

“Alright, settle it.”

After paying, Mu Bai and Qian Yiwen left the restaurant.

“Ugh, it really pains me to see you spend money like this. Over eight thousand on just one meal? Wouldn’t a small local restaurant have been fine?”

Outside, Qian Yiwen couldn’t help but remark on how money flowed from Xiao Mu’s hands like water.

To be honest, she felt that money really wasn’t money at all to him.

That one meal alone cost the equivalent of two months’ wages for an average white-collar worker. Even the wealthiest tycoons in Jianghai Province probably didn’t spend like this on a daily meal.

Mu Bai didn’t bother explaining. He only looked at the darkening sky and said, “It’s getting late. Most scenic spots are closed now. Isn’t there a jade gambling event in Xuzhou tonight? Let’s go check it out.”

“Mm, whatever my cool Mu decides.”

Qian Yiwen replied sweetly.

Then the two of them drove toward the gambling stone event.

The venue was on the outskirts of XZ City. It happened to be rush hour, so the roads were congested. After driving for more than an hour, they finally arrived.

They parked the car and got out.

But as soon as they stepped out, the sight before them left them both a little stunned.

Even before reaching the venue itself, the entire road leading there was ablaze with lights.

For nearly a kilometer, the street was lined with stalls selling raw stones.

Most of these stalls were run by local residents of Xuzhou, who, during the event, brought out the raw stones they had dug up to sell.

These stones were generally ones that major jade dealers didn’t want—stones with almost no chance of containing jade. Setting up stalls was mainly to trick outsiders.

“Raw stones for sale! Ten yuan for three top-grade pieces!”

“Five yuan for one raw stone! You can’t lose, you can’t go wrong! Every buy is a profit!”

The vendors shouted constantly, creating a lively atmosphere.

“Wow, that cheap? Three stones for ten yuan? I thought jade gambling was supposed to be expensive?”

Hearing the shouting, Qian Yiwen asked in surprise.

“These are all waste rocks, just for fooling people. The real gambling event is inside.”

Mu Bai explained as he pulled her toward the main venue.

The jade pendant on his chest gave a faint vibration as they passed by a few stalls, though the tremor was barely noticeable.

He knew this meant that even in these “waste rocks,” there were still traces of jade.

But he wasn’t interested in scavenging here.

Chatting idly, they soon entered the actual jade gambling venue of Xuzhou.

Inside, the raw stones were all displayed by large jade companies. Entry required a 1,000 yuan fee per person—an entry threshold to filter out casual onlookers.

Mu Bai scanned and paid 2,000 yuan for both of them, then led Qian Yiwen inside.

By this time, the event was already in full swing.

“Congratulations to Mr. Zhang Wenqing for cutting out jade worth 100,000 yuan—he earns the right to enter the second floor!”

“Congratulations to Miss Yun Shu for cutting out top-quality Hetian jade worth 1.2 million yuan!”

“Congratulations to the anonymous participant, Mr. Ting Feng, for cutting jade worth 100,000 yuan—he earns the right to enter the second floor!”

The venue had three levels. In the center of the first floor stood a massive LCD screen, displaying important announcements from the first-floor event.

Mu Bai gave it a casual glance, then prepared to enter.

But just as he stepped forward, a receptionist called out softly:

“Sir, please register first. Without it, you won’t be able to purchase raw stones.”

“Register?”

He and Qian Yiwen walked over to the counter to speak with the receptionist.

“Yes, just a simple registration, no need for your real name. It’s mainly to keep track of attendance.”

“Alright. By the way, I noticed the screen mentioning ‘second-floor qualifications.’ What does that mean?”

“Qualifications? Oh—our venue has three levels. To enter the second, you must cut jade worth at least 100,000 yuan. The third floor, where the stones are worth hundreds of thousands or more, requires participants to have already cut jade valued at over a million. We also maintain a total-value ranking. The top-ranked participant will receive a Nalans family Black Card, valid nationwide. Those ranked second through tenth will receive VIP cards.”

Listening carefully, Mu Bai finally understood.

He now realized why the Xuzhou jade gambling event attracted so many jade enthusiasts.

Because the event offered ranking rewards.

Although the rewards were just the Nalan Black Card and VIP cards, one had to remember: the Nalan family didn’t just run this venue. They owned high-end KTVs, hotels, shops, and even their own bank. Their influence spread across the entire south.

It was an enterprise no less powerful than Qianda Real Estate, Penguin Empire, or the Ali Kingdom.

Yet despite their massive scale, the Nalan family never appeared on the rich lists. Nobody even knew who currently controlled the family.

Mysterious and low-key—that was the Nalan family’s trademark.

So a Nalan Black Card wasn’t just a symbol of wealth and status—it conferred countless privileges and prestige.

After learning this, Mu Bai nodded slightly and finished registering with Qian Yiwen.

Once done, Qian Yiwen said happily, “Our first jade gambling event—let’s go pick out some stones!”

The two began browsing the stalls. The first floor was packed with displays, each surrounded by eager onlookers, and the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement.