"What are you doing?"
Irene Xu stared warily at Evan Lin, convinced he was about to take advantage of the situation.
But when she saw Evan's calm face and those clear, unruffled eyes, Irene relaxed a little.
Instinctively, she closed her eyes. Evan gently pressed his fingertips around Irene's eyes.
Irene felt a faint warm current flowing from Evan's fingers—a soothing sensation that made her reluctant to open her eyes.
"Done."
In less than ten seconds, Evan withdrew his hand and spoke calmly.
"Huh? That's it?"
Hearing Evan's voice, Irene's heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly opened her eyes, still a bit dazed and blushing, glanced at Evan's hand, then stumbled over to the mirror to check her reflection.
In the mirror, not only had Irene's dark circles vanished completely, but her vision also felt noticeably sharper.
"They're really gone! How did you do that?"
She exclaimed, turning to look at Evan Lin, who was already slinging a backpack over his shoulder, her eyes full of amazement.
"It's just a technique for treating bruises and promoting circulation. People like us who train in martial arts sometimes get hurt and just massage it ourselves."
Evan made it up on the spot, but Irene didn't doubt him at all. Her face lit up with delight. "That amazing? With skills like yours, you could open a beauty spa and be packed with clients! I'd definitely be your first member!"
Just as she was talking, Irene's phone rang again. She quickly grabbed her purse and headed downstairs with Evan.
Riding the elevator down, Irene kept glancing at Evan, finding him more impressive with every look. She reminded him, "In a bit, I'll introduce you as my cousin, just tagging along for fun. Wade Wei's temper is pretty decent, so he shouldn't give you any trouble."
"And try not to talk too much, so we don't get into any unnecessary trouble. Once we're there, if you see good food, eat as much as you want, okay?"
Irene chuckled.
Evan looked indifferent.
Outside the apartment complex, two cars were parked: a gray Porsche 911 and a Cayenne.
Several people stood by the cars.
One of them, a tall man in a flashy patterned shirt, leaned against the Porsche 911, a cigarette dangling from his lips. The moment he saw Irene Xu coming out of the building, he straightened up and greeted her with a smile: "Irene, you're here."
"Wade, your outfit looks great today," Irene replied with a smile.
"You have good taste. It's a handmade Italian shirt," Wade Wei laughed, then glanced at Evan Lin, raising an eyebrow. "And this is...?"
"Oh, this is my cousin. He just arrived yesterday. He was supposed to hang out with me for the holiday, so I thought, why not bring him along to see the world with you, Wade?"
"Of course, no problem. If he's your cousin, then everything's fine."
Wade Wei laughed heartily and nodded, then called out to the Cayenne's driver, "Lei Zi, take care of this little brother!"
Lei Zi was a dark-skinned, serious-looking guy. Hearing Wade's words, he immediately nodded. "Got it, Young Master Wei."
"Go ride in the car behind us. If you need anything, just say so," Irene told Evan, then followed Wade into the Porsche 911 up front.
Evan got into the Cayenne. Besides Lei Zi, there was a young man with sharp features, looking about twenty-something and barely over five feet tall. When Evan entered, the guy just glanced his way with indifference, then turned away and slouched in his seat, dozing off.
The whole ride, Lei Zi and the sharp-featured young man stayed silent, making the car feel a bit tense.
White Crane Lake sat south of the city outskirts, known for its jade market and as a local tourist spot.
After a bumpy drive out of the city, Evan pushed open the car door and got out.
Outside, Irene and Wade Wei were already waiting up ahead.
"Lei Zi, did you bring everything?"
Wade Wei looked at Lei Zi, who nodded and pulled a silver briefcase from the trunk. He said solemnly, "The fifteen million yuan in cash you asked for is all here."
"Fifteen million?" Irene gasped at the number.
Wade just shrugged it off. "There's a batch of top-quality stones today, so it's a good chance to gamble. Don't think fifteen million is a lot—if you hit the right stones, it could be gone in just a few pieces."
Irene couldn't help but marvel—just a few stones could be worth fifteen million? It was almost unimaginable.
"And today I've brought a real expert—Brother Zheng. Last time in Nanyun, he used a fifty-thousand-yuan stone to cut out a Law Seed worth thirty million. His stone appraisal skills are top-notch." Wade looked at the sharp-featured man, who straightened up and put on an expert's air. He said coolly, "That was nothing special, not worth mentioning."
Though he said it was nothing, his proud demeanor made it clear he was quite arrogant.
Back in the car, he hadn't spared Evan a glance, and even when looking at Lei Zi, there was a hint of contempt in his eyes, as if he saw him as beneath him.
People who rely on skill and brains rarely respect those who get by on brute force and hard labor, like Lei Zi.
"Irene, you can have your cousin follow Brother Zheng and learn a thing or two. If he picks up some stone appraisal skills, he'll have it easy for the rest of his life." Wade joked, his eyes never leaving Irene, barely glancing at Evan.
"Mm-hmm." Irene nodded, wanting Evan to seize the opportunity, but seeing his indifferent expression, she swallowed her words.
She felt that even if she said it, Evan wouldn't really do it anyway.
"There are all sorts here, but with Lei Zi around, you don't need to worry about safety. Let's go in." Wade strode ahead, Irene followed, and Evan lingered behind, scanning his surroundings thoughtfully.